TW: There will be a brief description of a...battered corpse. Nothing graphic (I hope at least not too much to make this rated M) but just putting out there.

(Update 9/18/2023: Added an additional paragraph)

Chapter 15: Removing the Mask

Link's Loftwing landed at the plaza back at Skyloft, soon followed by his friends. The sky glowed a light warm orange symbolizing sunset being close. The flight from the Isle of Songs was quiet, that is, until they started discussing The Ancient Cistern.

"After everything we've been through, you still think The Ancient Cistern is beautiful, Fledge?"

"If you take away the giant spider, the creepy underground caverns, the undead Bokoblins, and the killer statue, it is still a pretty place," Fledge argued back to Link.

Pipit tunes out the following banter of his two friends as he brings his attention to Karane. The female senior knight had been quiet since leaving the Isle of Songs. He knew something was up as Karane wasn't the type to stay silent, especially suddenly.

"Are you doing okay, Karane?"

"Oh yeah! I'm fine! I'm…still shaken up about what happened with Koloktos. I'm more concerned for you."

"What do you mean?"

"There's all of…this." Karane gestured to all of Pipit.

The yellow-clad senior knight glanced down at Farore's symbol on his chest, where the realization kicked into him.

"Karane has a good point. People are going to notice," Link mentioned to him.

"I know. Damn…" Pipit breathed out as he rubbed his face. "How will I explain this to Mom or anyone on Skyloft?"

"If you want, you could explain everything to Headmaster Gaepora. He does have his ways to get the people to understand something they can't," Link suggested.

"The Headmaster is the island leader, after all. I think it's a good idea," Fledge added.

"That would be helpful..." Pipit crossed his arms. "But I need some time for myself first. And I want to talk to my mom about…things. Can you tell him for me, Link?"

"I will, but he'll probably want to see for himself. You should stop by the academy before we leave for Lanayru tomorrow."

"Thank you, Link. I need to get home now. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Take care, brother. Good luck with your mom."

Everyone went their separate ways. Karane lingered briefly, watching Pipit walk away before joining her friends as they returned to the academy.

"I need to do something at the Bazaar first. It'll be a few minutes," Link shared.

"I'll go with you if you like," Fledge offered.

"You want to come to Karane?"

"No, it's fine. I'll see you back at the academy."

Link and Fledge went toward the Bazaar while Karane continued for the academy. She soon entered through the doors. Several Skyknights and students gave her several hellos. A smell from the kitchen indicated that Henya had just started cooking tonight's dinner. The classrooms were soon at her side, each one for every Instructor employed at the academy. Warm laughter came out one these classrooms. Karane stood at the doorway leading into the classroom of her guardian, Owlan. The white-haired Instructor leaned against his desk while Horwell stood across from him. Both men are having a pleasant conversation judging by the rather happy smiles on their faces. Owlan seems to quickly feel Karane's presence at his door.

"Oh, Karane! You're back!" Karane could've sworn that Owlan's face looked flustered.

"Hi, Owlan. Hello Instructor Horwell."

"Hello, Karane. How are you doing?" Horwell greeted warmly.

"I've been…doing great. I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"Oh no, of course. I needed to head out anyway. It's just about Mia's dinner time. If a Remlit at night is bad, a Hungry Remlit is even worse. Am I right?"

"Well, Remlits can be pretty nasty at night. I can imagine a hungry one is more so."

"Don't I know it! I learned that lesson the hard way, believe me! I have the scars to prove it!" Horwell turned back to Owlan. "We'll talk again tomorrow?"

"Y-yes, of course."

"I look forward to it! Good seeing you, Karane. Have a good night, you two!"

The pair of Instructors exchanged warm smiles as Horwell exited the room. Owlan still holds his smile as he watches Horwell leave, lingering after he goes. Once he remembered that Karane was in the room, he snapped out of it.

"Sorry about that, Karane."

"What were you and Instructor Horwell talking about?"

"Just academy matters, that's all." Karane looked skeptically at her guardian but didn't press the matter. "Anyways, have you and the others found leads of Zelda's whereabouts?"

"We have an idea of where she is. We just need to figure out how to…get there. That's pretty much what I can tell you."

"I say that's good progress! You'll find her in no time. I'm certain of it."

"Thanks."

"I'm about to go wash up for dinner. You can share more of your endeavors on The Surface. You haven't told me much about it."

"There's a lot to tell."

"I have all evening of no work. I'm eager to listen."

Owlan exits his classroom to make his way to his room. Karane walked alongside her guardian as she shared her experiences of The Surface.

"Where do I start…Oh, do you remember those stories about dragons?"

"I do. Why do you bring that up?"

"Then you won't believe what I have and who it's from."

Link stood in front of the Item Check, waiting for the person ahead to be done with their business. Fledge stood alongside him as they waited for Peatrice to speak with them.

"What do you need to do here, Link?"

"When I was in the Silent Realm, I found some cool treasures there."

"What kind?"

Link reached into his pouch to pull out two objects from his palm. One looked similar to the appearance of an Amber Relic but in the color purple. The other is a beautiful crystallized stone. Fledge looked at them in wonder.

"Woah…What are those? I had never seen anything like them before."

"This one right here, that looks like an Amber Relic, is called a Dusk Relic. This stone here is called a Goddess Plume."

"Goddess Plume? I've read about those once! They say they were dropped by Hylia herself. Finding this is an extremely rare occurrence!"

"I think I should leave them here until I figure out what to do with them."

The person at the stand left. Link walked up to a bored Peatrice.

"Welcome to the Item Check booth. How can I…Oh. You…You came to see me! I'm so happy!"

Peatrice stood up, all excited, all of a sudden. The sudden change from her bored expression to her current one certainly set Link off guard.

"Uhh…"

"Don't stare at me like that." Peatrice protested. "You're making me blush, darling! You've been coming by a lot these days. Lately, when I think about you, my head gets fuzzy, my heart races, I get short of breath, and I feel all dizzy…You don't think…Could this be…."

"It sounds bad…" Link told her simply.

"Oh, you're such a tease. Whoops! Kinda just remembered that I needed to be there. Back to work! Now, where was I? Oh yeah. I was going to ask you if you wanted me to take care of you forever."

Link gaped wide-eyed, blinking several times at the clerk. Fledge stood in the back, also equally flabbergasted by the entire interaction. Peatrice gasps in pure horror once she realizes the words she has spoken.

"Oh no! I am SO sorry! I need to learn how to keep these delirious dreams in check!...No, wait…Ahh! I mean, are there some items you want me to check, darling?"

"Just um…these." Link held up the treasures.

"I hope you're not hurrying to go, sweetie!" Peatrice took the treasures in Link's hands into a door with his name above it. "See you next time! Tee hee!"

Link slowly walked away from the booth with Fledge trailing behind in silence. Peatrice continuously waved goodbye to them until they were out of her view.

"Tell me that I didn't imagine that entire exchange." The first thing Link said to Fledge once they were out of The Bazaar.

"If I didn't know any better, I think Peatrice has a crush on you. That's sweet.

"It would be if I also felt the same way." Link pressed his fingers against his temple as he let out a tired breath. "Whatever, I'll worry about that later. I'm tired and hungry."

"Henya should be making dinner now. I think she's making Carrot Stew tonight."

"Guess that leaves time for me to visit Gaepora to tell him about Pipit's new...look."

Despite how urgent he sounded when he parted from his friends, Pipit took his time getting to his house. Already people passing by him gave strange looks at his uniform. He ignored them as his mind reflected on today's events repeatedly. With all these physical, mental, and spiritual changes to his body, physically, mentally, and spiritually…he wondered how everyone would react to them, most notably his mother, or how to explain it. Hopefully, Gaepora will help ease any unsettled minds once Link explains things to him. That leaves his mother to explain things too.

"Goddesses, how am I going to explain all this to Mom? It's not like I could say, 'Hey, Mom, how was your day. Me? I went through a trial orchestrated by Farore, yes, THAT Farore and part of her is inside of me now, which makes me teleport, and now I can control the wind!'..."

"Hey, Pipit!"

Pipit turned in the direction of the voice to see he was near Keet's home. The boy was waving him down as he stood at the pumpkin patch growing at the side of his house. Kina stood near him as she watched Cawlin, covered in dirt with a shovel, digging around some pumpkins. Kina's Loftwing, Ashei, stood nearby with a bag of pumpkins in her beak.

"How're ya doing, Pipit? I haven't seen you since the chandelier fiasco at The Lumpy Pumpkin" Keet continued to wave him down, clearly inviting him for conversation. Pipit wasn't up to talking to Keet or anyone but didn't want to appear rude. Telling himself to keep the conversation short, he approached the boy.

"Hey, Keet. I've been…busy with things. What's going on here?"

"I'm helping Kina & Cawlin gather pumpkins for The Lumpy Pumpkin."

"I could've sworn there were some pumpkins that looked ready to be picked last time I was there."

"There were," Kina responded before shifting her focus to Cawlin. "They were ready to be used until SOMEBODY dropped them, which made them splatter all over the place."

"It's not my fault those pumpkins were heavy!" Cawlin barked back.

"I told you to take it slow, but you went against my advice by carrying them too fast, so you have only yourself to blame."

"Fortunately, my parents were willing to give some of their pumpkins from their patch to Kina here," Keet expressed. "I've been helping them the past few hours."

"How many more pumpkins do we need, Kina? My back is killing me from all the digging and carrying!" Cawlin whined as he put a pumpkin in the bag in Ashei's beak.

"Just two more, then you're free to go."

"Two more?! Aw, c'mon, you're killing me here! We already have a crapton!"

"You want to make it five more?" Kina threatened in a matter similar to a mother to their misbehaving child. It was enough to make Cawlin tremble.

"No, ma'am…"

"Good! Now get those Pumpkins. Get that big one in the middle of the patch, and don't forget to put a new seed in the ground." Cawlin grumbled to himself as he marched away from Kina. "Honestly, how is he even allowed to be training to be a Skyknight with that attitude of his?"

"I…don't have the answer to that," Pipit answered.

"Say, Pipit. There's something…different about you," Keet noted.

Pipit grew instantly nervous. "Oh, really…like what?"

"Hmm. I don't know…" Keet hummed as he tilted his head. "Can't exactly put my finger on it."

"Maybe it's that big symbol of Farore on his chest," Kina pointed out bluntly.

"Yeah, that! It's pretty rad! What's the deal that, Pips? Is the Knight Academy allowing you to modify your uniforms now?"

"And who put it there?" Kina looks intrigued at the symbol. "That is some impressive embroidery. I would like to hear a few pointers from them."

"Um, well... You see…It's a long, funny story," Pipit said with a nervous smile.

Cawlin glared back at Pipit as he shoveled through the dirt. Fury for the senior knight grew into his chest. Here he was, groveling in the mud while Pipit went on a quest with Link, Fledge, and Karane. Why she likes to hang around Pipit is something Cawlin doesn't understand. He was a workaholic with barely any money and a mom who got lazy whenever she thought about her dead husband, who was dumb enough to get killed. One of the main reasons Cawlin is always willing to help Groose with his schemes to get Zelda's attention is because he understands the feeling of watching the girl you love flocking around with some loser. Cawlin's mind races through reasons to be mad at Pipit as he digs the pumpkin roots out.

One such event was last year's Wing Ceremony, where Karane played the role of Goddess Hylia. When he found out she was selected, Cawlin did his best to pass the requirements to compete in the ceremony. Cawlin thought Karane looked so sexy in her Goddess attire. Her dress brought out the highlights of her wondrous, curvy body. He felt that if he won the ceremony, Karane might finally notice him. They would be alone at the State of the Goddess. They'll talk, sparks fly, and one day they'll marry. Cawlin remembers being so determined in the race. He was very close to grabbing the small statue, victory.

That is, until Pipit flew out of nowhere and nabbed it. Pipit was declared the winner that year, meaning he and Karane got to do the post-race ritual at The Goddess Statue.

Cawlin squeezed his grip on the shovel handle hard as that memory played in his head. Pipit humiliated him back then, and now he is doing so again. As much as his dark thoughts urged him to hit Pipit with the shovel, he wouldn't go through with it for various reasons.

Reason One : There were witnesses. Reason Two: He would get expelled from the Knight Academy. Reason Three: He most likely gets banished from Skyloft, given that intentionally hurting Skyknights is a severe offense. And, importantly, Reason Four: Karane will DEFINITELY not talk to him.

Looking at the dirt around, Cawlin decided to go through a more harmless but just as embarrassing approach. He could 'accidentally' fling a shovel of dirt onto Pipit. The only thing that would be hurt is his pride, so better than nothing. Cawlin gathered as much soil as the shovel could carry, ensuring neither Pipit, Kina, or Keet were watching him. With an evil smirk, he flung the dirt in Pipit's direction.

Pipit was unaware of the clump of dirt flying his way as he attempted to explain his current look. A sudden wind brushed against his skin, but it was not the typical wind. Instinctively, he lifted his arm. The dirt was encased in the air just centimeters from Pipit's hand. He stood still as his gaze was glued to the air ball encasing the soil. Then he realized that Keet and Kina were still there. The airball instantly vanishes, and the dirt clump falls to the ground. Keet's mouth gaped wide open while Kina just gazed at the senior knight with pure confusion. Cawlin was as still as a statue, dropping the shovel in shock. People that were passing by were taken aback by Pipit's ability. Pipit stood nervously as he realized everyone present saw what he had just done.

"Well…shit."

"P-Pipt…How-what-when..." Keet eventually gained the courage to speak up.

"Uh… ImetFaroreshegavemepartofheressencesomyeyesaregreeensheputthissymbolonmychestandicanteleportandcontrolwindnow!"

Keet blinked as he remained silent. Pipit, however, didn't give him a chance to speak further.

"I-I have to go now! I'll see ya later. BYE!"

Pipit promptly speed-walked away, ignoring the stunned stares of those passing by.

"Uh…did he say what I think he said?" Keet spoke up after several moments.

"He has Farore's essence in him, and now he can teleport & control the wind," Kina summed up.

Cawlin remained to where he was in an immobile state. That is until a sudden wind blew the dirt he threw at Pipit earlier and landed all over his face. A realization of panic painted his face. He didn't know if it was just unfortunate timing or some sort of divine message from a goddess in green that could also conjure up winds.

Pipit closed the door of his home behind him. After what had just happened at Keet's house, he practically got back to his home quickly since he did not want to endure questions that those who saw him would no doubt pester him. At least that's taken care of…somewhat.

That was the least of his problems right now. He just hoped his mom doesn't hear anything till she got home. Speaking of which, Pipit glanced at the clock. Mallara would be off work in a few hours. That gave him plenty of time to think.

Pipit transverses the interior of the home he and his mother share. He groaned internally as he noticed that he was leaving footprints of dust. His mother needed to clean up the house, though given their financial situation and other issues, she couldn't stay home that often. She spent most of her days working full-time with Piper at the Bazaar Cafe, along with a side job babysitting the younger children around Skyloft or even filling in for Henya at the Knight Academy dining hall whenever she fell ill. This often left her too exhausted to clean the house in her free time. It wasn't a big deal since she hated cleaning, but Pipit still found it bothersome. Yet, he couldn't entirely blame her.

The yellow-clad senior knight placed his sword and Sacred Shield on the floor as he entered his room. The memories that the trial had shown him went through his mind. He glanced up at a mirror that hung on his wall. The reflection of himself with his green eyes stared back at him. That symbol shows that he is no longer an ordinary person. Don't get him wrong, he is honored that Farore gave him this gift. That is something not taken lightly. No one in the history of Skyloft had ever been gifted with the essence of one of the Golden Goddesses that created the world for Hylia to watch over.

Still, he thought back to the reactions of Keet, Kina, Cawlin, and everyone that saw him conjure up the airball. Naturally, they would be surprised. Hell, Pipit would be if one of his friends showed up one day supposedly gifted by an essence of the Goddesses and had powers. He can't help but wonder…would people see him differently once the truth got out? Would they avoid him out of fear of offending Farore? Or would they agree that he was still the same Pipit despite the changes?

His only comforting thought was that Link, Fledge, and Karane offered their support. He knows they will never view him differently and be there for him. Zelda would do the same if she were here. Pipit knew that Zelda would be hundred percent supportive and would set the record straight so anyone who would see his newfound abilities with ill-intent. Plus, Pipit had faith that Link would fill in Gaepora with everything. The Headmaster always had an open mind, no matter how obscured something was.

Pipit let out a breath, and he leaned on his desk. The brace of his hands was enough to shake it, causing a bottle of ink used for writing to fall off. Pipit tried to catch it as it rolled across the floor and under his bed. Pipit crouched down to reach his arm under his bed. He felt around until his hand grabs hold of something. Instead of his hand meeting a cool smooth bottle, it felt soft. Pulling out from underneath his bed was a sailcloth similar to his own. But this did not belong to him, he reminded himself. It took a moment to realize what exactly he had in his hand.

It was the sailcloth that belonged to his father, Harri. He earned it by winning his Wing Ceremony long before Pipit was born.

It had been years since Pipit laid eyes on this sailcloth, let alone even thought of it. His mother wasn't willing to part away from it when his father was put to rest. Pipit remembers when his father was still alive. Whenever he had a nightmare, his father would wrap the sailcloth around him. Whenever Pipit wore it, he always felt more relaxed, almost as if his father was watching over him during those troubling nights. Yet another memory that Pipit buried into his mind when his father died.

Slowly, Pipit wrapped the sailcloth around his shoulders. It was still as comfortable as it was when he wore it as a child. It was warm, much like the hugs his father gave him. Silence lingered around while Pipit sat on the floor in his bedroom. He thought back to the years since the death of his father. How he suppressed his sadness to be brave for others. Of course, thanks to Farore, he knows that it was a mask to cover his fear of disappointing his father. His facade had worked in the ten years since Harri died, with everyone who knew him, his mother included, seeming to believe he was fine. Everyone, that is, except for one person...

Some Months Ago…

Pipit strolled in front of the Knight Academy. Aside from some Keese that he had to scare off earlier, the night was calm. Most people would find this job boring, but Pipit found it relaxing, which he needed for a day like today. The peace was short-lived when he heard footsteps from behind. He was relieved but surprised to see who it was.

"Zelda? What are you doing out here at this hour?"

"I wanted to give you these."

Zelda held out a small box to him. Pipit took it from the girl's hands. A pleasant smell emitted from inside. Opening the lid revealed a batch of muffins with chocolate chips.

"I got them from the bakery. I know how much you like their chocolate chip muffins."

"Oh, Zelda…You didn't have to do that. I promise I'll pay you back."

"Pipit, it's fine. I wanted to buy them for you because you're my friend."

"Don't take this as me being ungrateful, but why do this?"

Zelda gave him a knowing look. "…I know what today is."

It took Pipit a moment to realize what Zelda was referring to. Today marked the tenth anniversary of his father's death.

"I know this day has always been difficult for you. Believe me, I know how you feel. I was young when my mom died, but I still miss her. It's hard to think about someone you love who isn't here. Some days all I can do is think about my mother. Whenever the anniversary of her death came around, Father and Link would find ways to cheer me up. I thought I should do the same for you."

"That's kind of you, thank you."

"Y-You know, you can always talk to me about it. I know talking can help."

That wasn't the first time Zelda had made that offer to Pipit. They were always futile, as Pipit turned them down.

"I appreciate the offer, but I'm okay!"

"Are you sure?"

"Positive!" Pipit stated with pride.

Zelda gave a quizzical look, but she didn't press the subject further.

"If you say so. But if you're ever up for talking, my door is always open. I only want to make sure you're okay."

"I'll keep your offer in mind. Thank you again for the muffins."

"You're welcome. Have a good patrol."

"Goodnight!"

Zelda left the scene, leaving Pipit alone again with a box of muffins. There must've been a dozen of them in there. Pipit knew that these were costly to get. Despite Zelda's insistence, he'll have to repay her. He gladly snacks on a muffin as he continues his patrol.

"I wish I had taken your offer, Zelda."

Looking back to that conversation, Pipit realized that Zelda seemed to be the only one to suspect something was wrong with him. She would try to bring up the discussion on certain days, but Pipit always insisted that he was fine, and Zelda did not press on, and they both moved on. That didn't stop her from trying every now and then. Pipit always suspects that Zelda seems to understand his struggles the most. Sure, there was Link, Karane, and Fledge, but...being an orphan living in the academy isn't the same as having a single parent left.

Zelda understood what struggles Pipit felt. The feeling of your remaining parents trying to balance their duties and their children. Gaepora loved Zelda, but being the Headmaster and the leader of Skyloft often left little room to spend time with his daughter. When he has the occasional day off, they make the best of it. His mother was the same, having to spend most of her days at her job. Except whenever they had the day off, they would spend it cleaning their home, which had weeks of dust building up. On other occasions, they would discuss their financial situation. Mallara insisted on treating themselves with something nice, but Pipit always talked her out. This led to some heated arguments. Or some days, they barely even speak, mainly because Mallara didn't have the energy to get out of bed, leaving her practically catatonic. She's had these spells since her husband died. It was a big struggle in the beginning. Mallara had issues landing a job for many months due to that, along with spending a good portion of her adult life being a housewife, before Piper, the head chef of the Bazaar Cafe, out of the kindness of her heart, gave her a job. These spells had gotten better for Mallara to deal with in recent years, but they still come out of nowhere on occasion.

When Mallara had terrible days, Zelda would stop by the house to check on her whenever Pipit was busy with Knight Academy business. Zelda would even bring bread over whenever neither pair had the energy to cook. Sometimes, Pipit was always surprised by the kindness Zelda showed. Even when he stubbornly refused her help, she never gave up.

Zelda was indeed the little sister he never had. The next time Pipit sees Zelda, he will tell her how grateful he was for all those times she helped him and his mother. Pipit would return the favor by doing everything he could to help her. He would drop the figurative mask that Zelda tried to help him remove.

He glanced at the personal clock he had in his room. A good chunk of time passed since he returned home. He stood up, his father's sailcloth still around his shoulders, legs feeling stiff, to leave the room.

Dust greeted him once again as he entered the main room.

"Damn dust!" Pipit spat out the dust that got in his mouth

With his mouth dust, free Pipit glanced around the interior of his house. He dragged his finger across the surface of a table. A big chunk of dust on it laid on his finger before he blew it off. He gazes at his hands. An idea popped into his head. He glanced at the clock to see that he had plenty of time before his mother came home. A bit of cleaning should help him think better, plus he still had to make up for lying to his mom…three days back. Dear Farore, it felt like more than three weeks. But enough about that. He had a house to clean.

"Farore, I know I promised to use your gift wisely, but maybe you can make an exception with me helping my mother."

A few hours later…

Mallara was happy to be back in the comfort of her house. Today was hectic at the Bazaar Cafe. The light was on from inside, which indicates that Pipit was back from helping Link search for Zelda. Throughout the past few days, Pipit shared his experiences down on the world of The Surface. She looked forward to hearing his latest tale.

When she walked into the house, it took her a moment to realize that dust didn't fly in her face. Slowly she inspected the interior of the house. There was not a speck of dust lying around. Whoever did have done a fantastic job, but who exactly did it? As much as Mallara told herself she would pay someone to clean the house for her, she knew she had not hired anyone to do so. Then her eyes brought her to the couch. Laying on it, napping away, was her son, shoulders wrapped in what she recognized as her late husband's sailcloth.

Did her son clean this whole house himself? And…why was he wrapped in Harri's sailcloth? It had been so long since Mallara had seen her son in that state. The last time she did was the day Harri died.

The young man stirred from his nap as he seemed to sense his mother's presence. "Hey… Mom." He greeted groggily as he slowly sat up

Mallara quickly noticed Farore's symbol on the chest of Pipit's knight uniform. The change that caught her attention the most was her son's eyes. No longer were they dark blue, but instead, they were very bright green. The expression on his face is a mix of tiredness and a sense of maturity.

"Pipit, you look…"

"I know…" Pipit responded understandably. "A lot happened today."

Mallara quickly sat next to him. "Are you okay? Did something happen to Link or your other friends-?"

"No, they're fine. On the other hand, I feel…like a different person…in a good way."

"What happened to you?"

Pipit took a deep breath before simply saying. "I met Farore today."

"Y-you met who now?"

"The Goddess of Courage. One of the three Golden Goddesses. That Farore." Mallara slightly gaped as she hovered her hand over her mouth, showing her shock at her son's revelation. "She put me through a test to see if I could help Link find Zelda. I passed it. As a reward, she blessed me with part of her essence, Farore's Gale, giving me the power to teleport and control the wind."

Pipit demonstrated by letting out a small gust of wind from his hand. Mallara looked in astonishment, unsure what to say.

"Well…that certainly explains some things." She spoke up after several minutes. "Like the crest and your eyes. Is it all…permanent?"

"The essence and my eyes, yeah. For the rest of my life. You're not freaked out by them?"

"It will take some getting used to, but that doesn't take away the fact that you're still my son." Mallara's eyes scanned around the room. "I'm assuming you used your…wind magic to clean the house."

Pipit nods his head. "How did I do?"

"I think it's superb. Probably the best dusting I've seen in this house in years! Now I don't have to pay someone to do it." Mallara, of course, said it as a joke. However, she quickly realized that Pipit didn't find it amusing. "In all seriousness, Farore blessing you with her essence…that sounds incredible!"

"It is…" Pipit's voice was monotonous.

"You don't sound very thrilled about it. I would imagine most people in your position would."

"...There's something else I want to discuss." Pipit brought his gaze to the floor, hands clasped together over his lap. A deep breath escaped his mouth. "Something I've been keeping from you since Dad died."

Mallara's attention was glued to Pipit when he mentioned her late husband. She sat with her full attention as she heard Pipit speak.

"The night of Link's parent's funeral, I promised Dad that if anything happened to him, I would be brave for you and him. When he died, you looked so…sad. I promised myself that I would uphold that promise. That's why I didn't cry at his funeral or never bother you with my problems in the years afterward. You were going through so much I didn't want you to worry about me. I convinced myself so hard with that for so many years. In doing so…I became afraid that if I dropped my brave mask, I would disappoint you and mostly Dad. Farore helped me realize that I was wrong to believe that and that you and Dad still loved me regardless…I'm sorry I never told you this, Mom."

The air between mother & son grew quiet as Pipit waited for his mother to respond. Mallara had an unreadable expression, leaving Pipit unsure of what she thought of the information he had revealed.

"You're so much like Harri in so many ways," Mallara said after several minutes. "He always puts others' feelings before himself, even when he isn't feeling all that good. Sometimes I don't know whether that's good or bad." The older woman eyes the sailcloth that warped around Pipit. "May I…?"

Pipit removed the sailcloth off of him to hand over to his mother. Mallara gently inspected the sailcloth her late husband once owned when he was still among them. Her eyes filled with reverence as she stroked the stitchwork pattern on the cloth.

"I haven't thought about this sailcloth in...a long time," she stammered. "Harri earned it when he won The Wing Ceremony that year. After several decades my seam work still holds up well."

"Your…seam work?" Pipit gazed at his mother with bewilderment

"I…I never told you?" Mallara glanced at her son, who shook his head in response. "The year your father won his Wing Ceremony, I was chosen to play the role of Hylia. Cara, Link's mom, convinced me to do it so that I could meet some of her friends from the Knight Academy. Harri was one of them. That was the day we were properly introduced. This might sound cliche, but we instantly connected when we saw each other. It was more so obvious when we partook in the post-race ritual. It was like two halves of one soul were back together. Years later, we got married and…you know the rest."

Mallara's small smile lingered before it went to a frown.

"I used to believe that everything would be simpler with Harri around. I thought...my life would be like a fairytale."

"Come on, Mallara. We're going to be late for The Wing Ceremony," Cara urged her best friend.

"The ceremony won't start for a while!" Sixteen-year-old Mallara retorted back to her friend of the same age. "Why are you in such a hurry anyway?"

"Well…since you're playing the role of the Goddess and you never really met some of my friends from the Knight Academy, I figure it's a perfect time to get you acquainted with some of them. Plus, I think having you meet them would ease your nerves."

"I-I'm not nervous."

"Please, you've been practically pacing around the last few days. Once you meet some of my classmates, you'll see that they're not the judgmental type and be more relaxed."

The two teenage girls arrived at the Skyloft Plaza. Some students participating in the ceremony had already shown up to do pre-race warm-ups. A teenage boy that Mallara recognizes notices her and Cara arriving.

"Look, finally, who finally showed up. I thought I scared you off." The boy teased Cara playfully.

"You scare me away? Please! As if I let you do that! I'm surprised you didn't sleep in like you normally do."

"No way! Today's ceremony has me too excited to close my eyes for once!"

"Mallara, you remember my boyfriend, Kit, do you?"

"Hello." Mallara greeted.

"Good to see you again. Cara told me you're playing the role of the Goddess this year?"

"That's right."

"Well, you certainly look the part. I promise I'll take care of that sailcloth once I win the race."

"And what makes you think you'll win, Kit?" Cara chided him.

"How can I not? I had the best scores out of everyone. Surely that means I'll win this race, no sweat!"

"Yeah, but you haven't done any practicing the past few days. I've been practicing every day leading up to this. If anyone is going to win, it's me!"

"If you're so certain, how about this? If I win, you buy me dinner at The Lumpy Pumpkin."

"Alright, you're on. But if I win, YOU buy ME dinner at The Lumpy Pumpkin."

"Ha! Deal!"

"And what happens if you both lose?" A boy with dark blue eyes and brown hair about Mallara's age strolled towards her group. "Need I remind you that other capable flyers are participating in the race. Any one of them could win."

"My gut tells me that victory will be mine today," Cara proudly claimed.

"You sure you're just not hungry, babe?" Kit earned a punch on the arm from his girlfriend.

"Who's this, Cara?" Mallara asked the girl.

"Oh, right! Mallara, this is my friend and classmate from the academy, Harri. Harri, this is my best friend, Mallara. She's playing the role of Hylia in today's ceremony."

The two teens locked eyes with each other. Looking at him further, Mallara could see that Harry was handsome and had…rather cute freckles. Mallara couldn't explain it, but she felt connected to him. She gave him a knowing look, to which he did the same.

"Hi," Mallara spoke after gaining confidence.

"Hi..." Harri responded. "You're Mallara? You're playing the role of the Goddess?"

"Yeah."

"You…you look beautiful."

Mallara tried to hide her blush. "Oh…T-thank you. My mother helped with this dress, but I made the sailcloth myself."

"It's wonderful seam work. I'm sure whoever wins the race today will be happy to have it."

They talked for a bit until the ceremony started. Mallara watched Cara, Kit, and Harri run off the dock at the signal to jump on their Loftwings. The race continued with the participants chasing after the Loftwing with the small statue. Cara & Kit were neck and neck and within arm's reach of the figure. Then just when one of them was about to claim it, Harri flew out of nowhere and grabbed the statue declaring him the winner. As much as she rooted for Cara, Mallara felt happy that Harri won the race.

The pair went to The Goddess Statue to do the post-race ritual. She had been nervous about this part, yet something about Harri's presence made her feel more relaxed. That did not stop her heart from racing. Mallara offered the small Loftwing figure that Harri won to the statue. Then she played the Ballad of the Goddess on the harp lent to her by the Headmaster of the Knight Academy. Once that was done, she offered her hand to Harri. Mallara couldn't help but notice how perfectly his warm hand fits with her own as he gently placed it on. Mallara recited the lines that she had practiced with ease and then passed on the sailcloth to Harri. He completed the final steps of the ritual by jumping off the statue to the circle pattern below it, which he landed in the middle, opening his sailcloth at the last minute .

"Hey…um, you did good in the race," Mallara told him once she returned to the ground .

"Thanks…" Harri lowered his head. "To be honest, I didn't expect to win today. This may sound dumb, but after talking to you, I had this sudden confidence that fueled me through the race. I can't explain how & why."

"Well...whatever the reason was, I'm glad I was able to help you."

Both teens gazed at each other. Their eyes gave gentle, tender looks to each other.

"You two are done with the ritual yet!?" Cara trotted up to them with Kit behind her.

"Hey, Cara. Hey Kit. Sorry, I stole your victory..." Harri apologized to them.

"You deserved it, brother!" Kit assured him, voice filled with pride.

"Yeah, it's not a problem. Plus, there's always next year," Cara crossed her arms. "Which gives me plenty of time to prepare for my victory."

"They got your uniform ready for you, Harri. Go hurry to put it on, and then we'll head off to The Lumpy Pumpkin to celebrate!"

"I'm assuming both of you are paying since you lost," Harri suggested with a playful smile.

"We're still working on that," Kit responded nervously.

"You can come with us if you want, Mallara," Cara offered.

"I don't want to be a bother. This is your guy's thing," Mallara insisted.

"I would like it if you came."

Harri gave the sweetest smile Mallara had ever seen on any man. It was enough to convince her.

The group had a great time at The Lumpy Pumpkin. Harri donned his evergreen knight's uniform, which fitted him perfectly. Mallara thought he looked even more handsome. Mallara spent more time talking with him than she did with Cara. She and Harri spend most of the night chatting, learning more about each other. They didn't realize just how much they had in common. They spoke to each other almost as if they'd known each other their entire lives. At some point during the night, a band started playing in the restaurant, prompting many patrons to dance. Harri offered to dance with Mallara, which she accepted. They danced wonderfully together.

It was a night neither of them would ever forget.

From that day forward, she and Harri started seeing each other more frequently. A friendship quickly blossomed. Eventually, that friendship evolved into a romance. Years passed as the teens transitioned to adults while their romance grew stronger. They had many good memories together, such as when Harri officially became a Skyknight or when Kit & Cara got married. Then the day came when Harri and Mallara became husband & wife as well. They were married under the same statue where they did the post-race ritual all those years ago.

It wasn't long until Mallara became pregnant. She'll never forget the day she told Harri the news. She showed him a picture of two Loftwings looking over a nest with an egg. It took Harri a moment to look at the picture, and Mallara grasped her belly to realize what it meant. His arms wrapped around Mallara, lifting and twirling her around the room as he laughed happily at the news of becoming a father.

Throughout Mallara's pregnancy, Harri had helped her any way he could to make her comfortable. He was willing to drop what he was doing to go help her. Come the day she went into labor, Harri was on shift doing his knight patrol. When the news that her water broke, many of his fellow knights would later say he flew back to Skyloft like a Keese out of hell. Harri made back to his home that he & Mallara shared. Every hour that past during Mallara's labor, he never left her side, keeping her calm and reassuring her. He continued to do so up until Mallara was able to start pushing, and they finally heard the sounds of a wailing baby entering the world.

"Look at him. He's so perfect." Harri gazed at his newborn son in his arms with such love and tenderness in his glassy eyes.

Mallara, exhausted from the process of childbirth, smiled at her husband. "What do you think we should name him?"

"How does…Pipit sound?"

"Pipit…it's perfect."

Harri smiled down at his son. "Our little Pipit."

As the years went on, Pipit grew. Both he and Harri developed a deep bond with each other. Pipit idolized his father so much that he wanted to be a Skyknight. A statement that often brought a smile to Harri's face.

For many years Mallara thought she was living the fairytale dream. She thought she had found her Happily Ever After. She had everything she ever wanted. Supportive friends, a wonderful husband, and a beautiful son.

Though slowly, she learned that life isn't always like fairy tales.

Her first brush with this lesson came when Pipit was seven years old. Harri returned home earlier from his Skyknight duties with a look of utter despair.

"Harri, what's wrong?" Mallara asks concernedly.

"Kit…Cara…They're…"

"They're what?"

"They're gone…They were flying when a swarm of Skytails came out of nowhere, and…now they're dead."

Mallara covered her mouth at the shock of the news of her friend's death. Harri looked as if he was about to burst out crying. Mallara put him in her embrace before Harri started sobbing.

Never in her life did Mallara see Harri so upset. While she and Cara were close, Harri had a tighter bond with Cara & Kit due to their knighthood. Now they're both gone. They had used their tragic event to explain the concept of death to Pipit since this was his first brush with it.

Many Skyknights were present for Kit & Cara's funeral, including Harri. Harri gave Link his condolences before Pipit went to his friend's side. The priest gave his sermon as Mallara and Harri listened with pure sadness, holding onto their son tightly. When the priest was finished, all the Skyknights removed their hats to move them close to their chest, a gesture of mourning for their fallen comrades. They remained that way as Kit & Cara's respective Loftwings carried their caskets and flew them away from Skyloft. To where nobody knows, but everyone knows Loftwings don't live long after their rider's pass. The birds would die soon to be with their riders in the Kingdom of the Golden Goddesses for eternity.

Life continued after that, but not as it used to be. Mallara missed the presence of her best friend, and Harri missed the man he proudly called his brother. Mallara often fears that Harri would meet a grim fate in the line of duty. The life of a Skyknight is not easy, as Kit & Cara's deaths proved, but Harri was the best. Surely he won't ever die. He'll live a long life. That Mallara told herself in the months following.

She had no clue how wrong she was about to be proven.

A little over a year after Kit & Cara's deaths, Harri left for his weekly night patrol. It was something Mallara hated, but Harri usually had the next day off to catch up with his sleep and spend time with her and Pipit. Looking back, it was surreal how normal everything was in the previous hours. Harri had just finished dinner, then later helped Mallara tuck Pipit to bed, kissed his forehead good night, promising that he'll see him tomorrow. Once the boy was asleep, Harri bid farewell to his wife.

"Be careful out there," Mallara said to him.

"I will." Harri gave her a gentle kiss on her lips. "I love you."

"I love you too. I'll see you tomorrow."

The night went on quietly before Mallara decided to turn in for the night. She was awakened hours later in the early morning by loud, urgent knocks. Mallara tiredly got out of bed, thinking that Harri had lost the key to their home. When she opened the door, she was surprised to see Knight Commander Eagus. A glum look was painted on his face.

"Mallara…It's...It's Harri," Eagus barely managed to choke out.

It was at that moment that Mallara knew something had happened to Harri. But she refused to believe it until she saw for herself.

"Mommy, what's going on? Is daddy home?" Eight-year-old Pipit came out of his bedroom, rubbing his sleepy eyes.

"He can't come. It's…something someone his age shouldn't see," Eagus whispered to Mallara.

"Give me a few minutes."

Eagus gave the nod as he shut the door. Mallara knelt at her son's level.

"Pipit. I need to do something. I'll be back later, so go back to bed."

The young boy nodded and scampered back into his bedroom. Mallara changed into her clothes and joined back with Eagus. Many thoughts ran through Mallara's mind as she trailed behind the Knight Commander. This was a mistake, she told herself. Harri's okay. He always is. As selfish as it sounds, she hoped it was someone else that they mistook for him and that Harri had just flown out farther than usual.

Many Skyknights were scattered around outside of the academy when Mallara arrived. Each one of them gave her looks of sorrow as she passed by. When she got to the yard of The Sparring Hall, she saw Gaepora and Horwell standing next to a Loftwing with many cuts all over, torn-out feathers, and bloody talons. Horwell had been trying to soothe the battered bird by stroking its feathers. Mallara knew this bird wasn't just any Loftwing.

The Loftwing was her husband's bird.

"Viscen…" Mallara uttered the Loftwing's name.

The bird perked its head in her direction, prompting Gaepora and Horwell to do the same. They both had sad expressions. Viscen gaze upon Mallara. The bird's eyes gave a sorrowful look to her. 'I'm so sorry,' they seem to say to her.

"Mallara," Gaepora gently spoke. "Harri, he…"

"I want to see him…" She demanded.

"I'm not sure if you should…An Aeralfos attacked him…brutally."

"I don't care! I want to see my husband! Please…" Mallara had practically begged.

The Headmaster let out a breath. "Very well…Follow me."

Gaepora led the woman inside The Sparring Hall. In the middle of the room stood Owlan near a white blanket with large splotches of blood covering a figure. His tired eyes gazed upon the woman and Headmaster walking in.

"Mrs. Erhard…" Owlan breathed out.

"Let me see him."

The white-haired Instructor looked at the Headmaster, who gave him a nod. Owlan hovered his hands over the bloody blanket. "Brace yourself. It's not a pretty sight." Owlan hesitated for a moment before folding the blanket back.

There Mallara sees her beloved Harri. Parts of his uniform were torn up as deep bloody cuts painted his evergreen uniform. A hole was seen right where his jugular lies. His handsome face was littered with gash marks. And one of his eyes was missing, with his remaining eye opened wide but devoided of life.

A loud wail of intense sorrow escaped from the woman seconds after her eyes laid upon her husband's body. Mallara's cries of pure agony echoed through the walls of The Sparring Hall as she dropped down to her knees. Her grip was clasped in her husband's cold hand, fingers stroking his wedding ring, as tears trailed down her cheeks. She prayed to all of the Goddesses that her husband would miraculously wake up or that this was only some horrible nightmare she would wake up from any moment. But she knew the harsh truth. Harri, the love of her life and soulmate, was gone and never returning. Never will they grow old together. Never will Harri watch his son grow up. It was a pain, unlike anything she had ever experienced. Not even Cara & Kit's deaths hurt this bad.

It was as if someone had violently ripped out part of her soul.

Mallara remained where she was as her loud wails softened to low sobs. Eventually, she let go of Harri's hand so Owlan could tend to his body. Gaepora gently guided her out of The Sparring Hall. Mallara glanced at her deceased husband through her tear-stricken eyes one last time as Owlan closed Harri's remaining eye and covered his body with the blanket. Gaepora allowed Mallara to calm down in his office, offering his condolences and letting her know he understood what she was going through, given that he had lost his wife, Athena, some years back.

Mallara returned home later that day. Pipit had been waiting for her on the couch. That's when she told him his father had died and wasn't coming home. Upon hearing the news, Pipit ran back to his room, closing the door behind him. Mallara listened to the wails coming out from there. When they eventually stopped, she peeked into her son's room. Pipit lay on his bed, his puffy eyes closed while he was wrapped in his father's sailcloth.

Throughout the day, word spread around Skyloft about Harri. Many stopped by to offer their condolences. Later that evening, Mallara sat on her couch, her sight lingered on two pictures in her hands. One with herself, Harri, Cara, and Kit in their teenage years. The other is her and Harri on their wedding day. The three people dear in her life were now all gone. As she gazed at the pictures, she was unaware of her son watching her from his room. His sad expression slowly shifted to that of determination. He slides back to his room, his father's sailcloth dropping right next to his bed and unknowingly shoving it underneath it.

"When you didn't cry at Harri's funeral, I knew something was wrong. As I told some people I knew, they suggested that you were likely dealing with the loss in your own way and were waiting for the moment to open up. You never did, and instead of pushing it, I just assumed that you were okay after all. I became focused on trying to get by. Giving you a stable life. I haven't been the best mother, I know that, but I should've paid more attention. I was so caught up with my problems that I didn't see how you felt. And I'm…so sorry I let you carry that pressure all these years. If anyone is to blame for your fear, Pipit, it's me..."

Pipit didn't know the words to formulate as his mother finished speaking. He knew his father's death hurt his mother badly, but he never realized the extent of it. It explained how some days when she was catatonic, or why she suggested spending money on what he deemed unnecessary but she thought would make them happy. He turns his head at the picture of his parents on their wedding day. Pipit remembers the message Farore relayed from his father.

"Your father is proud of the person that you have become. He doesn't want what happened to him to weigh you and your mother forever. He only wishes you both to live a happy life. And…that he still loves you both."

Knowing what he had to do next, Pipit gently grabbed his mother's hands.

"Mom…There's something I need to tell you. After I completed the trial, Farore told me a message from Dad." Mallara quickly brought her gaze to her son. "She told me…that he was proud of me. Dad doesn't want his death to weigh us down our entire lives. He wants us to live happily, and…he still loves us."

Pipit could see the relief and shock in his mother's glassy eyes. Pipit gently held his grip firmly.

"Our family… it's not perfect. We both have issues that we got so caught up in them. We have cracks in our family. Big cracks. But it's not broken beyond repair. We're still standing. You did the best you could under your circumstances. I know other people would've given up if they were in your position. Cracks can be patched up and can be forever if we fix them…together."

Mallara's frown slowly turned to a small smile as her son's words echoed in her head.

"When Harri died, I prayed to the Goddesses for guidance. For so many years, I thought they were unanswered." Mallara gently places her hands on her son's face. "But now I see…you were the answer all along."

Mallara pulled her son into her arms. Pipit accepted his mother's embrace. As his mother still had her arms around him, Pipit could see a warm glow above them. A Gratitude Crystal, a big cluster of them, formed above Mallara before gently landing into his pouch.

They pulled away after a short while. Pipit remembers his father's sailcloth sitting in between them. He took it back into his hands, gazing upon it. Both his eyes started to fill with tears, but Pipit did his best to hold them back. Mallara, knowing what going on, gently put her hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay, Pipit. Let it out. You don't have to hold it anymore."

Hearing his mother's words was more than enough to drop his mask. Tears poured down his cheeks, several drops landing on the sailcloth. A sob escaped Pipit before it became full-on crying as he tightened his grip on the sailcloth. Mallara pulled her son into her chest, stroking his head. Pipit is finally allowing himself what he had denied himself from doing for years.

Mourning his dear father.

"I miss him, Mom. I miss him a lot," Pipit croaked as his tears continued.

"I know, Pipit. I know…" Mallara soothed as tears also poured down from her eyes.

Standing outside in the darkness of night, unseen by the pair, looking in from the window surrounded by cyan flames, was the spirit of Harri. He watched the entire exchange going on between his wife and son. A bittersweet smile grew upon his lips before his spirit faded away, finally able to rest, knowing that his family would be okay.

Lots of feels in this chapter...Probably doesn't help that I listened to Dos Oruguitas from Disney's Encanto, which might've influenced me when brainstorming this chapter. (Spoilers for those who hadn't seen Encanto yet if you plan to look it up) Yeah this is my take for the backstory of Mallara's, and Pipit's life prior to the events of Skyward Sword. I hope all you enjoyed this emotional rollarcoaster of a chapter.

Yeah, Gaepora is the Island leader because...who is really running Skyloft?

I hope you all enjoyed Pipit's arc these past few chapters. Next up we had for Lanayru for the Trial of Wisdom. Who will be next? We'll shall see.

Favs, Follows, and Reviews are appreciated!