A/N: Wow, I got some pretty good responses from that last chapter! Yay! Reviews make me VERY happy!

So... Yes. Here's the next chapter. I just thought you should know that I typed this whole thing on my iPad, which doesn't have spell/grammar check, so if there are mistakes... now you know why! I put it through an online spellchecker, so I should be good, but you never know. Also... I 'm not really used to writing romance, as I tried here, so if it fails let me know. XD

AWAKENING

Chapter 3

Link's Loftwing underwent a brief inspection once we returned to town, ensuring that he wasn't harmed in any way. Fortunately, Groose wasn't that heartless, and the crimson bird was fine.

This whole time, Groose stood in the shadow of the Light Tower, leaning against the wall and sulking. We ignored the glares he shot at us.

"Well, your bird seems perfectly healthy, Link," I announced in an unnecessarily loud voice, just so that I could enjoy Groose's scowl. A bit softer, I added, "Should I go find my father and let him know that we found your Loftwing?"

"You probably should," Link agreed. "We wouldn't want to hold up the ceremony any longer than we already have, would we?"

I shrugged. "I wouldn't mind making them wait a bit more. After all, you never did practice this morning... and you promised me that you would..."

He gave me an exasperated look. "You're really determined about this, aren't you?"

"Of course!" I huffed, crossing my arms. "Look, I do not want to be alone on that statue with someone like Groose, okay? And we... we don't usually get much alone time anyway, do we? Wouldn't it be nice to go up there by ourselves... just the two of us... away from everyone else... you know... together..."

My voice trailed off as I realized exactly what I'd been saying. I fidgeted with my hands nervously, hoping he hadn't caught on to the emotions that had been slowly seeping into my words. He couldn't know how I felt about him. Not yet.

His expression didn't help much. I couldn't quite read that look on his face – which was very rare and slightly unnerving, since we'd known each other for so long. I turned away. "I'll be right back, okay? You... go practice or something."

I began to walk in the direction of the Knight Academy, where I assumed my father would be. Link didn't stop me.

The walk was uneventful in reality, although my mind was swarming with uncertainty and fresh anxiety. With the search for Link's Loftwing distracting me, I'd temporarily forgotten about how important it was for him to win today. Not just for his sake, either. As selfish as it sounds, I wanted him to win for me, too. I wanted to complete the ceremony with him – not with some self-centered jerk like Groose. And the unexpected renewal of my feelings for Link didn't help either.

Luckily, my father was exactly where I expected him to be: in his office, talking to Instructor Owlan. I could hear their voices behind the huge double doors. I was about the open the door when a small excerpt of their conversation reached me. "I'm worried for Zelda, too."

I halted. They were talking about me?

"Why is that?" I heard Instructor Owlan's muffled voice ask my father.

"She's been acting... strange lately. Something was a bit off this morning."

There was a brief pause. "Sir, are you suggesting that your daughter is going to be part of this, too?"

"I don't know what I'm suggesting, Owlan," my father replied wearily. "I don't even know if anything is going to happen. I'm just speculating based on what I saw in the sword chamber. There's always the chance I'm imagining things. And maybe our prophecies are wrong, with the actual words of the Goddess lost over time."

"But, if they are true...?" the instructor persisted.

I heard a sigh. "Then it means dark times are coming indeed, and we can only hope for the aid of the Hero and the Spirit Maiden."

Something about that sentence sounded familiar to me, but I wasn't entirely sure what it was. After a moment of thought, I realized it was those last two words: "Spirit Maiden". I'd heard that somewhere. And recently, too...

It occurred to me that I was eavesdropping – and it sounded like pretty important stuff, too. But if it included me, didn't I have a right to know? So, instead of entering the room like any decent person would do, I leaned in closer to the door and pressed my ear up against it, eager to hear more.

To my disappointment, it seemed like that was the end the discussion. The instructor mentioned something about the ceremony, and the headmaster agreed that they should go check up on things. Upon hearing footsteps approach the door, I started panicking. I hurriedly backed away from the door, trying my hardest to make it look like I'd just been coming down the hall and this was all one lovely coincidence.

The door swung open with a whoosh of air, and I pretended to look surprised.

"Zelda?" my father inquired, startled.

"Link found his Loftwing," I said quickly. Maybe a little too quickly.

He raised his eyebrows. "Really?" I nodded. "This is wonderful news! Will you go on ahead and let everyone know that we'll begin soon?"

I nodded obediently. "Sure."

My father turned to the instructor. "Owlan, go and fetch the Loftwing. I'll retrieve the statue." He nodded and disappeared. Father's attention then shifted back to me.

"I'll go now," I said, starting to leave before he suspected something.

"Zelda..." I froze in my tracks, looking back at him over my shoulder. The tone in his voice sounded a bit strained, as though he was worried for something. Did it have anything to do with what he'd discussed in his office? Or – worse – had he realized that I'd been eavesdropping?

And then, after all the fear he'd caused me to feel in that moment, he decided not to speak anyway. Instead, he shook his head and turn away. "It's nothing, Zelda. I'm sorry. Just go ahead and tell the students we'll begin. I'll be there shortly."

Because I was still keen on leaving swiftly, I didn't argue with him and instead thanked the Goddess that my father hadn't noticed anything. Still I struggled to maintain a slow, casual pace as I left – I wanted to race out of there before he questioned the convenience of my appearance. In fact, the moment I was out of sight I began sprinting back toward the plaza.

Unfortunately, the scene I found waiting for me didn't improve my mood. Apparently Groose had grown tired of brooding over the situation and had decided to taunt Link a bit before the ceremony. I sighed when the last part of Groose speech reached me. "It's me that's going to be on the top of that statue today with Zelda! Yeah... she's going to give me that Sailcloth. Just me! And then we'll have our own special moment alone... ooh yes... I can picture it now..."

Cawlin and Stritch noticed me first, and they looked horrified to see me; I wondered if it had something to do with our encounter earlier. I smirked. "Are you sure about that, Groose? A 'special moment'?"

Groose spun around, seeming abashed. "Uh... What... what are you... talking about, Zelda? I didn't say anything like that."

"Well, good," I said, striding over to stand beside Link. "Because having a 'special moment' would be rather difficult, considering I feel absolutely no affection for you. At all." I smiled and nodded toward my friend. "Besides, Link's going to win."

Groose snorted. "That loser? No, don't worry. I'll make sure he doesn't win and you have to suffer through the ceremony with him. I'll win for you!"

"Yeah... whatever." I looked at Link, who, I noticed, seemed to be standing in the exact same spot I'd left him. "I have a strange feeling you didn't practice while I was gone."

He grinned sheepishly. "No... sorry, Zel."

"I guess I can't blame you. It was probably this guy's fault." I gestured at Groose. He held out his hands defensively.

"Whoa, whoa! Why is that my fault?"

"You distracted him from practicing!" I accused.

"I did no such thing," Groose said with false indignation. "I just came to tell him how happy I was that he found his Loftwing and wish him luck in the ceremony!"

I rolled my eyes. Why was he still putting on this act? Everyone here knew what had really happened to Link's bird. "Whatever you say, Groose," I said at last with a sigh. He was so impossible. Sometimes it was best to just agree with him.

"Attention students!" Instructor Owlan's voice boomed over the plaza. "The Wing Ceremony is about to begin! All participants, please report to the Light Tower!"

"Well, see you later, Zelda," Groose chuckled. "Watch for me in the ceremony."

He and his cronies marched away, heading to the shade of the Light Tower where the instructor and my father were waiting.

Link hesitated, looking nervously at the imposing golden Loftwing that he would be chasing today. I gave him an encouraging smile. "Don't worry, Link. You know you can beat them. It'll be a piece of cake."

"I don't know..." he said uncertainly. "They're a lot more prepared than I am."

I felt a wave of annoyance toward him. "And who's fault is that, exactly?" I demanded. His face fell with guilt, and as quickly as it had come my irritation dissipated. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get angry. It's just... this is your future, Link! You have to win!"

"I know," he told me. "And I'll do my best."

I smiled reassuringly. "As long as you do that, you'll have nothing to worry about. Trust me. You can win this."

We heard a loud, pointed cough, and we both glanced over toward the Light Tower to see pretty much everyone watching us impatiently. "Are you two going to talk all day, or can we finally begin the ceremony?" called Instructor Owlan.

We both looked to the side, embarrassed, and mumbled apologies under our breath as we walk toward them. The only positive part of this situation was Groose's look of anger. He was probably upset that I'd spent time to wish Link luck and not him.

Once we were all assembled, my father instructed us in where to stand. I felt a bit out of place with my position off to the side – it was like I was supposed to be separated from everyone else. Maybe that was the point? I mean, it probably had some kind of ancient, spiritual symbolism to it. Like... our ancestors had decreed that the girl representing the goddess was to be separated from the other ceremony participants to represent her holiness and purity. Or something.

Finally the Wing Ceremony began, though I ignored most of the beginning. I'd watched it in previous years, anyway. The instructor then cleared his throat and proceeded with explaining the rules of the ceremony. I tuned him out – I knew the directions. The four contestants needed to fly around and retrieve the bird-shaped statue that was held by the golden Loftwing. It required a strong bond between the rider and their bird, as well as great amount of skill and training. Link had the bond and the skill... but I wasn't so sure about the training...

I smiled and nodded when my name was mentioned, but aside from that, I just stared out at the skies... wondering what the outcome of the ceremony might be... and exactly how I'd be spending my afternoon. With my best friend? Or with that insufferable Groose?

"All right, everyone, line up!" I heard the instructor command, and I snapped back to the present, anxiously watching the contestants take on ready positions. "On my command, we begin! Ready...?"

Everyone nodded in response.

"GO!"

Link was the first off the platform, flying away on his Crimson Loftwing before the others even had a chance to jump. I cheered for him, earning myself a stern glance from my father. I fell silent. We'd discussed this yesterday – as the Goddess, I wasn't allowed to openly favor any of the contestants while the ceremony proceeded.

So, I instead sat quietly on the sidelines, obediently observing rather than screaming with all I had for Link to win as I'd initially hoped. Still, that didn't prevent my breath from catching whenever Groose got close, or when Link pulled a particularly dangerous move in order to get near the gold Loftwing.

From the very beginning, Groose was following the Loftwing closely, while Link lagged behind. I feared for him. Link really needed to step it up if he wanted to get that statue.

Apparently he was thinking the same thing. I spotted him whisper something to his Loftwing, and then, with a few flaps of his powerful wings, the crimson bird started to gain altitude. I squinted as they flew up, trying to keep an on even him though he was silhouetted by the blinding sun. Just when my eyes were beginning to water despite my constant blinking, Link's Loftwing tiled downward and zoomed diagonally in the sky, on a perfect path toward the Loftwing. Gravity helped him gain speed, and the duo rapidly approached the bird, passing Groose. I grinned to myself as I imagined his shocked expression. All thoughts of pretending to be impartial forgotten, I shouted, "Come on, Link! Almost there!"

He was close to the statue now. I eagerly watched as he got close, then slowly leaned forward, reaching out. His fingers brushed the statue, and–

From out of nowhere, Groose's Loftwing swooped in and rammed into Link's own bird, nearly knocking its rider off. I gasped along with my father and the instructor. As my friend struggled to climb back onto his Loftwing's back, the gold bird flew away, and the statue that had been so close moments ago with it. Link's precarious grip on victory had slipped, and, with the way Groose and his cronies were furiously flying toward the statue, I knew it would take a lot for him to get it back.

"Did you see that?" I fumed, spinning to face my father. "You saw that, right? Gods! That Groose, he's... he's... unbelievable! He should be kicked out of the academy for that! I mean, you saw it! That was completely unfair!"

"Calm down, Zelda," he said, but I sensed a hint of anger in his voice too. "That transgression will not go unchecked. He will be in quite a bit of trouble later."

"B-But..." I was so enraged by Groose, that I wanted something done. Now. About to accept the fact that there was nothing we could do at the moment, I turned back to the race, only to see a huge, round object being tossed from Cawlin's bird toward Link. "Oh my Goddess! They're throwing stuff at him now! Where did they get those? They must have brought it with them. Oh, Din... Groose probably planned this whole thing! That son of a–"

"Zelda!" my father said harshly.

I blinked, startled out of my rant by the sound of my name. Still infuriated but realizing what I'd been saying, I looked away, grumbling something that was half angry muttering, half apology. At first I looked up at the ceremony again, but when another one of those objects was tossed toward Link, I turned my gaze elsewhere to avoid the wave of anger accompanying the act.

"Don't worry, Zelda," Instructor Owlan soothed from his position on the other side of my father. I looked at him. It was better than staring off into space. "Those boys will be punished. Perhaps not kicked out of the academy... but they'll definitely have some explaining to do." There was a pause. Then a huge smile spread across his face. "Besides, I don't think you'll care too much after this. Look."

Hope rising in me, I looked back out at the sky. My face lit up.

Link was raising his hand triumphantly, and clutched tightly in his grip was the bird statue.

I let out a high-pitched squeal of joy and ran to the edge of Skyloft, following his Loftwing's path across the sky with my eyes.

"Father, can we go to the Statue of the Goddess right away and complete the ceremony?" I asked eagerly, anticipating the time I'd get to spend alone with Link.

He chuckled. "I guess so, Zelda. What are you planning on doing? Grabbing your Loftwing and flying down to him?"

I glanced down, noticing Link's bird approaching the cliff here. He'd be right beneath me in just a few seconds.

"Nope, I have a better idea," I told my father, grinning. Then, before he could stop me or even start to guess what I was planning, I leapt off the cliff, falling into the sky.

For a second, as I fell, I looked to my left, and my heart sank. Yes, Link was close... so close that I could see his expression of shock and alarm... but not close enough. He wouldn't make it in time...

But then Link put on an extra burst of speed, his bird's wings blurring, and the next thing I knew I'd landed roughly on its soft red feathers, Link's arms encircling me briefly to guide me into a sitting position in front of him.

I kept my head down for a second, the exhilaration of the fall still catching up to me, but then I quickly looked up at Link, who had saved me from that terrible fate. His worried, almost terrified face stared back at me, and I honestly resisted the urge to laugh. He was scared for me, genuinely panicked that I was hurt, and all I wanted to do was laugh at him. Something about his expression was just so funny to me.

Despite all my efforts, my face split into a wide grin and a small giggle escaped me. "It's alright, Link! I'm okay!"

He gave me a disbelieving look. "Zelda. You just fell the height of a two story building off of a cliff. You cannot just be 'okay'."

Finally my resolve crumbled and I couldn't help it anymore. I burst into laughter. Link's already shocked eyes widened even more, and he looked confused. "I'm sorry," I said between giggles, trying to mend his slightly hurt feelings. "You... I mean... you looked so scared, and you weren't even the one falling!"

He took on an air of indignation. "Well, I'm sorry for worrying about your life, then!"

"N-No, I didn't mean it like that. It's nice to know that you care about me," I said warmly. All of his annoyance faltered, and finally he returned my smile.

"Of course I care about you, Zel," he replied. "I'd never forgive myself if something happened to you and I would have been able to prevent it."

I felt a surge of affection for him, and I almost leaned forward, but I stopped myself just in time. I couldn't start acting romantic around him now.

"We should... go up to the Goddess Statue now," I said brightly, trying to distract myself from what I'd just been considering. "We can complete the ceremony there."

He tiled his head to the side, for a moment noticing my abrupt change in topic, but then he just beamed and said, "Okay. Let's go."

With my own blue Loftwing trailing protectively behind us, we made our way to the statue. Link's bird landed smoothly upon the upper reaches of the statue, which was rarely used by the Skyloftians. Link dismounted first, and then as I started to climb off, he offered his hand toward me with a small smile. I took it with grace that was surprisingly similar to that of a princess, or a goddess. Usually I wasn't that dignified. Once my feet were planted firmly on the ground, the Crimson Loftwing took off, circling in the air above the statue in case Link wanted to fly again soon. My own bird also adopted a circular flight pattern up there.

"Okay, Link, give me the statue you obtained in the ceremony," I said with the seriousness I was supposed to treat this ceremony with. Of course, the second I looked at him I couldn't maintain my majestic, celestial, refined impression of the Goddess. I grinned as he handed me the small statuette.

I turned around and dutifully positioned it in the small rectangular alcove so that its empty red eyes were gazing at us. For a short second, I bowed my head and mentally said a quick prayer to the Goddess, urging her to accept this offering. Then I reached into my Adventure Pouch and pulled out the Goddess's Harp. Adventure Pouches were extremely useful satchels that could shrink an item within it for easier transportation. My Adventure Pouch only had one pocket in it, unfortunately, so only my harp could fit within it.

Then I positioned the sacred instrument on my shoulder, and started to play.

In the quiet, secluded Statue of the Goddess, where no one besides Link and I stood, the broken chords sounded pure and divine and otherworldly in the undisturbed air. Maybe I was just imagining it, but there was almost a note of longing to this song, too. Something that had nothing to do with the way I was playing it.

Finally, the final chord of the Ballad of the Goddess faded, and I turned to face him, holding out my hand. Having gone over the procedure earlier, Link recognized what to do and knelt on one knee, bowing in the traditional style and holding my hand. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and murmured, "Great Goddess, guiding light and protector of our people, grant us your blessing and mercy as I act in your stead in the ceremony."

Then, the ancient words of the Goddess, passed down over generations, sprang to my lips with an ease that only came from the hours I'd spent memorizing them.

"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."

It was time to present the Sailcloth to the victor. I'd almost forgotten it was tied around my shoulders today. Now I reached behind my back, untying the loose knot there, and pulling it off of my shoulders. I folded it neatly in my hands before holding it out toward Link, who was now looking up at me curiously.

"The blessings of the Goddess drift down from the heavens aloft a sail, which I now present to you," I recited. Then, smiling at my friend, I offered the sailcloth to him.

He took it with a grin on his face. "Why, thank you, Goddess."

I giggled. "Come on, Link. This is supposed to be a sacred ceremony..." I quickly masked my amusement with the same seriousness I'd been reciting the words of the Goddess with. "Now it is time to perform the final part of the ceremony and complete the ritual."

Confusion flickered through his eyes. "What do you mean?"

I smirked at him. None of the participants had been informed of this final part of the ceremony. It was kind of a last minute thing my father had thought of, to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the ceremony.

I slowly approached him, getting as close as I dared, our faces inches apart. I stared into his pure blue eyes for a moment longer, seeing the bewilderment held there. For a second I wondered if I could break protocol, and for once let our lips touch.

But instead, I grabbed his shoulders and then spun him around. "You have to jump off the statue!" I said brightly, knowing that he wouldn't be a huge fan of this new addition to the ceremony.

Just as I expected, he began to protest. "What? Why? I don't want to fall!"

"Don't worry about it," I assured him. "It's just so that you can try out the new Sailcloth. Just pull it out at the last second before you land, and you'll be perfectly safe."

"But what if I don't pull it out in time?"

Fear flashed through my eyes for a second – that had been exactly what I'd worried about. But then I shrugged it off. "Just make sure you do."

He stubbornly took a step back. "No. I won't jump off."

"Oh, you won't have to," I responded wryly. "I'll just push you off if you won't go."

His eyes widened in horror. "No, please, Zel, don't–"

I gave him a light shove, and with a shout of alarm, he waved his arms around, trying to catch his balance, but inevitably he fell. Vaguely I thought about how this was the second time today I'd pushed him off a cliff. Hopefully this time it wouldn't turn out as bad as the last.

"Get the Sailcloth out, Link!" I ordered.

Just before he hit the ground, he fumbled with the cloth and managed to hold it above his head like a parachute. His landing was slow and gentle. I let out a breath of air I hadn't realized I was holding. He'd made it down safely!

I mentally called for my Loftwing, and he took me down to the bottom of the statue on his back. Link's bird followed soon after.

I slid off the bird's back and clapped my hands joyfully. "Great job, Link! You looked like you'd used that thing your whole life. You made it safe and sound. ...I mean, that is... you... you're not hurt, right?"

He grinned. "Of course not. I'm fine." He frowned. "Just don't push me off anymore high places, okay?"

"Not ever?" I said with feigned disappointment.

His chuckled. "Well, at least give it a day or two, got it?"

I smiled. "Got it."

I looked into his eyes. He stared into mine. Something unspoken passed between us, something deep and intimate. Something that I desperately hoped meant we were more than friends. He meant so much to me... but did he feel the same way...?

In that split second, I made my decision. I couldn't keep hiding from my emotions like this. I couldn't keep hiding this from Link. From my best friend. It was unfair to him, and it was burdening me with anxiety. It was time.

"So, um... Link..." I said cautiously, nervousness starting to seep into my voice. "I was wondering... you know... with the weather being so nice and all... and... the ceremony's over..." I paused to inhale a shuddering breath. "Did you... want to go flying around the clouds with me for a bit?"

He stopped, staring at me with his observant blue eyes. For a moment I wondered if he would refuse. Maybe he'd suspected my feelings, and he didn't return them. Maybe this was just a stupid idea anyway. I was just about to rescind the offer when he smiled softly. "I'd love to, Zel."

Incredible relief flooded into me. I still had a chance.

"Alright," I said, giddy with a strange mixture of apprehension and excitement. "Let's go."

xXx

A few minutes later we were gliding just a little farther away from Skyloft. Besides us, no one except the occasional Skyloftian knight far in the distance was flying right now. We were all alone, exactly how I'd wanted.

Emotions warred inside of me. Should I tell him? Should I not? I treasured his friendship more than anything in world. If he didn't feel the same way as me, this might destroy it. I wouldn't be able to stand that... how would I live if Link wasn't my friend...? We'd been through so much together. We did everything together. It was almost as though our friendship had been forged by destiny, forever fated to be together. But... maybe that fate didn't include romance. Maybe just companionship.

No. I had to do this. I had to let out my emotions somehow, and this seemed to be the best way. The only other option was crying myself dry in my room, buried in the pillows and blankets of my bed, and for some odd reason that resolution wasn't particularly appealing to me. Besides, if things went wrong here, that fate may still be awaiting me tonight...

I sighed – something I'd noticed I'd been doing a lot lately – and gathered my courage. It was time to do this.

"Hey, Link?" I called over the gentle roar of the wind. He gazed back at me. Rather than feeling comfort from those warm blue eyes as I usually did, they only felt judging. Nervous, I chose my words carefully. "I-I... I was just thinking about the ceremony. Thank you so much for winning and fulfilling you promise. I'm glad I got to perform the ritual with you."

He smiled at me and nodded. "I'm happy too, Zelda. And I have to thank you as well. If it weren't for your determination and insistence that I practice, I probably wouldn't have been the champion today."

That's probably true, I mused wryly. You never would work hard without me pressuring you.

"Anyway, so, I was wondering..." I paused, collecting my thoughts. "I wanted to ask you..."

"Zelda! It is time!"

My speech was cut off by the mysterious voice in my head. Again.

However, before I could get angry or even fully register what I'd just been told, a loud, ominous sound echoed around us. With almost identical gasps of surprise, Link and I snapped our heads to look straight ahead at the gathering chaos.

"What... What is that? What's going on?" I cried.

High winds started picking up around us as a collosal black mass of swirling clouds formed out of seemingly nowhere. Our Loftwings reared back, flapping wildly to get away from the evil-looking tornado. Buffeted on all sides by winds flying at speeds I'd never witnessed before, I hustled to pull my Loftwing back. Link's powerful crimson bird only took a few flaps before it righted itself and began backing away, but my Loftwing struggled against the wind. I felt his exertion, his exhaustion. The poor creature was trying as hard as he could, fiercely determined to protect himself and me, but I knew the truth. Panic rose in me with this stunning revelation. My Loftwing couldn't make it.

At an agonizingly slow speed, we started descending closer and closer to the black tornado. My Loftwing put up a valiant fight, but he was losing the battle. And he knew that, too. But he wouldn't give up. Pride surfaced for a brief moment among my motley of emotions, but it was quickly buried by the others there. Despair. Fear. Disconcertion. Hopelessness.

And then a particularly strong gust of wind struck by, and my Loftwing finally caved in, its form going limp as I was knocked off of its back.

A scream tore from my throat and I felt like I was in some awful nightmare as my body fell, helplessly heading for the clouds, rather than actually experiencing the event for myself. I gazed up, spotting my friend's horrified face looking back down at me. I screamed out to him, the only familiar thing in this raging world of wind and darkness. "LINK!"

I saw him angle his Loftwing down toward me, but that was the last image I caught of him. After that, I was plunged into the clouds, into the blackness, and at last, unconsciousness claimed me.