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A/N: Oho, what was I thinking... Weeeeell. Here we are. Grab a bowl of popcorn or somethin' and read on, fellow reader!
"Link," Zelda turned towards him with a blinding smile, almost as bright as the sun. "You know... I wanted to congratulate you on a job well done for quite awhile now. If Groose was the champion for the Wing Ceremony, I don't think I honestly could've handed him the Bird's Statuette so easily." She shook her head with closed eyes, a smile dancing across her lips. She opened them again, and was smirking deviously. Link knew that look. He didn't like what was to come.
"I knew I could believe in you. I hadn't had a doubt in my mind that you could do it." He sheepishly smiled, scratching the back of his head and continued flying.
They were flying together in the skies, just like old times. Zelda laughed and Link couldn't help but smile along with her. He had finally beat Groose at something, and that was to earn Zelda's love and affection.
When she had gifted him the sails cloth, he couldn't be more happier. He was finally proving to be something more; something more than just some student fond of ancient Hylian textbooks. And he had a sword, now. That had to account for something, right?
And the sight. Oh, it was beautiful. In every sense of the word.
Even from this view above Skyloft, the city below was so colorful and so bright. It was welcoming when a fellow student clapped him on the back for his efforts, and a warm smile from the Headmaster when he scored exceptionally on his tests. The other students would deadpan when he aced all the classes. Of course, it came with a price.
As for the bullies...
Urgh. He couldn't think about them without clenching his fist in fury. Even now, he could still see those groonies from a distance, but he wouldn't let that interrupt this moment. He was with his best friend. He was outside. He was finally flying, and acrobatically at that.
He had slowed his flying when he saw the silhouette of something dark growing gradually closer and closer to them. Zelda had her hands over her mouth; blue eyes wide with worry. She, too, had halted her blue bird to a stop. "Stay back!" She urged, trying to pull her Loftwing. The bird screeched, along with it's crimson red counterpart.
The force of the wind was overpowering; to the point where Link was struggling just to stay afoot on his sky bird. A black, monstrous whirlwind had directed itself from Zelda onto him. Without even thinking, he had shielded her like one reminiscent of the Ancient Hero and the Great Goddess Hylia.
Holding onto his bird for dear life, and hoping to Hylia above that they would be OK, he prayed. And prayed some more.
He could hear the distant screaming of Zelda calling out his name, only vaguely remembering his body falling past the sky border and down to the Surface below.
All went black.
