In the heat of the moment, Zelda had temporarily taken both of their birds back to Skyloft, not knowing what else to do. Her blue eyes had widened when she'd seen Link falling and falling and falling into the abyss of darkness below. It felt like her heart had stopped beating, like her whole world was turned upside down in that moment. Her heartstrings had pulled. For a moment, she thought she died in the midst of it all.

There was no time to wait.

With the knowledge of his kidnapping, she had headed back to the Academy where Groose was standing in front of the entrance with his gang. Cawlin and Strich were talking about their next great grand plan to overthrow Link and, quite frankly, Zelda had had enough of their immature and obnoxious behavior. When she made herself clear, they instantly stopped what they were doing, though it clearly wasn't fooling anybody, not even the blonde. "Hey! Hey! How's it goin', Zelda?" The redheaded goof propped himself into a gentlemanly posture. Her blue eyes burned with fury. "Oh, move over!" She shouted angrily, pushing him and his bullies aside. She had then entered inside and slammed the door shut behind her; leaving the boys behind to themselves. "What's gotten into her?" Groose asked himself, but no one answered him.

"Father!" She knocked on his door urgently. Impatiently, she burst through and had stumbled in on the Headmaster halfway through his paperwork. Startled, he looks up at her from his desk. "Zelda?" He asked, cautiously, noticing her change of demeanor. Zelda appeared to be in a hurry. She nodded.

"It's Link!He'skidnapped!" She shouts out of breath, hands on her knees and doubling over. "He'sWHAT?" The Headmaster startled, eyes wide with shock. It can't be! He couldn't have heard her right.

"Kidnapped! W - we were flying," she cried, "Just like during practice, but..." Her eyes shone with unshed tears and she bit her lip. "A dark whirlwind came at us, and Link fell off of his Loftwing. I got his Loftwing back, but..." She couldn't say any more because now she was crying.

"A whirlwind, you say?" He asked with interest. His hand stilled on the letter he was reading from Horwell. He can't say he's heard of something like this. It sounded like something straight out of an old fairytale.

"Y - Yes. A big black tornado. I didn't have time to really see what was going on. But the next thing I know. I saw him falling right before me with my own eyes." She said tearfully. "You have to believe me, Father!"

"Zelda—" He held up a hand to stop her.

"Oh, it's all my fault! He's gone because of me! If I had saved him in time, none of this would have ever happened. If I hadn't pushed him, then maybe...then maybe he would still be here with us right now."

He walked over to her sadly. "My daughter—"

"I wish I could've done something." She cried into her hands, to which he came to her side to comfort her. Gaepora seemed to consider this for a moment. "I got our birds back to safety, but Link...Link is..." Her voice felt small and weak suddenly. She had burst into tears; crying onto his shoulder. Gaepora patted her on the back, with a worried expression on his face. When her crying came to a stop, he came forward and faced her eye to eye.

"Easy, Zelda, easy! One at a time!" Her father urged, hands on her shoulders. She hadwiped away her tears and nodded sadly, staring down at her feet. "O - Okay, I'll try..." She choked, trying to even out her breathing.

"There was nothing you could do. You are not to blame here. It sounds to me like he fell. It is not your fault." He said, trying to calm her down.

"But it is! I should have done something! But I didn't." She clenched her fists, as if angered at the thought. "Why? Why didn't I save him? Whycouldn'tI?"

He sighed and seemed to be in deep thought. Like he was heavily debating what to do next.

"I shall report this to everyone." He said.

"But, Father! What about Link?" Zelda asked, worried. Who knows what could be happening to him right now? She needed to get him back home- andfast!

"Well, it's hopeless, isn't it? We can't bring him back. Loftwings can't go below the Surface, you know that."

"Well, I - I refuse to let him go like this! We know he is below the Surface. So we can - "

"Zelda, you know you can't - "

"I know, Father. But if I don't do this, then who will? Do you want Link to die down there?"

"No, but - "

"I have to, Father! What kind of friend am I if I leave him behind? I hurt him once. I won't do it again."

He sighed. He ran a hand through his owl-like hair and said, "I can't say I've ever heard of something like this before."

With a nod, he walked away from her to his window, staring outside of Skyloft. He could see the bright blue skies from here.

Losing Link was like losing his family. He had lost his wife a long time ago. Link was like a son to him and not having him here was hurting Zelda badly. And - as much as he hated to admit it - him, too.

"I suppose there's no other choice," he said sadly."I'm going to give you a tunic of the Gods."

"I'm letting you go."

"B - but, Father—!"

He raised a hand to silence her. "It is a father's choice, Zelda. Under normal circumstances, I would never have allowed you to do something so dangerous." Gaepora says slowly. "But, as you can see, no one else is willing to go down below the Surface to search for Link." Zelda took a moment to truly take in this information. If she would do whatever it takes, then, so be it. Zelda would never let Link die outside of their home. She would go to any lengths to save her best friend. She owed him one for being by her side since they were children.

"But you...you would anything for him, would you?"

She nodded.

He sighed.

"I should've known."

"Outside of Skyloft, the world below is unknown. It's been hundreds and hundreds of years since someone has stepped foot outside of Skyloft. And Link..." He paused. "Zelda, my daughter." He started again. "Are you willing to do this?" Zelda nodded.

"But, Zelda - What if you die down there? Are you sure you want to do this?" This seemed to be a hard decision to make as much for him as it was for her. "Who knows what will happen to you? We might never see each other again."

"Don't worry about me, Father. I want to do this. I don't care how dangerous it is. I want to see Link again. You do, too, don't you?" she asked.

Gaepora had a half smile and nodded.

"Yes. Yes, I do. It... would be lonely without him." He admitted sheepishly.

"I miss him, too. So that's why I'm going to do this." Zelda agreed.

She gave him a hug and let him go.

"Everything's going to be alright. Once I bring him back, everything will go back to normal."

"I know, I know." He said with a heavy sigh.

"I'll be back before you know it." She promised. Famous last words.

"Oh, I hope so. It's just. I - I don't know, Zelda." He said. "I want to believe you, but..."

"Trust me."

He seemed like he had aged ten years. He looked like an old man. But he let her go.

"...Alright. You realize once you're out there, there's no going back?" Zelda nodded again. "Here, I want you to have this." Zelda stared as her father handed her a green tunic and a cap. "It is the last heirloom of our ancient hero." Gaepora said. "I believe in you," He says with a warm smile."Good luck out there, my daughter." Zelda nodded, shutting the door behind her.

"Come,Goddess," a voice echoes throughout the halls."Hylia."