Chapter 20 (Age 17)

Link tossed and turned violently after seeing the great shapes appear behind his eyes. A dark creature, larger than a Leviathan hovered over him, threatening him with its massive teeth. A darkness swallowed the entire world, leaving nothing to stand between him and his inevitable end. But a voice pierced through the void, reaching him in a series of murmurs that he somehow understood as clearly as if the voice had spoken to him in his own tongue.

Rise, Link… the time has come for you to awaken. You are fated to have a hand in a great destiny, and it will soon find you… The time has come for you to awaken… Master.

Link's eyes shot open, his body whipping up in fright. A dream. It was only a dream.

Or was it?

In front of his face was a Loftwing… Zelda's. He screamed and felt something hard below him… the floor. His foot was still tangled in the sheet as he looked up at the bird. Well, he thought to himself. This is a new way to get me up.

He stared down her bird, unable and unwilling to stand. They seemed locked in an eternal contest of wills. Who would blink first? But the bird didn't care nearly as much as Link thought and spit out a letter that landed with a light thud against his head. He waited until the Loftwing's head disappeared out his window once more before he felt it was safe enough to stand.

He grabbed the letter, rubbing his sore neck, and sighed. He was too tired for letters. And he desperately wished Zelda had come in person. Today would be so busy, and they'd be under scrutiny for most of the day. Tearing the flap open, he wiped the sleep from his eyes and sat down to read.

"Hey, sleepyhead. I'm guessing this letter will be your alarm clock this morning. Did I guess right? Rise and shine, Link! Today's the Wing Ceremony! You promised to meet me before it starts, remember? You'd better not keep me waiting. -Zelda"

Link opened his window to check the time. Surely it couldn't be late enough that he'd missed his meeting with Zelda. But when he saw the light, he cursed and ran to his wardrobe, changing as fast as he could. Yes… he could absolutely have slept through their meeting.

He ran out the door, still disoriented from sleep. But as he went to go to to the Goddess Statue, he heard someone call his name.

"Link! Hey! Today's your Wing Ceremony and you slept in?" Horwell's tone was sarcastic. Link supposed his disheveled hair didn't do him any favors in suggesting otherwise. He smoothed it back and made a face, guilty. Well, Link was nothing if not consistent.

"Getting some last minute bird-racing practice in before the ceremony?" he said , not bothering to hide the suggestion in his voice.

Link rubbed his eyes. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm going to. I have to meet Zelda first, so… if you don't mind."

"Well," Horwell said, grabbing Link's arm to stop him. "Speaking of Zelda. I might have… opened my door prematurely this morning when I went to feed Mia and the little Remlit… may have gotten onto the roof. My old bones, Link… would you help?"

Link looked at the relatively young instructor suspiciously. Old bones. "Fine."

"You'll make a good Knight, Link."

Rolling his eyes, Link ran at the wall, pushing himself up onto a small ledge and then again up onto the roof faster than if he'd gone around. He looked for Mia, seeing her on the second roof.

"Are you making me do this as some sort of hidden training exercise?" Link called down to Howlan.

But the instructor just laughed, "If only I could be so devious!"

Link took a breath and climbed onto the box that had been left up there to get onto the second roof and grabbed the ledge with all his strength, pulling himself up with ease.

"Hey, Mia," Link cooed. "You wanted to make my day more difficult, didn't you?"

The Remlit looked up at him lazily, disinterested in moving or reacting or anything but mewling, really. He picked her up with an affectionate pat on the head and made his way back to Horwell.

"Thank you, Link. And if you can… um… discreetly tell the Headmaster that it's taken care of. He was going to send a Knight to assist me after meeting with Zelda, but we don't want her distracted today."

Link scoffed, backing up. "But no one minds distracting me?"

Horwell shrugged. "You're always distracted."

Link chuckled and headed up the steps, seeing Zelda's Loftwing flying above the statue. He turned, looking for Gaepora first. But his intentions were interrupted when he noticed Zelda instead. She was staring at the statue, but he could hear her strum the song she'd been practicing for days. Then, over the wind, he could hear her voice carrying the notes in a soft, sweet melody.

"Oh youth, guided by the servant of the goddess, unite earth and sky, and bring light to the land..."

The wind rustled her long hair, tied back at the bottom with two ribbons. She wore a dress he'd never seen her in with a white shall over her shoulders.

He swallowed hard and leaned against the nearest pillar, listening as she practiced.

Suddenly, her hand stilled on the strings and she turned. Link felt like a young schoolboy when she smiled at him, still unable to suppress the butterflies he felt around her. They weren't the same nerves he'd once felt, but something completely different. Something like happiness that manifested so strongly that it threatened his ability to function rather than debilitating fear and crippling anxiety that she might not feel the same way towards him or that he might ruin their friendship.

"Hey! Good morning, Link." She held her lyre close to her and walked towards him. "I'm glad to see my Loftwing got you out of bed."

"Yeah, thanks for that heart attack," he murmured.

Zelda shrugged. "I was pretty sure you'd sleep in and forget to meet me this morning. You cut it close."

Link's eyes glistened as he peered over at her, a playful grin on his face. "I'm sorry. How would you like me to make it up to you?"

She took a step closer to him. "I'll think of something." She noticed his gaze flickering to her outfit and she spun around excitedly. "Look at this instrument and this outfit! They're mine to use for my role as the Goddess! Aren't they beautiful? And this... it's based on the Goddess' own lyre. They say that the markings are nearly exact from the one she'd left behind."

Link looked her over slowly with that same grin, and she hit his arm. He chuckled, clearing his throat. "The instrument looks very beautiful."

"Stop it," she hissed, though her face pinkened. She looked around. "My father will be coming over here at any time."

Link made a face, and Zelda rolled her eyes in playful exasperation. She tugged lightly at the shawl she wore.

"This is what I was making! I didn't want to show you earlier, but I made this wrap myself! It was not the easiest thing, let me tell you that."

"Yeah, I could tell from your reaction the other day." He'd never been thrown out of her room so fast when he'd nearly spotted the white fabric on her bed.

"Don't judge until you've had to make something like this. It had to be functional, you know."

"Functional?"

Zelda rolled her eyes. "Nevermind. I wanted you to be the first to see me like this before the ceremony." She spun around again. "So tell me really, how do I look?"

Link leaned back, pretending to scrutinize her with some expert eye. "Hrmm… you look-" he stopped, seeing her motion quickly with her head, a warning. Someone was in earshot. Clearing his throat again, he raised his voice, putting on his most professionally neutral voice, "You look great, Zelda. Just like the Goddess, I'd imagine."

"Ah, there you are, Zelda," Gaepora's voice rang out. "Are you all prepared for the ceremony?"

"Hello, Father."

Gaepora looked between them. Link had the feeling that Gaepora might know more than he let on. Gaepora had been watching them more carefully, appearing as if from thin air when they didn't know he was even nearby.

"Ah, Link, you're here too. Outstanding. It's encouraging to see you up so early, given your capacity for sleep. Remember the sparring championship? You nearly slept through your match."

"It wasn't that bad," Link muttered.

"Well, if you win today as well, you'll participate in the ceremony with Zelda, so give it your best out there."

Link and Zelda exchanged a look, unsure what he was insinuating.

Gaepora laughed. "It's good to see two friends get to celebrate together."

Zelda started to feel her cheeks turn red and she turned to Link, knowing she had to do something. Gaepora had been making several sly comments about their friendship lately, and she didn't want to hear the comments he wasn't saying aloud. "About that… Father, I don't know if he can do it! He never practices for the ceremony and when he does, he just flies around lazily. Probably daydreaming. You should speak with him."

Link turned to her with a mischievous expression. "What in the Wide Sky would I have to daydream about, I wonder?"

"Father?" Zelda prodded before her face could heat up.

Gaepora waved his hands. "No need to worry yourself, Zelda," he said, apparently buying into her topic change. "Victory will not come easily today, and it's true that I've seen Groose, Cawlin, and Stritch out there far more often than Link. I know your acquisition of your Loftwing is still recent, despite your natural skills and your special connection to your Loftwing, but they've been training harder than ever, and they've been flying for longer. But Zelda, you know better than to fret about him. He'll do fine."

Zelda noticed Link's expression change as he looked into the Sky,, his brow creasing, but Gaepora interrupted Link's thoughts, laughing as he clapped him on the back. "You'll graduate with your scores already, Link. You just want to use today to make it to the top of your class."

Zelda turned on her father with an energy that she often saved for Groose. "Father! This contest is not a laughing matter! If he gets hurt, or if he comes in last, he might not win!"

"Calm down, Zelda. It's honestly like you become a different person when you worry about Link."

Zelda turned to Link, as softness spreading over her features that she was glad her father couldn't see.

Link turned from her, nervous that Gaepora could see that same softness mirrored on his face as he looked at Zelda. "I'll be fine, but…"

Gaepora interrupted them, pointing to the Sky. "You should squeeze in some practice before the race."

Zelda sweetly grabbed Link's hand and then pulled him with a force that had him staggering. "That's just what I was thinking! Come on! You'll thank me later!"

Link stumbled on the wooden platform, feeling Zelda's hands pushing his back.

"No, wait! Zel, wait!"

"Let's go! And be serious this time!"

"I can't sense my Loftwing, Zelda."

"Sure you can't. You're not getting out of practicing this time," she said, not believing him. But for the first time since he'd had a Loftwing, he could tell that his bird wasn't in the Sky.

He felt a hard shove, and he was falling. Whistling for his Loftwing, he hoped that he was wrong. But his bird never showed.

"Oh Goddess! Link!" Zelda yelled, realizing her mistake before jumping off the platform and calling her own bird. She caught on to the decorative chain on its neck and nosedived to catch Link. The bird caught him in its claw and she brought them back up to the safety of Skyloft.

When they hopped onto the ground, Link was panting for breath, more than a little surprised to find that, despite his empty feeling, his Loftwing hadn't come to his rescue as it always had.

"I'm sorry for pushing you so hard, friend," Zelda said, stroking the feathers of her Loftwing.

Link let out a laugh that bubbled with nervous energy. "Oh, not me? You pushed me pretty hard there."

She turned to him and grabbed his arm in apology. "I'm so sorry, Link. I should have believed you."

Link squeezed her hand before gently pushing her off him with a pointed look at her father. "It's fine."

Gaepora peered into the Sky. "It's unheard of for a Loftwing to ignore its rider completely. You can't sense it at all? And yet, the Wing Ceremony is about to start."

"Convenient," Zelda muttered, looking around. "You know this has Groose written all over it!"

"What could he do?" Link asked, brushing some grass from his leg.

"Let's go ask him," she said, crossing her arms. "We'll split up."

Gaepora nodded. "You do that. I'll go speak to Instructor Horwell to see if we can delay the ceremony. Hurry up, you two."

They raced down the stairs, and Zelda noticed Karane walking just outside the Academy. "Go on, I'll see if Karane knows anything."

Link hurried down the steps of the Academy and towards the square. People had already gathered, and it was the easiest way to ask several people at once. Though, no one seemed to know a thing. That is, until three familiar voices reached his ears.

"That's a nasty scratch, Groose," Link heard from off to the side. He turned to see Stritch and Cawlin hovering around Groose.

"Yeah, yeah, you got pecked real good!" Cawlin laughed, only to receive a dirty look from Groose.

"What, did you think that taking down a Loftwing is an easy thing to do? I earned these scratches. But we got him, and he's not getting out of that pen anytime soon. No one will hear it, and Link will be out."

Link hurried over, fuming. It took every single ounce of willpower not to hit him then and there. "Where's my Loftwing?"

Groose scoffed. "I don't know what you're talking about. I haven't seen your bird, and if you're here to ask me to throw the race for you just so you can score some alone time with Zelda for the ceremony, you've got another thing coming."

"My. Loftwing."

"Is it even yours though? You were so scared of them before, you and your stupid dopey-eyed stare looked like you'd die just by standing near it. And all of a sudden, you have a bird all your own and you think you're going to win? Are you cheating? Or better yet, did you spend all those years just pretending to be afraid, thinking it would throw us off our game?"

Link tried to move around them, but all three moved to block his path. "Yes Groose, I spent years of my life avoiding Loftwings just to fool you."

Groose ignored him as if he hadn't said a word. "That scruffy-looking bird probably flew out of here when it realized it had such a loser for a rider."

Link crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. "Nice hair, Groose. You sure you're not competing today with the Loftings instead of us?"

Groose shoved Link. "Lay off my do, Link, or I'll flatten you! Today's my day with Zelda, and dopes like you are ruining the good name of our Academy!"

"Hey!" Zelda called, hurrying over. "Do you want to say that again, Groose?"

Groose's eyes widened, absolutely smitten with her appearance as he stuttered. "Oh, Zelda… Hey… it's, uh… nah…"

Zelda barreled through Link and got her finger right in Groose's face. Despite the massive height difference, Zelda was frightening. "You listen to me, Groose, I've had enough of you. You're annoying, and you're a bully, and if you even think for one second that you have a chance of beating Link today with your dismal scores, you've got another thing coming. We will not be having that ceremony together. Get that through your thick skull and back off!"

Link fought back a grin as he looked at Zelda. Unfortunately, the one who couldn't hide their obviously smitten expression was Groose. His eyes were wide and boring into Zelda's with unabashed adoration. And it was quite clear that her words did something other than frighten him.

But he noticed Link in the corner of his eye and scoffed. "Forget it. Come on, boys," he said to Cawlin and Stritch as they hopped off the platform and onto their Loftwings.

Zelda rolled her eyes and turned back to Link. "What?" she asked, when she saw his expression.

"Oh, nothing I can say around all these people," he laughed.

She felt her face heat up and bit her lip. "Yeah, maybe don't. I'm going to circle Skyloft, see if I can see anything. I'll meet up with you, okay?"

"Okay," he said, watching her jump onto her bird.

He looked around Skyloft, searching for any signs of his bird… a feather, a noise, a feeling. He found nothing. Hurrying back to the Academy, he nearly crashed into Pipit and Fledge.

"Perfect! I was just coming to ask for your help!"

"No need," Pipit said with a grin. "I've already helped. Tell him, Fledge."

"I'm so sorry, Link. Groose saw me and threatened to hurt me and that I'd never be able to ride again if I told you… but I can't keep quiet! They're hiding your bird near the waterfall."

"Through the cave?"

"Yeah."

Link scoffed. "My favorite place."

Pipit nodded towards the Sparring Hall. "Ask Master Eagus to borrow a sword. It's not like you don't know how to use it. You can take care of those Keese, unlike last time."

"Okay," Link said, hurrying into the hall.

Eagus was practicing in his ceremonial armor when he looked up at the sound of the door. "Link, I just heard about your Loftwing. Horwell told me we were delaying the ceremony."

"You were going to be the spotter, right? Did you see anything?"

Eagus shook his head. "Sorry. I've been in here preparing before heading out. What can I do?"

"I need a sword. I have to go into the cave. I think I know where Groose trapped my Loftwing."

"Go, but be careful. You haven't graduated yet, and it's a big violation on my part to let you leave with that!"

"I'll be careful," Link said, pulling the training sword from the wall and tying the sheath across his belt.

Link headed out and ran to the waterfall, feeling a familiar twinge in his chest the closer he got. His bird was here.

"Link!" Zelda called. "I can't see anything!"

"It's in here," he called back, gesturing to the cave.

Zelda hopped off her Loftwing and landed gracefully beside Link. "I'll come. You might need a lock picked."

"Ha," he muttered and took out the sword. He pushed past the blockage to the entrance and helped Zelda through, entering the cold cave for the second time ever.

"I don't miss it here," Zelda whispered, careful not to attract the Keese she knew all too well lived inside.

They hopped off the small ledge, landing with a soft thump. A flutter of wings echoed off the walls. Zelda stepped back. "It's all you."

He snorted and waited for the Keese to reach him, keeping an easy grip on his sword.

In a few swings of his sword, he watched the Keese drop to the ground. "Much better than last time. And easier than I thought."

"Your first time killing them, right?" Zelda asked, moving up beside him. He nodded, and she went to say something, but was quickly interrupted by her own disgusted cry.

"Ugh! Link! Get it off!"

He looked at her feet where a ChuChu was materializing, taking the remains of the Keese inside of it. However, it also thought Zelda was fair game.

Link jammed his sword down into the ChuChu and watched it destabilize with a splatter.

"Ugh! I hate those things!" she muttered, having encountered one or two in Skyloft in the nighttime. "You're slow to react, Link. You need to work on that."

He scoffed as she kept walking. "Well excuse me, Princess!" He hurried to catch up with her and took out several more Keese and ChuChus before reaching a wall.

Sheathing his sword, he ran straight at the wall using his speed to push off and grab the edge. Once he pulled himself up, he hoisted Zelda up as well. She brushed off her dress and watched Link for a moment. "I don't see anything in here. No cage, not even another path."

"Me either. But I can still feel it. We're close."

"What's left inside this cave?"

"I don't know," he admitted, and they both continued forward until they saw a bright light.

"Wait," Zelda gasped, grabbing Link's arm to stop him. The force she'd used to grab his arm made his jump. His sword was out and ready, but he saw nothing. Zelda spun. "What was that? Who's there?"

Link looked around, met with nothing but the running sound of water and the distant flap of Keese wings. "I don't hear anything," he admitted, looking around again.

"I thought I heard… someone calling for me." She took a breath and let go of Link. "I'm sorry, this place must just be freaking me out. Let's go find your Loftwing."

"Okay," he said, looking around one more time before following the light onto a long, thin stretch of land. They made their way across, the feeling inside Link growing stronger.

"Link! There!" she called, rushing forward. His Crimson Loftwing was struggling, cawing and screeching, behind several boarded up planks that kept his bird trapped in an alcove that was all too small for the poor creature. Link ran forward and sliced the sword through the ropes as quickly as he could, watching each plank drop to the ground with a heavy thud.

"Thank the Goddess," Zelda muttered.

Link wrapped his arms around the bird's neck before backing away, letting it come out on its own and stretch its wings in relief. "I thought I lost you."

The Loftwing flicked Link's hair with its beak and screeched happily. Link ran his hand across its beak a few times, laughing as the bird seemed to rejoice at its reclaimed freedom. It took off, all too excited to feel the wind in its wings once again. Link and Zelda rushed to the edge to watch as it flew around in circles, continuing to caw out happily. Zelda's own Loftwing flew down and joined in the celebration, and the two excited birds made several circles around the other.

"We should go," Zelda said, though she couldn't take her eyes off the Loftwings. They looked like they'd been reunited after years apart.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Link asked, noticing her expression. "They'll be happy to fly out of here."

"It's not that. I… I feel like… Link. Are you hearing anything? Like a voice?" He shook his head, and let her continue. "It happens a lot to me now, but it started in my dreams. It's like someone calls out to me, but I can never find them. It sounds so real, and it's so scary that no one else can hear it. But at the same time… it's not frightening at all. Does that make any sense?"

She paused and took a breath, not really wanting an answer to that question and continuing to speak before he could offer an answer. "Do you ever wonder what's beneath the clouds? We're told that there's nothing… that the clouds are the end. Some of the books I've studied said that there's a hard, barren land where nothing can thrive. But I don't know… I think they're wrong. I think that there's a surface below that is more than dead land. And I want to prove it. More than that… I want to see it."

She paused again and her eyes widened. "Goddess! What am I thinking! We don't have time for this! Get on your bird, Link! We have to get going."

Hurrying off the edge, they both let their Loftwings catch them before circling Skyloft to land in the main square. They hurried to meet the Instructors in the square, but were met by the stone wall that is Groose.

"So, you got your little birdy back? Well, you missed the pre-race warmups, so at least there's that. Today's the day I bust up this adorable little fantasyland you're living in. You won't be the hero today." He turned to Zelda with a smile. "I'll be the one pulling off all the dangerous moves."

"Go," Zelda said, urging Link to keep moving. She stared Groose down, challenging him to even try to stop Link.

"Instructor Owlan!" Link said, pushing through the crowd.

Owlan sighed. "Good, get to your place!" He turned to the rest of the onlookers. "This year's Wing Ceremony is set to begin!" He waited until the four boys were lined up. "Riders, GO!"

Link pushed off his feet as quickly as he could before jumping off the platform. The wind hit his face as he called for his Loftwing, feeling it respond immediately. He grabbed hold and soared up into the sky, much higher than the other three competitors.

Watching the Golden Loftwing for a moment, he sent his Loftwing into a hard nosedive, one that physically hurt Link's face from the harsh slaps of wind on his skin. He pulled up just in front of Groose, and turned with a smirk to see that he still had a safe distance between them. He reached out for the statuette, feeling the base of it on the tips of his finger, when he was jerked off to the side, nearly sliding off his bird.

He repositioned himself, only to duck a moment later as something flew past his head.

"Go!" he whispered, spurring his Loftwing on. He quickly overtook Strich and was riding side-by-side with Cawlin.

Cawlin swerved his bird to the side, knocking into Link with a harsh jolt. But instead of retaliating, Link urged his Loftwing up, the wind knocking Cawlin off balance.

Just behind Groose now, Link pushed downwards again, cutting Groose off by the smallest of margins. Link looked back, certain that Groose was about to do something. He felt something move past his head, some object. He turned, seeing Groose prepared to throw another, and barrel-rolled off to the side with his Loftwing before picking up the pace yet again. Only this time, it was enough.

He grabbed the statuette in his hand and held it up for all to see, letting out a long whoop in excitement before attaching it by the hook to his belt as he neared Skyloft.

"Link!" he heard just before seeing Zelda jump off the platform. He urged his Loftwing forward and held out his hands, ready to catch her. He held her tight, though he and his Loftwing were pushed off balance by the sudden weight change.

"Great flying, Link! Congratulations!" she said, moving closer to him. She looked around, realizing she'd never ridden a Loftwing like this before, in front of the rider. It wasn't the most comfortable way to ride, but she didn't mind feeling Link's hand on her back, keeping her from sliding off. She laughed, giddy with excitement still and pointed to the Goddess Statue. "Come on! Let's hold the ceremony."

Link and Zelda hopped off his Loftwing once they reached the top, and Zelda held out her hand. "Give me the Bird Statuette you just won. I have to offer it to the Goddess."

Link unclipped it and handed it over. She looked at it, inspecting its handiwork before placing it in the small alcove meant for the offers. She took out her harp and began to strum the notes she'd learned so well, and when she was done, she turned to Link.

"Kneel."

He smirked and bent onto one knee, relaxing his arms over his kneecap. He peered up at her with hooded eyes and she shook her head, licking her lips nervously.

"Stop looking at me like that. We're in the middle of a ceremony."

"Like what?" he asked with a laugh.

"Like… like I'm the Goddess or something."

"So," Link said slowly, never changing his easy posture or the smoldering look in his eyes, "I can't look at you with a look of utter devotion and awe that one would give the Goddess?"

She scoffed. "You're making fun of me. Just stay on your knees so I can do this."

"Gladly."

She turned to him, shaking her head as he fought back a laugh.

"Take my hand, Link. And no comments!"

He grinned and took her incredibly soft hand that she'd extended. He bowed his head, hoping it would help her, because he didn't look at her any specific way on purpose.

"Great Goddess," Zelda started, "Guiding light and protector of our people, grant us your blessing and mercy as I act in your stead during this ceremony. 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."

He could hear the rustle of fabric and looked up to see her folding the white shawl she'd been wearing before handing it over to him.

"The blessings of the Goddess drift down from the heavens aloft a sail, which I now pass on to you." She lifted his hand, gesturing for him to take his feet.

He examined the sailcloth. "It smells nice."

Zelda scoffed and hit him lightly in the arm. "Quit goofing. This is supposed to be a sacred ceremony, remember?" She took a step closer. "You know, they say that the Goddess gave the sailcloth to her chosen hero long ago. And I'm really glad I got to be the one to give it to you. Make sure you take care of it, okay?"

Link nodded. Despite all his joking, he was unable to find words to convey just how much it truly meant to him to be up here.

"Thank you for keeping your promise. I wanted to do this with you… no one else. Anyway, we should finish up this ritual."

She moved closer, way into his personal bubble. He glanced down at the crowd that had moved from the square and gave her a skeptical look. He could feel his heart racing. She couldn't possibly mean… had he really not paid attention in the Academy?

Zelda grinned, "Just what are you thinking happens, Link? This is your big moment. The anniversary race is held atop this statue for a reason. And I gave you a functional sailcloth… for a reason. You have to jump off the statue!" She spun him around and squeezed him as they both peered down.

"I… what?"

"How brave did you say you were? Are you going to try and impress me like Groose would have?"

"Do I still need to impress you?" Link joked, looking over the edge. "I can't believe I have to-"

He felt Zelda's hard shove and heard her raucous laughter from above him as he fell towards the ground. The fall was long, and he had plenty of time to take out the sailcloth. It worked far better than he'd thought, slowing his fall to nearly nothing.

Zelda rode down beside him on her Loftwing. "That was perfect. You're... amazing, Link."

He looked around at the cheering crowd and took a step closer to her, feeling a desperate need to get out of their prying gaze. "Was that a compliment… in public?"

Her face turned red and she grabbed his arm, pulling him away from the crowd as they began to disperse. "Listen… seeing as how you won today… and with the weather being so nice… you think you'd like to, you know, fly around the clouds together?"

He chuckled, grabbing at the back of his neck. "You want to go on a date? In the Sky? During the day? Where people can see?"

"You won. It's a celebration to everyone else. To us… it's maybe a little more."

"I think I'd like that," he said softly. To anyone with eyes, it was clear that they didn't just have a friendship. And the more time they spent together, the easier it was to recognize.

He held out his hand, daring Zelda to take it or to make a joke to get out of it, but to his surprise, she locked her fingers in his and walked over to her Loftwing. Link's Crimson one joined them before both took off to the Sky.

And neither of them noticed Gaepora watching the entire exchange.

They flew around together for a time before Link could hear Zelda calling him. He flew closer to her so he could hear better.

She was blushing. "Today was amazing. Watching you win the race and performing the ritual together… I'll always remember this. It really was wonderful." She flew closer still, feeling the racing of her heart at her resolve to confess something she'd known in her heart for some time. "Link, there's something I've been meaning to tell you…"

But she never got to finish her thought.

She let out a gasp as a harsh light appeared just before a massive, dark cloud of dirt and darkness appeared just in front of them.

"Pull up!" Link called, turning to her.

Zelda bounced down against her Loftwing, desperately trying to turn her bird away from the storm. "No!" she yelped, feeling her Loftwing's strength wane as they began to be pulled further into the vortex. Her Loftwing careened onto its side, flapping its wings with all its might.

She could see Link diving for her, headed straight into the storm to even get close. But Zelda let out a scream as her hand slipped and she found herself plummeting into the storm.

Link drove his bird harder, hearing her calling out his name through her screams. "Zelda!" he called out more than once, feeling the rocks and biting wind hitting him in the face as he tried to follow.

But the storm cast him out with a hard force, far away from its center, and he could only feel himself falling.

"Link?"

A bright light was above him, beckoning him. "I am waiting for you," it said, inviting him in.

The figure took a shape, still enticing him forward. But then, the shape turned into Zelda, and they were both falling. He reached for her, and she for him, but their fingers never touched as she plummeted into the teeth of a dark demon.

He sat up with a start, clutching his side and stumbling immediately to his feet.

A pair of strong arms caught him and held him steady. "When you Loftwing carried you back unconscious, I feared the worst."

Link pushed Gaepora's arms away and stumbled for the door. "Zelda…"

"What happened? Where's my daughter?"

"She… a black tornado appeared from nowhere and she… she… fell through the cloud-"

Link couldn't finish, a dark realization dawning over him. His legs gave out and he collapsed back onto his bed. No one made it through the cloud barrier alive.

Gaepora covered his mouth in shock.

Link felt a paralyzing sensation tearing at him and he bit his lip, feeling the sting of tears in his eyes. "She… I have to..."

"No. No, Link. You must stay right where you are. We'll send Knights. Her Loftwing wasn't to be seen. If she's with her Loftwing, she is still safe."

"I have to be there. I have to help look for her," he tried, even though he'd seen her fall into the center of a massive, dark tornado. His brain wrestled between two ideas: he hadn't seen her fly off to safety, or she wasn't safe at all. And he knew which idea he wanted to cling to.

Gaepora shook his head. "It's dark. The trained Knights will handle this. Get some rest… while you can."

Link heard Gaepora shut his door, but Link had lost all sense of… well… everything.

Zelda couldn't be dead. She had her Loftwing. But he'd seen it… the tornado came up from the cloud barrier and had swallowed her down where no bird could fly.

"Oh Goddess," Link muttered, stifling a sob. No, she couldn't be dead. He couldn't lose her. Not her.

Link stumbled into the door and out into the hallway, crashing into everything in his path. He didn't remember walking. He didn't remember Skyloft. But he somehow found himself on the edge, staring out where the massive tornado had appeared, and he sank to his knees. Time passed differently. Like it moved all at once, and never at all.

"Link," he heard, though it wasn't the voice he wanted to hear. It was Pipit, and he all but skidded beside Link. "Gaepora told me. Link, Goddess, what can I do?"

Turning to Pipit, bleary eyed and still dumbstruck, he shook his head. "Is she... dead?"

"I don't know," Pipit admitted.

"She can't be," Link said, his voice cracking, covering his mouth and composing himself before continuing. "She was out there because of me. I've lost two people to the cloud barrier, but this time, I'm the one who did it to her. I should have been faster. I should have..."

"You can't do that to yourself" Pipit said, shaking his arm encouragingly. "She could be alive. Maybe she's hurt, and she can't get to her Loftwing. That's bad, but it's not dead, and the Knights will find her tomorrow."

"What if she went through the clouds."

"She didn't. She'll be fine."

"No," Link muttered. "She went through the clouds. If she did, I have to find her."

Pipit shook Link hard this time. "The cloud barrier is suicide, Link. I know how much she means to you, but that helps no one. She didn't go through it."

"She's been talking about the surface. Maybe..."

"No, Link. No one survives that. You can't consider that... not even for her."

"I love her, Pip." Link let out a long breath into his hand and shook his head. "I love her."

Pipit didn't say anything for a long moment. He watched every emotion play off Link's face. For the briefest moment, Link laughed, and a smile took over, but it was quickly replaced by a look of horror. A realization that came too late.

Pipit squeezed Link's shoulder. "We'll find her."

"I need a minute," Link said, shrugging Pipit off, taking another breath. Breathing became something he needed to consciously think about.

"Of course. I'll be in the Academy if you need me. I have to go tell Karane."

Link nodded, waiting to hear the silence again. He wanted nothing more than for Zelda to pop up behind him, to break it, or to laugh. He wanted to feel her put her freezing hands on his neck just to watch him jump. He wanted to hold her hand one more time.

Goddess, what was the last thing she laughed at? What was the last time he'd heard her laugh, or cry? What was her last sentence, the one she never got to finish?

He buried his head into his arm, needing nothing more than to scream. It was as muffled as the fabric on his sleeve would allow, and it didn't make him feel any better once he let it out.

"Goddess Hylia," he muttered, so soft that he could barely hear his own voice. "I don't ask you for much, but if you could, find her. Please, Goddess, please… don't let her be dead."

But, as if there were a response, there was a brush of wind on the back of his neck, like a voice that was too close.

He spun, hoping to see her, but there was nothing… nothing but a faint blue light in the distance. Feeling his feet move without permission, he found himself following the faint light up the steps to the Goddess statue, and down the small ladders off to the side that led down to a few viewing platforms some stood on for a better view of the Sky.

The light ducked behind a cliff edge, and Link feared he'd gone crazy, following nothing through the night. But he saw a small finger-hold, just enough of the above ledge jutting out that he could worm his way around the edge. The light kept moving until it crossed a large gap.

Link looked around, seeing one Knight in the distance. If he fell… he sure hoped that Knight would find him, because that was a long fall… but then again, maybe he'd land right where Zelda was. Maybe that's where this light was leading. Or maybe he'd just die when he hit the barrier.

Steeling himself, he ran at the edge, barely making the jump across. He pulled himself up and climbed a few more ledges before making another long jump and clinging to a wall of vines as he pulled himself up. For all his years on this small island, he had no idea where he was. The Goddess Statue stood before him, though it was the opposite side from the one facing Skyloft. And he followed around the side to watch the light meld into the stone.

Out of breath from the climb, he held his knees. All for nothing.

And then the wall disappeared, leaving a doorway for him to follow.

It was the oddest thing, but something inside him didn't question it. He just… went inside. To his shock, there was a room, complete with lights, painstaking etchings, the Goddess symbol, and a sword stuck in a pedestal. The light appeared again, emanating from the sword, and stood before him, taking the shape of a girl.

She began to mumble, some strange, ancient language that Link didn't understand. But as soon as her words reached him, he understood, as if he'd once spoken the language himself a lifetime ago.

"The one chosen by my creator. I have been waiting for you. You will play a role in a great destiny. According to your social customs, I should provide you with my personal designation. I am referred to as Fi, and was created for a single purpose, long before the recorded memory of your people. I must aid you in fulfilling the great destiny that is your burden to carry."

The girl, Fi, looked behind her at the light blue sword. "Come, Link," she said, still in her strange language. "You must take up this sword. As the one chosen by my creator, it is your destiny. The strange dreams that have been plaguing you. My appearance. The uncertain fate surrounding the one you hold most dear. It is only logical that you are experiencing apprehension. But let me provide you with information that may elicit a desirable emotion from you. The one you seek, the honorable Zelda, is still alive."

Link gasped. What in the Goddess' realm was happening? And was any of it true?

"This spirit maiden… the one you call Zelda… is another chosen one fated to be part of this same great mission. Therefore, if you should wish to meet with her again, I highly recommend taking up this sword before setting out to search for her."

Link didn't realize how fast he'd moved until he fount his hand on the hilt of the blade. If there was a chance… even a chance that this light creature was telling the truth…

"Further persuasive measures do not seem necessary. Draw this sword and raise it skyward."

Link pulled it from the rock with surprising ease, and lifted it to the sky. The blade shimmered, absorbing the light from above and shimmering with a faint glow. Link stared at it, awed.

"Recognition complete, Master. Link...my Master"

Staring at the sword, the girl, the room, Link couldn't speak. Thankfully, he didn't need to."

"Link…" Gaepora's voice called. Link spun to see him staring wide-mouthed at him. "So it's true. I've had my suspicions, but until now, I wasn't sure. Yet here we stand in the foretold location where the youth of legend would appear. This place was left to us by the Goddess herself, and the knowledge of this room's existence is held by very few. Upon my death, Zelda would have been the next keeper of this information. We learn a handful of words… words that we are meant to pass along: When the light of the Goddess's sword shines bright, the great apocalypse will wake from its long slumber. Do not fear, for it is then that a youth, guided by my hand, shall reveal himself in a place most sacred.

"Days ago, this sword began to glow in an otherworldly light, though I wrote it off as my imagination. The prophecy wouldn't happen in my lifetime… yet here we stand and the words I have protected my whole life are occurring before my eyes. The youth will be guided by one born of the blade- one who is also youthful in likeness yet wise with knowledge immeasurable.

Fi appeared to ponder this, though her expression and vocal intonation remained unchanged. "Oral tradition has not succeeded in keeping the prophecy in its entirety. The youth who draws forth the guiding sword shall be known as the Goddess's chosen hero, and it is he who possesses an unbreakable spirit. He shall be burdened with the task of abolishing the shadow of apocalypse from the land. Such is his destiny. With the spirit of the blade at his side, he shall soar over the clouds and plummet below and reunited with the spirit maiden, shall bring forth a piercing light that resurrects the land."

Link gasped again, still trying to take it all in. "She's alive… and on the surface? She... the cloud barrier? She made it through alive?"

"This information is correct, Master."

Gaepora stumbled over his words. While he cared for his daughter, he also viewed Link, in many ways, like a son. "Link, if you do this, you will have to pierce the cloud barrier. None in living memory have done this. I don't even know how my daughter did. You could be killed."

"Correction," Fi said, stopping Gaepora. "This is a tablet gifted by the Goddess. It will illuminate a path safely through the cloud barrier. Illuminate the tablet with the skyward strike when it is on the altar, and the way forward shall appear to you."

Link raised his sword, knowing immediately what it was that he needed to do, as if a deep-rooted instinct had taken hold of him. He felt the power within the sword charge up, and he struck it down, sending a great beam of energy at the Goddess's symbol just above the tablet.

"It is done, Master. There is a path through the cloud barrier that will lead to the realm below."

Link gasped as the girl disappeared in a flurry of sparks that all absorbed into his sword. He stared at it for a moment before turning to Gaepora.

"What..." he stared at the blade, breathless. But a talking sword said Zelda was alive, and he believed it. He had to. He felt like maybe it was the fresh pain of losing her, or the realization all too late just how much he loved her. Maybe it was the talking sword that just made him crazy, but he had to believe it. She had to be alive. There was no world worth living in without her. Without her, he'd just exist, the better half of him lost below the clouds forever.

"Link, I don't know what dangers you will face below the clouds. No texts I have speak of the apocalypse. But Zelda is down there, and she is alive. Please, Link, you must succeed… and you must bring her back to me." He hesitated. "If you care for her the way I think you might... you can't fail, Link. You can't."

The weight of every task began to press down on him, threatening to crush him. Link swallowed hard and shook his head, clutching the sword in his hand tighter. "I won't stop until I've found her. Zelda's…" He stopped himself. Zelda was more to him than words could ever describe.

"I won't fail. I will find her... no matter what it might cost me."

A/N: Oh noo! Only an Epilogue left! Well, guess what? I now have four chapters done of a post-game sequel! If that's something that interests you, creep around in the next few weeks or I think you might get notified if you follow me (that's not a plug for followers, I swear!)? Anyway, I'm going to get a few more chapters done early to make sure I don't need to change things around, then I'll post it at some point, I'd say within 3 weeks because I have something else I have to get done by then.

Reviews: Clemage: I literally love them! Hahah! Queen Emily the Diligent: Honestly, same! I'm feeling really sad this one is done!