Sleep brings the best out of me if I do say so myself! I thought of this idea whilst trying to fall asleep and, since I've not seen something like this written yet, the idea was quickly written the next day. I'd love to hear what you think, both positive and constructive, because feedback really keeps me inspired to write more! I'd also like to thank SheikahLover for looking over this chapter for me and helping it to become the best it can possibly be.

And finally, I'll be using symbols throughout my writing to denote certain things. Dreams will be represented by a: ~*O*~, Hylia's memories will be represented by a: ~O~, and Zelda's own memories will be in italics and won't be split up with line breaks or anything.

Enjoy!

"It's so much darker when a light goes out than it would have been if it had ever shone."

~John Steinbeck~

Ancient Roots

Chapter 1: Loss

I scream, hot tears streaming down my face as I desperately reach out for his hand. He plummets into an abyss of pure whiteness, but there's only the two of us tumbling into this land of nothingness. Something at the back of my mind screams that none of this is real, yet there's a feeling rooted deep inside me screaming that although this may not be real, a real danger will be coming—coming for Link—and I must protect him.

As the world continues to drag him down and far away from me, I throw my hand out as far as I can, our fingers brushing for the briefest of moments. With a cry, I finally grab his pale hand, closing my fingers in and around his before he can be taken away from me again. A grunt escapes me as I draw him into a tight embrace, flinching as we jolt into a halt all of a sudden.

Silence befalls the void, only the sound of my pounding heart and shaking breaths breaking through it. Despite the fear raging in my heart, I take solace in knowing that I finally have him back. He finally opens his eyes and my heart skips a beat as his sky blue eyes lock onto mine; blue on blue. They're blurred with confusion, and I can't help but notice a glint of gold dancing in his pupils—distorting the eyes of the boy I know and love.

"Zelda?" he murmurs, as if unsure that I'm really here, and his free hand moves to caress my cheek to prove I'm real.

I break out into a broad grin and slump against him, losing all sense of time and reality as we hug tightly. My tears return with full force—not that they'd ever really stopped in the first place—as I cling to him. The mere act of him smoothing back my blonde hair and feeling his fingers becoming entangled visibly relaxes me after everything that we've just been through.

"Don't ever leave me again, Link," I whisper, my voice and sobs muffled by his shoulder.

"Oh, Your Grace, but he must."

A new voice suddenly enters this strange realm, instantly sending a wave of dread into my gut as Link visibly tenses beneath me. While I've never heard this voice before, something in my heart reacts to their tone as if I've known them all my life. My heart starts to beat faster as I huddle closer to Link.

"W-Who are you?" I breathe.

The voice, who it belongs to still unknown, replies in a cryptic manner, "He bears something we need. And we must obtain it…" Without warning, I'm lifted into the air by an invisible force, suspending me in the air above Link and leaving him all alone to be pulled back into the void. "Say goodbye to him, Your Majesty, because you will never see him again."

My heart hammers against my chest as I fruitlessly struggle to free myself, crying out with all of my might as the whiteness below morphs into a land of shadow which threatens to consume Link within moments. The force that holds me back remains persistent despite my best efforts, but I will not stop. I will be free, and so will he.

I am so much stronger than the darkness.

Or at least I thought I was.

I wince as a burst of light invades my vision, a river of gold appearing from the darkness and flies towards me. Particles of light, so warm and bright and achingly familiar, soar past me and to a place somewhere beyond my vision, and my stomach drops when I finally spot its source.

"Link!" I cry out in vain.

But he's gone now. All that's left is the sound of our screams echoing around the void as I'm caught up in a torrent of darkness and—

I hear his voice—

"Zelda, snap out of it!"

My eyes fly open, breaking free of my daze and instantly stagger backwards as bright daylight fills my vision. I blink rapidly as I fall against the structure behind me and cling to it desperately, my heart still hammering against my chest and I try to separate what I just saw and what I'm seeing now. I grasp the wall as tightly as I'd clung to Link in that strange, fragmented world, my knuckles going white in the process.

As my vision slowly begins to clear, my eyes find a shadow standing above me, the sunlight highlighting their figure with an almost heavenly glow. The sky behind them is as clear and bright as I've always known, and it's in that moment that reality dawns on me.

I'm here, I'm safe, he's safe.

I let out an exhausted sigh and slump against the wall, leaning heavily against it as I process everything. A hand appears in my line of vision, and a voice says, "Zelda?"

But my mind is still foggy and full of horrible images of losing him. I jump when his hand gently touches my knee and I snap my head up with a disorientated, "Huh?"

My eyes find his and something inside me breaks. The sight of him alive and well sends me flying into his arms. He instantly returns the gesture and wraps his strong arms around me. From our vantage point up on the Statue of the Goddess, I can easily see all of Skyloft—the largest inhabited island in the Sky Realm—and the islanders going about their usual business on such a warm summer's day. I take a moment to remind myself again that I'm safe.

I'm Zelda, I tell myself firmly. I'm in Skyloft, my home. I'm here, I'm safe. I'm not alone; I have Link. He's alright too, and certainly not consumed by shadows like I saw. He's won the Wing Ceremony, just like I hoped, and now is probably worried about how I suddenly zoned out and panicked for no reason. I must fulfil my role as the Goddess— I shake my head. No, I must fulfil my role of acting in the Goddess's stead for the post-ceremony ritual.

He's not the only one worrying, though. I'm starting to scare myself too.

I pull away at the sudden thought, unable to mask the worry on my face as I catch his gaze. He brushes some hair from my face. "What happened?" Link asks quietly, concern lacing his tone. I shrug and back up, only for him to gingerly take my arm and stop me in my tracks. "Hey," he murmurs. "I'll always listen to you, Zelda—no matter what the problem is. You've been worrying me ever since you first decided to take part in the ceremony. Please don't shut me out…"

He tucks his finger under my chin and forces me to look up at him, and I can't help but falter under his firm but calm gaze. He truly is worried about me, that I can't deny, and as much as I want to keep what I saw a secret, I know that I can't. When Link lets me go, I turn to the light blue, almost green, bird statuette that sits inside a small alcove in the Statue of the Goddess as an offering to her—a statuette that he carved himself for the ceremony.

"I don't know," I answer truthfully. "I-I saw something when I put the statuette into its place. It all happened so fast…" I can almost feel him behind me wanting to ask me a dozen questions. I brace one hand against the stone and add, "You were falling and I… I couldn't catch you in time."

And yet, as usual, he can see right through me. "But this isn't the first time you seen something like this… is it?"

I shake my head and that's all that he needs for an answer.

It's only been a few months since I promised my father, the Headmaster of the Knight Academy, that I would act in the Goddess's stead for the Wing Ceremony. Ever since that fateful day, many of my nights would be plagued with horrid nightmares—each worse than the last and rendering me unable to concentrate on my studies the next day.

My dreams, usually free of such things, have become cloudy fogs of things that I pray will never happen. Most of them feature Link's safety, though I can normally shrug them off because Link is such a skilled flyer, but the nights leading up to the ceremony have been plagued with dreams far worse, filled with pain and suffering around every corner. People have started to notice my ceaseless anxiety about sleeping, though this is the first time that I've seen such awful things outside the realm of sleep.

I refuse to look at him, jumping slightly when he rubs small circles on my back. "You aren't going to lose me," he murmurs, though I don't feel very assured by his words.

"I hope I never do."

Link sighs, knowing that he can't alleviate my worries. "Come on," he says, gently turning me around and holding me at arm's length so I can meet his gaze. "Let's finish up the ritual and find you somewhere to rest."

I think on his words and find some comfort in them. If he stays with me until I fall asleep, which I doubt will take long after how many restless nights I've had, then maybe—just maybe—no nightmares will haunt me. Link must notice something in my expression because he smiles and crouches down to pick something up. When I finally muster the strength to look down at him, I watch as he holds my harp out to me.

I let my fingers brush over the edges of the golden instrument before taking it from him. It's a family heirloom—Father called it a harp though I've never seen anything like it before—and it's quite the honour to be able to use it for the Wing Ceremony's ritual today. With this and my pink dress, I hope to make the Goddess proud by acting in her stead today. My fingers subconsciously pluck at the strings, its melodic sounds soothing my pounding heart.

Link stands as I turn my attention back to the face of the great Statue of the Goddess. It's a rather iconic monument in the Sky Realm, if not the most iconic monument since it's been here for thousands of years. No one is sure of the statue's origin and I doubt we'll figure it out in my lifetime. I cautiously glance at the bird statuette in the statue's alcove, thankfully not being dragged into another nightmarish vision as I shift my gaze down to the harp in my hands.

I cradle the instrument in my arms as I bring the steps of the post-ceremony ritual to mind, shifting my weight between my feet as I ready my fingers to play. My voice is barely above a murmur as I start to sing, "Oh youth, guided by the servant of the Goddess: unite earth and sky, bring light to the land…" The words start to roll off of my tongue with surprising ease, the ancient language flowing freely like a river. "Oh youth, show the two whirling sails the way to the Light Tower, and before you a path shall open; and a heavenly song you shall hear…"

The last few notes ring out for a few moments before being carried off by the wind. I turn back to Link with a small smile, finding that it grows into a grin when I spot his awestruck expression.

"Your voice really is beautiful, Zelda," he says in quiet admiration.

I feel my cheeks grow pink as much as I try not to acknowledge it. He's often said that he loves to hear me sing, but the compliment's always so embarrassing to hear that I usually shrug it off with mock irritation. Either way, his words warm my heart and I instinctively fall back onto said mock irritation before I become a bashful mess.

"Oh, shut up," I say with a roll of my eyes. "I mean, it's not like my singing could ever compare to yours." His smile instantly disappears and a wave of guilt crashes into me. He always used to sing as a child, but it all changed after he lost his family when he was young. After that, it was almost like he became mute when it came to singing. I miss his voice, only because it reminds me of happier times rather than the darker days in our childhoods.

Desperate to change the subject, I hold out my hand to him. Realising what my stance means, his eyes fill with relief as he silently takes my hands and kneels before me submissively. In that moment, I realise just how happy I am that Link won the Wing Ceremony and not any others—especially Groose. The fact that we're here together just like I hoped makes my heart practically explode with joy.

"In honour of the Goddess," he says, knowing the words off by heart by this point. He once told me that Fledge, who lives next door to him, had heard Link reciting the words in his sleep. He really was serious about winning, even despite my doubts early on. "I bow before you. My victory is yours to take."

I take a deep breath, letting my eyes slip shut for a moment before I draw myself to my full height and prepare myself. Knowing my luck, I've probably been saying these words in my sleep too. "Great Goddess, guiding light and protector of our people, please grant us your blessing and mercy as I act in your stead during this ceremony."

"We pray for another year of prosperity in the lives of those who you have blessed," he prays. "We honour you in everything that we do and ask that you will continue to guide us through the clouded pathway of life. You graced us with your presence during the Great War to aid us and sent us to safety, and for this we shall never dishonour you by blackening your name or refusing to shower you in our praise and trust."

I pause before speaking again, tightening my grasp on Link's hand. "Valiant youth who grasped victory at the celebration of the bird folk… in accordance with the old ways of our people, I now bestow the blessings of the Goddess upon you." Allowing myself to take solace in knowing that this day is coming closer and closer to an end, I take my hands away from his and place my harp onto the ground so I can untie the white cloth from around my shoulders.

Once you take on the role of the Goddess for the Wing Ceremony's ritual, you must create a prize for that year's champion. When I had scoured the tomes in Father's office for ideas, I came across something known as the Sailcloth, an embroidered piece of white cloth used by the Goddess's Chosen One in the war to help them land from high places.

It was beautifully crafted and I couldn't help but feel like it was fate that I'd found this spark of inspiration. I smile and I fold it into a neat square, the sun illuminating the lilac Skyloftian Crest that I stitched onto the white fabric. Link raises his head at the sound and I smile down at him as he delicately takes it into his grasp.

"The blessings of the Goddess drift down from the heavens aloft a sail, which I now pass on to you."

The smile he passes me is only brief when he remembers that he has one final passage to say before the ritual is complete. "On behalf of your people, I accept the Goddess's blessing without hesitation." To complete the ceremony, Link carefully ties the Sailcloth onto his belt before finally standing.

A weight is suddenly lifted from our shoulders as we realise that we completed the ritual correctly. Even if no one is around to say otherwise, we know in our hearts that we did everything right. As we hug, I notice the way Link's hands are trembling a little; I didn't realise just how nervous he was about the Wing Ceremony. I unintentionally put him under a lot of pressure to win and I'm sure he put a similar amount of, if not more, pressure on himself. But it's all paid off now because I have him here instead of Groose, Cawlin or Stritch—I couldn't be happier for that.

As we part, he strokes the material of the Sailcloth lightly, catching my gaze as I watch him do so. "How long did it take you to make this?"

I shrug, subconsciously rubbing my sapphire necklace with my thumb as I reply, "Just over a month. I've been working hard to finish making this Sailcloth in time to give it to today's champion." My lips twist up into a smirk when his eyes widen in surprise. Butterflies begin to swarm in my gut as I softly add, "I'm really glad I got to give it to you, Link. Make sure you take good care of it, alright?"

He smiles down at the Sailcloth, momentarily lost in thought. I tilt my head when he says nothing for a while, the warm late-summer breeze whistling past us when he finally blinks back up at me. My heart skips a beat at the glint of genuine earnestness in his eyes as he finally says, "I promise, Zelda; it won't leave my sight. I'll protect it with everything I have."

I find myself hesitating when he takes my hand into both of his. This sudden display of sincerity, and what I dare to hope is a semblance of deep affection, takes me aback. The butterflies in my stomach multiply and I can feel my face heating up. I mentally scold myself and force myself to think straight as he chuckles and squeezes my hand before stepping back.

Taking a hesitant step forwards, I tuck my hands behind my back and say, "Now we really should finish up this ritual…" Link raises a brow, to which I teasingly add, "You… do know what happens at the end, right?"

He looks at me blankly, wracking his brain for an answer that he can't find. Despite this, he still offers a weak, "Sort of…"

I smirk. He doesn't know because it's a part of the ritual that can be completed in any way the woman chosen to play the role of the Goddess wishes. I remember Karane, who had played the Goddess last year, explaining it to me not long after I'd accepted my role. "The end of the ritual requires a sort of "merging" of the participants as an act of unity between the Goddess and her people. It can be anything from holding hands to hugging… or something else."

And it doesn't take a genius to figure out what she meant.

"What did you do?" I had asked her, keenly aware of her crush on last year's winner.

"I was a coward," she had laughed and looked me dead in the eyes. "Don't waste your chance like I did."

I snap back into reality and take a decisive step forward, instantly closing the gap between us. "I'm glad you're at least a little informed on the subject."

He seems flustered by our closeness and I can't deny that I feel the same. We've known each other since we were children, bonding through difficult times and hardly spending any time apart from one another. Karane has always said that friendships like this would always grow into something more and I suppose my chance has finally come.

If only I had the courage.

Maybe it's the fear of ruining such a good relationship with potential awkwardness. Maybe it's the fear of rejection. After all, if he does rejects me, then how can I be sure that nothing will be different between us? If he accepts then everything really will be different, but I won't dare assume. The phantom pain of hesitation courses through my veins like an uncontrollable flow of water. We look at each other for a while, desperate to read the emotions in the other's eyes to no avail.

Please Link, I think as I look up at him. Please say you feel the same…

"Zelda…" Link starts softly. "I—"

Fear claims my pounding heart and, before I can even think about it, I spin him around and blurt out, "You have to jump off the statue!" Peering around his arm, I point down to the ground far below us. "See that big, round design in the courtyard below? To finish the ceremony, you need to drop down right into the centre of it! So… ready to jump?"

Link glances at me over his shoulder as he unties the Sailcloth from his belt. Before he can question me, I don't properly think about what I'm doing before I push him off the statue. He cries out as he topples over the edge and a cold wave of horror slams into me. Images from that horrible nightmare hit me hard and I immediately fly into action.

Without letting another second pass, I grab my harp and leap off the statue after him, whistling out sharply for my Loftwing. Each of us in Skyloft is but one half of a pair which is made whole by our guardian birds—or Loftwings—that are bestowed upon us by the Goddess when we come of age. Destiny, my Loftwing who's been circling the statue during the ritual, appears in moments; her purple feathers rustling in the wind.

My eyes are solely on Link as he raises the Sailcloth above his head and glides down into the circular design in the middle of the courtyard just like I'd said. My hands tighten around Destiny's reins as I guide her down to the ground. I leap off my Loftwing before she's even fully landed and sprint towards Link, making him stumble back a pace as I crash into him and wrap my arms around his neck.

The Sailcloth remains tight in his grasp as he returns the embrace. All I can do is mutter apologies into his chest as relief floods into my system. "I didn't mean it," I add for good measure. "I-I don't know what I was thinking…"

"It's not your fault, Zelda," he assures softly. It's clear he's trying to keep his breathing calm from the sudden fall and does his best to lighten the mood when he adds, "You seem to be making a hobby out of pushing me off things, though, huh?"

My cheeks grow red and I bite my lip in embarrassment, knowing that he's right. Only this morning did I push him off a diving platform here in an attempt to get him to take his training for the Wing Ceremony more seriously.

That hadn't gone as I'd planned.

I push some hair behind my ear, "Heh, that was an accident. It's not like I knew that Crimson wasn't going to be there to catch you…" We part and I look up at him, the sun casting its warm glow onto his face. The butterflies that I'd forgotten about return with full force as Link's own Loftwing flies down and lands behind him. "I-I should go and return the harp to Father before it gets late."

"Wait," he calls out as I move to leave, stopping me in my tracks when he takes my hand suddenly. "There's something I wanted to ask you." I say nothing as I meet his gaze evenly. He takes my silence as his cue to continue. "W-Well, seeing as how I won today, and with the weather being so nice…" I watch him fumble for his words. "You think maybe you'd like to, you know, go fly around the clouds together?"

His tone surprises me. It's almost like there's a slight twinge of desperate hope laced into his voice that I haven't heard before, like he's almost certain that I'll reject him even after all we've been through. "Link, I…"

"I-I mean, it's the last day of summer and we shouldn't let it go to waste," he starts to ramble. "But you don't have to. I'm sure you made plans for later so I wouldn't force you to change anything, but I just thought that—"

"Link," I say, stepping forward and resting my hand on his arm which effectively cuts him off. "I'd love nothing more than to go flying with you."

He smiles in relief and I can't help but chuckle at his hesitation as we both mount our Loftwings. The two birds lovingly nuzzle each other's beaks, and it's in that moment that I spot the scar above Crimson's right eye again. No one knows how it got there, but it must have been one hell of a story. Our Loftwings beat their wings and take us soaring into the skies above in moments.

While my stomach may be cursed with butterflies, a strange sense of calmness comes over me as I pat Destiny's side and feel the wind in my hair. Link and I let our birds fly wherever they choose to as Skyloft shrinks into the horizon, a weight suddenly lifted from my shoulders as the Wing Ceremony, its ritual, and the nightmares I've been having fade from my mind.

Everything has turned out as I'd hoped, and for that I'll be forever grateful.

My ceremonial dress flaps around my legs in the breeze and keeps my hair out of my face as I scan the fluffy white clouds dotting the horizon ahead of us. Thinking on the one time Link had compared my hair to gold, I glance over to him as he flies ahead of me slightly. His features are bathed in sunlight, a soft golden light surrounding his form that utterly steals my breath away—he looks so happy and carefree, almost like his very soul is happy.

I jump a little when he looks back at me all of a sudden, feeling silly for staring at him so strangely. He doesn't seem to notice my embarrassment or my internal turmoil as he looks back at the skies before him and remarks, "Thank you for coming with me. Winning the ceremony, performing the ritual together and now being here with you… I'll always remember this." He seems to zone out, something he does often, though I manage to hear him add in a quieter tone, "It really was wonderful…"

We both fall silent, lapsing into deep thought as we fly onward. I sigh and let my eyes flutter shut to embrace the sun's warm rays in all its glory. Something at the back of my mind suddenly grows uncomfortable, though when I open my eyes there's no threat to be seen. I shake off any worries and try to push my focus onto the wind against my skin—revelling in the moment.

I open my eyes to find Link watching me with a small smile. "You know…" He trails off before he can finish, and as much as I love it when he does so, I clear my throat loudly enough to bring him back to reality. He apologies and starts messing with his hands as he gathers his thoughts. "There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about." He breathes out a laugh, "I'm just not sure how to say it."

"Whatever it is, I'll be listening," I assure him with an encouraging smile.

He runs his fingers through his hair and I just about catch him mutter, "That's the problem… you'll be listening." I tilt my head, concerned, and glide closer towards him. Ignoring the niggle at the back of my mind again, I watch as his eyes flicker to the cloud barrier beneath us as he builds up the courage to finally say what he wants to. "Zelda, I—"

I should never have ignored that voice in the back of my mind.

An explosion of darkness appears in the corner of my eye, the force of the blast effectively cutting Link off and sending our birds back a few paces. The sky around us darkens within moments and the wind gives off a strange, foreboding aura that sends shivers down my spine. I hear Link asking if I'm alright as I recover from the shock, only for my voice to die in my throat before I can reassure him as my eyes find the source of the sudden change.

It's a black tornado.

Father told me about these when I was young, stories and myths being told all throughout my life. But that's all that they were: stories, folklore, tales from old wives that had strange morals to them. Storms in the Sky Realm are might lighter in colour but I've never seen this mix of brown and jet black before. I pinch myself a few times, but I don't wake up from this nightmare—it's real, it's actually real.

"Zelda!" My gaze flies over to Link instantly, and I become acutely aware of how spooked my Loftwing is compared to Link's. He flies over to me and leans towards me, throwing his hand out to save me before Destiny throws me. But there's still a large gap between us, one that would send us to our deaths if either of us fell now. The colour drains from my face as the thought lingers.

My eyes flicker between Link, the black tornado, and the gap between us; I can't let my nightmares come true.

"I-I—"

"I can't move any closer. Please, Zelda, take my hand!"

I see determination in his eyes and the fear he's trying hard not to show. I know what I must do. I reach out to him just as Destiny rears back from another gust of strong wind, throwing me from my perch and into the abyss of clouds below. A scream escapes me and I instinctively shut my eyes, jolting into a sudden stop when something suddenly grabs my hand and renders me suspended in the air.

As I open my eyes, I find Link staring down at me with a fear-stricken expression. He hoists me up and onto his Loftwing with a grunt as Destiny, knowing that I'm safe, flies away in fear. I cling to him, unsure of who's trembling more—me, or him. My throat burns as I gulp and I suddenly notice something in the corner of my eye.

My harp, once resting against Destiny's back, glitters prettily as it falls into the sea of clouds below, quickly engulfed by the darkness before I can do anything. I start to numb over as Link presses me firmly against Crimson's back and holds himself over me protectively. I would usually find so much comfort in his presence, but now all I feel is white-hot fear pumping through my veins.

Tightly clutching his bird's reins, he says into my ear, "I've got you, Zelda. We're going home."

Another burst of wind collides with us and we cry out from the force of it. Crimson does her best to keep from being swept away by the storm, though even she's struggling against the storm's strength. I shudder again as Link attempts to get us away from the storm, but it's when he tries to do so that everything changes for the worse.

I feel that shiver down my spine again, the one that I so easily ignored before. Peering up from Crimson's back, a mass of shadows rush towards us, shooting skyward at the last second before it can hit us. Nonetheless, the damage is swiftly dealt. Just like with Destiny, Crimson is spooked by the shadows and rears up to protect us from it.

I cling to Crimson with white knuckles and manage to stay on. Link tries to control his Loftwing as much as possible, but even Link's touch isn't reassuring her like it usually does. She starts to panic and, despite our best efforts, it isn't long before one of us is thrown from the guardian bird.

A terrifying sight that I've never seen before plays out before my very eyes as Link loses his grip on his Loftwing's reins and tumbles from his mount. My nightmares suddenly come to life and I instantly burst into action. Just like he had done with me, I grab the reins and lean dangerously over the edge of the petrified Loftwing as I snatch Link's wrist before he can fall too far away from me.

My body jerks downward from the sudden weight, and I know that I won't be able to hang on for long. I twist my hand around Crimson's reins to reinforce my grip, and for a moment we just hang there, suspended in the air surrounded by the din of the storm. I can hold him, though I'm not sure if I have the strength to pull him back up. His Loftwing has calmed enough to focus on keeping us from being swept away, calling out for her rider as he dangles precariously in my grip.

Over the roaring wind that attacks us from all sides, I fiercely whisper, "Don't let go."

My fear is mirrored in his own eyes as he replies, "Never."

With a grunt, I try and pull him back up onto Crimson but to no avail. That horrible, foreboding feeling returns with full force but I don't know how to act on it. Link reaches up to me with his free hand, yet he can't grab onto his Loftwing tightly enough to pull himself up. As he tries again, those shadows from before also return with a vengeance, and they aren't holding back this time.

As his hand stretches up to Crimson and me again, a mass of inky shadows soars towards us. I notice it just before Link does, studying it with both curiosity and concern as it doesn't seem to slow down like it did when it attacked Crimson. My heart skips a beat as the shadows continue at speed towards us both, and it's in that moment that everything falls apart.

The shadows dissipate into dark wisps before they can hit me head on, but I don't realise it until it's too late.

I instinctively hold my hands up to my face and close my eyes.

The weight on my hand is suddenly lifted.

My eyes fly open and I scream at the sight before me.

In my moment of fear, I did the worst thing possible on reflex—I let him go.

A piercing cry escapes my lips as I call out to him. As realisation dawns on him, Link releases a cry of his own as he plummets into the skies below. I don't even think as I grab Crimson's reins and guide her down towards her fallen rider, my heart pounding against my chest as his form grows smaller with every passing second.

"Please hold on," I say over and over again, my voice barely above a whisper. "Please hold on…"

It's almost like my entire world has been swept away with him.

Strands of ribbon that once adorned my hair have unwound themselves and flap at my face against the roaring wind. With a huff, I carelessly tug them free and let them flutter off into the sky without another thought. I find Link's eyes one last time before he's swept up by the tornado, my heart jumping into my throat as he disappears.

I steeply dive Crimson towards the tornado in one last act of desperate hope of saving Link before he hits the dreaded cloud barrier. I spot a blur of movement between the darkness every now and again, but with each passing moment the chances of saving him grow smaller. Without warning, the black tornado emits another wave of darkness that's larger than ever before, throwing Crimson backwards before we can even get close to him.

The shock of it all sends me flying off the Loftwing's back in an instant.

My voice has long since died out, and all I can do is fall soundlessly through the air and pray that Crimson catches me. Cold tears stream down my face as my body falls limp, only my brain remaining on full alert as my vision goes dark. The face of the boy I've killed flashes behind closed eyelids, his smile and warm embrace nothing but a fleeting memory. I reach out for him in my mind's eye one last time despite how fruitless it is.

Then I hear that same voice from my nightmares as I black out.

"Prepare the ritual! Once we retrieve the boy's memories, His Majesty will feast on his soul tonight!"

"Zelda…"

My eyes flutter open at the sound of my name, finding nothing but darkness surrounding me. I flinch as a bright light suddenly invades my vision, squinting as the outline of a figure appears from within it. I can't make out their face—I can't really make out much of anything, honestly—but part of their garments seem to be rustling in the non-existent breeze.

I part my lips and croak, "W-Who... are you?"

"Zelda, I am waiting for you," the figure replies, ignoring me completely; like they have been programmed to say only these words to me. They float closer to me, but I still can't out their face. "You shall play a large role in the destiny on the land that you call the Surface. The time has come for you to awaken and begin this Mission of great importance."

Perplexed, I go to respond, but the figure has disappeared from sight. My heart skips a beat when the void around me is bleached white and the world shifts so violently that I feel nauseous. Instead of falling backwards, I'm now falling forwards and starting directly into a painfully familiar pair of eyes.

My heart physically aches at the sight of the same frightened look in his eyes that I saw during the storm. I reach out for Link, screaming out his name as I am overwhelmed by the sudden change of events. He reaches out in vain, our fingers merely brushing for a moment before all hope is lost.

I feel his warmth one last precious moment before his form is engulfed in a strange, ethereal golden light. We cry out in unison, one in fear and the other in pain, as ominous shadows appear through the cloudy whiteness and absorb the golden light. I can do nothing but watch on as Link's pale form tumbles into the shadows and the rest of the light is sapped from the world.

My hope dies with him.

~*O*~

I bolt upright with a gasp, immediately regretting the movement as a wave of nausea slams into me hard. My breath is drawn out in ragged gasps as I collapse against what I was lying on before I burst back into consciousness. My eyes fall shut as I collide with it and I suddenly become acutely aware that I'm lying on my bed. I force myself to muster the strength to reopen my eyes and collect my jumbled thoughts as I rub some feeling back into my face.

Night has fallen on Skyloft, only the warm glow of candlelight illuminating small portions of my bedroom in the Knight Academy. I remember waking up here this morning so I could meet Link at the courtyard nearby before the Wing Ceremony, then searching for his Loftwing so he could win the race. I squint as my memories start to blur after that, unsure as to why I feel so desperately alone.

I remember something about a storm, although everything just feels like a terrible nightmare. As I pull my hands away from my face and stare up at my bedroom ceiling, I realise that Link must have bought me back home at some point; I must have been exhausted by the day's events. But no, that doesn't seem right. I would have remembered that, surely.

That's when it finally hits me.

"Don't let go."

"Never."

I cover my mouth to try and hold back a sob, but it's too late. Terror grips my heart as realisation dawns on me, both his and my screams echoing around my mind as I finally remember what happened. I'm not sure how I managed to get back to Skyloft—though I can safely assume that it was Crimson who bought me back—though that doesn't change the fact that my reflexes sent Link to his death.

Goddess above, it was all my fault…

It was all my fault!

He's gone and I'm the person to blame…

I gasp when someone breaths a deep sigh of relief off to my left. I snap my head over to the source, my heart squeezing when I find Father there instead of Link, the desperate hope of seeing the latter shattering in an instant. His eyebrows are knotted together despite the visible relief on his face. Taking a seat on my bed, his orange robes spread out around him as he tightly holds my hand.

"You're finally awake, my dear," he breathes. He's close to tears. "When Crimson brought you back, you were limp and unconscious. I feared the worst. Fortunately, you don't appear to have any serious injuries. For that much, we can be grateful." He draws me into his arms, his entire body trembling as he holds me close.

My tears are uncontrollable at this point. All I can get out is a quiet, "F-Father…"

"You're shaking." He pulls away and tucks a lock of stray hair behind my ear. "What happened?"

I lower my head and let my shoulders slump forward. The weight of the situation feels like it's about to crush me. It's difficult to think about those awful events, let alone relive them out loud, but I try my best. "T-There was a storm… a black tornado. He… Link, he…" My heart starts to pound. "He fell…"

Father's eyes widen at the revelation, eyes darting around as he tries to process the implications. "A black tornado, you say?" he muses, clearly trying to keep his mind away from the true source of my grief. "That was no ordinary storm."

I lower my head. Despite Father's attempts at steering clear of the traumatic news, my mind can't seem to think about anything else. A strange emptiness settles in my heart, a feeling I haven't felt in years, and I'm not sure anything will every alleviate the overwhelming grief that I'm trying so desperately hard to ignore.

It can't be true; what happened this afternoon couldn't have happened. Link's one of the best riders I've seen—he couldn't have fallen.

My eyes light up. He couldn't have fallen. I just assumed that he would have hit the cloud barrier, but I never saw it happen. The storm could have swept him off away from the cloud barrier and he could have been thrown onto a nearby island. He could be out there right now and all I'm doing is wasting time!

Refusing to hesitate any longer and swiftly ignoring the voice of reason in my mind, I use my sudden burst of determination to swing my legs over the edge of my bed and rise onto my feet. Or at least I try to rise. A wave of fatigue washes over me and I crumple back onto the bed. Father darts forward instantly and takes my arms to help ease me back down.

"You must not push yourself, my dear," he warns. "You're still recovering."

"But he's out there, I'm sure of it," I plead. His gaze softens at my words, and I know what he's about to say. "Don't… please don't tell me to give up. I…" My voice cracks. "I can't give up on him."

"Zelda…" His voice shakes a little but he inhales deeply and collects himself. "Without his Loftwing, there is little chance he—"

"Don't," I practically growl. His eyes widen at my tone, but something on my face must betray the anger in my voice because he bundles me up into a tight embrace.

"Whatever has come to pass, daybreak has yet to arrive. It would be very difficult to spot one boy in the dark of night. It would also be very dangerous." Holding me at arm's length, I force a tiny nod and he wipes away the tears staining my cheeks. "Rest now, Zelda. Everything will be alright. I know it."

He leaves me to get my rest, but he must know as well as I do that I won't be sleeping tonight. Long after the door clicks shut, I simply sit on the edge of my bed with my hands in my lap, indescribable pain overwhelming me again as the memories dance behind closed eyelids. I replay it all in my mind over and over, questioning what would have happened if I'd have moved sooner or reacted different—not that it'll change anything now.

Any hope of finding Link alive dies stillborn in my chest as the events continue to play in my mind. I glance over to my door every now and again, half-expecting him to slip inside with his usual grin that always brightens my day and wonder what I'm worrying about when he's perfectly fine. I can picture the moment now as vividly as I can remember the storm and my eyes grow warm at the thought.

I let the tears silently stream down my face as my gaze wanders around my room, forcing myself to look only at the things that will only make my pain feel even more raw. Like the small, wooden carving of my Loftwing that sits on my desk, the time and effort put into it clear to see even from afar. Link had made it for my sixteenth birthday, another fleeting memory that once made me smile and now only makes me cry harder.

As the candle on my desk continues to glow and cast long shadows about my room, I clasp my hands together in a vague attempt to remember how his hand felt in mine. The way he held my hands so lightly when I was sad, the way he let me hold his hand and drag him around the island to do whatever I wanted to on our free days, the way he held my hand so tightly we he saved me from falling after Destiny reared up…

The way I let his hand slip from mine.

"Don't let go."

"Never."

His voice, like his touch, will only exist in my memories now. And it's all my fault.

"Dominae…"

I jump out of my skin at the sound of the calming voice. At first, I almost wonder if it was just a figment of my imagination, only for the voice to call out again. The voice, so gentle and soothing, sounds just like the one from my nightmare. The sound washes away my grief for the briefest of moments and something in my heart feels like I'm not dreaming this voice up.

Snapping my gaze up to the door where I think the voice came from, I whisper, "W-Who's there?"

"Dominae, your time has come…"

I slowly rise from the bed, feeling strangely drawn to her voice like I'm in a trance. The lilt in their tone forces me into action, and I quickly find myself stumbling towards the door after her. Their voice gives me hope, and for a moment I can still feel the dying embers of Link's presence on the edges of my awareness. It disappears as quickly as it arrived, and for a second I think it might be the residual effects of being caught up in the storm.

But then I feel it again and hope dares to blossom in my heart despite the voice of reason.

I brace myself against the door handle and ignore the lingering light headedness, daring to hope that the feeling inside me is right and isn't just false hope. Praying to the Goddess for her strength, I open the door and step out into the darkness after the voice.

"Dominae… your time has come…"