Second Hand of the Chosen Hero

Chapter Three

She had to leave it to the Sky Knights. It was their job, she just had to. She didn't want to, no, she tried to beg but even she knew that was a dumbass decision since she had no experience flying in the dark. All she could do was point them in the direction she had seen Link come from and that was it.

They'd offered help with Link himself, but still unconscious and on his defensive Loftwing, she shook her head. The creature seemed to understand that she was checking him over for injuries and he seemed clean of anything too drastic. She would probably do a more thorough check later, but knowing he wasn't detrimentally wounded was enough for her to coax him into following.

Again, she gripped the harness, this time from the side now that she could reach over a folded wing. He was stable in his movements, and for that, she was thankful because in truth, she should have allowed help. Had link begun to slip, she wouldn't have been able to pick him back up. But to have help in a situation she should be able to do, would be taking away from efforts to find Zelda which was far more important. At least Link had made it home...

As she reached the door to the academy's upper floor, she had to force herself to draw in a deep breath. It did little to ease the tension throughout her body, but she just needed to do something instead of imploding with the knowledge that Zelda very likely could have fallen to her demise in whatever lay beneath the clouds.

It was a terrifying thought, and the fact that it was so, so possible had her on the verge of tears as she had moved for the doorknob.

Night had fallen on the walk down to the main section of the city, and she knew well that she shouldn't be out. What she hadn't taken into account was the fact that, at this time, the academy doors were locked. She didn't know the layout of the place like Zelda did, but either way she guessed that it wouldn't matter a whole lot if she was to knock. What else could she do though, if not that? She had no other options than to hope that someone would hear her and take Link off her hands, and to her surprise, someone did.

It wasn't from inside, and there was a very brief spark of worry, both metaphorical and literal in her palms, that the sounds of shuffling she'd heard were that of one of the beasts that lurked Skyloft at night. Fortunately though, she was allowed to ease the fire threatening to leap to her defense as a voice called from over the railing, coming from below the broad walkway she stood on.

Vague familiarity put her at ease as she hurried over to the edge and leaned. It was a thick stone rail that kept her from falling, but it also stopped her from properly seeing over, and as such, she hoisted herself up and beached herself across on her stomach to peer down at the yellow clad senior knight below.

"Pipit," she greeted, a touch breathless with the rather ridiculous position she'd taken.

"Tya," he seemed to ease some as well, and she could understand that. To her knowledge- knowledge formed entirely off an assumption- he was generally on night watch nowadays. She'd seen him on occasion, patrolling as well as leaving his mother's home just before nightfall, fully clad in the uniform he currently wore.

"Could you help me, please?" She asked, glancing back over her own shoulder to peer at the patiently waiting Loftwing. "I need to get inside- i-it's an emergency, actually."

Breathlessness had failed to portray whatever urgency may have been left in her voice at that point. Much of it had been numbed by fear in all honesty, so there may not have really been any.

Pipit nodded his head and darted toward the lower entrance. Absently, Tya mimicked his action, swaying the cascade of golden hair that kept her from watching him enter the large wooden doors. But she heard them close with a rather hefty thud, and slid herself back to her feet.