Chapter Four: Legend

Link had just turned sixteen. It was the eve of his sixteenth birthday, and he was excited. He had been training for a long time, preparing for his Knighthood, and he would soon get a chance to prove that he had what it took to be a Knight. He wanted to make his parents proud, and he would get that chance soon. But the Wing Ceremony was still a day away, and he'd have to get some more practice in before he could be ready.

Link had become a very handsome young man, and he excelled in physical exertion. His body was just made for flying, sword play, running, jumping, swimming, and just about anything else his teachers could come up with. It was no secret to everyone that Link was one of the most promising students in his class. If he became an upperclassmen tomorrow after the Wing Ceremony then he would get to finish the last of his lessons and graduate as a fully fledged Knight of Skyloft. It had its challenges, but Link was more than ready.

He was once again a happy and smiling young man, and many people attributed this to Zelda's constant friendship, and of course to that Crimson Terror of a Loftwing that he rode. They couldn't see how he could even approach that thing, being as fierce as it was. But no one could deny that he and Balaen had a special bond, and the two were very close. Link controlled that bird with ease, and no one really had any idea how he did it, but they weren't complaining about it.

Well, there were those that complained, but they didn't really bother Link that much. They were Groose and his gang. Link had friends though and pretty much ignored them. One at the Academy was timid Fledge. He always tried to do what was right, but he was kind of flighty. Then there was the upperclassmen Pipit who had been constantly encouraging Link and expecting great things out of him, while also helping out when he could. Both were older than him, but they were his best friends at the Academy, though no one could deny that Zelda and Link were closer than ever now.

As it was however, Link was still one to sleep in. He was awoken by a furious tapping at his window, which was little more than a board of wood that could be propped open to let the wind in. They didn't really get changes in weather around here, so glass in windows wasn't really all that needed, though it was used in some buildings. Link groaned and rolled over, trying to ignore the sound. However it was Balaen, who Link could sense grow impatient and a little agitated. He began knocking louder and screeching softly.

Link groaned and rolled over, glancing at the light that came in when Balaen hit it hard enough to shake the wood of the closed window. He could clearly see the light dancing off those brilliant Crimson feathers. He at last decided that it was useless trying to roll over and get to sleep again with Balaen insisting they go flying. He stood and began to get ready, with Balaen knocking on the window repeatedly the whole while. After he had gotten ready he sighed.

"Yeah yeah," he said. "I hear you. I'm coming. Just fly around the Skyloft and wait for me."

Balaen seemed satisfied that he was going to be up and around now and so he took off with a loud whoosh of wings from outside the window. Link sighed again, but turned and opened the door, heading out into the long hallway with a staircase leading up to the ground floor where he could exit. There was a door on both levels, but it had become habit to exit on the upper level where the goddess statue was. He wasn't sure why, but for the past few months he had been drawn to it more and more. He began going up the stairs, confirming once again that he was the last one up.

At the top of the stairs he was greeted by Fledge, who was about Link's height with short brown hair, pale skin, rather rosy cheeks and brown eyes. He smiled at Link and waved him over. Link gave him a smile back and walked over to join him. Though Fledge was older, he had never quite graduated to Upperclassmen. He was too flighty to fly in the Wing Ceremony, or really much at all. His bird was kind of small.

"Finally up?" Fledge asked. "Balaen's been circling for hours."

"I noticed," Link groaned. "He knocked on the window until I finally got up and told him to go wait for me."

"Going to get some practice today huh?" another voice asked.

Both boys turned to see a third walking up to him. This one was tall and well built, with short dark brown hair and even darker brown eyes. This was Pipit, who was an Upperclassmen and wore the Knight's uniform for the year that he had become an Upperclassmen. This one was a canary yellow, made of tough material with chain mail underneath, and under shirt and leggings, a long hat, and boots. He had a strap for a sword, but there was no sword on his back. Only Knights could carry swords. But like all Upperclassmen, Pipit was helpful to his juniors and as he walked over he wore a large smile at the two.

"Yeah," Link replied to Pipit's question. "Balaen kept insisting, so I thought I would. Can't hurt to get everything I can ready."

"You're right," Pipit replied. "Just," he gave Link a warning look, one of a concerned older brother. "be careful alright? The Knights say that they saw some odd looking clouds overhead today. Make sure you get back safely. It might be nothing but don't do anything rash okay?"

"Yeah yeah," Link laughed. "I'll be careful. I always am. Besides I'll be with Balaen, so I'll be alright no matter what happens."

"I guess you're right," Pipit said reluctantly, smiling a little again. "I just worry about you sometimes you know?"

Link just shook his head with a smile and held his hand up, waving it at them as he left the Academy. Outside he lightly shut the heavy doors and turned to continue on his way. He paused a moment, then decided to take the long way since he was already on the second level of the Skyloft. He walked through the open gates towards the statue of the goddess, pausing a moment as he saw a familiar man working on fixing the gates. Link smiled but walked past the handyman, turning instead into the courtyard of the goddess statue.

He could have gone down towards the piers on the lower level through that gate, but there was one by the statue. He wasn't really that worried about it. However he paused a moment as he walked through the arch. He could hear music coming from inside. He peered around and smiled when he caught sight of a familiar long haired blonde teen. He cleared his throat politely and the music instantly stopped.

Zelda turned around quickly and there was a flash of gold of something in her hands as she hid it behind her back. Link blinked as he looked at it, but she took a step back, though she did smile at him. He smiled back and came closer.

"You're not supposed to hear or see this until tomorrow," she said.

"Good thing then," he said with a laugh. "Whatever you were playing was so quiet I couldn't quite make it out, and I didn't see what you hid behind your back."

Zelda giggled then, dashing away while still hiding the strange object. Once she had hidden it she ran back and clasped her hands behind her back and leaned closer to him, peering up slightly into his face. He paused a moment, noticing how close she was. It made his heart flutter, though he wasn't entirely sure why. He shook the thought from his head and smiled back.

"Going for some practice?" she asked. "Be mindful of those clouds though alright, and stay within sight of one of the Knights. You're not a Knight yet."

"I know I know," he laughed. "Pipit said the same thing. But I'll be with Balaen."

"He's a good Loftwing," she said with a smile. She had taken to him nicely and was one of the few people not completely terrified of approaching him. "Give him a pat for me. You'll be safe with him."

"I will," Link said with a wide smile. "And I'll let you get back to...whatever it was you were doing here. That way we'll both get practice. Deal?"

"Deal," Zelda replied. "And make sure you meet me here tomorrow like you promised!"

"I know,"

Now both of them paused a moment, both unsure of the thoughts going through the other's mind. Zelda met Link's gaze a moment and they both paused. The silence seemed to stretch between them for a moment. But then Zelda took it upon herself to break the silence and spun him around, giving him a gentle push forward. He glanced at her and then smiled.

"Get going then," she laughed. I'll see you in a few hours."

"Right," he said. "See you later."

With that goodbye Link strode towards the wooden pier that was built on the side of the statue that didn't have a wall around it. Here Link paused, looking out over the cloud barrier and world around him. He could see the dark clouds that everyone was talking about, and he found it very odd. They were thick and a dark black, like they were storm clouds, but very few ever reached this high, and even those that did weren't that dark. It was almost unnatural. Link had a foreboding.

He thought of his strange dream before, when he had seen his parent's deaths. Suddenly Link felt a little of his old fear of flying again. But he sensed Balaen nearby who was assuring him it would be alright. Balaen too was nervous of the clouds, but he was confident that there wouldn't be much to worry about. Link felt reassured, knowing that Balaen knew the skies much better than he ever could. He took off running forward.

Grass turned to wood beneath his feet, and then he reached the end of the pier. He smiled as he leaped straight off, not afraid at all. As a Skylofian he was born and raised in the air, and he didn't fear falling. Balaen was close by to catch him. He raised his fingers to his lips and gave a loud and shrill whistle. There was a screech behind him, and then he hit Balaen's back. Link quickly shifted so he was sitting in a way that was safe for him and comfortable for Balaen. Then through their mental link he sent Balaen the command to go up.

Balaen was also much bigger, and he was now he was wider. Though he was still about the height of most Loftwings, he wasn't the same size. He was bigger and stronger, and rising on the wind was no problem for his powerful wings. This was another reason why Link trusted him so much. He was simply built to fly, and Link had no fear. His smile faded just slightly as he felt the wind buffet Balaen badly, but it returned as Balaen playfully flipped over and then upright again -effectively turning in a circle- assuring Link that again he had everything under control.

They climbed higher, looking over the world below. He found himself wondering what was on the surface. He had been oddly drawn to it since his parents had fallen to their deaths below. Even if it wasn't dead and desolate like the legends told, he knew his parents couldn't survive the drop down below. It was a long fall, even they knew that though they couldn't see the ground below. He didn't have any hope that his parents survived. But it had always sparked a strange interest in him at what lay below the clouds.

Link shook his head to erase the odd thoughts from his mind though as Balaen grew nervous of the thoughts he felt coursing through his partner's brain. The surface was full of fear for the Loftwing, and it was written as memory in all of them. They wouldn't pass the cloud barrier unless it was lifted somehow, and all Loftwings feared losing their riders below where they couldn't follow and help them. Link gave Balaen a reassuring pat and smiled.

"Sorry pal," Link apologized, though he knew he wouldn't hear it over the wind. "I won't think about it if I can help it. I know it makes you nervous."

Balaen clicked his beak in response, able to sense his thoughts on the matter. He was placated for now, but he was still nervous. Link looked up instead, looking for a good place to practice for the race tomorrow. He frowned a little, realizing that the odd black clouds were much closer than they had first appeared. Link suddenly wasn't sure if they were moving with the wind or not.

In fact, the wind started acting strangely, suddenly slamming into them from below sending them rocketing up into the sky, or from above and pushing them towards the cloud barrier worryingly quickly. It would come from the side or behind, in front or swirled around them. Link decided it would be best to work his way towards the Skyloft again, but the wind kept pushing them farther out. Link held on and let Balaen fight the wind as best he could, tiring quickly.

Link glanced behind them, noticing that a few of the Knights had seemed to have seen them getting battered badly by the wind. They were trying to work their way towards them, but their Loftwings weren't nearly as powerful as Balaen, and they couldn't seem to make any headway. One seemed to be motioning towards him, pointing down. He wanted him to find somewhere to land. Link raised his hand to tell him he understood, passing the message to Balaen.

The proud Crimson Loftwing acknowledged this through their mental link and began searching for a place where they could take refuge from the punishing and odd winds. They had now passed into the dark clouds, and Link got an odd sense of foreboding. It was like he was being watched, and he didn't like this place at all. He shuddered a little, urging Balaen to find them shelter. Balaen soon obliged, finding a floating rock outcropping with a slight lip in it that could shelter them (and probably several others) from the savage wind. He turned towards it.

But the wind seemed to have other ideas. It pushed them hard, flipping Balaen just slightly and bashing the two right into the rock wall. Link's head collided with the wall, and dots swam before his eyes. He felt himself slide off, and Balaen let out a worried screech. The Crimson Loftwing hunkered down on the rock and threw its wings over the unconscious boy, shielding him as best it could.

Link knew he was dreaming. There couldn't be any other way he was seeing this. He was sitting on the couch in his old him, watching the fire blazing merrily in front of him. He was a child, nestled into the lap of his mother, who smiled at him gently. His father was sitting beside him too. He felt joy though at seeing them, though he knew it wasn't real.

"Mother," he cried. "I missed you!" his parents only laughed.

"Why," his father said. "We've only been gone for the whole day. You act like you haven't seen us in years!"

He was silent for several moments, getting perplexed looks from his parents. He refrained from telling them that he hadn't seen them in years. If felt cruel.

"Didn't you say you wanted a story?" his mother asked.

Link opened his mouth to speak but quickly shut it. What was he supposed to say? No? This was a dream after all. If was warm and familiar, like so many nights he had shared like this with his parents in his childhood. He felt a little loneliness spark in his chest, and he just nestled closer. He just wanted for now to have that comforting, familiar feeling. He nodded.

His mother smiled and opened her mouth to speak. But Link quickly looked up in alarm at the voice that left her mouth. It was obviously female, but it wasn't her voice. It was a young voice, belonging to a woman about his age. Though it didn't sound human. It sounded almost metallic, and he wasn't sure what to make of it. He nearly bolted right then and there, but a gentle purple light seemed to shine from somewhere out the window. Neither of his parents seemed to notice, but Link felt himself relax again though he wasn't sure why. He just listened, surprised when he heard a legend he had been told, as had every child of Skyloft.

"This is a tale that you humans have passed down through uncounted generations," the strange voice said. "It tells of a war of unmatched scale and ferocity, the likes of which would never be seen again."

Link was spellbound for a while, listening to that voice with the odd light shining from somewhere else in the world. He wasn't sure what was going on. He'd heard this legend, and of the wars of the surface many times before. But this time it seemed different. This time it was both deadly serious, and directed at him personally. It wasn't some detached event many years ago. It was something that was -in that moment- almost a living breathing part of his world.

"One dark, fateful day, the earth cracked wide and malevolent forces rushed forth from the fissure," the voice continued. "They mounted a brutal assault upon the surface people, driving the land into deep despair...They burnt the forests to ash, choked the land's sweet springs, and murdered without hesitation. They did all of this in their lust to take the ultimate power protected by Her Grace, the goddess."

The strange voice seemed to change tone slightly at the mention of the goddess. It suddenly seemed to make the story come to life in the boy's mind like it never had before. He was listening intently, as if remembering every detail of this legend was something his life depended on. Something about this seemed far more urgent to him now.

His mother smiled as her mouth moved and she continued talking. Looking at her lips, Link couldn't tell what story she was really telling. It was impossible to make out. It seemed as though she thought she was telling a happy story, one that would make a child laugh. She didn't register the serious look on her boy's face, and her twinkling eyes told him that she was saying something to chase the night demons away, not a legend as old as his people were. This however was serious.

"The power she guarded was without equal," the strange voice continued, not reading Link's thoughts but talking still. "Handed down by the gods of old, this power gave its holder the means to make any desire a reality. Such was the might of the ultimate power that the old ones placed it in the care of the goddess. To prevent this great power from falling into the hands of the evil swarming the lands...The goddess gathered the surviving humans on an outcropping of earth."

At this point the voice paused as if for emphasis while his parents laughed noiselessly. Link knew this part well. It was the origin of his people up here in the sky. They had been sent here, and the goddess had granted them their partners, their guardian Loftwings. This was the legend of his people and their ancestors. Link felt as if there were eyes watching him suddenly and glanced again towards the light, wondering what was hiding in it.

"She sent it skyward," the voice said. "beyond the reach of the demonic hordes. Beyond even the clouds. With the humans safe, the goddess joined forces with the land dwellers and fought the evil forces, sealing them away. At last, peace was restored to the surface."

Again the voice seemed to change, and it was directed right at him. Link felt small suddenly, like a piece of a puzzle that hadn't been put into place yet. Why was he dreaming of this now? What was that light and voice, and why didn't he fear them? What did any of this mean? The voice continued though, and Link paid special attention.

"This is a tale that you humans have told for many ages," she said. "generation to generation...But there are other legends, long hidden away from memory, that are intertwined with this tale. Now, a new legend bound to this great story stands ready to be revealed. A legend that will be forged by your own hand."

Link got the feeling even stronger now that he was being watched. He wanted to be nervous or scared, but he didn't feel that way. This creature, whatever it was, didn't seem evil or threatening to him. It seemed -if not quite benevolent- then at least somewhat compassionate. Link wanted to question the strange voice, ask what she meant. But the light faded.

The world faded with it. Link got the sense of floating aimlessly and weightlessly. There was nothing but blackness all around him. The feeling of being watched was still there, but he felt that slipping away too. He was suddenly aware of soft fur in his face, and the wind brushing across his cheek. He felt his real body stir.

Suddenly he was awake again and wishing that he wasn't. He had a splitting headache from smacking into the wall, and his leg was asleep from where Balaen had positioned himself against him. The Crimson Loftwing, feeling his partner stir, let out a joyous screech and nudged his cheek gently with his beak. This got a groan from Link, who nonetheless reached up and stroked the feathers on the bird's head gently.

He looked around, trying to figure out where he was. The dark clouds still surrounded him, but the threatening presence seemed diminished or gone altogether. He smiled a little at Balaen, glad to know he was with him. The wind must have pushed them into the rock, and he must have hit his head. That's why he had such a headache, and why Balaen seemed so glad to see his eyes open. The wind had faded again and was normal.

"Were you keeping watch over me?" he asked.

He already knew the answer. A Loftwing would not leave their partner -even sometimes after death- if it meant keeping more harm from befalling them. Link knew that Balaen had been here to protect him, and all Loftwings were protective of their partners. Balaen noticed the discomfort in Link's leg and moved his body so the blood could start flowing through it again. He didn't move otherwise though, hunched low over the boy's frame.

The dark clouds seemed to be retreating, and Link noticed that the sun had fallen a bit. How long had he been out really? Were people worried? Even if it had only been a few minutes the Knights had seen him enter the clouds and would be anxious. It might have been about an hour he thought, and it made him wonder how long the wind had lasted like it had been. He spotted Skyloft through the now nearly fully retreated clouds, realizing that they were pretty far out.

He noticed two Knights and their Loftwings circling in the area they had lost him in earlier, looking carefully for him. He could tell they were agitated because their Loftwings, who could pick up well on their partner's thoughts, were moving in a nervous manner. However it didn't take them long to spot them. Balaen's bright red feathers now flashed brilliantly in the light that the dark clouds had retreated so they could see him. The two Loftwings instantly dipped towards the source of the red they had seen, and soon they approached.

Link could tell the Knights were thinking that something might be seriously wrong when they saw Balaen huddled over Link's still form. The two Loftwings -with one male and one female rider- landed on one side of the Crimson Loftwing and leaped off their own. They shushed him gently when he clicked his beak at them, warning them against hurting his partner. He then slowly moved out of the way and let them rush to Link's side.

They were relieved to find him awake, but they carefully helped him sit up anyway. Link didn't try to fight them, just sitting there quietly a moment as he tried to get his headache to stop. They checked him quickly, but didn't seem to find any injuries until they touched the back of his head and he winced badly at it.

"Link are you okay?" the man asked. He nodded.

"Yeah," he said. "I think I just hit my head when we landed."

"How long have you been awake?" the woman asked in a no nonsense voice.

"A couple minutes?" he asked, wincing again.

The two Knights gave each other worried and knowing looks. They knew how long he had really been missing for, and he hadn't been knocked unconscious much longer after that. They knew it could be more serious than it seemed to be. A collision at that high of a speed could prove very dangerous indeed.

They started conducting their tests, asking him questions to check if he had forgotten anything, asking how many fingers he saw them holding up (as ridiculous as that sounded) and other such tests. Link responded well to all of them. Even he was surprised to find out he'd been gone for about three hours. Shouldn't it have been more serious than that? Other than a headache he seemed find. He wondered if it was because of that strange creature in his dream, whatever it was. The two Knights seemed to relax a little and be a little relieved once they concluded their tests.

"It doesn't seem too serious," the man said. "You'll have a headache for a while, but I don't think you're badly injured."

"You're lucky," the woman sighed. "It could have been much worse. Balaen must have realized what was happening and taken most of the fall for you. Let me check him too."

The woman moved to Balaen, who seemed so relieved that Link wasn't hurt too badly that he behaved very well and let her check his own body for injuries as much as she liked. Link found himself suddenly worried over Balaen. Why hadn't he thought to check him himself? He watched her nervously, anxiously waiting for her verdict. But she seemed satisfied by what she found and turned to him.

"The goddess must truly favor you," she said with a smile. "He isn't really hurt. His wing arms might be a little sore and tired from fighting the wind, but he's strong. A nice long rest tonight should do the trick."

"It's a good thing he's so strong too," the male Knight said. "The farther out we got the harder the wind pushed us! The fact that he was able to fight the wind so badly and land safely with limited injures to both of you is amazing! That Crimson Loftwing of yours is something else Link!"

Link found himself extremely humbled to have Balaen as his partner again and laid his head against his beak when he nudged it forward again. He patted his beak gently, and Balaen moved his head as little as possible, knowing that Link was injured. He had probably saved his life today, and he was glad for it.

But he was also worried. What was those clouds and that wind? What was that dream all about? He felt that something big was going on, something much bigger than what he might be able to handle. He thought about mentioning it, but something held him back. Who would believe him? They would say he had just been dreaming, and that was that. Besides, why would Link, a humble boy with no parents, have to forge any legends? It seemed laughable that he would be connected to such an old story as that. Why would the goddess choose him for something like that? He pushed the thoughts away.

"Can you stand?" the man asked, taking Link's arm in his hand to help him up.

"I think so," Link replied.

The man and woman stood, watching him carefully. Both had their hands on his arms as he shakily stood. He seemed to be able to stand okay though, and he wasn't dizzy. But his head hurt even worse than before now. Balaen quickly settled down on his legs again close to the ground for him, and Link pulled himself onto his back. He tried to sit up, only for the female Knight to push him back down again and tell him to rest. He didn't argue with them and laid with his head and chest back down on Balaen's shoulders, letting them rest there.

Assured that he wasn't going to somehow injure himself further, the Knights mounted their own Loftwings, coaxing Balaen to follow them. It didn't take much, and soon they had launched back off again and were flying steadily back towards Skyloft. Link found himself worrying suddenly over what Zelda was going to say and prepared himself mentally to face it. He knew that she wasn't going to be happy with him. She never was when he hurt himself.

They went directly to the Knight academy, and Link finally forced himself to sit up. He noticed Zelda standing there with Pipit and Fledge, along with Gaepora. Zelda looked livid, and the male Knight quickly went forward to explain the situation. By the time they had landed Zelda just looked worried, and Pipit and Fledge were staring at Balaen with a new wonder.

Balaen had hardly touched down when Zelda rushed over to Link and looked him over like her eyes could spot something wrong with him much faster than the Knights could have. He gave her a smile, it wasn't his usual one, and kind of pained, but she managed to return it gently. He slowly got off of Balaen's back, stroking his long neck gently.

"Just get some sleep Link," the female Knight said gently. "You should feel much better in the morning. If it gets worse make sure you see a doctor."

Link nodded, and the two Knights quickly left to go on their rounds. Pipit and Fledge quickly joined Zelda to worry over their friend, which both amused and annoyed Link. He promised them that he was fine but they didn't quite look convinced. All of that suddenly ceased as Gaepora came over and looked Link over himself.

"Well," he said. "It seems you've had a tough time out there. Still you're alright, and we can be thankful for that. If what the Knights say is true you'll still be able to race tomorrow." Zelda looked ready to argue but he held up his hand. "If Balaen is willing to take you. Your guardian will know your limits better than even you yourself. If Balaen is willing tomorrow I see no problem, that and if you seem well enough."

Zelda reluctantly and silently conceded the point, knowing her father was right. She'd never seen Balaen put Link's life in danger, and he had fought hard to protect him today. This news seemed to cheer up Fledge and Pipit immediately, though Link suddenly thought that sleep sounded like a good idea. It was only around three in the afternoon, but his headache was growing worse by the minute.

Pipit grabbed Link's arm and quickly dragged him inside, which quite honestly got no protest from Link and the Upperclassman wasn't hearing it. Fledge promised to bring Balaen around (which was uncharacteristically brave for him) to his room's window so he would calm down after a while. Link made a mental note to thank him later.

Pipit pushed right past Groose and his gang's prepared remarks for Link and dragged him down the stairs and to his room. Once he got him inside he made him get into bed right then and told him to get some sleep. He opened the window and propped it open with the piece of wood meant for this purpose and then left the room, closing the door behind him. Soon it was obvious that Fledge had gotten Balaen around because the bird's eye looked at him through the window, and there came a hurried -and slightly terrified- goodbye from the boy outside.

Knowing that Balaen was close by helped the boy to relax, and he quickly found himself falling asleep. His mind was still spinning from the strange dream he had experienced earlier, but he found himself hopeful that his headache would be gone tomorrow, whatever happened.

Balaen continued to watch Link until he was sure he saw the rhythms of peaceful sleep. Then he finally felt relieved enough, seeing the boy safely where he was supposed to be, to lay down and go to sleep himself. He curled up and quickly fell asleep.

That was from the beginning of Skyward Sword. If you let your game sit on the start screen for a while that legend will pop up. I felt like it added something to the story so I added it in. Also, it's where I got the inspiration for the title "Forging Legends". Also since this is before Hyrule exists (since Demise says his curse and all that), it felt like it fit in nicely. Anyway, next chapter is where the game itself actually starts. I'm changing things to include mentions of this little incident the day before, but other than that I won't divert from canon that much.

Also the black clouds are kind of a forewarning to Ghirahim's summoning of the black tornado that sucked Zelda down to the surface and started this whole quest of Link's.