Authors Note:
Feeling iffy on this one...please review! :)
(in case you guys haven't noticed, I've taken some liberties with this story. So, I have made Skyloft a lot bigger world than the game let on. I mean, logically speaking Skyloft has got to be at least a few centuries old, so there's must be a population of at least a couple thousand people)
The two ambled down the main path from the park, Link's favorite "quiet place" where Zelda had "attacked" him. It was a gorgeous day. The sun's warm rays kissed their skin pleasantly without wrath or fear of burn, and a light, cool breeze carried summer's flowery, sweet air with it. The waterfall, visible from the small hill they walked down, glistened like a jewel sky, and the clear, sparkling pool it fed rippled and drank in this summer's gentle heat. Small children, shameless and free, played and splashed in the welcoming refreshment, naked. Their joyful squeals and cooing laughter drifted over the water like a dove, unbound and ambient. A few young girls played with wooden sticks near the surface, making soft clicking sounds with each hit, while a group of teenagers, a little older than either Link or Zelda, played frisbee on the field. It looked pretty competitive from what the two friends observed. A small group of women and a couple men washed their clothes at the bridge, making gossip and discussing the upcoming festivities.
Link and Zelda chatted about their homework, what classes they planned taking next year, if the cafeteria would be full, and Zelda told him to be sure to get some practice in for his "big day" tomorrow.
Link listened in silence. Zelda knew him well enough to know not to be offended by this, as it was Link's nature to "zip up" under pressure. Not to mention, he had a nasty tendency to slack off and procrastinate. Something he made quite the profession of.
"Link. Heelllooo!" She waved her hand in front of his face and earned a sharp glare. Goddess, he could look pissed when he wanted to. Damn those blue eyes of his... Zelda backpedaled. "Look Link, I know you you haven't practiced at all this week. I know you," she said placidly, forgiving his pissyness just this once (any other day she would have throttled him for that), "but you have got to put in at least some effort into this. When was the last time you practiced?"
Link said nothing and shrugged. Zelda resisted the urge to roll her eyes and knock him off the ledge for real this time.
"Link, you are the one who wanted to be a knight. You are the one who knew that knighthood is the most competitive course in the entire academy, but you signed up anyway. Why?" Zelda looked for his eyes, but eventually had to give up. "Because you are freaking boss with a sword and the best underage flyer this island has seen in years. I know you're scared, but -"
"I'm not scared." Link interjected. Zelda raised her brow unappreciatively.
"Uh-huh. So your going to stand there and tell me you're not the least bit intimidated by the fact you're going up against a hundred and fifty of the best and brightest young men and women the islands have to offer? Whom, might I add, actually worked their tails off, most of them training twice as much these past weeks than you have in your entire life."
Link remained stone-faced. Ugh! She honestly couldn't believe him. Link had had this dream for years...ever since his parents had died. Couldn't he see that if he didn't get his gear together he'd have to give all that up? That he'd have to forget all he'd ever wanted in life? Oh, Link. You idiot.
Why couldn't he get it through his thick skull that he needed to practice?
"Fine. I'll drop it," Said Zelda, pinching the bridge of her nose. Then stopping, she turned around and gave a light, yet threatening couple of taps on his chest, "but we're practicing after lunch, 'kay?" Link sighed heavily, and Zelda added in a low, mischeivious voice, "Somewhere around The Thunderhead, perhaps? It's come back, you know." Link raised his eyebrows and Zelda continued, turning around and walking up the path a little farther in an odd, playful sort of way, "Tornadoes, downdrafts, maybe even a stray skytail..."
Link couldn't help it; he smirked.
She always knew how to cheer him up.
"Danger at every turn?" He added. She smiled.
"But of course, my love." The girl said with an extravagant, deep bow and such a ridiculous, stately expression that it made him laugh.
Soon they had reached the second floor entrance, and Zelda, having worked up a ravenous appetite that outmatched Link's own, grabbed his arm and essentially dragged him inside.
She raced down the halls, naturally pulling him along with her, and passed her room, all the professors', the headmaster's office, shot down the stairs and through the first floor. Signs posted along the walls screamed with giant red lettering: "NO RUNNING", and another that sent a real jolt through his body: WING CEREMONY TOMORROW!
Once they stormed the cafeteria entrance Link almost groaned, and it had nothing to do with the fact that all the seats were full and the line was two miles long. Groose and his gang had already grabbed a table all to themselves, right next to the entrance. The giant, red-haired boy looked up at them and his mouth dropped in shock, looking as if he'd just taken a smack to the face.
What? Link thought, completely taken aback by Groose's reaction. I mean, they never had gotten along at the best of times, but sheesh! All he did was walk in the room. It had to be something else...
Link then noticed a very warm, soft touch of skin in his right hand and realized that Zelda and he were holding hands. His face reddening considerably and Link immediately dropped his grip.
Oh Goddess, if anyone saw that... Link looked around the cavernous room self consciously and thanked the sweet goddess above that no one had seemed to notice. Man, if Pipit had seen that he would have NEVER heard the end of it.
Zelda however, had watched Groose with growing confusion and alarm as the great oaf's face reddened and became practically livid.
What's Groose's problem this time? Zelda thought coldly. Am I "too close" to Link again? The girl smirked to herself and turned away. Nah, someone must have just made fun of that slab of red pudding he calls hair.
Ugh, if that creep tried to beat up Link one more time she was going to kill him. Why couldn't he get it into his stupid, piggy head that that she hated him?
Zelda narrowed her eyes slightly. Just forget about him.
Zelda then looked up at Link to ask if he'd seen Groose's face, but to her surprise she found the sandyhaired teen's redder than a hot tomatoe.
"Liiink, are you okaaay?" asked Zelda teasingly. The boy looked back down at her with a jolt and grinned sheepishly.
"Yah, I'm fine," he said, shrugging off his embarrassment. It didn't seem that anyone had noticed besides himself.
"Come on, let's find a place to sit down." She grabbed his hand again (returning the blush to his cheeks tenfold) -
That's it. Pipit's going to see and I'm dead.
-and dragged him to the very last, available seats in the overly crowded cafeteria. As a testament to his luck it was the small couples' table in the corner next to the window. Link's face turned a deep, cherry red.
Well, Link thought, at least it's away from Groose. He snuck a glance over his shoulder to find Groose's golden eyes locked on him like a hawk. Link started and looked quickly away. 'What the hell was his problem?"
"I'll go and get you some lunch, 'kay," Zelda chirped, getting up and walking over to Mrs. Tolsen, the elderly cafeteria lady, over by the kitchen. Zelda went inside after the hobbling old woman, but Link hardly noticed; rather preoccupied at the moment.
He'd pretty much pieced together exactly what Groose was thinking, and boy, did he dread the moment of confrontation. The coward would probably pull some shitty stunt like that one a couple of months ago. Link rubbed his shoulder subconsciously. That was one of the worst, for sure. Groose and his gang had caught him alone, exploring one of the southern islands with the twenty foot drop on one side. ...Thank goddess he had walked away with only a dislocated shoulder and some bruises.
...Groose would never kill him...would he?
A loud clang of plates meeting wood made him jump, and broke his train of thought. He didn't have to ask who it was.
"Grace," he mumbled, not looking up.
"That's "Your Grace", to you mister, now look up will yah?" He did so slowly and to his surprise: a bowl of hot pumpkin soup, some fruit, and a warm biscuit greeted him. He looked up at Zelda in surprise.
"Well?" She asked. "You missed breakfast again, and considering it's the most important meal of the day, I made it my duty to fulfill you of a vital, nutritious meal." Zelda beamed at him proudly."Eat up!"
"Aw man, how did you manage this, Zel?" He asked, looking ravenously at all the food.
"Easy," she said simply, plopping down in her seat, "being daughter of the headmaster has its perks, you know."
He looked at her pleased, haughty expression and grinned. "You mean you took advantage of your father's authority to coax this out of that poor old woman?"
His friend scoffed at the very notion of this idea. "As if I would ever," She huffed.
Link smiled and took a mouthful of some of that warm, buttery biscuit. "Thanks, Zel."
Through a loftwing-sized bite of sandwich she replied,"No...prob." Link chuckled at her manners (or lack there of), and grabbed for his spoon so he could dig into that steaming hot bowl of pumpkin soup. Except there was none. He checked the table and Zelda's tray, but she hadn't brought any.
"Er... Zelda?" he asked. "You forgot the silverware."
She raised her brow and without a word, pointed at the silverware drawers across the cafeteria, all the way back where the old kitchen had been, and near the entrance. He grinned sheepishly, pushed his chair back and left to go get it, only a little put off by the distance. He didn't dare complain after a favor like this.
Link passed the senior's table and waved at Pipit, a handsome-looking young adult with mouse-brown hair, large black eyes, and freckled skin head to toe. Pipit looked up from his conversation with his peers, and seeing Link, smiled and waved back. (Link noticed the senior wasn't grinning madly, so his older friend must not have noticed where he and Zelda were sitting, or had seen them...holding hands — not that...that he didn't — but...you know...friends...)
Besides, Link liked being a free man, and he couldn't deny that the red-haired chick sitting next to Pipit had the prettiest smile he'd ever seen (Not a bad rack either, he might add). She was a knight too, judging by her sporting garb, so bonus there. Maybe he could get Pipit to ask...
"Hey man, you ready for your big day?" The senior called over the sea of other Canary-Caps (a less than endearing nickname given the knight's senior year in light of their violent yellow garb).
Link shrugged. "Ready as I'll ever be!" he called back. Pipit gave him a double thumbs up, and Link smiled back, taking leave before Pipit could begin one of his infamous "best of class lectures". Link grinned to himself as he overheard Pipit begin anyway on behalf of his peers, just how to perform the Tornado Spiral on one's loftwing, and how so very disappointing it was the move couldn't be used in the Ceremony — but for obvious reasons, of course, of course!
Link passed between the professor's and junior's table, then the sophomore's and freshman's without pause, until finally he'd reached the cabinent back where he started: near the the entrance.
Link pulled out the drawer, picked up what he needed, and was ready to get back to that less-than-hot meal waiting for him. Only to turn around and knock smack into Groose's towering bulk.
Crap.