The Start of an Unavoidable Fate
By: Wydrin Williams 178

Chapter 2: Lavender Feathers

"Hey! Good morning, Link." She was clutching a golden instrument in her arms, an instrument that Link couldn't put his finger on what it was called; it was beautiful nonetheless.

"Morning, Zelda." Link replied, approaching her.

"I'm glad to see my Loftwing got you out of bed." She giggled slightly. Link's hazy memory reminded him that the purple bird that had woken him harshly was indeed Zelda's Loftwing; he felt a little guilty for wishing to throw a book at it.

She cocked her head and continued in a slightly irritated tone. "I was pretty sure you'd sleep in and forget to meet me this morning." She frowned slightly as Link pouted. She tried to stay irritated with him, but simply couldn't with him giving her puppy-dog eyes. She could never stay angry with him.

Link was used to her sudden outbursts of aggro, and he responded to them in a teasing manner. He knew full well that in doing this, he was only aggravating her further, but he couldn't help it with the chance he might see her face scrunched up in a completely defeated expression; he found this adorable.

Zelda completely abandoned her feeling of provocation and instead excitedly showed Link her outfit.

"Anyway, look at this instrument! And look at this outfit! They're mine to use today in the ceremony, since I'll be playing the role of the goddess." She spun in a circle, and once again faced him, her blond hair draped over her right shoulder.

Link obliged. He took in the pink dress adorned with a golden sash and white shawl. On further examination, he saw that the dress she wore bore the sigel of the Triforce, a sacred piece of history that no-one had layed eyes on in centuries. He didn't know much about it, but he knew that such a thing was not to be taken lightly. He decided that Zelda wearing the sigel was a marvellous sight indeed; she truly looked like the Goddess Hylia. After a few minutes, he found his eyes began to wonder, he found himself looking into her azure eyes, flecked with all shades of blue.

Zelda, who was completely obvious to Links admiring gaze, continued with her speech of approval. "Aren't they beautiful? Especially this instrument! They tell me it's just like the one the Goddess was said to have in the legends. It sounds gorgeous too." She punctuated this point by strumming all of the string. A ringing, sonorous sound filled Links ears and he found himself entranced by the strange instrument.

"I asked Father about it, and he says it's called a harp. And look of these clothes! I made this shawl myself, and we get to use it in today's ceremony!" Link realized she was referring to the event that takes place after the initial ceremony. The woman impersonating the Goddess and the victor of the race would stand atop and statue of the Goddess and they would preform the ritual declaring passage into knighthood.

"Between the harp and this outfit, I'm going to make a great goddess today!"

"You look beautiful... I could never imagine a more beautiful Goddess..." Link blushed slightly as his sudden outburst. As did Zelda.

"I got you up early this morning because I wanted you to be the first to see me like this, Link..." Zelda blushed an even darker shade of red and twined her hands together nervously as she spoke her mind and thoughts. This exchange was followed by a silence that neither wanted to interrupt. Link was about to break the silence, to give her the present he had prepared for her, when he was cut off by a deep, rich voice from behind him.

"Ah, there you are, Zelda. Are you all prepared for todays ceremony?" Link turned and saw none other than Gaepora towering over him.

"Oh, hello, father." Zelda said. Link noticed that she was trying her best to appear non-frazzled. Link didn't blame her.

"Hello, headmaster." Link said respectfully.

Gaepora laughed, it was a rich, rumbling type of sound. "Now, Link, I've already said, there's no need to call me Headmaster, you are as much a son as Zelda is my daughter." Link nodded in understandment.

Gaepora was a heavy-built man, with white hair growing in such a way it made him look like an owl. He was wearing a ornate orange robe and a brown sash, complete with a red scarf draped over both shoulders, the ends reaching for the floor.

"And look at you, awake at such an early hour. It's so encouraging to see that you're eager to participate in the race." Link smiled bashfully and Zelda rolled her eyes. "And, seeing your capacity of sleep, I bet you were just too excited to close your eyes for a change." Gaepora chuckled heartily.

"Yeah, Zelda asked me to meet her here this morning." Link chipped in, not knowing anything else to say.

Gaepora smiled knowingly at his daughter, knowing she wold have tried to get some extra practise in for him, or to badger him about her new clothes; he knew her all too well.

"Well, Link, You had best fly your best today, it would be such a shame if you weren't appointed Knight after all this time."

Zelda began to frown slightly. "Yes, about that, father." She pouted at the Headmaster, her eyes beginning to water with sadness. "I don't think Link has what it takes to win!"

Link flailed slightly. He was hurt at Zelda's lack of faith in him.

"You see, Link hasn't been practising much lately, and when he is riding his Loftwing, He's only aimlessly gliding about, probably daydreaming!" She clutched the golden harp in her arms tightly, trying to prevent herself from crying in front of Link.

Gaepora looked pointedly at Link, who stared at the ground in shame. "Yes, I have realized that myself, but you needn't worry, my dear. Link has what it takes, I'm certain of it. However, you may have a solid point." Gaepora gave Link a stern look as he continued. "The Wing Ceremony tests the skill of the rider as well as his bond to his bird. Victory will not come easily." Gaepora's cold expression softened. "But you remember the special connection Link and his Loftwing created at the Bonding ceremony, do you not?"

Gaepora looked to the sky, at the Loftwings gliding aimlessly through the beige clouds. "As you know, each of us in Skyloft is but one of a pair. It is the Loftwings that make us whole, the guardian birds that the Goddess Hylia bestows upon each of us as a symbol of her divine protection." He looked back at Zelda, who's previous breakdown was almost completely gone. "When we are young, every one of us meets our Loftwings under the great Statue of the Goddess. It's quite a big moment, as I'm sure you recall."

Zelda nodded her head slowly. She remembered the Bonding Ceremony as if it were yesterday. That was where she had met her Loftwing for the first time, and since had formed a strong connection with the lavender coloured bird. She remembered reaching to touch the bird's soft down of feathers without instruction and she remembered the bird leaning into her touch.

Gaepora looked towards Link, who was listening to the conversation intently. "But that first meeting between Link and his Loftwing... That was quite a sight to see. The bird that came to him was a Crimson Loftwing, a breed that had been so rarely seen, we were sure it had vanished from the line."

Link recalled being taught about the different breeds of Loftwings when he was very young. His father had shown him all of the breeds and described each of their special attributes. The birds that were purple in colour were dead set in looking their best, and were very self-conscious animals. The yellow ones were prized in their strength on carrying mass loads and their ability to fight like warrior birds. And finally, the red ones were prized in their bravery, their determination to protect their rider no matter the cost. That was the reason the majority were non-existent. They had been too head-strong and had got themselves in situations they just couldn't wiggle their way out of.

"That connection Link and his Loftwing shared was a marvellous thing, and judging from your jealousy, that bond wasn't left unnoticed my you, my dear." Gaepora teased his daughter, who turned around abruptly in irritation.

"Father! I wasn't jealous!" her face had turned a bright red.

Gaepora chuckled at his daughters outburst and layed a large hand on her shoulder. "No need to fret, dear, I was just teasing you."

While Zelda and her father were bickering, Link had wondered off to the middle of the courtyard. He looked to the sky and closed his eyes, calling mentally for his Loftwing. Something, however, felt off. While normally, when Link called for his Loftwing, he felt a sumptuously warm feeling in the pit of his stomach, much like sinking into a warm bath. This feeling was absent. Link opened his eyes in alarm and was about to bring it to light when Zelda suddenly came rushing towards him and grabbed him arm, dragging him to the diving platform situated to the right of the Statue of the Goddess.

"Listen, Link!" she said excitedly. "You'd better fly your heart out today. At the very least, you need to squeeze in a little practise time before the race!"

"Zelda, no!" Link tried to shrug her off, but for a slight girl, Zelda was surprisingly strong, and kept her hand clamped onto his shirt.

They came to the diving platform, and Zelda pushed Link slightly so he was on the edge of the wooden platform, when he looked down, he could see the cloud barrier below and for the first time in his life (Concerning calling his Loftwing) he was afraid.

"Here we are. Go on now. Jump off the edge and call your Loftwing. It's almost time for the ceremony, so try to practice seriously for once!" Link was turning side to side, trying to capture her attention, but she just kept chattering, exclaiming that this was his last chance to practice.

"Zelda!" Link finally yelled, turning fully around and grabbing Zelda's shoulders. "Listen! I can't sense my Loftwing anywhere. I think something's wrong with him! Please, Zelda, just stop!"

Zelda frowned, and then grinned maliciously. "Hmm? Oh yeah? You can't 'sense' your bird out there?" Link nodded vigorously. Zelda shrugged Link's hands from her shoulders, and put a finger to her lip in a thinking stance. "Oh, I get it. You're trying to weasel out of having to practise! Nice try, but you're not fooling me!"

With that, she pushed Link from the Diving Platform yelled "Off you go!" as she did so.

Link, terrified out of his mind, tried his best to breath, to calm himself. His mind raced as he went through all the possible outcomes of this situation. As a final resort, Link put two fingers to his mouth and whistled, calling his Loftwing. He had no doubt in his mind that nothing would happen, but at least this would show Zelda that he hadn't been lying.

As he drew closer and closer to the cloud barrier, he began to prepare for the ultimate, sticky outcome; death. The wind was whistling past him, causing his hair to blow about his head manically. This is it, he thought, one silly mistake and it's over... well done, Zelda. Though, truthfully, he didn't think of it as her fault. He should have been more vigorous, should have told her more forcefully that he couldn't sense his bird.

Link closed his eyes, and waited. Suddenly, the feeling of claws grappled his shirt and he opened his eyes, startled to see the underside of a purple Loftwing delivering him to the safety of the courtyard. Link sighed in relief.

A few moments later, Link and the Loftwing came crashing to the ground. Link lost consciousness...

"Link! Link, wake up!" Link opened his eyes to see Zelda lightly slapping his face, urging him to wake. He sat up and rubbed the back of his head. After taking in his surroundings, everything came rushing back to him, and, from what he could see and deduct, Zelda had been the one to save him. He inwardly thanked her.

"Are you two alright?" Gaepora approached both of them with concern, eyebrows drawn, as if trying to figure out why everything had happened as it had.

Link nodded, as did Zelda, who approached her Loftwing and tenderly patted it's neck. "I'm sorry, friend." She cooed. "I didn't mean to push you so hard. You didn't sprain your wing, did you?"

Gaepora looked to the sky suspiciously. "What on earth could have happened to your Loftwing, Link?" he said. Link shrugged, clearly in a state of defeat. "For a bird to ignore the call of his master... It's unheard of..." he said, more to himself than anyone else.

Link rose to his feet. "I can't sense him, Sir, I just have a feeling of... emptiness whenever I call for him." Link began to worry; what had happened to his bird?

Zelda's Father began to swirl his moustache. "This is quite a problem, seeing as the ceremony is due in a matter of minutes..."

"Link..." Link turned to see Zelda facing him, her face tracked with tears. "W-when you said you couldn't sense your bird... I-I should have listened... I'm sorry!"

Suddenly, as if on cue, the bell on top of the Knight Academy began to clang. The trio all looked towards it in horror.

"Link!" Gaepora stated worriedly. "If I remember correctly, Professor Horwell is presiding over the ceremony this year, if you go to him, than I'm sure he could postpone the ceremony for a little while longer. In that time window, you can search for your Loftwing."

"But, father." Zelda chipped in. "You're the Headmaster. If Link was to tell Professor Horwell, he'll just come to you."

Gaepora smiled at his daughters logic. "Ah, of course, as always, my dear, you make an excellent point. In that case, I'll talk to Horwell and you get set on finding your bird."

Link nodded in determination. "Thank you sir." He turned to Zelda, and to her surprise, lightly grabbed her in a hug. "Don't worry, Zelda," he whispered into her ear. "I'll fine my bird, okay?" Zelda nodded in his embrace.

Link released her and ran for Skyloft Square.

Zelda blushed pink as she could still feel the warmth of Links hug. She looked to her father, who smiled knowingly. This only resulted in a scowl from his daughter.

Zelda looked to the direction Link ran and she prayed to the Goddess that he would find his Loftwing in time... Good luck, she thought.

A/N: Hi Guys! Sorry for the short-ish chapter. I hope you lived it, however. I'll try to make the next chapter longer, I promise! Please review on ways I could improve or simple to just tell me what you think. Love you all!