Now, with my mission in mind, I leave Zelda behind and begin my search for my loftwing. I already know where to find him, but I want to explore Skyloft some more before I head there. I pass back through the stone archway to the academy to speak with Instructor Horwell, the same man I helped find Mia.
"What's wrong, Adrienne? You're looking a little pale…"
"Um, it's… it's about my loftwing. He's… disappeared."
"What?! Your loftwing is missing?! How strange and troubling. Do you… think you can find him?"
"Yes, but… I'll need time."
"You're going to start looking for him now?! How will you make it back in time to fly in the ceremony?!"
"It's okay. I'll find him. I promise."
"It looks like your participation in the ceremony hinges on feather or not you can find that bird on time…"
"Now really isn't the time for puns, sir."
"Ahem. Excuse me."
"Like I said, I'm sure I can find him. All I need is a little extra time. Oh, but before I forget, Headmaster Gaepora wishes to see you."
"I see… So the headmaster has summoned me?"
"Yes, that's right. He wishes to speak with you about the situation at hand."
"All right then, I'll go speak with him immediately. I still owe you for helping me out earlier, so don't worry about the ceremony for now. You focus on finding your loftwing!"
"Thank you, sir."
With those parting words, I rush off through the gate leading to the outside world. My boots pound against the dirt roads, kicking up dust as I go. Suddenly, I hear a voice call my name from behind me.
"Hold up, Adrienne! Hey! Hey, Adrienne!" a little boy shouts. I spin around and look behind me. A boy with spiky brown hair, a pear-shaped head, a long-sleeved yellow shirt, and oversized blue pants grins at me.
"Yes?"
"Could you help me with something?"
"Of course. What did you need?"
"Can you roll into this tree? Pleeeeease?"
"Oh, um, sure." I crouch down and somersault into the nearby tree, knocking down some leaves, and…
"Whoa! You did it! A Sky Stag Beetle!" He begins chasing after the insect as I stand back up. "Wait up!"
"Anytime, kid…" I say to myself. I pick up the blue rupee that also dropped, then continue on my way. Sprinting down the dirt path, I soon see a group of three figures up ahead with their backs to me.
Wait, is that…?
I slow to a stop behind them.
"You know, Groose, that sure was a pain, what with all the scratching and pecking," one of them says.
"Course it was. You thought a big Crimson Loftwing like that was gonna go down without a fight?" Groose laughs. "But we got him, and I don't care how tough those birds are supposed to be. He's not getting out of that pen anytime soon, boys." All three of the men laugh, then stand up and turn around. Now, I finally have a clear view of them. On my left is a tall, lanky boy with a golden bowl cut, a round nose, and an outfit similar to mine. On my right is a short, blue-haired boy with a scrunched-up face. And finally, in the middle, is Groose himself. He turns around. Before me is a tall, muscular young man with a bright red pompadour, dopey yellow eyes, and big lips. He wears a tight-fitting blue shirt with tan pants embroidered with some strange pattern and tall brown boots. He gasps upon noticing me.
"Whoa! Adrienne! So, uh… yeah. Just how long you been standing there?"
"Long enough."
"What's your problem, anyway? Oh, wait… I got it. You're here to talk about today's race. I can see it in those dopey eyes of yours."
I blink. Magic flares in my blood.
…Are you kidding me right now?
"They're pleading, 'Oh, Groose, can you please find it in your heart to let me win today? Please!' You're just desperate to win so you can get some alone time with Zelda up on the Statue of the Goddess at the end of the ceremony."
"Oh, please. Like it's a challenge to beat you," I say coldly. Groose leans in with a big, stupid grin on his face, ignoring my retort.
"Well, sorry, pal. Groose doesn't do charity for wimps. My advice? Work hard and wish with all your heart. You might even come in second."
Oh, you have no idea how hard I've worked for this.
"...Say, come to think of it, how come I don't see your bird? Where is that scruffy pile of red feathers?"
"You tell me, thief."
"I can't imagine what could've happened to him. Do you think his tiny brain got confused by all the clouds and got lost?"
"As if." I pause. "Nice hair," I mock. He raises his hands to his hair defensively.
"You lay off my do right now, or I'll flatten you. Everyone knows I've got the slickest pompadour in town." He leans in again, this time pointing a finger into my chest. "You know, we're all getting tired of how you never let anyone forget you and Zelda go way back. You've been friends since you were kids? Big deal. It doesn't change the fact that you float through life with your head in the clouds. Would you wake up, straighten up, and grow a backbone already? Dopes like you are dragging our honored academy through the mud."
Clenching my fists, I'm about to respond, when…
"And just who might you be talking about, Groose?" Zelda's once melodious voice is now stern. I turn around to see her with her hands on her hips. Immediately upon seeing her, Groose cowers back, embarrassed.
"Oh… Zelda. Hey. Nah, it's… uh…"
Zelda walks up to him, pushing me behind her. She points her delicate finger at Groose, her eyes narrowed.
"Don't even try it, Groose! You're picking on Adrienne again, aren't you? She's a student at the academy, like all of us. Why do you insist on bullying her around so much?"
"Yeah… I suppose…"
"You suppose? Suppose what?" Zelda's glare does not break. I watch as a stupid smile spreads across Groose's face.
"I… suppose… you… Er…" Suddenly, he breaks from his trance and, turning on his heel, walks away from us. "Pfft! Forget it. I wasn't supposing anything, okay?" His two lackeys follow him, leaving Zelda and me alone. We stare at each other quizzically.
"What was that about?" Zelda asks.
"Nothing. They're just trying to get under my skin."
"Okay, we're outta here, boys. Later, Adrienne! Hope you find your bird, or else you're gonna have to sit out today's race! That could be a major setback toward knighthood, so find that bird or get real used to the taste of failure! It's your special flavor." Groose and his lackeys jump off the edge of the platform they are standing on and ride off, laughing gleefully.
"I hate to say it, but I'm beginning to suspect that those blockheads had something to do with your loftwing's disappearance. Adrienne, those guys aren't going to help us find your bird, so we'd better start searching." She looks back at me. "I'll fly around Skyloft and see if I can spot any trace of your bird. Father said he'd talk to Instructor Horwell about delaying the start of the Wing Ceremony, so don't worry. We'll find your bird in time." Zelda smiles at me, then rushes off over the edge and summons her own loftwing, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I already know exactly where to look, but I decide to head to the academy first; there's someone I need to talk to…
"Hey! Adrienne!" a voice calls. I look down from where I'm standing and see a handsome young man dressed in a golden tunic looking at me. "Over here!"
"Hello!" I wave to him.
"I have some information about your loftwing. Come over here!"
"Be right there!" I say. I leap down and hurry over to him. I then realize Fledge is standing across from him.
"Hey, Adrienne! I was just looking for you. I heard your loftwing has gone missing, so I thought I'd join the search. And get this: when I asked Fledge what he knew, he started acting weird."
"I'm so sorry, Adrienne," Fledge says.
"You're all right. What happened?"
"I really wanted to tell you, but… if Groose found out I told you…"
"I understand."
"It sounds like Groose forced him to keep quiet about it. Go on! Tell her the truth."
"Just a little while ago, when I was cleaning the dining hall, Groose and his buddies came in. They didn't notice I was there and started talking about their plan to hide your loftwing. I wanted to warn you, Adrienne. But just as I tried to sneak away… Groose and his gang grabbed me… They said that if I told you, they'd make sure I would never be able to ride a bird ever again!
"It sounds like Groose and his buddies had a plan to capture your bird and hide him near a waterfall." The young man approaches as I take out my map. He marks the spot where my bird is.
"Forgive me, Adrienne! I can't help being such a coward… I'm really sorry."
"It's all right, Fledge. Thank you for your help."
"... Do you think you'll make it in time, Adrienne?"
"I'll be just fine. I promise."
"I'm such a wimp. I'm so sorry."
I walk away from Fledge and talk to the young man some more.
"If you're going out to the waterfall, remember that there are some dangerous things there. Creepy, crawly things. You'll need to carry a sword. I think I saw the Knight Commander go into the Sparring Hall a while ago. You should go ask him if you can borrow one!"
"I will. Thank you."
"Good luck!" the men say in unison. With that, I enter the Sparring Hall behind them. Inside the small building are six wooden pillars with different markings on them for the different types of sword strikes. Colorful banners adorn the walls and at the very front of the room is the Knight Commander.
"Hey! It's Adrienne! So you still want to get in some sword practice, even though today is the Wing Ceremony? I'm impressed. The sword is in the back room. Go on back there and get it. I'll be here for a while, so if there's anything you don't understand about handling a sword, go ahead and ask.
"Thank you, sir." I am about to leave when I decide to show off a little. I approach each pillar and slice into it: vertically, horizontally, diagonally—and I finish with a strong stab.
"That's right, Adrienne!" He smiles. "You really are a strong swordswoman. Easy to teach too. You make this instructor proud! Are you ready to try a spin attack?"
I nod.
"All right!" He quickly sets up a ring of logs around me. I breathe in, and…
"HYAH!" I spin in a circle, swinging my blade through all eight logs. My hair floats around me like a jellyfish.
"Good one! That sure looked like it felt good! So… Why don't you try a fatal blow to close out our session?"
"Sure."
He drops another log in front of me. I slice through it horizontally, then jump into the air, gripping my sword point down in my hands, and land on top of the log, piercing through it and splitting it in half again.
"That's the way! A fatal blow is also an effective move to use right after you've used your shield or a well-placed spin attack to knock an enemy on its back."
"Good to know. Thank you." I start to walk out, when…
"Hey! Adrienne! You can't take swords outside of the Sparring Hall. What do you think you're doing sneaking out with that?!"
"Oh, um… sorry." I quickly explain the situation to him.
"What? Your loftwing is missing? You want to go look for it? Well, I guess I could make an exception just this once. But remember that Skyloft is a peaceful place. Only knights carry swords! So I don't want to see you swinging it around like crazy out there! I don't want to get in a ton of trouble over this, so here's the deal… Make sure you get plenty of practice on these logs first, and once you get outside with that sword, only use it when you absolutely have to, got it?"
"Yes, sir. Thank you again."
And with that, I leave the Sparring Hall behind. I start running when…
"Hey, friend! Walk yourself on over here and say hello."
I turn around and see a sheikah stone.
Must've popped up when I wasn't looking.
"How do you do? I'm what you call a Sheikah Stone. Glad to meet you! I'm a stone of few words, so I'll get right to it. You're going to find yourself in puzzling circumstances as you make your way through this world. If you should find yourself stuck and you have no idea how to move forward, come see me. I've got nothing for you right now, but down the road when you're feeling stuck, the things I'll show you may just get you back on the right track. Good luck out there, friend!"
"Thank you," I say. I bid farewell to the stone, then sprint off toward the waterfall. I pass through the gate once more and jump off the rooves of buildings and ledges until I reach the waterfall. I stop for a moment to gaze upon its majesty. The waterfall towers high above my head. If I weren't already in the sky, I'm sure the waterfall would be hidden by clouds. I gracefully leap onto the stone steps across the pool of water until I reach the other side. I rush along the grass path past a few small trees until I discover a gate made of sharp wooden spikes.
I can sense my loftwing now; he's behind this gate.
Drawing my sword, I slash through the wooden spikes, destroying them. A cold rush of air slams into me from inside the cave. I nod to myself.
Okay. Here we go…