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An Impulse Decision: Chapter 35

Fanfiction.net

AO3

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Chapter 35: Into the Wilds

Bordering the region of the rocky terrain of Eldin was a small forest. It contains several animal species. These include a small group called rabbits. Cute furry creatures with long ears and a knack for speed. They feasted upon the plant life growing among them. All seemed peaceful. Until the sound of twigs snapping broke their focus. The rabbits scurry away, wanting to be as far away from the one who made the sound. In most circumstances, that sound indicated that a giant animal was around, like a predator wanting to make a meal from the poor rabbits.

Except the creature that made the sound was no predator or prey. Emerging from the bushes was a creature the same size as the rabbits, but it was no such thing.

This creature's coat was a shining light blue color. A far cry from the usual brown, red, or light gray seen on most rabbits. It had golden wreaths similar to a moth's antennae sticking up its head like rabbit ears, with a heart-shaped face and round, large glowing eyes like an owl. The creature has been called many things for years, but it was most comfortable being called 'Blupee.'

Under most circumstances, the Blupee would not be this far deep into the wilds. They prefer to be on the highest mountain, only further south of this region. As of last week, it began sensing some changes.

A plan went down an unexpectedly altered path, slightly deviating further away from the designated trail each new day that passed. Yesterday, the path gradually changed.

The Blupee exits out of the forest. Eldin Volcano and its vast rocky terrain shined by the early sunrise greeted its sight. The edge of it was bustling with activity. First, it noticed the abundance of Mogmas. Most were simply conversing among themselves. Then it spotted the Goron. In recent years, the Blupee had noticed a slight increase in sightings of members of this particular sentient race. The closest to seeing a large gathering of Gorons in a millennium. Undoubtedly, the race may settle back here in a few short years.

Then it noticed the four humans—three males and a female—all adolescents. What is most interesting to the Blupee is their auras. Each is different from the other.

The first boy, Pipit, stood at the edge of the Mogma settlement, seemingly patrolling the area. His eyes shined green like Farore herself, and a fraction of her essence dwelled within his soul. Despite Pipit's serious demeanor, the Blupee could sense the boy's compassion, especially when he glanced back at his human companions.

The girl, known as Karane, sat next to the second boy, dressed in orange, by a small campfire. If not for sensing Nayru's essence in her soul, the Blupee could see the wisdom through the girl's unusually bright blue eyes. She talked to the second boy as if she was asking him questions with concern.

The second boy could have looked better. Like he had been through a terrible ordeal, as evidenced by his sliced left ear and a crude scar on his cheek. The fact that he looked younger than the other humans made the Blupee feel its heartache for him. Young ones should not have to go through so much pain. Yet despite the second boy's sorry state, the Blupee could see in his red eyes that his tenacity is as strong as Din's essence that resides within.

Then came the final boy dressed in green. Link is his name. He was different from the other three. For he was Hylia's chosen hero. Though he did not have any sort of the Golden Goddess's essence within him, he perhaps was the strongest of the humans the Blupee could sense. Beside him was a spirit talking to what appeared to be a living model of the long-deactivated Lanayru Robots called Scrapper. The spirit talking to it was known as Fi.

Curious, The Blupee listens in to the conversation.

"You made me drag myself here just for a simple message?!" Scrapper exclaimed.

"That is correct," Fi told the robot. Due to unforeseen circumstances, Master Link and his friends cannot return to Skyloft for some time. I wish you to relay the message to Headmaster Gaepora of the Skyloft Knight Academy so that he does not worry and passes it on to loved ones."

"Ugh! I normally don't like the role of messenger, but I'll do it only for you, Mistress Fi!"

"Thank you. Please deliver the message at once."

"Will do! Take care, Mistress Fi! And you better keep her safe, Master Shortpants!

Scrapper flew back into the skies.

"I really hate that Robot," Link commented.

"While I understand your validation, Master, he is our only way to communicate with Skyloft. You cannot let what happened yesterday blind you."

"If he had listened to us and didn't land in the wrong spot, we would've gotten back to Fledge sooner. And maybe I could've saved him from Ghirahim."

"There was nothing you could've done. But what's done is done. We must continue forward."

"You're right, Fi," Link breathed out. "I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted, Master Link." Before Link could say anything else, a loud grumble came from his stomach. "Perhaps you should get some breakfast. It would be unwise to travel with an empty stomach."

"That sounds nice. Maybe it'll make me less grouchy."

"That is a high probability as well."

Despite speaking in a monotone voice, Link seemed to pick up the small joke, if Fi intended one. Link started walking to the group with Fi trailing behind, only for her to suddenly stop. She looked over and saw the Blupee. The sword spirit and creature spent several long seconds staring at one another.

"Fi?" The Blupee chose that moment to duck back into the trees when Link spoke to her. "Everything okay?"

"Apologies, Master. I thought I sensed something, but it was merely a false alarm. Let us rejoin the others."

Link believed her answer. Fi followed closely behind him. Not before taking one last quick glance at the trees, seeing a faint glow.

Now is a good time for The Blupee to hide. It dashed away, each step sounding like bells until it vanished. It would seem meeting Hylia's Chosen will happen way sooner than The Blupee anticipated. All it can do now is prepare and watch over the hero and his friends.

----

The air was quiet at the Mogma colony. No words were spoken as all eyes laid upon the quartet of Knight Students. They were checking their gear, making sure they got everything they needed before making the long walk to the Faron Region, something Link was not eager to do.

Link glanced over to his other friends. Pipit and Karane looked fine, but Link could tell they were uncertain about the trip. And then there was Fledge. Despite everything he had gone through the previous day, the kid remained strong. But Link noticed the boy wincing every now and then. Without the Red Potions, he probably would be in a much worse state physically. Link hopes that Din will give Fledge the strength to get through this.

Who knows how long the trek will take.

It could take days. Weeks maybe. Probably even months.

"You and your pals got everything, bud?" Gorko walked up to Link.

Link glanced at his friends, all answering with a nod. "We do."

"Alright, but be absolutely sure."

Link nods back to the Goron. He glances at the Mogmas nearby. "Thank you all again for helping us out."

"Don't sweat it! It's the least we could do!" Ledd exclaimed.

"If you guys ever need help, we'll be ready to assist," Silva proclaimed.

"You helped my husband and all of our friends. We were more than happy to repay your kindness!" Lapi glances at Fledge. "I am still dreadfully sorry for what you had gone through yesterday. I can only hope you'll recover."

Fledge gave her a small smile. "Thank you again for helping me out."

"Is there anything else we could do for all of you?" Guld offered.

"I don't think you really can at this point," Karane shrugged.

"Not unless you guys know a secret shortcut or maybe a way to magically teleport to Faron," Pipit deadpanned.

"Well, we don't have those…But I can offer you advice on what you may deal with out there," Mala spoke up.

"I think any help would be appreciated at this point," Link agreed.

"Okay, good! Buckle down & listen up 'cause I'm only going to tell you all this once." All four pairs of eyes glued to the green-haired Mogma. "Out there, things are more unpredictable than what may be seen here in Eldin. There are also even more types of monsters that roam the lands. There are also animals you may come across. I advise you to be careful around them as well. Plenty from both kinds would see us Mogmas as a tasty meal. I have no doubt they would see you all the same. If not, they may do it for fun!"

Gorko loudly cleared his throat, gaining everyone's attention. "I would also like to add that when sunset comes, I suggest you all use that time to find shelter for the night. Traveling in the dark is not a good idea."

"The Goron is correct on that matter! Plenty of creatures like to come out more at nighttime. Including the ones that'll gobble you up!" Guld exclaimed.

"Duly noted." Link and his friend looked at each other uneasily. "I'm sure Fi will be able to help out."

"I sure hope so. You're all going to need all the help you can get!" Mala stated sternly.

"I'd go with you guys, but I'm afraid I have other things to take care of," Gorko shared almost shamefully.

"We came this far, I think we can do this," Link assured the concerned Goron.

"I have no doubt you will, bud." Gorko looks over to the knight students."Take care, all of you. Hopefully, we'll meet again under better circumstances."

"I hope so, too. Good luck to you, Gorko."

With all that set and done, the quartet of knight students finished their preparations. They all said their goodbyes to Gorko & the Mogmas. Then, they make their way to the treelines. All the while, the Mogma shouted words of encouragement.

"Good luck to you all!" Ledd yelled.

"Stay safe!" Silva expressed.

"Follow my advice, and you may not get eaten!" Mala reminded.

"Be mighty careful!" Guld shouted.

"Take care of yourselves well, dearies!" Lapi said while Toopa waved to the humans.

The students all stopped at the foot of the treelines. The tall trees towering over them looked like walls, separating the Eldin region from the rest of the land. Beyond those walls of trees, they would be walking through uncharted territory.

"We're really going to do this, huh?" Fledge stated.

"Yeah. We are," Link responded. "We don't know what to expect out there."

"That hasn't stopped us before," Fledge responded back lightly.

Link gave an acknowledging hum.

"We'll get through this. We have to." Karane encouraged.

"Karane is right. We face so much crazy stuff. Walking through the wilderness and avoiding creatures should be a breeze compared to all of those." Pipit crossed his arms. "At least I hope so…"

"As long as we stick together," Link vowed, looking straight into the treelines.

That said and done, all four steps forward into the forest.

----

Two deer, a buck and a doe, graze on the grass in the forest. The Buck suddenly darts his head up with an alert grunt, followed by The Doe, who looks where he is cautiously. A snap rings in the air, prompting the pair to run off. The four knight students emerge from the bushes and walk onto where the deer had been eating moments ago.

Judging by the sun's position, they have been on their trek for at least several hours. So far, the walk had been uneventful. From the warnings Mala, Gorko, and Guld had told them, the students were expecting to be jumped at by a monster, some animal, or whatever, but nothing had happened. Not that they don't believe in their warnings, but the quartet did hope that the Mogmas & Goron were maybe merely exaggerating, despite logic telling them how unlikely they would do such a thing and keeping their guard up.

For the most part, they enjoyed the scenery around them. Enormous trees, lush plant life, and various critters. At first glance, it didn't appear that different from Faron. What made that region different from this area was the minor detail that the trees in Faron were taller than the ones here, and the plants were greener in Faron. Regardless, each quartet member would often find themselves glancing around whenever they saw a plant they'd never seen before or a small animal scurrying by with curious awe.

Despite the excitement of seeing new surroundings, Link still had to focus. This was still uncharted territory. While the maps did update, showing more of the land, they did not show what would be ahead for him and his friends. The only thing it did was show that they were going south. Not to mention frequently checking on Fledge to ensure he was keeping up. Link did not care how long it would take, but he would stop if Fledge, Pipit, or Karane needed to rest. He'll stop for a full day if he has to.

"You guys holding up alright?" Link called out.

"Doing good," Pipit called back.

"I'm okay so far," Karane responded as well.

"What about you, Fledge?" Link asks the young teen.

"I-I'm fine," Fledge responded, trying to not make the wince in his voice evident.

"Are you sure?"

"I am."

"Okay. But if you need to stop, we will. It's no trouble to stop for a few minutes."

"And if your pain comes back, I especially need to know so I can give you more red potion," Karane reminded firmly. "And don't even think about trying to 'tough it out' if it gets worse."

"Why do you say that?" Fledge looks at her questioningly.

"Because that seems to be a universal thing with guys. And I'm speaking from experience." She eyed Link.

"Yeah…I am pretty guilty of doing it a few times."

"A few times?! You did way more than a few times," Karane scoffed.

"I'm not that bad," Link argued back in defense, cutting down a bush to clear the path ahead.

"Not that bad? Hmm, let's see," Karane hummed. "There was when you struggle to stay awake through class after staying up all night making Zelda's birthday gift. And when you tried to move heavy boxes for Henya with a sprained wrist. And when you sneezed throughout Eagus' class because you caught Sky Flu."

"Okay, you got me there, but that doesn't-"

"And let's not forget the dares you've done with Groose over the years, like when he challenged you to a Spicy Pepper eating contest, where you both almost burned your mouths. And when he dared you to belly flop to Skyloft Lake…from your Loftwing, and for weeks, you hid that your body was sore. And, my personal favorite, when Groose dared you to stand outside in the cold weather in nothing but your underpants at night."

"I think that was my personal best-" Link interjected, only to be greeted by Karane's glare. "Okay, point taken. I'm a reckless dumbass sometimes."

"And he finally admits it…" Pipit muttered under his breath. Karane heard that and responded with a light punch on his arm. "Hey! What was that for?"

"You're not innocent either. Just because I'm your girlfriend doesn't mean you're exempt from this. Do you think I haven't noticed the days you went without sleep because of night patrol? And I do even need to bring up the time you came to school when you got Loft Pox?"

"Oh yeah! You used your mom's makeup to cover up the spots!" Link mentioned.

"You had to bring THAT up…" Pipit grumbled.

"How can we forget that? The lengths you went through were pretty much hard to forget."

"Loft Pox makes you feel tired no matter how long you rest, yet you thought it would be a good idea to still attend school," Karane continued.

"In my defense, we did have a test that day. And everyone pretty much got Loft Pox at that point…" Pipit mentioned softly.

"And you think a test is more important than your health?" Karane chided.

"Looking back, no, it wasn't. It was stupid of me to do…"

At one point, Fledge tuned out of the light banter with his friends. He put more of his attention to the scenery. Near the end of their conversation, Fledge noticed a new noise. One that sounded like loud footsteps. And they were getting closer.

"Guys, do you hear that?" Fledge called out.

"Hear what-?" Pipit started, only for Fledge to cut him off with a 'Shh!'

Loud footsteps and the rusling of plants were more apparent, putting the quartet on high alert. They didn't know if what was coming towards them was monsters or some type of animal.

"Can you sense that, Fi?" Link said to the sword, which was tightly gripped in his hand.

"I do, Master," She responded back.

"Are they monsters?"

"I do not sense any aura matching any of the monsters in my memory bank. My scans do show that it is an animal."

"That doesn't sound bad, at least," Pipit commented.

"But we don't know if they'll eat us. Mala said there are animals down here that can do that," Fledge pointed out.

The animals soon revealed themselves. A dozen creatures stood as tall as fully grown Loftwings, maybe even taller. They all had long faces and four legs with hooves on their feet. Each of their creatures had fur coats, manes, and tails in various colors: brown, gray, black, blue, and peach. Their coat patterns varied with solid color, spots, and some stripes. There were some smaller ones, which could be the babies.

"What are those?" Link asked Fi.

"Grassland Horses. These horses can most often be found on plains, but they travel long distances to find food and to breed. Their diet mostly contains vegetation, so they do not see you as food. However, they can be startled easily and will kick you with their strong hind legs, which could kill you on impact. I recommend keeping a reasonable distance from them."

Link sheathed his sword, believing there was no danger.

"Look at the size of those things…" Pipit commented in total admiration.

"Remarkable." Karane pulled out her sketchbook, making a quick but detailed sketch of the horses.

A black horse with an orange mane and tail strolled in front of the quartet. It was close enough that the teens could see its eyes were a beautiful shade of green. The horse glanced at the group, lingering on Link for a few seconds before quickly losing interest and trotting away.

"Wow. Yikes. Wow…" Fledge uttered with pure wonder.

A loud neigh emitted from behind the quartet, startling them. A white horse with a gold mane strutted by. It then stopped to look at the students. This horse stood out compared to the rest of the small herd. It had a graceful posture and stood imposing. The horse might be intimidating at first glance, but one look into his blue eyes showed the gentleness of this giant.

Link got a nagging feeling as his friends admired these creatures in awe. He had never seen these creatures, yet something about them felt familiar. Link gazed upon the white horse again. Blinking a few times, the scene around him suddenly changed. The white horse remained, but a woman was sitting on its back.

The woman wore a beautiful, flowing white dress. Her blonde hair was styled with two braids on each side of her face. Over her head was a hood/veil covered with feathers. For some reason, Link could not make out her face, but he could see her mouth curved in a gentle, warm smile.

Link didn't know why but felt compelled to reach the horse's snout. Sticking out his hand, he saw that it looked bigger like it belonged to a full-grown man. His glove and bracers seemed slightly different, and his arm had additional armor. Link hesitated to touch the horse.

"Don't worry. He won't bite. At least I hope he doesn't, hehe." The woman said in an unfamiliar but familiar voice, making Link feel comfortable as if they had had this conversation before.

Link's hand moved closer to the horse's snout. Only a mere centimeter left, the white horse's head jerked up. The motion snapped Link out of his vision. The woman in white has gone from the horse's back and put him back in reality.

"What's up with him," Fledge questioned as he and Pipit & Karane looked at the horse concernedly.

Link noticed how alarmed the horse looked. The white horse neighed to its kind, getting all of their attention. Quickly, all of the horses dashed out of the area. The students were confused by what was going on. They got their answer when the last horse ran off, showing a different animal they had never seen, making itself known with a loud bellow.

This creature was not as tall as the horse but still massive in muscle. Its mere size alone showed that it weighed at least a ton. Like the horse, it had four legs with hooves. Unlike the horse, it had horns on the top of its head curving inwards that were as long as both of Link's legs. Its fur is coated in a dark blue color. Its eyes lock on to the students.

All four teens stood on alert, not looking at the animal.

"Fi what is that?" Link questioned, hand hovering over the Master Sword's grip.

"That is the Land Buffalo. These animals come equipped with curved horns made for defending themselves against predators. They can weigh up to two thousand pounds. They are very aggressive when provoked and run at high speeds."

"What do we do?" Karane question.

"Should we…fight it?" Pipit suggested.

"No! Do not fight! You'll aggravate him!"

"It seems pretty aggravated to me," Link snapped back.

"His hide is too thick for one stab to finish him off. He'll attack if he feels threatened and won't stop until you're no longer a threat," Fi explained grimly.

The Buffalo then bellows louder, ramming its head on the trees, and used its horns to pull up a bush.

"What's it doing?" Fledge hastily inquired.

"A territorial threat display. All of you do NOT run, or he'll charge."

"So what do we do? Dance with it?" Link quipped sarcastically.

"Hold your ground…" Fi instructed firmly.

The quartet glanced at each other nervously and then back to the animal. The Buffalo used one of its front legs to dig into the ground. With another bellow, the Buffalo charged over to the group. All four stood still, fighting the urge to run. When the animal got close, Link suddenly darted toward it, letting out a loud yell.

To everyone's surprise, including Link's, the Buffalo stops its tracks. It took a few steps back, almost as if it was afraid of him. Pipit, Karane, and Fledge could only look in astonishment. Link gave out a cheerful but nervous-filled laugh.

"You guys saw that? Yeah, that's right!" Link shouted at the Buffalo, which scurried away. "Who's the tough guy now, huh!"

"Do you think it's a good idea to taunt it?" Pipit wondered.

"Why? It clearly scared us," Link argued back.

"TOO scared…something about this doesn't feel right," Karane pondered uneasily.

Unbeknownst to Karane, she had no clue how right she was.

Emerging from behind the quartet was a large monster. Its lower half had the body of a horse. The upper half showed a muscular torso with two arms. Black fur covered it from head to hooves. Its head had the face of a feline creature with a fiery red mane with jagged antlers sticking out. Armed in its hands was a spear. Fledge was the first one to take notice of the monster.

"Guys…" Fledge called out urgently. His three friends turn to meet the monster face to face, gaping at its size.

The monster roared, leaping over the group to chase after the Buffalo. The animal let out a call, prompting several other members of its species to show up and make a defense line against the monster.

"That's no Remlit…" Fledge commented.

"It certainly is not," Link muttered. "Fi…"

"That is a Lynel. They possess intense resilience, along with piercing horns and weapons they hand-crafted themselves. They are excellent hunters, making them among the most dangerous monsters in all the land. They have thick hides, making them difficult to kill. Their only weak spot is their head."

The Lynel roared at the herd of Buffalo, but they did not show any sign of backing down. Seeing its prey is out of reach, the Lynel set its sights on the quartet. Slowly, it stalks over to them.

"So what about this guy? Run? Don't run? What?" Link frantically prodded.

"Run. Definitely run!" Despite sounding calm, the sense of urgency was loud enough in Fi's voice.

With a roar, the Lynel charges towards the group. All four made a mad dash into the trees, with the Lynel giving chase. The knight students ran through the thickest part of the forest, narrowly avoiding running into trees and tripping over logs & rocks. The Lynel cut through the obstacles with no issue, getting closer by the minute.

At one point, it got close enough to try to throw its spear at them, narrowingly missing Fledge by centimeters. The Lynel continued to pursue, grabbing its spear lodged onto the ground as it released an angry snarl.

"Anyone got a plan? Because I certainly do not want to die again!" Fledge yelled out.

"Right now, keep running!" Link screamed back.

"Oh, that's a good plan!" Fledge bit back sarcastically.

The Lynel was close on their tail, taking several swipes at the group with its spear's jagged metal tip. There was no sign of it slowing down. It could keep chasing them for as long as it wanted to.

Pipit got an idea. Not a smart one, but it was better than none.

He stopped running, turning on his heels and looking straight at The Lynel. Outstretching both arms, a large gust of wind blew out of his hand into The Lynel's direction. The wind did push the monster back several feet away. However, it manages to remain firm on all four of its hooves. When the wind died down, The Lynel stared straight at Pipit. Pipit may not be an expert, but he could see that The Lynel was now super pissed off.

"Shit…" Pipit ran again, with The Lynel pursuing him. He caught sight of a tree with some roots sticking up from the ground, giving enough space for him to take cover. The Lynel gave a vicious snarl, using its clawed hands to dig through the roots. They swipe at a fast speed, and Pipit barely avoids getting clawed several times.

Out of desperation, Pipit blew another gust of wind out of his hands. The Lynel stumbled back briefly, long enough for Pipit to crawl out of the roots and run. Unfortunately, The Lynel was quicker. Pipit only made it a few feet when the monster made an enormous leap. The impact of his landing shook the ground, making Pipit stumble. The Lynel then grabbed Pipit, hoisting him over the ground.

Pipit tried to wiggle free, but the crushing grip of the Lynel's enormous hands prevented him. The monster stared Pipit down, sniffing him before licking its lips. It bared its huge fangs, moving Pipit's head into its mouth, intending to eat him.

A thump echoed in the air, making The Lynel jerk back its head. Turning its side, it sees Karane whacking one of its legs with a large tree branch.

"LET GO OF HIM!" She gave another smack. Not too far behind was Fledge, who threw a large rock, striking the Lynel's torso.

"Karane! Fledge! Get out of here!" Pipit screamed.

"Screw that! We're not leaving you!" Fledge threw another rock, hitting the top of The Lynel's head. That action, along with Karane's continued assault with the tree branch, caused The Lynel to give an aggravated growl. It smacks Karane with its hand, causing her to fly into Fledge, both toppling down on the ground.

In that moment of distraction, The Lynel failed to see the group's last member hiding in the trees above.

Link leaped down, landing on The Lynel. His arms wrapped tightly around it's neck, holding on for dear life as it thrashed around. Amid the thrashing, Link landed a punch right onto The Lynel's face. This stunned the massive monster, causing him to kneel and drop Pipit on the ground.

"Go, go, go!" Link leaped off the monster, helping Pipit as Karane & Fledge regain their bearings.

They only got a decent distance when they heard The Lynel's anger-filled roar and its charging. The quartet ran past a thick brush when they fell straight down a steep ditch. They lay there, letting out small groans of pain. The Lynel's footsteps getting closer snap them out of it. Link told everyone to lie against the wall of the ditch that was littered with overgrown plants covering them.

From their position, they could see the shadow of the Lynel. The students sat still, not daring to move a muscle and trying not to breathe loudly. Fledge even had to cover his mouth when rocks fell onto him when The Lynel moved to the side. The students could only remain silent and pray The Lynel does not find them.

After a few painfully long minutes, The Lynel let out a frustrated huff, and its shadow disappeared from the human's view. It took another minute for Link to gather the courage to look at the top of the ditch with the other remaining tense.

"I think he's gone." Link confirmed with a shaky voice.

The other three let out relieved breaths of their own, relaxing their bodies. It took them minutes before everyone started to move again and climbed out of the ditch. Once they were certain The Lynel was gone they went back into the trees. Barely five minutes into the walk, a scent caught them.

"Do you smell that?" Fledge was the first to catch it scrunching up his nose.

One by one, the knight students sniffed the air. The smell in question was a putrid one.

"Ugh, what is that? It reeks." Pipit groaned, holding his nose.

"It smells rotten," Karane noted, fanning the air away from her. "Where's it coming from?"

"Over there," Link pointed to a large bush. Silently volunteering to go see, Link parted the bushes to the side. Greeting his sight was the large, freshly decaying carcass of some large animal, with flies buzzing above in a small clearing.

"What is it?" Fledge asked.

"Some dead animal…" Just to be safe, Link taps on it with his foot. "A very dead animal. Nothing harmful."

In the sense of twisted humor that only the Goddesses would find funny, a grunt caught Link's ears but not from the dead animal.

Peeking above was not a dead animal whose head had feline features like The Lynel but was way smaller. Unlike the monster, it stood on four legs, around five tall and eight feet long. It jumped on the top of the carcass and it was not alone.

As Link backed away to his friends, four more of the same feline creature emerged from behind the carcass. The three big felines, including the one on top, had manes while the others didn't. One notable trait they all shared was two large tusks sticking down from the upper jaw. Judging by the dried blood on their mouths and tusks, they were more than likely responsible for the creature's demise.

"Link?" Fledge called out nervously.

"None of you move a muscle…" Link commanded in a hushed tone back as he backed away, watching the felines slowly stalk him. "What are these Fi? Lynel's?"

"These animals are Sabertooth Lions. Though they have similar feline traits, they are unrelated to Lynel's. The ones with manes are the males, and the ones without them are females called Lionesses. They are pack hunters, traveling together in groups known as Prides, all led by an Alpha and their mate."

"And I'm going to assume they could eat us?"

"Potentially, yes."

"Oh great…"

The Lions continue to stalk their way by the time Link rejoins his friends.

"What big teeth these guys have…" Fledge commented, trying not to imagine how the lion could use them on him.

"Are these the 'Run' or 'Don't run' kind of animals?" Pipit asked.

"Absolutely do not run. Running will trigger their hunting instincts." Fi informed him.

"They look like they're about to pounce at any moment…"

"They're only curious," Karane claimed.

"How do you know that?" Pipit inquires.

"Fi said they were felines, right? So are Remlits. Look at their tails. When a Remlit at night intends to attack, their tails are still. When they're cautious, they move side to side, meaning we have a chance to back off. The Lions' tails are still moving."

"Your assumption is correct, Master Karane," Fi confirmed. "The Lions are exhibiting cautious behavior, meaning they do not intend to hunt you but will attack if threatened."

"How do we get away then?" Link questioned.

"Slowly back away and keep full eye contact with the Lions. There is a 98% chance they'll leave you alone once you exit their territory. Don't make sudden moves, look away, or do anything that may scare them. And remain calm."

All the group could do was follow the sword spirit's advice. Every one of them walked back gradually, their eyes locked onto the Sabertooth Lions that continued to stalk them. While the felines were not close, they were at a close enough range for Link's liking. He did note some details about these creatures. They were irrelevant to his situation, but studying your opponents was practically drilled into his head in knight training.

The first Male Sabertooth Lion, the presumed Alpha that led the stalking, had fur that reminded Link of his own hair color, strangely enough, with its mane a darker color. The Alpha had scars on his body, meaning it probably went through some fights. And clearly, he was the biggest of the pride overall with his muscles & saber teeth.

Next to him was one of the two Sabertooth Lionesses, more than likely the Alpha's mate. What made her stick out to the other lions was that her fur was white. The Alpha Lioness may not be as muscular as the Alpha himself, she was still packing more strength than the other Lioness.

That brings the second Lion & Lioness. These two serve as loyal subordinates to the pair of Alphas. The Subordinate Lion had dark brown fur with some hints of spots all over their body. The Subordinate Lioness next to him had fur that may come close to the color red. There was likely another mated pair, given how close they stuck by one another.

The third male, the final member, was the smallest of the three male sabertooths. It was shorter by several inches, less muscular, had shorter saber teeth, and its mane wasn't as prevalent as the other two males. Perhaps he was the youngest of the pride. That did not mean he was less dangerous. Link swore that the Young Lion appeared eager, willing to prove himself. This was confirmed when Link glanced to the side and thought he had heard something in the nearby trees. It was only a second, enough for the Young Lion to attempt to charge before settling down when Link moved his gaze back.

The only conclusion that Link could get based on his observations was that he could not take any of these guys in a fight. And he certainly did not want his friends to fight them. One guaranteed way is to remain calm & hopefully, the Lions will lose interest quickly.

"Remlits at night don't seem so scary anymore…" Karane almost lamented.

"Stay calm, stay calm…" Pipit whispered loudly next to Fledge.

"I am calm," Fledge said back.

"…I'm talking to myself," Pipit clarified meekly.

"It'll be okay, guys. Just don't do anything stupid." Link said back to his friends. "Things can't get any worse…"

At that moment, a familiar roar rang in the air, causing the group to stop. Stumbling out of the trees on their side was the same Lynel from earlier and he certainly was not happy. All of his friends gave Link small glares.

"The universe just loves proving me wrong, doesn't it?!" Link exclaimed.

"You make it too easy," Fledge casually stated.

With its spear gripped in his hand, the Lynel made a mad leap towards the humans. Forgetting about the Lions stalking them, the students had no choice but to run. They only made several feet when the Lynel landed. The landing impact caused minor shockwaves strong enough to send the teens down. With the four humans down, the Lynel intends to hunt its prey.

That's when the White Alpha Sabertooth Lioness jumped onto his backside. The Lynel let out a pain-filled bellow when he felt her claws dig into his hide. It was quick to throw her off. The white feline let out a groan when the monster tossed her. The other sabertooth lions quickly joined the assault, forgetting about the humans. These creatures found a more clear threat to their territory. That gave the quartet the advantage to run back into the surrounding woods. Link stopped himself at the edge. Curiosity got the better of him as he found his gaze fixated on the battling creatures.

The Alpha Lion was quick by his mate's side, standing between her and The Lynel, snarling at it. The monster gripped its spear, ready to attack, failing to notice the rest of the pride. The Subordinate Lion & Lioness followed through the assault by attacking its legs. The Lynel did fight back by attempting to kick them. The Young Lion used the opportunity to jump square onto The Lynel's back. Despite three sabertooths all over it, the Lynel remains standing on all four hooves. Fi was not kidding about its resilience.

But resilience doesn't mean invincibility.

The Young Lion sunk its teeth in the perfect spot on the back where the Lynel's torso met its horse body. The Lynel's front part went on one of its knees. That was all that was needed for The Alpha Lion to jump right onto the Lynel's head, saber teeth dug into its neck. A loud snap cracked the air. Life in The Lynel's eyes faded as his limbs went limp, and his body landed on the ground with a thump.

The White Lioness rejoined her pride. She had received some scratches, but they did not appear concerning. She and the Alpha Lion rubbed their heads affectionately together, probably to assure each other they were okay. The mated pair and the other three Sabertooth Lions gazed at their kill. Link found it the right time to leave the scene.

The loud call of the Alpha Lion's triumphant roar screeched around the area as Link's running footsteps faded.

----

By the time dusk had settled, the knight students found their shelter in a small cave. There were no signs of anything living in it or fresh animal and monster tracks lingering nearby, so they deemed it safe to rest for the night. Like before, Fi offered to keep a vigil for any intruders, allowing the humans to relax. And really, who can blame them?

All four sat around on the cave's floor. Karane rummaged through their bags, checking on the supplies as the guys rested nearby.

"You doing okay, Fledge?" Link checked in.

"Could be better. Could be worse," Fledge responded with a deadpan expression, trying not to wince. "I do not recommend running around while recovering from torture."

"Pain coming back?"

Fledge gestured with his hand with a 'eh'. "It's not excruciating. I don't need any potions yet."

"Tell us when it does, okay?"

Fledge nodded, mumbling to himself, "Oh yeah, Din's essence brings me back from the dead, but it couldn't heal my other injuries. I guess Faron was right about power having limits."

Link looks over to Karane. "How are our supplies looking?"

"Good news, we still have food." Karane pulled our ration bars with a dejected look. "Bad news is, this is all we have. If I had known we would end up here…"

"It's not your fault. None of us knew. We're only here because of Ghirahim," Pipit assured adamantly. "I'm certain there are at least some things on The Surface that could be editable. Fi can probably help us."

Fi exits the sword. "I would be more than happy to assist with that, Master Pipit. There are plenty of types of plants that grow fruits and vegetables on The Surface. I implore you to let me analyze the food to ensure it is clear of any parasites, bacteria, or anything else that could harm you. I do not think that food will be a main concern, and I would be alarmed if we don't find any immediately."

"Why is that?" Karane questioned the sword spirit.

"Humans can go up to three weeks without food."

All four gave wide-eyed expressions. "You're joking, right?" Fledge blurted.

"I cannot give false information even if I wanted to," Fi reminded sternly.

Fledge lowered his gaze apologetically. "Sorry."

"Do not be sorry. I can understand the skepticism. The Sky does not have many places to get lost in the wilderness, so you would have no way to figure it out. Back to the topic, humans can only last three to five days without water, so I highly suggest prioritizing conserving your water and seeking out bodies of it."

"I wish I had known that years ago…" Pipit groaned, facepalming. "To think of all the times when money was tight for Mom and me, we had to cut down on food or rely on others' charity, and we could've survived on a week of water. It makes sense! Water is free, but food isn't! I spent nights filled with worry that we wouldn't have enough food for the week! I could've saved myself so much stress!"

"While I feel your frustration, Master Pipit, I am not suggesting you all starve yourselves and only drink water. I still recommend searching for things to eat, for there are nutrients food can provide to the human body that water cannot. I only share the fact that if you were forced to choose between food and water, the latter is the best option."

"And don't even think about doing something like that if things get tough for you and your mom." Karane scolded, lightly punching Pipit's arm. "And I'm glad you didn't do it back then!"

"Noted."

Link sat and watched the conversation play out, contemplating what to do next. If today had shown him anything, it was that The Surface was far more unpredictable than Faron, Lanayru, and Eldin combined. He wished that Loftwings could go below the cloud barrier so they can get back safety.

Near the end of the conversation, a voice caught his attention.

"Link…" It was a voice that didn't belong to either of his friends or Fi.

Link had sat near the cave entrance, which allowed him to view the wilderness. He scanned around the trees and bushes.

"Link." It called out again.

A small, glowing blue creature stood in the center of Link's vision. Link did not know its intentions, but somehow, he knew this creature was safe.

"Link. Chosen Hero of Hylia," The blue called to him. "Remember…Who you were…"

A small flash covered Link's vision.

He remained in the cave, but something changed. Fi and his friends could not be seen. What he did see were two large horses sitting in the cave—the same white blonde horse from before, and a horse with a reddish coat and white mane and tail.

At the entrance of the cave stood a woman, watching rain pour down outside and thunder rumble in the air. The blonde in the white dress and veil reached her hand out. "I doubt this will let up soon…" she said almost gloomfully.

Link found himself walking over to her. He looked down to see his body was different. His body was that of an adult man. The arm is the same as the one that reaches for the horse's snout. The body had a green tunic with golden shoulder plates and a red scarf.

"So much for a relaxing day of horseback riding…" The woman lamented.

Despite being taller, Link's arm gently pats the woman's shoulder in a comforting manner. "I wouldn't say all is lost." A male voice came out of Link that wasn't his.

"Why is that?" The woman faces him with her beautiful, painfully familiar blue eyes.

"You have me by your side." That earns a soft chuckle from the woman.

"Well, I suppose there's that." The woman did a double take in Link's direction. "Have you been sleeping?"

"Maybe a little. I've been busy training some recruits."

"Of course you were." The woman breathes out, shaking her head. "You're too selfless for your own good."

"Apologies, Your Grace."

"And you don't have to call me that when it's just the two of us. At this point, I think we're beyond formalities."

"Of course, Hylia."

"Since we're going to be here for a while, perhaps you could take a nap until the rain stops," Hylia says, holding her hand up. "And don't try to argue with me otherwise."

"Alright, as you wish…Although, maybe I could get good sleep if I had something comfy to lay on…"

Hylia could only roll her eyes with a playful grin. She sits on the cave floor, the skirt of her white dress spreading out. Link lowered himself to the ground, resting his head comfortably on the dress's fabric. Hylia smiles down at him.

"Comfy now, sleepyhead?"

"Very much so, my sweet." A yawn came out of his mouth. His eyelids grew heavy, slowly enclosing his vision with darkness. The last thing he felt was a small kiss on his forehead. Hylia whispered, "Rest well, my dear Link…"

"Link!"

Hearing Fledge's voice made Link shake his body, letting out a small gasp. He turned to see Fledge looking at him with a concerned expression. "Are you okay? You looked like you zoned out."

"I-I'm fine. Just thinking that's all. Nothing to worry about."

"Alright…" Fledge responded, sounding a bit unconvinced. "Anyways, I just wanted to give you this." Fledge handed Link the last of the ration bars.

"Thanks," Link accepted it.

Fledge gave an acknowledged nod and walked away, leaving Link alone. The green-clad senior knight remembered what he had just seen moments ago.

"What the hell did I see? Was the other one from earlier connected to this? Was that really…Hylia, I saw? Is she the same woman I saw with the horse earlier? What is going on?"

The sounds of bells caught Link's attention. Once again, he saw the same blue creature staring back at him. Seconds later, it darted in the opposite direction, vanishing into thin air.

Link blinked several times to make sure he was not in a dream. "Did I see that?" He whispered to himself.

"You did, Master," Fi responded quietly as she floated beside Link. "I saw it too."

"You know what it is?"

"A Blupee. A spirit that glows with a mysterious blue light. I saw it back in Eldin before we left, and it's been following us."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I sensed no malicious intent of any kind back there and certainly not now. I found no need to alert you over something nonthreatening. I do apologize for not speaking up. It will not happen again, Master Link."

"It's fine." Link assured. "Do you know what it wants with us? Are you sure it's not a threat?"

"I am not sure of its true intentions, but I am 100% certain that it means no harm to us or your friends. I would not worry for the time being."

Link stood quiet, thinking for a minute. "Keep guard on it just to be sure."

"Understood, Master." Fi glances at Link's friends. "Should we tell your friends?"

"No. If it's not a threat, there's no need to tell them now. It'll probably be nothing for all we know."

"Very well."

"Everything okay there?" Pipit called out. Karane & Fledge also looking at him.

"Master Link thought he heard a noise. I was scanning the area and found no threats," Fi answered.

"Yeah! False alarm!" Link added with a nervous smile.

"Okay…" Pipit responded, confused by Link's weird response, but immediately brushed it off.

"Have you eaten yet?" Karane called out.

"Oh yeah." Link took a bite of the ration bar.

"Don't waste it now. We're going to need all the strength we can."

Link nodded back to her, bringing his gaze back to the wilderness. Fi had returned to The Master Sword. His mind was divided between the coming days and the visions. Frankly, he didn't know which he would rather think about. All he could hope for was that the coming days would be easier and the visions would not be very common. He did wonder if the Blupee had something to do with it. If that were the case, Link hoped it didn't do it constantly.

The last thing Link wants is more weird dreams again.

#legend of zelda #skyward sword #legend of zelda fanfiction #link #pipit #karane #fledge #fi #everyone is having a GREAT time here #an impulse decision

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alphagirl404 · 10 days

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I decided to compare Link’s height to Pipit, Karane, and Fledge 'cause I though it be a nice detail to know for my fic 'An Impulse Decision' and I made some...discoveries

First, here’s Pipit who’s tall

Makes sense since he’s older than Link

Then there's Karane who doesn’t even surpass Link’s height, despite being presumingly older

Rip

And then there’s Fledge…

Now I’ve always saw Fledge being younger than Link, so naturally I visualized him being shorter, if not then the same height. Turns out I was wrong

Case in point:

Kid's much taller than I remember him being. He's at least a good inch above Link. And I learn this just 35 chapters and putting two and a half years into this fic. Whoops...

TLDR: Pipit & Fledge are (probably) tied for being the tallest. Link is in second. And Karane comes in last as a Short Queen

#legend of zelda #skyward sword #link #pipit #karane #fledge #legend of zelda skyward sword #loz #sksw #an impulse decision #i guess this is what happens when you don't play a certain game for a while #you forget details like this

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alphagirl404 · 12 days

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I already said this a while back but I will say it again: It would’ve been so much narratively better if Link’s fight with Demise took place at Skyloft.

One of the main issues I have with Skyward Sword is that The Skyloftians are super oblivious to the dangers throughout the entirely of the game. If they saw Demise they would get a grasp the danger that Link & Zelda were fighting against.

Like instead of fighting Link in that void, Demise initially dismisses him and makes a beeline for the Gate of Time, but not before challenging Link to chase after him if he dared. Lets say Demise isn’t at full strength to use the Triforce so he heads over the Skyloft to cause trouble. The citizens are shocked & terrified. The Skyknights try to fight Demise, but the Evil God swats them away like insects.

Link gets back to Skyloft. If you thought Link was pissed when Ghirahim took Zelda, he be even more so seeing his home being attacked by monsters. Link, and maybe Groose & Impa, defends the citizens from Demise’s forces. In doing so inspires some Skyloftians (specifically maybe the ones from the Gratitude Crystal quests) to try to help Link fight back, proving Demise’s belief that humans being weaklings wrong. With his forces taken down Demise takes Link to an arena he crafted and they have their duel far from Skyloft but close enough for the citizens to see.

Link defeats Demise, much to the surprise to many of the Skyloftians. They couldn’t believe that Link, the sweet boy know to be an airhead, sleepy, and maybe lazy, killed the God with ferocity, and made it out alive

After that, the game would end the same as it did. Link & co returns to the Sealed temple to see Zelda alive, Fi & Impa saying their goodbyes, and Link & Zelda at the Goddess Statue.

#legend of zelda #skyward sword #link #demise #zelda #skyloft #sksw #sksw link #sksw zelda #loz demise

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alphagirl404 · 12 days

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skyward sword posting <3

#these are so cute!#I ADORE Karane’s design!#legend fo zelda #skyward sword

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alphagirl404 · 21 days

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An Impulse Decision: Chapter 34

Fanfiction.net

AO3

<- Previous Chapter Next Chapter ->

The conclusion of Groose's arc

----

Chapter 34: Breaking Curses

Groose darted upwards with a yelp, panting in synch with his rapid heartbeat. A tingling sensation grew on his face. Gently wiping his fingers against his forehead, a mixture of blue & purple paints rests on his fingers. It let out a warm glow, chipping away from his skin, floating into the air, and fading away. No trace of the strange paint was left on his fingertips or his face.

"Welcome back," The Old One's voice made Groose jump. She sat with a nonchalant expression.

Groose scotches several inches away from her, "You…What the hell was in that stuff, Grannie?"

"Something that helped you."

"Help me? HELP ME?!" Groose screeched, glaring at the old woman who remained calm. "How was that supposed to help me?!"

"Are you upset?"

"Of course I'm upset! Why wouldn't I? You drugged me!" He pointed an accusing finger at her.

"Technically, I gave you a choice to drink that. I did not force you to drink it. You made your choice." The Old One clarified. "It helps you clear your mind."

"How is having trauma-inducing shit shoved to my face supposed to clear my mind?" He hissed.

"To allow you to see all the events that shaped you without the lens that censored it placed by you. Such as how your future will be. The effects of how you treated others. And how your parents abused you."

Groose held his breath. "H-How did you know?"

"I saw everything. From your past actions and the potential future."

The teen sat quietly for a good minute, unsure what to say. "Every single thing?" The elderly woman responded back with a nod.

"Have you nothing to say?" The Old One asked when the silence lingered too long for her liking.

"Should I? You already know." Groose responded with bitterness.

"Are you certain?"

"You really want me to say it out loud, Grannie?! I'm an asshole, okay!" Groose's piercing words ricocheted throughout the interior of the temple. The Old One remained unruffled by the sudden volume boost in Groose's voice. She stays hushed as he continues on.

"My parents treated me like shit! They hated me! I was always always a nuisance to them. Deadweight. The one time I tried to prove myself to them that I wasn't, they shattered it! I was never good enough for them. I was nothing but useless."

Groose let out a sarcastic chuckle.

"And then they just left me at the academy! They haven't visited me or written a letter in the past seven years! They discarded me like I was old, worn-out clothes they didn't want anymore!" Groose wiped his eyes in front of the tears that threatened to break out. "I spend so many nights lying awake asking myself: How bad of a son I was? Every inconvenience in their life has always been MY fault! What other reason could that be? Mom and Dad just left me there. Link might've been an orphan, but he had people that cared for him…."

He said with a croaked voice. "…I had no one. I was totally alone."

"Then I met Zelda. She was the first person to be kind to me." Groose grasps the necklace. "Zel made me this, y'know. It may not look like much, but to me, it meant everything. She didn't know anything about me at the time, but she made me this simple necklace to welcome me. It was the first gift I've ever gotten from anyone. Not even my parents did that. She wanted to be my friend."

Groose let out a huff. "Then I eventually blew that. When I found out that she & Link were best friends, I was afraid of losing her. I was convinced that Link was keeping her away. It was easier for me to believe that. I was wrong. I was a jealous jerk who couldn't handle Zelda having another friend. Everyone saw me as nothing more after that. I became 'Groose the Bully.' 'Terror of Skyloft.' And can't forget 'The Guy Who Ruins Everything.' That's who I've always been all of my freaking LIFE!" Groose's nostrils breathe with anger. "If that's what the world was going to see me as…there was no point in trying to be anything else."

Groose lowers his head. The Old One watches him with patience. "You still think you can help me out, Grannie? The way I see it, I'm nothing but a curse…" Groose turns to face her, spreading his arms to the side. "So go ahead. Tell me I'm an irredeemable monster. Or just kill me. No one will care."

The teen closes his eyes, bracing for whatever The Old One would do to him. His breath hitched as he heard her walk towards him. She wraps her arms around the boy in a warm embrace. "I care."

Groose darted his eyes open, frozen in shock. Clearly surprised by the gesture. "You are no curse." The Old One expressed softly.

The teen jerked away from her. "How can you believe that? You saw everything those sisters showed me." Groose, with every ounce of raw emotion in his shaky tone, tries not to let out the waterworks that threaten to break free and gazes at the old woman with disbelief in his eyes. "Don't you know…what I've done?!"

"Yes!" The Old One responded strictly before speaking with a low tone. "But what will you do now?"

Groose spent a minute pondering a response. "What can I do? People like me don't change. We don't have a choice."

"There is always a choice. The problem with you…You were led to believe that you didn't have any." The Old One gently held Groose's hand in a comforting manner. "Let me ask again. What will you do?"

"I…" Groose mumbled. "I don't know."

The Old One's grip on his hand gently tightened. "Then, if you allow me, I can help you. There is no shame in asking for such a thing. No one can face the world alone. You've been doing that all your life. Asking for help will not make you weak. You may think nobody cares, but I do." Groose was puzzled to hear that. "It may be hard to swallow your pride in admitting to needing assistance. Believe me, I am guilty of such a thing. But if there's anything I learned from my time in this world, it takes true strength to ask for help. This world is not always fair, but you don't have to fight it alone. If you chose to I can help you. Will you allow me to do so? What is your choice?"

All of the walls that Groose had put up for so many years crumbled in that instant. He covered his mouth with his free hand to hold in the sobs that were now breaking through as the tears started to stream down. The Old One again pulled Groose into a hug, but this time he reciprocated.

Loud cries echoed throughout the interior of the temple. Tears stained the older woman's shoulder as she let the teen let out emotions that he had pent up for a good portion of his life. She gave soothing rubs on his back, like a mother comforting her sad child.

Groose clutches the old woman like his life depended on it. When was the last time he hugged someone, he realized. Has he ever been hugged at all?

He never knew how touch-starved he was.

"I'm such a failure, aren't I?" Groose croaked in a hoarse voice after a while. "I'm a failure of a Skyknight. I'm a failure of a friend…And I'm a failure of a son."

The Old One pulled away, keeping a grip on his arms. "No. You did not fail your parents. They were the ones who failed you. Rather than love & guide you, they treated you like a burden, and casted you away."

Groose lets out a sniffle, wiping his eyes from the tears. "Why couldn't they just…love me?"

"Every child deserves a parent. But not every parent deserves a child. You did not ask for them to be your parents or for this life. They decided to bring you into this world and how they treated you. I guarantee that you did nothing to deserve that kind of abuse. What they did to you is something no loving parent would ever do."

The Old One stares intently at him. "Regardless of what they did, they are still your parents. Nothing will ever change that." Groose's eyes lowered. "But they are no longer a part of your life. You are free from them. Free to make your own choices."

Grooses eyes slightly lit up upon that realization.

"Life sometimes is not easy for every person. At some point, you will be placed in a dark tunnel. You then have two choices. Either you sit in the tunnel until fate takes hold of you…Or you walk. You keep walking and walking until finally, you find that light at the end. Sometimes, that journey takes a long time, but you'll reach the end if you keep going. And you, Groose, just need to keep on walking."

"I…I guess I can do that. But where would I start?"

"You can start by stop feeling sorry for yourself." Groose let out a small chuckle at the old woman's statement, agreeing with her. "Thinking about the past will not help your future. Yes, the past can hurt, but you can either run from it or learn from it."

"Really bringing up the importance of choice, eh, Grannie?"

"Because you do have a choice. You have the choice to not be abusive like your parents."

"I know that now," Groose said uncertainly. "Could I really become a better person? I've hurt a lot of people on Skyloft."

"The path of atonement is not an easy one. Some may forgive you. But there will be some who may never do so."

Groose could already get an idea who those unforgivers may be. He will not blame them for feeling that way if they do so.

"But there is someone who I'm certain may forgive you."

"Who?" The old woman gave a confident smile to the teen. "Link?" The teen guessed. The Old One kept her smile. "How do you know? I've treated him the worst."

"Link was concerned for your well-being. Before he and his friends left, I overheard that he suspected there's more to you than you let on. If anything, I'm sure he's willing to give you a second chance. The question remains: Are you willing to make things right with him?"

"I think so." Groose took a deep breath through his nose. "I'm nothing like Link. That's a bitter potion I've got to swallow. I will do everything possible to make things right with him and everyone I've wronged." Groose eyes showed a hopeful gleam. "Maybe I could gain Zelda's friendship back. If she wants to, that is. If not…I'll be willing to accept that."

The Old One gave a proud smile.

"Goddesses, how do I even do this?" Groose ran his hand through his hair. "I could apologize, but… Link deserves so much more than that."

"I have the utmost confidence that you will figure it out." The Old One declared with complete confidence.

A yawn escapes from Groose's mouth. "Maybe I should sleep on it."

"I think it is wise to do so."

Groose sits down back in his sleeping spot. He did not immediately lie down, for something was on his mind. "What troubles you?" The Old One asks.

Groose sucked in a breath. "Can I ask you something, Grannie?"

"Of course."

"Could you…stay by my side in case I have another nightmare? I know it's stupid, but I just-"

The Old One walked to his side, sitting down. "You have my word, dear boy."

A breath of relief escaped from Groose's mouth. He lays on his back, giving one last look to the woman. "Night Grannie."

"Sleep well, Groose."

The teen shut his eyes. With one deep breath, he was out like a light.

----

Sounds of muffled yelling alerted Groose. He was alone in a dark void again. What was he doing here? Was it a nightmare, a dream, or something else?

The sounds of yelling echoed around him. It sounds as if they are getting closer and closer. Groose darts his head around, trying to find the source.

Groose sees a door.

A familiar dirty door, with muffled shouts emitting from the other side, alongside sounds of a child crying.

"Instead of helping us, you waste your time-" A small slam followed. "-Making absurd contraptions!"

"No!"

Hearing those words, Groose immediately rushes to the door and opens it. He freezes at the sight.

It was his old bedroom. His parents towered over his ten-year-old counterpart, crying as the man destroyed his creation. In contrast, the woman rips the plans for it apart.

Again, Groose watches his younger self beg his parents to stop what they're doing. Then, he tried to use physical force only to be pushed back. The boy could only watch his parents destroy his creation.

"Don't cry. This was your own doing." His mother scolded the crying boy just as remorselessly as before.

"I worked so hard…I could've helped others," Young Groose looked at the adults with questioning eyes.

"Like anyone would listen to your ridiculous ideas," Groose's Father sounded as uncaring as his wife.

Like last time, Young Groose then attempted to physically lash out in his anger at his parents. As previously, it was met with his father punching him and his mother slapping him, both hard enough to make him bleed.

"How dare you attack us!" The woman barked as if she couldn't believe it.

Seeing all this, something snapped Groose out of his frozen trance. Something told him to step in. He could not allow this any longer.

When his mother took a step forward to the child, Groose dashed in.

"Don't touch him!"

Groose stood directly in front of the adults, arms spread out to his sides, blocking their path to the child.

"Don't you move any closer to him!" Groose snarled at them in between his panting breaths. His parents gave dumbfounded expressions.

Groose's mother gave an amused chuckle. "Please stop this nonsense if you know what's good for you."

Groose did not budge to her demands. Her husband stepped forward and squared up to be intimidating. "Get out of our way, you insubordinate brat."

"Why? What are you going to do? Nothing can hurt more than what you've already done. How could you lay your hands on your family? A child?! Is that what they called parenting back in your day?"

"Don't you dare speak against us! We're your parents! You should respect us!"

"The day you deserve it! Smacking your kid around is not how you do it!" Groose barked back at his mother.

"We did it to teach you to be grateful!" Groose's Father argued.

"I was a kid! You were my parents! Parents are not supposed to hurt their kids. They were supposed to guide them. Support them. And love them. You never did any of that for me! I never felt respect for you while living with you guys. All I felt was fear, confusion, and anger. I had no one to help me. More so after you left me at Skyloft all alone! I became so afraid of being alone that I pushed away the first person who showed me genuine kindness. I've hurt her and so many others."

"Well of course you did. You're a curse." Groose's Mother spat at him coldly. "It's in your nature to ruin everything you touch."

"You ruined your mother. Our stability. Our finances. Our entire lifestyle! Every single thing in our lives was ruined because of you!" Groose's Father yelled.

"I DIDN'T ASK TO BE BORN!" Groose angrily points his finger at them. "You assholes were the ones who brought me into this world! If anyone is to blame for your life being 'ruined,' it's you two! If I could, I sure as hell would wish not to be born in this life! I was just an innocent kid who had no idea what I did to make you both hate me!"

Groose let out more huffs of air, lowering his finger. "But whether we like it or not, I'm here. I'm still here, breathing and alive. And I'm no longer going to spend my life hurting others."

"What are you going to do? Turn a new leaf?" Groose's Father mocked.

"That's exactly what I'm going to do."

"How exactly? You've hurt so many people, including the girl you claimed to care for," Groose's Mother said in her condescending tone. "You've hurt her and a lot of others, including your so called 'friends'. You think they'll all forgive you after the seven years of insults, humiliation, and no regard for their well being?"

"Maybe not all of them, but I'll do what I can to make it right. Even if it takes me the rest of my life! Because, unlike you two, I know I was an asshole!" Groose slowly struts closer to them. "And I'll be damned if I spend my life acting like you two. I'll dedicate my life to ensuring I, or anyone else, doesn't become remotely close. I don't know where you are or if you're even alive, but that doesn't make any difference because you both are dead to me! You no longer have any hold on my life!" Groose shut his eyes, balling his fists. "I…will…NEVER become anything like you!"

The air around him grew quiet. Groose opens his eyes to find that his parents are no longer in sight. He let out a breath of relief. That was halted when he heard the sobs of a child.

Glancing over his shoulder, Groose could see Young Groose on the floor, still crying, near the remains of his invention. The boy seems to feel his gaze, tilting his head to see him. There was a look of fear in Young Groose's eyes. It was the same type of fear Groose had seen on Link, Fledge, and so many other people he had hurt when he bullied them. That was a life that he swore he would no longer live. He was going to make things right.

Maybe he could start now.

Groose gently lifts his hands. He slowly walked over to the boy, who was on high alert.

"Easy, kid. I'm not going to hurt you."

"You look big & scary, like my dad," hearing his young self say that did sting, but he wasn't going to let that stop him.

"I am, but I promise I won't hurt you." Groose sits on the ground in front of Young Groose. He brought his attention to the broken. "I'm sorry about they did to your invention."

"Its okay…I'm used to it."

"What was it?"

"It's-" Young Groose stopped himself. "It's nothing."

"I don't believe that for one minute. Tell me about it."

Young Groose warily looked at Groose. Seeing that he was interested, the boy relaxed in a comfortable position.

"I called it the Groosenator. It's meant to defend against flying monsters. A model of it, at least. Mom and Dad told me it was stupid and no one would like it." Young Groose let out a defeated sigh, tears strolling down his cheek as he lowered his head. "Maybe they were right. It does sound stupid, like me."

Groose gently held onto his younger counterpart's shoulders. "Don't listen to them, kid. You are not stupid. That invention sounds like a great idea."

Young Groose lifts up his gaze. "But my parents said-"

"They're wrong about you. Just because they're your parents doesn't mean they're always right. You can't let them think for you. You gotta do that yourself. I think your idea is great." Groose used his finger to wipe away the boy's tears. "In fact…I think you just inspired me."

"Really?" Young Groose squeaked with a hope-filled voice.

Groose nods. "I was in a similar spot as you were in. The only way I could cope was by lashing out. I've hurt others because of it. Then, someone went out of their way to help show me there's another way. She didn't have to, but she did. I want to return the favor. And…maybe get a good start with making amends with the people I've hurt. And I think your idea may help me. If it goes well, it'll be all thanks to that smart brain of yours." Groose spread his arms to his sides. "What do you say, kid? Want to tell me more of your ideas?"

Young Groose leaps into Groose's chest, wrapping his tiny arms around him. Groose leaned into the hug, closing his eyes, patting his child counterpart's back comfortingly, who let out quiet sobs. The pair were locked in their hug. Groose felt somewhat of a shift in the room.

Opening his eyes, he saw the two forms of Lana & Cia standing behind Young Groose.

Lana had her hands clasped together in front of her center chest with a happy smile. Cia had her arms crossed, keeping her firm stance, yet Groose could make out the faint proud smirk on her lips.

Groose mouthed out a silent 'Thank you' to the sisters. The women simply nodded their heads.

If this was some sort of final test they had given, Groose was sure he had passed it.

----

The Old One awakened to shuffling nearby.

She saw Groose with the piles of wood that had been chopped down since his arrival. He looked to be writing on some parchment paper, muttering to himself loud enough for the elderly woman to hear. The Old One could see that he seemed passionate about whatever he was working on.

With an amusing smile, she strolls over, asking, "What are you working on?"

Groose turns and glances over his shoulder. "You mentioned that the seal in the pit can't hold big & scary for long, right?" She nods in response. Sucking in a deep breath, Groose picks up the paper in front of him, showing a diagram of some type of contraption titled 'The Groosenator.' "I think I can make something that may help if he shows back up. It may be a bit absurd, and we try something else if you don't like it-"

"I'm open to any idea you may have to help," The Old One places a comforting touch on Groose's arm. "Tell me all about it."

The remainder of that morning was spent with Groose sharing his idea. He talked with passion in his voice. Eyes lit up whenever The Old One agreed with them. Not once did she not put him down. She would say it with respect if she had any input of her own.

By the end of that morning, The Old One could see that Groose was starting to progress.

#legend of zelda #skyward sword #legend of zelda fanfiction #groose

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alphagirl404 · 21 days

Text

An Impulse Decision: Chapter 33

Fanfiction.net

AO3

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Note: This (and the next chapter) has been uploaded on my two platforms for a while. I just forget to put the link here. So, whoops...

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Chapter 33: Path of Atonement III

The white light fades away, allowing Groose to see the new location the sisters had taken him too.

They were inside a house that looked smaller than his dorm room and the place he used to live in with his parents. There was barely any décor, no color in the room. What little items were seen were presented in a disorganized manner. Dust layered the walls, dirt painted the floors, and dirty dishes piles up in the sink. Whoever lives here is a more lousy housekeeper than Pipit's mom.

Groose instantly did not like this place. Something about it made him feel uneasy. That's when he found a bottle. And another. Then another.

Dozens of empty glass bottles resided all over the room. Whiskey bottles, to be exact. Some intact. Few were shattered, and whoever broke them didn't bother to clean them. The bottles led over to one end of the room. A figure sat on a worn-down chair in front of a fireplace, th eonly source of light in this dark room. Groose moved closer to get a better look at the figure's face. What he saw made his heart stop.

Because Groose was looking at himself.

Except he was older, well into his adult years. He still has the same bright red hair styled in a messy pompadour. What concerned Groose was how…small his older self appeared. He had lost considerable weight, looking almost as thin as Fledge. The muscle of his biceps had shrunk. Older Groose seemed to not have shaved or cleaned himself often.

Older Groose's face told the story. His expression, at first glance, looked angry. His eyes on the other hand were filled with regret.

Older Groose only stared into the fireplace. Aside from taking an occasional sip from his whiskey bottle, he did not move. When he took his final sip, Older Groose let out a frustrated growl, throwing the bottle against the wall with loud shattering glass that startled glass. After he calmed down, he placed his hand on his face. The sound of a light sob lightly echoed in the room.

Groose was utterly speechless at this pathetic sight of his older self. "That…That can't be me." He uttered in disbelief.

"I'm afraid it is," Lana's voice gently broke through.

"This is what your future is in store for you if you do not change your ways," Cia stated sharply.

"H-how…?" That was all Groose could say. "I should be flying around Skyloft as a Skyknight."

Somberness painted Lana's face, clasping both of her hands together. "You did something…terrible. Enough to not only permanently strip away your future as a Skyknight but also warranted banishment from Skyloft."

Groose turns his head towards the women in shock at those revelations. That was not an answer he was expecting to hear. With a frown, Cia slowly strutted towards him.

"You may be now thinking, 'What did you do to earn such a harsh punishment?' hmm?" Cia stopped in front of Groose. "Do you remember what you told yourself the day Zelda cut off her friendship with you? That things would be better if Link was out of the picture?" She leaned down, looking Groose dead in the eye. "In this future, you succeed in making it come to pass. Just as you wished…"

"And because of that, your future will be this," Lana noted grimly, gesturing back to Older Groose. "A dark cloud blowing through. Days neither joyous nor free. What we see is a future…" She pointed an index finger at Groose. "A future caused by you."

All this talk the sisters were spewing made Groose feel uneasy in his chest. How they sounded, it is clear that Groose will do something terrible sometime in the future. And Link was involved in it. How he was made Groose nervous to know why.

"What did I do?" Groose uttered out fearfully.

"You seriously want to know?" Groose nodded in response to Cia. "As you wish."

With a wave of her scepter, the scene changed.

Groose can now see they were in the courtyard outside of the Sparring Hall. The sun shines in the sky with some clouds. Many people have gathered, forming a ring. Groose recognized pretty much everyone. Except everyone here appeared to be several years older than they were now. Looking through the large crowd, Groose spotted the person of his interest.

Link stood in the inner section of the crowd, in the ample ground space that the bystanders had gathered around. He was older, had hair long enough for a ponytail, and had signs of facial hair growing through. There was even a scar on one of his eyebrows. He was dressed in his green knight uniform, except he had additional accessories like he was going into battle, including the steel sword in his hand. Groose could also make out a gold-colored ring on the finger of his left hand. A wedding ring, to be exact.

Joined with him were all of his close friends.

Pipit was the same if Groose didn't count the additional accessories he wore onto his yellow uniform. Not to mention a rather nicely trimmed beard he has, and he has green eyes for some reason. Karane was similar, except her uniform was a hybrid of the Skyknight and the Academy Instructor's attire. Her hair was also longer but still tied in her pigtails. Karane & Pipit also had silver wedding rings, symbolizing that they were married to each other.

Fledge actually made Groose gape his mouth open. No longer, Fledge appeared to be scrawny. Though Fledge was nowhere close to being buffy like Groose, he had decently noticeable muscles. More strange is that Fledge had some type of tattoo on the left side of his face of a dragon-like creature whose tail end is under the eye. Speaking of which both were now red. Another surprising thing Groose noticed was a bronze-colored wedding ring, meaning Fledge was officially hitched. The way he was standing simply showed how much confidence he had. Groose couldn't believe the Fledge he was looking at was the same scrawny kid. Talk about one hell of a glow-up.

Curiosity about how Fledge got his glow-up was swept away when Groose saw Zelda. She, too, was now a full-fledged adult. Still pretty like she is, Groose noted. Her hair is tied up in a cute bun, with her two braids hanging on both sides of her head like how she usually has them. She also had a wedding ring the same color as Link's, making it clear that she was his wife. That was not the only thing Groose took note.

Zelda's belly was heavily swollen. The way her hands grasped around it, Groose could see Zelda was in the late stages of pregnancy. Zelda is pregnant with Link's child.

All four were gathered around Link. All of which have uncertainty in their eyes. Link didn't seem concern.

"Do you really have to do this, Link?" Zelda asks with worry.

"If it'll humble that brute, then maybe yes," Link responded.

"It's Groose. What do you expect from him at this point?"

"You gonna tell us what this is all about?" Pipit pressed.

"And what did Groose do that warranted a public spar?" Karane asks curiously.

"Aside from being a prick like usual?" Fledge added with casual dryness.

Link & Zelda looked at each other. Their eyes indicate a silent conversation. Link lowered his head when Zelda started speaking, holding her belly.

"Link & I had a date the other night. To celebrate upcoming parenthood for us. Everything was going well. Until Groose showed up. We tried to ignore him like we normally do, but he was in a more persistent mood."

"Couldn't you tell him to back off? That usually works," Karane wondered.

"He didn't," Link revealed.

"Your Eagus's Lieutenant. The second-highest rank among the Skyknights. Groose had to listen to you," Pipit argued.

"Groose said since I wasn't in uniform & off duty, he technically didn't have to take orders from me," Link explained.

"Of course, he would say something like that," Fledge breathed out. "Typical Groose trying to find dumb loopholes to harass you."

"He should know that's not how that works," Pipit mentioned.

"Believe me, I tried telling him that. But he was really trying it that night," Link groaned. "He kept hassling us until Zelda pulled the 'her dad's the headmaster' card. That seemed to work…"

"But…"

"Groose stopped walking, and he turned to me," Zelda continue with a disappointed look. "He said he felt sorry for me. That I deserved better than-" Zelda stopped herself, alarming her friends.

"Deserve better than what?"

"He said Zelda deserved better than being my personal whore," Link revealed bitterly.

All three of their friends had various reactions to such a statement. Pipit look furious. Karane was disgusted. And Fledge looked like he wanted to rip someone's head off.

Watching this event play out, Groose himself was horrified by the claim that Link's future self was about his future counterpart.

Bile crept into Groose's throat, fighting every urge he felt to throw up. How could he speak like that? How could he talk of Zelda like that? How could he allegedly call Zelda…that horrible name?

It made him feel sick just thinking about it. In all the years since Zelda ended their friendship, Groose never once subjected her to his schemes or called her a petty insult. It was a vital rule he made to himself and Cawlin & Strich.

"No matter the circumstances, we never hurt Zelda."

That was a sacred law. Groose would always make sure she was out of the crossfire in his schemes. And if she did somehow, he would not go through the plan at all. Hurting Zelda was something he could never imagine himself doing. She could hate him all she wants and Groose would still not go through it.

What made him feel more gross was that his future self called her a whore. Groose never crossed that type of line. Not even commenting in that way towards Karane or any of the women he didn't like. Everyone who knew him would probably be shocked by this, but Groose does have boundaries. Once, Cawlin jokingly suggested an idea to spread a fake rumor about a girl, who allegedly insulted him, that she was sleeping around. Groose immediately shot down that idea and scolded Cawlin for even saying that. Groose mentioned that they were professionals and certain lines should not be crossed.

"Professionals have standards."

That was the first and last time Cawlin suggested anything like that.

To hear that his future self had crossed those lines made him wonder. Would he really get this bad? What happened to him that made him break his sacred rule of never hurting Zelda? Has his jealousy of Link poisoned him as severely as Lana claimed that would make him capable of this? Is he that determine to hurt Link?

The way Groose will get his answers by watching the scene play out.

Pipit let out an annoyed growl. "Goddesses, you think he would get over this by now. We're all Dindamn adults and he still acts like an entitled child! I swear, each year that comes by, he gets worse."

"Like that time he tried to crash yours and Zelda's wedding?" Fledge let out an irate huff.

"Believe me, I've noticed. Every milestone I made, Groose antagonizing got worse," Link mentioned. "My graduation. Zelda & I's engagement. Our Wedding. My promotion. Then our pregnancy announcement."

"Shouldn't you tell all of this to Gaepora?" Karane suggested. "At this point it's borderline harassment."

"I did bring up the idea, but Link didn't want to do that," Zelda answered.

"Why not?"

"I can handle Groose. I'm not a kid anymore. I can fight my own battles," Link insisted.

"Doesn't mean you have to fight them alone!" Fledge protested. "I could probably knock him around a bit."

"You, fighting Groose?" Link looked at Fledge with a raised brow.

"Hey, I'm not as scrawny as I used to be, so I can probably do it. Might actually knock some sense into him, hopefully."

"I'd join in if I wasn't pregnant." All of them chuckled at Zelda's comment.

"I appreciate the sentiments, but I can do this alone." Link assured with a smile.

"Is a spar necessary?" Zelda inquired.

"Maybe me beating Groose's ass in front of a crowd would be enough to finally humble him."

"And if it doesn't? What if he acts worse after this?"

"Then I'll tell Gaepora what Groose has been doing. He'll probably demote Groose to a low rank."

"I still wonder how the hell Groose managed to graduate into knighthood," Karane pondered in bafflement.

"Admittedly, he is a decent enough knight without any issues with anyone else," Pipit admitted dejectedly. "The only issue is how often he clashes with you."

"After today, that will hopefully change. That I'm certain of." Link declared with complete confidence.

"Try not to get hurt, sleepyhead," Zelda suggested softly.

With a warm smile, Link leans in to give Zelda a kiss on the lips. "I promise, love. It's only a spar. No one has ever gotten hurt in a spar." Zelda responded by giving Link another kiss, making him giggle.

In the past, Groose would've been disgusted seeing Link & Zelda display that type of affection to one another. In his old, close-minded self, Groose would be convinced that Link somehow manipulated Zelda into marrying him, like he manipulated her to no longer be friends with Groose, and how he manipulated others to like him when he didn't do much. That thinking made Groose feel vindicated on how he treated Link in the years following his & Zelda's fallout.

How foolish he was to believe such a thing…

Link & Zelda's adult selves were genuinely in love with one another. In the brief moments Groose saw them interact, he could see how much they cared for each other. How much affection Link shows on Zelda. The way he pats her swollen belly when they kiss.

Once upon a time, Groose would dream of being in Link's spot. Now, he wondered if what he felt for Zelda was genuine love or if he saw her as nothing more than a prize, as Fledge accused him of days earlier.

"Interested in the lovely couple, are we now?" Cia commented to him.

"Yeah. They are lovely together."

"Does that make you…envious?" Lana leaned in curiously.

"I…I don't know anymore," Groose admitted. "They do look pretty happy."

"They are. I can see they're in a loving marriage." A sad frown grew on Lana's lips. "A shame that it won't last any longer."

Hearing that alarmed Groose. "What do you mean?"

"You'll find out soon enough. For now, why not move your attention over there." Cia gestures her arm in the opposite direction of Link.

Groose went over to where the white-haired woman directed him. He was in a secluded spot from the crowd near the back of the Sparring Hall. Two figures stood alone. Groose recognized who they were. One was Cawlin, slightly taller but still significantly shorter. He also had sideburns.

The second figure, Groose, already knew who that was.

His adult self wore a Skyknight uniform in the same navy blue color as his current self's shirt. He also wore the same type of armor Link wore. Older Groose had a confident smirk on his lips. He sat up with utmost pride, gazing at the spectators.

"Look at that crowd. They'll finally see what a chump Link is when this is over."

"That they will, boss!" Cawlin responded happily.

"Link has had it good for too long now. It's time for someone else to be Skyloft's top dog. Everyone will basically worship me."

"You deserve it. You'll be the best."

"And if I show I'm the best, Zelda will see what she missing out with me."

"Oh yeah. She'll definitely regret marrying Link instead of you."

"Gloating about an outcome that will never come. Why am I not surprised?"

A Skyknight marched to Older Groose. He was tall and skinny, with his uniform in the color of a blue-purple mix with a sword hanging on his lower back. The Skyknight had a bowl-cut hairstyle, and that was enough for Groose to figure out that this person was an older Strich.

Cawlin appeared pleasantly surprised, but Older Groose did not look happy.

"Hello, Groose." Strich greeted bitterly.

"Hey, Strich! How've you been-?" Groose gave a smack on Cawlin's arm.

"No talking to traitors, Cawlin!" Cawlin lowered his head down in shame.

"Lay off him. Cawlin can talk to me as much as he wants." Strich barked back.

"Sorry. I have a 'no mingling with traitors' policy."

"Real mature of you. What else is new?"

"Cut the crap, What do you want?"

"It isn't it obvious?" Strich stated sarcastically. "I heard about what went down between you and Link & Zelda. And what you called her. Is that true?"

Groose crossed his arms casually. "I might've said some…regretful things. I was having a rough night, and seeing Link flaunting Zelda around didn't help improve it."

"So you dealt with it by insulting the wife of the best swordsman of Skyloft! Not just any woman. Zelda of all people!"

"That's why we're having this stupid spar. Link wanted to defend Zelda's honor and to ' teach me humbleness' whatever that means."

"And you agreed to it?!" Strich exclaimed. "Do you realize who you're dealing with?! The last time you had a spar with Link was years ago!"

"Which means he won't know my moves. I've been practicing, and it'll finally pay off. After today, I'll be the most famous person on Skyloft!"

"Do you hear yourself? The last time you fought Link, he beat you! He had ALWAYS beaten you. There's a reason why Eagus made him his second in command. What makes you think this will be different?"

"Because I know so! That's why!"

"You want to know why I stopped being your friend? This!" Strich throw his arms to Older Groose. "This is what broke our friendship apart! You act arrogant & selfish! Always thinking about yourself! Never think about about me & Cawlin or the consequences of your actions! You're too obsessed with proving yourself better to Link!"

"Why do you care anyway?! Didn't you clarify that you wanted nothing to do with me anyway?"

"Because regardless of whether or not we're friends, I know you well enough to know that you can't handle losing. When you do, you do something stupid! Maybe I wanted to ensure you didn't get into serious trouble. Maybe I give somewhat of a damn because…because regretfully, a small part of me cares. Maybe I miss the person who chose to be my friend when no one else would. And maybe, just maybe, that person you were is still there."

Adult Groose gave a huff. "Well, you're wrong." He declared, unbothered.

Strich looked heartbroken to hear that. It was quickly replaced by a scowl. "There was a time when you actually gave a shit about your friends. Who am I kidding? You won't listen to me. It's funny how you called me a traitor when you betrayed me long ago." Strich turned the other direction, giving out one glare over his shoulder. "Have fun getting ass kicked. Try not to do anything stupid when you lose, but knowing you, you'll ignore my warnings like always."

"Yeah, that's right! Walk away! That's all you're good for, bug freak!" Adult Groose roared out as Strich marched away. The thin man responded by flipping him off until he was out of sight. "The nerve of him! Coming up here to talk me down after he abandoned us!"

"Yeah…what a total loser. Who needs him?" Adult Groose did not pick up on the low tone in Cawlin's voice. Groose, on the other hand, did.

Groose felt so much pain watching this play out. Knowing at this point, his older self and Strich were friends no more and were on bad terms. Despite this, Strich tried to talk sense to Adult Groose, much like he did in the past, only for his pleas to fall on deaf ears like all those times Groose had done.

Hylia…Hearing & watching how much a piece of shit Groose's adult version acts made him feel nauseous. Breaking his don't hurt Zelda rule, and knowing at some point Strich cuts off his friendship with him. Knowing his abandonment issues, Groose could guess his adult counterpart pinned the blame onto Strich rather than look in a mirror. Hell, he wanted to go up to older self to punch him in the face.

Is this really how bad he will become?

"If you think this is bad, wait until you see the rest." Cia chimed in with a dark chuckle. "We're only getting started."

The time for the spar has commence. All eyes are glued upon the fighters. Eagus, older but remained to be a diligent Knight Commander, laid out what was about to occur. The opponents will fight best two out of three, and to win, they would have to win two rounds. Eagus introduces the opponents.

Adult Groose walked in with a swagger when his name was called. There were little claps heard. A proud smirk glued to his face. He waved to the crowd as if they were his loyal fans. Nobody did anything except look at him disinterestedly. Some of which scowl. Adult Groose saw Zelda and gave her a wink. The blonde woman rolled her eyes, letting out a groan.

A louder applause broke the air when Link was called up. Some spectators let out cheers. Zelda and his friend let out some words of encouragement of their own. Link took them all with a humble smile, red brightening his cheeks.

Eagus laid out the ground rules. Link listen with intent. Adult Groose crossed his arms, tapping his foot impatiently, clearly not interested in what the older man was saying.

When that was done, the spar began.

Only a few minutes passed before the first-round winner came to Adult Groose. He boasted, gloating about his win. When the audience did not give him a response, he shouted out ''Are you not entertained?' several times until Eagus calmed him down. Link remained silent during the whole thing, watching Groose annoyedly.

The second round commences. It was longer than the previous ones. Adult Groose fought with all his might. Link quickly overcame him, winning the round just as it looked like Groose would win. Unlike previously, the response was for positive with the audience being more vocal. Adult Groose could only glare at Link when they resumed their posistions.

The final round started. Unlike the previous two, it went on longer. Both opponents fought with high ferocity while the audience watched in anticipation. This spar is turning out into something very intense. It was undeniable that Adult Groose & Link were on equal ground, Groose noticed. It's the only thing that he liked about his older version.

The fight could not continue forever. A winner had to be declared, and it soon was.

With one swift move, Link knocked Groose's sword out of his hand, tripping him on the ground. Link pointed the sword near Adult Groose's neck. Eagus grabbed Link's arm, lifting it in the air, declaring him the winner of the spar.

The audience applauded happily, immensely cheering for Link's victory. None more than his friends and Zelda, who looked upon him with a proud, loving smile. Link kept his gaze on her, back wholly turned to Adult Groose.

All the people around were wholly fixated on Link, ignoring Adult Groose. The man's gaze glued onto the ground, on his knees, hands on the basis, absolutely humiliated. He moves his sights on Link. The sandy blonde grinned as he took the audience's praise with utmost grace & humility. That sight alone made Adult Groose clench his fingers on the dirt and grind his teeth together. Anger boiled in him. Again, Link had overshadowed him, stolen his moment of glory. Red clouded his vision.

An urge to throw something itches into Adult Groose's brain. He felt around the ground until he felt something hard but just about the right size to grab. His anger blinded him to see the large rock he grasped. Making a quick impulse decision, he threw the stone in Link's direction.

The red in Adult Groose's vision cleared away when the cheering had been replaced by screams of panic.

Zelda uttered a hysterical scream as she rushed over to Link, lying on the ground, eyes closed, blood trailing down on the side of his head. A large rock painted with blood rests not too far from him. The pregnant woman shook her husband in an attempt to wake him up.

"LINK! LINK, CAN YOU HEAR ME? WAKE UP! PLEASE!" Zelda begged her unconscious husband, tears pouring out of her eyes.

Karane had joined in, doing her best to treat Link's wound while urging Zelda to remain calm. She then held his hand. "Link! If you can hear me, squeeze my hand!" There was no movement. Karane's face went grim.

Fledge & Pipit had run off to find help. Soon, they returned with other Skyknights carrying a stretcher. They helped place Link onto it. Zelda watched helplessly as she watched her husband be carried away. Karane held Zelda's shoulders, trying to comfort her as they followed. Suddenly, Zelda stopped in her tracks and shouted, holding her stomach. Karane's eyes widen, and she hastily guides Zelda.

The remaining spectators move their gaze onto Adult Groose. Some with glares. Others with horrified expressions. Adult Groose remained still as all eyes pierced him until more Skyknights to escorted him away. In the skies above, dark clouds form with a rumble of thunder heard in the distance.

Groose didn't have the words to explain what he had seen before him. Judging by how people reacted, Link's injuries were severe. Groose had hurt Link in the past in their physical fights, but Groose only roughed him up to the point that he gave him a few bruises and maybe a bloody nose. How all those people looked at his adult self showed how serious this was. Groose had never hurt Link to the point where his life was on the line.

"Crazy, isn't it? In a moment of fury, your future self made a decision that will alter not only your life but those close to Link," Cia grimly said.

"I…I did that? All because I was jealous?" Groose shakily questioned.

"There is a reason why mortals consider envy a deadly sin," Lana stated gloomily. "Like what we said before. If untreated, the poison of your jealousy will continue to worsen until the effects are irreversible. Or, in this case, you do something you cannot walk away from, and Link pays the price for it."

The grim tones the sisters spoke did not put Groose at ease. There's no possibility that he…"Link pulls through, doesn't he?! He has to, right! He fought the freakin' Imprisoned. Tell me he's okay!"

The sisters glanced at each other before glancing at the ground. Cia had an unhappy frown, while Lana appeared sorrowful. Groose felt his anxiety rising. Lana gave a dejected clap, changing the scene.

Groose saw hallways within the Knight Academy. Rain poured against the window. A flash of lightning brightens the inside, shortly followed by low thunder. A door opened, and out came Karane, followed by three older women. One of them appeared to be in their elderly years.

"Thank you for helping Zelda with the delivery. Today hasn't been easy for her," Karane said to the elderly woman.

"Thank you for being by your friend's side. Your presence seemed to help dear Zelda remain calm. I'm sure she appreciates it," The woman responded back. "I do hope her husband pulls through. Poor Link didn't deserve that."

"I hope so, too."

"I will inform the headmaster. I'm sure he would like to see his daughter & grandchild."

The woman and her companions bid farewell and walked away from Karane. Walking past them from the opposite end were Fledge and Pipit, who sprinted over.

"How's Zelda?" Pipit asks her.

"She's fine," Karane responded.

"And the baby?" Fledge pressed.

"Premature, but the midwives believe that there is no danger," Karane held her other hand. "Zelda crushed my hand, though. Swear she was going to break it." Karane looks at Pipit. "Let me say sorry in advance if I break your hand when I'm in labor with our future kids."

Pipit responded by giving her a quick peck on her lips. "Don't worry about it."

"Anything on Link? How is he?"

"We don't know. No one will let us see him," Fledge answered.

"What about Groose?" Karane asks.

"He's under strict surveillance. He's not allowed to leave academy walls," Pipit explained, his gaze turning to anger. "I can't believe that bastard did that."

"What are they going to do about him?" Is he still allowed to be a Skyknight?"

"Again, we don't know," Fledge said to her. "I've heard they may demote him."

"Groose deserves to be demoted to the lowest rank," Pipit stated. "He couldn't sit still and accept a loss for once, couldn't he. What he did was straight-up dishonorable. Well, I say dishonor on the whole lot of him!"

"Calm down, honey," Karane cut him off, gently holding his arm.

Pipit let out a breath. "Sorry, Karane. I'm just…" He massages his face. "Goddesses, what a mess this is."

Karane held her husband close, kissing his temple. "I know. I'm worried about Link, too."

"Do you think Link will pull through?" Fledge voices his concern. "That head wound did look nasty."

"Of course, he will!" Pipit exclaimed loudly. "This is Link we're talking about! He went through hell to save Zelda & Skyloft from that…demon! If he can survive those, he can get through this!"

Karan's eyes suddenly lit up. "There's Gaepora! Maybe he knows about Link!"

At the end of the hall, Gaepora, older but still maintaining the firm stance needed for his duties, talked to the midwife Karane had spoken to moments earlier. They were conversing, but the trio could not distinguish what they were saying because they were whispering. Gaepora had a grim expression when he said something to the midwife, who then turned in the group's direction with a hand covering her mouth, eyes full of pity. They parted ways, with Gaepora heading in the trio's direction. The midwife walked oppositely, giving another sad glance over her shoulder.

Gaepora slowly made his way to the group. His face appeared to be neutral. "Pipit. Karane. Fledge."

"Headmaster."

Gaepora turns to Karane. "I was informed by the midwife that my daughter's delivery went well."

"Yes. Zelda and her baby are doing well."

"You were with her every step?"

Karane nods. "Even though Zelda crushing my hand."

Gaepora places a gently comforting hand on her shoulder. "Thank you for being there for her. I am grateful for help, as she is, I'm sure. Zelda was wise to make you & Pipit her child's godparents."

"How's Link? Is he okay?" Pipit voice urgently.

All three have hopeful looks in their eyes. Gaepora had the opposite. His neutrality on his face went glum. "You three might want to sit down…" He spoke in an equally dreary voice.

The three only stood in confusion. "What's going on? Is Link okay or not?" Fledge gently demanded.

"I've had all the best doctors throughout Skyloft helping him." Gaepora quietly gulped, appearing to not cry. "They did everything they could…"

Groose's heart stopped when Future Gaepora said those words. The prediction that he had feared had come true.

"I'm sorry you three, but…Link is gone."

Time could've been frozen for a good minute with how still Pipit, Karane, and Fledge stood registering those haunting three words Gaepora had shared. Fledge was speechless. Karane covered her mouth in shock. And Pipit appeared to be on the brink of breaking down.

"T-That can't be. Tell me that's not true!"

Gaepora solemnly lowered his head. His face is enough to confirm it.

"No…Goddesses no." Tears poured out of Pipit's eyes. He held his mouth, trying to avoid breaking into a crying mess. "There-There has to be a mistake! Link's fine! He always pulls through! He just needs more potions! The doctors are wrong! There's no way he's-"

A gentle touch graces Pipit's cheek. He turned to meet Karane's gaze. Through her tear-filled eyes, Karane maintained a firm expression. That was enough for Pipit to break into a big sobbing mess, fueled purely by his unimaginable grief. Karane pulled Pipit into a tight but soft embrace, letting his heart cry into her shoulder.

"H-How could this happen?" Fledge said shakily through his own tears, trying not to scream. "How could this HAPPEN?!"

"The doctors say that the rock was the perfect size, and the speed that…you know, threw it made it possible," Gaepora explained.

"You may be right." Karane grimly acknowledged. "All it needed was to hit the…perfect spot on Link's head. Enough to do the right damage to his skull & brain."

Gaepora nods. "From what the doctors' gathered, everything was instant for Link. He more than likely had no idea what happened."

"Is that supposed to make us feel better!?" Pipit sharply questioned in a harsh tone.

"No. I suppose not." The Headmaster responded, unfazed by Pipit's reaction, understanding that it was his grief speaking. "I should give you all some time to process this. Is it alright if I see Zelda? I figure I should be the one to…tell her."

Karane gave the older man the go-ahead. Taking a deep breath, Gaepora went through the room his daughter resided in, closing the door. Leaving the three friends alone in the hallway in their grief.

Pipit & Karane remain in a tight embrace. The former continues to pour out his sadness, clinging onto the latter for dear life. Karane let out quiet sobs of her own. Sad for the fate of her friend and worried about how his wife would deal with it from this point. Even through despair, Pipit touched Karane's head, gently stroking her hair. Deep into his grief, he tried to comfort her through her pain of the loss.

Groose would've found that sweet had the circumstances been different. It made him wonder if he'll ever experience that type of love.

Fledge stumbled around until he found himself leaning against the wall across from Zelda's door. Slowly, he slid down until his rear made contact with the floor, pushing his back against the wall. He looked numb like he didn't know what to think. The stoicness that Groose thought he had slowly faded into sadness. He brought his knees close to his chest, hugging them close. He buried his head into them, letting out quiet sobs.

At that moment, the tougher, more assertive man Groose saw this Fledge as turned into the same timid, easily terrified teen that Groose knew him as.

Minutes after the friends processing their grief, a bright flash of lightning lit up the dark hall. A sound followed soon after. It was the sound of a woman letting off a wail of utter despair so loud the thunder was quiet in comparison. The sound came from behind the door of the door where Zelda had delivered her baby. All three friends could only give pitying looks as Zelda's wails echoed. Having the realization that Zelda is suffering most of all.

Groose could not bear to watch this play out. No way this would be Link's fate, right? This is…Link, for crying out loud. The same Link who walked away after Groose started another fight with him.

"There's no way…No way Link goes out like this!"

"Really? Didn't say he was nothing but lazy?" Cia brought up in feigning confusion.

"Not this lazy!" Groose exclaimed. "No way a stupid rock will be how Link goes out!"

"It was not just the rock that killed him…" Lana said in a tone opposite her softer one, staring at Groose sternly.

That's when it hit Groose on what Lana meant. Groose's older self was the one who threw it. He was the one who did the horrible act. The only thing the rock was guilty of was being placed there at the unfortunate, right time. Everything else was on Groose.

Footsteps caught Groose's ears. He remembered that the future event was being presented. Adult Groose stood at the end of the hall where Link's friend's future selves were.

"You…" Immediately, Fledge stood and moved to Karane & Pipit's side. His fists clenched like he was already to fight him at any moment. All three friends gave angry glares at Adult Groose. Groose could tell by their faces alone that they were pissed. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"How's Zelda?"

"You're not going anywhere near her," Karane growls with a glare.

"You can't scare me, missy. Now you tell me how Zelda is or-"

"Or else what?!" Karane barks back at the man. "Threaten us? Kidnap our Loftwings? Call ME a whore?!"

"I ain't leaving until I know what's happening with Zel. No one will tell me anything-"

By the time Adult Groose had said that, Pipit had pulled away from Karane and marched on over, punching him hard enough to knock the man down on the ground. Blood trickled from Adult Groose's nose. The man barely sat up when Pipit grabbed his shirt and shoved him against a bulletin board hard enough for papers to fall.

"Woah, Pipit! Take it easy!"

"DON'T tell me to take it easy…You think you could walk down here and ask to see Zelda after what you did to Link?!" Pipit practically screamed, bearing his teeth. "The absolute audacity you have is fucking unreal!"

"Geeze, Pipit! What's gotten you riled up-?"

"You couldn't for ONCE accept a loss with what little honor you had left, but you have to be a petty asshole like always, didn't you?! Well, guess what?! Your pettiness cost my brother his LIFE!"

"W-what do you mean?" Adult Groose clearly had no idea what was going on.

"Link is gone," Karane said to him, maintaining her glare. Adult Groose eyes widened, horrified. "That rock you threw at him hit his head too hard. Now he's dead. Link's dead because of you."

"And you think you have the right to be concerned about how Zelda feels after you killed her husband? The mother of her baby that will now grow up without their father?!"

"I-I…"

"You what?!"

"I-I didn't mean to-'' Adult Groose stuttered.

"Well, you did! You KILLED LINK!" Pipit hit Adult Groose again. He hovered his shaking fist in the air, panting through his nostrils. After a few seconds, he lowered it, realizing that no matter how many times he hit him, it wouldn't bring Link back. Pipit leans close to Adult Groose's face, growling at him. "I hope they banish you…" He shoved the man away.

"G-guys….I." Adult Groose stumbled.

"Get out of here," Karane snarled at Adult Groose, holding Pipit's arm to keep him calm. "You take one more step towards us or that door, my status as a Skyknight & Instructor be damned. I'll make sure you regret it."

Fledge stepped forward, squaring up to Adult Groose, glaring at him with piercing fury that made Adult Groose tremble. Slowly, the man made his way away from the group, with his back facing them.

"I shouldn't have saved you…" Adult Groose turned back to Fledge, clearly surprised to hear such words. "If I knew you would become this, after all we've been through…I should've let you fall into that monster's jaws." Fledge continues to give his cold glare at his former bully. "Don't look surprised. You murdered my brother. You deserve the worst."

Groose could feel tears trying to break through his own eyes. He could see how Link's death affected everyone. Feel the immense grief & anger they were going through. And even if they were all talking to a future version of himself, Groose could feel the sting of their words. Fledge most of all hurt. Somehow, those quiet, short words stung much more than the heated rant his current self gave the other day. Groose never figured a person like Fledge was capable of that much coldness & fury. Makes him wonder what else the kid was capable of.

Groose quickly wiped his eyes before any tears could pour out. He acted like he needed to soothe an itch rather than break down crying, hoping the two women didn't notice. Somehow, they did.

"Amazing how one impulsive decision could affect the lives of many, don't you think?" Cia said to him. Groose didn't respond.

Lana stepped forward. "I know how upsetting this is, but we have to make a final stop for you to fully understand everything."

She one loud clap.

They were in a vast, dimly lit room with Adult Groose in the middle, with a spotlight shining down at him. A long table stood before him with several individuals, with Gaepora sitting at the center. Owlan, Horwell, Eagus, and other Skyloft officials were with him. Behind Groose's adult version, he could see many familiar faces. Link's friends and Zelda stood on the side of the room between him and the desk. All were decked out in their Skyknight gear. Even Zelda had a Skyknight uniform in the color blue. A woman with brown hair styled in two braids stood next to Fledge. She was dressed in simple clothes like an orange shirt. She held Fledge's hand and had the same bronze-colored wedding ring as his. Groose figures to be Fledge's mystery future wife. She looked familiar but Groose couldn't figure out her name. He immediately shook that off because there were more important things to see.

The Skyknight friends all had black scarves. The dark color is heavily contrasting with the brightness of their uniforms. But Zelda had an additional mourning veil on her head. On Skyloft, it was common for women to wear those veils whenever they lost their partner in marriage. And now Zelda had one to symbolize her status as a widow.

It wasn't just Link friends who donned the black color. Everyone in the room, except for Adult Groose, had black on their wardrobe. Either they had small touches like Fledge's wife, or were straight-up full-out black like Gaepora. Some even had traces of the same shade of green as Link's uniform like the Instructors & Eagus.

A noise entered the quiet room. One made Groose's heart sink.

Zelda had been holding a baby wrapped in black blankets in her arms. The child started acting up, having no idea what was happening. Zelda soothed the fussy infant. Through tired, red, puffy eyes, she gazes upon her baby with love, saying soft, sweet things with a pained smile. Quickly, the baby quieted down.

Groose was doing everything to not burst out crying.

With her baby calmed, Zelda moves her gaze to the Adult Groose. Her blue eyes had so much anger. Many others share the same look, even Gaepora, despite putting on a calm demeanor. It was clear that everyone in this room was out for his blood.

Gaepora slams a small gavel onto the table, silencing the hushed conversations. When all the noise had stopped, the headmaster began speaking, hands clasped together on the table.

"For most of Skyloft's history, we have normally been a peaceful island. Peace has been a part of our life for the past one thousand years of our recorded history." Gaepora paused for several seconds. "Yet a mere few days ago, that peace was shattered when blood was spilled. When you, Groose, made the decision that costed Link's life." Gaepora spoke with fragile dignity, trying not to let anger overcome him. "Do you realize the severity of the actions you have committed?"

Adult Groose didn't respond except to keep his gaze on the ground.

"Judging by your silence, I assume you don't. I will kindly lay it out for you." Gaepora leaned forward, looking Adult Groose dead on. "You killed a man who was beloved by many and who was an excellent Skyknight. Not only that, you killed the person who I saw as a son. Who I watch grow up. My daughter's husband and the father of my grandchild. Your actions made her a widow at her young age and her child fatherless before they could even know him."

Eagus spoke, "To add the severity of your crime, you are a Skyknight, much like Link. Skyknights take a sacred vow to protect their own. You broke that vow when you threw that rock. Your actions have brought dishonor to the academy and all of Skyloft."

"For you, a fellow Skyknight, to take your comrade's life is an unspeakable crime by all means," Horwell stated in a serious tone that had replaced his usual cheerful one.

"It is downright unforgivable," Owlan stated with utmost disgust.

"Despite your past misgivings, I had hope for you, Groose," Gaepora said with pity. "I thought you would grow into a better person when you became a Skyknight. To move away from your troubles with Link. You have, unfortunately, brought my hopes for that down." A pregnant pause followed. "I bring forth the motion to strip you of your position as a Skyknight."

Adult Groose looks up in surprise. Everyone else in the room mutters to Gaepora's suggestion.

"All in favor?"

One by one, everyone at the table, including Eagus, Owlan, and Horwell, raised their hands to vote for Gaepora's motion. It was a unanimous decision.

"The council has agreed. Groose, you are permanently expelled from the Order of the Skyknights. You will be stripped of your uniform and all of your privileges. You will not be allowed to rejoin for as long as you live."

Eagus turned to where Link's friends stood, making a commanding gesture with his hand. Pipit & Fledge both marched over to Adult Groose. Roughly, they removed every part of Adult Groose's uniform. They literally tore everything off of him, even the chainmail, until his trousers, boots, and white undershirt were all that was left. All the while giving the occasional glare at him. Adult Groose did not once fight back. He stood in pure humiliation as he felt his gear be stripped off him.

Once the uniform stripping had been completed, Pipit & Fledge returned to their spot.

"Before we carry out your final punishment, someone here has some words to say." Gaepora turns to the side. "My daughter, Zelda."

Zelda lifted her head, composing herself. She turns to Karane, placing her baby in the woman's arms. Ensuring her child was safely secured and settled, Zelda marched over to Adult Groose, standing directly before him by mere inches. She lifted her mourning veil to the back of her head, locking her blue eyes onto Adult Groose's form. Tensions rose as everyone anxiously watched, wondering what she would say to him.

"Well, Groose…You did it. You finally got my attention." The sarcastic bitterness in Zelda's voice was evident. "That's what you wanted, right? That's what you've been doing for so many years." Adult Groose didn't say anything. "Well, I'm right here now. Tell me, was it all worth it? Was it worth killing my husband?!"

Adult Groose could only look down with shame.

"What was your end goal? You kill Link so that in my grief, you take advantage of me, hoping that I would latch onto you like the desperate whore you said I was?!"

"I-I…"

"You WHAT?!"

"I never meant to hurt you!" Adult Groose blurted out. "I-I'm sorry."

Zelda moved closer to him, pointing in a direction. "Look over there." Adult Groose followed the path of Karane, who was still holding the baby. "Do you see that baby? That's mine & Link's child. My baby will have to grow up without their father because of you! I brought them here so you could get through that thick skull of yours what long-term effects your actions have caused!"

By this point, tears slowly started to pour out of Adult Groose's eyes. Same for Zelda.

"You have ruined my life…You don't get to say sorry. No amount of sorry can fix the damage you caused me and my baby. Link's gone and never coming back because of you. You deserve a life full of suffering & shame." Zelda paused to wipe her tears. "I hope for the rest of your life you feel every ounce of the same pain that you caused when you murdered the love of my life and when you bullied him & my friends for years! Do you understand me?!"

Adult Groose could not conjure a response. Zelda grabs his face, looking at him with a furious expression that could rival the Goddesses themselves. "DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!"

The man didn't say anything. Any attempt he made, he ended up choking up and broke into a sob. Zelda was unfazed by this reaction. She did not give him any pity. Her hand releases her grip from Adult Groose, only to use it to slap his face seconds later. She marches away back over to where her friends stand. Fledge pulled her into a hug. Zelda's sobs echo throughout the room.

Horwell clearing his throat echoes the room. "I believe it is time we move to sentencing."

"We cannot give him a light sentence. Groose's crimes are too severe to be forgiven," Eagus brought up.

"I concur, Knight Commander," Owlan acknowledged, giving Groose a sneer, not even hiding his dislike of him. "The actions that Groose has committed, along with taking into account his…past misbehavior, shows what he's capable of. While it may be likely that he didn't intend to murder Link, the intention to harm was clear. Over losing a spar, nonetheless. That proves he's a danger to every individual on Skyloft. Who says he won't do something like this again the next time he loses or someone says no to him? Which is why I bring forward the motion to grant him this punishment: Banishment."

Gaepora glances at the others on the desk.

"All in favor?"

Like the previous vote, the decision was unanimous. With that said and done, Gaepora stood from the table.

"In the name of the Goddesses, I, Gaepora Harkinian, sentence you, Groose, to permanent exile to the Outer Isles far from Skyloft. At dawn tomorrow, you will leave Skyloft with all the materials you could carry and be escorted by Skyknights to the Outer Isles, where you'll spend the rest of your days. You will receive a far more severe punishment if you ever attempt to return to Skyloft. May the Golden Goddesses grant you mercy." Gaepora slams the gavel on the long table, forever cementing Adult Groose's fate.

Adult Groose lowered his head, coming to terms with the fact that his life was over. Two Skyknights grab him by his arms and escort him out of the room. Every pair of eyes that watched all gave murderous glares. The man looked back to Zelda, her baby in her arms, surrounded by her friends comforting her. They all had hurt expressions, but they stood firm. Zelda left the room in a direction with her friends by her side. Adult Groose left with no support.

The scene fades until there is total darkness surrounding those who remain.

Groose did not know what to say. He felt nothing but shock.

"I just don't understand. Could I really kill Link? Because of my jealousy?"

"People have murdered others for less," Lana stated.

"But could I never do something like that!"

"Have you forgotten that Link almost fell to his death on the morning of the Wing Ceremony because you locked up his Loftwing?" Cia brought up, much to Groose's shock.

"That was different. I didn't know Zelda would push Link off!" Groose argued back.

"But what about what you said? How things would be better for you if Link was out of the picture. Isn't that what you wanted for years?"

"I didn't want him DEAD!" Groose's voice echoed throughout the black void.

"That may be, but actions speak louder than words," Lana explained. Groose stood unsure. "You may not want Link to have such a fate, but if your petty jealousy is not quelled, it will control you, including your judgment. By the time you'll realize that it'll be too late. Resulting in a future not filled with joy, dreams, nor wishes brought to life. They will instead be dark & tragic."

"No room for hope for you when all is strife, and it doesn't end with your banishment." Groose looked at Cia fearfully. "Your friends, or should I say, would be former friends, will spend the rest of their lives forever disassociating themselves from you. Cawlin would not be by your side on your final days on Skyloft. Even when you leave, the stigma of being friends with you for years cause many avoid him, even when he did try to better himself. Eventually, he moved away to start a new life, spending his days in regret." Cia gave a wicked grin. "As for poor Strich, he would spend the rest of his life blaming himself for what happened to Link, and you. He will constantly lament how he should've tried harder to talk you out of the duel. That if he had tried more harder none of that would've happened. He cared for you even when he wasn't your friend anymore. Quite sad."

"As for Zelda and her friends, they moved on with life as best as they could, but there was always a hole in their hearts that could not ever be filled back up." Lana continued. "Zelda never remarries and spends the rest of her life living as a widow. The child she and Link had would never know their father. Every birthday, they would feel the sting of the loss, no matter how much Zelda tried to make it a happy occasion."

"Being born the day someone's beloved died is not an easy burden to carry, I can tell you," Cia bluntly stated, making Groose feel worse that Link's death triggered future Zelda to go into labor. She then looks sternly at the teen. "Maybe it might've been an unfortunate accident, but the fact remains that your actions resulted in Link's death. All of Skyloft will forever see you as a murderer. A monster. Nothing more. Nothing less. The only one to blame for all this is you. Because of you, poor jealous Groose, your future will become a nightmare."

"NO! I don't believe this!" Groose yelled defensively.

"Believe what you say, but we do not lie." Lana slowly started to walk backward into the darkness. "For as long you continue to let your jealousy overcome you, the possibility of this future coming true will continue to grow. Unless you can change…" The darkness overcomes Lana. "Which you have the free will to do so."

"If you don't, you will become just as bad, if not worse, than your parents. You'll always be seen as a monster. You will spend the rest of your life in bitter loneliness." Cia bellowed as she moved into the darkness until it too engulfed her. "Leaving behind a legacy of misery & pain!"

"Where are you going! Come back!"Groose ran ahead, darting around to look for the women to no avail. "What do I do? How do I stop this?!"

"Bully…"

"Dumb brute."

"He doesn't belong here."

Groose darted in the direction of the sudden voices. He could not be the one saying the words in the darkness. They continued speaking, and with each voice he heard, they grew more familiar and harsh.

"Why is an asshole like him still allowed to attend here?"

"He brings nothing but dishonor."

"The Headmaster should kick him out already, geeze!"

"He should do himself a favor and leave."

"Better yet, jump off the island and hope he's stupid enough to not whistle for this Loftwing."

Groose clutched his head, hearing the words his peers had whispered over the years he had been in the academy. He had ignored them in the past, but hearing them all that once was too much for him to bear.

"No…Please stop." Groose begged, covering his ears to block out the voices.

"Why does Groose think he's the best? He's the most vile person I've ever met."

"If Groose becomes a Skyknight, I swear to Hylia I'll move away. No way I trust him with my life."

"What's his issue with Link?"

"We all know why. He's mad that Zelda would rather hang with Link than his dumbass. I don't blame her, to be honest."

"He wants to get under Zelda's skirt, not saying she would let him, though. I bet the moment he knocks her up, he'll discard her to the side and find another girl to drool over. Men like him are always like that."

"Talk about delusional. No sane woman would want to be with a guy like him. He's better off dying alone."

"Stop…" Groose slowly landed on his knees, hands still gripping his head.

"Why do you insist on bullying him around so much, Groose?"

"…And you're also a jerk! You think how you treat others are good qualifications for being a knight?"

"YOU CLAIM TO HAVE RESPECT, BUT I KNOW THAT'S A LIE! NO ONE WILL EVER RESPECT YOU BECAUSE YOU'RE A BIG, SELFISH… ASSHOLE!"

Groose could feel the wetness of the tears sting his eyes. "Lana…Cia. I'll stop."

"…Perhaps that's why you tried to murder me."

"They won't shed any tears for you! You bring nothing but dishonor!"

"You contribute nothing! You do nothing for the benefit of Skyloft other than being a horrible person to everyone around you!"

"You don't even deserve to live. The world will be better off without you… "

That's when Groose could no longer bear the voices. Lifting himself up, he let out one final cry to the void around.

"I swear, I'll change! I'll be a better person!" Using every ounce he could muster, Groose let out a loud, "I'm SORRY!"

#legend of zelda #skyward sword #legend of zelda fanfiction #groose #tw: blood #tw: death #<- but it's fake!

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