He was asleep. He knew that he was asleep, the inky darkness that was his dreaming realm pointing that out clearly. And yet, he felt like he was wide awake, his eyes looking around him. Nothing penetrated the inky darkness. Then, a garbled female voice, monotonic in nature, spoke up, it's words unintelligible. And yet, he somehow just knew what was being said.
“This is a tale that you humans have passed down through uncounted generations... “
In front of him, light shown, mimicking the appearance of parchment, with a specific frame around it.
“It tells of a war of unmatched scale and ferocity, the likes of which would never be seen again.“
A dark shape with what looked like three horns on top of the head, and an open mouth spread in a manic grin appeared. As the voice continued to speak, red appeared in the blackness, showing eyes. Then, more monstrous shapes appeared behind it.
“One dark, fateful day, the earth cracked wide and malevolent forces rushed forth from the fissure.They mounted a brutal assault upon the surface people, driving the land into deep despair... “
As these words were spoken, the picture seemed to move away to show a clear space, which then filled with the monstrous shapes again, this time with the addition of weapons and flames.
“They burnt forests to ash, choked the land's sweet springs, and murdered without hesitation.”
The picture moved, showing more flames, but the monstrous shapes changed to different shapes, not quite understandable. Yet, he had the feeling that he knew exactly what they were, and felt his stomach turn at the thought in his head. Finally, the flames and shapes were moved out of the frame as more words were spoken.
“They did all this in their lust to take the ultimate power protected by Her Grace, the goddess.”
New shapes took over the page, and he immediately recognized the first shape shown, having seen it before. It was a picture of Hylia, the goddess who had made Skyloft, which was his home. And he was sure that it was her, the harp she held easily recognizable, though he'd never seen a picture of her holding a swords as well. Behind her, several more shapes were coming into being, all of them strange in their looks, for none of them held a human like facade to them.
Soon, a small part of the picture changed, as the arm holding the harp disappeared, then reappeared stretched towards the sky. A golden glow began to shine above the figure of the goddess, looking very much like the sun.
“The power she guarded was without equal.”
The picture was moved again until only the parchment was left. A shrine with people praying was shown, the same light that had shown above the goddess showing in the middle here, only being more pure in color, appearing whiter than before.
“Handed down by gods of old, this power gave its holder the means to make any desire a reality.Such was the might of the ultimate power that the old ones placed it in the care of the goddess, to prevent this great power from falling into the hands of the evil swarming the lands...”
The picture moved once more. He watched, transfixed as he listened to the words being spoken and playing out before him.
“The goddess gathered the surviving humans on an outcropping of earth.”
The goddess, with her strangely shaped entourage, appeared again.
“She sent it skyward, beyond the reach of the demonic hordes. Beyond even the clouds.”
Behind the goddess, a rock appeared, which, as the words were spoken, began to drift away and become smaller as the parchment moved away from the picture of the goddess, finally fading away.
“With the humans safe, the goddess joined forces with the land dwellers and fought the evil forces, sealing them away.”
A seen of the monstrous shapes was shown, a clearly seen look of despair on their faces.
“At last, peace was restored to the surface.”
The golden glow was seen again, above the previous picture, lightening the parchment up as it told of the goddess's triumph. Then, the light brightened even more, taking over the shapes and the parchment colored light until nothing but the white shown.
“This is a tale that you humans have told for many ages, generation to generation...”
The whiteness fade to show a familiar seen to the male; that of the sky. The female monotonic voice continued speaking, though the voice appeared to become a bit softer in it's tale.
“But there are other legends, long hidden away from memory, that are intertwined with this tale.
The person turned towards him, in a quick motion, and, for one spit second, Link saw who it was. Eyes wide as the figure seemed to interchange between three faces, one familiar and two unknown, he listened to the rest of the words being said.
“Now, a new legend bound to this great story stands ready to be revealed.A legend that will be forged by your own hand, Link. That is you're destiny, the legend you will live.”
Once those words were spoke, the darkness returned, coming so abruptly that the male awoken. Link looked around his room, wondering what it was that woke him up, for he was sure that there had been something. However, nothing seemed to pop out, and soon, Link realized that whatever it was, was something in his own mind. A frown found his face as he wondered what he'd been dreaming about, for, although it had only been a few minutes before, he couldn't remember what it had been about. When he couldn't recall the dream, he sighed, listened as the sounds of the night, going strong, greeted him, and knew that it was still too early to be up. After all, he did have to be up at a certain time in the morning – the Wing Ceremony was to happen.
Curling up in his bed, he did his best to banish his thoughts, quickly succumbing to sleep, thoughts of his best friend and crush in his mind.
She was wakening, she could tell. It wasn't even quite dawn yet, for she could still hear the cries of the night, though they were definitely fading as time moved on. Yet, she wasn't quite there yet, still drifting in the state between awareness and dreams. In those dreams, a soft, matriculate voice could be heard, repeating several words, none of them in a language the young girl knew.
It was only when the voice changed, becoming monotonic, that she realized that it was repeating an old legend her father had once told her, the legend of how Skyloft came to be. She started slightly when she heard her best friend and crush's name said, though it wasn't enough to waken her fully, just as it had been doing since late last night, the same dream repeating over and over. However, as Zelda came closer and closer to awakening, something even stranger happened.
A group of trees that she'd never seen before appeared, slightly darkened in a way that scared her slightly. Then, the ground cracked and opened, dust coming up from the cracks. A darkness she'd never felt before seemed to go through her, as the seen shifted to above the canopy of the trees. Horror ran through her as a black beast with three rows of razor sharp teeth roared. The darkness she felt was identified, coming from the monstrous creature. She could literally see it, flowing from a visible aura around it.
The creature seemed to be fighting something, making sounds that didn't scare her half as much as the roar from before did. She watched, feeling safe from the distance between her and it, until she was suddenly in it's face, it's teeth close to her. Fear filled her as it roared again, seemingly to push her away from it. She saw a seen of unknown trees surrounding it before the visual faded away to black.
The monotonic voice from before was heard again, speaking once more. Yet, unlike before, what was being said wasn't heard as clearly, words missing here and there.
“Awaken ... awaken and ... to the surface. Awaken, and fulfill ... destiny, Zelda, ... of the ... Awaken.”
The last word was followed by a flash of bright light and Zelda woke up. Looking around her room, she saw the time, eyes widening as she sprang up from her bed, panic running through her. She had to finish...
Before she could finish that thought, relief sprang through her as she caught sight of a fully finished sailcloth, the prize for whoever would win in the Wing Ceremony later today. She must have finished it last night, before she fell asleep. Smiling, she checked on the dress of the Goddess that she'd also worked hard on making. That was going to be what her part in today's Wing Ceremony was – that of the Goddess Hylia, who had made Slyloft, years and years ago. She wouldn't dress in it yet, she'd take a small bath first.
As she looked at the dress, frown crossed her face at that reminder of her dream. While the ending of it, she did remember that something was telling her about how Slyloft came to be. But why would she be thinking about that now, is what she was wondering. Did it have to do what what today was? While it was the annual Wing Ceremony, it was also considered the day that Slyloft came to be. Maybe that was why she was having that dream, because it was often the day that her father told her that story.
Zelda set up her hair drying items, which were nothing more than a flat piece of iron with a detachable wood handle and a thick iron bowl that had a groove set in it for the small end of the flat iron, small, evenly spaced bars almost right underneath the groove; and a chain to hang it from a hook that extended from the ceiling. Placing the chain of the bowl on the hook and lighting a light fire in the bowl, she placed the flat iron on the bars, detaching the handle from the flat iron, and left it. Walking out of her room with just a robe wrapped around herself, she was just in time to see her father, Gaepora, leaving his office. Gaepora smiled as he caught sight of his daughter.
“Zelda, good morning,” he said.
“Good morning to you as well, Father,” Zelda said, smiling up at him. He smiled back, holding something out. Zelda's breath caught a bit as she noticed what it was. A small, golden instrument was in his hands. It was U-shaped, with a thin bar along the top, helping hold the strings taut. It was an instrument that Zelda had gazed at many times, an instrument that was said to have been held in the Goddess's hands.
“Father...” she said, trailing off as she looked at him uncertainly. He smiled.
“As the child chosen to play the part of the Goddess in today's ceremony, you must have this instrument,” he said. She took it from him, her hands shaking.
“What is it called?” she asked, gazing at it.
“It's called a harp,” Gaepora said. “I suggest you go make yourself familiar with it.”
“I can't right now,” she said. “I still need to bathe and get dress. I also don't want anyone else to see my dress yet. I want Link to be the first one to see it.” She blushed after admitting the last bit.
“Well, all right then,” he said. “Get to it.”
“Yes father,” Zelda said, hurrying back into her room to place the harp on her bed before running to the downstairs restroom – mentally cursing who thought to put it there – before heading to the baths. She was glad to see that the tub was already heated, steam rising and filling the air with a sweet scent – clearly, whoever had filled it had added some yuri rire hyashinsu – a flora plant that cleansed – oil to the water. Sinking into the water, she was hard pressed not to bask, instead dunking her head down to wet her hair. Standing, she stepped out of the tub, reaching and grabbing some sekken ne kaki – a plant root that was used for cleaning skin and hair. Crushing it until it resembled a falling apart weaving, she took the plant, held it over a bowl, wet it slightly, and squeezed. A thick, goopy blue gel oozed from her hand, landing in the bowl. She repeated the action of wetting and squeezing the plant until nothing put pure water came from it.
Adding a bit of a yuri rire hyashinsu oil – for she hated to have mix matching scents on her, for it didn't seem to be a good idea to have – and a bit more water to the gel, she mixed it all together until it had lathered slightly. Smiling, she dipped a cloth into the lather, and cleaned her skin first, smiling as the floral scent grew stronger on her skin. Once she had cleaned her entire body, she turned back to the lathered gel, adding a bit more of the floral oil and water to it, mixing it once again before scooping it out and using it to clean her hair.
She walked over to the corner of the room, right were it angled slightly downwards, where a drain in the floor and half-cylinder wooden pipe on the wall were at, a thin rope connecting to the wooden pipe. If one had looked closer to where the pipe sat, they would have noticed that the wall was indented, and that the rope connected to the wall right above where it was indented.
Zelda grabbed the rope, pulling downward on it. The wooden pipe shook slightly as a rush of water – cooler than that which was in the tub right now, but still lukewarm – poured down over her head. She shivered slightly at the change of temperature, but briskly washed the soapy lather from her skin and hair, letting go of the rope once she had cleared off enough of it. She went back to the tub, sinking back into it's depths where she cleaned off the rest of the lather.
She relaxed for a few more minutes, dunking underneath to make sure that her hair was cleared of the soap, and then stood again, mournfully pulling the plug as she did so. Going back to the shelf where she'd gotten everything, she grabbed the eria oil again, pouring a little into her hand before rubbing it all over her wet skin. Then, she grabbed the momiji hai powder – a dried and crushed translucent leaf from momiji hai trees – and gently powdered it onto herself, leaving her skin smooth. She wrapped a warm, dried cloth around herself, donning another one, which was even warmer, around her hair. Then, she opened the door and hurried back to her room, glad for the fact that no one was there.
She had the feeling that her father must've imposed a rule that no one else was to come up the stairs for a while, although it still being early meant that it wouldn't have been needed anyway. It was common for the 'goddess' of the event to get up earlier than other, so as to have time to get ready..
Going into her room, she finished drying off, grabbed the towel around her hair and freed it, flinching lightly at the damp hair hit her bare back. Grabbing the handle of her flat iron, she attached it and lifted the flat iron, which now glowed a bright red with it's heat. Grabbing her brush, she leaned over, and slowly brushed her hair, the flat iron being used to quickly dry her wet hair. Steam hissed as her hair and the flat iron connected to each other repeatedly. She did this long enough for her hair to be as dry as possible, for she had no desire to bring the hot flat iron all that close to her skin. Once finished, she placed the iron back on the bowl taking a small cup of water and putting the fire in the bowl out. Real steam rose from the cool water hitting the heat.
Zelda ignored this as she dressed. First, she pulled on her white undergarments, binding her chest with a chemise and then a light corset. Then, she pulled on the under-dress, a light pink slip that hugged at her waist and flared right to just above her knees. Next came the actual goddess dress, a dark pink simple affair with gold hemming at the large oval neckline, the ends of the three-quarter sleeves, and the end of the the skirt. A blue gem sat an inch down from the neckline, right between her breasts. A pair of thin grey leggins and brown almost knee high leather boots went on her feet, while a brown belted blue apron with the Goddess's symbol – a bird with it's wings and claws outstretched in block and triangle fashion – was situated towards the side, while a gold baubled belt also encircled her waist. Inch thick green bracelets encircled her wrists.
Finally, she wrapped blue and pink ribbons around the two front pieces of her hair, as well as pulling the rest back with some more ribbons, pulled the sailcloth she'd finished sewing last night on – wrapping it around her arms and tying behind her back – and grabbed the harp. However, before she walked out, a thought occurred to her, and she placed the harp down, grabbed a piece of parchment and her quill, and wrote down something, closing and sealing the parchment once she was done.
Peaking out her door to make sure that no one else was there, she headed out of the Academy building by means of the second entrance, which was on the second floor – the very floor she was on.
The air outside was cool, the sky beginning to lighten as the sun rose. She hurried over and up the stairs to the statue of the Goddess's courtyard, smiling as she caught site of the statue of the Goddess. Bowing at it, she stood in the circle just in front of it, bringing the harp up and testing the strings before slowly playing the music she would have to play for the Ceremony. Once she was confident that she knew the score, she played a bit faster, adding in the words to it.
After a while, the sounds of the town could be heard rising, as well as the screeching of the Loftwings, full grown ones. She stepped towards the stairs, looking out to see the Slyloftians getting up and ready for what was going to happen that very day. From where she stood, she could even see a certain, unique speck of crimson near the light tower, as speck of crimson that Zelda knew rather well. The crimson color was a Loftwing, one that belonged to her best friend. It was Link's Loftwing, Crimson.
A soft blush stole over her face as she thought of her best friend. They'd known each other since they were kids, when he was brought to Slyloft from Tagayasu – a farming island that was often where many of the food eaten in Skyloft was brought from – after his parents were killed in a tragic accident. She could still remember how Link was at the time, timid, scared, and grieving. Having lost her mother a few months before, she had felt like she was in the same boat, though still slightly luckier than he was. At least she still had her father, after all.
So, she had latched onto him, helping him through his grief, healing herself as well. Of course, with being so close to him, feelings were bound to change as she'd gotten older. She really didn't know when she realized that she was in love with him, just that she was. And she knew that it was love, not a crush or anything else. He was the only male who made her heart quicken, who she would do anything for.
It was why Zelda wanted Link to be the first to see her in her goddess dress. Of course, she also wanted to impose on the importance that he be the one to win the Ceremony. Which, as she looked at the sun, she realized that now would be the time to make sure he got up...
She closed her eyes, calling her Loftwing, Mara, to her. She smiled when she got an affirmative that she was coming, beginning to play the harp once again, until Mara appeared.
“Hey there, girl,” she said, reaching up and petting the blue Loftwing. Mara soaked up the attention.
“Okay, will you go wake up Link, and give this to him?” she asked, holding out the letter she'd written earlier. Mara made an affirmative screech, reaching for the letter that Zelda held out. Smiling, Zelda watched as her Loftwing left, heading towards the Academy. She wondered how Link would end up taking to being woken up the way he was about to be. Then, she turned back towards the statue, playing the harp once again.
A green pulse of light greeted Link in his dream. It broke into many green spots as it faded. He closed his eyes, brought his head down from the position he had it in, and opened his eyes again. An unsure looked showed on his face as he looked around. What was he doing in this darkness?
As he looked to the left, his eyes widened as a black, monstrous creature, huge, with many teeth, and a visible dark aura, appeared. It made a loud roaring noise as it appeared right in front of him. He gasped, horror clear on his face as he looked up at the creature. Then, a bright light appeared, harming his eyes. He brought a hand up to cover his face, his eyes closing for a moment before opening again.
A female voice, monotonic and matriculate, spoke, coming from the bright light. The words used were both in a known yet unknown language to him.
“Rise Link,” it said. “The time has come for you to awaken... You are fated to have a hand in a great destiny, and it will soon find you... The time has come for you to awaken... Link...”
The creature roared again, warding away the light, which disappeared. He grunted as the force of it's roar hit him, feeling like the blunt side of a sword. He closed his eyes as raised his hands once more. Then, a squawking cry sounded around, and he opened his eyes and lowered his hands, the crying coming again, and sounding a bit louder. He looked around, first to one side, then to the other. It was once he turned to the other side that he realized what had made that sound: Mara, Zelda's Loftwing was there.
He looked at it, confused, and then...
A loud cried pierced through him, awakening him, and causing him to tumble out of bed, and onto the harsh floor. Still sleepy – this wasn't all that surprising, after all, for Zelda had done it quite a few times before – he looked around. Mara's head was in his window. A glance showed nothing out of place, so he looked at Mara again.
“What is it?” he asked softly, his voice showing that he was still tired. Mara just looked at him for a few moments, then chucked a letter at his head. It hit him then bounced off his skull to the floor. Once it was delivered, Mara made a sound then pulled her head from the window, the wooden door clattering shut behind her, taking away some of the light.
He stood up slowly, rubbing the back of his head as he looked at the letter. Seeing the familiar writing in front, he unfolded it, reading the words that Zelda had wrote.
Hey, sleepyhead, I know how much you like to sleep in, so I'm guessing this letter will be your alarm clock this morning. Did I guess right?
Rise and shine, Link! Today's the Wing Ceremony! You promised to meet me before it starts, remember? You better not keep me waiting.
-Zelda
He smiled lightly at that, shaking his head. Placing the letter onto his desk, he walked over to his wardrobe, opening it and changing into his clothes for the day. He was glad that he didn't have to wear something specific, no uniform or anything like that. Instead, he was allowed to wear something casual, which he took full advantage of. He put on a dark blue undershirt, followed by his crème colored over-shirt with it's blue symbols near the hem of the sleeves, bottom of the shirt, and neckline, and stiff collar. A decorative red cloth, made of a fabric just slightly stronger than that of his regular clothes, but still flexible enough to be comfortable, was held in place, in the area of his waist and lower chest, with a brown belt. A pair of green trousers and brown boots completed the look, as did his money back, with he hid within his waist cloth after making sure that his money was all in it.
Not that there was a whole lot of it. He only had a grand total of three blue rupees and two green rupees left in it. He'd used most of it up the other day while shopping when Market Run had come around – living alone as he did meant that he was mostly responsible for himself. While the Headmaster of the academy had let him shirk a bit on tuition, he was still expected to buy his own clothes, personal items, medicines, and any delicacy food that wouldn't be stocked in the kitchen. He'd gotten some spiced kabocha-karasumugi bread and komungi kiichigo pastries, which were his preferred delicacies.
He'd also gotten new clothes, though that had been done at Zelda's insistence. The clothes had been what really got him, for Market Run usually had clothes made of the most expensive cloths, even if they were extra durable.
Looking at what he had left, he sighed, knowing that he would have to begin raising money soon for the next Market Run, which was in two months. He placed his wallet into his waist cloth and left his room. Immediately off to his right, could see the yellow uniform of upper year, recognizing his friend Pipit, who was almost like an older brother to him, standing at the notice board. He said hello to him, about to head up the stairs to see if Zelda was in her room, when Pipit, who was standing there for a reason, informed him that the upper levels was off limits at the moment. Nodding, Link walked the other way after thanking Pipit for the information.
As he was hurrying towards the door, he noticed his friend and roommate Fledge trying to move some barrels. Walking towards him, he made conversation with him. Fledge greeted him, talking about how the Wing Ceremony was that day. Link tried to ignore Fledge's sad tone – Fledge wasn't allowed to participate in the ceremony due to his low scores on the tests. Fledge then mentioned that he was to move the barrels next to him to the kitchen.
“I was hoping to at least be able to cheer you on, Link, but... I guess that's the way it goes,” Fledge said. “Go out there and wow them, buddy.”
Fledge turned from Link, who then, after moving a jar, asked him what was wrong, for he could tell that there was something bothering Fledge.
“I'm not like you, Link,” he said. “I fail at everything I try. That's why I'm practicing picking up barrels.”
It was clear, to Link, that while he was practicing, he wouldn't mind someone else taking over, his next words confirming that slightly.
“Would you like me to hep you?” Link asked. It wasn't like there were that many barrels anyway, there were only two there. Fledge brightened a bit.
“Yes, please,” Fledge said, standing to the side to let Link get to the barrels. Link walked forward, picking one up. He frowned slightly at the weight – for it was a bit heavy – and turned towards Fledge.
“Please bring this to Henya in the kitchen,” he said. Link nodded and, a bit slowly, made his way to the kitchen. Henya frowned when she noticed Link holding the barrel, making a 'tsk' noise as Link walked.
“What's all this?” Henya asked once Link had placed the barrel down. “I thought I told Fledge to carry that! Bah, it's probably for the best... That skinny boy would have probably gotten flattened. Say, don't you have some important ceremony or such today? Hmph. Well, thanks for the help.”
Link nodded, then headed back to Fledge.
“Thanks,” Fledge said. “That was a huge help, Link! I know it's not much, but here's half of the pay that Henya offered me.”
He handed Link a red Rupee, which brought a smile to Link's face. The added rupee meant that he had just a bit more money. It made him feel a little better to have, particularly in case he needed to get something from the bazaar – or, so that he could eat at the bazaar café with the others after the ceremony was over.
“Anyway, I have to hang back at the academy today,” Fledge said. “Good luck with the ceremony, Link. I'll be cheering for you.”
Link smiled at his friend.
“All right. See you later,” Link said giving a short wave before turning away. He made a quick stop at the restroom before heading outside. As he stepped out towards the gate – planning on taking the long way around – someone called out his name.
“Link,” he head the distinctively male voice say. He looked around.
“Hey Link, up here,” he heard this time. Moving away from the building a bit, he turned and saw Instructor Horwell standing on the second floor entrance.
“Good morning, Instructor Horwell,” Link said.
“Good morning to you, Link,” Horwell said. “Today's finally the day of the long-awaited Wing Ceremony. Are you feeling ready?”
“Yup,” Link said.
“That's good,” Horwell said. “Oh, I just remembered. There's something I'd liked to ask you about.”
“What is it?” Link asked.
“Oh, well, it's a bit silly to carry on a conversation from this distance,” Horwell said. “Why don't you join me up here?”
“Okay, sure,” Link said. “I'll be there in a few moments.”
He turned to begin his journey to get up there, but Horwell quickly got his attention.
“Oh, you can't go that way,” he said. “Jakamar is fixing the gate right now.” His face showed a hint of irritation at that. “Though why he's doing it now, when the ceremony's going to be happening soon...” He shook his head. “Anyway, see that wooden box right there. If you climb up it, you'll be able to reach the pillar, and jump across it to here.”
“Okay,” Link said.
“All right then. I'll see you when you get up here,” Horwell said. Link nodded, then, faced the box. He took a few steps back, and dashed at the box, walking up it a bit and he locked his hands at the top. Pulling himself up, he was glad that he had the endurance to do it, knowing that a few of the other academy students – Fledge came to mind – had trouble with it. Stepping up onto the column, he turned, ran, and jumped to the other side, landing perfectly on the matching column. He wondered a bit why they weren't connected, for they made a wonderful shape for an arch to be formed.
Walking up to Horwell, he turned towards him.
“So what are you up to?” Horwell asked. “Rushing to get some last-minute bird-riding practicing in the morning, Link?”
“Actually, I'm going to see Zelda,” Link said.
“Ah, you're going to meet up with Zelda,” Horwell said. “Perfect timing, then. You see, Zelda's father – Headmaster Gaepora – has a pet named Mia, and, well... she's scampered off again.”
Horwell turned, pointing to the roof and moving back enough just so that the little building on the roof could be seen.
“Look,” he said, “Over there. Do you see her?”
Link could just barely make out a speck of pinking crème on the blue tile, and nodded his head towards Horwell.
“The headmaster is so busy working with Zelda for the ceremony... I thought that maybe I should feed her, but the ceremony is about to start and I just put on a fresh set of clothes and well... you see...” Horwell started, trailing off at the end a bit. “Would you help me out and retrieve Mia for me?”
“I'm on it,” Link said, nodding his head.
“Fantastic! So you'll do it?! I know your in a hurry, so I really appreciate your taking the time to help,” Horwell said. He turned, pointing once again, this time to just the side of the upper portion of the building. “Now, this isn't known to everyone, but if you just balance yourself on this ledge you can use it to get to the wider ledges, and then use those vines and climb up onto the roof.”
“Okay,” Link said. Taking a look at the ledge Horwell noted, he took a breath, and ran at it, taking a step on the wall to reach it properly. Hanging there, he made his way over to the wider ledge that Horwell had mentioned, the muscles of his arms burned a bit, not enough to truly be uncomfortable, but a warning that it would the longer he held on. Link, bracing his feet in the wall, let one of his hands let the ledge go, reaching over as far as he could, and grabbed onto it, shifting his body to bring his other hand closer. He winced as he felt the burning begin to intensify slightly as he repeated the action.
Once he was just hanging on the ledge – and the muscles of his arms were definitely burning enough that he could feel it, telling him that he should have stretched beforehand – he let go, landing lightly on his feet. Grabbing his arm, he rolled his shoulders, thinking that next time, he should do a hop over. It would be a chance deal, seeing that he might miss grabbing the ledge since neither of his arms would be holding on, and he'd be yanking his arms a bit more, but it would let him move faster.
He made his way over to the vines – mentally wondering why they and the ledge that led to them were even there to begin with – and climbed up, his hands and feet easily finding the perfect groves to grab onto. Once he made it to the roof, he looked around a bit, seeing the small, would be third floor – which was over the Headmaster's office – as well as the school bell.
He looked over to the building that Mia was at, a frown making it's way onto his face as he realized that, even with how good he was at scaling walls to get to ledges, he wouldn't be able to do it with this one. The ledge was just too high. He'd need to put something close to the wall in order to create a stair for him to get to a suitable height.
He saw a box there, walked toward it and pushed it towards the wall. With this little fix, he was able to get up to the room. Mia stretched when she heard his footsteps coming, and he picked her up, holding her out from his body – the the remlit's claws did hurt, after all, and she was sure to latch onto him with them – and hopped down through the double M-arch underneath the bell. He landed on his feet, having good practice at it thanks to his landing practice when dismounting from flying.
“Here you go,” Link said.
“Nice work!” Horwell said. “You've brought her back safe and sound. Sorry to trouble you with this. I know you're busy Link!”
“It's okay,” Link said. “I was happy to help.”
“All right,” Horwell said. “I suppose I should feed Mia now...”
“Probably a good idea,” Link said.
“Well, I'll see you when the ceremony starts,” Horwell said. “Oh, after you've talk to Zelda, could you let the Headmaster know that Mia is all right? He actually should be in the same general area as Zelda is, around the Statue of the Goddess. At least, that's where I think he went.”
“Yeah,” Link said, nodding. “I'll see you later.”
He headed toward the stairs leading up to the Statue of the Goddess courtyard. However, before he did, he saw Jakamar at the gate, and stopped to talk to him.
“Hey, Jakamar,” he said.
“Mornin' Link, how's life?” Jakamar asked.
“Good,” Link said.
“That's good,” Jakamar said. “Did you get enough sleep last night? Figured you might have been nervous thinking about today's ceremony.”
“No, not really,” Link answered.
“Well that's good,” Jakamar said.
“So, what are you doing?” Link asked.
What am I doin'?” he asked. “Oh just the gate here. It's been squeaky lately and we can't have that on the day of the ceremony. Hey, you haven't forgotten to send your prayers to the goddess this morning, have you?”
“No,” Link said. “I haven't done it yet, but I also haven't been up for a while.”
“Well, you should go do that, then,” Jakamar said. “You should also make sure to stop at the statues as well. They are, after all, small shrines to the goddess. And, this way, you don't have to go up to the goddess to always do it.”
“Okay,” Link said, nodding. “Well, see you later.”
“See you later,” Jakamar said. “Good luck in the ceremony later.”
“Thanks,” Link said, turning and running up the stairs. He was a bit tired once he reached the top, but that was mostly because he hadn't readied himself for the run beforehand. It took him a few moments to get his breath back before he walked through the arch of the broken entrance hall of the courtyard.
He saw Zelda immediately, standing on platform in front of the statue. He walked forward, a peaceful expression on his face, stopping before he reached the steps to the platform. Her back was towards him, and he could hear music in the air. He listened as she sung a prayer.
“Oh youth, guided by the servant of the goddess... Unite earth and sky... Bring life to the land...” Zelda sang. He stepped forward as she continued the song. He saw her look behind her slightly, catching sight of him. A smile lit up her face as she turned all the way around, facing him.
“Hey! Good morning, Link,” she said, a smile still on her face as she tilted her head, her smile still on her face. She stepped forward a bit, though he finished closing the space between them until he was was just a few inches away of brushing his fingers against her. He looked at the instrument in her hands, recognizing it, though, unlike she had been, he wasn't surprised to see it. As the goddess in the ceremony, it made sense that she'd use it.
“I'm glad to see Mara got you out of bed,” she teased.
“Yeah, well, I couldn't continue sleeping with her...wonderful wake-up call,” he said, smiling at her, completely at ease. Zelda giggled.
“Yeah, well...” she said. “With how hard it is to get you up...”
“I know,” he said.
“I was pretty sure you'd sleep in and forget to meet me this morning if I hadn't done it,” Zelda explained.
Link smiled at her, shaking his head.
“But look at this instrument!” she continued. He did so as she continued to talk. “And look at this outfit! They're mine to use today in the ceremony, since I'll be playing the role of the goddess. Aren't they beautiful? Especially the instrument? They said that it's just like the one the goddess was said to have in the legends. It sounds gorgeous too.”
“It does,” Link agreed. “Do you know what it's called?”
“I asked Father about it,” Zelda said. “He says it's called a harp.”
She held it out for a few more seconds before lowering it.
“And look at these clothes,” she added, giggling a bit. “I made the wrap myself, and we get to use it in today's ceremony! Between the harp and the outfit, I'm going to make a great goddess today!”
“I know you will,” he said. “So, why did you get me up so early?”
“I got you up early this morning because I want you to be the first to see me like this, Link!” Zelda said. A smile grew on her face as she flung out her arms and spun so that he could see every inch of the dress and wrap.
“So...how do I look?” she asked.
“G-g-great!” he said, stuttering a bit as a blush appeared on his face.
She gave a little laugh, seeing his embarrassment and immediately wanting to lessen it from him.
“I think so too!” she said, smiling at him. A small blush crossed her face as she continued. “But it's nice to know you agree. Thanks Link.”
“You're welcome,” Link said, smiling at her as well. Before anything else could be said between them, there was an interruption.
“Ah, there you are Zelda,” came a male voice. Link turned to see headmaster Gaepora coming towards them. “Are you all prepared for the ceremony?” he asked.
“Oh, hello, father,” Zelda said. Gaepora noticed Link standing in front of Zelda.
“Ah, your here as well, Link,” Gaepora said. “Outstanding. It's encouraging to see you up so early, given your capacity for sleep. No doubt today's ceremony had you too excited to close your eyes for once.”
Link gave a weak chuckle, but didn't mention the real reason he was up at the moment.
“If you win today's ceremonial race, you'll get to participate the post race ritual with Zelda, so give it your best out there,” he continued. Link smiled at him, nodding his head a bit before turning to look at Zelda.
“Yes,” Zelda started, looking downwards with worry. “About that...” she suddenly looked up at her father. “Father, I don't know if he can do it!” she said. Link winced, knowing that she was about to complain about the lack of preparing that he'd done. He kind of wished she wouldn't do it, though; he couldn't help that he didn't feel the need to actually prepare. He was a natural when it came to...well, everything he did, in truth. He didn't know why, he just was.
“Recently Link hasn't been practicing much at all for the ceremony!” Zelda continued. “And even when he's out riding his Loftwing, he's just lazily gliding around. Probably daydreaming!” The last phrase was said to him, and he looked a down at the ground. Since she'd gotten it right in one – he kind of was daydreaming.
“I don't know what he's thinking. He's going to have to be in perfect control of his bird to win today,” she added, as he waited for his scolding to end.
Gaepora got Zelda's attention.
“No need to worry yourself, Zelda,” Gaepora said. “Though, you may have a point. Today's Wing Ceremony tests the skill of the rider as well as his bond to his bird. Victory will not come easily.”
Link scratched his head, looking at the headmaster and wondering if he was going to say something positive
“And, as you pointed out, I haven't seen him practicing as hard as some of the other students,” Gaepora continued. “But you've known him since you were both very little. You should know better than to fret about him! You see, Link and his Loftwing share a special connection. I've never seen anything quite like it.”
They looked towards the sky as Gaepora continued talking. He talked about how each of the Skyloftians were but one half of a pair, and how they were only made whole by a Loftwing. He mentioned how Skyloftians met their Loftwings, and then began to tell about how Link met his. What was more important about Link's Loftwing was it's color, which was Crimson. A Crimson Loftwing was a breed so rare that people were sure that they no longer existed. Link was a bit embarrassed at Gaepora's praising about what had happened, for he reached up and scratched his head once again, looking away.
Gaepora continued talking, mentioning that Zelda was a bit jealous over his and Links friendship with the bird. Link tuned them out as he closed his eyes, concentrating on connecting with his Loftwing, Crimson, with a smile on his face. However, the smile faded when he realized that something was wrong. He couldn't seem to connect with Crimson. As he continued to mentally search for her, he was made aware that Zelda and Gaepora were finished talking, for she had said something to him, coming over and dragging him with her.
“Come on!” she said. “You'll thank me later!”
Still trying to find Crimson, he didn't quite realize where she was talking him until the sound of what his feet were walking on changed.
“Here we are,” Zelda said, pulling him so that he was in front of her instead of behind. “Go on now. Jump off the edge and call Crimson. It's almost time for the ceremony, so try to practice seriously for once!”
“Wait, Zelda, wait,” Link said hurriedly, trying to stop her from pushing him off the ledge. “I can't sense Crimson anywhere right now.”
“You can't 'sense' your bird out there?” she asked skeptically. She studied him for a moment, then said, “Oh, I get it. You're trying to weasel out of having to practice! Nice try, but you're not fooling me. Off you go!”
And with that, she let him go long enough to give him quite the push. He made a manly cry as he went flying off of the takeoff bridge, his arms and legs flaying around.
“Okay, Link, go ahead!” Zelda called. “Just whistle and call your Loftwing!”
He followed her advice, but his whistle yielded no results. Gaepora, who had wondered over, looked down, his eyes widening in surprise as he noticed that Link was still falling.
“Hmm,” he started. Zelda looked over to him. “His bird sure is taking a long time to get here...”
Zelda made a sound of panic as she realized that what Link had tried to tell her earlier went through here mind. She looked back down at Link, noticed that he was still falling, and said, “Something's wrong!”
She knew that this was true, as Link rarely actually had to call Crimson for her to come. She allowed herself to fall off of the takeoff bridge, pushing herself away from it with her feet before she began to free fall, face downward. Bringing her fingers to her mouth, she whistled, in a different way than Link had. Mara came immediately, and the two aligned themselves so that Zelda could grab onto her. Flying down, Mara grabbed Link with her claws, and Zelda directed Link back up with Mara.
“Hang in there, Link!” she called. “I've got you!”
Mara, not used to the extra weight, flapped harshly towards Skyloft. Her lack of ability made it so that, once she finally made it, there was a small crash landing. Zelda immediately began to worry of Mara, while Gaepora, who had watched the procedure, asked, “Are you two all right?”
Link, though he was breathing heavy had what felt like a close brush with death, nodded.
“I'm sorry, friend. I didn't mean to push you so hard. You didn't sprain your wing, did you?” Zelda asked. Link, who, at first, thought she was talking to him, couldn't help but let a small pout form on his face at the last phrase, realizing that she was talking to Mara. Of course, after hearing Mara's wheezing, he couldn't blame her for being more concerned about Mara. After all, his red fabric would help keep him from being bruised, which was pretty much the worse of what he suffered – other than quite the scare of falling through the clouds. After all, he had no idea what was beneath them.
“This is very odd, Link. What could have possibly happened to your Loftwing?” Gaepora asked. “For a bird to ignore the call of his master... It's unheard of!”
I know,” Link said as he slowly got up to his feet as he wondered what had happened to Crimson.
“You still can't sense your bird nearby, can you?” Gaepora asked. Link shook his head no. “This is quite a problem, especially considering the wing Ceremony is about to start...”
Link nodded his head in agreement, still thinking. A sneaking suspicious was beginning to rouse in his mind.
“Link,” Zelda started, gaining their attention. He turned towards her. “When you said you couldn't sense your Loftwing, well... I should have believed you. I'm sorry.”
“It's all right,” Link said gently, knowing that she truly was. She just really wanted him to do his best in the ceremony, after all.
“I need to tend to Mara, so I'll catch up with you later. You'd better go on ahead and see if you can find where your bird has gone,” Zelda said. He nodded, looking a bit thankful that she was willing to help. However, before anything could be done, the bell began to ring, causing the two to look in the direction of the school. Link looked towards Gaepora as he looked in the direction towards the school as well.
“My, how did it get to be so late?” Gaepora asked. “If I recall correctly, this year Instructor Horwell is presiding over the ceremony. Link, you should go explain the situation to him and see if he's willing to delay the race a little so that you can find your bird.”
Link nodded, turning so that he could begin to head over there. However, before he could move much, Zelda piped up, a smile forming on her face.
But, Father, you're the headmaster of the academy!” she said. “If Link asks Instructor Horwell, he'll probably just come talk to you about it.”
“Ah, quite true,” Gaepora said, chuckling a bit. “As usual, you make an excellent point, my dear. Very well, I'll explain the situation to him myself. Link, run along and tell Instructor Horwell to come see me in my quarters.”
“Okay,” Link said. He headed back down the stairs and back to where he'd left Horwell at. Hurrying to him, he stopped in front of him. He could tell, by the look on Horwell's face, that his own showed a sign that something was wrong.
“What's wrong, Link?” Horwell asked. “you're looking a little pale...”
Quickly, Link explained the situation.
“What?!” Horwell exclaimed. “Your Loftwing is missing?! How strange and troubling. Do you...think you can find him?”
Link nodded.
“I'll be looking for him now,” Link said.
“You're going to start looking for him now?! How will you make it back in time to fly in the ceremony?!” Horwell asked. “It looks like your participation in the ceremony hinges on feather or not you can find that bird on time... Ahem. Excuse me...”
“Well, I actually came to tell you that the headmaster wants to see you in his quarters,” Link said.
“I see... So the headmaster has summoned me?” Horwell said.
“Yes,” Link said.
“All right then, I'll go speak with him immediately,” Horwell said. “I still owe you for helping me out earlier, so don' worry about the ceremony for now. You focus on finding your Loftwing!”
“Yes, sir,” Link said. Link jumped over the edge of the building, sprinting down the stairs as he wondered where his Loftwing could be. Remembering what he had been thinking, he had the feeling he knew who to talk to about his Loftwing. However, before he got very far, Gully, a small boy, got his attention, asking him for some help. Listening to him, he realized that Gully was asking him to roll into the tree as to shake loose the sky stag beetle that was on there.
Doing as requested, he watched as the beetle flew away after being shook from it's perch, with Gully cheering him on. Gully quickly gave Link a blue rupee for the help, then went chasing after the beetle, pleading with it to wait up. Link shook his head, then continued on to the plaza, where he had the feeling the people he was looking for would be at.
As he got closer, he slowed down, not wanting to get their attention since he knew that they'd hide information from him. After all, he did not get along with any of them. Groose, Cawlin, and Stritch weren't people you wanted to be around often. Bullies, they often picked on those who were weaker than them; or, rather, Groose did. Cawlin and Stritch weren't half as bad when away from Groose, though they were still a bit unpleasant. Groose was the worse, though.
As Groose was born on Kanemochi – an island that was the farthest from Skyloft, as far as Link knew. Just as his home island was known to be a farming island and Skyloft the place where the best Academy for Knights was at, Kanemochi also had it's own annotation, being known as the island of the rich. Link and Zelda also privately considered it to be the island of snobs, remembering when Groose first came to the Academy with his parents. Link had never seen anyone act as if they owned the world, and often silently wondered why the Goddess had allowed his parents to die and let people Groose and his parents live. Not that he would ever speak ill of the Goddess, it was just a stray thought that went through his mind at times.
Still, because of Groose's...privileged upbringing, he had never bothered to realize that he didn't own the world, which could often cause problems. It also didn't help – in Link's case – that Groose had a crush on Zelda and hated him – the latter being true because of Link's natural abilities at everything he seemed to do. It seemed Groose didn't like that an orphaned boy was better at many things than he was, particularly since he was of the belief that the rich was all that was worthy, despite the fact that many of the revered knights weren't from rich families. Groose had also been jealous of Link for his Loftwing because of how rare it was, believing that he himself should have gotten it.
Luckily for him, he was able to get close to the three without problem, for they were talking rather loudly, not caring who heard them. Groose was sitting down in front of Stritch and Cawlin, who were giving him a back rub. He crept closer, able to clearly hear what they were talking about.
“...You know, Groose, that sure was a pain, what with all the scratching and pecking,” Stritch was saying.
“Course it was,” Groose said, his tone pleased. “You thought a big Crimson Loftwing like that was gonna go down without a fight? But we got him, and I don't care how tough those birds are supposed to be. He's not getting out of that pen anytime soon, boys.”
Link narrowed his eyes, realizing that his suspicions had been correct. He stood there, waiting for them to say more.
However, Groose decided that he was done talking and stood up, stretching. Stritch and Cawlin turned around, dismay appearing on their face when they laid eyes on Link. They took several steps back, afraid of what link may or may not do, and knowing that he'd heard what they'd said. Groose, seeing Cawlin about to pass him, turned around.
He was also surprised to see Link standing there, his own dismay showing.
“Whoa!” he said. “Link!” He sounded shifty. “Just how long you been standing there?” he asked.
“A while,” Link said, frowning at him.
“What's your problem, anyway?” Groose asked, gaining his momentum back. He began circling Link, chuckling. “Oh, wait...I got it. You're here to talk about today's race. I can see it in those dopey eyes of yours. They're pleading, 'Oh, Groose, can you please find it in your heart to let me win today? Please!' ”
Link rolled his eyes, not quite able to believe just how conceited Groose was being. It was well known that Link was better at flying and racing than Groose, otherwise Groose wouldn't try such an underhanded tactic like going after Link's Loftwing. He vaguely wondered what they would do if Link wasn't able to find his Loftwing, and someone had seen them. They'd end up in big trouble if someone did.
“You're just desperate to win so you can get some alone time with Zelda up on the Statue of the Goddess at the end of the ceremony,” Groose accused. Again, Link rolled his eyes. He honestly didn't need something like that – he and Zelda were thick as thieves, and pretty much inseparable without any fancy things.
“Well, sorry, pal,” Groose continued. “Groose doesn't do charity for wimps. My advice? Work hard and wish with all your heart. You might even come in second.” He then tilted his head, a knowing smile on his face. “Say, come to think of it, how come I don't see your bird? Where is that scruffy pile of red feathers?” His eyes began to shift from right to left. “I can't imagine what could've happened to him. Do you think his tiny brain got confused by all the clouds and got lost?”
“Give him back!” Link said, glaring at him. “I know you did something to him, I heard you talking about it.”
“I've got no idea what you're talking about,” Groose said, playing dumb. He suddenly pointed a finger at Link. “You know, we're all getting tired of how you never let anyone forget you and Zelda go way back.”
Link looked at him with a look wonder what he was talking about. While it was true that the two were really close, neither of them repeatedly told people what he was saying. Link realized that Groose was blaming him for his own problems with Zelda.
“You've been friends since you were kids?” Groose continued. “Big deal. It doesn't change the fact that you float through life with your head in the clouds. Would you wake up, straighten up, and grow a backbone already?”
Link couldn't help the incredulous expression that crossed his face. While it was true that Zelda more often than not protected him, he could hold him own in battles. Zelda just more often than not felt the need to protect him, just as she had done back when his parents had first died.
“Dopes like you are dragging our honored academy through the mud,” Groose said. Link opened his mouth, a bit outraged at Groose's words. So far, if one actually thought about his words, it would be him would was dragging he academy through the mud, not Link. After all, while not as natural as when he was doing physical things, his test scores weren't that bad.
Before he could say anything, though, Zelda came up from behind link, an angered expression on her face as she glared at groos, her hands on her hips.
“And just who might you be talking about, Groose?” she asked him. Groose immediately became flustered.
Link moved out of the way as Zelda came up to Groose, pointing her index finger at him as she pinned him with an irritated stare.
“Don't even try it, Groose!” she said. “You're picking on Link again, aren't you? He's a student at the academy, like all of us. Why do you insist on bullying him around so much?”
“Yeah...I suppose..” Groose said, sounding as if he wasn't sure of what to say.
“You suppose? Suppose what?” Zelda asked.
Groose began to smile, his cheeks beginning to pinken with embarrassment. “I...suppose...you... Er...” He then seemed to wilt. “Forget it. I wasn't supposing anything, Okay?” he said, walking away. Cawlin and Stritch quickly followed, while Zelda and Link watched Groose leave, not wanting to be questioned. Unlike Groose, neither of them would be able to hold up.
“Okay, we're outta here, boys. Later Link!” Groose called, back to his regular self. “Hope you find your bird, or else you're gonna have to sit out today's race! That could be a major setback toward knighthood, so find that bird or get real used to the taste of failure! It's your special flavor.”
The three then jumped off of the large takeoff dock, whistling and calling their own birds to them before anything could be said. Zelda and Link watched as the two green-gray and blue Loftwings that belonged to the three headed away.
“I hate to say it, but I'm beginning to suspect that those nockheads had something to do with your Loftwing's disappearance,” Zelda said.
“I already know they do,” Link said. “They were just talking about it before they noticed me.”
“Well, those guys definitely aren't going to help us find your bird, so we'd better start searching,” Zelda said. She turned towards him. “I'll fly around Skyloft and see if I can spot any trace of your bird. Father said he'd talk to Instructor Horwell about delaying the start of the Wing Ceremony, so don't worry. We'll find your bird in time.”
“Okay,” Link said. Zelda turned, running off the takeoff bridge herself, and calling for her Loftwing. Link watched for a bit as she flew away, then turned around, wondering where he could go to get some answers. He made his way around the island, heading through the now opened gate to the second Academy floor, and was about to enter it to see if he could get someone in there to help him search when someone called his name.
He looked over in the Academy courtyard to see Pipit, who had called him. Fledge was standing a few feet behind him.
“Hey, Link!” Pipit said. “Over here! I have some information about your Loftwing. Come over here!”
Link wondered how he could know anything, but suspected that Zelda might have mentioned it to him and Karane – having the two senior students helping out would be a good thing, after all. Of course, he could have just heard about it – it didn't seem to out of place that he would have heard about it without being told.
“Hey Link!” Pipit said. “I was just looking for you.”
Link nodded, looking between the two boys. He noticed that Fledge seemed nervous.
“So, what's going on?” Link asked. “You said you had some information about my Loftwing.”
“Yeah,” Pipit said. “I heard your Loftwing had gone missing, so I thought I'd join in the search. And get this: when I asked Fledge what he knew, he started acting weird.”
They both turned to Fledge.
“I'm so sorry, Link!” Fledge suddenly said, a pitiful expression on his face. “I really wanted to tell you, but...if Groose found out I told you...”
Pipit turned to Link.
“It sounds like Groose forced him to keep quiet about it,” Pipit said. He turned back to Fledge. “Go on! Tell him the truth.”
“Just a little while ago, when I was cleaning the dining hall, Groose and his buddies came in. They didn't notice I was there and started talking about their plan to hide your Loftwing. I wanted to warn you, Link. But just as I tried to sneak away... Groose and his gang grabbed me.. They said that if I told you, they'd make sure I would never be able to ride a bird ever again!”
“Did you happen to hear where they were planning on hiding him?” Link asked. Pipit spoke up.
“It sounds like Groose and his buddies had a plant to capture your bird and hide him near a waterfall,” Pipit said. “And, well, near a waterfall would mean...”
“The waterfall in the east end of the island,” Link said.
“Most likely,” Pipit said. He thought for a moment. “There is a cave next to it. It's possible that your bird is in there.” He didn't sound completely sure, though.
“I think I saw a takeoff platform in the back of it before,” Link said. “Crimson could be there...”
“And there probably is a way to get there without having to fly,” Pipit added. “But, are you sure you want to go through the cave. They're rumors that there's monsters in there. Going in there as you are now, without something to protect yourself...”
“Think Knight Commander Eagus will let me borrow a sword?” Link asked.
“Once you explain the situation to him, I'm sure he would let you borrow one,” Pipit said. He knows you well enough to know that you won't take advantage of it. Plus, with how good you are with a sword, you won't have much problem with him not thinking you couldn't control it.”
“Forgive me, Link!” Fledge said, interrupting the conversation. “I can't help being such a coward... I'm really sorry.”
“It's okay,” Link said. “I know how those guys are.”
After saying by to bye to them, he walked into the building next to where they were standing, heading to the end of the room where Knight Commander Eagus was at. Just as Pipit said, after telling him what was going on and asking to borrow a sword, Knight Commander Eagus agreed to let him have one from the back, so long as Link not only brought it back once he no longer needed it, but he did a quick demonstration that he knew the basic attacks and methods of using the sword.
Link, after doing what he said he would, got the practice sword and did the basic slashes. First, he did a vertical slash, then a horizontal one, followed by a thrust, a upper right to lower left diagonal slash, and a lower right to upper left diagonal slash. After that, Knight Commander Eagus got Link's attention.
“That's right, Link!” he said, obviously proud. “You really are a strong swordsman, easy to teach, too. You make this instructor proud! Now, are you ready to try a spin attack?”
“Yes,” Link said, moving to the center of the room.
“Great” Eagus said. “Now, I'm going to surround you with logs. You need to cut them all without moving from that spot!”
“Got it,” Link said. Once the logs were in place, he held out a hand, and did a quick spin, cutting them all down.
“Good one!” Eagus said. “That sure looked like it was good! So... Why don't we close out this session with a fatal blow attack?”
“Sure,” Link said. After a new, full log appeared in front of him, he did a horizontal slash at it, followed by jumping at the part that fell to the ground, stabbing it deeply with the sword before doing a backflip away from it, pulling the sword with him.
“That's the way!” Eagus said. “Well, I guess you should head on your way.”
“Okay,” Link said, putting the sword back into it's sheath, and turning to leave. As he left out of the door and began to head to he cave, something stopped him. He felt the ground trembling, and a strange sound. Turning to look behind him, he saw a strange looking stone, with three triangular horns, a purple irised eye with two swirls at the end, three triangles above it, and a tear underneath appeared.
Curious as to what it was, he walked over to it.
“Hi there,” it said, which caused him to jump. “How do you do? I'm what you call a Sheikah Stone. Glad to meet you!”
Link just stared.
“I'm a stone of few words, so I'll get right to it. You're going to find yourself in puzzling circumstances as you make your way through this world,” the stone continued. Link furrowed his eyes, wondering what this stone meant by that.
“If you should find yourself stuck and you have no idea how to move forward, come see me.” it added.
“Okay, then,” he said slowly, walking away from it backwards before turning around and continuing on his way to the cave.
As he got close to the cave – seeing the wooden poles blocking it and the sign that he knew warned people from going into it – he got an incredible urging that something was wrong. When he got a few feet from it, he stopped, able to hear and feel his Loftwing's panic, seeing a vision in his mind of what his Loftwing was seeing. He could see that the space it was in was small, with wooden boards stopping him from leaving the small indented cave it was trapped in.
A look of determination flashed across Links face as he hurried forward, pulling out his sword and slashing the wooden poles away until he could enter the cave.