skyward sword

"Boss are you sure you alright? That bird sure picked the hell out of when we dragged it off" Stich asked while pounding in the red-haired male's back in a massage pattern he had seen some healers apply.

"Yeah Groose that Loftwing was really big," Cawlin said while trying his best to get the leather glove and on the big meat hand of the far larger Hylian.

"You know me guys, I am just not as easy to put down! That red beast was no match for me!" he exclaimed while letting out a hearty laugh.

He stopped when he came face to face with his "rival" who was the originally intended rider of the bird he had been discussing earlier. Seemingly having overheard him and his goons talk about what they did he stared at them with the same dopey look he always had.

"Hey Link, have you seen your bird anywhere? Wouldnt want you chickening out of the race tomorrow would we" he smugly declared while standing up and staring the much smaller blonde down.

"Are you really that scared of me that you resort to cheating to beat me Groose?" Link declared while looking almost sympathetically upwards towards the now angry-looking redhead who clenched his teeth in response.

"Ohoho he can't speak about something else than his "old palp Zelda" did you hear him, boys? Scarred? Of you pipsqueak? Don't make me laugh Link! I just do not want you embarrassing the proud tradition of the Knight Academy with your presence!

People like you without a backbone have no right to drag the ceremony or academy through the mud!" Groose was about to launch into a much longer tirade when his eyes fell upon the woman of his dreams who was staring at him with an angry look and her hands on her hips.

"And who is it that you think you are talking about Groose huh?" when he raised his hands and tried to smile Zelda walked right up to him and raised her finger to his nose "don't even try it, Mister! I saw you were bullying Link again!" to which the giant just let out an annoyed huff before ruffling his hair with his hand.

At first, almost swooning at the sight of her once more, he somehow found his annoyance over her sticking up for Link overpowering his adoration for Zelda and starred the young blonde adult down with a barely hidden annoyance in his yellow eyes.

"I do not know why you keep bullying Link like this Groose" to which the man only let out a small laugh "it is because somebody like him trying to play knight brings a bad look on all of us. That a scrawny clown like him would even try to claim the role of hero for himself just doesn't sit right with me! he would ruin our own special moment alone" Zelda in turn let out a huff and tried to ram her index finger into Groose chest as she did with Link sometimes.

Only that due to the taller man's much more muscled chest she bounced right off and flinched a bit causing him to smile down at her adorable attempt at intimidation.

"What do you mean our special moment huh? You treat this like you got the ceremony already in the bag" this caused Groose to let out a hearty laugh which to Zelda's great embarrassment made her blush a bit at how manly it sounded.

"Please don't make me laugh Zelda! I know you are too kind-hearted to see it, but that spineless and scrawny boy you keep sticking up with isn't hero material" Link in turn looked angry at the giant. Groose at 20 years old was only a year younger than Zelda and Link and yet acted like he was the only adult of the two.

"Everybody knows that the tiny manlet isn't the reincarnation of the great hero. Even you must know deep inside. I am the biggest, strongest, and toughest Hylian around! Even the headmaster knows! The only reason why he tolerates that weakling scurrying around your skirts is that Gaepora is too soft with you!" Groose stepped up to her so close that she came face to face with his chest before lowering himself so that their noses almost touched.

"The goddess gave the hero courage, power, and wisdom Groose, and f-from where I am standing you only have one of those over Link, and that's your brawn" Zelda took a step back while inadvertently looking at the well-muscled arms and chest of the redhaired giant.

Pointing her finger towards Link she declared "Link has more courage and wisdom than you will ever have!" at which Link confidently took a step forward and tried to stare Groose down. The giant just let out a huff and pushed past them both easily, how two cronies folwing quickly behind him.

Turning around one last time before departing Groose declared "maybe I was not chosen for my wisdom or my courage. Maybe the goddess didn't pick me at all. But I am going to show both her and you that Link is entirely unsuited for that role anyway tomorrow! Just wait and see my lady, I shall show you what you hear already knows!" before departing with his cronies quickly following suit behind him.

The next day of the tournament played out in a similar vein as the goddess would have expected. Link showing a small display of wisdom, courage, and strength managed to recover his Crimson Loftwing and arrived ready to challenge Groose for the role of hero and Zelda's soul mate. But unknown to the goddess or any of the three, the winds of fate had changed due to a small moment of doubt in the goddesses vessel.

Groose himself had displayed cunning in trying to trick Link out of the competition, bravery in choosing to stand up to Zelda and make his case against Link, and strength via defeating the Crimson Liftwing in the first place. Eerily resembling a third figure that had been lost to history.

Thus there was an imbalance that was created in the uncertainty of the Goddess. Because back when she had first walked the earth she had been in a similar position as Zelda. pushed to pick between two men whom she found more worthy.

Her own hero wound up treating her as equal or even superior to himself, being thankful and kind to her and helping her whenever he could. The other man, who had simply been known as the Bull due to his enormous strength, was the exact opposite.

He too wished the best for Hylia but thought that he knew better than her. He wished to dominate her, to show her that his strength, cunning, and confidence were just as worthy of her support as her hero's courage, power, and wisdom.

Even using similar words, declaring the hero as a clown, as weak and inferior to him. In hindsight, perhaps he had been which caused the goddess to take pity upon him.

And a very tiny part of her could not help but wonder what could have been, what if he had picked the bull as her Champion. What if she was making a mistake in choosing Link as the hero once more? What if instead of going the hero she should have submitted to her Champion, her bull, and allowed him to guide her path?

This uncertainty led to events out of her control that would change the cycle of reincarnation, her own position in it, and the fate of Groose, Zelda and Link forever. Because on the day of the ceremony Link did not dissuade her initial doubts iva a victory over his rival like the hero in her time had done due to her support.

She allowed a completely even playing field for the two this time to see whether the choice in the past and the choice for the future, had been correct. In parts out of genuine frustration and anger because she didn't know what to believe. She did not know if she had been deceived by the hero or the bull.

This time it was the hero fighting against the champion over the heart of their princess, with one man destined to gain dominance for all the cycles to come while the other would be forced to watch from the sidelines as punishment for tricking the goddess.

Both men loved Zelda, her reincarnation, and thus the punishment of seeing her in another's arms cycle after cycle seemed fitting enough to her. She would furthermore strip the loser of his strength, wisdom, and courage to keep both herself and her reincarnations and avatars from ever falling for the loser again.

And thus as the goddess allowed both Groose and Link their first entirely fair and final duel...