Skyward: A Zelda fan story (Book One in the Skyward saga)

Chapter One: I Saw it In a Dream... or Something

      

       Arin stood on a floating island. No, it was not Skyloft, but it was familiar all the same. The trees were all different colors, some bare, some were full of green leaves, several had red and orange, and for a couple, the leaves were a bright yellow green with pink flowers and buds blossoming from it's branches. They were trees of different seasons, but all in one place. This was no surprise to Arin, for he had seen this place so many times he could not remember. The island was much larger than Skyloft, perhaps three times it's size. There were many people on the island; he recognized all of them, yet he was more familiar with some than others. All around, people laughed and talked and waved bright, colorful flags. The commotion was comforting to him, and he was used to the sound in his ears, since he had heard it many times, every time he came here. He waited patiently and anxiously for what came next. Eventually, six Loftwings shot up from the clouds below, with mechanisms attached to their saddles, allowing them to shoot colorful streams of light out behind them. Arin smiled at them as they flew upwards, though wasn't surprised, since he knew it was going to happen. The Loftwings were ridden by six famous riders, each on their own bird. There was a man named Juram riding an orange bird. He was the muscular type, with neat, straight brown hair that had no bangs, leaving his forehead exposed. On the light orange Loftwing was a girl named Cera, who had long, blonde hair so light it was nearly white. She slightly trembled as she piloted the bird, but her navigation and flying was perfection in motion. On the next two birds, which were beige, rode a pair of twin boys. They had spiky, sandy orange hair, and yellow green eyes. Freckles dotted their faces. The names of the twins were Taro and Teri, and every moment of their flight was performed in unison, like reflections of each other on a pond. The Loftwing next to them was a dirty green bird, and riding it was a short man named Koru. The man had black hair and thick eyebrows, and his expression was serious as he urged his bird forwards. The last bird in the line was yellow, and riding it was a small, red-haired girl. Her name was Rori, and she was the world's youngest professional rider. She sported a toothy grin, which matched her energy and spunk. The six Loftwings rose into the air, side by side, colors of the rainbow streaming behind the celebrities. The colors were written across the sky in this order: Orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink. But where was the red? Arin didn't know. The crowd cheered, and Arin felt butterflies in his stomach as he realized what was coming next. All of the currently flying riders were celebrities that he looked up to, but there was one person who wasn't in the sky, someone who was the most famous of all. As the crowd parted, a tall man strode towards Arin, smiling. Arin felt his heart race as the man stopped, smiling at him. The man was Ralis, the leader of the legendary group of Loftwing riders that soared above them. Ralis said nothing, then mouthed a single word: "Fly." The crowd rushed forwards, submerging him, embracing him. Suddenly he was swallowed up by a sea of people waving colorful flags. They carried him to the deck, hooting and whistling. Arin looked at Ralis desperately, though he knew that all Ralis wanted for him was to fly alongside him in the sky. But how can I do that, thought Arin, if no Loftwing has come to me? How can I fly without a bird? But he could not summon the energy to speak, and the mob brought him to the very edge of the deck. The clouds swirled beneath Arin, making him dizzy, and he swallowed the uneasiness that seemed to clog his throat. Ralis put a hand on Arin's shoulder. "Take to the sky!" Ralis said, and with that, he pushed Arin off the edge. Arin tried to scream, but when he opened his mouth, nothing came out. The wind whistled in his ears, and the clouds rushed past him, as his hair flew around wildly. This is it, Arin thought. It's going to end just like it always does. I'm going to die, just like last time. Then it'll be over. The wall of clouds rushed towards him, and he knew that he was going to soon fall through those clouds and eventually hit the ground. His heart sped up. His muscles tensed. He squeezed his eyes shut...

       And he didn't hit the ground.

Arin froze, surprised beyond belief. Slowly, he opened his eyes ever so slightly... to see a large pair of yellow eyes staring back at him. He staggered backwards, shocked, and nearly fell backwards off something. He steadied himself, looked down, and saw he was riding a large, crimson Loftwing. He was amazed, also realizing that this must be the bird that possessed the missing color in the firework show: red. He had never seen a crimson Loftwing before, though legends were told of it all throughout Skyloft. The bird's eyes seemed to say to him: Are you ready? And Arin suddenly knew what to say. When he spoke, his voice rang out loud and clear, and he could hear it this time. "Yes," he said, "Yes. I'm ready for anything that comes!" And the bird seemed to approve. It's eyes flashed, seeming to say: Then wake up, and you shall find me. And with that, the Loftwing dropped Arin, and the boy was released, falling, descending, through the clouds, and suddenly, the ground was rushing towards him...