[EDITING] The Legend of Zelda: Goddess of Secrecy

Mini Dungeon 8 - Skyloft Flying Course

 ...before landing on the platform. Ritos jumped back, taking to the air to hover over Shade as the Loftwing landed. Link slid off onto the platform, letting Zelda situate herself on Shade's back.

"What is the meaning of this?" A Rito, large and bulky like Ptar, but a deep brown, landed beside them. He was more like a hawk, but not a hawk. Probably some kind of eagle.

"These two want to try to beat the flight course!" Taka answered, louder than Link would have liked. He already felt like there was too much attention on his back. A crowd of Rito began to gather around, eyeing Shade up and down. Most of them landed, but a few hovered overhead still.

The large Rito folded his wings. "Oh? And how do they plan to do that?"

"We let those tree sprites use propellers," Sagi pointed out. "They should be able to use a mount as well."

"Can't both use the same mount. Besides, we wouldn't want to wear the beast out here."

"I am a spirit given corporal form. The sun will sooner die than my wings tarry."

"He can do it," Link answered briefly.

Again, the large Rito eyed Shade. The Loftwing raised his wings, the feathers over his chest puffing up. Zelda shifted awkwardly back in the saddle, gripping hard to hold on. Gripping the bottom of his beak, the large Rito asked, "Against the rules. You can't use the same equipment."

"I'll ride bareback," Link stated. "I've wrestled enough farm animals I think I can handle your course."

"That is no farm animal."

"And the ground is a little further away."

Link swallowed hard, trying to keep his face stern. "At least let her try. Decide what you will after she's done." He made a note to stop from saying the princess's name. If the Chieftain didn't want Hyrule to know about this threat, rumors weren't going to help them here.

The Rito looked up at Zelda. She smiled back, bouncing a little as she scooted back up in the saddle. As Zelda waved towards him, the Rito let out a sigh. "Alright. You're up next, princess. Don't expect this to be easy."

"Oh, don't worry, mister, I won't," Zelda replied, still waving politely.

A chill ran through Link's spine. Beside him, the Rito's feathers ruffled. Link barely heard the instructor list off the rules as that pleasant voiced challenge resonated in his head. And Link felt himself grin a little as he watched the princess and Shade dive off the platform. Moments later, the crimson Loftwing reappeared from his dive, Zelda poised on the bird's back like a show rider. It was then Link realized what Zelda had done while she and Shade had slipped out of sight. The princess was going to beat this course.

Side saddle.

There was no particular advantage to the position. In fact, it made holding on a lot harder with most of her weight shifted one way. Unphased, the princess asked Shade on.

Link raced to edge, despite the protests from the Rito around him. He watched as Zelda urged Shade on, carefully perched on his back. She barely ducked as they passed by the obstacles. At last, Zelda rounded the bend back to the landing platform. Before Shade had even entirely stopped, she hopped off with a bounce and grappled into Link to slow herself.

Stumbling back a few steps, Link smiled as the princess giggled in his ear. "How'd I do?"

She pushed back from Link, smiling politely at the instructor. "Well, how'd I do, sir? Pass?"

The Rito was still dumbstruck by the princess's elegant show. She was like a dressage rider, thousands of feet in the air and without the slightly concern of that on her face. He coughed, nodded his head. "Yes, of course." He motioned to another one of the Rito. "Little man, you're up next. You can keep the saddle on."

Zelda stepped aside to talk to the instructor and his assistant. Link glanced at Shade. "That went surprisingly well."

"I find myself humbled most by spirited women. She is like my goddess."

"Do you love Hylia?"

"For eternity, with my whole being. And do you love your princess?" Shade tilted his head towards Link. Link almost expected to see the Loftwing raise a brow in intrigue, if he could.

"For eternity," Link managed before pulling himself up into Shade's saddle.

"Then hold on. We need you to live yet." Before Link was completely seated, Shade dove over the side of the platform again. Behind them, Link heard Rito shouting and then Taka cheering over them.

Shade flew like an arrow cuts through wind and a sparrow dodging the heavier drops of rain in a storm. It was fast and brutal. Link clung his knees to Shade's sides, his core groaning in protest as he forced to keep himself seated. How had Zelda kept herself upright without using her legs to hold her in place? Link dared glance over his shoulder at her, and saw her cheering for him from the platform.

"Eyes forward, Hero."

Link turned forward, in time to duck beneath a beam Shade hadn't dove low enough to miss. He felt the beam overhead, the air slipped between his head and the wood, and then they were careening around the far end of course.

Moments after they had begun, Shade put out his wings to pull them to a halt. Link tumbled out of the saddle, Zelda catching him as he half ran into her arms. She slid for a moment before Link's momentum quit pushing them forward. She laughed. "That was much easier than expected."

"You did have a touch of help." Shade nudged the two of them.

Link nodded his thanks. Zelda reached up to grip the Loftwing's bill, giving him a peck on the top. "You were brilliant, Shade. Thank you."

For a moment though, Shade was utterly silent, taking a step back. Link watched the Loftwing for a moment before the instructor Rito drew his attention. "Both of you passed. However, I cannot award you with permits at this time."

"What?" Link thought aloud. Zelda held her breath for a moment, almost a gasp escape, before she launched a gaze of daggers towards the Rito.

"What do you mean you can't?" Sagi demanded. "Did you see their performances?"

"This is unheard of," Taka added. "They flew as well as we did."

The instructor lowered his gaze, stern but defeated. "It is an order from the Chieftain. When the--" The Rito paused, glancing at the Hylians. "We will grant you the titles you have earned, but we cannot at this moment. It is a matter of safety. We would not want to endanger our surface friends."

Link could hear Zelda practically grinding her teeth to hold back her true name. But at the moment, Link wasn't sure that even Princess Zelda could persuade the Chieftain. Not with as firmly as it seemed this Rito believed in keeping others out from the Keep.

"These two want to help. They've offered to go into the Keep with us," Sagi stated. "We are a proud people, but are we deaf to ask for help when we need it?"

"One of us is a Sage," Taka concurred, opening a wing out to his friend. "Are you going to arguing with us about the urgency of saving the Keep? The Goddesses ordained us to protect that temple."

"And when you figure out which one of you that is, then perhaps I'll start listening," the instructor replied. "But at this moment, the Chief's word is final." He tilted his beak towards Link and Zelda. "No one goes in. And right now, I'm thinking that might need to include the two of you reckless hooligans."

As anger swelled on the platform, Rito shouting at Rito, Link felt the air shift. Something hummed against the metal of the Master Sword, snapped against his earrings. A drop of water hit his cheek. For a moment, Link wasn't sure if it was sweat from running the course. But as the humming grew on his blade, Link took Zelda's hand, pushing them both back a step.

A moment later, the ground fell out beneath them. It took Link a moment to process what happened. It took everyone a moment to process what happened. But as the blackened wood floated past them and the static in the air dissipated, reality kicked in.

Shade was beneath the falling Link and Zelda before they even called out. The Loftwing dodged three more lightning bolts careening towards them.

"Look alive, Hero. We've got company."

Link looked up...