Pipit was, as I'd been told, a recently graduated knight. The green I'd seen on Link was identical on Pipit, except he bore yellow instead, something of a tradition at the Knight Academy. The colours changed every year, unless no one graduated – in which case they waited. Link had green because this years colour was green, and Pipit had gone through just before it had changed.

He'd been persuaded not just to let me have the room at the Academy and to teach me to handle a sword, but also to act as the interim guard of the Master Emerald until other arrangements were made. Several spare Rescue Knights had already joined in a patrol around and above it, just in case, but technically there wasn't any arrangement yet.

I kinda imagine I was a very trying student for poor Pipit. I still maintained that I had no need for a sword, I'd always been able to fall back on a few, well placed, powerful blows to handle anything I needed, and that I believed that wasn't likely to change all that soon.

"And what are you going to do if you come up against another swordsman?" he had demanded in a flare of temper. "Try and disarm them while they cut you up into Echidna steak? You can't punch your way out of everything, Knuckles!"

"I can damn well try!" I'd retorted – my usual hot-headed self, and with the inevitable response that we ended up fighting. Naturally, it was a fight that made his case only too clear – he was a skilled swordsman, only giving as much as he needed to ensure he didn't actually hurt me. And me? I didn't land a single blow on him, no matter how hard I tried.

I had to concede he had a fair enough point, but that didn't mean I gave up on my position. I cheated outrageously in the beginning – I used what I'd learned up until then to manoeuvre him into a position I could fall back on my usual tactics, which he'd always take me to task for. It was only Zelda's presence keeping an eye on us that stopped us from ever actually doing any serious harm, but there were a few... accidents. And they were usually my fault.

After the first few days I can only assume Link had made arrangements because several other Knights, each in a riot of conflicting tunics, took up vigil over the Master Emerald, and Pipit took my training to the academy itself, where I could beat up training dummies all I wanted without endangering him all the time. I went through quite a few of those just trying to vent to the point I wasn't going to turn on him.

I'll give him credit though. I may have been trial a for him, but his blunt, sometimes harsh, no-nonsense approach to teaching the sword did wonders. By the end of the third week there I could hold my own against him without the need to resort to my fists.

Anyone else would have grown impatient with this delay before whatever I had to do, but sitting up guarding that giant gemstone for ages on end gave me plenty of patience, and the mystery voice – now known to be Fate, of course – was evidently ensuring Link stayed on task. While I had my doubts about him personally, I trusted him to do his job.

Naturally, since even Pipit couldn't put up with me for whole days, this left me with time to spare. I explored Skyloft, helped out shifting things around – particularly for Fledge, another Knight apprentice who lacked physical strength yet somehow always seemed to be lumped with heavy lifting. Rather disturbingly – at least to me – I often got the impression he looked up to me, despite the fact that I wasn't even another human being.

I also ran into three other Knight apprentices that were not so friendly – Groose and his two lackeys, Cawlin and Stritch. Like any school, there were bullies, and these three were Skyloft's. Groose was a tall boy who had a tendency to obsess over his hair, absolutely hating anything to mess it up. He was proud, stubborn and resented me not just because I had Pipit teaching me the sword instead of one of the Instructors, but also because I quickly outstripped him. The fact that I wasn't human only made him worse.

Cawlin was smart, perhaps more so than Groose himself. He never really showed much emotion, but he was quick to suggest exploiting an opportunity – especially if it suited him. Groose often treated him as a source of advice, or for second opinions – though Cawlin wasn't afraid to suggest things he knew Groose wouldn't like to hear, I often noticed.

Then there was Stritch – the quiet one and the follower. I suspect the only real reason he was with them was because he knew if he wasn't, he'd be picked on himself. He said little, didn't really do much and just went along with what the others did.

Before I'd come along, the trio had bullied Fledge mercilessly, and Fledge, too afraid to do otherwise, never said anything about it. After I walked in on them about to bully him again and stood up for Fledge, their attentions had been focused more on me than Fledge, to his relief.

I largely ignored them though – being called a monster wasn't unexpected, though it was a test of my patience whenever they started spouting nonsense about eating humans, and I very quickly grew tired of hearing them accuse me of just about everything that happened on Skyloft. They never got physical though – not after the first time.

In one of the earlier weeks there, I still regularly checked up on the Master Emerald, particularly at night. Not that I didn't trust the locals yet, but it just didn't feel right not keeping an eye on it. On one of my late-night visits I found that somehow, Groose and Cawlin had managed to sneak past the guards on to Angel Island without being noticed, and were up at the Master Emerald.

I know that island very well. I know where to go without being noticed myself by someone else there, so I knew they didn't notice me come up to join them, leaning on a pillar nearby while they considered the Emerald.

"Could be heavy," Cawlin said. "Tip it over and roll it."

"And let it fall off? You must be kidding," Groose told him. "Don't even see what he needs it for. It's just a big gem."

"It's also what keeps the power of the seven Chaos Emeralds in check," I told them, startling them. "And it's my responsibility to keep anything from happening to it. Which means keeping it out of your hands," I said pointedly.

"Oh yeah? And what're you gonna do about it, monster boy?" Groose asked snidely. "Eat us?"

"I'm getting kinda tired of that. How 'bout I show you what I usually do?"

"What's that? Run and hide?"

I didn't give him any warning, or any indication of what I was doing. I just swung one fist out and hit him, backhand, full in the chest and sent him tumbling down the main steps. Which naturally hurt a lot, and got the attention of the guards waiting there.

"Want some?" I threatened Cawlin, raising my other fist. He quickly remembered somewhere else to be, scrambling down the side of the shrine's remains and leaping off the island. His Loftwing caught him, and then two Rescue Knights followed suit – flying at night isn't allowed without special training, after all.

I didn't see Groose for a few days after that little incident, though I gather that was largely because he was recovering from a few injuries he picked up in the night. I didn't have to explain anything – partly because of the guards, but also because Cawlin, interestingly, went ahead and told Gaepora what they were doing. He understood I'd just been protecting the Master Emerald and let it slip – which naturally offended Groose even more. He never forgot that early lesson though.

Later on in my rather extended stay in Skyloft, Karane finally came to find me about Loftwings, though she waited until Pipit and I had finished up, and even while concentrating on what he was teaching me I spotted what I suspected for a long time he didn't – Karane's eyes never left him for a moment. Pipit on the other hand seemed to be completely oblivious, and not just because of me.

She shook it off once we'd both sheathed our swords – that had taken me some time to get used to, I can tell you – joining us with another pause to glance at her secret crush, then focused and got back to me.

"Gaepora thinks it's about time you found your partner Loftwing. Pipit's the expert on them," she told me, with another glance to him. "But I've been asked to go along in case one doesn't show."

"It's always the way," Pipit explained, leading the way out of the academy. "The Loftwings aren't trained, you see. They're wild birds, free to roam the sky as they please. They recognise us though, and us Knights in particular. Most people, if they fall off, get caught by the Rescue Knights – you've seen that before, I'm sure."

"I've seen them, never had to see them retrieve someone – yet."

"Just hope you don't have to," Karane told me. "You should only need them yourself if you try to fly at night – Loftwings don't have very good night-vision. You need special training for that."

"And from what I gather, you don't have time for that," Pipit added. "That Link guy showed up a few days back, said once you get through the Wing Ceremony and become a Knight, that's when you'll really get started. And that's due to happen soon."

"I wonder what might happen if I didn't pass," I mused to myself.

"Link might forgive you, but Pipit would probably deafen you," Karane suggested with a sly look. "He'd hate for all that work to have gone to waste."

"I don't know about that," Pipit said. "I'd be a bit irritated, sure. But it's not like I can help it, it's all down to you."

"Nothing new there then. So what's involved in finding a Loftwing?"

"You jump off and see if one responds," Karane said off-handedly. I waited in case there was more.

"Seriously? That's it?"

"Pretty much. That's why I'm going along, you see? The Rescue Knights have already been told about this, so they'll leave you alone. But you need someone around to catch you if one doesn't respond. Sometimes it happens, and all you can do is wait a while and try again."

"Then we get to see if you're a natural born Loftwing rider or not," Pipit continued. "Don't worry if you aren't, your Loftwing shouldn't let you get into any risky situations at first, and Karane will be on hand to teach you if you need. Then you just come back up here and I'll tell you what you need to know. If you haven't figured it out already, that is. And of course I have to stay up here to witness it – it's the way of things."

"Just don't let me hit the ground," I told Karane, who looked puzzled.

"What ground?" she asked. Too late I remembered – these people thought the sky was all there was.

"Never mind," I covered quickly. Maybe we'd better just get on with this before I change my mind about throwing myself off."

"Don't tell me you're afraid," Pipit asked, amused. "She'll be there to catch you if one doesn't show. You don't have anything to worry about."

"Try telling that to my mind," I replied wryly.

I could only watch as Karane easily dived gracefully off an edge, falling for a time with outstretched arms until a pale blue Loftwing soared into a perfect position for her to land on its back, loop about and then hover, waiting in the air for me to follow suit – and hopefully also see a Loftwing of my own.

"I've almost got a mind to ask you to shove me off," I said to Pipit, stood on the edge. I'm not afraid of heights, and I'll fight anyone who says otherwise, but leaping off out into the sky when you know there's a painful landing below just isn't something any sensible person can do.

Me with my big mouth however – Pipit took me literally and really did shove me off. It took me a few moments to recover from that and glide, as I've always done, slowing my descent somewhat. That startled Karane, and I imagine Pipit too if I'd been able to see him, but it also looked as if the Loftwings weren't going to respond to that. After a bit of a mental struggle with myself, I reluctantly stopped and let myself fall instead.

I remember seeing Karane's Loftwing dive down to follow, and the clouds rushing up to meet me. I also remember hearing a clear call of a Loftwing, the heavy flap of wings, and a solid landing onto the back of a Loftwing that had appeared so suddenly to me, as crimson as I was, easily soaring the skies. It levelled off, having been diving itself to meet me, then glanced back to me questioningly.

I adjusted, making sure I had a firm hold that wouldn't hurt it, then looked up to the distant blue Loftwing of the waiting Karane and Skyloft further beyond.

"What do you say we race them back to Skyloft?" I suggested to my Loftwing. He let loose another cry, banked hard to turn and gain height rapidly. I leaned to one side once we straightened out, and he banked that way. I leaned back and he slowed, leaned forward to gain speed. He seemed to know whether I wanted to ascend or descend without any movement on my part. Natural rider? It seemed simple to me.

We overtook a startled looking Karane and shot past the edge Pipit had pushed me off, where he too looked no less surprised. Rather than try to land we continued on, flying over and around Skyloft, and it seemed attracting even more attention than when I'd first arrived. I wasn't paying too much attention though – gliding on my own power is one thing, but flying is a whole different experience entirely.