He'd won!
His heart soared. He'd been expecting to win (maybe he'd been little worried about Morro, but he'd still been expecting to win in the end), but that didn't make winning any less exhilarating. Now he'd be in the same class as his friends! And he'd get his night flying license and so many other cool things.
As he flew back towards Skyloft, the crowd was cheering wildly for him. Some were even chanting his name. Zelda was at the edge of the diving platform, beaming, her harp clutched in one hand and waving with the other. He was supposed to take her to the Great Goddess Statue now to complete the ceremony.
Lloyd actually was kind of cloudy about this next bit. He knew he was supposed to go on one knee for the blessing, but the rest of it was a blank. Someone had probably told him at some point, but he'd been more focused on the race part of the ceremony. Or maybe it was just a little speech and the blessing and there was nothing else to it. Surely someone would have very clearly emphasized if there was more Lloyd had to do. This next part had Zelda playing the bigger role. And if there was something else he was supposed to do she'd tell him. Not like there would be anyone else around to point and laugh. It would be fine.
He saw Zelda gesturing him to go low. She must want to hop on without Lloyd having to land. Alright, that would smooth things along. It also meant he wouldn't have to deal with Groose and Morro for a little longer. He didn't think Morro would start a fight in front of the crowd, that would only make him look worse, but it still wouldn't be a pleasant interaction.
With practiced precision, he swooped down, catching the girl in his arms after she jumped from the platform. His loftwing dipped slightly under the new weight before straightening again. Her laughter mingled with the wind, her golden hair flowing against the sky. He shifted Zelda so she could sit on the saddle in front of him.
"Great flying, Lloyd!" she exclaimed, leaning forward, her smile wide and genuine. "Congratulations!"
"Thanks," Lloyd chuckled. He ran a hand through his bird's soft green feathers. "He did great. I wasn't half bad either." Zelda, blue eyes sparkling, playfully nudged at him.
"Now we'd better get on with the ceremony," Zelda asserted, not losing the lightness to her tone despite moving to a more serious matter. Lloyd noticed that Zelda's bird was now trailing gracefully behind them. The royal purple bird was staying close to her rider in case she was needed. Lloyd thought she looked as pleased with his victory as her rider.
"Right," Lloyd nodded, turning to head towards the towering statue.
A momentary image of Groose being the one to fly Zelda to the statue flashed through his mind. It sent a wave of revulsion through him. Not that that would have happened under any circumstance. Zelda would have flown herself to the statue if Groose had somehow won. She was only catching a ride with Lloyd because it was him. It made him feel warm. And his heart filled with a quiet, somewhat smug triumph that he'd spared her the indignity of having to deal with that lunkhead.
Only a couple minutes later they were hopping down onto the platform created by the giant stone statue's clasped hands. It was a larger space than he'd expected. He'd seen it at a distance before, but this was his first time actually standing here. This place was sacred, for ceremonies and such, you couldn't just hang out on the Goddess Statue. Their birds ascended to circle above the statue, ever the watchful guardians.
Zelda turned to him, holding out her hand. "Lloyd, give me the bird statuette you grabbed in the race. I must offer it to the goddess."
Lloyd nodded, handing her the statue. The figure depicted the very first loftwing, its feathers painted a deep cyan and wingtips a blue and woody pink. It was a tangible piece of history, a reminder of the ancient bond. There was a small hollow in the goddess statue for the figure to be placed. The offering was a reminder that it was the goddess who had given them their winged companions. Divine gifts.
Well, she was the one who had stuck them in the sky in the first place. She had to give us some way to get around. Lloyd flinched at the blasphemous thought, instantly regretting it. That was Yiga talk. The kind of talk that drove families apart and sent people jumping to their deaths. Lloyd knew better. This was a ceremony for heaven's sake. What was wrong with him?
Thankfully, Zelda still had her back to him as she adjusted the bird figure into its proper place, and she hadn't seen Lloyd's wince. She would have asked what was wrong.
Zelda's fingers strummed her harp's strings, silken music filling the air. It was a very graceful, melodious instrument. Harps were reserved for ceremonies and rituals, so its music had a very special, sacred feel. The song was different from the one she'd played that morning, and she didn't sing the words aloud. She was probably silently praying though.
When the final note faded, Zelda turned to Lloyd, her expression now more solemn. She slipped her harp into her side bag then extended her hand to him, palm up. Knowing what to do for this part, Lloyd dropped to one knee. He placed his hand in hers and bowed his head for the blessing.
"Great goddess," Zelda recited. "guiding light and protector of our people, grant us your blessing and mercy as I act in your stead during this ceremony." Lloyd could feel her eyes shifting to look down at him, though his bowed head obscured her face. "Valiant youth who grasped victory at the celebration of the bird folk… In accordance with the old ways… I now bestow the blessing of the goddess upon you." Lloyd was impressed Zelda had memorized all this so well. He would have stumbled at least once. "The blessings of the goddess drift down from the heavens aloft a sail, which I now pass to you."
Zelda withdrew her hand, and he heard cloth rustling. Looking up, Lloyd saw she was holding out to him a neatly folded green cloth with gold thread. In its center was the face of a golden dragon. His sailscloth! That was right, this was where he got it.
The sailscloth was another prize for winning the race. It wasn't something Lloyd had been super excited for; he'd always managed fine without one. But his friends all had one, minus Nya, so he still wanted one. And it was useful, being able to jump off his bird at higher heights. A nice convenience item. And it was his favorite color! With his favorite legendary creature! Was that a coincidence or…?
Lloyd sprang up, eagerly accepting the sailscloth. "Cool!" He experimentally secured it to his shoulders, fabric draping behind him, leaving the dragon symbol visible on his back. It smelled nice too, flowery, like, er, um, well that wasn't important. When he got a compatible shirt, he'd be able to clip the sailscloth to his shirt like a hood when not in use. "Sweet," he declared, striking a pose. "I look great in this."
"Lloyd," Zelda chided, but her lips twitched in amusement. "Stop goofing off. This is supposed to be a sacred ritual you know." Her lighthearted tone dulled any edge to the scolding. She was fine with it. But at the same time, she was right, he should probably act a little more composed, even without an audience watching.
"Right, sorry," Lloyd said, straightening his back.
"You know, they say that the goddess gave the sailscloth to her chosen hero long ago," Zelda mused. "Of course, the one you're holding isn't the same one." She glanced up at their birds abashedly. "I've been working hard to finish making this sailscloth in time for today. I'm sure you can tell I designed it with you in mind. I'm really glad I got to give it to you."
"You made this?!" Lloyd exclaimed, very impressed. For him? The sailscloth suddenly became a lot more precious in his mind. Thank Hylia he'd won the race. The thought Morro getting this sailscloth instead did weird things to his stomach. "Was this what you kept hiding from me when I walked in?" He'd been wondering what it was she kept stashing away when he got too close.
Zelda nodded. "Yep, the art of weaving sailscloths has been passed down through my family for generations. Make sure you take good care of it, okay?"
"I will," Lloyd promised. "Did you make Nya's- er, whoever the winner of the other race will be's-" he was 95% sure Nya would be the winner "-sailscloth too?"
"No," Zelda shook her head. "my father made the other one. I wouldn't have had time to make both. I'm still newer to it, it takes me considerably longer than it does for him."
Hearing that his gift was unique made a quiet swell of satisfaction bloom in Lloyd's chest. It was illogical and too embarrassing to say aloud. It wasn't as if it would have changed anything if she'd made Nya's too. It was stupid that it felt otherwise. "Well, it looks great, thank you."
"You're welcome," Zelda replied with a smile. She brushed back one of her braids. "Thanks for making it up here to do this with me today like you promised, Lloyd."
Lloyd grinned back. "Well, I'm not one to break my promises."
Zelda clasped her hands behind her back, posture deceptively casual, and took a deliberate step closer. "Now, we really should finish this ritual… You…" She took another step, closing the distance between them. "do know what happens at the end, right?"
No. Lloyd had no idea what happened at the end. Blessing, sailscloth, what else could be left? A nervous flutter erupted in his stomach, a strange mix of panic and anticipation. His thoughts were a whirlwind. Why was she getting so close? Was she- no, that couldn't be part of the ceremony. Maybe she-
Zelda put her hands on her hips, eyes narrowing playfully. "And just what are you thinking?" He didn't know what he was thinking. What was she implying? "Don't be silly. This is your big moment, Lloyd." She closed the remaining distance, so that she was a mere inch from his face, and he instinctively moved back a bit. He could feel her breath.
Grinning widely, Zelda spun Lloyd around and pushed him forward to the edge of the platform looking down at Skyloft. "You have to jump off the statue!"
What?
"Look down," Zelda instructed. "you see that big round design on the courtyard?" He did. He'd seen the gold circle haloing the stones countless times, but he'd always assumed they were purely decorative. "To finish the ceremony, you need to drop down right into the center of it!"
Why was that the end of the ceremony? What was it meant to represent? You'd think the end of the ceremony would involve flying, not falling. They weren't meant to be jumping to the nonexistent Surface or anything like that. Was it meant to represent jumping to Skyloft? Maybe. That kind of fit. It was literally what he was doing. Or maybe a symbolic leap of faith? Like you trust the goddess' gift to keep you from dying horribly, a mangled corpse splattered against the stone, from a ten-story drop. Okay, yeah, that made sense. Not very symbolic though. A very literal act really.
"...So, ready to jump?" Zelda questioned. "You know how to use a sailscloth, right?"
"I do," Lloyd confirmed. "I've used one a few times." They'd done drills with them before. This was a big leap though... He'd jumped/fallen greater distances than this, but those had been in the open sky, with nothing underneath him but his bird. He was a bit nervous to make such a big jump with solid, hard land beneath him. But also excited.
"Great!" Zelda cheered. "Off you go then!" And suddenly he was tumbling over the edge and the ground was rushing up to meet him. She'd pushed him! Again! That was the second time today! At least this time he wasn't in serious danger of dying.
It turned out all the normal rules of skydiving still applied. He spread his limbs, maximizing air resistance, wind buffeting his body. He tilted slightly to aim for the center circle in the courtyard, the target growing ever larger. The circle was about five feet in diameter so it wouldn't be too tricky to hit. With precise timing, he unfurled the sailscloth. The fabric blossomed above him, a vibrant green, the dragon symbol a flashing gold in the sunlight. The magic imbued in the cloth helped to slow his descent even quicker than a normal parachute and he easily dropped gently to the ground. Right in the center. Perfect.
Despite his stellar landing, he was still a little disoriented from the unexpected plunge, so it took him a second to register the purple feathers and flapping wings as Zelda landed on her bird a short distance away.
Zelda, golden hair bouncing, rushed up to him with sparkling eyes. "That was perfect!" She gave a little clap. "You're amazing, Lloyd!"
"It was pretty good," Lloyd agreed, warmth filling his chest. Then a slight blush crept up his face. "I don't know about 'amazing', but good enough for me."
The radiant smile that had lit Zelda's face just moments before softened, fading into a more subdued expression. Her hands, which had been animatedly gesturing, now lowered and clasped in front of her. Lloyd heard his own bird landing behind him, but he kept his eyes on Zelda, a little confused by her change in demeanor.
"You know, Lloyd," Zelda started, fingers fidgeting. "Seeing as how you won today… And with the weather being so nice…" she met his gaze. "You think maybe you'd like to, you know, go fly around the clouds together? Before Nya's race. Everything will be pretty hectic after."
Lloyd's eyes widened a bit. She was right. After Nya's race, they'd be expected to celebrate with everyone else. They wouldn't be able to have anymore… private moments today if they didn't take the chance now. They still had about forty-five minutes before Nya's race was scheduled to start. That was enough for a short flight. "Yeah," he replied quickly. "Sure. Let's do it."
As they headed to the academy's diving platform so they could head to the eastern skies, they almost crashed into Nya, Kai, and Cole, who had absolutely been spying on the ritual from afar.
"Well, well, well, where are you two going?" Kai asked with a smirk.
"We're going for a quick fly before Nya's race," Lloyd answered, refusing to be drawn in by Kai's teasing. "Don't worry, we'll make it back in time."
"Where will you be flying?" Cole asked, thankfully not piling on with Kai's ribbing. "We should know where to look if we need to. You can't go too far out."
"We aren't," Zelda assured. "We'll just be around the skies by butterfly island." She turned to Nya. "Don't worry, I would never miss your race. Especially when I have my part to play. You feel ready?"
"Oh, I was born ready," Nya declared boldly. "I'll be the one up on that statue with you soon," She waved them off. "Have fun you two. And you flew great, Lloyd. You earned that win. Not even Morro could argue that."
"I'm sure he'll try," Lloyd mumbled. But maybe he'd be left alone for at least a few days as his cousin processed the embarrassment.
"Pfft," Kai scoffed. "You're one of the best fliers in Skyloft and everyone knows it." The taller boy ruffled Lloyd's hair and Lloyd puffed in protest. "Have fun on your little private fly. We can party after Nya's race."
Once he and Zelda were in the skies, the open air was a peaceful sanctuary. After all the day's chaos, it was a very welcome change. For a while, they flew in companionable silence. Or, rather, Lloyd enjoyed the silence. Zelda seemed distracted, lost in thought. Well, it had been an eventful day after all.
Zelda's silence didn't last too long though. "…Lloyd? Hey, Lloyd!"
He turned back to look at her. Their birds were very close. She was slightly behind him so that her bird's wings didn't hit his. "Yeah?" he replied curiously, wondering what she'd been stewing about.
"Today was amazing," she said earnestly. "Watching you win the race and performing the ritual together… I'll always remember this. It really was wonderful."
"Yeah," Lloyd nodded, a blanket of contentment settling over him. "I'll always remember it too. You were a great goddess. This was… a really good day."
But then, Zelda's gaze flickered away, her eyes darting downwards as if she'd spotted something amidst the lazy clouds below. Lloyd didn't see anything. When she looked back at him, her expression was uncertain. "You know… Lloyd…" she began hesitantly. She glanced away again, a silent internal struggle playing out on her face. Then, she met his gaze, her eyes filled with resolve. "There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about…"
Before Lloyd could voice his concerned inquiry, a blinding flash of light erupted before them, like a miniature sun exploding in the sky. A shockwave of raw, violent wind slammed into them, buffeting their Loftwings, sending them into a panicked frenzy of squawks and desperate wingbeats. Lloyd's breath hitched in his throat, his eyes wide with mute horror. A colossal, swirling vortex of black and brown winds had materialized out of thin air, a monstrous tornado like nothing he'd ever seen before. Where in the heavens had that come from? There had been no forecast for storms! And the winds had been calm a second ago! Storms didn't come out of nowhere like that!
With a frantic surge of adrenaline, Lloyd pulled back on his bird with all his might, but the winds were drawing them closer to the monstrous tower of winds. Panic began setting in. They could NOT get sucked into that thing. Not even a Loftwing could handle that. They'd be torn to pieces, or thrown from their mounts and there would be no way for their birds to catch them.
"What is that?!" Zelda shrieked. Lloyd's blood turned to ice as he realized Zelda's Loftwing, struggling valiantly, was being inexorably pulled towards the swirling abyss. Lloyd was managing to stay in place, fingers going white just to keep himself from being ripped off his bird, but Zelda's bird was losing the fight against the unnatural wind. "What in the world is happening?!"
And then, a scream ripped through the air, a sound that would forever etch itself into Lloyd's nightmares. Zelda, nearly brushing against the swirling, visible winds of the tornado, was violently wrenched from her Loftwing. "Lloyd!" she screamed, her eyes wide with a terror that mirrored his own, as she wasn't just falling, but being sucked downwards by the dark, swirling clouds below.
All logic exited Lloyd's head and turned into just one thought: save Zelda. He stopped fighting the monstrous winds, plunging into a reckless, hopeless dive. The swirling black clouds instantly swallowed him, obscuring all sight. He felt a sharp, jarring impact against his head, followed by a searing pain in his side, but he ignored it, continuing to press the dive. He had to find her. She had to be okay! She had to!
A deafening boom, like the loudest thunder, reverberated through his skull, and he lost his grip on his bird. Something hit him, maybe his bird, turning the world into a chaotic smear. He was being thrown through the air, with no idea of what was up and down and no clue as to where his bird had gone.
'We're both going to die today', Lloyd realized numbly. Then the regret came crashing in, even as his consciousness began to dim and the pain from his injuries and strained muscles spiked. This was supposed to be a happy day. Everyone was going to be so sad. If only he could have done something, anything, to save Zelda at least… But the darkness closed in, and the world faded into nothingness.