Groose's hair writhed like angry serpents as he watched Link being dragged away. His fists clenched and unclenched, each movement betraying the war between satisfaction and an unexpected hollow ache in his chest. The sight of his former friend in chains should have felt like victory - so why did his throat tighten with every step Link took toward his doom?
Memories of their shared childhood flooded his mind - laughter, rivalry, shared dreams. 'He deserves it,' Groose muttered, but the words rang hollow. For a brief moment, his cocky facade cracked, revealing a lost boy who missed his friend. Quickly, he buried the feeling under a layer of righteous anger. 'He made his choice,' Groose growled, but the tremor in his voice betrayed his uncertainty.
Reluctantly, he retreated with his people, knowing Zelda would ask for his help once they were safe.
Crossing his arms, Groose glared at Zelda. 'You expect me to risk my life for him after what just happened down there?' He gestured angrily at the battlefield's remains.
Later, as they caught their breath behind a barricade, Zelda turned to Groose. 'Why do you hate Link so much?' she asked, her voice tinged with curiosity and concern.
Groose's eyes darkened, his voice thick with emotion. 'It's not just hate, Zelda. It's betrayal. We swore an oath to each other, to protect Skyloft together. But during Eneru's first raid, he left me alone to protect a village. I almost died that day.' Memories of that fateful day flooded backâGroose standing alone, outnumbered, fighting desperately as he waited for the friend who never came.
Zelda met Groose's angry gaze, seeing the hurt and betrayal that mirrored her own internal struggle. But where once she might have faltered, now she stood firm. 'Groose,' she said, her voice low but intense, 'I know you're angry. I am too. But this isn't about Link anymore. It's about who we choose to be.' She gestured to the surrounding chaos. 'We can let this hatred consume us, like it has so many others, or we can be better.' Zelda's eyes blazed with a newfound conviction. 'I choose to be better. To fight for a world where no one has to choose sides. Will you stand with me?' In that moment, Zelda felt the mantle of leadership settle on her shoulders, not as a burden, but as a calling.
"Groose ran a hand through his wild hair, frustration etched on his face. 'You don't understand, Zelda,' he said, his voice rough with emotion. 'He left me. When I needed him most, he wasn't there.' The admission cost him, vulnerability showing through his tough exterior. But as he met Zelda's determined gaze, something shifted within him. 'I wanted to hate him,' Groose continued, his voice softening. 'It was easier than admitting I missed him.' He took a deep breath, squaring his shoulders. 'I can't forgive him. Not yet. But... I won't let him die either.' In that moment, Groose felt a weight lift from his shoulders, the first step towards reconciliation with his own conflicted heart.
Zelda left her hand on Groose's arm, her touch grounding him in the midst of his turmoil. 'I know it's hard, but we can't let our anger cloud our judgment. Link needs our help, now more than ever.'
A flicker of uncertainty crossed Groose's features, his resolve wavering. 'Fine,' he grumbled reluctantly, his fists unclenching at his sides. 'But this is for him, not for you."
The ancient vessel creaked at the edge of the White-White Sea, where clouds met empty air. Below, through gaps in the vapor, the endless Blue Sea glittered like scattered jewels - beautiful and deadly to Sky Island dwellers.
Link struggled against the coarse ropes binding him to the mast. Hemp fibers bit deeper with each movement, painting his wrists crimson. Beyond the creaking hull, the vast expanse of cloud stretched endlessly, a cruel reminder of his isolation and impending fate.
Link tested each rope binding him to the mast, mapping escape routes with the same methodical precision Ganfar had taught him. But instead of his mentor's steady voice, he heard only Zelda's final warning echoing in his mind, and Groose's bitter accusations cutting deeper than any restraint.
Thunder growled through the chamber like an angry loftwing, reminding Link of Crimson's warning calls before storms. But this time, his faithful partner wouldn't come swooping down from the clouds to save him. With each passing moment, the ship groaned and shuddered, teetering on the brink of its final descent. Eneru had ordered his men to find the nearest ship that was scheduled to fall from the sky.
He couldn't blame Groose for his actions; loyalty to his people ran deep in his friend's veins. Link's thoughts drifted to his companions; his heart was heavy with concern. At least Crimson had flown away before he was captured. His partner was free.
His eyes burned from salt spray and exhaustion, reality blurring until the mast became a forest tree, the ropes transformed to vines, and consciousness slipped through his fingers like morning mist.
In the hazy realm of dreams, he found himself engulfed in a dense fog, the air thick with anticipation and danger. Shadows danced at the edges of his vision, taunting him with glimpses of a looming threat. The echoes of a battle broke the silence as a massive, red-scaled beast inched closer, its gaping maw gleaming with shark-like teeth. It let out a loud roar, and Link felt a sensation of falling, dropping into its waiting maw.
A familiar screech shattered Link's nightmare. Above, Crimson's crimson form cut through the clouds, two smaller figures clinging to his feathers - figures Link had never dared hope to see again.
Chaos ensued as judgment loomed. A loud creaking pierced the sky. A battered ship emerged from the dense clouds, its frame descending toward the ocean. Groose's eyes widened in horror. 'Link!' he yelled, barely audible over the roaring wind.
Zelda's determined eyes locked onto Groose. 'We have to move now!' she shouted, pulling him along. They raced towards the plummeting ship, knowing every second counted. Using borrowed skyskates, they followed Link's bird companion, creating new paths through the sky. As they boarded the ancient vessel, its descent caused the wooden planks to groan and tremble. Zelda quickly spotted Link, still bound, struggling to maintain his balance amid the ship's violent sways.
Zelda's voice cut through the chaos like a knife. 'We've got minutes, Groose! Cut him loose or we all go down!"
Zelda sprinted to starboard, while Groose scrambled to the port side. They battled the turbulent currents with each step. Groose's knuckles turned white as he gripped the railing, inching towards Link with labored breaths.
The deck crumbled beneath each step like ancient parchment, years of sky-rot revealed in layers of splitting wood. Zelda danced between the gaps, while Groose's heavier frame forced him to chart a more precarious path, each creak promising betrayal.
Relentless winds battered them, debris cutting and bruising their skin. Groose cried out as a stray plank struck his shoulder. Despite the searing pain, he gritted his teeth and clung to the railing, his grip nearly slipping.
'Groose!' Zelda's voice rang out, her eyes wide with concern. Groose met her gaze. Pain etched on his face, but with unwavering determination, he used his long hair to anchor himself to the railing, refusing to yield.
As Groose inched closer to Link, memories flashed through his mind - their childhood rivalry, the bitter sting of betrayal, and now, this moment of crisis. With each precarious step, Groose felt his anger giving way to a different emotion - fear. Not just fear of the plummeting ship, but fear of losing Link forever, of words left unsaid and bridges left unbuilt. 'I've got you!' he yelled, his voice cracking with emotion as he reached Link. As he fumbled with the ropes, Groose locked eyes with his old friend.
"'Don't you dare die on me," Groose growled, his wild hair curling protectively around Link's shoulders even as the ship groaned beneath them. The familiar gesture caught him off guard - his body remembering a friendship for his mind had tried so hard to forget.
The ship's timbers groaned like dying beasts as they plunged through the clouds. The sea below transformed from a distant mirror to a hungry maw, its white-capped waves reaching up to swallow them whole. With each passing heartbeat, the surface rushed closer, individual whitecaps sharpening into deadly teeth.
Wind shrieked through the rigging, carrying the clash of burning wood and salt spray. Their heartbeats vanished beneath nature's fury.
The wind changed tactics, abandoning its steady assault to hammer the ship's bow. Zelda's fingers scraped bloody trails across the deck as she slid, while Groose's hair whipped uselessly against the gale, its usual strength nothing against nature's fury. Link, his hands still tied, managed to hold on to a frayed rope; and prevent himself from being swept away.
Zelda's boots slid on the rain-slick deck as she fought her way to the mast. The rusted lever jutted from the wood like a broken bone, its surface rough beneath her forceful grip.
"Hold on!" she shouted to the others. The prow of the ship dipped dangerously as they approached the rocking waves. Zelda's stomach lurched; the ocean's surface rose up to meet them. She had only seconds to act. With trembling hands, she reached for the lever. Gritting her teeth, she pulled with all her might. The sails jerked partway before jamming. She knew they needed more than just luck to survive this. The ship's sails, worn and torn, unfurled, slowing their descent slightly. They were still falling too fast. Bracing herself, she stared ahead - this was probably the end.
As the ship neared the ocean's surface, Zelda, with a quick glance at Groose, shouted, "Brace for impact!" The ancient ship crashed into the water with a deafening roar, sending a colossal wave in all directions.
Link strained against his bonds, the coarse rope biting into his skin. His breath came in ragged gasps, not from exertion, but from the overwhelming guilt that threatened to crush him. He watched helplessly as Zelda and Groose risked everything for him, their determined faces etched with a bravery he felt he no longer deserved. I warned them of the danger, Link agonized. Yet here they are, fighting to the end. The ship careened wildly, but Link kept his eyes on his friends. Whatever happened next, he vowed not to waste their sacrifice.
Just before they crashed, Link saw a nearby ship almost directly below them. Knowing that he and Groose couldn't survive the waters for long, he shouted, "Crimson, get help!"
The sea rose to meet them with infinite patience, each wave crest etched sharp as memory. Across the splintering deck, Zelda caught Groose's eye, then Link's. Three children who once raced across the clouds, now falling together. Three promises made beneath Hylia's statue, about to be tested by the waiting waves.
Link's shout was lost to the wind as the bow of the ship kissed the waves, sending up a plume of spray that glittered like diamonds in the sunlight. Then, with a deafening roar, they plunged into the waiting embrace of the sea.
The splintered hull surrendered to the sea's embrace. Water rushed in like a hungry beast, transforming their world into chaos. Zelda's arms carved desperate paths through the surge, each stroke a battle against the current's growing strength. Luckily, a piece of driftwood floated by her grasping hands as she swam above the surface.
The ocean claimed Groose with intimate cruelty, transforming his wild hair from weapon to anchor. Each crimson strand grew heavy as iron, dragging him down into a darkness that pulsed with the same rhythm as Ganfar's war drums. His last sight was a green figure diving towards him as his eyes lowered to blackness.