Chapter 20: Pride of the Family

Nine-year-old Karane entered a room that will serve as her dorm room for as long as she resides at the Skyloft Knight Academy. It had the necessities such as a bed, cupboard, desk, and a bookshelf. Owlan emerges from behind, bags in hand.

"This will be your room."

"It's bigger than my old bedroom..." Karane commented as she sat on the bed.

"I know it doesn't look like much but I'm sure you'll add your personal touch here in no time." Owlan sat the bags at the base of the bed. "Is there anything else you need?" Karane shook her head. "I'll leave you to get settled in. If you need anything, don't hesitate to come to me, or Gaepora."

"Okay…"

"I have to go do some work now. I'll to check up on you later."

Owlan exits the room, leaving the young girl alone. The nine-year-old decided to do a little unpacking. The girl pulled out her stuffed cat doll she calls Cheshire. The toy had a stitched mouth and nose. There's a button on its head that represents the eye. It is only half of a pair of eyes for recently the other button representing the other eye had fallen off.

Gazing at the toy made Karane feel sad. Her mother had promised her that she would fix Cheshire's eye. But now she can't do that, or many things, because she and her father were gone. They were no longer part of this world and Karane would never see them again.

Tears trailed down her cheeks as her mind goes back to her parents. She clutches the stuffed cat close to her chest as she let out sobs. It had only been a few days since Arus & Balea were put to rest. The memory of their deaths was still fresh to her. Karane still found it hard to believe that they were dead. She missed them so much…

The sound of the divider shifting to the side came to her ears. An Eight-year-old girl with blonde hair and large blue eyes stared at her.

"Who are you?" Karane asks the girl.

"My name is Zelda. Are you the girl Instructor Owlan brought?"

Karane nods. "My name is Karane. Why are you in my room?"

"I heard you crying. Papa told me that people don't cry unless they're sad. Papa also told me that you're going through a difficult time. Are you crying because of that?"

"...Yeah."

"Can I help you feel better in any way?"

"I don't think you can…My parents... We got caught in a bad storm. We tried to take shelter, but the barn collapsed. They didn't make it…"

Karane kept her gaze away from Zelda. She expected the girl to just leave her be. What she did not expect is Zelda hugging her.

"I know what it's like…I lost my mama a few years ago. I feel sad about it sometimes. Papa doesn't show it but I know he gets sad about her too. It hurts to not have her around, but papa tells me she's still with us in my heart. Your parents will be with you as well."

"But I want them here. I want to hug them. I want to talk to them. I…I just want to see them. But I can't and I have no one."

"That's not true! You have Instructor Owlan."

"We're not related…"

"So? Papa always told me family comes in different forms. Not having the same blood doesn't mean Owlan isn't your family. I can be your family if you want."

"We barely even know each other…"

"Maybe we should fix that then! We're gonna be neighbors so we might as well get to know each other. And I'm not leaving your side until I know a little more about you." Zelda places her hands on her hips, showcasing her determination. Karane could see that this girl seriously wanted to know more about her.

"Okay…What do you want to know about me?"

"Well…Who's that cute toy you have?" Zelda pointed to the stuffed cat still in Karane's hands.

"This is Cheshire." Karane lifted the stuffed toy so Zelda could get a better look. "I've had him for a long time."

"He looks so adorable! I have a doll too. His name is Tingle," Zelda examined the toy with interest. Then something caught her attention. "Why does Cheshire only have one eye?"

"His eye fell off not too long ago. Mom promised that she would fix him…But now…" Karane trailed off, not wanting to finish that sentence.

Zelda places her hand on Karane's. "Maybe we can fix him together?"

"You can sew?"

"I know a little but it should be enough. I found this shiny blue button a few days ago. I think it would be perfect for him! Does that sound okay?"

"It…it sounds nice."

"Great! Come on! My stuff is in my room." Zelda grabs Karane's arm, practically dragging the redhead to her room. "You know something, Karane? I think you and I are going to get along so well!"

And with that, the seeds had been planted to what would blossom into a sisterhood

A tired groan broke through her mouth. Her hand rubs her forehead as she slowly sits up. Some parts of her body felt sore. Needless to say, Karane felt all sorts of tired.

"You're awake at last!" Skipper stood at her side. Karane could see she was in a small room, laying some metal boxes on top of some leftover sails. "How are you doing?"

"Fine, I think." Karane massages her backside. "I feel a little stiff."

"Yes, I apologize for your sleeping arrangements. This ship usually doesn't house humans."

"The ship?"

"Oh right! After you passed from your fight with Tentalus yesterday, we found a Timeshift Stone and used it to restore the ship to normal."

"Yesterday?

"Mhmm! You were out for a while! It's mid-morning now. Guess your takedown on Tentalus took a toll on you, eh?"

The fight. Tentalus. Her friends. The kiss!

"Where are my friends?"

"They're outside. We docked at the port. My guess that is where they are," Skipper told her. "They were pretty worried about you, especially that one called Pipit. He was very attentive over you until your friends convinced him to get some rest himself."

"He was…?"

"Yep! I have to say he seems like a good boyfriend!"

"We're not-" Karane muttered tiredly.

"Now that you're awake, you should probably go see him and the rest of your friends. Come on!"

Skipper glided out of the room. Karane slowly trailed behind the robot to the upper deck of the newly restored ship. A large activated Timeshift Stone stood in the center of the deck, surrounded by several members of Skipper's crew.

"That was inside the skull of Tentalus. Someway, somehow it was activated, bringing that thing to life." Skipper explained to the young woman.

Karane chose not to respond to that. She strolled over to the ship's side where a ramp was for her to walk down. The ship is docked at the same port she and her friends arrived at yesterday. The effects of the TimeShift Stone covered the entirety of the port. The large metal boxes filled with color, the dusty platform was in pristine condition, plants grew all around, and the water below the ship.

On the port, she could see more of the robots hovering around. The familiar barking caught her ear. The band of Lanayru Seals that she had befriended were swimming in the water. Little Riju especially seems to be enjoying it. Watching the seals were Link, Fledge, and…Pipit. Karane stood at the bottom of the ramp as her eyes glued onto Pipit. The kiss she gave to him yesterday came into her mind. What will he do, Karane wondered.

Link quickly notices the young woman's presence. He ran over and pulled her into a hug. "Karane! It's good to see you awake!"

"How are you feeling?" Fledge asked her.

"I feel a little tired."

"No kidding. Especially after you help take that monster down," Link states.

Karane let out a quiet hum. A batch of yellow catches her eye. Pipit stood not too far away from where she was. He had a neutral expression.

"Hey Pipit."

"Hi…Karane. How are you doing?"

"I'm doing okay."

"That's good to hear."

"What about you?"

"I think I'm alright." Pipit rubs his neck nervously. "Listen, I-"

"I suppose now that all of you are back together, you'll be heading back to your home then?" Skipper's voice cut through before Pipit could speak.

"We've been away longer than usual. Our friends back home are more than likely worried," Link replied to the robot.

"In that case, you four better get going then. Thank you all for getting my ship back!"

"Sorry that we couldn't stop Tentalus from destroying it."

"Do not fret over that. That Timeshift Stone we found lodged in Tentalus' skull got it back together. That's all that matters. My crew and I wish you all good luck in whomever it is you're looking for. Come visit again. All of you are welcome anytime."

"Thanks. And thank you for your help."

"Take care!"

Skipper waved at the quartet along with his crew. The knight students had only walked a few feet when Karane felt something tug around her leg. Little Riju had her mouth on Karane's pants. The baby Lanayru Seal gently tugged on it, letting out gentle roars, and staring at her with her large eyes. It would seem the seal did not want Karane to leave.

Karane knelt to the baby seal's level. "I have to go home, Riju. I have family waiting for me. And you have a family here as well." She glances over to Urbosa, who stood in front of her pack of seals. Riju lowered her head down. Karane gently pets Riju's head, letting out a smile. "I'll come back. And I promise to bring you blueberries. How does that sound?"

Riju let out a chirpy bark, licking the girl's cheek. Karane let out a giggle. With that taken care of, Riju hopped back over to her mother. The pod of seals lets out a proud roar before they all slid into the water.

"Let's get home, guys," Link advised.

The quartet went to a Loftwing statue, which had been under the large metal boxes which Skipper's crew managed to remove. They all flew back above the vast sky where their Loftwings were waiting. No one said a thing on their flight back to Skyloft.

Throughout the flight, Karane kept on glancing over at Pipit. The yellow-clad senior knight has not looked in her direction. It made her nervous. Was he mad at her for that kiss? Was he disgusted? She did technically kiss him without his consent, after all.

Skyloft came close in their view. The boys flew ahead to the island. Karane, on the other hand, lingered back. A part of her urges that she is not ready to go back yet. Link was quick to notice the redhead falling behind.

"Everything alright, Karane?"

"I'm going to fly around for a while," she replied.

"You want one of us to stay with you? You still look tired," Fledge offered.

"I'll be fine by myself. I'll catch you guys later."

"If you say so…Be careful," Link instructed her.

Karane watches her friend fly back to Skyloft. She then directed Ilia to fly in the opposite direction. Unbeknownst to her, Pipit glances back at her before putting his focus back on the island.

Karane spent the next few minutes with her head in the clouds, metaphorically that is. She contemplated what to do should she encounter Pipit again. Yet, she could not find a definitive answer. Minutes of silence went on until finally, she let out a frustrated shout loud enough to echo around her.

"I am such Dindamn idiot! Why did you have to kiss him, especially right after you brought him back from the brink of DEATH! Pipit probably thinks I'm some sort of freak now! Smart thing you did, Karane! UGH!"

Ilia let out a squawk of concern. The bird looked at her rider with worried eyes.

"Sorry girl." Karane strokes Ilia's feathers. "I'm just having some boy problems." Ilia let out a chirp as if she was agreeing. "How do you and Shiro do it?" Ilia chirped again. "Yeah. I guess Loftwings are better at this than us humans. We're more…complicated."

Karane let out a tired breath. From the corner of her eye, she noticed she was near the green pillar of light, meaning she was somewhere above Faron Woods. Perhaps she could use a change of scenery. After all, she had spent two days in the desert. It would be dumb to go down there alone, but if she can rip Tentalus' arms off, surely she can handle some Bokoblins.

The female senior knight leaped off her to plummet through the clouds below. Minutes later, she landed in Faron Woods. Tiny birds were hopping around, along with several animals, such as deer who ran off when she landed. There was not any sign of any monsters. The sound of a waterfall came across her ears. Following the sound, she found herself standing at the banks of Lake Floria. Karane gazes at her hands. Images of summoning the large water hands to rip apart Tentalus' arms, and controlling the water out of Pipit's body came to her. It made her wonder what else she can do? After making sure there are no monsters around, Karane sets her sword, shield, and pouch on the ground to make her way to the bank of the lake. Sucking in air through her nose, she reaches her arms out. A small portion of water lifted in the air.

Time passed as Karane continued to practice with her water ability. She moved the water around as if she had been doing this her whole life. There was also a lot of thinking she did about what had happened the past two days. Nayru's Trial. Her parents. The ship. Tentalus. The kiss she gave to Pipit…

Honestly, Karane did not know why she kissed him. Maybe it was the lack of energy she had after disarming Tentalus that clouded her judgment, or perhaps she was just so happy to see him alive she didn't care about the consequences. Karane has grown a liking for Pipit in the past year, starting right around his Wing Ceremony. Seeing that it was not a simple crush given that her romantic feelings for him lasted this long, it was clear she loved him in that sense. The main problem is that she did not know how to confess it to him. Up until yesterday, only Zelda knew about this. But now the Remlit is out of the bag, and Karane did not know what to do.

Looking into the sky, Karane could see the sun had gotten lower. She figures she should head back. When she went for her gear, she noticed a small bush that she swore wasn't there. Below the bush has an eerily familiar lump of brown fur.

"Hello there," Karane approached the bush which shrank, revealing a Kikwi.

"Oh, hello again, kweek! I remember you! You're one of those humans that stopped by the other day. I'm Oolo! I didn't see you here."

"It's alright. What are you doing here?"

"I've been hiding, of course. I've been doing it so long my shoulders are starting to stiff."

"You poor thing…" Karane stated even though she noticed the lack of 'shoulders' on said Kikwi but she figure it would be rude to mention that.

"That's right, kwee! Sitting in one place all the time, never knowing when danger is going to come along…kook. You can't know what that's like! Everyone seems happy that peace has returned to the forest…But I don't believe it for a second, koo-kakoo! There's no way I'm going to give up and come out of hiding. Not ever, kee-woop! But sometimes I wonder…Isn't there somewhere peaceful I can live without fear, without having to hide?"

As Oolo shares, the tale of his woes, it brought Karane back to a conversation she had with Owlan not that long ago.

"A species of plant that's a mix of flora & fauna? Unbelievable! I've never heard of anything like that in my life before. Karane, you might as well discover a new type of species altogether!" Owlan exclaimed with excitement. "I love to get my hands on one of these creatures for me to study further."

An idea then came to her. The trial Nayru had given her made Karane realize how lucky she is to have Owlan in her life. He had done so much for her. Perhaps she should show how grateful she is.

"There is such a place like that. And I might know the right person to care for you," Karane told the Kikwi.

"That's fantastic news, koo-karoo!" Oolo exclaimed with joy. "Can you take me there?"

"Of course."

Maybe she was doing this to distract herself from Pipit right now, but family comes first after all.

In a secluded part of Skyloft Island is the community gardens. Every plant known to the inhabitants of Skyloft resided here. Butterflies of every known species often gather here, Blessed Butterflies included. It is one of Owlan's favorite places to spend time, aside from the Knight Academy. Whenever he was not busy with academy duties, he would often be in the gardens tending to the plants. One such plant was several flowers called Blue Nightshades. It was a flower Owlan was all too familiar with, due to it being Arus & Balea's favorite. He had them planted after they died as some sort of memorial to them. Wherever they are now, Owlan hopes that they're at peace.

"I hope you both are watching over Karane and the others through these times."

Earlier he had seen Link, Pipit, and Fledge at the academy. The Instructor was initially alarmed not seeing Karane, but Link assured him that she was flying around to clear her head. So to pass the time, he tended to the community garden. Feeling that the Nightshades were well taken care of, Owlan picked up the watering can to water the next batch. What he did not expect to see is a small brown creature behind him. It startled the man enough to drop the watering can. The creature let out a frightened squeak, laying flat on its belly while a bush appeared on his back. Owlan stood flabbergasted until a familiar voice snapped him out of it.

"It's alright. He won't hurt you," Karane walked up to the creature who stood right back up after his bush vanished.

"Sorry, he spooked me, kwee." The creature looked onto Owlan. "Hi! I'm Oolo, I am a Kikwi. Karane said you can take care of me and keep me safe, kwee?"

"Y-yes…"

"That's wonderful!" Oolo looked. "This is such a pretty garden, kee-koo. Can I look around?"

Owlan gestures toward the gardens. Oolo walked around, taking in the sights of the plants. The Instructor remains watching in pure awe at this plant…life form…whatever it is.

"Do you like your gift?" Karane spoke to him. "You did say that you would like to have one to study."

Owlan moves his head in Karane's direction. Aside from the bandage on her cheek, he noticed the changes, such as her blue eyes looking brighter, and the symbol of Nayru residing on the right hip area of her uniform.

"Karane…you look-"

"Different," Karane finished for her guardian. "Nayru selected me for her trial. I passed, and she gave me part of her essence."

"Does that mean you have magic, like Pipit?"

She nods. " I can create barriers to protect from ongoing attacks. Even repelling them back." Karane notices the watering can that Owlan dropped along with the spilled water that is still fresh in the ground. "I can also do this."

Karane moved the watering can into the proper position. Then she lifted the spilled water from the ground. Owlan stood in silence as he watched Karane levitate the water. When she was sure she got all of the water, Karane carefully placed it back into the watering can.

"That's truly amazing, Karane!" Owlan exclaimed with pride. "Not only that, you met Nayru herself, right?" Karane nodded again. "Remarkable. What was she like?"

"Gentle. Kind. And gave me a motherly vibe."

Karane crossed her arms as a small smile grew on her face. Owlan immediately knew something was bothering her that she wanted to talk to him about.

"Something on your mind?"

"You can tell?"

"I am your guardian after all. I can tell when something is troubling you. What's on your mind?" Owlan gave a gentle expression.

A tired breath escaped the young woman's mouth. "When mom & dad died, I blamed myself for their deaths. I know you said it wasn't my fault, but a part of me still believed I caused their deaths. I clung to that belief even if it went against all logic. I believed it because…I wanted to believe that their deaths could've been prevented. Nayru…help me realize I was wrong to believe it. She opened my eyes to the truth. There was nothing anyone could have done that day."

Owlan stood in silence, shocked by the confession from the woman. It took him several minutes to comprehend this information before finally speaking. "You still blamed yourself for what happened to Arus & Balea after all these years? Why didn't you tell me this? Did I do something wrong that would make you not come to me about it?"

"You didn't do anything wrong. You've done so much for me. I didn't want to be a burden anymore than I was."

Owlan gently held Karane's shoulders. "Karane, listen to me. You were NEVER a burden to me. I never regretted my choice taking you in. I did it not out of obligation to your parents. I did it because I wanted to. And you want to know something?" He moved his hand on Karane's cheek. "It was the best decision I have ever made."

A tear rolled down Karane's cheek. "I'm sorry for not telling you this. I thought this feeling would've gone away by not talking about it, but I now know that it made it worse. Nayru helps me see the truth." Karane pulled away, wiping the tear that had fallen. "She…She even showed me a message that mom & dad wanted to tell me."

"What…what did they say?" Owlan looked with interest.

"They wanted me to not blame myself for their deaths. And that they love and are proud of me…They also wanted me to tell you to thank you for taking care of me."

Owlan did not say anything. He turned his body around, covering his mouth with his hand. Karane could see that he looked like he was about to cry. She knows how much he missed her parents. She gently grabbed his arm.

"I'm sorry, Karane. It just-"

"I miss them too," Karane finished for Owlan. Before either of them could say anything, two butterflies flew around them. The pair watch the butterflies flap around before flying out of view.

"You've grown so much these past nine years." Karane looks back at Owlan. "When I brought you here you were quiet, scared, and unsure of your future. You've come so far since. Now I see a bright, brave, and determined young woman who is taking the final steps toward becoming a knight of Skyloft. I know you'll do good things. Your parents would be every bit as proud as I am…

"I couldn't have done it without you. You're more than just my teacher and my guardian. You're my family, Owlan. I would be glad to call you my father if that's alright."

Owlan smiled at her. "And I'm more than happy to call you my daughter."

More tears pour down Karane's eyes. She pulled Owlan into a hug, burying her face into his chest and giving out light sobs. "Thank you. Thank you for everything you've done for me…Dad."

Owlan held onto Karane even closer, whilst also not trying to burst into tears when Karane uttered that word. As they held onto each other, a form of Gratitude Crystals formed not only above Owlan, but Karane as well. They both landed right into Karane's pouch as she held onto her father figure.

"This is such a lovely garden, kwee!" Oolo the Kikwik stumbled back to Owlan & Karane who were still hugging. "Oh? Am I interrupting something?"

"You're not," Karane replied as she pulled away from Owlan. "You said you like the gardens?"

"Oh yes! It's wonderful. Though I couldn't find a good place to sleep."

"Well, um…You can stay in my room. I'm certain I can make the proper accommodations for you," Owlan assured the Kikwi. "How about I take you over there now?"

"That would be nice, kee-koo!"

"And once he's settled in, perhaps you and I could get some food. You can share what you've been up to. For instance, what happened to your cheek?" Owlan glanced at the sticky bandage on Karane's cheek.

"It's a crazy story, but I'm sure you'll love to hear it," Karane responded with enthusiasm.

Sorry I haven't been updating much. I struggled on how to present this chapter. I hope it turned out well for everyone reading. I just recently graduated college so I had spent the past month finishing up but now I'm done, WOOHOO!. Also certain events in the world kept draining my mental energy. (If you want to get an idea, I live in the United States of America. 'Nough said). Hopefully this is a good way to keep my mind away from these events. I just hope everything turns out alright.

Anyways. The quest for Nayru's Flame is done so our young Knight Students return to Skyloft to recuperate. But Karane had some things to settle first. Owlan is taken care of. Now she just needs to figure out things with Pipit. How will it go? Find out next chapter.

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