'FOCUS!' Link yelled at himself, shaking his head. 'Epona is gone, stop thinking about…. Zelda…. NO, DAMMIT!' He marched his way up the path to Hylia's statue dutifully, his stance firm and brow furrowed. Not because this was something important, but because he tried keeping his mind straight. Everyone was aware of how easy it was for him to change his attention from one thing to another. It hurt to be self-aware about that, despite it being one of his few flaws.
It was also a flaw people noticed, like his habit of getting into fights. That seemed to be what was on everyone else's minds, considering how they looked at him and avoided him as he walked. Parents brought their children farther away, fellow students either hollered at him or rolled their eyes, and professors spared a pitying glance at him. Since the last fight — or any big incident — he'd been in, he knew the feeling. It sucked to be the bad guy, some days. He was sure everyone knew Groose was only an insecure dumbass, but days like these made him almost doubt it. Almost.
His boots clicked and clacked against stone pathways before knocking against wooden stairs. His eyes were still locked onto the ground when he bumped into someone. "Ah, shit, sorry," he muttered, trying to pass them by. Still, he glued his gaze to the ground, stressing out about Epona. But the mystery figure stepped in front of him again, intentionally blocking his way. Only then did he bother to look up at their face. Only then did he realize it was his mother.
"Sweetie," she uttered, snuggling into him with loving warmth. He hugged her back with a bit more heart than he had the last time. The softness of her silky robes relieved his stress in a snap. "I heard what's happened to… well, the other Epona." She snickered, lightening up the mood a tad. "Please tell me she's, at least, okay."
"I would hope. It's Groose's fault," —his grip around his mother's back tensed up— "but even he wouldn't try to kill a bird. He can't even—"
"I see," she said, resting her head on his. "Don't worry. No matter who it is — we'll find Epona. Either way," —she caressed his hair— "you still have an Epona in your life. Hehe…." She was so soothing when she wasn't joking. That was the more personal reason he wished she wasn't a teacher. Sharing such love with utter strangers made him feel ignored. "But, seriously, don't lose her. You don't wanna know how your father could react."
'…No, I don't,' he thought, growing a bit resentful at the mention of his dad. Even if it was only seen on one side of the relationship, he felt like it was on the rocks. "Yeah…. Anyway," —he backed up, leaning on the railing of the stairs— "do you have any information or a lead of some ki—"
"LINK!" The sudden shout startled them both, making Link jump and turn on his heel. Down in the Combative Training field were two students. One had dressed brightly in shades of yellow — Pipit. The other wore a patched-up orange tunic with cyan-tinted hair — Fledge. Pipit was waving and leaping at him, while Fledge stared at the ground in shame. Both were highlighted due to being surrounded by stiff, red-painted logs. "I found a lead! Heard your bird is struggling! C'mere!" Pipit continued yapping, ignorant of Fledge's presence.
Epona smiled faintly, looking down at Link with a relaxed posture. "Well, go on then, my little detective!" she joked, walking away and leaving quiet giggles in her wake.
He smirked and jumped off of the stairs, landing on the dirt ground of the field.
THMP!
"What is it?" he asked, approaching Pipit with several glances at Fledge. The closer he moved, the more nervous Fledge got. If he needed any more proof that Pipit and an unwilling Fledge had a lead, it was right there. "I'm guessing—"
"Zelda told us everythin'," he confirmed, nodding with a grin. "I went around to spread the news of it, and guess what? Fledge" —he pointed at the poor kid with glee— "KNEW something! He knows something about this! Just look at 'em!"
"Yeah. I've done that enough," Link coldly replied to Pipit, pitying Fledge, who tensed up further. "Well, what do you know?" He tried softening his voice as much as he could, even though it sounded all the same when he said it. Still, he felt pissed that Pipit grinned and bounced while Fledge was clearly terrified. But he wasn't about to unleash his rage onto a victim of… Hylia knew what. "I'm not upset, not at all. But I will be if you don't tell me." His tone finally earned a shy eye from Fledge. "Take a deep breath, think about it, and let me know when you're ready."
Fledge vacuumed in a breath, biting his tongue so hard it bled. "And out," Link instructed, keeping his soft tone. He didn't mind the tongue-biting. It was Fledge being Fledge, after all.
Pheeew— PFFEW!
He spat blood right onto Link's boot as he exhaled. "S-sorry…" Fledge muttered. "Okay. This morning, before I saw you, Link, I saw Groose." He shuddered and tensed up again. "He and his friends… they were talking about your Loftwing. Th-they wanted to hide him… and when they saw me, they…."
…
"…They what?" Pipit asked. "Did they threate—"
"Duh, you idiot." Link glared at Pipit.
"Thank you, Link," Fledge muttered, mustering up the most unnoticeable of smiles. "It's hard to talk about it, so… y'know."
"But where? Where did that red-headed piece of shit hide Epona?"
"He… or his friends, I dunno… they mentioned…."
"Take your time," he reassured. Pipit tapped his foot behind Link, crossing his arms. "And you shut up," he hissed at Pipit, sensing that another word of bad timing would soon leave his mouth. By the looks of it, Fledge was still thinking about an answer, taking his sweet time. But Link wouldn't interrupt. He gave Fledge the time he needed. It was how Fledge stayed sane and stayed happy. Sure, Link tolerated the kid, but… it didn't mean there wasn't a semblance of care for him in his heart.
"Waterfall!" Fledge exclaimed. "They hid your Loftwing at the waterfalls."
"Which has a good couple of creepy crawlies inside'a it," Pipit added. Finally, Pipit's words held some honest relevance. "You'd need somethin' to defend yourself in that place." Link's eyes fell on the wooden logs that he had trained with so many times. He always remembered cutting down painted monsters with that blade. The very blade that leaned against the log right behind Fledge. He owned that blade and his name wasn't even stamped on it. Its handle fit his hand perfectly.
He strutted to and picked up the sword, twirling it with flair before facing his friends. "Like this bad boy," he said, parading it around and slashing at the air. He wound up standing with his back to the doors of the knight-exclusive training room.
"Ain't that against the rules?" Pipit remarked.
"Yeah. And?"
Creaak.
"So what? It's not like anybody would notice" —he raised his sword skyward in a heroic pose— "my sword being gone." He pointed it flat at them, smirking. "Besides, I'll be back before anyone knows it was ever gone. Break the rules and you will be rewarded, Pipit."
…
Crickets. Nothing. Silence. Only anxious stares.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"I think you mean me," a familiar voice corrected. A very familiar voice. The very first one he heard. And the very last one he wanted to hear. Link's cocky attitude vanished without a trace, and he soon spun around to face the man. Head hung, gaze low. It was hard to believe that the two of them were even related. They didn't even look like cousins, let alone father and son. "Yeah. What's your plan here, kiddo?" Link suppressed a scoff at the nickname. He hated when his father used that name, as if they were close and all buddy-buddy.
"And why should I tell you?" he countered, looking his armored father up and down. His tanned skin spoke to how much he spent in the sun training, his long raven hair showed off its waviness, and his plain brown eyes narrowed at Link's silence. Link narrowed his own piercing blue ones right back. How he was the man who gave Link life, he could never understand. They weren't like each other. Sure, they both liked sword fighting, but that was it. Just that. "When have you been interested in what I do?"
"Now, last week, the week before, and the week before that," he listed calmly. "You know. The incidents."
"Oh. Right. Only when I get into trouble because that's your job," he growled, scowling. He was almost pointing the blade at his own father.
"It's my obligation."
"The difference?!" Pipit and Fledge had scurried out of sight by now.
"…Fine, you have me there. But that doesn't make this" —he pinched Link's blade between his fingers, staring at it longingly— "any less dangerous. Give me a reason or I'll take this away."
Link tore the sword from his father's hand, explaining, "Epona — MY Loftwing — is missing. And I plan to look for her. On. My. Own."
"She's… missing?" his father repeated, aghast. It didn't surprise Link one bit, knowing who his father was among the population of the skies. Being the only and most shocking minority meant that it was hard to be unseen, especially as a teacher of any kind. At least his father got the job that Link looked up to. "You can't sense her? She didn't come to you when you called her?" he inquired, eyes widening.
"No," he answered, unimpressed still. "So? Can I go and find her?"
"You have to. You need her, kiddo. Do whatever you have to."
"Yeah." Link marched away, picking up the scabbard for his sword and putting it on. When the door of the knight-exclusive training room shut with his father behind it, he scoffed. "I would've done it no matter what you told me." Other than the fact that Link had bet his life on his father not being his real father, Link hated him… because he did. He never felt connected and could rarely see a flicker of love from him. Unless Epona, the Loftwing, was involved. 'Talk about hypocrisy,' he thought, following the path to the waterfall at a light run. 'I could leave this whole island and you wouldn't even notice. If I left with my Loftwing, though, you'd notice.'
He sheathed his sword and marched onward, leaving Fledge and Pipit behind. Not many people questioned his sudden, against-the-rules sword. At times, though, he needed to avoid a professor. Throughout it, he was filled with a rare sense of silent focus, until he finally made it to the cave. It was blocked off by wooden logs with a sign on it — one he didn't bother to read — but he still knew what was there. Beyond it was the waterfall. Beyond it was Epona. Hopefully.
'Come on, girl… where are you? Give me a sign, please…'
Screech!
Screech!
Link!
Link!
'EPONA!' He cut down the wooden barrier without a moment's hesitation, running blindly into the cave. The sounds of Skyloft vanished as the dark dankness of the cave consumed him. There was almost no life inside of it, other than the creepy crawlies Pipit had mentioned. Bats with one eye, called keese, hung on the roof of the cave, unmoving and patient. Slimy gray blobs, called chuchu, spilled through cracks in the walls. Drip, drip, drip sounds gave only a hint of ambience. The scant sunlight that made its way inside shook him up a bit. Thankfully, he could still see. It was bright enough not to feel terror. Yet.
Hylia forbid he saw a hairy, black, eight-legged FREAK anywhere….
The keese and chuchu were more of an irritation than a threat. He had to swat away Keese with his sword, managing a few chuchu he cut in half. But it meant nothing in the presence of his shiny, graceful, and mighty blade. While he had technically taken it against the rules and had every right to get suspended again, he still felt like it was in his right. And, after the big Wing Ceremony that he WOULD win, it would finally be his. For real, this time. Other than holding a sword, he hoped that being a knight meant he could do everything he always dreamed of. For the most part, those things included entering places he wasn't allowed into as a student. Yeah, that was really all he could do on an island in nowhere.
A small life. A pitiful one, almost, was his fate.
Still, the thrill of the unknown fueled his every move. And, of course, Zelda. Mostly Zelda.
Pheeeew. A chilly breeze swept through the air and past his ears. It was at this point that he stopped, dead in his tracks, and stared ahead in horror.
There was…
Nothing.
Nothing he could see.
The thing about the unknown that he hated most was that it often involved things he couldn't see. It left him in the dark, in knowledge terms and visual ones. In other words, he would be stuck inside the one thing he never wanted any part of. Best case scenario, it was just darkness. With enough gaslighting, he could convince himself to sprint through it. Worst case scenario, and what used to make up his nightmares, were… those things.
Spiders, as Zelda dubbed them. The thought of one even in the same room as him irked him.
Screech!
Screech!
Link!
Link!
Epona's repeated, telekinetic calls to him snapped him out of his trance of fear. Or rather, kindly asked for him to leave it.
'It's a stupid patch of nothing! You're fine! Stop being a coward! Epona's waiting! Zelda's waiting!' he shouted at himself, knocking his knuckle against his head. Punching himself was only a cherry atop the cake of lying to himself. 'Run through it, you'll be fine!' He sighed, backed up, and clamped his eyes shut. '…Maybe.'
"GO!" His loud shout of false bravery rang through the cave, accompanying him into the dark.
It was… well… nothingness. A void.
A hairy void.
Wait…
'Oh, FUCK!'
His sprint doubled in speed, his breaths flew out of control and so did his footing. The dark tunnel of hair, squeaks, itches and irks seemed to continue for eternity. Any light he once used to stay brave had now faded, leaving his way ahead unclear. He crashed, bumped, tripped, scratched, and broke everything ahead and behind him. He couldn't think straight, nor did he want to. The more he thought about the tingling, hairy sensation creeping up his spine and into his neck, the worse it got. Another joined it on his hand. Then his arm. His shoulder. His leg. His FACE. He squealed, spotting a light at the end of the godforsaken tunnel of hell. It flickered and it flashed, thuds and flaps blasting from it. Every bit grew louder and brighter with every fumbling step of terror he took.
"Link!"
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
"WOAH!"
"OOF!"
Zelda knocked the breath out of Link, her hand standing between him and the void of clouds below. "Hylia, Link," Zelda grumbled, hopping off of Storm. "I'm glad I'm always the one to save you, but there are times when I feel like it's too much."
"Sorry, Zelda, I—"
"Shh…" —she pressed her finger to his lips— "don't worry about it. You're the person I'm closest to — I can't blame you for anything. And if I do, it's out of my place." She smiled, glancing at his sword and the darkness behind him. Curiosity soon replaced the smile. "Say, why were you running and squealing like that?"
'Wait,' Link thought, reaching up to his neck where the hairy sensation continued. He plucked it off, terrified at what he had a chance of seeing, and held it in front of his face.
It was…
…A small clump of his hair. It fell off and landed on his neck in the darkness. The rest was only his mind. What fun.
Of course, it was that simple.
'Damn it.' Zelda's stare and the realization of his stupidity turned him bright red and he knew it. "N-nothing," he excused, walking past her with his head down. Epona screeched again, excited yet still scared by the sound of it. "Epona is right there, let's just go get her." A wooden barrier, crudely made compared to the one at the cave entrance, trapped Epona into a poor little cove. Rage and pity mixed, swirling into a fire of confusing passion in his heart. Groose would pay… when he lost the ceremony. Another fight wasn't in the cards, not now. Plus, he wasn't in the mood to be slapped again.
"Hyah!" he cried, cutting the ropes securing the crude barrier's joints. As he continued slashing with flair and fun, he glanced at Zelda. She seemed… disturbed, almost, wringing her hands and looking at the clouds in confusion. "Are you okay, Zelda?" he asked, startling her. Usually, when she looked at the clouds below or above, she would grin. Besides, popping the question helped keep his mind off of Groose and, thus, his rage at Groose.
"Yeah, of course," she answered, her tone low and hesitant. Her eyes continued to dart between the clouds and him. "I-I just… heard something. Someone, actually. It's like… someone is—"
Screech!
"…Never mind. Let's" —she put on a smile and became very bouncy— "get Epona out of here!"
He nodded, cutting the last of the ropes and finally freeing Epona. In a flash, a crimson-red swarm of feathers wrapped around Link as Epona cried with glee. "Hey, hey!" he yelled, laughing and trying to find her body in the mess of feathers. "Easy, girl, easy!" A stupid grin plastered itself on his face. "I know," he affirmed, finally managing to grab and hug her. "I know, you're not one for small spaces, huh?" He laughed again, softly caressing Epona's beak and staring her in the eyes. Or, rather, eye. How she lost an eye just flying beyond the view of Skyloft, he never knew. He was glad to see her again either way. "It's okay, it's okay. I'm here. And, hey," —Epona nuzzled into his cheek— "we'll both kick Groose's ass."
Rin-rin-ring!
Rin-rin-ring!
The calls of the bell, distant yet strong, cut the reunion short. This time, though, they inspired a confidence so mighty that it edged on cockiness. 'This is it,' he thought, strutting to the edge of the land leading into the cloudy void. Off in the distance, a weird and translucent cloud, dark and black, formed and swirled. Too caught up in his own head, he didn't think much of it. "Are you ready to watch me win?" he asked Zelda, smirking. His toes hovered over the edge.
"Heh. So confident," she remarked, nudging his shoulder and joining his side. "Well," —she turned around as gravity pulled her from the land— "I'm relying on it, anyway!" Link leaped after her, laughing like she was and spinning out of control, the adrenaline rushing through his veins. Yet, he knew that it was nothing compared to true flight.
"On three?" he yelled as the wind whipped at his ear, getting his proper diving form prepared.
"One!" she instinctively cried.
"Two!"
They inhaled deeply, staring head-on at the clouds. 'Here goes nothing.' "THREE!" they yelled.
TRIIIIIII!
SCREECH!
Epona swept him away, ascending right into the sun with wings wider than a small cloud. He grabbed her feathers and, like Etali had done so, flew upside-down toward the plaza. Blood rushed into his brain, his hair flew off of his forehead, his baggy clothes flapped like wings. Every day, he looked forward to something like this. Flying through the clouds at a breakneck pace was liberating — his one relief from school life. And now that he would become a knight, not even the bar could stop him.
"WOOHOO!" he cheered, jumping from Epona into the crowd with as much flair as he could muster.
He crashed into the ground, displacing several stone plates with his face.
A few people laughed, a few others made sympathetic noises, and the rest remained quiet. Most of the laughing was courtesy of Groose and company. But, again, they would pay when Link was parading the Bird Statuette in their faces. "Well," —Professor Owlan helped Link up— "it seems our missing contestant has arrived right on time!" Storm's loud flapping wings joined Link's side as Zelda dismounted. He knew what she was thinking, already, as his legs wobbled. "Oh, dear. Your eye, Link."
"What about it?" he asked, looking up at Owlan. A sudden sting shot through his body, answering his question. Its source was below his eye, a scratch filled with blood and small pebbles. "Gyah," he hissed, touching it for a fraction of a second. The stare that Owlan gave him — and worse yet, Zelda — sparked a hidden fear. After everything he'd been through, this was not going to be why he was out of the ceremony. "It's nothing, Professor," he dismissed, taking a pained breath through his teeth.
Owlan pulled out a little tub of cream from his robe, clean and white like his hair, and opened it. "Not after this. And please keep the blood off of me, if you would." He dipped two fingers inside, brushing them against Link's cheek for but a moment before putting it away. "Now, let's" —he turned, gesturing wide at the rest of the wannabe knights— "get on with the ceremony!" Link nodded at Zelda with a smile before dashing into the crowd. A few faces turned toward him for a glance, but very few he knew.
Except one: Fledge.
"First, before the festivities begin," Gaepora said, "I would like to say a few words." His booming voice took hold of the crowd's attention. First of all, today marks the first century of Wing Ceremonies! A full one hundred years of our organization and this sacred ritual. In light of this, I would like to thank the leading knights of this year." He snapped his fingers with a distinct CRACK, causing four distant Loftwings to join his side. Each hit the ground with force, sending a small cloud of dust up from their boots. "Kyte, Hauk, Albat, and, most of all, Etali!" The crowd cheered as the knights waved, with Etali being the most flashy of them all. "These four Rescue Knights, who will train our graduates this year, have been keeping us safe for years. Another applause, if you will!"
The sound of clapping passed over the crowd like a wave. It faded away when the four knights mounted their Loftwings. Each lit a container on their respective Loftwing's tail before blasting into the sky, leaving colored mist trails in their wake. Faint red, subtle blue, grassy green, and shiny silver. The colors of the three Goddesses of Old, with the fourth representing the new life of Hylians. Not some fourth, nonexistent Goddess, like Groose believed for some reason.
"Now, we have chosen our Scholar and Fighter — those who take an extra step before Knighthood. Both of which, I should mention, have graduated. The rest of you wish to skip that extra step, and enter Knighthood. Those who pick up the Bird Statuette from the golden bird will receive their Knighthood. Those who pick up the Bird Statuette from the silver bird will become Fliers. They are on the same levels as Scholars and Fighters. Those who pick up the Bird Statuette from the brown bird will receive one month to become a Scholar or Fighter." Chatter and mutters spread across the crowd. The younger faces Link didn't know eyed up the brown or silver bird, sweat falling from their foreheads. The rest stared at the golden bird, most notably Groose and company. For all Link knew, they were the only ones looking at it.
"And those who cheat the tournament" —Gaepora glared at Groose— "will exercise until dusk. With. No. Breaks." Owlan raised a bow up to the sky, lighting his arrow with a small fire. "That aside, the Goddess this year. My own dear daughter, Zelda, will be playing the role in her stead, this year." Zelda, now at her father's side, gave a cheery wave and wink. "When you collect the bird statuette from the golden bird, return to the Plaza and Zelda. From there, you will know where to go. Those who grab the bronze bird's statuette or the silver bird's need only to return to the Plaza."
The sound of Owlan pulling back the string of his bow got the crowd to silence themselves. Everyone prepared to sprint, anxious like Link was, and stared straight ahead. "On your marks!" Owlan yelled, letting the three other birds loose into the sky. "Get set!" Link spared a final glance at Groose, perfectly picturing his shattered dreams upon losing to the 'short twerp.' After ten long years of Groose and his stupid haircut, crushing him it was time to get revenge. And the girl of his dreams. "GO!"
THWP!
A horde of colors, clothes, shouts, sweat, and adrenaline-filled idiots dashed toward the diving board. This was it. The event that determined his whole future.
TRIIIIIII!
Whistles of varying volumes burst out, sending a sea of feathers shooting from below. One by one, the sea spread, flying upward with a cry of war. The brown bird turned tail, flying over the island followed by many dull-colored Loftwings. The silver had an equal crowd of more vibrant birds, leaving only five chasing after the golden one. Himself, Groose, Stritch, Cawlin, and… Fledge. 'Oh, Hylia.
'I… I can't watch him be miserable like that. I need to let him win.
'…No, no. He'll be happy if I win, so I should win! Right?'
"Try and catch up, loser!" Cawlin's distant voice snapped him back to reality. He looked back at the golden bird, realizing he was moments from losing to Groose. Or, worse, one of his cronies.
"I'll goddamn TRY!" He pushed Epona to her utmost potential, shooting through the sky. His speed made the wind deafen him as it pushed back with a pitiful force. The world around him vanished into the void, leaving him, his competitors, and the mission. The goal. The bird. A moment with Zelda. The white and black birds of Stritch and Cawlin, once horrifyingly far from him, were right where he used to be. Nothing more than specks in the big blue sky where they belonged.
Two down, one to go. As for Fledge? What did it matter? This was Link's day.
"Hey, asshole!" he called, looking up at Groose's bird. Its hairstyle even matched his, because of course it did. Such pride. And, in but a minute, he would crush it. "Guess what?" The sounds around him began returning to his mind, adrenaline still flooding his veins. His hair was a wreck, his eyes had never been wider, his heart tried to break through his ribs. He knew he would win, anyway, so this rush felt good. "GUESS WHAT?!"
Focused silence was his only reply. Groose blasted ahead with a cry of his Loftwing, followed by Link with the same sound and speed. Groose swerved away from small islands or stones in the sky, eyes glued to the target. Link took the time to twirl and weave through the gaps, cackling and winking at Skyloft. Not a second was spent looking back. Those three losers could suck it. "HEY!" he yelled again, nearing Groose. "GUESS WHAT?!" He ascended higher, Epona's wings spreading far and wide, with not a doubt in his mind.
"WHAT?!" Groose yelled through the wind.
"I'M GONNA GET THAT ALONE TIME AFTER ALL!" He flew beneath Groose at incredible speed, popping up right ahead of him and reaching out for the statuette. Victory was mere feet away from his hands, shining and glowing in the sunlight. The glow around it resembled that of the glow around Zelda. Able to feel the cold, soothing gold aura of the statuette, he shut his eyes and daydreamed. He had the time, right? The time to picture Zelda holding his hand, congratulating him on everything he'd ever done. She would inch closer and closer, a bright smile on her face. Her warm breath. Her little blush. Her eyes.
And then…
Finally, after so long of waiting…
He could get his shot…
CRACK!
"OW!" Link cried, watching a black blur zip by him, throwing something else in its wake. Link somehow managed to raise his arm, blocking another small object from hitting him in the eye. Yellow yolk splattered over his bracer with bits of a dotted white shell. An egg. "DAMN CHEATERS!" he shrieked, flicking away the mess and blasting ahead. Another egg flew at his head, barely grazing his wild hair as he ducked beneath it. A faint crack behind him didn't earn so much as a glance.
"SUCK IT!" Cawlin replied, tossing an egg to a confused Groose. Link watched with fury, keeping up but staying back to avoid a barrage. "C'mon, Groose! Join in on the fun!"
Groose's eyes appeared to dart between Cawlin and the egg, his Loftwing slowing as the golden one dashed away. It was directly ahead of Link By now, Link had wiped off the biggest clumps of yolk and shell on his clothes, still listening keenly. "No way, man! That's not how I play!" he lectured, throwing the egg into the clouds below. "I'm earning this, Cawlin! Fair and square!"
'What a hypocrite,' Link internally remarked, checking some of the splatter on Epona's crimson feathers. They both flew through a rock, inching closer to the conversation — and the golden bird.
"Oh, but HE'S earned a chance to be put in his place!" Cawlin countered, pulling out a little bucket of eggs meant for throwing. "C'mon! You WANT to see him miserable!"
"No, I want to see him HUMBLED!" He rammed into Cawlin, shooting forward and after the golden bird. In an instant, Link was right on his Loftwing's tail, squeezing between Stritch and Cawlin and joining Groose's side.
"So, you're a hypocrite too, huh?!" he mocked, swirling around Groose for the fun of it. He was closer to the golden bird, anyway. "Don't act like you want to see me bett—"
"YEAH, I KINDA DO!" he yelled back. "YOU HAVE SOMETHING IN YOU, LINK! I KNOW IT!"
"Yeah, sure." With that last sly remark, he rammed into Groose, sending him careening into a floating rock. By some curse, he got his Loftwing under control before he broke the rock in half. "JUST GIVE UP YOU IDIOT!" Link cried, diving downward for more speed before continuing his pursuit of the golden bird. "MY life means MORE than YOURS! It doesn't matter" —he rammed Groose one more time, finally in reach of the statuette— "ANYWAY!"
Link's fingers brushed against the cold of the statuette, his thoughts blurring out reality again. He swore he heard Cawlin and Stritch somewhere in the void, but ignored them. This was it. His moment. The sunlight highlighted his glory, every member of the cheering crowd below watched him and him alone. The professors certainly saw Groose being a disobedient prick, as always, and would make him pay as he deserved. Nothing could make this day better, other than making out with Zelda. Because that had to have been what she was referring to. He wasn't cocky; he was correct!
Weeeew!
An egg flew by his face, grazing, but not breaking on, Epona's wings. He looked back, seeing Groose between Stritch and Cawlin. His hand was raised, the bucket was open, and horror was in his eyes. It seemed to spread to his cronies, too.
…Okay, maybe that was what would make this day even better.
"Cute," he remarked, wrapping his fingers around the statuette. He swore a wave of cheers from Skyloft rushed at him when he returned to the Plaza, waving around the statuette like a flag of peace. The stupidest, most prideful, but rightly-earned grin was smack dab on his face. He didn't hide it. What point was there? He was the hero, the protagonist — the leading force of the universe. And after years of chasing his goal — love from Zelda, that is — he would claim it.
And that would mark the peak of his life. Outside of… other things with Zelda.
"LINK!" Zelda squealed, hugging him so tightly she crushed his ribs. "Oh, you WON! You DID IT! OH, I'M SO PROUD!" She mounted Storm in the blink of an eye, shooting toward the Goddess Statue. Link followed, face coated in a bright shade of pink. Epona, the Loftwing, seemed quite proud as well. His mother, though, couldn't yet approach him. He knew, though, his father wasn't going to approach him. As he left the Plaza behind, he heard the faint shouts of Gaepora at Groose and company.
Only one phrase he could fully make out, courtesy of Stritch and Cawlin: "It was him!"
He chuckled as his adrenaline faded, allowing the gravity of what had just happened to truly hit him. He had won. He had become a knight. He would have a moment with Zelda. And, best of all, he saw Groose at his lowest. Or, he would, anyway. To think that he once needed reassurance to keep trudging forward felt silly, now. Of course, he had it in him. Of course he had the cleverness, might, and heart to get through some race. It was an inevitable reality come true, one that felt like a dream. And it was only uphill from here.
Zelda leaped off of Storm, landing on the platform atop the statue's hands. Link followed suit, passing her the bird statuette. Not because he knew what was next, but rather because he noticed its hollow shape in the Goddess Statue. Below it were a few words that he couldn't read, mostly because of how roughly they were carved into the stone. At least Zelda could. "Please give me a moment, Link," she said, kneeling in front of the words. "This, at least, needs to be solemn."
"You've got it," he assured, itching to get to the end of it. Definitely because he was curious, and nothing else. Yep.
"Oh, Your Grace, please grant me your mercy as I act in your stead," she whispered, bowing her head. After a minute of silent prayer, or what he assumed it was, she stood and pulled out her harp. She brushed her finger against some strings, one by one, recalling the melody she played earlier. The same one she sang to. The same one that reminded him of how beautiful she was. Despite his strong temptation to hum along when she started playing, he kept quiet. He had some control over himself while around her. Somehow.
She placed the harp below the bird statuette, turning and meekly walking toward him. "On your knee, hero," she said, her voice commanding but still sweet. He was already on his knee by the time she walked over, at that point. Head down, eyes closed. When her fingers suddenly wrapped around his, warming them from the cold air, he blushed and opened his eyes. "Valiant youth" —she lowered the pitch of her voice a bit— "who reunited the people of our land. Valiant youth, who erased all evil. In accordance with the old ways, I wish to bestow upon you a gift. A gift passed down to all who share your beliefs and values." She pulled her hand away, reaching for something on her dress.
Plink. Plink. Plink. Snip.
He couldn't help but look up at her. By then, she was done tearing her stitches.
Now, in her hands, sat his physical reward. The sailcloth, formerly fused with her dress. The ancient golden symbols were those of the Triforce and some others nobody recognized anymore. "Here. Take it."
'Don't smell it, you idiot,' he admonished, taking the cloth and folding it with respect. Still, the sweet smell of Zelda's perfume wafted into his nose. Nothing but a part of the addicting tease he could never escape. Whether he wanted to or not. Most of the time, he didn't want to escape it. "Thank you, Zelda," he whispered, standing up and holding the cloth close to his chest. His heart fluttered with every beat, standing all alone with her. Especially considering her teasing earlier. But… there was no way she meant it….
"Heh. Thank you, Link," she countered, brushing her knuckle on her lip. "I hear that the cloth was ruined in the moments before Skyloft's creation. When I was making it, I…" —she shrugged with a cute smile— "I dunno, I needed to make it good. I spent so long researching it, alone. So… take care of it, okay, honey?"
"I promise."
"Good." She paused, giving a moment for the ambience to take over the world. From here, the loud celebrations of the Plaza were inaudible, reduced to muffles. The atmosphere reminded him of his lonely mornings. The ones he savored so much. Almost as much as he savored the ones with Zelda. And all of his time with her was about to come to a head… he hoped. "Now… do you know…" —she got closer to him— "what's next?"
…
"…No…" he muttered, stiffly staring as Zelda got even closer. Was it really happening? Was his stupid guess… correct?!
"Okay. I see." She grinned, resting her hands on his shoulders. "Well, then… hero…. I want you to close your eyes, and wait…."
Her breath brushed his face. Her body pressed into his. She intertwined her fingers with his, raising both of their hands slowly. It was warm. Soft. Cozy.
It was hot. Very. A fantasy he could only live out in his mind before now. He didn't even care how wrong he used to think he was. Now, after so, so long, he could get what he wanted.
And maybe it wasn't all as inappropriate as he thought it needed to be. A simple kiss, for nothing more than a second, would suffice. She was just that perfect.
…Mostly.
"See ya!"
"Wha— OOF!"
She pushed him off of the statue with glee, giggling like a maniac as Link flailed through the air. Below, set to 'cushion' his fall, was solid stone lined with gold. One hundred feet down. A death sentence. "I hope you know how to spread a cloth, hero!" she yelled, her voice fading as wind lashed at his ears again. The sound was familiar, and scarily so. But he'd fallen so many times just this day — he was used to not freaking out. After the initial shock, anyway.
"Hyup!" he grunted, unfolding the cloth above his head and catching a huge pocket of air. He slowed soon with a slight jolt, landing with nothing more than a click of his boots. This very place was the same one he first saw Zelda in, practicing her little melodies and surrounded by a gorgeous glow. He looked up at the sun, like an idiot, curious to see if that glow surrounded him. Obviously, not being the prettiest and kindest girl to exist, it didn't.
But something took effect in its stead. He'd heard it before. But he was wide awake this time.
"Link…" the girlish, monotone voice from his dreams called. His eyes widened, he staggered a bit, and the world faded into darkness. Just him and the sun. Him and the voice. "You have a great destiny," the voice continued. Despite expecting the same mysterious nothing talk in his dreams, he had a feeling this moment would be different than the rest. Could he learn something? Even this once? "It will find you. I will find you. The spirit maiden—"
"That was perfect!" Zelda exclaimed, disintegrating the entire void of darkness and erasing the voice. "Sorry about shoving you, though. Don't worry, this stone is softer than you think." She winked.
"Of course, it was. You just know everything, don't you?" Her presence also erased all memory of what happened seconds ago. What did it matter? His destiny could wait another day. Besides, he knew what it was. A simple life. One with Zelda, in one way or another.
"Well, if there's one thing I know better than most… it's you. And I know" —she jerked her head back at the Plaza, clearly festive and cheerful— "you'll always pick peace and quiet over confetti and rainbows." She wrung her hands together and blushed a tad, saying, "So, with such nice weather, why not… y'know… take a friendly ride through the clouds? We can circle back to the Plaza later, too. Besides… I…" —she got closer to him again— "want to spend some time alone with you. For real, this time."
He, mustering up all of his courage and charisma, brushed her cheek with his thumb. "Why not," he said, his tone low. "Besides, with Groose mocking me about it so much, I couldn't help but be inclined."
"Heh. What a fool," she remarked, turning and whistling for Storm. Link whistled for Epona, too, and they mounted their Loftwings in unison. They set off into the sky, quiet and calm, escaping the party far below. To keep the silence, they also went rather far from Skyloft, aimlessly soaring through the blue. Flaps of wings, sighs of relief, a weight thrown from their shoulders, and peace. His ideal moment. He liked being the hero, honored and rewarded for all of his good deeds. But what he liked more was being with Zelda. His eternal rock, the one he could always lean on.
'In… and out,' he told himself, soaking in the fresh air. The wind had picked up, even when soaring at a slow pace, but he didn't mind. All the more reason to relax. And for Zelda to let her hair down, revealing its full extent. It was hip-length without her ponytail and, frankly, more natural.
"Hey, Link!" she yelled through the wind as it passed them by. Even on a slow Loftwing flight, it was faster than sprinting. "I just want you to know something."
"What?" he asked, looking over. The wind grew a bit louder.
"I will always remember today! Everything you did! Everything we did! It was perfect!"
"Thanks! And… y'know, so are you!"
"Awh, really?"
"You know it's true, Zelda! You're beautiful, kind, smart, funny, teasing, and—"
"Oh, stop it! You're making me blush! I'm supposed to be the one doing that to you!"
"Yeah, sure." The wind grew louder, and more intense. It was less like he was tearing through it, and more like it was tearing past him. He didn't mind it. Not yet.
"Oh, well. Hey, would you humor me after the celebration at the Plaza and… y'know, hang out?! Listen to me rant about the Surface?!"
"Of course! Even though it's, y'know, not real!"
"It is!"
"Prove it!"
She laughed, almost drowned out by the wind. The force of it, too, was a big struggle on their Loftwings. "You're impossible!"
"That's the idea!"
The sky's color, once blue and pure, had started to fade away. Bit by bit, something replaced it with brownish-grays and hints of black. A familiar color. Had they flown too far? Or had something flown to them? Not even Link could ignore this, not anymore. But Zelda spoke first. "You know, maybe we should go back to Skyloft! The weather" —the wind was excruciating now— "IS GETTING BAD!"
"CAN'T IT WAIT?!"
"I WISH!"
"WHAT?!"
"I SAID I WISH!"
"HUH?!"
"I SAID—"
WOOOOOOOOOM!
A loud, unstoppable burst of wind tore through them both. Storm spun out of control, Epona barely stood straight, and Zelda was left hanging on for dear life. Link yelled her name through the wind, so loud but so drowned out that it was nothing more than a shocked cry. Epona reeled back, trying to save them both, but Link pushed forward. He shouted again, watching Zelda as she flew from Storm's back. Storm screeched, trying to ascend, stopped by a sudden piece of debris. It smacked the Loftwing from the sky and out of sight, making Zelda shriek in fear. Epona soon faced the same fate, swept out below him by a sudden stone, sending him flying into the air. He flailed and spun, watching Zelda get sucked into the thick of it, a pink speck in a void of darkness. With a voice he had never heard before, he screamed, leaping from nothing to chase after her. He dived down, hand outstretched, and shut his eyes.
CRACK!
He ignored the sound, shaking off a sudden daze and pushing forward. The world had vanished again. It was gone.
…Was he awake? Was he dead? Alive?
Was Zelda okay?
"Link. Your great destiny — your time — has come." A purple light consumed him. His body fell limp. His mind at ease. "Awake. Find me. As I will find you."
'Who… who are you?' he thought, his consciousness slipping away as he fell further into the nothingness.
"You will know. As will she. As will he. As will you."
His eyes closed. His mind blanked out. He fell. He fell more. He fell until falling was just how he felt. He fell until he woke up.
GASP!
He sprung up out of his bed, feeling a wave of pain wash over him. He groaned, falling back into bed. "Easy, kiddo," his father said, assuring and calm. "You're still hurt."
"He's right, sweetheart," his mother added, leaning down and brushing his arm. "You're hurt. Bad. Just… don't get up, okay?"
"Where is Zelda?" he asked, trying to get up again. Both his mother and father pushed him back down, adding to the pain with even the lightest pressure.
His parents moved apart, revealing Gaepora behind them. "Missing. We cannot risk going out there to find her. Not like this. Not now."
"We — dammit — HAVE to!"
"He said we can't. Not you, not your mother, not me," his father interjected. "As soon as the sun rises, we'll send every knight we can to find her."
"I promise, dearie," —she felt tempted to hug him, but stopped for good reason— "we'll find her. Whatever it takes."
"If she's…." Gaepora choked on his words, subduing his tears and shaking his head. "No, no. She's alive. I know it."
…
"…Do you?" Link asked, holding back tears too. After the best day of his life… she was… gone. Dead? Alive?
…He would've preferred knowing if she was dead than not knowing either. To be missing after being torn away by a black tornado could mean any number of things. Gaepora knew that twice as well as he did, not bothering to reply to the question. Nobody had an answer. Nobody wanted one, for fear that it wasn't a good one. He should've kept his trap shut. It's not what Zelda would've done if the tables were turned…. He should've been braver, like she would be.
'No. Stop. Please,' he pleaded to his mind, shutting out thoughts of her. His eyes were bleary, his body was wounded, and his love was gone. Thinking about anything around her made it all worse.
"Take a moment to recover, Link," Gaepora finally said, approaching the door. "Epona, Natai, give him some time. The elixir will kick in while he sleeps." Link's mother kissed his forehead and stood. His father cupped his hand for a moment, staring at him with a mix of pity and hope. He couldn't hate his father. Not now. "And, Link. Don't worry. I swear, on my life, that we will find her. One way or another, you will see her again. In one piece."
He was lying. The whole room knew it. But they let him believe it, if not for more than a second. They shut his door and walked away.
The world was dark. His life was dark. The one light in it had been snuffed out by Hylia knew what. He was… just… nothing. Without Zelda, what could he be? He was a legend without a history. A moment without context. A smile without joy. A canvas without paint. A man without a soul. A heart without blood.
Everything meant nothing. Nothing was everything. There wasn't a doubt in his mind anymore about his fate. He would live a short, miserable life in the middle of nowhere.
…
"Link," a voice called. He looked up through some miracle. A light past his door. Cyan blue. Purple. Not a lantern. Not a colored lamp. Not a prank. That figure from his dreams.
Either that, or he was hallucinating and clung to some false hope. Whatever it was, he would chase it.
In a daze, he stood, limping out of his room. The very act of standing revealed all of his pain to him. Broken bones in some places, countless bruises in others, dust in his hair, and many cuts. His clothes were ruined, covered in dust and torn. His voice had a slight rasp, especially when he made the smart choice of shouting at the others while bed-bound. His wobbly steps, uncontrollable mind, and living dead body somehow made it to the door.
Creeaak.
The light moved, hovering out of sight, up the stairs. He followed.
Out the door. He followed.
Past some gates.
Up the wooden stairs.
Into the Goddess Statue.
Down below it.
Light. Bright. Clear.
Thoughts, returning.
Zelda. Destiny. And…
…
'Wait, why am I here?' he thought, shaking his head. The cyan light was glued to the roof of the chamber, still out of sight. His wounds still ached like hell, and yet he had walked into a place he had never known in his life. What's more was that he felt inclined to follow, even now that logic had returned to him.
Once more, the voice called again. "Link. Come closer. Follow me."
'No,' he thought, stepping back. 'This isn't real. I need to sleep. I need to—'
"This is real, hero," the voice replied. "The reality you perceive is not under any alterations in your brain. Now, come closer."
…
'Okay. Yes.' He limped forward, entering the chamber below the stairs. The sights that he beheld were ones he never thought existed. Murals of an ancient culture, lined in gold, rectangular in design, littered the roof and walls. In the center was a stone, molded carefully, designed perfectly. The light, the natural gold one, lingered right above it. And in the stone itself was an object he only dreamed of. A weapon he thought wa just a myth.
The White Sword.
The Goddess Sword.
The one Hylia herself held while she remained in this world.
An odd chiming noise made the sword flash with a purple light, allowing a familiar figure to spring out of it. Smooth, icy cyan on one half of her body. Shades of purple, black, and gold on the other. Arms hidden below long sleeves, floating like blankets on a windy night. Her heels made no such contact with the ground. Her expression was blank. Her face was wholly made from the smooth cyan material. It was cold. Lifeless. Robotic. "Greetings, Link," she said. Her voice was monotone, but girlish.
It was her. The figure from his dreams. Now sitting in reality.
"I am to understand that your culture has a tradition when speaking orally," she continued, her body utterly stiff. She wasn't even breathing. "That tradition involves making my personal designation known, if my database is correct. I know your name. It is equal for both parties if you understand mine. My creator, Her Grace, the Goddess, named me Fi. She made me in order to assist you on your journey into a foreign land. She made me because she knew you. Link Skye."
He staggered in shock, inching backward. The figure caught on the moment his foot touched the ground again. "I am reading that you are 90% doubtful, five percent anxious, and five percent upset," she said. To put emotion into a simple percentage added to his shock. "It is to my understanding that revealing more information about the given situation will assist in lowering that amount. According to all calculations, when you are 60% calm and 40% focused, you will be compliant. I know something that could potentially reach those amounts in the most efficient time. Precisely, that time is—"
"Stop telling me numbers," he demanded. "Tell me what you know. What, in all of Skyloft, could possibly convince me to go to Hylia knows where to do…. I don't even know!" He stifled a cough or two.
"I see. You are unwilling to wait. I believe that is common among Hylians," she remarked, pausing and looking upward for a moment. Knowing off the bat that she wasn't alive, he guessed she was uploading information of some sort. "There is someone you know intimately. Someone who—"
"Tell me!" he demanded again, marching forward.
"Very well. The spirit maiden, the one you call Zelda… is…."
"…What?"
Fi looked down, right at Link, and ceased her hovering. "She is still alive."
A/N - Dang, am I excited to write about these two. Fi and Link.
I love them together. Not as a ship, but just as a pair. It's perfect.
I don't have much to say in these Author Notes anymore.
Oh, well. I have enough words, anyway.
Have a lovely day, and keep reading if you like this!
-Ebblenubble