Oh no, Birdie, I'm glad you were finally able to see it! I've had that same problem with reviews a couple of times, actually, they just vanish when I refresh the page, then turn up again later. So if I miss someone's review, I apologise!

And, I'm so glad you loved it! All the different parts, the impact... so glad it worked! =D

Updated Note: Yep, the reviews are still being flaky too, I missed that yours was also here, Mimi! Quickly updating and hoping you see the updated version of this chapter rather than the original, haha. Very glad you enjoyed it, too... all the trauma in that chapter (and Owlan recognising a problem and stepping in!) seems to have come across exactly as intended, which is really great to hear!

Chapter 66: The Song of Dedication

Slowly, slowly, the nightmare began to fade. The warm water against his skin registered again, heated by the ovens below; the rippling of the water as it flowed from and into unseen pipes; the familiar muffled sounds of the Academy going about its daily life; loftwings calling in the sky outside. Feeling incredibly drained, Link slowly lowered his hands slightly and opened his eyes.

That Fi was floating beside him, not-quite-kneeling just above the surface of the water with her head not far from his own, came as no surprise.

"Thanks, Fi…"

Taking a shuddering breath, he splashed his face, then ran dripping hands down it, washing away stickiness along with what felt like a residue of horror. The all-consuming hunger he had faced still existed, still waited below the clouds and filled his recent memories, but it no longer devoured his every thought. For now, he was far from it, in the Knight Academy, his loftwing pacing concerned-anxious-afraid-relieved somewhere outside, and all he needed to do was speak to Headmaster Gaepora about ancient songs… as soon as he could. How long had he been there?

"...Fi, could you…"

With the return of something more like normality had come a certain amount of self-conscious embarrassment. Inclining her head, Fi 'stood' and retreated, drifting backwards away from the bath, dropping to the level of the floor once she was no longer over it. Near the entrance, she considered for an instant, then rotated 180 degrees, turning implausibly in the air to put her back to Link.

"Are this position and orientation suitable, Master?"

"Yeah." Despite his relief that she hadn't left, or perhaps because of it; because of his gratitude to her for being there for him, her voice and presence the one sliver of comfort he could still hold on to in the blackness of horror, his embarrassment redoubled. "If- if that's okay with you. I really… I'm really grateful you came here for me. It… ...helped." He had no words to express how much; could only hope that Fi, aware of his thoughts to at least some extent, could tell.

"You are welcome. My purpose is to assist you."

"I'm still grateful." Not sure he could have explained his thoughts to her if he'd tried, Link sighed, looking down into the water for the soap he'd been holding. However long he'd been sitting there, it had been long enough for it to turn into something of a mushy lump, and he grimaced, scooping it up and depositing it on the side, using the residue on his hands to quickly finish washing. Fi said nothing, infinitely patient, still facing away as he climbed out and began to dry himself off. She rotated as he moved, keeping her back turned to him until he brushed past the curtain to the changing room.

Someone, presumably Instructor Owlan, had brought him a change of uniform and even a pair of boots. A strip of paper resting atop them proved it: Link picked it up to read

"These should be about your size. Your spare pair weren't in your room. -Owlan"

Not only had the instructor saved him from the crowd of fellow students and taken a message to the headmaster for him, he'd also bothered to search Link's room for his spare boots, then fetch a pair from the Academy stores? Link's gratitude to his teacher went up another notch, and he dressed quickly, pulling the boots on last. He would have wanted a second pair of socks before fighting in them, he guessed, but for walking around the Academy they would be fine.

Turning, Link was unsurprised to find Fi floating near the sword, watching him once again.

"We'd better go and see Headmaster Gaepora. Are you ready?"

In reply, Fi vanished back into the sword in a flash of light, with that half-felt, half-heard chime.

I am always ready, Master.

Link picked the sword up and strapped it back on, buckling belt and baldric securely together. He crossed back to the door and hesitated for a moment before beginning to lift his hand to the handle, then paused again.

"Thanks for everything, Fi."

The spirit of the sword said nothing, but Link knew she had heard. Gathering his resolve to face the Academy again, he opened the door and stepped out.

The corridor was, thankfully, relatively quiet, and although he was definitely seen – one group of students from the class below pointed at him and immediately began whispering to one another – no-one approached him. Relieved to not be immediately mobbed, Link hurried to the headmaster's office, knocking loudly on the heavy door.

"Come in."

Easing the door open and closing it quietly behind him, Link found Headmaster Gaepora and Father Kaeber both standing by the bookcases, a pile of old-looking books stacked on the headmaster's desk. Seeing them together, Link was struck by how alike they looked: Kaeber was slightly slimmer than Gaepora, and despite being also largely bald had a little more hair remaining; he had no moustache and a bit more of a beard; but it would have been obvious they were brothers even if Link hadn't already known.

"Blessings of the goddess on you, young Link," Father Kaeber greeted him.

"And welcome back," Headmaster Gaepora said. "It's good to see you all in one piece. Instructor Owlan said you'd had a hard time of it."

Link glanced away. How could he speak of the horror he'd faced? How could he even begin to explain it? "I… I'll write a report about it, Headmaster." He swallowed, pressing on. "The thing Fi called the shadow of apocalypse… it's trapped outside the temple, the one I landed at the first time. But it's breaking free. We stopped it, for now. But, to do anything more, I'm supposed to find a way to temper my sword in 'sacred flames'." He glanced over his shoulder at the pale hilt, reassuring in its simple presence. "The old lady, Mahra Impa, said there were supposed to be clues hidden in our oldest songs of worship, because the Sheikah hadn't been told about them in case… Ghirahim found out."

Father Kaeber listened almost wide-eyed, glancing once at Headmaster Gaepora, who was following Link's words every bit as intently.

"That last part Instructor Owlan told me," Gaepora mused, "but, hmm, sacred flames…"

At the repetition of the phrase, Father Kaeber abruptly interjected, almost talking over his brother. "Sacred flames, or perhaps the flames of virtue? Courage; Wisdom; Power: these are the sacred virtues, dear to the goddess, as well as to the Golden Goddesses themselves."

"But the flames of virtue… That's a line from the melody of dedication, isn't it?" Gaepora's voice rose, excited. "You and I sat down with Zelda and talked her through the full lyrics and the song's history, even though we don't sing it fully at the Wing Ceremony! Now, what was that line? I never was much of a singer…"

"Father Kaeber, do you know?" Link interrupted. He couldn't help himself.

"I do believe I do, young Link." Father Kaeber cleared his throat, perhaps just a little pleased to have outdone his brother in something.

"Chosen of the goddess,
Must yet seek virtue's flame,
Finds sibling sails that catch the wind,
And shows them both the way.

A bright tower a beacon,
Our goddess' radiant heart,
Keeps the song the chosen's seeking,
So shows to him the path."

His singing voice was a mellow baritone, volume perfectly chosen to fill the room without overwhelming his audience: a lifetime of singing the goddess' praise had given him excellent training.

Chosen of the goddess must yet seek virtue's flame- "That has to be it!" Link faltered, aware he'd just spoken across both of them again, but the two older men only looked at him kindly, Father Kaeber gesturing for him to continue. "Father Kaeber, please, will you write it down for me?"

"Of course. I'm always glad to be able to show the younger generation something of the goddess' love… never mind if it will help you in a holy quest. Why, when Gaepora first came and told me, I almost couldn't believe it. Chosen by the goddess…"

Link shifted his weight slightly, uncomfortable.

"So what about the rest, then?" Headmaster Gaepora asked. "Sibling sails, and so forth? A bright tower, a beacon, sounds a bit like the Light Tower over on Skyloft; there's nothing quite like it anywhere in the sky. But we have plenty of siblings here in this very academy with sailcloths."

"Ah," Father Kaeber said, holding up a finger. "But sailcloths typically ride the wind, rather than catch it. Besides, if this truly is the clue we're looking for, then it would have to be a set of sails that could be expected to last a thousand years."

"You're right," Headmaster Gaepora mused. "Well, I suppose that narrows it down. What on this island has lasted a thousand years, physically or metaphorically? The Wing Ceremony, of course, metaphorically. The Goddess Statue on her island, physically. The Light Tower, now that I think about it. Some of the plumbing, believe it or not."

"What?" Link had to ask.

"Oh, the Academy plumbing is quite ancient, as is the heart of the building itself. It's said our ancestors were helped to build it by robots, like the one you found on the surface, in olden times. Not just the plumbing, either: a lot of things that require electricity date back…" He trailed off, thinking.

"Headmaster?"

"And all the electricity," the Headmaster mused, "comes from the windmills. Oh, most of them are newer by various centuries, but the first two… I wonder if you shouldn't take a look at them. Supposedly the builders of those windmills, and the Light Tower, spoke to the goddess herself."

"So the sacred texts tell us," Father Kaeber confirmed. "For before the goddess first sent her people into the sky, she would even walk amongst them, radiant in her love for us. Only to protect us did she set herself apart, in raising our islands to where we live today, and it was in her name and by her wish that all those first buildings were built."

Fi briefly assessed the utility of imparting additional information against the probability of a negative effect on the emotional states of all present, and decided against it.

"Sibling sails that catch the wind and have lasted a thousand years… you couldn't get much closer than a pair of windmills," Headmaster Gaepora went on. "If it does refer to the Light Tower, then it only seems reasonable that the other element might be buildings on the same island. And if it does mean those windmills, then it's likely the rest will become clearer once you've examined them and the Light Tower."

"I'll write the song down this instant so you can take it with you," Father Kaeber declared, excited. "Gaepora, may I use your desk?"

"Of course!"

Father Kaeber quickly settled himself in the big chair, taking up a pen and writing swiftly in an elegant, flowing script. Verse after verse trailed from his pen, without recourse to any of the books nearby: he had, seemingly, committed the song to memory. When he'd finished, he blotted the paper quickly, then held it out to Link.

"There you are," he said as Link accepted the proffered notes. "Most remarkable… I never would have dreamt that our song of dedication might hold a secret for you within its stories. It tells several of them, you know, and they can each be seen from multiple angles. If you have time in the future, I'd be more than happy to discuss them with you."

"Thank you, Father Kaeber," Link said, glancing quickly over the lyrics in his hand. The section they'd discussed had been helpfully highlighted by a vertical line in the margin, but it was clear that the song went on for a lot longer. "Headmaster… may I investigate the windmills before I write my report?"

"Of course, Link. After all, we don't even know yet that it is those windmills, or even this song. The sooner we can gather enough evidence to know one way or the other, the better. I very much want to hear your report, or at least read it, but… It seems as though it would do you good to put some more time between it and events, as well."

Link nodded, grateful to the Headmaster for the restraint he could hear in his voice. "Thank you, Headmaster. And thank you, Father Kaeber. Thank you both very much."

I wasn't quite sure where this one was going to stop right up until I got to the end of it and thought actually, no, that's a pretty fine place for a pause. And I still made it almost on time, too! Also, look, Gaepora still remembers Link exists and has problems even though his daughter is still missing.

Patch Notes
- Most knowledgeable man in the sky no longer incapable of solving basic riddle solved easily by other residents of Skyloft.
- Basic riddle made slightly less basic and much less blatant-set-of-instructions-anyone-could-try; converted to singable form in current language. (I don't know if the original lines were a bit more singable in Japanese?)
- Song now notably longer than literally just two verses one of which is instructions.
- Gaepora doesn't actually know everything. Just lots of things.
- Headmaster no longer listens to entire explanation before noting how hard things must be for Zelda and tacking on "and it can't be too easy for you now either, can it" like an afterthought. Especially not right after what is now the hunger argh.
- Reason implied for the highly implausible endlessly running bathwater on waterless tiny island to actually work.