Chapter 21: Deep Rooted Confessions

Karane strolls through the halls of the girl's dorm at the academy. A couple of students gave her curious glances, whispering among themselves, but she ignored them. Right now, she was more focused on heading to her room to change out of her uniform so she could drop it off in the laundry room. Owlan and even Oolo noticed the sand and dust covering her uniform as they ate lunch together and Owlan suggested that she should get them cleaned.

The senior knight's room was near. She glanced at the door nearby that led into Zelda's room. A tired breath escaped the young woman as she thought about her friend. She hoped Zelda was doing okay wherever she was, and hope they would soon find her. As Karane approached her door, she noticed an envelope taped to it. Her name is written in the center.

Curious, she removed the letter from the door. After getting over the shock of the terrible handwriting, she opened the envelope, pulling out a letter.

Greetings.

My love for you is wider than the horizon and deeper than the clouds.

I would very much like it if you would go out with me.

Your brave knight,

-Cawlin

The senior knight had to read the signature several more times. Cawlin wrote this letter? The same Cawlin who's rude to everyone?

She hates to admit it, but Karane can see that the letter is well written. Probably the most effort Cawlin had put into anything writing-related since she's known him. It would probably be enough to consider going out with him if he wasn't a perverted jerk.

Looking back, Cawlin writing her a love letter was not a surprise. Unknown to him, Karane was aware of the stares he's given her in recent years. The most notable she recalled is when she played the role of the Goddess in last year's Wing Ceremony. Cawlin had made subtle, while also not so subtle lewd gazes. She never told anyone of this, not even Owlan. Only because no matter how big of a bully he can be, Cawlin never crossed any lines in that field. Whenever they interacted, he at least kept his cool and did not say anything that made her uncomfortable. Karane figures she can handle the stares as long as Cawlin does nothing drastic.

His personality is the thing she cannot stand. Taking away his perverted side, he was still a Grade-A Asshole. Even before Groose came into the picture, Cawlin had always been rude to everyone. He always needed to prove himself to be the bigger person by being obnoxious. It did not help that his parents had some wealth in their name, which is likely why he wasn't expelled from the academy. Cawlin was always at least decent to her, but she can't excuse the way he treats everyone around, including her friends. The only way Karane would ever go out with Cawlin was as if she was drunk as a Loftwing.

Karane crumpled the letter, tossing it into her wastebasket when she entered her room. The letter was soon out of her mind as she changed out of her uniform and put on a pink tank top, casual blue pants, and simple shoes. Karane also undid her pigtails, letting her hair flow down. In the corner of her eye, she saw four photographs on her desk. One had her & Zelda when they were younger. Another had her and Owlan shortly after she won her Wing Ceremony. The third is with herself and her parents. The last had been taken before she became a senior knight who had of herself, Zelda, Link, Fledge, and Pipit.

The young woman rubs her hands on her face. Goddesses, how is she going to figure things out with Pipit? How will she speak to him from this point without making things weird? Karane did not have any answers. This was something she just needed to think about it.

Karane soon dropped her uniform off in the laundry room. The cleaners promised her that they would have it ready by the morning. Karane thanks them as she leaves the room. The laundry room was in the main hall of the Knight Academy. The hallway would be filled with students, teachers, and other staff members during a typical school day but the previous semester had wrapped up shortly before the Wing Ceremony for the summer break so only about a dozen people were hanging around since everyone else was either relaxing in their dorms or going about in Skyloft somewhere. Among the people was one of the janitors who was mopping the floor close to the staircase. That is until the mop part unexpectedly broke off the handle. The janitor picked up the mop, mumbling to himself frustratingly as he walked past Karane, leaving behind the bucket filled with water.

Karane barely reached the stairs when she heard someone calling her name. Turning around, she internally groaned as she saw a familiar short, loudmouth classmate. The last person she wanted to see right now. "Hello, Cawlin."

"Hi…Hi Karane. I heard you were back, so I wanted to see how you were doing."

"I'm doing alright."

"What happened to your face?" Cawlin referred to the sticky bandage still covering the wound Karane got from Scervo.

"Had a bit of trouble, but nothing I couldn't handle," Karane responded, trying her best to be polite.

"Damn. Looks like The Surface has been rough on you. Maybe if I was there, I could help protect you."

Karane internally scoffed at the suggestion. Cawlin protecting her down? Ha! If anything, he would be killed within two minutes or run away like a coward if he saw the monstrosities like Scaldera, Moldarach, Koloktos, Tentalus, or whatever Ghirahim is. Hell, Karane was certain Cawlin wouldn't last long against a Bokoblin.

"What do you want?" Karane changed the subject, even though she had a good guess of what he wanted.

"I…I was wondering if you got my letter?" Karane nodded. "What did you think of it?"

"It…" For how much of a jerk Cawlin is, she can't really lie about the quality of the letter. "It was a wonderful love letter."

"It wasn't…that…great…" Cawlin twiddles his hands. "So, um…wh-what's your answer…?"

Karane crossed her arms. "My answer? Ah…My answer…"

"Oh, please! Please go out…with me!" Karane heard Cawlin mumble under his breath.

Karane feels that the next few minutes will be a big headache. When Cawlin is involved, that's a guarantee. Nonetheless, she will try to deal with this as painlessly as possible.

"I…I don't think we should go out."

"WHAT?!" Cawlin screeched out, drawing some attention from some people in the hall. "Why do you think that? Is it me?"

"Of course not," Karane tried to mask that lie. "I just don't think it will work out between us. I'm sorry, Cawlin, but I don't feel that way about you."

"How can you not want to go with me? I'm cool, and my family has wealth. What's stopping you from-" A moment of realization struck the short student expression that grew on his face. "It's Pipit!"

"What about him?" Karane put her hands on her hips.

"You like him, don't you! Oh, I should've known!"

The female senior knight looked at Cawlin quizzically, wondering where he was going with his rant. "So what if I do like Pipit? Why should that matter to you?"

"Because he's such a loser! He thinks he's better than everyone else here at the academy when in reality, he has nothing! Pipit may have fancy wind magic now, but that doesn't change who he is! He hardly thinks for himself. All he ever talks about is his mom and how poor they are! Well, maybe his mom would have a better-paying job if she wasn't such a lazy ass or didn't feel like working because she's sad. 'Oh, I don't feel like working today because I can't help but think about my dead husband who died ten years ago. Oh, woe is me.' " Cawlin said in a fake sad voice in a tone of mockery. "Boo-freaking-Hoo! She needs to suck it up and get over it. Then again, she wouldn't like that if her husband didn't get himself killed by that Aeralfos. If he was dumb enough to let that happen, maybe he shouldn't have been a knight in the first place. With a lousy family like that, I wouldn't be surprised if Pipit doesn't last long as a real Skyknight-"

A yelp escaped from Cawlin as pain stung his rear. Nearby he saw a trail of water floating away from the bucket of water the janitor had left not too long ago. The water wrapped around him like a rope, holding him in place. Then Cawlin felt his body tug, pulling him towards Karane, who had her hand in the air and looked very angry.

"Don't you dare talk about Pipit or his family like that..." She hissed at him.

Cawlin gazes upon his crush with fear in his eyes. Never had he ever seen Karane this enraged. "H-How are you-?"

"To simplify it for you, I have been blessed by Nayru, much like Pipit was by Farore. Now that's cleared up, I will give you the full-on, honest to Hylia truth on why I do not want to go out with you. I tried to be nice about it, but you forced my hand. So please shut up and listen to what I say, you little shit."

Karane moved Cawlin close enough to be only a few centimeters away. "You are one of the biggest jerks I've ever known. I say you're even worse than Groose in some ways. Evenbefore he arrived, you were always mean to everyone, including my friends. And to be even more honest, you perhaps would be the most pathetic excuse of a knight I've ever seen. What kind of a knight treats others terribly? What kind of a knight takes part in sabotaging his classmate's chances of reaching senior knighthood? And what kind of a knight looks at me with lewd gestures?" Cawlin's eyes widened with shock at the last sentence. "Oh yeah. I've noticed the looks you've been giving me. I pretended not to notice because you've never crossed any lines. That I know of."

"How did you-?"

"Always be extra aware of your surroundings. That is the number one rule of being a Skyknight. Surely someone in training should know that. This brings up my final point." Karane leans down towards Cawlin's face. "What kind of a knight speaks ill of a person who might become your brother in arms one day? When becoming a Skyknight, you vow to protect those in Skyloft and aid your knight brothers & sisters when needed, even if it may cost your life. Makes me wonder…If your fellow knight was in danger, would you put your life on the line to help them? Based on what I know, you would abandon them just to save your sorry ass. But you know who would help?"

"Um…" Cawlin uttered out loud, but Karane did not give him a chance to say his answer.

"Pipit would. If it were you in trouble, even after you tried to throw dirt at him, even after you tried to pick a fight with him and Link at The Lumpy Pumpkin, and even after you said those vile words about him and his family, his dead dad included, he would still help you. If only you'd seen what he's done the past week, facing forces no one else has ever seen. Forces I know you would've run away from the moment you saw them. Pipit still dared to take them on. Just yesterday, he almost DIED!" Karane halted in her rant, taking several seconds to recompose herself for the memory of Pipit's lifeless body in her arms briefly appeared in her head. "...So don't you dare tell me that Pipit is nothing. Pipit is far more of an honorable man than you'll ever be. I don't want to hear you say anything bad about Pipit and his family ever again. Got it?!"

Cawlin nodded his head vigorously. Karane released him from the water rope, placing it back into the janitor bucket. Cawlin stared at her, unsure what to do or say. Several others in the hallway all looked at her, clearly surprised by the display of her power. All of which whispered among themselves.

"Do you see that?"

"I didn't think Karane could get that angry..."

"I'm surprised she didn't crush him."

"I wouldn't blame her, given how Cawlin is sometimes. I'm surprised no one did it to him sooner."

"Yeah. That little asshole deserves it."

"Well, I know I'm never pissing Karane off."

"Yeah. Who knew she could be so scary."

"To be honest. I think it's kinda hot."

"Do you think she's been blessed by one of the goddesses like the headmaster said?"

"I think so. That magic she did does look similar to what Pipit does…."

Karane walked up the stairs back to the girl's dormitory, ignoring the whispers. Whatever they were all saying, she didn't give a damn. Frankly, she had more things to worry about. She had made it to her door when someone called her name. Standing behind was a familiar friend in green who looked to be worried for her.

"Link?"

"I heard you were back. I wanted to see how you're doing."

"I could be better."

An awkward silence lingered in the air for several seconds before Link finally spoke. "I…I saw what happened in the main hall."

"How much did you see?"

"Only that you had water wrapped around Cawlin like rope, and you put the fear of all the Goddesses into him. What was that about? I mean...I know Cawlin can be an asshole, but you never lose your cool like that around him."

"He left a love letter on my door, asking me to go out with him," Karane exhaled. "I try to politely tell him that it would not work out between us."

"I can only imagine why."

Karane let out a small laugh. "Cawlin didn't take it well. Then he deduced that I liked Pipit. I ask him why would that matter if I do like Pipit…."

Karane then told Link about the things that Cawlin said to her about Pipit. Even though they were Cawlin's words, repeating them made her feel sick. At some point, Karane could see Link balling his hand into a fist. It was evident when she mentioned Cawlin talking ill about Pipit's father. In Link's opinion, talking ill about someone's family, especially mocking their death, was the vilest thing one can do. However, Link did keep his anger contained feeling there were more important things to address.

"…You like Pipit, don't you?"

"Did me kissing him not give that away?" Karane deadpanned.

"That and the way you describe him to Cawlin." An uneasy breath escaped from Link. "You need to talk to Pipit."

"Can I? We'd barely talked since I woke up. He didn't even look at me during the flight back. Hylia, he must think I'm some sort of weirdo."

"I don't think that's the case."

"What makes you say that?"

Link said nothing for several moments, contemplating what to say next. "When you passed out, Pipit had watched over you for hours. He was afraid of what would happen if he left you alone. Fledge and I had to argue with him that nothing would happen to you if he slept. That's not the only example. The way he carried you after you woke up from Nayru's trial. The way he reacted when Moldarach grabbed you. He even put himself in between you and Koloktos, knowing very well it was about to kill you."

Karane reflected on all those moments Link mentioned. At the time of these events, she didn't think much about it due to the circumstances. Looking back at them, she now realizes how determined Pipit was to protect her. Then there was that moment yesterday when the pair woke up in each other's arms. Pipit showed no sign of disgust toward her. He was just embarrassed about the whole thing as she was. She… someone who is clearly in love with Pipit.

"I think you may be right, Link." The female senior knight let out a tired sigh. "Never thought you would be the one to talk sense into me. Usually, I'm the one doing it."

"We've been through a lot of change this past week. So…what are you going to do now?"

"Hmm…" Karane got into her usual thinking pose. She knew there was only one way to resolve her Pipit conflict. "Could you wait out here for a moment?"

Link responded with a nod. Karane went to her desk and pulled out a piece of paper. She spends the next several minutes writing on it. Once she was done, she glanced at the message she had written

Can you please meet me at the lake around eight? I would like to talk

-Karane

Satisfied with the letter, she folded it before walking back out of her room to Link.

"Can you give this to Pipit?" She held the letter out to Link. He took it.

"Of course."

One Year Ago...

There were many guesses on who would win this year's Wing Ceremony. So many possible outcomes that could potentially happen. And so many might participate in the post-race ritual with this year's selected Goddess, Karane. In the end, there will only be one outcome. That outcome was none other than Pipit.

It was an unexpected victory. Not even Pipit believed he would win. Yet the Goddess show favor to him on this special day.

The race had been a tight one. Every participating member has been putting in their best. Even Cawlin did as well. Throughout most of the race, Pipit lagged behind the other flyers. There was no hope for the 17-year-old to claim victory. Then, according to him, a sudden strong breeze carried him to the Loftwing carrying the statue. To the other racers, he came out of nowhere. Nonetheless, Pipit got close enough to the statuette to grab it, marking him the winner.

Now, he and Karane stood near the top of the Statue of Goddess Hylia. No one else was around, so they had complete privacy. Karane had spent the past several moments preparing herself for this moment. A month she had spent rehearsing, with Zelda's help, will finally be put to the test. Taking a deep breath, she turned over to the champion.

"Pipit, please hand me over the statuette. I need to offer it to the Goddess."

"Right."

He handed the small statue to her. Karane took it and placed it into the little hole right below the Goddesses. Once she had gotten it positioned correctly, she pulled out the harp that Headmaster Gaepora had lent her to use for this day. She played the 'Ballad of the Goddess' excellently. Not a single note missed as she feared. When the song was finished, she put her attention back to Pipit. She stuck her hand out towards him. However, she realized that he was staring at her, not seemingly noticing her hand.

"Um, Pipit? You need to take my hand."

"Oh, sorry!"

Pipit took her hand and kneeled below her. With that taken care of, Karane can begin the next part of the ritual.

"Great goddess, guiding light and protector of our people, grant us your blessing and mercy as I act in your steed during this ceremony." Here it goes…

"Valiant youth who grasp victory at the celebration of the bird folk…In accordance with the old ways…I now bestow the blessings of the Goddess upon you." Karane then removed the sailcloth she had made for the victory. She folded it up and handed it down to Pipit. "The blessings of the goddess drift down from the heavens aloft a sail, which I now pass on to you."

Pipit took the sailcloth. "It looks very wonderful, Karane."

"Thank you. You…you did well today." She said as she clasped her hands.

"I wasn't that great. I did lag throughout most of the race…."

"And you manage to win despite those odds. You were amazing! I'm so happy for you."

Pipit smiled. "You were wonderful today playing Hylia."

"Really? I don't know. Other girls have done it well and were much prettier than I am."

"I think you're the best Hylia I've seen. And you look amazing."

Karane let out a slight blush. Suddenly she felt this warm feeling in her chest. This had never happened to her before. Why was this happening to her now? And did Pipit have some sort of effect on it?

"Uh, Karane, you okay?"

"Yes! I'm fine! Erm, you have to jump off the statue! You need to land in the center of the circle design down below."

"I think I can do that. Zelda once told me that if the winner is fearless, they wait until the last minute to open the sailcloth. Think I can do that?"

"If you're certain that you won't hurt yourself."

"I'm one step closer to knighthood. I should get used to these types of risks anyways. Occupational Hazard, you know."

Pipit leaped off the statue. Karane watched in anticipation as Pipit got closer to the ground. At the last second, he opened his sailcloth and landed safely on the ground. Pipit let out a loud cheer, proud of his accomplishment. Watching him all happy, a warm feeling crept into Karane, and she still didn't understand what was going on. Later, when Pipit put on the uniform, she could see how…handsome he looked in it. She had seen plenty of men in knight uniforms before, thinking they looked good, but something about Pipit made him different.

The next several days after that day, Karane could not help but wonder what this feeling she was going through was. She had Owlan confirm that she was not falling ill in any way. If it wasn't that, then what is it? One day, Zelda seemed to notice how Karane was acting and decided to ask her about it. There Karane explains the warm feeling she got and how she sees how Pipit seemed more attractive. She explains that it was only around him and never around Link, Fledge, or any of the young men she knew. Zelda then laid it out straight to her.

"You're in love with Pipit, 'Rane!"

The hour of twilight lingered in the skies surrounding Skyloft. There was hardly anyone out and about, leaving Karane alone around the lake. The three light columns still illuminated brightly in the sky. The only sound was the waterfall pouring down. Karane had thought over the words she would say to Pipit for several hours and wondered what he would say. She knew her relationship with Pipit would be different after this conversation. For better or for worse, she had no idea.

The sun had disappeared below the horizon line by the time Pipit arrived. Like Karane, Pipit had changed out of his knight uniform into simple clothing such as an orange shirt and dark green pants. Despite the darkness of night slowing growing around them, Pipit's green eyes shined brightly. It almost reminds Karane how Remlit's eyes can shine back when light reflects. It makes her wonder if her eyes had the same effect, but she's not worried about it currently.

"Hey," he greeted.

"Hey…"

"Erm...Nice night, huh?"

"Yeah…"

An awkward silence lingered between the pair. Pipit was about to sit next to Karane but looked hesitant. Karane gestured to him to do so he did. Neither of them said anything for the next several long minutes. Should she say something first? How would she start it? The goddesses seemingly decided to answer for her when Pipit began speaking.

"Feeling better?"

"Y-yeah."

"That's good to hear. Yesterday was pretty…crazy."

"Understatement of the year..." Karane told herself.

"The Lanayru Seals. Sand Sea. The robots. The Ship. The fight with Tentalus. And…."

Karane could see Pipit rubbing his arms, letting out a shudder. He was undoubtedly thinking about his close call with death creeping upon his mind.

"You almost dying," Karane continued.

"And you saving me afterward," Pipit concluded.

"And then the kiss." Karane turns her gaze away from Pipit.

"...Right, the kiss."

Karane let out a deep breath. "I'm sorry about that."

"You're apologizing for kissing me?"

"It was an idiotic thing to do! I didn't even know what possessed me to do that. If you're mad-"

"Karane, it's fine!"

"It…it is?" Karane dumbfoundedly looked back at him.

Pipit lingers his gaze onto Karane, taking notes of highlighted areas of her appearance as he formulates his following words. Her long red hair flowed gently among the breeze. Her firm yet gentle face. Her rather impressive biceps. Then there are her bright blue eyes, which were beautiful even before Nayru blessed Karane with her essence. Taking a deep breath, Pipit proceeded on.

"Ever since last year's Wing Ceremony, I've grown intense feelings for you. Every time you're around, I feel so much happier. For a while, I couldn't understand why I felt this way. Then when this quest started, I started to see what I was feeling. After seeing you in Moldarach's claws, and especially seeing Koloktos about to cut you down, I realized that…I love you."

"You…You do?"

Pipit nodded his head. "I wanted to tell you, but we had important priorities. I thought I would wait until all of…this was over. That and…I didn't think you would love me back."

"What would you say that?"

"Isn't it obvious? I barely have any money to my name. And up until recently, I wasn't honest about my feelings. I don't know anyone, you included, who would date someone like me."

"Would I have kissed you if I cared about any of that?!" Karane said abruptly. Bright red painted her cheeks once she realized what she had said.

"You…really do love me?"

"Yes," Karane responded after several quiet minutes "...I've also noticed my feelings for you growing intense the past year. I didn't know how to tell you. Just when I was building up the courage, Zelda vanished, and my focus was on finding her."

"Why did you kiss me?" Pipit's green eyes were glued to her.

"I don't know exactly. I narrowly saved you from death. I didn't think I could do it. I was afraid that I would've lost you like I had lost my parents. When you woke up, I was….tired from everything, but relieved & happy. Something told me to just do it."

"Considering the circumstances, I don't blame you. I think I would've done the same thing. Though I would ask permission first next time."

"Damn it! I knew you would be bothered by the fact I kiss without your consent-"

"Hey! I'm just messing with you!" Karane lightly punches Pipit's arm, to which he laughs in response.

The pair resumed watching the lake. At this point, the sun was completely down, and the stars were just now starting to show in the sky. Pipit once again brought his gaze to Karane. He focused on the bandage covering the cut Karane had gotten from Scervo. It appeared to be more worn compared to yesterday.

"I think that cut should be healed by now." Pipit hovered his hand near her cheek. "Is it okay if I-?"

"Go ahead."

Karane positioned herself for Pipit to get a better grip on the bandage. Slowly, the young man gently removed the bandage from the young woman's cheek. With it removed, Pipit finally sees the cut starting the scabbing process. The cut extended from the highest part of Karane's cheek to the bottom around her chin. As Pipit examined the cut, Karane moved her gaze downwards.

"It's hideous, isn't it?"

"It's not that bad. If anything, you'll have a badass story to tell, like Link said."

"Yeah, but I won't exactly fit any beauty standards anytime soon."

Pipit placed his palm flat against her cut-covered cheek, giving a smile when he brought her focus back onto him. "Karane, I've said this once, and I'll gladly say this many times over to the end of time. You are beautiful. Not only that, the nicest, sweetest, and toughest woman I've ever known."

"And you, Pipit…." Karane grasps his arm holding her cheek, nuzzling into his touch. "You're the most honorable knight Skyloft has ever seen. You're kind, put others before yourself, keep our spirits high whenever we need it, and you never hesitate to do the right thing. Whether you have money or not doesn't change those qualities."

Pipit smiled more brightly than before. Karane also smiled at him. They gazed into their eyes for minutes. Pipit's fingers gently caress her scar. Never had something such as a simple touch shown great love. Karane could see it without Pipit's touch in his beautiful green eyes. They told her, 'I love you. You're beautiful. I will protect you. I want to spend my life with you.'

With no directions given, their faces pull close to each other. Karane hitched her breath when Pipit's lips came in contact with hers. They gave each other soft & gentle kisses. Both individuals have an intense feeling of warmth & joy within their hearts as their lips caress on another. They pulled away several minutes later, faces mere centimeters apart. Their lips curved into sweet smiles, foreheads pressing against each other. Karane could feel her heart beat excitedly.

"That was…"

"...Nice." Pipit concluded.

"Yeah...nice." Karane beamed.

Pipit smiled back at her. "Does…does that make us boyfriend & girlfriend now?"

"I guess it does. If that's okay with you."

"More than okay. I'm ecstatic." Pipit declared happily.

Karane giggled. "We should probably tell Link & Fledge tomorrow."

"And everyone else?"

Karane went silent for several minutes before giving her answer. "...We should keep it quiet until Zelda comes back. She'll kill me if she's the last to know."

"Fair point." Pipit chuckled. "Maybe she'll get the courage to ask Link out when we find her."

"You know?" Karane was surprised to hear that.

"A blind Loftwing could figure it out. They're not exactly subtle."

"You are right about that." Karane said with another giggle.

"So...what do you want to do right now?"

"Maybe just…sit here and enjoy the quiet for a while. Haven't had a lot of those these days."

"Yeah…" Pipit paused. "Hey, Karane. I never got to say this yesterday or when you woke up but thank you…For saving my life."

"You're welcome."

At that moment, a glow appeared above Pipit's head. A cluster of Gratitude Crystals floated down and landed in between the pair.

"Well, look at that. Another Gratitude Crystal. Who would've figured," he commented.

"I did bring you back from the brink of death. I imagine that anyone would be intensely grateful."

"Good point."

The pair sat close to one another. Karane rested her head on Pipit's shoulder while he wrapped his arm around her. They sat in silence, enjoying the peaceful night. Unaware of the newly formed couple, they had been watched by two parties. One party was Link & Fledge, who saw the entire exchange with glee. When the moment the kiss came, Link happily stated that it was about time. Fledge cheered almost too loud to the point where Link had to shush him. Nonetheless, the pair were happy that Pipit & Karane finally realized their romantic feelings. Though Link acknowledges to Fledge that they should pretend to be surprised when they tell them the news tomorrow.

The second party was none other than Cawlin.

Believe it or not, he stumbled upon the pair by pure accident. He had watched them talk and then finally kiss. That made Cawlin upset. Usually, he would've gone over there to ruin that moment, giving Pipit a piece of his mind. Yet...he could not find the strength to do so. What difference would it make anyways? Karane made it painfully clear that she had no interest in him whatsoever. Cawlin spent the next several hours afterward in denial, even when Strich, who also saw the exchange in the main hall, tried to get through his head. Seeing the kiss was all the confirmation Cawlin needed. Head hung in defeat, he slowly returned to the academy.

The past several nights since Groose vanished, he had stayed in his room, mainly to distance himself from Strich since they hadn't been on good terms since the chandelier incident. He lay on the bed and proceeded to cry, silently cursing Pipit. After a while, Strich entered the room.

"What do you want, bug boy?"

"I know we haven't seen eye to eye the past few days." Strich rubs his arm. "But you're still my friend. And friends surely help their friends go through a heartbreak."

"Thank you…"

"There are plenty of birds in the sky. She's just not this bird."

"I…I know that now." Cawlin glanced over to the picture of Groose hanging on the wall. "Wonder what Groose would think if he saw me like this?"

"Probably tell you to toughen up and move on."

"Sounds just about like him. I hope he gets back soon."

An unsure expression crossed Strich's face as he glanced at the picture of his friend. "...Yeah, me too."

Later that Night...

Karane finishes putting the last thread of her latest creation. She had made a knitted stuffed animal of a Lanayru Seal. It was blue, similar to the alpha mother seal Urbosa and her baby Little Riju. Karane gazes upon her work with pride. She looked over to Chesire resting on her bed, big blue button eyes shining brightly as they did the day Zelda sew it on him.

"Like your new friend, Cheshire? What do you think we should call her?" Of course, that doll didn't respond, but Karane still likes to have a little fun. "I think Patricia would suit her, don't you think? Cheshire the Cat, and Patricia the Seal." A yawn was let out from the young woman. "I think you two would…get along…."

Karane rested her head on her desk as he eyes grew heavy. Within minutes the senior knight was fast asleep. A cyan glow emerges from behind her sleeping form. A ghostly hand grabs onto Cheshire. A finger stroked the blue button of his eye.

"Sorry I wasn't able to fix your eye, little kitty," Balea placed Chesire next to Patricia on the desk. "But I'm happy someone was looking out for you and Karane here."

Balea moved over for Arus, who placed Karane's sailcloth over her sleeping form. "Our sweet little angel." He gently whispered.

"We're so proud of you and will always love you, Karane. Always remember that."

Both Balea & Arus gave a kiss on Karane's head. A soft hum escapes the woman as her lips become a smile. With that said and done, the spirits exited the room.

They roam the halls of the Knight Academy. The cyan flames surrounding them light the area around them brightly. They took the time to look around where their daughter had to spend the years after their death. But they did not admire them for long. Finally, they arrive at a door labeled 'Owlan.' Walking through it (them being spirits, they don't have to open them), they entered another room. This one has the sleeping form of Owlan on his bed, with Oolo sleeping on the floor nearby, letting out quiet snores.

Oolo was slightly stirred away when the couple approached the bed. Balea knelt, petting the kiwi on his head, ushering him back into slumber. The couple put their attention on Owlan. The blanket had only reached his hip area. A journal & pen rested on his hand. The journal depicts the newly formed drawing of Oolo.

"Still the workaholic, aren't you, old friend?" Arus smiled amusedly.

"I can see where Karane got it from." Balea moved the blanket up to Owlan's lower chin. "He raised her well."

"That he did." Arus moved close to the man. "I know you know this already, but…thank you, Owlan. Thank you so much for taking care of her." Owlan stirred a bit in his slumber.

"Take care, old friend." Balea smiled as well.

The two spirits vanished from the room. Owlan darted up from his bed at that moment. He took glances around, realizing it was just himself and Oolo.

"Was that really…?"

Owlan didn't know. He may never know. What he does from that point forward is he feels a sense of happiness & accomplishment that night.

It's been a while I know. I have several reasons:

I've started working more days since I graduated. Real world events keep bringing my mental health (I'm American), so I'm trying not to focus on that. And I've also hit a bit of a writers block so apologies if this chapter seems shabby.

Back to the topic at hand. At last Pipit & Karane finally reveal their feelings! Poor Cawlin though, maybe he'll finally have a change of heart after this. Next chapter we will finally get to The Trial of Power!