LoZ Shenanigans

The rest of the day crept on without incident, barring Wild’s crazy idea to jump off Skyloft and land on a tiny, isolated island that floated on its rim. To Wild’s credit, he did land the jump, but a rescue knight immediately chewed him out and carried him back to the main island. Wild didn’t even look mad as he bragged to everyone that he “technically” rode a Loftwing, and Hyrule—once his own heart had recovered—enjoyed the horrified expressions he got when he added that Wild had jumped off of Skyloft right before his “flight”.

They both agreed to never tell Sky about the stunt for their own safety.

As their explorations crept on, though, Hyrule began to notice the one true downside of touring Skyloft, besides the possibility of falling off the edge. At least if he fell—as proven by Wild—he could count on the rescue knights to catch him, or he could make use of his fairy spell as a last resort. No, this was something he never could have accounted for.

Hyrule felt extremely dizzy. And quite a bit winded, too.

He'd first noticed it while sprawled in the cool grass with several of the cute, cat-like creatures Sky had called 'remlits'. The disorienting, pulsing sense of vertigo had hit him like a moblin as soon as he'd lain down, and even the purring remlits and flower-scented breeze couldn't distract him from his malaise.

For a while, he'd debated if he was simply allergic to these ancient felines. Maybe that was common for people outside of Skyloft? Wild, who'd been playing with the remlits beside him, seemed less affected, but still rubbed his forehead from time to time.

Hurule had almost convinced himself it was the remlits until he and Wild regrouped with the others and promptly discovered that Four had passed out from running around the island like an excited puppy. 

Ah, thin air, Hyrule realized as he watched Warriors help the dazed smithy back to his feet. That makes much more sense.

He rubbed his achy head, feeling rather sympathetic towards Sky and his own respiratory issues on the ground. Did Sky feel like this, or at least the inverse of it, all the time, or had he just gotten used to it? How quickly the symptoms had crept up on Hyrule after the adrenaline had worn off also threw him for a loop. Sudden breathing problems meant slowing down to assess the damage, and slowing down meant danger and—

The traveler blinked. Hyrule took as deep of a breath as he could and reminded himself that he was past those hard days. He was safe. His kingdom was better than ever. Old habits died hard, he supposed.

I guess I’m more like Sky than I thought, he realized with a sheepish flush. Hyrule resolved to be a little more understanding the next time Sky got into one of his "too slow" moods. 

At this point even Wind was, well, winded, and it was decided quite immediately that they would return to the Surface for supper. 

As they waited for Beedle, Hyrule flexed his fingers, wishing his magic could do something for air problems. Sky managed to catch his eye.

"Here," the Skyloftian smiled, handing Hyrule a shimmering, brilliant blue potion. "These used to just be for swimming, but we found that they help if you've been down on the Surface too long and get winded when returning to Skyloft. Can you help me pass some around before someone else passes out?" 

Hyrule took the potion and uncorked it, fascinated by the fizz of bubbles that flew to the surface with a hiss. He smiled back at Sky and clinked his bottle against the one in the Skyloftian's hand. "I'm at your service!"

"Good," said Sky, "because I think Warriors is about to eat dirt."

Hyrule laughed as Sky caught the swaying captain's shoulder and forced him to take some of the potion. Seeing that his fellow medic was being attended to, Hyrule glanced at the bottle in his own hands and, curious, took a sip.

The potion felt like breathing in a fresh gulp of air, and tasted of cool, clear, raspberry-tinted spring water with an added fizz. Almost instantly, most of the slog pulsing through his body went away, replaced by oxygen and sharper senses. 

Pleasantly surprised, he turned to the now upright captain and held up the bottle. "This stuff's amazing!"

"Yes, quite a medical marvel!" Warriors agreed. "Hard to come by in a war, but perfect for times like these. Oh, Traveler, give some of it to Time, won't you? He's over there acting stoic but I'd recognize that eye twitch anywhere. His stubborn head gets achy from time to time."

Hyrule skipped over to their leader, grinning unapologetically at the way Time frowned at Warriors. "Drink up, Old Man, Captain's orders."

Time's scowl turned playful as he took the bottle. "All this fuss over me. You'll turn me grey for real at this rate." He took a sip, his eyebrows quickly shooting up. "...This is quite pleasant."

"You're welcome," Warriors sing-songed.

After Sky and Hyrule finished passing around the air potions, it wasn't long before Beedle’s air shop arrived over the town. Refreshed and reenergized, it took little effort to climb the rope up to the shop again, and on the way down to the Surface, Hyrule found himself feeling much braver. He even watched the clouds pass by at the railing this time, brightly chatting with Four, Wind, and Wild about all the hidden caves and secrets they had discovered on the fantastical floating island.

As the sun began to turn the creamy clouds rosy, the air shop dipped down once again through the Cloud Barrier, falling gently towards the afternoon-kissed Surface.

>>><<< 

It took a little hustling, a little bustling, and getting lost once or twice in the richly forested Faron Woods, but by and by a campfire was lit outside Sky's house, and bedrolls and blankets were distributed throughout. 

Sky and Groose laughed as they raced each other to the fire, balancing an obscene number of small pumpkins on their heads. Hyrule felt a sense of pride when Sky won, especially since he'd been balancing the most pumpkins. 

Zelda had enlisted Twilight's help in carrying over a large pot to the fire, where he then set it up over the flames so she could begin on some rice. As Zelda stirred and Twilight stoked the fire, Warriors and Four made quick work of chopping the vegetables and herbs that would soon join the rice.

Hyrule grinned when Sky asked for his and Legend's help carving out the pumpkins scattered in the grass. With a practiced hand, the traveler cut open his allotted gourds with ease, and Legend didn't even have to step in once! Hyrule caught the veteran hero eyeing him anyway, but the high-five they shared when their task was complete sent Hyrule's spirit over the moon. 

Time and Wind sat alongside them, scooping out the pumpkin guts to save for soup stock for another day. They were getting messier and messier the more seeds they flicked at each other, beaming their matching, childlike smiles all the while.

Wild had a steady rhythm going in the meantime, taking up the gutted pumpkins and escorting them to the stove inside Sky's house. Zelda had given him a crash course in how to bake them, and each time a batch of finished pumpkins was returned to the campfire, the delicious, sweet, smokey smell in the air just got stronger.

Hyrule's mouth could have watered all of Lake Hylia by the time the food was done. Golden, steaming pumpkins filled with rice and vegetables sat tantalizingly before them all, but Hyrule restrained himself from snatching one just yet.

The Skyloftians were a reverent people, and very welcoming, at that. Sky, Zelda, and Groose motioned for the others to all join hands, and after a moment of silence, Zelda led them in a grace. Something about it, maybe Zelda's gleaming magical connection, maybe the promise in the words she spoke, warmed Hyrule's heart. It made him feel so thankful and blessed that he almost forgot about the meal.

Almost.

It didn't stop him from physically leaping to call dibs on the best-looking pumpkin the second the grace was completed, and oh was it worth it.

"This is heavenly," he sighed, mouth full of savory-sweet rice.

Sky grinned. "We did a good job making it together, didn't we? How do you rate it, cook?"

Wild had already finished half his bowl. "Golden. Perfect. I'm stealing this recipe, Sky." The champion danced a bit as he took another bite.

"Won't that create a paradox?" Time teased.

"Not if Sky promises to pass this dish down!" Four suggested. "I certainly will! We'll make stuffed pumpkins historic."

The rancher bit off a chunk of baked pumpkin and hummed in delight. "I'm all for more pumpkin recipes. 'Specially if they taste like this."

"We had a good harvest today," Zelda grinned. "And some cute cooks." 

She kissed Sky on the cheek, and Hyrule almost choked on his rice when she stole a spoonful of Sky's food right under his blushing nose. She's just as crafty as he is!

As Legend and Groose made faces at the flirting pair, Wind elbowed Hyrule, mouthing something akin to, "Made for each other". Hyrule had to agree.

Perhaps the lovebirds were getting too much for even Groose, for he soon glanced up at the dimming sunset, shoveled up the rest of his rice, and hopped to his feet. "All right kids, it's been fun, but the Groose has gotta fly!"

"Aww, Groose, you're leaving?" Zelda pouted.

Her disappointment almost swayed the burly knight, causing him to shift from foot to foot, but he steeled himself and nodded his head. "Yep! Sorry, got plans. Gotta see a girl about an item!"

Sky and Zelda instantly brightened. Together, they smirked, and let out a loud, intentionally irritating, "OOOoooOOH!"

"Yeah, yeah," Groose waved them off, ruffling Wind's hair as he walked away. "Keep that good head on your shoulders, kid! Don't let those goofballs drag ya down!"

"Aye aye," Wind saluted. 

"I hope you have an engaging experience!" Sky called out to him, eyes as mischievous as a cat’s.

"OH? What's that I hear? You volunteer to be my next test subject for the Groosenator? Why thank you, Link ol' buddy!"

"You know she's gonna say yes!!!" Zelda chimed in.

Groose stumbled, looking back at her in shock. "Wh—Link told you?!?"

Sky held up his hands. "Hey, she figured out what you’re up to on her own, I didn't squawk!"

"Sure!" Groose huffed, the sound not quite matching the giddy grin and blush covering his face. 

Sky and Zelda shouted more well-wishes until Groose disappeared around a cluster of trees on his way to the settlement.

Zelda leaned over to Sky. "Is he really asking her tonight?"

Sky grinned. "I actually have no idea, I just like teasing him about it."

Zelda shoved him and giggled into her pumpkin bowl.

"Sky, you're a menace!" Legend laughed, the sound all light and bubbly.

"And that surprises you?" Warriors smirked. Suddenly, the captain's eyes lit up, his face nearly as mischievous as Sky's. "Miss Zelda, that reminds me. Has anyone in our group told you about Sky's elevating experience riding an animal known as a horse?" 

"No???" Zelda blinked, leaning forward excitedly. "Do tell."

"Ah—hah—wait wait wait—" Sky floundered, unable to keep the story from spilling across the campfire in a wave of laughter.

Orange and pink became indigo blue as the stars took hold of the sky. Crickets chirped their melodies on the cool evening breeze, harmonizing with the chorus of rustling leaves and the crackling fire. Empty bowls and full bellies all sat peacefully together, finally resting from the excitement of the day. Compared to all the evenings Hyrule had experienced after terrible battles and taxing adventures, this was probably one of the most relaxing campfires he'd sat beside...

Especially when Zelda pulled out the harp from Sky's bag and began to play.

At first there was no tune. Random notes plucked into the air—likely Zelda getting a feeling for the instrument again after not playing it for a while. Sky set his arm around her shoulder as her notes steadily became more confident and unified. Then, she began practicing chords. The harmony of notes started to flow like a waterfall, down and up and down in a way that soothed all the heroes’ hearts.

Hyrule wasn't close to her musical level by any means, yet his fingers still itched for his recorder. He and a few other heroes might have grabbed their instruments, too, if Zelda didn't briefly put down her harp and begin to speak.

"So," she fiddled with her hair, "while you were away, Link, I... well I've sort of been working on something. To pass the time and... remind me of you." 

She bit her lip, focusing her gaze on the strings instead of on Sky, who looked upon her as if she were his entire world.

Zelda cleared her throat and sat up straighter. "So! I... I'd like to play it. Or at least try to. Maybe you all can give me your opinion." 

When her sheepish smile met the other heroes, Hyrule was struck by just how much she reminded him of the first princess he'd rescued, the girl who had later rescued him from a life of lonely wandering. Hyrule met her eye and gave her an encouraging nod. Zelda smiled back at him.

"Play for us, love," Sky murmured, and Zelda set her fingers on the strings.

Music filled the forest.

Hyrule's heart skipped a beat.

That—it couldn't be...

He glanced around at the other heroes to prove he wasn't crazy. Wonderstruck eyes met his, all eight of them realizing what song Zelda had just created.

It was slow, hesitant, and flux, with some foreign melodies mixed into the ancient rhythm just now brought into the world. Like a newborn, it floundered and soared with both uncoordinated steps and boundless potential, a potential wrapped up in the three notes that history would never dare to change:

E, G, D.

Mi, So, Re.

Zelda's Lullaby.

When Zelda's clear, angelic voice soothed his ears, dancing along with her harp, Hyrule couldn't help himself. He reached for his recorder and joined in with the parts he knew.

Sky and Zelda, the later of which faltered but kept up her music, glanced up in shock as one by one, the Links joined in. 

Time's clear, confident ocarina sang, Four and Warriors playing in soft harmony with him. Twilight and Wild joined their deep and light voices in kind. Wind kept time with his Wind Waker, the sound of distant chimes ringing on beat. Even Legend pulled out his very own harp, glancing at Zelda's fingers to lead him in the tune.

Sky and Zelda looked ready to cry. Holding her tightly, Sky buried his face in her hair, his own deeper register humming along to the melody he'd picked up. Together, they played as one mind, partaking in a tune nearly as old as time itself. It went unsaid how they all knew it, but it didn't take a genius to figure it out, and by the end of the song, Sky and Zelda were wrapped in a tight embrace. 

With the camp now quiet, and a few of them silently moving to clean up after dinner, Hyrule watched the people all around him with an awed feeling in his chest.

They were all different, it was true. No one looked at the moon like Time did, or the dusk like Twilight. No one else had Legend’s aches or Warriors's memories of war. Only Wild knew what it was like to be dead for a century. Only Four knew the feeling of splitting apart. Wind alone had experienced life at the mercy of a world of surf and tide.

But despite Sky's struggles with immigrating from Skyloft to the Surface, despite the slow growth from ruin to prosperity back in Hyrule's own time, despite all the differences between all their eras...

Songs like this persisted.

Courage and love persisted.

Time set a blanket around the exhausted lovebirds—the beginning of the royal family—and Hyrule laughed in amazement and how this evening could be so mundane and so important at the same time.

He watched his brothers joke and sneak around the dozing pair like the young adults they were, smiling as all beings did no matter their era or race.

For everything that seems strange and unnatural, different and wonderful...

Hyrule glanced up at the Triforce, finally feeling a sense of peace at its golden light,

...So many things remain the same.

>>><<< 

Sky awoke to the chirrup of crickets and a soft breath on his cheek. 

Dazed, unsure of just what had woken him, he blinked at the doused fire at his feet. A few dark blobs marked the bodies of the heroes who had chosen to remain outside for the night, each, like Sky, wearing a blanket to ward off the mild chill.

Blearily, Sky frowned down at where he sat propped against a tree. When had this blanket gotten around him? Where was...

Zelda's breath brushed his face again as she curled closer into his side. Sky's heart fluttered. 

Oh. Right. My era.

Sky sunk back into her presence, letting his heavy eyes close over the sight of a distant shooting star.

"...You said they were all named Zelda?" 

"Hzzzmm?" Sky slurred, trying to comprehend Zelda's sudden question. "Oh. Mm-hmm. Most. 'Cept Tetra."

"Like a tradition..." Zelda breathed out. Her words carried some sort of weight that Sky was too tired to understand. She was silent for a while after that, long enough that Sky almost fell back asleep, until she took another breath to speak.

"So our daughter could be a Zelda too?"

That got Sky up. "H-Huh???"

"Shh, it was only a question," Zelda brought his head back down onto hers. "I mean, after the wedding. When we have babies? If one's a girl... Zelda. It seems strange, but fits, too. Maybe... maybe Zel, or Zellie? That one's cute..."

Sky wished he was more lucid so he could better appreciate this line of thought. Lightly, he kissed her head and drew her closer. "'S perfect."

"Zellie... we'll need a crib and things for her..."

"I'll build us some."

"And clothes... I bet my father's still got all of mine from when I was little."

"Don't doubt it, he's a sentimental guy."

"Mmmhmm... that leaves something from me then."

Sky bumped her forehead with his nose. "Like being a good, strong mother? M'think you'll have that covered."

"That's sweet," she blushed. "But it should be something... more." She reached her arm around him, fingers brushing the rim of the harp that had fallen beside them. "Link... I think…” She pulled the harp into her lap, cradling it close with a yearning so strong that Sky could physically feel it. She smiled breathlessly.

"…I think want to give her our song."

Sky felt his chest burst open like an egg, too full of love to stop the emotion from flooding through his body. Feeling it accumulate in his eyes, he blinked rapidly and hid his face in Zelda's shoulder. 

"Oh Zelda," he whispered to her tenderly. "Somehow it feels like it was hers all along."

"And it's a lullaby..."

"For our little princess."

"Zellie, or Zelda."

Sky met her lips and kissed her slowly, sleepily drinking in the moment. It felt like a cornerstone of his world had just shifted into place. He pulled back after a while and smiled at her. "S'perfect. You're perfect."

"W-well I definitely don't know about that," she flushed. "But this moment right here?" She sighed against his chest, hugging him tightly. "It feels pretty perfect to me."

Sky melted into her embrace, already feeling himself drifting into sweet dreams. Strange new worlds, unknown futures... they didn't worry him as much as they once did. In his half-lucid state, he could have sworn he saw them: the princesses that his brothers held dear, all their triumphs over evil and their smiles in the end. Knowing, trusting the heroes of all those eras like he did now, Sky had no doubt that his descendants—his and Zelda's, he thought giddily—would be well looked after.

The future would come as it would, and together, they would meet it. Never mind curses or mistakes. The Surface was a place of boundless opportunity and new life, all of it sitting before them to pursue at their own pace. And now Sky had witnessed the promise that one day, far, far in the future, despite hardships and war, the land would still be standing in the light.

The nighttime sounds whispered a soft, natural lullaby to Sky and his beloved, soothing the Skyloftians into a deep, peaceful sleep.

Tomorrow, he knew, would be another grand adventure.

>>><<<

End of Fic!

Masterlist | First | Chapter 12

Author's Note: Here we are at last! Thank you all again, this journey through the cultures of the Surface and the Sky has been SO much fun, and it's been made even more exciting by all of you tagging along for the ride! It's on to other Zelda art and stories from here, and you can expect my love of Linked Universe and Skyward Sword to permeate it, ha! Cheers, y'all!

As a bonus, here's what the others were up to in Skyloft:

Warriors: Made a beeline for the Sparing Hall ever since hearing about it from Sky's peers, and made fast friends with Eagus. He even grabbed some great tips for teaching others sword techniques. Then he went to sit in the shade and pet a remlit after feeling the thin air start to hit him hard (he used up his air on sword drills, poor guy).

Wind: Followed Wars to the Knight Academy but broke off to find Owlan, as per Sky's suggestion. Wind asked him all about Loftwings and gained a LOT of info from the instructor, and the more he learned the more his fear left and his admiration grew. Afterwards he explored a bit and ended up playing random games with the Skyloftian kids in the Plaza (and kept an eye on Warriors).

Four: Ran around like a crazy person, exploring everywhere and investigating everything. He would have joined Hyrule and Wild but they didn't share his desire to talk to every single townsperson about all they knew/had lived. He dragged Legend around for a bit before wandering by himself, maybe finding some Sky Minish, and breaking into the Knight Academy library. After running around some old ruins he passed out right in front of Warriors from the thin air.

Legend: Started tailing Four but couldn't/didn't want to keep up, and trusted the smith could handle himself. Legend also talked with several Skyloftians but in a more pleasant, casual way, and poked around in the market for a bit (he enjoyed haggling with Rupin and getting on his nerves maybe a little too much). He ended up joining Wind and playing a few games with the Skyloftian kids.

Twilight: Made it his one and only mission to pet every remlit on Skyloft. He amassed a remlit army, and for a while became their favorite Hylian, much to his delight. After having his heart stopped for the 50th time when Sky demonstrated that remlits could fly (why would you explain that only after you've thrown the cat off Skyloft, Sky?!?), he did enjoy tossing them directly up in the air and catching them as they floated down to him. Later he joined up with Time and tried some of Piper's soup in the Bazaar, and they both marveled at how rich it tasted even without dairy.

Time: Went for a peaceful walk as Twilight cooed over the remlits, taking in the quiet wind and gentle atmosphere. He enjoyed people watching for a while, and was the only one of their group to catch a glimpse of where Sky and Zelda had snuck off too after they'd given everyone a tour, much to his amusement. He got roped into helping carry some barrels and doing other odd jobs along with Twilight before they both ended up getting a snack at the Bazaar.

Sky and Zelda: After showing everyone around, laying some ground rules, and letting them split off to explore, the couple quickly found a secluded spot near the eastern windmill to smooch each other silly Ahem, I mean, appreciate being back in their childhood home again. >u< They then went to check up on Gaepora and had a lovely reunion with him as Link caught him up to speed on his adventures =)

Thanks again for reading!!! <3

Extra Note: I am a children’s book/family friendly author, so please keep all comments Safe For Work (no swearing please!) I want to do my best to make this a place for everyone. Cheers!

At about noon, according to what the Chain had discussed before splitting up, the trio gathered at the edge of town to wait for the others to return from their misadventures. 

Hyrule and Wild came scrambling towards them first, covered in dirt and swearing up and down that they'd seen moving, living bushes in the woods. Legend, following close behind with a much cleaner tunic and a smirk, refused to elaborate.

Time of all people ended up proving them right when he appeared with one of the skittish, very real creatures clinging to his head like a lopsided, leafy hat.

Is that a mammal or bird underneath that plant tail? Four marveled, failing to make sense of the odd specimen.

Wild snapped a photo for "scientific evidence only." Fortunately for the champion, Time was too busy trying to dissuade Twilight from taking the plant creature home to tell Wild to delete the picture.

Four chuckled to himself as his team descended into chaos, deciding to turn his attention back to the young settlement around him. It felt surreal, experiencing history in this way. Everything was so familiar and foreign all at once here. It was like something straight out of a fairy tale, but so much more... alive. Through the hustle and bustle of the young folk and their work, there was a buzzing excitement, a windswept thrill at being a part of a project so new. Four understood the feeling.

This was the birth of his homeland. Many, MANY generations before him, or course, but it was a privilege to witness all the same.

Last to rejoin the motley crew of heroes were Sky and Zelda, strolling towards them with their hands entwined. To Four's relief, they looked incredibly at ease, the light in their eyes shining much brighter than it had when the dangers of the Triforce were being discussed.

Four felt a pang of guilt at that. Like Wild, he'd never really encountered the real Triforce, just seen it in storybooks or on his shield. Though he knew it was powerful, and dangerous to leave unguarded, the cloudy, suffocating heaviness that had dragged down the Skyloftians as they'd spoken about the relic had been heartbreaking.

That weight was eased now, and as Sky and Zelda greeted the group, their combined life force seemed to shine in tune with the magic of the land itself. I suppose being with the one you love most will do that, Four smiled wistfully.

"I had a feeling you'd all be here," Zelda smiled warmly. She nudged Sky. "We have a surprise for you."

"Not another earth-shattering revelation, I hope?" said Hyrule, flashing a slightly nervous grin.

"No," Sky said gently. "At least I hope not. We want to take you to Skyloft."

Four thought his brain must have stalled for a moment. "Skyloft?" he squeaked, embarrassed by the childlike emotion in his voice. "The Skyloft?"

"Well, you didn't think we'd visit my era and be stuck on the Surface the whole time, did you?" Sky teased, tilting his head with a knowing smile.

Four's face flushed as his words jammed in his throat, several different replies coming to mind all at once and gumming up his brain.

Thankfully, the captain came to his rescue. "And just how do you propose we all get there?" Warriors asked.

"The Groosenator?!? Wind guessed with far too much excitement.

Zelda laughed as Sky made a mildly terrified noise, and she quickly shook her head. "No no no, we have a much... gentler approach in mind. It's how we've been transporting large groups of goods and people between the Surface and the sky all these years."

As if on cue, the clanking of wooden gears broke through the clouds above them. With inexplicable grace, a great wooden platform descended towards the ground, supported by two enormous, sturdy propellers. A large bell swayed gently from below the structure, prompting the gathered Hylians to scramble back to witness the descent of the beautifully odd contraption.

"What is that?" Twilight asked.

Sky smirked. "I believe a few of you have mentioned a merchant by the reputable family name of 'Beedle'?"

Wind's eyes went wide. "No way."

"Yours can fly?!?" Wild shouted.

"Yours can't?" Sky grinned. 

The structure lowered enough for the Links to see a warmly colored hut built onto the top of the platform. A large deck and wooden railing extended from it at all sides, offering plenty of space for passengers to stand. With far more grace than Four had expected, it finally settled onto a boarding platform in the grassy clearing, its spinning propellers coming to a gentle halt.

Four stared in disbelief. Disbelief at the familiar merchant's name, disbelief at this... contraption that had descended from the heavens, but most of all, disbelief that he wasn't dreaming when Sky motioned for them to hop aboard and visit his birthplace in the sky. 

Not the Cloud Tops, nor the Tower or even Palace of Winds. 

Skyloft.

Hylia's risen land itself. 

Four barely dared to breathe as he scrambled to catch up with the other heroes boarding the floating shop.

"Heeeyyy, Beedle!" Sky called through the open doorway of the hut. "Got a few passengers for you!"

"OH!" came a shockingly familiar call. "Welcome back, Link! And did you say you brought customers? Come in! Come in!" 

Four poked his head into the shop and felt his jaw fall open. The lean man behind the counter bore an uncanny resemblance to the merchant of the same name from Four's era. There were a few small differences here and there, but the similarity was baffling, even for a family ancestor.

Beedle genes must run strong, Four thought with wonder.

This era's Beedle had just been perched on some sort of foot-peddled device. Gingerly, the man had dismounted, squatting and stretching his legs with a huff. He pulled out a green potion that Four recognized as a stamina potion, and on further inspection, Four noticed that the man was covered in sweat.

"Have you been... powering this entire building yourself?" the smithy asked in disbelief.

A few other Links who had also crowded the doorway made several awed and confused noises behind him.

Beedle finished the potion and gave them an eager salute. "Of COURSE! There's no other shop that takes its wears to you, is there? And no better way to do so than some good ol' fashioned elbow grease. Isn't that right, ol' bug?"

It took a moment to realize he was speaking to Sky. Skyloftian phrasing, maybe? Four noted in his head. Or is it just Beedle? How odd... The smith blinked. Wow. I really am a nerd. Four thanked every goddess above that Sky couldn't read his mind.

"Beedle here works as hard as anyone. He's even made a lot of modifications to his shop lately, to help the settlement efforts," Sky gestured around the item-filled room. "It used to be a lot smaller."

"But now, we sport a new and improved, gen-u-ine layout, complete with a beautiful wrap-around deck, plenty of storage, and even more items from the wonders of the Surface itself!" Beedle spread his hands and hopped back onto the machine behind the counter. "Free trips to Skyloft for non-flyers, but take a look at the wares, mates. Every rupee counts."

Wind, Wild, and Hyrule took that as a personal invitation to browse, but Four was still stuck on the peddle machine. He pointed it out. "And you control the whole shop with that wee thing there?"

"Ah-ha! Yes indeed, it's all in the mechanics, fledgling! New breakthroughs seem to be brought about every day by discoveries down here! I now peddle her with twice the ease, and twice the power!!!" Beedle grinned and triumphantly shook his fist.

Sky leaned over to Four on his way back out the door. "Beedle, Groose, and Gondo have a sort of 'innovators guild' going on," he explained. "They come up with some cool stuff, you'd like it."

Four grinned at the prospect. "That sounds grand."

Beedle rolled his shoulders, doing one final stretch before clapping his hands. "Ready for lift off, then?"

Four looked back to see Sky gently removing the trembling bush creature from Time's head, speaking softly to it, and setting it in the grass to scamper off into the trees. Twilight pouted as it went.

Now free of his burden, Time did a headcount, and nodded to Sky and the merchant. "All accounted for. We're ready."

"EXCELLENT!" Beedle cheered. "And AWAY WE GO!"

Eight Links scrambled for a handhold as the air shop whirred into motion. The floorboards rumbled as the overhead propellers began to spin, faster and faster, until the platform they stood upon began to rise back into the air.

Sky and Zelda, having grabbed onto the railing and each other before the launch, smiled at their guests with knowing expressions. 

Four scrunched his nose at the knight teasingly. Show off.

The higher they went, the more their view was obstructed by the mist of clouds. The ground was getting harder to make out, their destination even more so. 

They'd reached the Cloud Barrier.

Likely noticing just how high up they were, Hyrule pressed his back to the wall of the central hut, sliding down to sit on the floor with a gulp. Time sat beside him casually.

"Not a fan of heights?" their leader asked softly.

"Can't say I'm the biggest fan, no," said Hyrule, his smile thin.

"If it helps," Four said from his place against the rail, "from the stories I heard, Skyloft is just as sturdy as the land we were born on."

"That... may be true," Hyrule shrugged, but didn't quite look convinced. "It's still a long way up... and I miss the ground..."

Time patted the traveler's shoulder. "Courage comes in many forms. You're doing fine."

Hyrule seemed more at ease after hearing that, even as he continued to watch the mist around him with distrust.

"So, what do you think Skyloft really looks like, then? Since someone somewhere refuses to tell us the details." Legend scowled playfully at Sky, who simply tapped his own nose and kept his mouth shut. Zelda laughed silently beside him.

Four shrugged. "Ah... a floating piece of land with a settlement, I suppose?"

"Well yeah, Sky's said at least that much," Legend shook his head. "What I want to know is how it floats."

"Octo balloons? Or maybe a really strong hurricane?" Wind suggested, leaning halfway over the railing. Warriors made a quiet yelp and pulled the sailor back.

"The one time I visited a sky settlement, the creatures that lived there had giant propellers on the bottoms of their floating buildings," Twilight hummed, tapping his fingers on the rail. "Could that be it?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, Rancher," said Four. "The sky places I've been to were either magic clouds and platforms atop the Cloud Barrier itself, or a tower that just sort of... hung there, all on its own. But Skyloft is supposed to be higher up than even those."

"Great," huffed Hyrule.

Wild also looked very put-out, but for a different reason entirely. 

"Ugh," groaned the champion. "I wish my era had sky islands. This is just unfair!" 

Twilight shuddered. "Why do I get the feeling you'd go skydiving off the highest one the first chance you got?"

"Because I would and it would be awesome!"

In the corner of his eye, Four saw Sky and Zelda lock eyes. Warm amusement colored their faces in mirth, and Four smiled, looking away to give them privacy. 

His own daydreams conjured up a small memory of strawberry blonde hair tied back in a pretty bow.

Almost immediately, Four was jerked from his romantic distractions as the air shop shuddered beneath him. Something in the mechanism clicked, and a smaller propeller on the side of the air shop began to spin, moving the platform laterally instead of simply up into the air.

All at once, the sky lightened into gold.

With a feeling like breaking the surface of the sea, the air shop cut through the final layer of the Cloud Barrier into the upper sky. The atmosphere was bathed in warmth from a sun just past noon, coloring the billowing clouds in all shades of pink, yellow, and blue. And the sky itself—Four had never seen it so blue. Even his own trips above Hyrule had lacked the undercurrent of rich color and light that permeated every inch of this sky. 

Four laughed, the icy taste of thin air making him extra giddy. Even now he could see small dots of floating islands in the distance. There was no doubt in his mind: this was too real to be a dream. He was going to see Skyloft.

Wind cheered and whooped beside him, the sun turning his wavy hair blindingly yellow. His face was fixed in a huge grin as he ran across the shop's deck, taking in the sky as quickly and energetically as possible. 

"It's like the GREAT SEA!!!" laughed the sailor.

Wild ran alongside him, just as awed by the view. Four wondered for a moment if they'd both snuck some of Beedle’s stamina potion, but he quickly banished the thought at the sight of the rest of his team.

Warriors had a rare, childlike smile on his face as he stuck his hand out to graze a nearby golden cloud. Legend spun in circles with a lopsided grin, head faced skyward. Twilight caught the vet by the shoulders when Legend made himself dizzy, laughing with the younger hero as Legend untangled himself from the rancher. Even Hyrule stood as if in a daze, breathing in the soaring feeling of magic and natural wonder with Time just behind him, doing the same.

"I have to admit," Warriors breathed out an awed laugh, "this has far exceeded my expectations, Sky."

"You haven't seen anything yet," said the Chosen Hero. He looked positively full of life, watching his brothers with the sparkling eyes of a man proud of his homeland. 

Zelda looked just as radiant beside him. "Yeah! Wait until you see—"

She paused mid-sentence. Sky and Zelda froze at the same time, ears pricked as if listening for something far away. An odd expression crossed their faces, not unlike the one that Zelda wore when she spoke the words of Hylia. But when the two of them locked eyes again, their chests lifting with anticipation and excitement, Four knew this was about something else entirely. 

Sky became teary-eyed by whatever realization had just crossed between him and his fiancée. They leaned together in a quick, hushed conversation, took one last glance at the clouds, then hurried to the part of the air shop's deck that was missing a railing.

In tandem, they turned back to the other heroes, twining their hands together.

"Sky? What's going on?" Time asked.

The Chosen Hero's eyes twinkled. He wore that poorly disguised grin that always came before one of his cheeky comments, and tilted his head. "Keep an eye on everyone, Old Man," he winked.

"We'll meet you on Skyloft."

Then Sky and Zelda jumped.

For a second that felt like an hour, the heroes were stunned into silence. The space where the couple had just been standing was now empty air, choked confusion and hollow wind the only sounds to be heard in the vastness of the upper sky. Four's heart began to pound as he grasped, scrambled for any logical explanation for what he had just witnessed, because surely, surely he had not just seen the start of the entire royal family line just jump off the side of a—

SSSSHHREEEEEEE!

Crimson and indigo blurs shot into the sky on a gust of wind. Feathers bloomed in the light as two giant birds unfurled their great wings, stretching their curved beaks in ear-splitting cries of joy. 

Atop their backs, looking more alive than they'd ever been, Sky and Zelda whooped and hollered with just as much gusto as their birds.

These, then, were Loftwings.

Four's breath left him as the birds spun tight corkscrews in the air, sweeping their riders even higher into the clouds. With the grace of songbirds and power of eagles, the great beasts looped and swirled, painting the clouds with the vibrant colors of their plumage. 

Soaring to a point high above the little air shop, the birds stalled, flipped, and tumbled into a playful dive. Several heroes cried out as the Skyloftians gleefully dove off their birds, free falling through the air like they were born with wings of their own. Sky and Zelda even grasped hands, pulling each other in and out, and spinning as if they were dancing. Their wide smiles must have been filled with laughter, but their voices were lost to the rush of the fall.

Air buffered Four's face and blew back his hair as the birds and Skyloftians sped past the platform once more. The smithy raced to the rail to catch a glimpse of where they'd gone, and didn't have to wait long before someone behind him gasped.

Turning around, he was shocked to see Zelda standing on her Loftwing, her hair flowing like feathers as she balanced with years of practiced ease. She caught them staring and waved, doing a quick spin and giving them all heart attacks. No sooner had she settled back onto her bird in what Four presumed was the normal position did another rush of wind hit him from behind.

The powerful wings of Sky's magnificent bird flapped and soared to the rhythm of the air shop's propellers. When Four finally tore his eyes away from the beast, he was taken aback by the freedom written all over Sky's face.

The Chosen Hero sat with his arms flung wide, eyes shut tightly and mouth open in a huge, permanent smile. His chest rose like he couldn't contain the emotions inside it, so instead, he released them to the air, belting out an enormous cry of elation. His long, whooping yell was echoed by his Crimson, who danced his talons through the air like a prancing horse.

Sky's hands tightened to fists. He looked so... free, Four realized. The young smith was no longer looking upon the great hero of his myths and fairy tales. Here was a young man, barely out of his boyhood, who's greatest joys were his loved ones and the feeling of the wind blowing through his feathery hair. Here, in the upper sky, he was Link, of Skyloft. A man brought to pinprick tears by flying on his Loftwing again.

He was just Link. And he was home.

And Four knew exactly what a wondrous feeling that was.

A shadow passed overhead. Four and the others glanced up to see Zelda guide her bird over the air shop and above Sky. She hovered there for only a moment before slipping off her bird and right into Sky's arms. He grunted, and Crimson squawked a complaint at the sudden weight, but Sky fell into lovesick laughter just as quickly, and drew his beloved tightly to his chest. Zelda's Loftwing made a noise that almost sounded like laughter, too.

Like leaves on a gentle breeze, the Loftwings and Skyloftians began to drift away from the platform, losing themselves in their reunion. Four smirked as Sky and Zelda began to share an especially tender kiss.

"When I catch that boy..." Twilight said shakily.

Warriors's laugh was slightly hysterical as he pulled his fingers through his hair. "Of course. Now it makes sense why he tried to jump the horse."

Four snorted out a laugh he couldn't keep contained. It did make sense. To Sky, horses must have seemed like four-legged Loftwings, at least until he'd eaten dirt by falling off Epona.

"Jealous... so jealous..." Wild mumbled quietly.

Wind watched the birds in stunned silence from behind the champion's back.

"You know what, Wild?" said Legend, leaning on the railing. "I’ll admit it. I’m jealous too, actually."

"It's why they're not afraid to fall," Hyrule realized. He held on to Time a bit more loosely than before. "They know their birds will catch them if they do. That's... wow."

"Inspiring is the word you're looking for, I believe," Time said, watching the Skyloftians soar. His eye, which had been so grey and troubled before, now held a soft and subtle fondness.

Four wondered if he was thinking of Malon.

Link and Zelda, childhood friends... the smithy quickly turned his face away to hide his small blush from the others.

He really, really missed his own princess.

Trying to distract himself by finding any clouds that didn't remind him of bows, crowns, or hearts, Four caught a glimpse of something else in the sky. 

"Hey, look!" he shouted, pointing into the clouds ahead.

The heroes rushed to the railing beside him. As if by magic, a large cloud that had been hanging in the air shop's path began to disperse. Like a curtain being drawn away to reveal a stage, the cloud parted, and the heroes gasped.

A flock of Loftwings lifted into the air, dressed in all the colors under the sun. Just beyond the parade of feathers, an impossible island hung in mid-air, and atop its colorful stone and foliage sprawled the beautiful town known as Skyloft.

Four exhaled in delight to find it a quaint, familiar place, all the earthy buildings looking closer to the ones he'd known back home, rather than some collection of strange and ancient ruins. It was awash in light and surprisingly lively, with several Skyloftians still bustling about their day on the isle of their homeland. The smithy nodded to himself. Really, it was foolish to have expected anything else. This place felt exactly like Sky.

The nearby caw of a Loftwing drew his gaze upward. Three new birds had appeared in the air above him, all dressed in goggles that matched the Skyloftian knights atop their backs. The riders waved, one even shouting a greeting to Sky and Zelda, before falling into formation to the left, right, and just behind the air shop. 

Wind had gone a little pale, but Four appreciated the riders’ gesture. It was like Hyrule had surmised. The birds would catch anyone should he be foolish enough to jump.

Good news for Wild, Four thought, grinning at the way Twilight watched the champion like a hawk.

It wasn't very long before the air shop descended again, making its way to a large, cobblestone clearing nearby a large tower and what seemed to be a Skyloftian bazaar. The shop paused about ten feet above the ground.

Wooden gears clunked again as a rope was lowered the rest of the way down. 

"Hurry along down the rope, bugs!" called Beedle from within the hut. "I've got some other errands to run and you're all beginning to get QUITE heavy!"

"O-of course," Time called back, ushering the rest of them off the platform. "Thank you for the lift."

"And the spare adventure pouch!" added Hyrule.

"And the bug net!" Wild chorused.

"And the extra wallet!" Wind laughed.

"How much did you all buy?" Warriors murmured as he shook his head. His question went completely ignored.

"THANK YOU!" Beedle cheered as they slipped down the rope. "Pleasure doing business with you. Come again, bugs!"

When the last of their crew had his feet firmly set on Skyloft, Beedle’s peculiar shop rattled and lifted away like a dandelion seed in the wind. 

"We're actually on a floating island," the sailor said after a moment, voice quivering in awe. "A real, floating island!"

Wild jumped up and down. "Solid ground, too. No bounce or tilt—that's amazing!"

"And reassuring," Hyrule grinned shakily.

Legend patted his shoulder. "Aww, chin up, Traveler. You'll find something fun to do here." 

"And we won't have to worry about you wandering off the island," Time smirked.

Twilight shook his head good-naturedly, gazing out at the island around them. "Somehow he and Wild would find a way."

"Air's a bit thin, though, isn't it?" said Warriors, adjusting his scarf around his neck. "That could be a problem for us in the long run."

"Doesn't make this place any less beautiful," Four whispered, too enraptured by the site of the town to mind his shallower breaths.

Paper pinwheels shaped like pastel flowers spun playfully above the heroes, each decoration done up on long strings that trailed over to a magnificent bazaar. The building was quite the sight, made up of colorful striped stones and topped with flapping pink drapery. The sky trees, the impossible waterfall that slipped off the island but never went dry, and the impressive, elegant stone tower that stood beside them to welcome new arrivals… taking it all in at once felt like visiting a dream. Even the colorful homes built directly into the ground, complete with grassy, curved roofs, were hard to tear one’s eye from.

That is, until Four heard a shout.

Four glanced up just in time to watch Sky leap off his bird right above them. However, instead of diving with him, Crimson flew off into another circle. At that speed, that angle—the bird would never catch him in time!

Four's cry was drowned out by the cacophony of other shouts from his team, Sky hurtling closer and closer to the hard, cold cobblestones every second. Twenty, fifteen, ten feet, and then—!

Woosh!

Four grasped his heart in relief. He'd completely forgotten about the sailcloth.

Grinning like he hadn't just administered eight separate heart attacks, Sky drifted gently downward, holding tightly to the cream and blue sail that had caught the air to slow his fall. He landed in the center of the cobblestone clearing and was immediately tackled by Wild.

"That was AWESOME, Sky!!!!" cheered the champion, grabbing his shoulders.

Sky laughed as he was shaken back and forth. "Thanks, thanks! Just a typical Loftwing stunt."

"When do I get to try?" Wild grinned.

Sky balked. "H-huh?"

"C'mon, I can handle it! I paraglide! I've ridden beasts no one's dared to tame back in my Hyrule! Let me ride a Loftwing!"

 Sky laughed and held up his hands. "Hang on, hang on Wild, that's not—You can't just ride a Loftwing with no experience!"

"But you rode a horse!"

"Yeah! But horses and Loftwings aren't..." For the briefest moment, something somber passed Sky's face before the Skyloftian covered it with a smile. "Horses can sense your touch and some of your emotions. Loftwings sense you. All of you, wherever you are, and vice versa, but only if you're the chosen rider. Without that connection, it's much harder to communicate with one, and if you fell? If your borrowed Loftwing couldn't sense you because you’re not its true rider?" Sky shivered. 

"So...?" Wild bit his lip, still hopeful.

"So, uh, no riding lessons today I'm afraid," said Sky.

"Rrrrr," Wild turned in a circle. "Unfair! Unfair, I'm still jealous and this is unfair!"

Warriors blew out a sharp breath. "You're going to give Twilight and me grey hairs, Chosen Hero! And you too, Wild."

"Sorry?" Sky shrugged, not sorry in the slightest.

"What about Time's hair?" Four asked, glancing at the way the older night scanned Sky for injury.

"His hair's already grey."

Time cuffed Warriors in the head. The captain laughed.

The flapping of great wings signaled the arrival of Zelda and her Loftwing above them. The pair landed much more gracefully than Sky, the indigo bird touching her talons down lightly atop the cobblestone. Zelda slipped off her mount with ease. 

"Nice dive, sweetie!" she said, skipping up to her fiancé.

Four almost snorted as he watched Sky puff out his chest like a proud cucco rooster. "Glad to hear it meets your standards, love," the knight grinned, drawing her in and planting a lingering kiss on her cheek.

"Ugh," Legend groaned with his head in his hands. "If they keep flirting I think I'll die."

Hyrule elbowed him and murmured something Four didn't catch about the royal family and "your princess". Legend went pink and shoved him.

An enormous, shrill cry suddenly shook the sky as a rush of crimson swooped at the huddle of heroes. Sky's bird shrieked, sharp talons and beak spread wide as he careened towards the ground, not bothering to slow himself down as the monster-sized bird roughly hit the stone and started to run. The heroes stepped out of his way in a hurry.

Wind in particular grasped onto Four's arm like he'd die if he let go. Four's heart bled when he saw the deep terror—deep memories—in the sailor's eyes. He covered Wind's hand in his own.

Sky, meanwhile, was completely bowled over in a burst of excited feathers.

"AGH, CRIMSON, HEY, HEH-HEH-HEY, WATCH IT, BUDDY!"

Sky lost himself to a fit of childish laughter as his bird nuzzled him, nearly being thrown into the air with the force of the giant, shoe-shaped beak. Sky ran, delighted as his bird gave chase, and practically skipped like a deer as he dodged and slipped away from the aggressive affection of his feathery half. Crimson, however, was not to be outdone. The bird leapt into the air and grabbed Sky's arms, lifting him like a child playing with a toy. Sky wheeled his legs uselessly in the air.

"Crimsoooooooon!" Sky yelled in delight. "Let me down boy, you caught me, you win! Hahahahaha!"

Pleased to have won their odd little game, the bird set Sky down incredibly gently. Crimson alighted on the stones, and just as Sky had skipped before, the bird pranced, hopping like a newborn foal towards his beloved rider. Reverently, the bird and Sky dipped their heads together.

Crimson let out a tiny, crooning noise, something between a hawk's cry and a whisper, and pressed his face lovingly against Sky's chest. Sky's laughter turned a bit teary at the gesture, and he hugged Crimson's head tightly, burying his face in the crown of plumage atop the bird's head.

"I missed you, buddy," came Sky's muffled, watery voice. "I-I missed you so much."

Zelda watched them with a bittersweet smile, nuzzling against her own Loftwing when the indigo bird draped her beak over Zelda's shoulder.

Twilight let out a long, deep sigh. "All right, Sky. You win." His eyes twinkled. "I think I understand the crazy behavior now."

Sky laughed wetly, still clinging to Crimson. "Sorry if I scared you, Rancher."

"Nah," Twilight waved his hand. "If anything, I think you proved you can handle yourself."

"That's a magnificent bird, that is," murmured Four, feeling his feet drift closer all on their own as he studied the creature.

To his dismay, Wind released him as soon as he moved, silently stepping back and wedging himself between Time and Twilight. The older heroes shared a look of worry, but huddled closer to the sailor all the same.

"He is pretty great," Sky agreed, still wrapped around his bird. "Just don't tell him that, he'll get a big head—OOF!"

Sky giggled as Crimson shoved him. The bird then cawed in protest, and began rapidly nibbling on Sky's hair.

"Ah. And here we go, with the preening." Sky looked at Time, arching a brow. "Told you they do this."

Time surprised everyone with a deep, bouncing laugh. "I can see that now, yes. You have a way with large beasts, Sky." 

Sky smiled softly at their leader, an olive branch seeming to pass between them. Sky buried his face in Crimson's feathers again.

Warriors smirked. "I can't help but wonder how he and Epona would get along."

"Maybe we can summon her and find out!" said Hyrule, already reaching for his recorder.

Twilight shot out his hand to stop him. "Ah, no, thanks. I'd like to keep my horse cozy in a stable and not stuck on a sky island, magic or no magic."

Four held back a laugh at Hyrule's small "Aww", but his joy fell away when he noticed the sailor. 

Something in Time's laugh must have shaken Wind to his senses, because when Four glanced at him, the sailor's face was set in a firm, determined scowl.

Wind stepped forward, inch by inch, his fists shaking at his sides. This time, Sky noticed his distress.

"Sailor?" Sky asked.

The boy gulped like he was trying to swallow all his fear at once, and he plastered a brave smile on his face. "N-no... I-I-I can do it... it's... just like the horse. Just like Epona. I can do it. I-"

The Loftwing shifted, and Wind froze, his pinched brow faltering as another wave of fear took hold. His hand twitched, as if itching for his Phantom Blade.

Warriors stepped closer to him. "What's wrong, Wind?"

Wind's breath shuddered as he tried to regain his composure.

"It looks like a kargarok."

A wave of understanding and empathy rippled through the heroes, and Sky whispered an explanation to a worried Zelda.

Of course, Four thought, kicking himself for not remembering sooner. A kargarok once took away his little sister.

Wind scowled at what he must have seen as pity. "It's stupid! I know it's stupid. Aryll's fine now, I know Sky's bird isn't evil, it's just—!"

Wind flinched as Crimson moved again, but this time, the bird closed his eyes and bowed his head, stretching out his long neck towards the ground.

Sky and Zelda gasped. Sky looked between his Loftwing and Wind, the later looking slightly confused. 

"Wind," Sky nearly whispered, "he's asking for your trust."

"H-huh?"

"That's a very vulnerable position," Zelda explained. "He's completely at your mercy. That's... that's unheard of for anyone who isn't the Loftwing's own rider."

All the worry lines in Sky's face softened. "He can sense our connection," said the Skyloftian. "He knows you're all my brothers. And he knows you need to have a reason to trust him, Wind."

The sailor's shoulders dropped. He studied the Loftwing again with confused eyes, scanning the crimson feathers for any sign of a trick. Finding none, and suddenly looking very dazed, Wind looked back at Sky. 

"So... w-what does it want me to do?" the sailor asked quietly.

Sky walked around Crimson so he could stand next to Wind. Gently, he lowered himself into a bow. "Offer him the same trust he's showing you," said the knight.

Wind hesitated. He looked back at Crimson, still stretched out above the stones, then back at Sky. Slowly, unsure of his own body, Wind dipped his torso to copy Sky, and put his full attention on the Loftwing.

"Promise... not to hurt me or my friends, ok? I... promise I won't harm you, either."

Crimson opened his bright yellow eyes, studying the sailor through half-lids. Another crooning whisper came from his throat as he slowly raised his head, stopping his beak an inch from Wind's chest.

Sky took the sailor’s hand and placed it atop Crimson's beak. The bird sighed softly.

Wind's breath came out in a shudder. "W-whoa..."

"There you go! There's that brave sailor I know!" Warriors cheered, along with several of the others.

Sky patted him on the back. "Good job, Wind!" 

To their delight, Wind began to smile as Crimson nuzzled happily against his palm. "I guess... maybe he's not so bad."

Crimson crooned in agreement.

Four came up beside the sailor, feeling fit to burst with excitement. After Sky waved the smithy forward with a knowing look, Four placed his hand beside Wind's. He marveled at the warmth of the huge animal beneath his fingers.

His eyes met the sailor's, and they shared a disbelieving laugh. 

History turned reality.

Sky may have claimed that his home wasn't perfect, but to Four, both this era and the hero from it were simply, unequivocally, cool.

Zelda scoffed as Crimson ruffled his feathers beneath all the attention. He was surrounded by curious and affectionate heroes now, and absolutely basking in the love. He'd nuzzled everyone at least once, and was currently working very hard to preen Twilight's hair and fur cape to perfection.

"Just look at that bird, Indigo," Zelda shook her head at her own Loftwing. "What a display! How do you put up with him?"

Indigo fluffed her own feathers and preened her wing. She put up a very good show of appearing disinterested… and a bit left-out.

Sky laughed and joined Zelda's side, stroking down Indigo's ruffles. "Don't be jealous, girl. You'll have him all to yourself again soon. Let him say hello!"

Indigo spat a few loose feathers into Sky's hair. 

Zelda burst into laughter.

"Oh you think that's funny, huh?" Sky challenged his fiancée, a devious look in his eye. "Well here, have some!"

Zelda squeaked as she ran from Sky, who chased her around Indigo while trying to throw some of the stray feathers onto Zelda's head. As for Indigo, if birds could roll their eyes, Four was sure she'd be doing so.

Warriors reached down and hooked his arm around Sky's shoulders, holding him in place in a very Groose-like fashion. 

"Weeeeeell loverboy, we all know you're dying to keep flirting with Zelda, but don't you think it's about time you actually show us around, as promised?"

Sky blushed heavily under Warriors's gaze. "I-I…Well, I was just—"

"We're ready to show you around if Crimson's done hoarding everyone's attention," Zelda translated, her own face dusted red.

"Off the Loftwing, boys, you heard her," Time instructed. A chorus of "Awwwww!" 's filled the air as the young men dispersed, Wild slipping down from where he'd halfway crawled up onto the bird.

Crimson crooned at Wind before he could follow the others, nuzzling the boy's shoulder a final time. Wind patted his giant beak with a smile and whispered something that sounded suspiciously like, "good bird".

Sky and Zelda then turned to their respective Loftwings, giving them long hugs before the birds skipped off and alighted into the clouds once more. Sky lingered as he watched them go. 

"We'll see them again, love," Zelda said softly, taking his hand. 

The touch seemed to snap Sky back to the present. Finally tearing his gaze from the clouds, he gave her a small smile. "Thank you. You're right, as always."

Zelda flipped her hair over her shoulder. "I try."

Sky's face broke into a grin. Joyfully, he faced his traveling companions, his brothers, and spread his arms like wings. 

"Welcome, my friends, to Skyloft!"

>>><<<

Masterlist | First | Chapter 11 | Chapter 13 (The final chapter!)

Author's Note: Mandatory disclaimer that the next chapter has only a small amount of Skyloft exploration, sorry y’all 😭 I love Skyloft but if these boys split and explore any more we’ll officially lose the plot 😅 However I am SO excited to share the final chapter of this Skyloft 3-parter, and the Grounded fic as a whole, with all of you next week! For now I hope you enjoyed seeing Crimson. ^u^ If you look closely you'll see several themes from earlier Grounded chapters make a return, both in this chapter and the next! ^u^

(Oh and I should note that Warriors has never been to Skyloft as per LU canon! There may have been monsters from the era of the sky called to his time, but no time travel necessarily. This is new to him!)

Extra Note: I am a children’s book/family friendly author, so please keep all comments Safe For Work (no swearing please!) I want to do my best to make this a place for everyone. Cheers!

Massive, ivy-laden trees stretched towards the sky on grand spiraling trunks. All around him, the bright golden-green hues of leaves in sunlight painted the ground, dusting the rich, colorful caps of giant mushrooms that grew between the trees. The forest possessed a vibrancy that made even shadows burst with purple, and standing there after so long made Sky feel just as bright. It was as if he'd been filled with inexplicable strength, refreshed in body and mind. 

He took in another greedy breath, letting the familiar coolness radiate through his bones. He smiled. A laugh danced on the edges of his sigh.

He knew these woods.

He was home.

...and so was she.

Heart pounding, spine tingling in excitement he didn't dare contain, Sky let his body take off through the trees.

Several alarmed heroes charged after him.

"Sky! Where are you going now?" huffed Legend.

"I think we might be in his Hyrule!" Warriors called back.

"You mean," The traveler corrected with a grin, "whatever Hyrule was before it was Hyrule!”

“Ooh, ooh, the Surface, right, Sky?” Wind guessed excitedly.

Sky glanced behind him to see all his friends jogging along with him. "Yeah!" shouted Sky. "It's the Surface, now hurry! Follow me!"

“Hey!” Four laughed from Twilight’s back, “Shouldn’t we be waiting for Epona at the portal?”

“She’ll catch up to us later, don’t worry,” Twilight reassured him, adjusting his hold. “If we can catch up to Sky, that is!”

"I never thought we'd be asking the sleepyhead to slow down!" Wild snorted.

"And why should we?" Time chimed in. "Go get her, Chosen One!"

Time's support filled Sky with glee. With his smile stretched wide and legs practically skipping, he flung himself towards the little settlement that he knew was waiting just ahead. 

In just a few moments, the trees began to thin. The others had caught up to him by then, Wild choosing to dance around Sky's heels to egg him onward. As if he needed more reason to run. Sky could feel his body slowing, but his spirit soared, especially as the rich, leafy gardens of the Surface came into view. 

"Hey, is that—?"

"It's Link!"

"'Hey, Link!”

"Who are those men?"

"Are they chasing you, Link?!?”

Sky laughed loudly at the notion, waving both his arms gleefully to his townsfolk as he raced by. His smile seemed to calm their nerves, but further chatting would have to wait. If he lingered too long, the whole settlement would be on top of him, and he had somewhere to be.

At least, that was his plan, until a burly shape tackled into his side.

Sky squawked as Groose lifted him off his feet with one arm, using the other to drive his knuckles—affectionately—into his head.

"Where's the fire, little buddy?" Groose bellowed, laughing as Sky squirmed against his fist. 

"ACK! Groose, lemme go!"

"Why? So I can knock ya' over with a feather once I putcha back on the ground?" 

To prove his point, Groose suddenly released him. Sky wobbled as his feet hit the dirt, his frantic sprint finally taking its toll on his body. Grumbling, Sky tried not to cough as Groose caught his arm.

"Funny," he panted.

"Well hello to you, too," Groose simply grinned. "C'mon, Link, ya gotta trust the Groose here! I'm the kinda guy who looks after my buddies, after all. You really want your girlfriend to see you shriveled up on the ground like a wet remlit?"

"Heh, maybe your buddies should be looking out for you, that tackle was brutal," Sky wheezed out a laugh. “And she's not my girlfriend."

"Right, right. Fiancée~ Ooh, fancy word!"

Sky punched him in the gut, though he knew Groose hardly felt it. "Like you're not thinking about asking the same thing to a certain Item Check girl I kno—"

"UP BUP BUP!" Groose frantically waved his hands in front of Sky's face. The Chosen Hero smirked as his lumbering friend glanced around for eavesdroppers—or perhaps, and more likely, Peatrice. Finding neither, Groose pointed a nervous finger in Sky's face. "N-now listen here, that's confidential information! You can't just go blabbin' about sensitive topics like that! After all we've been through?"

Sky snorted. Nevertheless, he crossed his heart and patted Groose's arm. "I'm just teasing, don't worry. Although... you have to admit it's great blackmai—AAH!"

"WHOOPS! Back into the noogie we go!"

"ARG, HEY!"

Sky's ears burned as the other heroes chuckled at his predicament. He'd asked for this, he supposed, but it was still a relief when another, familiar voice cut through all the madness.

"Groose, let him breathe!"

Sky popped out from under Groose's arm, beaming at Pipit as he approached. The yellow-clad knight took one look at Sky's mop of windswept hair and shook his head.

"We just can't keep you out of trouble, can we?" he said with an exasperated smile. 

Sky shrugged. "Comes with the territory."

"Ha!" Pipit clasped him on the shoulder. "It's good to have you back, Link."

"It's good to be back."

"I'll bet." Pipit then shifted his gaze to the eight strangers nearby. "Now, are you going to tell us who your tagalongs are, or should I be worried? I don't recognize them from any of the islands."

"Yeah, Link, don't tell me you replaced us already!" gasped Groose, dramatically clutching his heart.

The rest of the heroes smiled fondly as Sky waved off his teasing friends. Wind in particular was glancing between Sky and Groose with huge eyes.

Subtly, the sailor mouthed, Is that the guy?!?!? and Sky had to bite back a laugh. He nodded, watching a lopsided grin grow on the boy’s face.

What a legacy for the Groosenator, thought Sky. He'd have to introduce the two properly, soon.

He turned back to see Pipit staring expectantly at him. Suddenly unsure of how much he should disclose about the future, Sky fumbled, "Umm... they're allies of mine. Other, ah, fighters? Sorry, it's complicated. They're all trustworthy! It's just..."

Pipit and Groose turned to each other with raised brows. "Hero business?" they supplied.

Sky deflated in relief. "Yeah. Hero business."

He glanced away from his classmates, dismayed to find a small crowd starting to form, just as he'd predicted. Sky tried not to be upset by the sight, though it would make things more complicated if they all decided to hammer him with questions. At least it wasn't all of Skyloft.

Although, he thought selfishly, still glancing through the settlers, the one Skyloftian he had been hoping to see wasn't among them.

"Something on your mind, featherhead?" smirked Pipit, reading him like a book.

"I think I know what it is," Groose grinned, definitely as payback. "Or maybe... who it is?"

"Guys," Sky groaned.

"Well, if he hadn't been so focused on rushing into town at the speed of sound, maybe he would have noticed who he passed by on the way in." With a knowing sparkle in his eye, Pipit nodded his head towards the space just over Sky's shoulder.

Sky's heart pounded. Rapid footsteps. It couldn't be... Did he dare hope...?

The Chosen Hero spun around just in time for a flash of brilliant blue and silky blonde to crash into his chest, enveloping his world in gold.

And suddenly, everything was her.

Zelda.

She was covered in soil from the garden and smelled like the market at harvest time, but she was here, alive, and still perfectly, unmistakably his.

A ridiculous laugh tore out of Sky's chest. Shouting her name, he flung his arms around her waist and lifted her into the air. Joy seeping out of every seam of his tunic, he spun her around, delighting in the glittering laugh that bubbled out of Zelda's mouth.

"Link! Link! You're back!"

"I'm back!"

"Oh Link," she laughed against his head, sending him over the moon, "Oh, I missed you so much. Here, let me down a second—"

"Nuh-uh!"

"What do you mean, nuh-uh? I'm getting dirt all over your tunic!"

"Don't care!"

"Link-"

"I love you."

Zelda let out an airy breath, just as exasperated by him as she was giddy. "You can't keep me up here forever."

"Says who?" Sky challenged, matching the fiery spark in her eyes. From here, they looked bluer than the waters of Lanayru's lost sea. How did I come to deserve her?

"Says me," Zelda interrupted his thoughts. "And don't you give me that pout, you're holding me too tight and I have stuff I want to say to you."

Reluctantly, Sky brought his fiancée's feet to the ground, only for her to whisper in his ear, "Besides, it's easier to kiss you now."

Sky's grin outshone the sun. Seizing her waist, he peppered fervent kisses along her cheek, his heart filling with joy as she giggled and squirmed with no real intent to get away. Oh how he yearned to capture her lips, to hold her to his chest and spend hours simply living in her presence, but he held back in light of the many eyes he knew were still pressed upon them.

As if to prove his point, he caught Legend gagging in the corner of his eye.

"Ugh, get a room!" groaned the veteran.

Time tousled his hair. "Hush you! They're young and in love, let them be."

"No, no," said Groose, "Bluebird's got a point there."

"Bluebird...?" Legend scowled, adjusting his cap.

Groose ignored him. "They're young! In love! And annoying about it!" The man pretended to shudder, earning a few chuckles from the nearby Skyloftians.

"Fair," Zelda quipped. "But it takes one to know one." 

Sky wheezed as more laughter bounced around the settlers. While Groose's engagement plans were still shrouded in secrecy, his courtship certainly was not. 

Groose, knowing this full well, simply threw up his hands and smoothed back his pompadour in one move. "Can't help it if the Groose is now full of love at all times. But at least you don't see me spinnin' my girl around in the middle of town like a lovesick kid. Besiiiiides…"

Groose directed his signature smirk and raised eyebrow towards Pipit, “Karane and Mr. Married Man over here aren’t exactly subtle, either, are ya, lovebirds?”

Sky doubled over into Zelda as Karane whistled at Pipit from somewhere in the crowd.

Pipit’s face went Loftwing-red. “I-! You-!!!” He pinched the bridge of his nose, not quite succeeding in hiding his smile. “Can we just focus on getting Link and his friends settled in, please?”

The burly knight gave Sky and Zelda a wink and turned to the crowd. "All right, folks! Show's over! Give the loverboy a break, his heart can't handle this much excitement!"

Pipit laughed off his blush and joined him. "There will be plenty of time to catch up with Link later, but Groose is partially right. I'm sure his journey has been long and taxing. Let's give him and his allies some rest and respect, and return to our own tasks."

Various grumbles, welcomes, and well-wishes sailed through the air as the crowd dispersed. Sky sighed, letting the tension he didn't know was there roll off his shoulders.

Zelda took his hand and squeezed it. "C'mon, Sleepyhead. Let’s take you and your friends somewhere quieter."

Sky smiled at her, soaking in her warmth and wisdom. "Ok." He nodded his head to the other heroes. "Follow us!"

The looks of wonder on his friends' faces were not lost on Sky as they meandered through the growing settlement. Time and Twilight gushed over the way some houses had been built into or around large trees. Four was pointing out arched doorways and grassy roofs, excitedly jabbering to Wind about how they looked familiar. Wind did his best to listen, but it was clear his eye was set on finding more of Groose's wild prototypes. 

Legend and Wild were chatting about the gardens and the foods that grew there. Hyrule breathed deeply, enjoying the peace brought by the wind and bird calls. Warriors sighed his agreement. The captain looked more at ease than he'd been in a long time.

It filled Sky with pride, the way they took in his homeland. And this isn't even half of it, he thought excitedly, biting his tongue. Wait until they see Skyloft!

In a few more steps they'd reached a quiet, secluded corner of the settlement, where the very first houses of the Surface had been built. His, Zelda's, and Groose's, in honor of their expedition here. They strolled up to the front of the middle house—Sky's—where a few large trees shaded the yard and roof in dappled light. 

Sky glanced over at Zelda's house. Seeing no sign of life in the windows or yard, he asked, "Where's Headmaster Gaepora?"

Time made an odd face at the name, but Zelda cut him off. "Oh! Father's up in Skyloft in a meeting with Professor Owlan, Oolo, and Stritch."

"Stritch?" Sky balked, looking nearly as baffled as Time. "Why?"

Zelda laughed. "They're trying to cross-reference old agricultural texts from before Skyloft with the gardens we have now. Stritch is there because he wants to raise a small insect army to fight a new pest that's been showing up, but they're not sure if it will 'throw off the ecosystem' or something, so they're up there debating it."

Sky groaned, leaning against one of his trees. "That sounds... complicated."

“That’ll be us one day,” Zelda smirked as her fiancé groaned again. “But, as exhausting as that sounds, we're not here to worry about that right now." 

Turning towards the wayward heroes, she opened her arms and smiled with a warmth that seemed to call upon the sun itself. Indeed, a sliver of light had slipped through the leaves, lighting up her hair from behind and turning it as golden as starlight.

When she parted her lips, the air felt pure and heavy all at once, and Sky knew that whatever words Zelda was about to speak would not be hers alone.

"This is a place of rest for all of you. Weary travelers of Surface and time, ease your hearts and rest your bodies. This era is one of peace. There are no monsters to fight, nor battles to win. A break like this is long overdue, and each of you is more than worthy to receive it. Please, let us thank you for all you have done and for all you will overcome."

For a long moment, the heroes were rendered silent under the weight of her words. Warriors and Twilight exchanged confused glances. Time put a hand to his chin. The more magic-sensitive among them stared at Zelda like she'd just pulled a campfire out of thin air, but Sky mostly ignored their wide eyes. Carefully setting his hand on Zelda's back, he watched the brightness in her eyes, the formality in her posture, felt the borrowed magic from a time long gone. And then—there. All in one moment it dissipated. Zelda blinked, taking in a big breath as if she were waking from a long sleep. When she noticed all the eyes upon her, she smiled awkwardly, and looked away. 

"You're an oracle." Legend stated, breaking the silence.

Sky and Zelda looked at each other, then back at the young hero. "What do you mean?" Sky asked him. 

"It's... someone directly connected to a specific goddess," Legend tilted his head. "Like... a mouthpiece and extension of that deity, but someone who's also mortal and lives on earth. I've met some. Your magic connection feels the same as theirs; deep, permeating. It's... completely surrounding you. And it's strong."

"So that's what it is," Hyrule whispered, seeming to connect several dots in his head.

Wind looked confused. "What goddess's magic is that, though? It sort of feels the same as when Tetra uses light magic to make a bow."

"It's Hylia's," said Wild, barely over a whisper. 

Zelda stared at him for a moment, and for that brief second, Sky saw that flicker of ancient magic in her eyes again. It felt more sorrowful this time. Sky wondered if she was seeing a vision of Wild's era.

Just as quickly as the light appeared it flickered out, and Zelda looked away. "Oh... well..." Zelda twined her hands. "That all may be true, but even still. Please. Just call me Zelda here. It helps... make sense of it all."

"Of course," Four said gently. "Thank you for your hospitality, Miss Zelda."

"We're in good hands here," Wild smiled softly at her, and to Sky's delight, Zelda matched it with her own.

Legend looked at Sky again, piecing a puzzle together in his eyes until his expression bled into a big smile. "Leave it to Sky to woo the world's most powerful oracle into marriage."

Sky flushed as Zelda giggled, dramatically grabbing her fiancé's shoulders. "Oh yeah, he completely swept me off my feet, I couldn't take my eyes of him!"

Sky snorted as she fluttered her lashes at him. "If anything, Zelda, you swept me off of my feet—"

"Aww."

"—by shoving me off of Skyloft."

Zelda gasped and punched his arm. "No fair that was only a few times!"

"It was enough to count!"

Time's chuckle interrupted them both. "I see you two have much to catch up on. But tell me, are introductions in order, or has your clairvoyance filled you in, Zelda?"

"Oh!" Zelda waved her hands. "No, please, tell me your nicknames so I can put a name to a face. Letters and visions only do so much."

Quickly and eagerly, each Link shared his nickname or series of titles, Wind and Wild looking particularly pleased with themselves the whole time. Predictably, the humble traveler was the last to speak.

"Hy-rule..." Zelda's eyes widened when she heard the name. Sky hadn't told her what Hyrule was named after in his letters, but that look in her eye... it was almost as if she'd remembered something important.

"Um... hello?" waved Hyrule awkwardly.

Zelda blinked out of her stupor. "Oh! Hi! Yes, sorry... Hyrule..."

Sky took her arm. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah! Yeah, I'm ok!" Zelda laughed, despite the nervous energy now buzzing under her skin. "I... haha. It's just kinda funny. I was going to tell you after your first letter but I wanted to wait to say it in person."

"Say what in person?" Sky prompted.

"Well... the night before I first heard from you, I couldn't sleep, so I was... ah... thinking over the names, again, Link." She shot him a meaningful look, weaving her fingers tightly around his.

Sky's heart quickened. Had she really...?

"Names?" Twilight asked.

"What kind of names?" Wind squinted, suddenly looking very suspicious.

"Not for a baby, if that's what you're thinking," Zelda giggled as Sky and Wind suddenly blushed. "Not yet, at least. I meant place names, like for the Surface?"

"We've already got one!" called Groose in the distance, walking towards his workshop with a beam of wood on his shoulder for who-knows-what purpose.

"We are not calling the Surface 'Grooseland'!" Sky called back, feeling his heart melt back into mirth.

"Your loss!" Groose shouted. "When you come to regret it—and you will—don't come crying to me!" 

"Noted!" Sky yelled. 

Zelda laughed as Groose disappeared behind his house with a swagger. "Anyway," she continued, "I was thinking about it, and felt like the name of the Surface should reflect the powers that made it. So I was brainstorming a lot of variations: Godsland... Goddessteppe... Hyland..."

Sky felt his face splitting with a smile. "And...?"

"And my current favorite," Zelda beamed at the traveler, "Hyrule."

The wind seemed to taste sweeter the moment she uttered the name. Fresh, cool Skyloftian air blew through their bodies, stirring up leaves and sunlight and glazing the new buildings with a sense of sparkling purpose and pride.

Hyrule tousled his own hair, fidgeting under the attention that was now aimed at him. Twilight nudged his shoulder, and the traveler laughed, averting his eyes to the sky... where his gaze froze in absolute shock. 

Hyrule let out a sharp, strangled noise, face growing pale as he pointed past the treetops with a shaking hand.

The other heroes shot to attention. In a blink, they flung their hands to their sword hilts with eyes blown wide, hurrying to catch a glimpse of what had rendered the traveler speechless. 

Sky had expected a monster. Perhaps another kargarok, or a hinox from Wild's time.

He had not expected several cries of alarm at the sight of the glowing, brilliant triangles that blessed the very ground they stood upon.

"Is that the TRIFORCE???" Legend screamed.

Time turned to Sky in abject horror. "Where are its GUARDS?!?"

"It's just... hanging there, out in the open..." Hyrule stumbled backwards, looking two seconds away from a panic attack.

"Whoa..." Wind breathed. Four gaped in awe beside him.

"I—wha—How did we not see that before?!?" shouted Warriors, pulling his fingers through his hair. "Were the trees really obscuring it that much? Just—the ACTUAL Triforce is... what?"

Twilight had gone so pale that his face markings looked like coal. He said nothing, could do nothing but form incomprehensible sounds of utter disbelief. Sky's gut grew cold at the worry in Twilight’s eyes when their gazes met. Behind that blinding blue, terrible knowledge swarmed. 

It was akin to the look he would sometimes give to Time.

"So that's what it looks like."

Every single hero turned to Wild in horror. 

"What do you MEAN 'that's what it looks like'?!?" Legend demanded.

Wild shrunk back. "I-I just, I never saw it in person during my adventure, ok??? A-and if I did before, I don't remember." 

As he spoke, Wild scooted closer to Sky, gulping audibly. He glanced at the Chosen Hero. "Now I know how you felt when you asked about who Ganon was,” he murmured. “Sorry, bud. This feels kinda awful."

"And you!" said Legend, pointing at Sky, "Explain why the world's holiest artifact is being displayed up there like a festival wreath?!?"

"I—now hang on!" Suddenly under the fire of his friends' eyes, Sky floundered for an answer. "It's not some… festival wreath! The Triforce—it's holy to all the people of Skyloft, a symbol of the goddesses watching over us!  No one here would dare—"

"Sky." 

The clearing went silent as Time spoke up, his eye—no—eyes blown wide and haunted. He stared at Sky without blinking. "The Triforce is the most powerful object in existence. To have it simply sitting there for anyone to take advantage of, when the toil so many of us had to go through just to secure its location was so great... I can't... do you realize how dangerous this would be in any other era—?"

Sky didn't know when, but at some point, Zelda had walked forward, and now held fast to Time's hands. 

The air was heavy again.

"I did not speak falsely when I said this era is one of peace," she soothed. "Whatever is to come, whatever future the Triforce has in store, will have its time and place. For now, do not disregard the trials which the Hero of the Sky faced in recovering the Triforce for his people, for he knows as well as anyone what it is like to toil and bleed for such a blessing. For now, in this generation, the Triforce blesses this land, and this land protects the Triforce."

With a blink, Zelda came back to herself, suddenly looking very small. "But... thank you," she continued, "for letting us know about... the risks. W-we do have Sheikah guarding it, if that helps."

Just as quietly as Zelda had, Time lost all of his fight. Slowly, his blind eye closed, and his hunched shoulders dipped. Gently, carefully, he squeezed Zelda's hands, looking upon her in much the same way Gaepora would when his daughter was distressed. 

"Forgive me, Zelda," he sighed, long and deep. "And you as well, Sky. This is your era. I know in my heart you will protect the Triforce. I just ask... be cautious. Be wise. Do an old man a favor."

"You're not that old," Sky spoke quietly. He felt his own shoulders beginning to relax, though in his mind, he could not quite push back the bubbling thoughts of, curse; your fault; too slow.

Time seemed to pick up on the weight in Sky's chest, and attempted a smile. "No, I'll allow it."

"Time's finally admitting he's old?!?" Wind grinned, pouncing on Time's levity like a hungry remlit.  

The Hero of Time shrugged. "I suppose I've gotten used to the nickname."

"Well!" Zelda shook herself and clapped her hands. "We... have some things to add to the 'Settle the Surface' list! But for now, Link—er, Sky—is right. The Triforce is our symbol of hope here, a gift from the goddesses as we forge a new land. And if anything does start to smell rotten," she gave Sky a wobbly smile, "I doubt anyone would get very far with our resident Mr. Evil-Slayer around."

Sky took her hand and drew her closer, pressing his shoulder into hers. "It's you they should be worried about," he said, his voice more gravelly than usual. "Your wrath is the stuff of legend."

When Zelda laughed softly at his words, even if it was no more than a breath, she made it seem like a cloud had finally dispersed under the bright light of the sun. It seemed to lessen the fears of the other heroes, too, if their collective sighs and chatter were anything to go by.

But as Sky stared back into her eyes, he could not find the same contentment. Zelda's face was calm and determined, but he caught the way she bit at the corner of her lip—something she did when she when she fretted over a problem, and when she overworked her brain. She didn't deserve to fret over this now.

Tenderly, wordlessly, Sky rested his forehead against her temple, willing away her troubles and fears as if he could scare them off with a sword. His heart melted when he felt her return that pressure, letting out one of her tiny, fluttering sighs as she did so. His hand clasped hers more tightly.

He must have lost himself in that moment for far too long. Through half-lidded eyes, Sky caught Warriors raising an eyebrow before coughing into his fist. 

"Well then," grunted the captain. "If Zelda's divine knowledge has already assured us of our safety, I find myself inclined to agree with her. While we're here in an era of peace, I propose we make the best of it. Let's leave Sky to his catching up and restock what we need here."

"And explore?" Wind asked with pleading eyes.

"And... explore," Warriors conceded. "WITH a buddy system." 

"Why do you always look at me and Hyrule when you say that?" Wild scoffed, already dragging the traveler away from the clearing. 

Twilight tore his eyes from the Triforce, and after one last, softened glance at Sky and Zelda, set his attention on Wild. "The fact you have to ask that says wonders, cub."

"I'll go with them," Legend volunteered. He gave the Triforce a wary glance as well, but when he looked back at Sky, his face was mostly back to its normal level of snark. "Have fun 'catching up', lovebirds," he teased, giving them an honest thumbs up. Sky caught the unsaid, Sorry for being snappy earlier, and nodded to him, never blaming him in the slightest.

Predictably, Time lingered the longest by the Triforce, and Sky didn't doubt that the older knight would spend his time wondering about its security. In Sky’s mind he knew that protectiveness was due to Time's journey, but maybe it wouldn't hurt to ask the dragons and Levias about more safeguards soon. 

Four took Time's hand and guided their leader to join the others. The smith waved goodbye to Sky as he went, and Sky returned it, waiting a few moments before glancing over at Zelda. 

Dangers, dragons, the Triforce... Sky pondered, taking in the pinch in Zelda's brow as her own thoughts swarmed into a tempest. All problems for later. 

As his friends slowly set off to explore the town, Sky slipped his hand around his fiancée's arm, leading her over to the wooden bench that sat gently under one of his trees. He'd carved the bench himself last year, one of the biggest things he'd worked on, built for quiet mornings for himself, visitors, and—mostly—for his soon-to-be wife. They sunk onto the soft cushions together, stretching their tired limbs with matching, weary sighs.

For a moment, all they heard was the rustle of wind through leaves. Little birds twittered and sang to each other in the branches above, jumping through the green, shifting canopy with joy and ease. What freedom they had, Sky thought, to not be burdened with worldly woes. Though if the goddesses cared for even the birds’ little souls, he reminded himself, as he'd done so often on his journey, how much more did the deities see and care for their chosen people?

Beside him, Zelda sighed again, rolling her sandal-clad ankles in the cool Surface breeze. 

"You ok?" Sky asked, finally breaking the silence.

"Well,” she murmured, “I've got more to think about, now." 

As Zelda started to chew her lip again, Sky took her hand, leaning into her line of sight. "You've also got someone to help take your mind off of it."

"Oh?" Zelda nudged her shoulder into his. "Like you're going to be any better, Mr. Worrywart?"

"Hey, I thought I was Sleepyhead, king of daydreams and putting things off?"

"That's your alter ego" she tapped his nose. "But... honestly... It would be nice to put off thinking about the Triforce a little longer. Even though that might be a little impossible, now."

"Hey, 'for everything, a time and place', remember?" Sky said softly, rubbing his thumb over her hand. "We'll figure it out like we always do. We have each other now."

"We always have," she smiled, her eyes softening. "And always will. I know I intend to keep my vows."

Sky laughed, genuinely, at the sparkle in her gaze. "Forever and always," he agreed.

"Even when we're old and you're grey."

"Wh-Hey!” he sputtered, nudging her. “What about you?"

"I will have lovely white hair, thank you!"

Sky blew a raspberry as he laughed again, leaning against her as she fell into giggles beside him. When their eyes met, they were filled with a familiar hopefulness and light, and suddenly, things didn't seem so pressing anymore.

He'd almost forgotten how long it had been since they'd had a moment of peace like this.

Sky blushed as they drifted ever closer to each other, pulling each other in like magnets. Zelda really was the most beautiful woman alive. Sky glanced behind him at where his friends had been standing, but couldn't see much over his shoulder.

"Are they gone?" he murmured softly into her ear, just loud enough for Zelda to hear him. 

"Not yet," she hummed, matching his blush.

"Now?"

"Still not yet."

"They're walking so slowly," Sky grumbled, slipping his hands around Zelda's waist.

"Shh," she tucked a strand of hair behind his ear, letting him lean into her touch. "They're almost gone... almost... a little more... 

"Ok now!" Zelda threw her arms around his neck, giggling like birdsong. "All clear!"

Sky pulled his fiancée against his chest, beaming at her with all the adoration he could possibly muster. They both had a long way to go to settle the Surface, and plenty of challenges to face. But for now, those worries were carried far away by the breeze of their new homeland, allowing the founders of Hyrule to finally, finally sink into a deep, long kiss.

>>><<<

Masterlist | First | Chapter 10 | Chapter 12

Author’s Note: Haha as you might have noticed, I took a few creative liberties! At the time of writing, I actually forgot if Skyward Sword had any mention of sealing the Triforce away again once Link finds and uses it, and was under the impression it remained out in the open as a blessing for a while. I can’t exactly recall if that conflicts with SS dialogue, because I think it might in retrospect, but there ARE Sheikah guarding it from the shadows! If it does need to be sealed away, Zelda, Link, Groose, and the Sheikah will be right on it.

Also, elephant in the room: Zelda. I tried to leave the exact nature of her power open-ended, so if you want to read Legend’s guess as close but not quite the full picture you certainly can. As for me, I’ve never really been a fan of the whole reincarnation thing… Personal biases aside, it creates a lot of complications, especially if you throw the manga First Hero into that… so I personally like to think of Zelda as a very powerful oracle who can act as Hylia’s vessel/messenger and access some of her powers, memories, and visions, yet she’s also completely mortal and her own person. BUT! Please feel free to interpret the Zelda-Hylia connection however you like!

Wow I loved writing this chapter. I love writing the Skyloftians so much. It’s like coming home, especially now that I’ve been playing the game physically and growing to love them even more! Also Groose/Peatrice is an amazing pair I don’t know how it grew on me so much and I have GOT to write or draw them getting together some day, haha. Karane/Pipit are so cute, too; I just had to include them!

ALSO ALSO NEXT CHAPTER IS ANOTHER HUGE FAVORITE OF MINE, WOOOO!!!!

Extra Note: I am a children’s book/family friendly author, so please keep all comments Safe For Work (no swearing please!) I want to do my best to make this a place for everyone. Cheers!

"Ugh, we woke up so late, though," Sky grunted, shoving his boot on. He sent a silent thanks to Malon for catching his shoulder when he wobbled.

"Yeah, why'd they let us sleep in like that?" Wind groaned. He brushed some of his sandy hair to make it slightly more presentable. "I get Sky sleeping in, but they just left me up there!"

"Hey, I wanted to wake up, too, I'm not missing this!" Sky replied.

"You both needed the sleep, simple as that," said Malon. "The others noticed that, and did you a kindness. Appreciate that. You've got plenty of time."

Sky and Wind nodded, letting her words sink in and untangle the knots in their stomachs.

"Now, Sky hon, if you're riding for the first time, I'd leave that nice cape of yours indoors. You don't want to get yourself twisted in the saddle," said Malon. Then she added with a wink, "I'd also be a shame to stain that white fabric in the unlikely case you fall into manure."

Sky snorted and unclasped the sailcloth from his shoulders. "Wise words," he said. "Thank you. Oh, and..." he scratched his head. "Thanks. For that vegetable omelet this morning, and... for last night..."

Malon squeezed his arm. "Honey, you thanked me already by enjoying the food and getting a good night's rest. Now go on and get, you boys enjoy yourselves out there!"

Sky and Wind glanced at each other and grinned.

"Race you to Time!" shouted Wind, already speeding out the door.

"Hey, hold on!" Sky laughed. "Thanks Miss Malon—hey, aren't you coming out too?"

"Yep, just have a few small things to tidy then I'm there. Now go! Catch that boy and tell him not to run around the horses!"

"Yes ma'am!" Sky saluted, and dashed out to grab Wind.

Wind had stopped to wait for Sky and yelped when he saw the knight speeding towards him. The sailor tripped and started running again, but Sky had an ace up his sleeve. 

Sky's stamina was poor, and everyone knew it.

But boy, could he sprint. 

The gritty earth kicked up around him as Sky shot forwards in the morning light. The fresh taste of morning air fueled him, filling his lungs and sparking his excitement all over again.

Today he was going to fly.

He might have already been flying, with how his feet barely hit the ground. With Wind's golden hair shining like a beacon, Sky dashed for his target, shouted in delight, and tackled him to the ground.

Wind squealed as Sky rolled to shoulder the fall, locking Wind in his arms.

"Let—GO! What gives?" Wind grunted as he struggled. "You're supposed to be—hngh—slow! Grr!"

"Malon said no running around the horses!" wheezed Sky. "And no means—OW! Uncle, uncle!"

"That's what I thought!" said Wind, releasing Sky's arm from where he'd twisted it behind his back. He stood up in a rush and got exactly two steps before Sky grabbed his ankle.

Wind hit the dirt, and Sky grabbed on even tighter. 

"Oh, c'mon! That's it!" With a mighty war cry, Wind unleashed his fury, scrambling madly for any way out of Sky's arms. Sky struggled to keep up with him, if only because he was laughing too hard to breathe. It soon turned into a contest of Sky's droopy dead weight against Wind's youthful ferocity. Neither side was winning.

"Having a good time, are we?"

Sky and Wind froze. Warriors was standing over them, hands on his hips and his eyes twinkling. 

Sky gulped. "Uh..."

"FREEDOM!" Wind shot out from Sky's arms, taking full advantage of the distraction. He made a beeline for the riding field, but Warriors grabbed him by the collar before he could go anywhere. 

"HEY!"

Sky shook with another bout of laughter.

"Didn't Malon tell you not to run around the horses?" asked Warriors. "They frighten easily."

Wind's face scrunched up. "Uuuuuuuugh."

"Well?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be careful and walk. Now will you let me go already? You're stretching my shirt!"

Warriors obliged.

"Bye!" said Wind, already three paces away. To his credit, he did walk—even if it was the fastest walk Sky had ever seen.

The captain reached a hand out and helped Sky to his feet. "Ready to ride, oh Knight of Skyloft?"

Sky dusted off his pants. "More than ready, Captain."

"Good man!" Warriors clapped him on the back. "Let's try and catch up to that sailor of ours."

"Not a very patient one, is he?" Sky smiled.

"No, but then again, he is a youth. And between you and I, I think we all deserve a bit of levity... don't you?"

Sky noticed Warriors's sharp eyes trailing over him, and caught his unspoken question. 

"Yeah. It feels nice." The Skyloftian nudged him. I'm ok now, Warriors. Thank you.

The captain brightened, and before either of them knew it, they'd arrived at the center of Lon Lon field.

Two horses stood saddled and ready by their masters in the inner ring. Twilight’s Epona was busy using the rancher as a scratching post, but when Time's old mare caught sight of Sky, her ears flicked up in delight. Her whole body expanded as she drew in a mighty breath, stretched out her neck, and let out a long, loud whinny. 

Wind jumped back and bumped into Sky. Sky patted his shoulder.

"Good morning!" Time called out to them both. "You two certainly look bright and alert."

Hyrule did a double take when he saw the dust coating Sky’s and Wind's hair. "What happened to you two?"

"Wind was running," Sky explained.

"I was gonna stop before I got here," huffed Wind.

"Sky," Twilight called as if nothing had happened, "you'll be riding the old man's Epona today. I'll be right beside you on mine. We're all saddled up, so head over here and we'll show you how to mount."

The captain placed a hand on Sky’s arm before he moved. “You’ll do well,” he said, smiling wistfully at the horses. “I can see how much they trust you. Have fun out there.”

“In other words, you’re missing your own horse and are looking forward to living vicariously through me?” Sky raised an eyebrow.

Warriors wilted dramatically. “Yes, goodness, I miss my horse,” he breathed out all at once. “But I am excited for you, truly. First time is always a joy to see. Good luck, Sky.”

The Skyloftian grinned as Warriors patted his back, and he skipped off towards the horses.

"Don't die out there," smirked Legend as Sky passed. 

"Wouldn't dream of it," Sky winked. "I can't spend all those rupees you tossed me if I'm a ghost!"

Sky didn't need to see Legend's face to know he was rolling his eyes.

Approaching Epona like he'd been taught, Sky patted her left side and listened closely to Time and Twilight. The older knight showed him how to double-check the girth. The rancher demonstrated how to grip the reins, mane, and saddle, and how to spring up from the stirrup for a safe mount. Time helped Sky get his toe in the stirrup, and with one mighty heave, the Skyloftian knight swung himself onto a horse for the very first time.

As soon as Sky settled in the saddle, he forgot how to breathe.

The breeze blowing past his face was cool and familiar. Between his weight pressing him into the saddle and the large, gently breathing animal beneath him—an animal that was acutely aware of his presence just as he was aware of hers—it all felt like heavy déjà vu. Suddenly he was back in Skyloft, preparing for a standing Loftwing takeoff with the wind at his back. Sky couldn't wipe away his grin.

“...y? Featherbrain, you in there?”

At the sound of Legend’s voice, the Chosen Hero blinked himself back to the present. “Yeah." Still smiling, he let out a shaky laugh. “I… I’m home.”

The others looked a bit confused at that, but Time seemed to brighten. He stroked the nose of his beloved steed and fixed Sky's hold on the reins. “You ready to ‘take off’ then?”

Sky nodded enthusiastically. As he did, Time’s Epona swiveled an ear to listen to him, her muscles tensing and her feet shifting in the grass. Sky was amazed. She’s picking up on my emotions just like Loftwings do. Time was right!

 “Ok…” Twilight began, studying Sky’s posture. “Sit up a little straighter, Sky—good. Now you’re gonna ask her for a walk. You can say it with words, but it’s best to urge her forwards by squeezing—

“—squeezing my legs and leaning forward slightly?” Sky cut in, heart racing. No way. No way, it’s EXACTLY like riding a Loftwing…

Twilight opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He looked at Time in utter surprise. “You’re sure he’s never done this before?”

Time’s eye sparkled. “Well, maybe not in the way we’re familiar with, but he does seem to know what he’s doing, doesn’t he?”

Sky matched his grin, practically shaking with excitement. Let’s go let’s go let’s go!

Twilight still didn’t look very confident. He gave Sky another once-over. “Well…”

C’mon c’mon c’mon!

“…your posture is pretty sturdy…”

I want to FLY, Twilight!

“…Fine. I’ll be right with you, though. Just start her going with a small—”

“HYAH!!!”

“SKY, NO!”

But it was too late. Before anyone could blink, Sky and Epona were hurtling into the outer field at full canter, not a care in the world as they flew by their onlookers. Epona’s hoof beats were much bumpier than Sky had expected, but after a few dizzying moments, he was able to safely match her gait with his hips. Instinctively, he shifted his weight to the balls of his feet as he leaned forward, gripping the reigns and Epona’s long, flaxen mane.

Memories of clouds and red feathers swirled through his senses, lighting Sky’s heart ablaze. In that moment, he was just Link again. And he couldn’t get rid of his smile.

>>><<< 

“Sky, you idiot, come back!!!” shouted Twilight, galloping after him.

“Does he have a death wish?!?” Warriors yelled as the heroes watched the horses fly away together.

Wild began to run after them only to get caught by Time’s hand.

“Wh—Time?”

“Watch.”

Seven heads turned back to the field to see Sky hurtling towards the ranch’s outer fence.

“Oh, no no no!” cried Hyrule. “Horses can’t fly, Sky!”

“I can’t look!” shouted Wind, grasping onto Time’s shirt and burying his head into his back.

“You may want to reconsider,” said Time. “Watch his legs!”

Sure enough, Sky had shifted. One leg went slack against the saddle as his whole body leaned smoothly away from the fence. Epona—such a good, clever girl, Time thought—knew exactly what her rider was asking for, and leaned with him, never even touching the fence.

Twilight shouted something and pulled his horse to a stop in the middle of the grass, glancing back at the other heroes. Time watched him fling his arms up in disbelief, as if to say, What the heck am I supposed to do with him now, Old Man?

Time simply laughed.

"Hoo, boy! Look at those two go!" 

Several heads turned to see Malon hurrying towards them, her eyes glued to the carefree new rider. "You're sure this is his first time?"

Warriors shrugged, "It's currently up for debate."

"I don't know if I should be more impressed or terrified," Four admitted.

“I’m starting to lean towards impressed,” Legend shook his head in disbelief.

Malon nudged Time as she came to a stop beside him. Quietly she murmured, "I don't think I've seen Epona that frisky in years, Link."

Time felt his heart swell. "Me neither, even when I've ridden her."

"Aww, you jealous?"

Time shook his head. "Not at all. Seeing them like this is rewarding enough."

As Epona kicked up her heels, Sky out-smiled the sun, and the other heroes cheered and bit their nails, Time simply stood still, soaking in the moment. Peacetime was a rare blessing best savored with friends, after all. And with his wife at his side, for now, he allowed himself the freedom to just be.

>>><<< 

Sky, meanwhile, was having the time of his life.

He hollered in delight as the wind whipped past his face, filling up his lungs the way they were always meant to be filled: by breathing cool air at top speed. 

He was so excited he felt like standing on the saddle, and would have, too, if Twilight hadn't stressed how important it was to use his legs to guide his horse. Party pooper. Well, never mind Twilight, here was another curve!

Sky leaned as far as he dared in the saddle, asking without words for Epona to make the turn. She felt his weight and acted upon it, smoothly gliding around the curve and down the next stretch of dirt. Sky shifted forwards. Epona understood his need for speed, and happily complied. 

He enjoyed the sound of his friends' cheers when he whisked past them.

As Sky and Epona cantered through another tight turn, Sky's wild heart gave him a crazy idea. Time had once said something about Epona being a star fence-jumper in her prime. And jumping made you airborne, even if just for a second. So by that logic, he could make a horse fly...

Without another thought, Sky steered Epona towards the center fence. 

As soon as she noticed where she was heading, Epona’s gate transformed. Her muscles tensed with excitement. Her gate stiffened and quickened until she was no longer in a canter but a gallop. Sky nearly fell with the change in gate, but he caught himself at the last second, leaving his fear behind in the outer field. 

Let's go, Epona!

The other heroes shouted in alarm from inside the central ring. Their small forms shuffled about until they were forced to scramble out of the way of the oncoming horse and rider, waving their arms the entire time. Even the Old Man's expression had changed to worry, but by the time Sky could actually see his face it was too late to stop. 

As if he would have stopped, anyway. Sky could feel the way Epona thrust her powerful hooves into the ground, determination seeping out of her from her ears to her tail. And if she believed she could still jump a fence, then Sky believed in her with his whole heart.

He didn't fight her. He let her fly. Free to do as she pleased, Epona bunched up her muscles, shifted her gait, tilted Sky and the entire world with him, and took off from the ground with one giant, magnificent LEAP!

For a moment Sky was sure she'd sprouted wings. For just that second, time slowed to a crawl, and between Epona’s tawny wings Sky was safe and weightless. He could see them soaring off into the clouds like he and Crimson would, touching the clear blue atmosphere and breathing in the chill of thinner air. Sky spread his arms. They were flying! They were free! They were...

...hurtling back towards the ground?

Uh oh—

Sky was not prepared for the sudden THUD of Epona’s hooves when she landed on the other side of the fence. With his hands thrown out, he had nothing to hold on to, and before he knew up from down he was bounced roughly out of the saddle and sent sprawling into a pile of scratchy hay.

The impact nearly took the wind out of him. Everything hurt. But a Skyloftian knew how to fall, and there was only one thing running through Sky's brain.

That was FUN.

A chorus of footsteps hurtled towards Sky. Legend was the first to reach him, falling to his knees and grabbing Sky's sore shoulders. "What the heck, Sky?!? I was only half-kidding, I said DON'T die, weren't you listening?"

Legend's eyes were wide with worry and exasperation over his fallen friend. The Skyloftian smiled and patted Legend’s hand. "Sorry I scared you."

"You didn't—! I mean! Well... just shut up and don't do that again!" Legend grumbled, seizing Sky's arm and helping him stand.

"Yes Sky, he's prone to heart attacks, remember?" Warriors called as he jogged over, not-so-subtly glancing Sky and Epona over for injuries. His smooth voice certainly did not match his frantic gaze.

"Not the time, Cap," Legend groaned.

Hyrule pushed past both of them. "Whoa Sky, you went flying, are you ok? That looked like a bad fall."

"I'm fine! I'm fine, really!" Sky held the traveler back with a laugh. "No broken bones or anything, trust me, I'd know."

Hyrule bit his lip. "...You're sure?" he glanced between Sky and at Legend.

"He's fine. But he's in a lot of trouble," grumbled the veteran.

Hyrule sighed deeply. "Phew. In that case..." his hazel eyes sparkled, "The captain's right, Sky. Don't do that to Legend, he's a veteran, fragile heart and all that. You could say he's the real old ma—AH!" Hyrule ducked when Legend went to grab him.

Sky didn't get much time to laugh at their bickering. As the rest of the heroes approached, Sky looked up, and his eyes immediately met Twilight’s. The rancher’s icy blue stare sent a chill down Sky's spine.

He could freeze over Eldin Volcano with one look, Sky gulped.

Twilight stomped up to him. "What were you thinking?!?"

"Bold of you to assume he was thinking," Four snorted.

Sky felt his cheeks burn when he couldn't dispute that. "I—I, uh..."

Twilight's arms flailed around Sky as if he wanted to shake him but was holding himself back. "Sky! You—arrrghhhhh!"

Sky laughed nervously. "Well... you know what they say. Practice makes perfect?"

Twilight was fuming. "Not. Jumping!" He dug his fingers through his hair. "We weren't doing jumping! Just normal riding, a-and you were pushing that, too!"

"At ease, rancher," came Time's deep, calm voice. "I think he's learned his lesson."

Sky couldn't tell what Time was actually thinking behind that imposing stare. He was stern, but maybe he was holding in a laugh? No, in this lighting he looked really mad... oh boy Sky could have really hurt his horse, couldn't he? But then there was Malon behind Time looking... impressed? Amused? So maybe things weren't so bad. Sky preferred the not-so-bad option.

"Learned his lesson?" Twilight repeated. "Has he?"

The rancher rounded on Sky and actually grabbed his arm this time. "Don't you do somethin' like that ever again, y'hear me? For your sake and Epona's."

Wild raised his hand from where he’d gone over to check Epona's legs. "Um. But what if he's on horseback being chased by monsters and has to jump over a log to get away?"

"Or somebody traps him and a horse in a really tall fence?" Four added, also raising his hand with a grin.

"I—stop encouraging this, you know what I mean!" Twilight turned back to Sky, suddenly pleading like a worried puppy, "...Right? Please?"

Sky noticed Legend hovering by with that same mother-Loftwing look. Touched by how much they cared, Sky put on his best "I'm ok!" smile and let it stretch wide and bright. The adrenaline still coursing through his body may have also contributed a bit.

He held up a hand. "I solemnly swear to never jump on horseback again, unless I'm being chased, trapped, or given explicit permission and/or training by Time and Twilight. Better?"

"Much," Twilight deflated.

"Y'know, foolhardy as that was," said Malon, "you kept up some pretty good control out there. Epona looks right as rain, too."

Wild gave a thumbs up and patted Epona’s side. She neighed happily, much to the relief of the Hylians.

"With a little more practice, I'd wager it won't be long until we've got ourselves another horse champion." Malon nudged Time in the side. "He might even beat your racing record, Fairy Boy."

"Not a chance," Time smiled. "Especially since he's going to be sitting out for a little bit."

Groans of protest filled the field.

Time held up a hand to quiet them. "Sky, after that stunt you pulled I want to give your body and your mind a rest, you understand?"

And give my bad behavior a time out, yeah, Sky realized. Still, Time had a point. His lungs were kind of killing him after all that excitement and the fall. He nodded reluctantly. "Fair is fair."

"Good. Now that we've come to an agreement," Time turned towards the sailor. "It's Wind's turn."

"WHAT?" Wind gasped as the others started another uproar. "Wait, no. Absolutely not, did you see the way Sky went over that fence???"

"What's the matter, Sailor? You could do it! Don't tell me you're scared," Warriors prodded.

"Am not!" Wind flung out his arms. "It's just that maybe I don't want to go flying through the air like Sky! Ever think of that?"

“Sky is the farthest from an example of a good student," Twilight drawled, glaring at their wayward horseman.

Sky tried to look innocent as he picked straw out of his hair. Epona helped him by eating it.

Twilight sighed. “If you take things slow and actually listen," he glared at Sky again, “then you’ll be fine, Sailor. We’ll take it easy.”

Time came up behind him. “My old horse is feisty, but she’s always been a good judge of character. She’ll recognize what speed will be best for you, Wind.”

Wind’s judgmental squint was enough to rival Legend’s. “Uh-huh. You sure? ‘Cause she just jumped a fence and Sky fell off.”

“Which she only did because Sky encouraged her. Does he look the least bit upset about it?”

Sky’s crazed smile was still plastered on his face. “I have no regrets.”

Twilight groaned.

Wind bit his lip, a smile twinkling in his eyes as he looked back at Time. “No, I guess you’re right.”

“Trust Epona,” Time grinned. “That’s one of my greatest philosophies.”

True to Time's word, Epona and Wind got along like a pair of old friends. Despite the sailor’s initial doubts about horses, Twilight's presence and Epona’s steady gate soon put the boy's fears at ease. Wind was a determined student, too, furrowing his brow as he listened closely to Twilight's instructions. And his focus paid off.

It wasn't long before Wind was trotting all by himself down the outer field, a wide, brilliant smile shining on his face.

Sky tried not to be a little jealous that Wind was the better student between them. That was ok. Sky had trained on his bird for far longer, and now it was the sailor’s turn to enjoy that first rush through the air. The Skyloftian smiled, remembering his own first flight. Wind would hold this day dear for the rest of his life.

And judging by the way Time and Malon were eyeing Hyrule, Wind wouldn't be their last student.

...Which probably meant Sky would have to wait even longer to get back in the saddle. Great. He itched at the thought of staying still, and yet...

"You've got to learn to slow down and smell the wildflowers! There's a time and place for urgency, buddy."

"None of us have a problem slowing down for someone in need."

"Let us look after you."

"Master Link," chimed a far-off memory, "the energy inside you is nearly depleted. I strongly advise you return to Skyloft and rest your mind and body. I will watch out for you there.”

“The world can wait a few hours, Sleepyhead."

Maybe staying still was exactly what he needed to do right now. And as Wind dismounted and Hyrule was called forward, Sky smiled at the traveler and pushed him towards Epona.

"Good luck out there," he said. "Oh and apparently fence-jumping is taboo, so don't do that."

Hyrule snorted. "Thanks, Sky."

Time informed Sky that his riding ban would be over after Hyrule's turn. And that was fine with him. 

He was busy enjoying a moment of peace.

>>><<<

Masterlist | First | Chapter 9 | Chapter 11

Author's Note: Growth for Sky! Don’t look now but I think he’s actually starting to understand how to slow down and enjoy things one step at a time >u< Although, please never jump a horse that isn't yours without permission, especially if she's on the older side 😅 All of the horse-owning Links made sure Sky understood that before the day was done >u< Sky got the memo and won't be trying any stunts on her again, though if anyone could convince Twilight to give him proper jumping lessons then it would be Sky, haha. Also if you noticed the movie reference in the illustration you get a cookie <3

Extra Note: I am a children’s book/family friendly author, so please keep all comments Safe For Work (no swearing please!) I want to do my best to make this a place for everyone. Cheers!

Malon laughed a bouncy, twinkling sound that shooed all the tension away. "Well well, would you look here, we've got ourselves a natural cucco wrangler!"

Sky's hand found the base of the bird's neck and stroked it absently. "A cucco?" he asked. "Is that what this little one is called?”

"Yup!" chirped Malon. "And you best be proud she's lettin' you hold her. Not everyone has the guts to earn a cucco's trust!"

Time shivered beside his wife. "And that’s exactly why you handle the cuccos, dear."

"Well hon," Malon pecked him on the cheek, "it takes guts to admit your weaknesses, too."

"Tch—get in there!" Time swatted at her playfully, shooing Malon through the front door of their house. "C'mon in, boys!"

Briefly, he stuck his head back out the door to nod at Sky. "And please leave... her... outside."

"Or let him bring her in!” called Malon. “She can sit right next to you, hon!"

"NO," Time yelled back.

"Ok! In your lap it is, then. I'll set the—"

"MAL!" Time laughed, sunlight glistening in his eye. He pointed to Sky. "Don't you listen to her!"

Sky's heart flickered with a warmth he hadn’t felt since leaving his own era. He could practically see the love that radiated off of Time and his wife, a love that made Sky hopeful and homesick all at once. 

The cucco seemed to sense this and cuddled against his hand, lightly tapping her beak against his fingers. You'll be ok, she seemed to say. And Sky agreed.

He gently set her down with her sisters, giving each bird a pat, much to the panic of his fellow heroes. There's fantastic prank potential here, he thought as he stood, and stepped across the threshold into Time's humble home.

>>><<< 

"I've got a bag of rupees here for anyone willing to handle the cuccos!"

"You think I'm stupid?"

"Those were my rupees, and they are not to be used to kill someone, Legend."

"Come oooon, Wars, I know Wind can do it!"

"Oh just stop..."

It was later that same day, and each of the heroes had taken up a chore around the ranch. At least, that was what they were supposed to be doing. Some jobs were apparently more appealing than others.

With a smirk, Sky walked right past where Legend, Wind, and Warriors were arguing, plucking up a cucco so that she was eye level with all of them. "I'll do it!” he said cheerily. “I love these little birds!"

He was met with three beautiful faces of pure disgust.

"Nope. Nope. Here's your money bye," Legend drooped the rupee bag and stalked off.

"What?" Sky moved the bird close to the vet’s face and Legend yelped, shuffling faster. Sky turned the bird towards the others. "You afraid?"

The cucco stared at them unblinkingly, her head impossibly still even as Sky's hands tilted her body.

"UH. Uh, OH HEY THERE'S TWILIGHT well sorry I can't stay but I promised I'd help him in the barn so BYE!" Wind ran away so fast he tripped. He rolled in the dirt before expertly righting himself, popping up beside the rancher. 

One glance at the "creature" in Sky's hands was enough to fill Twilight in, and his face stilled in healthy respect. 

Sky grinned. He might never understand why his companions avoided the little birds so, but for now, their fear was hilarious. 

It wasn't until Warriors started walking off with the saddle he carried that Sky realized he had no clue what he was supposed to be doing.

"U-uh, wait, guys?” Sky backtracked. “What did Legend mean 'handle the cuccos?"

Warriors halted and looked to Twilight. Wind looked at Warriors. Twilight looked at the bird with dread.

"You're a brave man, Sky," said the rancher.

For some reason, Sky's chest felt a little colder. "What... what does that mean...?"

"It means," Wind gulped, "you've got to go and gather... their eggs."

A chilling silence hung in the air. Mourning doves sung somber hymns as the afternoon sun inched ever closer towards dusk. Three reverent pairs of eyes sent their silent prayers, already accepting the Chosen Hero's fate.

Until Sky burst into laughter.

"Sky! This is serious!" Wind whined. "Their beaks are sharp!" 

"Nah, it's the talons that'll get you," argued Twilight.

Warriors shivered. "You can see the attack plan in their eyes, Sky, they know everything—"

Sky wheezed, setting down the cucco so he didn't hurt her as he doubled over. "You three... all of you, I—hahaha! 'Attack plan', really..."

"Yes really!" Warriors protested, in a very undignified squeak.

Sky rolled his eyes. "Please. I've gathered eggs plenty of times!"

The other heroes blinked at him.

"I thought Skyloft didn't have cuccos?" Legend shouted from out of nowhere.

"And I thought you ran away!" Sky called back gleefully.

"I wanted to watch the carnage from a safe distance," said the veteran. "A-and I did not run away!"

"Suuuure," Warriors droned, ducking out of the path of a flying pebble.

Twilight raised his hand. "...Eggs?"

"Loftwing eggs."

They stared at him.

Sky rolled his eyes again. "Unfertilized, of course." 

He almost shook his head at the audible sigh that blew through his comrades. Sky chose to ignore this and crouch beside the cuccos instead. "The Loftwings leave them for us as gifts, just like you sweet ladies do, yes! Because it can't feel too good to have those rolling around inside you for so long. But your egg-laying house is so much smaller! Just like you cuties! I bet your eggs are even tinier, just... just little bite-sized eggs! How adorable, what color are they? I can't wait to see!"

"'Bite-sized', he says," Warriors repeated. "Just how big are Loftwing eggs anyway?"

Sky glanced at the captain. "About as big as your head."

"Wh—SKY!!!" he exclaimed.

Legend cackled madly behind Warriors.

"Oh, wait!" Sky laughed too as he realized what he'd said, "Sorry, I meant that literally. They're about the size of a Hylian's head."

"Blow to my ego aside, now I'm almost afraid to ask how big the birds are," said the captain with a lifted brow.

Sky hummed. His heart felt warm and mushy as he thought of Crimson, and how the bird’s beak would echo with heavy thumps as he clacked it in greeting.

Sky spread his arms as if running them across his bird's wingspan. "Big enough to drown you in a pool of feathers!"

"Then I pray they have nothing in common with angry cuccos," Twilight smiled.

"Or kargaroks," Wind might have mumbled, but it was hard for Sky to hear.

All he knew was they were being quite irrational. He picked up two cuccos with a flourish and grinned as the heroes backed away. "Well, Loftwings are Loftwings, and nothing can compare to them," he shrugged, "but I look forward to getting to know the cuccos. Oh, and thanks for the extra rupees, Legend!"

"Get that smart grin off your face, you know what you did!" argued the veteran.

"Yeah, and it wasn't tossing all my money on the ground!"

"AGH!" Legend stalked off, hiding his obvious smile. "C'mon guys, leave him to his fate as cucco fodder. There's better things to do, and Time wants these chores done by supper."

Warriors gave Sky a firm solute. "Best of luck, soldier!"

Sky laughed as they all retreated, leaving him alone with the quiet clucking of cuccos. 

"All right, ladies!" he smiled. "To the nests!"

>>><<< 

Evening came and went in a rush of laughter and conversation. The next morning it was agreed—much to Time's immense pleasure—that they would remain on the ranch for a while to recuperate and plan their next move.

This, naturally, led to little to no actual planning. Instead the day gave way to chore races, cow lifting competitions, treasure hunting, and a rather unexpected battle with three wayward peahats.

Even so, Time had found several precious moments to spend with Malon that day, and these made the chaos more than bearable. He snuck her a glance that afternoon as he helped her set the table for another early supper, her spirit as radiant as ever.

Oh how I’ve missed her, he smiled to himself.

"I can't tell y'all how thankful I am to have some extra hands!" Malon beamed in that sunny way of hers.

Wild, who'd become her sous chef, grinned a little wider as he carried part of their meal out of the kitchen. "I'm happy to help, Miss Malon. Lots of hands make lighter burdens, they say."

"Even the hands that can't cook," Hyrule added, folding the napkins over the forks Time was setting down.

"Aw, now, we haven't given up on you yet, hon," Malon hugged the traveler. She sighed, "Hoo boy, I just don't know what I'm gonna do when y'all leave!"

"Well, you never know," Four's eyes glittered as he glanced between Malon and Time. "There might be many little helping hands in your future."

Time's heart skittered at the smith's wording, for once very glad his descendant Twilight wasn't in the room. He glanced at Malon. 

Despite matching Time's blush, she looked positively golden at the thought Four had put there. She bit her lip excitedly and tried to swat him with a hand towel. He jumped away easily.

"Oh, you!" Malon laughed. "Let's just take things one day at a time, shall we?" She stepped past Hyrule to hook her arm around Time's waist. "And today, I think we did a pretty good job."

The five of them looked at the table, now set and tidy, wafting smells of colorful comfort foods through the dining room air. Time took a deep breath, relishing in the overwhelming scents of home. He pulled Malon just a bit closer.

"It's beautiful, hon," he murmured.

"Well, as I said before, I did have some help," she rested her head on his shoulder. "But thanks, Fairy Boy."

"It smells delicious," Hyrule said wistfully. 

"Yeah," Wild agreed. "I bet the others can smell it all the way from—Hey! Speak of the heroes!"

The room bustled with the scuffing of boots as the rest of the Chain scrambled through the door. There were several "ooh!"s and "ahh!"s as they beheld a true ranch supper, and Time couldn't help but smile.

He took pity on their drooling faces and beckoned them forward. "Come on in an' grab yourselves a seat, boys."

"Was that a bit of farmer's twang I just heard?" Four elbowed Twilight, as if Time couldn't hear him. Time reached over to ruffle the boys’ hair.

"Time," Sky tapped his shoulder. "This place is wonderful."

The older hero turned around and nearly jumped out of his boots. The Skyloftian was grinning, covered head to toe in cucco feathers. 

Time gasped. "What happened to you?"

"He fell asleep with the cuccos again," cried Legend, falling into his chair. "We half thought he was dead when we found him!"

"And we couldn't wake him up without getting near the birds," Wind groaned.

"You're making a mountain out of a Mogma hill," Sky sing-songed, sitting between them. "It's not like they bite."

"Yes, they DO!" shouted several heroes.

Sky flicked some stray feathers onto anyone in range. "Sounds like your problem, not mine."

"Bleh! One wenh in ma moutph!!!" Wind shrieked, spitting out some down.

"Gross, Wind!"

"That was on a cucco!"

"Ith Spy's phault!"

"Ahem!"

Nine heroes sat at attention as Malon hit the table with a spoon. She smiled as the chaos died down.

"All right then. Got your sillies out, boys?" she asked. 

Several blushing faces nodded at once. 

Time blushed too, but certainly not for the same reason. Atta girl, Malon. Show those boys some manners.

Malon caught his lovesick grin from across the table and winked. "Now, if y'all are ready, let's bless this meal and dig in! Link—er, Fairy Boy, would you mind?"

"I'd be happy to, dear."

After a simple grace, the table became a sea of arms, all reaching and passing and pouring something. Over the din of hungry boys, Malon tried her best to introduce the dishes.

There was a squash casserole reheated from the night before, paired with Lon Lon cheese and Wild's homemade bread. (Twilight, upon hearing that Malon had made the cheese, promptly called off Time and his earlier bet and stated that cow and goat products were simply incomparable and both Lon Lon and Ordon cheeses were the best in their fields. Time let the bet go in favor of the wave of fondness that passed over him and Malon, and the pleasant sight of Sky trying a small piece of his own free will.)

Hyrule, Four, and Legend had picked tomatoes, cucumbers, and several vegetables, which now sat daintily on a serving tray next to a dip recipe Malon had learned from her mother. There was milk and tea to spare, freshly cut hydromelon, and of course, the piece de resistance,

"Cucco pot pie!" exclaimed Hyrule as the dish finally made its way over to him.

"Mmmm, yes," said Legend, "the only thing cuccos are good for!"

Time fought ferociously to keep from laughing as Malon sent the veteran a look. He bit his lip, hard, because he knew Malon liked to be more respectful when it came to these sorts of dishes. Normally he did, too. Nonetheless...

Legend caught Time's eye and twitched his eyebrows almost imperceptibly. Time coughed into his milk glass.

The vet had a very good point.

...A point that, due to the look Malon was now giving him, Time was about to gently rebut. He gave Legend a pitying smirk, and was just about to explain Malon's views when his eye glanced to Legend’s right.

Sky had gone rigid.

The young man looked like he was about to be sick. His face was as white as a sheet, jaw locked and skin breaking out in a cold sweat. He teetered, dizzily, and the fork in his hand shook so greatly that the piece of cucco pie he'd skewered slipped and plopped back onto his plate. Sky gagged subtly.

Time glanced at his eyes, finding them wide and haunted. It looked for all the world like Sky had just witnessed murder.

"Sky," Time said slowly, gathering the entire room's attention. "...Link? Are you ok?"

Sky held back another gag and nearly fell out of his chair, racing around the table and crashing out the front door without another word. 

If anyone else heard the subtle, quiet sound of sickness, no one said anything about it.

"What... just happened?"

"I-I swear I cooked it long enough! Malon watched me!"

"Is he sick?"

"Where could he have even gotten it from?"

"Yeah, he was fine earlier, so why...?"

"He only just started eating meat, maybe it was too much?"

"But he didn't even take a bite."

"Hold it, hold it!" Malon's voice sliced through the din like a sword. She placed her palms flat on the table and stared at Twilight. "Did you say he 'just started eating meat', hon?"

"Um, yes ma'am," Twilight answered, glancing at Time like a guilty child. "He, ah, comes from the first era, in the sky? And they don't have game there so they only eat vegetables and the like. The only animals they really have are those giant birds from the stories, but the Skyloftians don't... eat... birds…"

A gut-numbing chill ran through the room as the gravity of those words sunk in. 

Time nearly swore.

Malon stood straighter, her soulful eyes chasing after their wayward hero as if she could will him back. She pursed her lips, her eyebrows dipping into a crease, and... oh. Time knew that look.

"So you're telling me," Malon said slowly, "that that boy hails from a place where birds are never hunted."

"He said they were... that Loftwings were s-sacred," Wild whispered, voice hoarse.

Malon screwed her eyes shut. "And we just tried to feed him cucco."

Wind pushed his plate away forcefully and left the room.

For several moments, a thick silence pressed upon them, weighing down each heart and every pair of shoes. Each hero wanted to say something encouraging to his neighbor, to find the right words to fix the tension. But none of them knew how.

Time watched as his wife began to shuffle around the room, masking her pacing by "checking" on the decorations against the walls. Quietly, he got out of his chair.

"I should go find where he went," she said finally.

"Mal."

"He could get lost. Or do you think he went to the coop?"

"Malon."

"And someone should go after Wind—"

Time put his hands over her arms, steadying her. Silently, he met Malon's eye with his, trying to pour out all of his heart and soul in a single look. Think of how I was at his age, he told her with his thumbs rubbing circles in her skin. Remember how you helped me.

He trailed his hands down her arms until their fingers twined. "Wait a few minutes. Let him cool." He squeezed her hands. "Then go after him."

"You think that'll work?" said Malon wearily.

Time kissed her forehead. "I do. He just needs time. You have a connection to those birds too, and he knows it. I'd say that makes you the best among us to console him. And if he still hasn't come back after that, I'll find him."

She sighed deeply, all but collapsing into Time's shoulder. He held her there tightly.

"...All right," Malon murmured. "Just... just a few more minutes. Then I go."

Time glanced at the other heroes, who were picking at their plates in various states of dismay. He thought of Sky, their calm pillar, crumpling in shock. Then he noticed his wife’s anxious breaths.

He swayed with her, hiding her face in his shirt. "This is not your fault," he whispered. "We'll fix it, Malon.

Just a few more minutes, love."

>>><<< 

Sky's breath rasped against his throat, the sound of it echoing in his own ears. His vision of the cuccos in his lap blurred as his hyperactive mind took purchase. Images he didn't want to see swam before him. He shook them away.

How could they? How dare they? What had become of the Surface? This is so much worse than the milk, so much worse...

The heroes were his friends, all kind and noble. He'd trusted them. So why would they...?

Sky clung tighter to the soft, cool feathers of the cuccos, grounding himself with their touch. They were like tiny Loftwings huddled around him, and yet their eyes... intelligent as they were, something was missing from their gaze. Something too powerful to put into words.

The empty pit in Sky's heart clawed and tugged. Where crimson feathers should have draped there was nothing but ghostly white. Empty of something... incomplete... lost. 

He was so very, very lost.

Sky dipped his head into a cloud of feathers and sobbed.

>>><<< 

Malon took a deep breath as she stepped out of the farmhouse. In that breath she could taste the evening setting in, with its crisp breeze bringing an earthy touch of grass and wildflowers. The chatter of animals slowed in favor of crickets, and before Malon knew it, it was twilight.

She took a moment to watch the sunset. Pinks and golds spilled across the clouds like liquid light, painting the whole world with a warm embrace. It seemed to seep into Malon's skin, and she hummed as the wispy sunlight soothed her to the core. She'd always loved this hour. It felt like a gentle hug goodnight, with a kiss in the form of a cool breeze.

Funny how something so beautiful could blossom in the midst of strife. 

A cucco crowed somewhere, reminding Malon of why she was out here to begin with. She sighed again, but not as deeply as before. She took one last steeling look at the sunset before making her way to the cucco coop.

Sure enough, there was Sky, huddled with the cuccos in the middle of the dirt. His clothes had little three-toed footprints all over them, but that seemed to be the last thing on the young hero's mind. And as Malon crept ever closer, she saw that his shoulders were shaking.

Oh, hon... oh sweetheart...  Malon's heart tugged at the sight. She made sure to shuffle her feet as to not startle the distraught hero. He twitched an ear, but did not look up.

"Sky?" Malon called gently. He's so much like Link was. "You don't have to answer me, hon, but I want you to know I am so, so sorry. If I had known earlier about your era, I would have never served that dish to you. "

He was quiet for a moment. Then, hoarsely, he rasped, "...But you would've served it to the others."

"Huh?" Malon stuttered. "Oh, no, Sky, I wouldn't have brought it out in front of you at all."

"But if I weren't here, then you would've. Right?"

Malon opened her mouth to argue, but nothing came out. Ah well, she thought, no sense beating around the bush. He deserves that much.

Malon leaned her elbows on an old fence in front of her, trying to meet Sky's eye. "This situation ain't fair to you, sweetheart, I know. I know that well. And I won't mince words, you're right. We just have a different relationship with these kinds of birds. Cuccos aren't meant for flying people around, 'less you're a kid going for a tiny glide. They're cute, and they help us with their eggs and alarm calls, but when those eggs stop coming and the birds get old, at the end of the day, they're... well, they're just like any other common animal around here. But just 'cause we, um," she skipped over saying 'eat them,' "Well, not everyone is the same way. There's plenty of city folk who are vegetarian, nothin' wrong with that if you have the resources for it!

"What I mean to say is, I know how attached you are to your birds back home, and that bond's something special. But what I hope you can see is, these cuccos, they're the goddesses' creatures, same as deer and cows, but they're not... divinely blessed. They're different from your Loftwings."

Sky's face screwed up like he'd eaten something bitter. "That's just it. They're different. Everything is different—!" His voice broke mid-sentence. The bite in his words washed away as soon as the boy swallowed, pursed his trembling lips, and raised his head.

His voice was strangely calm when he finally spoke. "Miss Malon. I appreciate your hospitality. You're very kind. But I need to be alone right now."

"Ok. Ok, sweetie," said Malon, being as gentle as possible. She slowly stepped away from the fence. "Whenever you feel like coming back, there'll be a nice plate of garden dishes waitin' for you in the kitchen. You just take your time now, hon. We all care about you. Half the boys are probably hovering by the door right now, wanting to give you a big ol' hug."

Sky half-nodded and pulled a cucco closer. Malon decided to let him be. She said another mournful, careful farewell, and dragged herself back inside the farmhouse.

Several hopeful eyes rose up to greet her. She shook her head, ignoring the way those shinny eyes dimmed, and busied herself with cleaning off the table.

So many unfinished plates...

"Let us help, Miss Malon."

It was the captain's voice, all soothing and calm despite the prickles in the atmosphere. He positioned himself at her side and began putting the lids back on the dishes.

Her husband, ever the strong and silent oak, stroked a hand down her back as he placed himself on Malon's other side. She let out the shaky breath she didn't know she was holding.

"He'll be all right," Malon said, more to herself than to the boys. "We'll just wait for when he's ready. In the meantime, I'm gonna fix him a fresh plate of things he'll like for supper, and have it waiting for him."

"He'll appreciate that," Hyrule said softly, packing away the leftovers. "At least I would. If I were Sky."

Legend and Four made their way to the traveler's sides, silently helping the clean up. Legend looked particularly morose as he cast a long glance at the front door. 

Malon counted heads. "Where...?"

"Twilight went upstairs to check on our sailor," Link murmured, squeezing Malon's waist. 

She leaned into him, suddenly exhausted. "S'hard to catch a break for you hero types, ain't it?" Her words came out slurred. She didn't care.

Link pressed a lingering kiss to his wife’s temple, holding her closer as he did so. Malon pretended not to notice how the others gradually filtered out of the room and into the kitchen, taking the food and dirty plates with them.

"...You think those sweet boys will be ok up there?" she asked after a while.

"Twilight knows what he's doing, and Wind is tougher than he seems," Link hummed. After a few more moments, Malon could feel him smile as he said, "Besides. Twilight tells me he's good with kids, and I've seen that with my own eye. It's something he gets from you."

Warmth flushed through Malon's chest at the thought. "Oh!" she huffed, breathless, "Link, you..." She swatted at him as he began to laugh. "How can you be so stoic and then pull somethin' romantic like that outta the blue?"

"Not running my mouth gives me more time to think," he smirked. 

Malon couldn't help but match his smile. She kissed that silly grin, sending her thanks to the heavens for her husband, and pulled back.

She let out a big sigh, releasing her worries as she surveyed the clean table. The boys had done a good job.

"Link?"

"Yes, hon?"

"Promise me something?"

He took her hand in his. It dwarfed hers, covering her calluses with his own. She gripped his hand tightly.

"Promise that if he's not back soon, you'll go out and find him?" she asked.

Time raised their hands and placed a kiss to her knuckles. "Of course, dear. 

I'll bring him back home."

>>><<< 

Time had expected this.

As different as the Links were, the hero's life took a toll on all who lived it. Sooner or later one of the boys was bound to retreat into solitude, just as Time had done as a boy. And as an adult, in a few cases.

But he'd never guessed Sky would be the first.

Time scanned the now-dark fields of grass, peering around the silhouettes of starlit trees and structures. Sky had literally flown the coop where Malon had left him, and now Time was faced with the quest of tracking him down.

He racked his brain for all the hiding spots he knew of. Sky liked heights, didn't he? It made it easier for the young hero to breathe. So perhaps...

Time craned his neck as he peered at the distant silo. Fortunately, his viewing angle of its roof was decent. Unfortunately, there were absolutely zero signs of life huddled up there. 

He huffed and scratched his head. On second thought, the silo was probably too open for a hiding spot. Time started turning around in a slow circle, taking in his surroundings again. Then his eye landed on the barn, and everything clicked.

High up, secluded, and cozy.

Where else would a Skyloftian be but in the loft?

Time entered the barn slowly, the big wooden door creaking as it announced his presence. It was clear from the sight of the shifted ladder and the stray feathers on the rungs that he'd found Sky's hideout. 

Now the real challenge begins.

Steeling his nerves, Time shuffled over to the ladder and rapped his knuckles against a rail. "Mind if I come up?"

It took exactly 9 seconds for a heavy sigh to hiss through the air. Sky shifted, sending a few strings of hay falling into Time's hair. 

"You're going to come up here no matter what I say," Sky mumbled, despondent. "So why not."

Time decided to interpret that as, "Yes, Time, I'm having a rough day please help me," and made his way up the ladder.

Sky was sprawled out in the hay, his listless eyes trained somewhere past the roof. On any other day, the coziness of the loft would have sent him right to sleep, but his red-rimmed eyes stayed stubbornly open. He didn't flinch as Time lifted himself onto the wooden floor beside him.

The elder hero brushed hay off the sleeves of his old shirt, feeling slightly out of his depth. Comforting strangers and acquaintances had always come so easily to him as a child. He wasn't sure when or why he'd started overthinking it. Maybe his new, "intimidating aura" had something to do with it, or maybe he'd just gotten used to a simpler life. 

Thankfully, Sky spoke up first.

"...Did I upset Malon?"

Time raised an eyebrow, but Sky's gaze never left the ceiling. 

The Skyloftian continued, "I don't... like what's going on. Not at all. Not at all, but... I was very cold with her, earlier. She didn’t deserve that from me."

Time felt his shoulders relax. "Malon's not upset with anybody, Sky, except maybe herself—which I think is unfounded but that's a different discussion."

He looked down at the young hero and wanted so badly to reach out and touch him, to reassure Sky with something easier than words. But Sky looked like he'd fade away if even a feather brushed him, so Time looked him in the eye instead. "Malon and I are more worried for you than anything."

Pleading, sky blue eyes locked with Time's, clouding over with uncommunicated pain. Screwing them shut, the young hero turned his head away. "I just don't understand," came his small voice. "They’re birds, Time, they're birds..."

Time fiddled with his sleeves again. "I am sorry, Sky. But truly, if it is any comfort, I believe I know a bit of how you feel."

"No you don't."

"Try me."

Sky stared at him dubiously, but said nothing.

Time leaned back on his palms and let green foliage flood his mind. "I grew up away from all of Hyrule and its customs. I lived my childhood in the forest, where we ate only what plants could provide us, much like you did. When my hero's journey took me from that place, you can imagine my shock to find out people actually ate animals."

"So what changed?" asked Sky, blankly.

Time shrugged. "Well, time. Getting older, growing up in a new culture. Needing to provide for myself and others."

Sky's head snapped away. "Then we are not the same."

Time almost flinched at the severity of the wall Sky had slammed down. When the young hero spoke again, his voice was unnaturally quiet. 

"If this were just about hunting mammals... then yes. We'd be standing on the same cloud. But it's not."

Slowly, his head turned to face Time, and the older hero felt his chest tighten when Sky's heartbroken eyes locked on to his. 

"I have one question. I want you to answer it honestly, Time."

Time nodded solemnly.

"Do you know what a Loftwing is?"

"Apart from what you've already mentioned, you mean?"

"Yes."

Time's mind scrambled to find a better answer than 'no, not really'. "Well," he began after a moment, "when I would visit the princess as a youth, she would sometimes read me fairy tales, a few telling of mighty, giant birds who—"

"No." Sky interrupted. "No. Do you know what a Loftwing is? Do you know what it looks like, what it means to be bonded with one, what it feels like to fly weightless upon its back?"

Sky sat up, eyes wild with emotion. "There is nothing like the bond between a Hylian and a Loftwing. We can sense each other's presence, feel each other's pain. When we find each other for the first time, it's like waking up from a dream, like a whole part you was missing, and you can't fathom how you'd been living your life without it. When we fly, we are one, and when we're distressed we come to each other for comfort. It's almost like having the goddess herself whispering through their feathers."

Sky dipped his head, shoulders shaking as his hair fell over his face. "But they can't handle the air pressure on the Surface for long," he continued. "Not like we can. Their bodies would collapse under the strain, so they have to stay in the air. They have to remain in Skyloft."

Sky's gaze snapped up to Time, filled with sharp, terrifying intensity. "Don't you see?" he hissed. "If I am to lead our people alongside Zelda, there will come a day when I will have to let go of my bird, half my heart, for good. My own children will never know what it's like to be bonded with one, nor will their children, or their children, or their children after them! All they will have are fleeting glances and stories, and even that, even that will be ripped from them and watered down into myth by your era. All that remains of that bond, all I've had t-to cope with the loss, are the little b-birds—!" Sky's voice whined as it swam through thick waves of grief. "And today! Today I find out that my Crimson, my good, noble, goofy Crimson's legacy... is to become nothing more than a side dish?!?"

Sky heaved, paling and choking on his own words. He panted heavily, but made no more attempts to speak. His fists were twisted in his tunic.

Time was silent for a long time. 

He would need to proceed very carefully. His heart ached at the anguish Sky felt, and he longed to take the hurt away from his young mind. But Sky felt his convictions deeply and completely. It was an admirable trait to have... if only it didn't make Time's job all the harder.

"Malon... told me that she tried to explain about the cuccos," he started slowly, his voice soft. 

"I know," Sky bit back in a harsh whisper. "I know Malon's right, I know they aren't technically the same animals, that's impossible. It's just—!" Sky's voice was shattering, "What else is there? I have to believe that their legacy is still alive somewhere, Time. It's all I have left, because... everyone's forgotten."

The words stabbed Time in the gut.

'Everyone's forgotten.' How well he knew the phrase. To have an experience that rocks you to the core, only for the world to never remember it. Because how could they? They never lived through it all like you did. But the isolation of knowing was a burden, all the same.

He wanted to punch the floor in. That feeling didn't belong on anyone else's shoulders. Maybe that's why, for once, Time spoke without thinking.

"Your Loftwings did not become our cuccos, Sky," he said with a little more force than was necessary. "That is not their legacy!"

"Then WHAT?!?" Sky clenched his teeth, holding back a vicious storm of anger. "Tell me what their legacy is, Time! Tell me where that bond is now!!!"

A dull thud knocked against a stable door below them. From her stall, old Epona watched Time and Sky, her deep brown eyes sparkling with want. Inexplicably, Time knew his mare would have leapt from the stall and climbed into the loft beside them if it was physically possible. 

And with that thought, an idea sparked inside him.

"I know exactly where their legacy went, Sky."

The young hero's hands shook as he froze, his wide eyes locked on Time's. Time could see the exact moment Sky's outburst caught up with him, for the young man crumpled forwards, clutching his head in shame.

The older hero did not hesitate to place a hand on his back.

Something about the motion sent a single sob rippling through the Skyloftian. Sky fisted his hair, his tunic, his collar as he fought to calm himself under Time's touch. While the elder hero traced circles of silent—Your anger doesn't bother me; you're hurt; I want to help you—Sky swallowed, and finally, feebly asked, 

"Where?"

A soft nicker filled the stable. Epona snorted, pawed, and nickered again, ears pricked desperately towards Sky as she fought for his attention. It was a wonder that she hadn't woken Twilight's mare in her fuss. Epona's head bobbed when Sky finally locked eyes with her, and she probably couldn't help the loud whinny that peeled out of her lungs.

Time gripped Sky's shoulder, a smile worming up his face. "Would you like to go and see her?"

Sky's eyes widened. His mouth gaped wordlessly as he looked between Time and his horse, and Time was fairly sure he could see an entire clock tower churning and whirring inside Sky's head.

His breath hitching, Sky allowed Time to pull him off the ground, likely not trusting himself to speak. Time could feel the Skyloftian's pulse hammering through his wrists.

Silently, he led Sky down the ladder, a hand on his back all the way over to Epona. She whinnied with joy as Time stroked her nose and undid the stall latch, and in an instant, the horse was at Sky's side.

The Skyloftian's hair fluttered as she blew a puff of air at him, but his body was still as stone. Sensing his shock, Epona lowered her whinnies into soft, rumbling nickers, blowing soothing breaths from her velvety nose. She dipped her head into his space, waiting patiently.

Slowly, Sky raised his hands. Once Epona had sniffed them, he pressed them to her face, framing her heavy head in his feather-soft touch. Their eyes locked for a long moment.

A tear escaped Sky's grasp. "It... it is there..." His breath came up short, but he was smiling all the same. "You... you're carrying them all with you... Epona."

Said horse had had enough of these sobs, apparently, and decided that the best thing for it was shoving her enormous head into his chest.

"Oof!" Sky laughed under the onslaught. He gripped at her mane, off balance, but his smile was blinding. He laughed as she rubbed her face against his shoulder, laughed as she flung her neck around to his back. He laughed and laughed, watery, joyful sounds that twisted Time's heart and wrung it out with relief, and Time knew then that all was well.

Eventually, Sky's tearful excitement settled into quiet breaths. He stood contented, his fingers tangled in Epona’s wispy mane, and his face pressed firmly against the warmth of her neck. Her belly grew and dipped in an enormous, fulfilling sigh, and Sky mimicked her without question.

Time pressed his forehead against his horse's. Good, good girl, he told her by stroking her chin. She nickered back her love.

"Time?"

He turned to see Sky watching him, his face half-veiled in curtains of Epona’s silky white mane. Sky's eyes shone in the moonlight. "Thank you."

Time nodded, blinking back the mist in his own eye. Then a thought struck him.

"You know," he mused, "We've had Twilight’s Epona with us for a couple of days now; same goes for my mare, her ancestor. And in all that time we never taught you how to ride."

Sky's huge gasp put a grin on Time's face. He continued, "How's about tomorrow we give you some lessons?"

Sky grabbed Time’s arm like a redead. "Yes! Yes yes yes please! That would—!" Sky's eyes widened a bit, and he stepped back, clearing his throat. His voice was a hair deeper when he coughed, "I'd really appreciate that, yes."

Time barked out a laugh, spooking Sky, and threw his arm around the young hero's shoulder. "Sky, my friend, don't you dare go trying to impress me like that. I've got enough of that coming from Twilight. I am most at ease when others are themselves."

Sky sagged in relief against Time's shoulder. "I really appreciate that. Old Man."

Time scoffed at Sky's playful smile. The boy looked cheekier than a Kokiri, and Time roughly drew him closer beneath his arm. Sky laughed.

"Old Man, Old Man… I'm not even that old, which one of you started that? I have some words."

"If you can't remember then maybe you are old," Sky grinned, and was promptly met with a hand ruffling his hair. He squirmed out of Time's grasp and fled to Epona’s other side, where she simply turned and nibbled his hair.

"Ah," Sky snorted. He made no move to stop her. "I see they preen like Loftwings, too."

Time shook his head, patting Epona’s back. "That 'preening' won't make you any cleaner, I'm afraid." Already Sky's hair was sticking up at odd angles. "Come on, girl. It's time for all of us to get some rest. We have a big day tomorrow."

He could have sworn Sky and Epona had both whined, "Awwww," but he led Epona back to her stall anyway. She dragged her hooves as she ambled through the door. 

"See you tomorrow, Epona," Sky said, and Epona reached her head over the door to lip at his hair again. Sky shoved her away and gave her a kiss on the nose. "Bye bye, you big stinker."

"Now you're really starting to understand her," Time laughed, and poor old Epona pinned her ears back and huffed.

"Don't worry, neither of us mean it," Sky stage-whispered. "It's extra carrots for you tomorrow, promise!"

Epona whinnied in victory. 

Time rolled his eyes and pulled Sky towards the barn doors. "Careful, oh chosen one. I think you're beginning to surpass me as her favorite."

"Absolutely not," said Sky. "She's got a big heart and a lot of love to give, but trust me." Sky's eyes shimmered with conviction. "She will always be yours. And you will always be hers. Not even I could ever change that."

Time caught his spirit in that gaze, swirling deep with passion and wisdom. And, to his heart's relief, it was also filled with hope. 

His hand tightened on the young hero's arm. "I'm glad," said Time.

Glad I could help you.

Glad to know each other better.

Glad for Epona.

Glad for you.

And Sky understood. 

His other arm reached across to pat Time's shoulder, and this time, no words were needed.

The crickets chirped as they stepped outside, beckoning them safely home.

>>><<< 

.....Bonus!

Sky and Time stumbled back into the farmhouse, half-awake and grinning about horses.

Legend immediately locked eyes with Sky.

Silently, he marched right up to the young knight, fists balled as if he was going to deck him, but then—to everyone's surprise—he went straight in for a hug. It didn’t lasted long, but it was tight and warm. An apology, Sky realized, but for what? Alerting him to what was in the pie? Or maybe for the vet’s choice words about cuccos from earlier?

Oh Legend, Sky sighed into the hug, returning it with a squeeze to the veteran’s shoulder. “Thank you. Sorry I worried everyone.”

Legend huffed sharply, but his tense frame had sagged in relief. “Shut up, Sky. S‘nothing to be sorry about.”

When he pulled back his eyes were younger than they’d ever looked, taking Sky in as if he’d been gone for ages. But, Legend being Legend, this moment didn’t last. More heroes stepped up, Malon stepped up, and suddenly it was all a bit too touchy-feely for the veteran hero. He squeezed past everyone and moodily retreated from the room.

Sky smiled at him as he went, and fell into the arms of the rest of his newfound family.

>>><<<

Masterlist | First | Chapter 8 | Chapter 10

Author's Note: This chapter started with the thought of, "Oh wow, Sky loves the cuccos and probably doesn't eat meat on Skyloft, eating cuccos would be pretty disturbing for him, wouldn't it?" And upon further thought, it blossomed into this existential parallel with little birds being Sky's lifeline to Loftwings on the Surface and Sky desperate to uphold their legacy, and all those feelings of Skyloftians separating from their birds that he'd bottled up for so long just sort of... exploded. 🥹 Sky loves Crimson a lot, he's not quite ready to say goodbye. BUT Legend of Zelda horses like Epona are quite special, and methinks Sky's coming out of this a bit more at ease than before. Thanks, Time and Malon! (I love writing Time and Sky they have a great dynamic this was soooooo fun >u<)

I couldn't find it in myself to delete the bonus scene, either. Legend hates that he sort of caused a repeat of when he accidentally insulted Sky earlier, and speedran an apology via a hug he'll never mention again. =)

Also... I don't usually like teasing the next chapter's title, but I am very much looking forward to y'all reading "Grounded Chapter 10: Sky Rides a Horse and Everyone's Scared" 🤣

Extra Note: I am a children’s book/family friendly author, so please keep all comments Safe For Work (no swearing please!) I want to do my best to make this a place for everyone. Cheers!

Said hero was currently being interrogated on the other side of their camp as to who his wife really was. Wind, Twilight, and Wild had teamed up in order to get to the bottom of Time's greatest mystery. With how legendary the older man was to them, though, Sky had no doubt that their pestering would quickly dissolve into other, wonder-struck conversations with their seasoned leader.

As much as Sky loved Wind's enthusiastic chatter, though, he was thankful for the stillness on his side of the fire pit. He had finally gotten around to carving some of the apples he'd collected, and much to his delight, Legend and Hyrule had quickly joined him. Legend, unsurprisingly, was a natural at the craft, but had since abandoned the rabbit face he'd been carving in favor of keeping Hyrule from killing himself.

A noble cause, Sky thought, smiling at his newfound brothers.

A strangled noise drew Sky's attention over his other shoulder, where Four and Warriors sat tending to the team's swords beside him. The smith looked absolutely insulted as he scrubbed at what Sky recognized as one of Wild's shoddy blades.

Warriors looked up to Four, amusement twinkling in his eyes. "What’s wrong with that one?"

"Days old black blood, is what's the matter, and it's stuck fast. Unless... it couldn't be..." Four peered closer, squinting at the stubborn material coating the sword. He yelled, voice tipping into the odd, Minish accent that thickened when he was angry, "RUST! Rust on a blade, so it is! How'd you like... Well this yoke is useless, now!" He tossed down the hopeless sword and picked up a slightly shorter one, also Wild's, and also in a very sorry state. 

"Can you believe. An insult to smithing, is what it is," grumbled Four. "This one'll be just as bad, sure."

Sky and Warriors made eye contact over Four's head, sharing in each other's mirth. Their shortest member was usually so levelheaded, but as time went by, they'd begun to notice a fire hidden beneath his composure. Not that Sky minded much. It only meant Four was letting himself open up around the others, and that made Sky proud. 

Besides, his angry gibberish was also very amusing.

Warriors reached over and patted Four's back. "If you're this affronted by Wild's unholy weapon care, my friend, why not let him clean the things himself?"

"Well, grand! That'd be fine... if he would clean them!"

"Oh, come on, Smithy. Teach a man to fish?"

Four sighed, the flicker of his tongue dying away. "...I know. You're right, you're right. Won't be easy, but I did say I would. And so I will, soon. In the meantime..." the smith actually flushed with embarrassment, "I... might have made a slight deal with him."

"Uh oh," Sky smiled.

Four jumped, not having realized Sky was listening to his rant. His hair swung over most his face as he purposefully hunched over the blade in his lap and started scrubbing.

"What did you do?" teased the captain.

Four coughed out a little laugh. "Well... when a cook as blessed as Wild comes around, begging you for a favor, and offering up your favorite lunch as a bribe..."

The other heroes "Ahhh"ed in complete understanding. 

"Care to give us a hint as to what awaits us at meal time?" asked Warriors. 

"You'll be finding no green peppers in it," Four said very seriously.

"No green...?" the captain blinked. "Smithy, what on earth do you have against—"

"WHOA HYRULE!"

Sky whipped around to see the traveler, wide-eyed and knife brandished, completely frozen in place. His apple was cut cleanly in half.

"…You're going to give me a heart attack," Legend whined, his face pale.

"And with all the adventures the old Vet’s been on, it might just kill him!" smirked Warriors. Legend threw an apple half at him.

"Sorry," said Hyrule, sheepishly.  "Can I have another?"

"I have half a mind to say no," Legend groaned, and Sky laughed.

"Oh, c'mon, it was an accident!" said Hyrule. "I've handled a knife before. I own a sword."

"That's not reassuring!" Legend argued.

"Ugh. Sky? A little help here, please?" the traveler looked up, his big, hazel eyes tugging at Sky's heartstrings.

"Don't give it to him, Sky, don't let him get to you!" warned Legend.

Sky laughed again, already reaching for another apple. However, before Hyrule could take it, Sky held it just out of his grasp.

"Aw, not you too! Please?" Hyrule pleaded.

Sky smiled at him. While Hyrule was almost as danger-prone as Wild, he had a passionate heart, one that was eager to learn and grow. After only a moment more, Sky held the apple out to him.

"Carving isn't the same as cutting ropes or kindling, Hyrule. It takes patience, and a gentle hand. But if you take the time to practice, watch your fingers, and use that creative brain of yours, I'm sure you'll get it in no time!"

Hyrule blushed a bit at the praise, handling this new fruit with much more reverence. Beside him, Legend's shoulders relaxed, but the veteran's eyes remained sharp as tacks.

Sky heard movement behind his back. He turned, only to find that Four had subtlety inched closer, ears perked and attentive. Four's eye met Sky's, and the shorter hero quickly dipped his head. Warriors smirked amiably over his shoulder.

“Don’t look now, Sky, but you have a fan,” said the captain, nudging Four lightly.

"Ah. Don't mind me, just fascinated," the smithy said bashfully. "You sound pretty well-versed in your craft. Have you known it long?"

"Ever since childhood," Sky answered. "I like doing things that keep my hands busy. Especially if it lets me daydream a little at the same time."

"I hear that," Four smiled. He swiped his cloth gently over Wild's blade, gazing contentedly at his reflection. "It's a special feeling, creating something out of nothing. Nice to know a fellow creative heart."

"It really is," Sky nodded. "Although I don't claim to be nearly as skilled as you blacksmiths."

Four seemed to jump awake at that, and he sat straighter, pointing thoughtfully at Sky, "I've been meaning to ask you about that, actually. You claim you aren't a smith... yet the sword you forged sits right by your side. Don't be taking this the wrong way now, but...why downplay that?"

The Skyloftian simply shrugged. "Fi was forged in magic, not with normal fire and hammers. The truth is... I don't know the first thing about what you and your grandfather do. It's an amazing mystery to me, albeit a helpful one. I've always been curious about it."

Four blinked in surprise. "Well, now, I'm flattered. I'll tell you about smithing any time, sure. It's just..." Gently, he argued, "Your hero's journey was ten times more difficult than simply hammering out a sword, and yet, creating a magic blade with your own blood, sweat and tears—o-or so the stories say—that's always sounded like a smith’s work to me."

There was a childlike glimmer in Four's eye that Sky recognized, and his heart clenched. Stories and myths again...

Sky glanced at Legend, expecting a knowing frown, but to his surprise, the veteran was slowly nodding along with Four.

"He's got a point, Sky. There's more than one way to forge a sword, especially a magic one."

That threw Sky off. Feeling his resolve softening, he started nodding, too. "Ok. Ok, that's fair. But it still doesn't make what you smiths do any less interesting. You create beautiful blades out of nothing! It's fascinating. But in my case, Fi already existed long before me in her Goddess Sword form, so..."

Four's expression sharpened in the way of a remlit watching a dancing string. His eyes were bright and excited in that quiet way of his, and with a tilt of his head, he "pounced".

"All that may be true, Sky. But the materials we use for smithing—ore, fire, metals—have existed long before us, too, created by the goddesses at the beginning of it all, yes? Just like the sword and the sacred flames that shaped the Master Sword. So... if you think about it, maybe we're not really that different, after all."

Wow, thought Sky, taken aback. I knew he was smart, but... wow. 

He really shouldn't have been surprised by that; Four was a deep thinker. However, the smith's attention to the tiniest detail never failed to amaze Sky. That must be what makes him so good at his craft. It's like he has four pairs of eyes!

Sky rubbed his head, knowing he'd decidedly lost this logic duel. "Well," he smiled at Four, "when you put it that way—"

A shrill, buzzy trumpet sound made everyone jump out of their boots.

Wind's raucous laughter spilled across the camp. It didn't take long to figure out where the strange sound had come from, as not a moment later, the boy held up a fat blade of grass and blew another round of squeaking raspberries into it. Time, Twilight, and Wild were laughing right behind him.

Meanwhile, the captain was clutching his chest. "Thank you, ever so much for that heart attack!" he gasped.

"Better watch out for those, Wars, I hear they can kill you," Legend smirked. 

Warriors threw the apple half back at his head. Legend caught it mid-air and tossed it to Hyrule, who smoothly pocketed it. At this, Warriors threw his hands in the air and gave up.

Sky and Four chuckled. "Never a dull moment, eh?" said the smith.

"No, never," Sky agreed. "And I wouldn't have it any other way. Although that does make it hard to get naps in," he elbowed Four.

The smith laughed again. After a moment, he took up Wild's blade, turning it this way and that, letting the scratched up surface sparkle in the sunlight. He held it out to Sky. "What d'you think of that, fellow forger?"

"Poor Wild... I understand low-level shields breaking, but swords? What kind of strain is he putting on these things?

"I know!!!” Four exclaimed. “Thank you, blessed be the day! Someone here finally understands the blight that chokes me!"

Sky snorted. Four's accent was thickening again with his hysterics.

"Well, the champion's poor weapon-care aside," said Sky, "you really did a good job cleaning it up. From my limited experience, it looks close to brand new!" 

Four's knee started to bounce, and that funny look Twilight got whenever Time praised him flickered over the smith's face. He twirled the sword, inspecting it all over again, and couldn't stop smiling. "Cool. Thanks."

Sky was just about to ask Four about the finer details of smithing when a light tune whistled through the air. It had a similar buzz to Wind's blade of grass but was nowhere near as obnoxious. Sky looked up.

Twilight had twisted some leaves together into a U shape, and through it, was expertly whistling a descending tune. Sky marveled at his ability to get such a clear, crisp melody out of grass.

Time was marveling, too... if "marveling" meant it looked like someone had just stolen his Loftwing. Time was staring at Twilight with such intense surprise that Sky wanted to go ask if he was ok. That is, until the forest erupted in sound.

Birds startled, crashing out of the bushes. Heavy beats shuddered against the ground, like approaching footfalls.

"What’s happening?!?" shouted Wind.

Hyrule dropped his tools. "Are the Skullkids back?"

"Not with a ruckus like that, they're not!" Four called.

Then, with a noise nine times as shrill as the song that had summoned it, a beast leaped through the brush.

It looked very much like a massive, antlerless deer. Its fur was long and whip-like along its head and tail, its ears pointed and poised. Each of its four feet ended in a giant, rock-hard nail, which dug into the earth as it hurtled itself toward the rancher.

Sky drew his blade. Instantly, a crackling spark came from the hit, and he nearly dropped the weapon in surprise. That was a warning shock, he knew, meaning Fi found no threat here. But Sky couldn't help side-eye the huge beast... and send Fi a doubtful glare.

"Whoa, whoa, steady on, soldier!" Warriors's firm hand met Sky's shoulder, grounding him. Sky was surprised to see the light that had entered the captain’s eyes, crinkling into smile lines along the corners of his face. Warriors regarded the new animal with deep favor.

"That’s a friendly beast,” he explained gently. “We call it a horse."

"And not just any horse," said Twilight. He was beaming, disbelief and happiness written all over his face as he stumbled towards the beast. He took its long, muscular face in his hands, laughed—nearly squealed—and buried his forehead against the creature's own. "She's my horse. My Epona."

Time made a very odd strangled noise. Warriors simply laughed.

"But... we're not even in Twilight’s era?" Wild stuttered. "How do you know she's yours?"

Twilight freed himself from the barrage of horsey nuzzles and turned the creature's head. "You ever seen a mark like this on another horse? 'Sides, that was Epona’s special whistle. Sounds like home, don't it, girl?"

The horse did indeed have a very odd, branching light patch down her face, almost like a star crossed with lightning. Sky marked that down as "abnormal for 'horses'" in his head and sheathed his sword.

Legend looked like a gaping fish. "UM. Did we forget about the portals?! That we all clearly walked through and that disappeared behind us?" He threw his arms out at the horse. "HOW?!?"

"Don't think too hard about it," Warriors shook his head. "I stopped trying to make sense of things popping out of portals a long time ago."

Wind stepped out from behind Time, cautiously shuffling towards the animal. "Does it bite?"

Twilight looked surprised as he turned around. "Not unless you feed her wrong and she takes your fingers for carrot sticks, no," he laughed.

"It's just," Wind glanced between Sky and the beast. "I've never actually seen a horse before."

That got more than a few heads turning.

"Really?" said Wild. "I mean, I understand if Sky doesn't know what they are, but... you don't either?"

"I know what a horse is, Wild!" Wind's face flushed as it pinched into a minor scowl. "I said I've never seen one. There's a difference!"

Wild held up his hands. "Ok! Ok, but then... I thought I showed you pictures of my horses already?"

Wind gave an absolutely enormous sigh, rolling his eyes like nobody in the entire world understood him. "Well yeah. But those are pictographs! And pictographs never..." Wind flinched as the horse snorted loudly. "...never do the real thing justice."

Sky shuffled closer to him, willing all of his sympathy into the little sailor. Sky at least had the benefit of knowing Loftwings, which—while an entirely different species—seemed to share the essence of "gentle, flighty giant" with this horse creature. The way Twilight loved on her and how Wars watched her fondly was also calming Sky down by the second. But as for Wind... he looked like he'd never seen an animal bigger than a pig that wasn't inherently a monster.

Thankfully, Hyrule came to the rescue. He tapped Wind on the back gently and said, "I haven't seen one up close in a really long time."

Wind turned to him. "Huh?"

"There's not many of them where I live, most people can't afford it. The castle has some that I've seen from a distance but..." Hyrule stared up at the massive animal, "I always forget just how big they are."

"Yeah," Sky seconded.

Legend looked up at Sky closely. He elbowed him. "You doing ok over here, Skyloftian?"

"Y-yes... yes. She seems friendly enough."

"You're doing better than I thought you might. She is one of the larger breeds," said Twilight.

Sky's ears perked. "There are more of them?"

"Sure!" Twilight beamed. "Saddlebred, Quarter Horse, racehorse, pony, heck, I once saw an old logbook of a breeder of miniature ponies. Lil' scamps came up to just about here," the rancher leveled his hand just below his hip.

Sky gasped, the sun suddenly becoming brighter all around him. "Tiny horses?" he breathed. "Tiny horses and tiny birds?!? I love this place!"

The group rumbled with laughter as Sky went up to the horse—no. Epona. She had a name just like Crimson, and eyes that sparkled with that very same, intelligent shine. If Sky had thought deer reminded him of his bird, they had nothing on this odd, beautiful beast.

Twilight showed him how to stroke her fur politely, and the Skyloftian couldn't stop grinning as he patted her neck. "Hello, sweet thing... what a loyal companion you are, yes..."

"Oh dear, what have you done, Twilight?" Warriors droned, running his own hand down Epona’s nose. "Now we have another horse fanatic to deal with!"

"He says, hypocritically," Time murmured, low and soft. He approached Epona with a fondness so strong it seemed to roll off him in waves, flowing through his fingers and down the neck and back of the chestnut horse. She nickered at all the attention. Twilight looked like he didn't dare breathe.

Four stepped closer, too, glancing Epona over from ear to hoof. After a moment, he asked, "What breed is she, then?"

Twilight started out of his spell. "Ordonian draft horse," he said, relaxing. "She's one of the big'uns!"

"Eh, she looks pretty average size, to me," said Wild.

The rancher leveled him with a withering glare, murmuring something about "pictographs" and "rampant draft horse populations," and Wild just laughed.

Meanwhile Wind, not to be deterred or called weak, bravely stepped up between Sky and Warriors with Hyrule trailing at his heels. The sailor flinched ever so slightly as Epona swung her massive nose into his face.

"U-uh," Wind stuttered.

"I think she's asking for pets," Sky smiled.

“Here Wind," Twilight said softly, stroking the middle of Epona’s face and then along her cheek. “Touch her there, not near her mouth, and she'll know you’re here to pet her and not give her treats.”

The rancher pulled softly on one of her big ears. "As if you didn't get enough already."

Epona huffed in denial. 

"What, you disagree? You think between me an' Ilia and all the village kids back home you don't eat enough? Poor, poor baby girl, you're starving away!" 

Epona nickered pitifully.

To Sky's delight, that got a smile out of Wind. The boy reached up and patted Epona’s cheek. His eyes went wide. "So soft..."

Hyrule stroked her neck. "And warm, too... oh!" To everyone's surprise, the traveler suddenly buried his face in her fur. "Sms fum om agig!"

Time reached over and pulled Hyrule back. "Care to repeat that?"

"She's full of magic! No wonder she found us, she's no ordinary horse!"

Several eyes flew to Epona. She nickered amiably.

"Well, I could have told you that," murmured Twilight.

Legend ignored him. "Hyrule's right, she practically exudes the stuff."

"I feel it too," agreed Four. "It was like all the darkness rolled away when she appeared."

Warriors raised his eyebrows and looked around at the younger heroes. "O-k. Remind me to put you three on lookout next time we're in a magic heavy area."

"Happily," sighed Hyrule, leaning against Epona’s soft fur.

Loud crunching filled their ears. Everyone turned just in time to see an entire apple disappear into Epona’s muzzle. Wild cooed at her triumphantly.

"Wh—I just—quit spoiling her!" Twilight swatted at Wild. Epona blinked happily.

"Hey!" Wind gasped. "I think she just winked at me!"

"Not to be that guy, but it looked like a blink," said Legend.

"But she looked right at me when she did it!"

"Don't worry Wind," said Sky, patting his back. "I thought it was a wink."

"Don't enable him," smirked Legend.

Time leaned over Epona’s neck. "Looked like a wink to me."

Wind beamed.

Warriors saw Legend sputtering and jumped in, "Oh are we annoying the vet now? It was definitely a wink, then."

"You didn't even see it happen, City Boy!" said Legend, rounding on the captain. It wasn't long before they once again had descended into warm bickering. It reminded Sky of home.

Sky brushed some hair out of Epona’s eye, marveling at the light that seemed to shine within. The way she tracked him with ear and eye, the slightest twitches of muscle... there was no doubt how intelligent she was. The younger heroes were right. If Sky's Loftwing bond was anything to go by, then Epona was indeed filled with a special kind of magical spirit. It was a comfort unlike all else in this strange Surface world.

He wondered, briefly, if he would be the first of his people to discover horses. That certainly would be something.

"Horseshoes..."

Sky blinked. He looked down at Four.

The smith was picking his lip and staring at Epona’s enormous feet, his eyes calculating, and his mouth spewing murmurs and nonsense. Sky gawked for a few seconds before Four noticed.

"Eh... what’s the matter?" the smith asked.

"Uh... horse... shoes?” Weren't those iron feet shoes enough?

"...You're thinking of four leather boots tied on a horse, aren't you?" Time said gently.

Sky blushed as Hyrule and Wind snickered. "I wanna see that so bad now," Wind wheezed.

Wild heard this too, and actually seemed to consider it until Twilight cuffed him over the head.

It was the kindly captain that finally offered Sky an olive branch.

"See the metal on the bottom of her hooves?" Warriors pointed, taking Sky’s shoulder again. "That helps to keep the sensitive bits of her feet off the ground to prevent injury on rough terrain. We used them a lot to help our horses in the war."

"And it gives her better traction," Four explained. "I was just wondering about making her some new ones if we get to a forge. Hers look a bit worn down."

Twilight hissed, holding up one of her giant feet. "Yup. That'll need fixin'. Ugh, Ilia would kill me if she saw... Oh Epona, where did all that mud come from?"

Warriors came up behind him, patting the horse as he peered over the rancher. "Nothing a good grooming can't fix. Give me some brushes and a hoof pick and she'll be good as new."

Twilight looked up. "Aww, you don't need to do that..."

"It'd be an honor for this fine lass," Four smiled, and Warriors nodded.

Wild raised an eyebrow. “You know how to groom horses, Wars?"

The captain looked affronted. "Yes??? Why do you sound so surprised? I'm in the military."

"Yeah Wild, it makes perfect sense."

Everyone stared at Legend in shock.

The captain gaped. "I... well... thanks, Legend, that—"

"—If he can groom himself so daintily then of course he can groom a horse."

Warriors thrust his sword into Sky's arms. "Hold this."

Sky chuckled as the "dainty" soldier charged at Legend. Poor Warriors. He's such a good guy, but he'll never catch Legend alive.

Twilight rolled his eyes. Raising his voice over Wind's chants of "fight, fight, fight!", he asked, "I like Four's idea of finding a forge—You said you know these woods, Time, is there someplace nearby? I-If you feel fit to travel, of course."

"It takes much more than a black-blooded moblin to keep me down, Rancher. Especially in a wood of fairies. I'll live."

Twilight chewed his lip. "U-uh, yep. 'Course, you're right."

Epona, like Sky, must have sensed his anxiousness, and draped her heavy head over Twilight’s shoulder.

"Awww..." cooed Hyrule.

Twilight sighed. "Yep. This is my horse. The ham."

Time smiled. "In any case, if the rest of you are properly rested and cleaned up, yes, I know of a place we can go. It's not far from here either." He glanced over to where Legend had run smack into a tree with his Pegasus boots and was being helped up—amusedly—by Warriors. "If you boys are finished messing around?"

Legend shrugged of his pursuer. "Yeah, yeah. What are you, Captain, five?"

"You're the one who ran into a tree!"

Sky leaned over as the vet sulked past. "For the record, my rupees were on you."

Legend grinned.

"All right, boys," said Time, patting Epona, "and esteemed guest. Let's be on our way."

"Are we going to your castle?!?" Wind hopped in place.

"Mmm... we might yet be needed there. We will begin heading that direction, but we'll make a slight detour on the way."

"Great!" Wild threw an arm over Hyrule. "I love detours!" 

Warriors cocked an eyebrow. "And this detour would be...?"

Time's eye sparkled with mischief, but he did not answer. He cast a strangely knowing look at Sky before shepherding the others after him. 

"Well. That was quite cryptic," murmured Four.

Sky couldn't help the eagerness bubbling in his chest as he followed. "That makes it more exciting, don't you think?"

Four smiled. "Oh. Oh, Undoubtedly."

>>><<<

Masterlist | First | Chapter 7 | Chapter 9

Author's Note: Warriors the horse lover, anyone? ^u^ He just seems to have that vibe (along with the other Links, hehe). Epona's in good hands! This was also a fun experiment playing with the idea that Four might be Sky's successor like he is in the Zelda Timeline =) Of course, given that this Four is a combination of the Links from Minish and Four Swords, he could just as well be Twilight or Warriors's successor, but either way, I love Four being a subtle fan of Sky’s story. It's good dialog practice, and even if he's not Sky's direct successor, he can surely be a Master Sword Smith Super Fan, ha!

🎉NEXT CHAPTER IS THE REASON I WROTE THE STORY WOOO!!!

Extra Note: I am a children’s book/family friendly author, so please keep all comments Safe For Work (no swearing please!) I want to do my best to make this a place for everyone. Cheers!

To think, you could have actually been enjoying this if you'd just kept your big mouth shut, he told himself, bitterly. What a wasted morning.

A tug on his fishing line was hardly enough to cure his unease, but it was a good enough distraction. Legend reeled the catch in, and with a fireworks show of a splash, a fish sailed out of the stream. At the end of his hook hung a measly minnow, barely bigger than his pinky finger and hardly worth a meal. Legend huffed and released it back into the water. 

Ugh! This is so stupid! he yelled in his head. Why am I even still upset? How was I supposed to know not to say—I-I mean, who cares, right? Sky will...

He paused.

...Would Sky get over it?

This morning Legend could have answered that question with certainty. Now he wasn’t sure.

He knew the old tales. He knew how to read people, and he'd had every single hero here categorized from the very beginning. But if the first hero had known famine—known death—in a land Legend once thought perfect... how many of his other childhood stories were wrong?

Glancing back at the other heroes filtering into the clearing, Legend realized with a sinking stomach that he didn't really know anyone here at all.

And it unnerved him.

A rolling laugh swept over the veteran’s ears, drawing his eyes back to the sailor. Wind was still stuck in his own little world, paying more attention to the ladybug tickling his palm than to the fishing pole he'd haphazardly jammed into the dirt.

"Don't worry, buddy," Wind murmured to the insect. "You just stick with me and Legend. We won’t let Sky or Wild eat you!" The boy shivered at the thought, his face scrunching into a grimace. “Yuck!”

Legend tried to ignore him and turn back to the stream. It was a fruitless effort, he discovered, as a moment later he was poked in the arm.

“Hey, Legend?”

Here we go.

"Legend."

“Hmm?”

“What do think bugs actually taste like?”

“...Probably like your smelly feet.”

Wind cackled and shoved the older hero. “You’re so gross, Legend!”

“Mmm.”

Wind frowned at Legend’s half-baked reply. The veteran could practically feel the boy’s eyes bearing into him, and he scooted farther away.

“That guilt of yours is really eating at you, huh?”

Legend faced the sailor in shock.

“I speak grouch,” Wind explained with a shrug.

“I…” Legend glared at him. “Well thanks a lot, kid.”

Wind simply chuckled, scooting to close the gap between them. The sailor’s face then fell pensive as he watched the river, his deep green irises flickering to follow every way the water danced.

“This is about Sky, isn’t it?” murmured the sailor after a moment of silence.

Legend mumbled something unintelligible.

Wind rested his chin on his hand. “It's still so weird to me. I mean, anyone eating bugs for anything other than a dare will always be weird, but… it’s not just that. I guess I always thought Skyloft was supposed to be, y’know, filled with everything anyone could want. That’s what all the stories said, at least. And then everything that Sky said about it… it was so different from that. It almost felt…"

“Wrong,” Legend finished, glaring at nothing. “It felt wrong.”

“Yeah.”

For a long time, the only sound was the quiet trickling of water over leaves.

A sudden uproar arose behind them. Legend flung around, hand on his sword and prepared to fight, until he saw the scene.

The glittering army captain had fallen face-first into the mud, his legs tangled in his own scarf. A new, fully stocked pouch of holding was cradled in his hands, clean and protected from the captain's messy tumble. Time sauntered around him with a barely suppressed grin and plucked it from his hands.

Legend didn't quite catch Warriors's next words—something about "brotherly love"—but the way the man flung himself to his feet, spread wide his filthy arms, and skipped towards Time with the most aggravating grin humanly possible was telling enough. Time's closed eye flicked open in surprise as the mud-laden captain charged. Moving faster than Legend had ever seen him, Time shuffled backwards just in time for Warriors to sail past him into another patch of dirt.

Four was cackling madly and shouting directions at Time as Warriors resumed his chase. Hyrule looked on with some blend of horror and mirth. The traveler locked eyes with Legend, silently searching for the protocol on what to do when respected heroes turn into children. 

Legend shrugged at him, the ghost of a smile tempting his lips. Hyrule was on his own for this one.

Wind wasn't fairing much better than Four, if his hiccupping laughter was any indication. "Run, Time, RUN!" shouted the boy, earning a distant reply from the Hero of Time.

The Hero of Time, Legend shook his head, dumbfounded. According to the others, their “Old Man” had quite the legacy behind his name. Legend really didn't know anyone here if this was happening.

Wind caught the veteran’s eye and giggled. "This feels so weird."

"You're telling me."

Across the camp, Time flipped Warriors onto his back into another patch of dirt, both men now smothered head to toe in mud. The wide grin on Time's face was that of a boy, and in the noonday light, he almost seemed de-aged. He was a far cry from the grand, mystical warrior the others had built him up to be.

Oh, how different the myths were from the men.

Wind laughed.

“What is it?” asked Legend.

“Did I ever tell you I thought Sky would be taller?"

Legend choked, not expecting that train of thought. "What?"

"Yeah! I thought he'd be big and stern and stoic, like I thought Time would be until... all of this.”

Despite himself, Legend found his face breaking into a smile. “…Me too, actually.”

Wind chewed his lip. “You know what?”

“What, kid?”

“I think I like Sky better the way he is. He’s… more real, y’know? I can touch him. He can ruffle my hair. Same for the others. Time can pat my shoulder… and I can talk to you.” Wind smiled up at him, the river sparkling mischievously in his eyes. “As grumpy as you can be at times.”

“Aaaand there it is,” Legend rolled his eyes. He swiped at Wind’s head, which the boy easily dodged.

“See? That’s what I mean!” he grinned. “A bedtime story sure can’t do that.”

Legend’s grin faded. “A bedtime story, huh?” He remembered all the tales he’d heard as a child, and one in particular smacked him right between the eyes. “I sure did a fantastic job of dragging Sky's story through the mud," he laughed without humor. "If he quits talking to me now I don't blame him."

Legend cut off Wind’s indignant shout with a raised hand. "You think he's happy after what I said about his home? I'm sure as heck not."

"You think anyone else knew more than you?" said Wind, this time cutting off Legend’s reply. "Sure, maybe you could've gone about it more... gently... but you were upset about the monsters and literally no one was expecting to hear that the great City in the Sky had problems. Sky’s a great guy, Legend. He wouldn't hold onto that kind of grudge. He'll forgive you if you just talk."

"You say that like you're so certain," muttered Legend, scanning the other heroes again. "Seems like the only thing I can be certain of now is that I can't be sure of anything."

Wind frowned. He opened his mouth, but whatever he was about to say was lost to the sound of distant voices.

“....ut you don't think I'll be, um, 'meat intolerant', or something, will I, Wild?”

"I highly doubt that, buddy. The only problem you might have is not liking the taste, but with me at the fire, that won't be happening."

"Why, how humble of you, Champion.”

“It's called mind over matter, Twilight. You can eat practically anything that way.”

“Tell me that doesn’t include rocks.”

“…”

“Wild I was kidding please tell me you haven't eaten rocks—”

With a jumble of laughs and a concerning amount of dirt and grime, the three wayward hunters returned from their quest through the trees. With them, they'd brought quite a successful haul. Twilight had a large hog swung over his shoulders, and Sky's pack was practically bursting with apples. Wild, somehow messier than both his companions, skipped over to Four and Hyrule to show them his newest collection of... monster parts?

Time eyed the state of their tunics with a raised brow. "Hog put up a fight, I see."

Twilight took one look at Time and Warriors and smirked. "Looks like y'all had a tousle yourselves."

The older heroes coughed and straightened their backs. The captain attempted to brush some of the dirt away bashfully, only succeeding in smearing it further.

"I hope neither of you were hurt?" Sky asked sweetly with a smirk of his own.

"Oh, no no," the captain muttered. "Just our pride..."

"Your pride, maybe. I'm feeling rather pleased about the whole thing," Time grinned.

"We should be the ones asking you if you're ok," Four stepped in. "Wild said you fought more monsters?"

Time and Warriors's faces hardened. "What?"

Wild jogged over with Hyrule in tow, monster parts still in his hands. "You guys should have seen it! There we were, oblivious in the forest, when this troop of lizalfos from my time starts stalking us. Only Sky sees them! So he shoots this tech item at the rest of us as a warning, and we take them all down—"

"Wild takes most of them down," Twilight amended with a grin. 

"—only for these huge black birds to swoop in! Er, what were they called again, Twilight?"

"Shadow Kargaroks."

"That! Yes!"

Legend heard Wind gasp beside him. In an instant, the sailor was across the campsite, hanging onto Wild's every word.

The champion waved his hands and continued, speaking far too enthusiastically about Sky leaping off monster birds and Twilight wrangling and blowing them up. His audience was awash with both pride and concern, and even Legend had to admit that the battle sounded impressive. He might have been a little jealous.

But no one could be as jealous as Wind. The sailor was practically shivering with excitement, the light of battle gleaming in his eyes. "Now that's a monster fight," he grinned. "Way to show those cuccos who's boss, guys. Kargaroks don't deserve to live."

"U-uh, thanks?" said Sky, only a little put-off by the sailor’s bloodlust. "I still wish I could have tamed mine, though. It's... hard when they remind me a little of Loftwings." 

"Trust me, Sky, you did the best thing you could have," Twilight patted his arm. "Those kargaroks were already too loyal to their first masters to care about us ordering them around."

"Yeah, and he really checked," said Wild.

 Twilight grimaced and rolled his shoulders.

"Well, we're glad to have you all back safe and sound, food or no. Though it seems you've returned fruitful in all endeavors," said Time, gesturing at the hog.

"Yep. Speaking of," Twilight hefted the fallen animal off his shoulder, "we oughta get this cured. Wild, do you happen to have any salt with you still? Time, if you have another knife..."

Even by his place at the stream, Legend could see Wind’s eyes widen. At first, he figured the boy was just disgusted at the thought of gutting an animal. But then, with a face more knowing than most adults Legend had met, the sailor took Sky’s hand and gently pulled him away from the camp.

Wind began his distraction as they walked back towards the brook. "So, did you get the pig, or...?"

"Twilight did," Sky sighed. "He promised to keep teaching me, which is really nice of him, but in the meantime," Sky held up his pack to the sailor, "we will have plenty of fruit."

Wind laughed and caught the apple Sky tossed him. Then the boy caught Legend’s eye.

The veteran barely had time to react as another apple flew into his hands. He looked up at Sky, expecting to see bitterness. Instead, the Chosen Hero... hesitated. He rocked on his feet by the little stream, biting his lip as if he were the one in the wrong. 

"Um... Wind said I could sit with you two, if that's all right?" Sky picked at his sailcloth. "I think that... you and I started the day on the wrong foot earlier. I'd like to change that."

Legend stilled. He turned away, meeting his own puzzled face in the reflection of the shinny apple in his hands. His gut felt funny. Why is this guy so nice to me? Why isn't he chewing me out?

"Wind said... you know how to fish?” Sky continued. “Is that kind of like hunting? Because, well, I think I could handle fish. They're not quite as familiar as animals. They are animals, of course, but I always found them sort of, uh, not as animal-like? ...I don't know where I was going with this—"

"Just sit down already, Sky," Legend patted the grass beside him, not daring to look up. 

Wind cheered, and before anyone knew it, Sky was sitting between the younger heroes, Wind’s fishing rod in his hands.

"All right!" the sailor began, "First off, you gotta have patience if you want to nab a fish. Personally I think catching crabs and lobsters is more fun but all my stuff's back home and I'd need time to make a new trap. Anyway, lemme get you some bait and I'll show you how to cast the..."

On a normal day, Legend would have found Wind’s fishing chatter amusing, but now it gave him pause to think. Legend had just insulted Hylia's Hero's entire homeland through a hissy fit of all things, and yet here Sky was, sitting beside him with a giant grin on his face as Wind guided his hands in a cast.

No looks of condemnation.

No sneers of "Stay away from me."

Just light. Just warmth. Just patience. 

Maybe, thought Legend, there was still a grain of truth to the story of the Skyloftians, even if their land wasn't perfect. Because like it or not, something about Sky felt... different, as if his very being had been blessed by a goddess in a way different from any other hero.

Or he was simply a really nice guy.

Either way, Legend's stomach felt rotten. Sky didn't deserve his bitterness. It wasn't like it was the Skyloftian's fault all nine of them were stuck with another quest, or that Legend had lost his touch working in a group.

Wind could handle Sky, he decided. They were having fun. If he left now, he could slip away without them noticing...

"...and Legend feels really bad about earlier, too, don't you, Legend?" 

The veteran’s ears snapped up. He whirled to face Wind, only to find both Sky and the sailor staring directly at him.

He glared daggers at the sailor’s crafty, encouraging smile. Oh, you're going to pay for this, Wind.

Wind didn't look the least bit sorry.

Sky, meanwhile, hadn't taken his eyes off Legend. He picked at his sailcloth but said nothing, waiting patiently for Legend to speak.

Legend gulped. Goddesses if you're up there, grant me some tact.

"I... um... well I..." Great. 

He puffed out an angry breath. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped earlier. I was angry, but... I never meant... It's just... grr do you have any idea how misleading all the stories of your home are?"

Wind smacked himself in the forehead, but Sky simply cocked his head. "...What?"

Legend checked his breathing. "Skyloft's not supposed to have problems like the rest of our homes," he said slowly.

"Not... 'supposed to'?" Sky asked, a sad look in his eyes.

Legend groaned, burying his head in his arms. Somebody just strike me down now.

Wind, thankfully, came to his rescue. "Our tales of the Sky City are like a million years old, Sky. And most of 'em talk about it like a place where nothing bad could ever happen... like Heaven."

Sky's eyes widened, and Legend could practically hear the puzzle pieces click into place in his head.

"Like... 'a paradise'?" Sky asked the veteran hero.

"...Yeah," said Legend. "And I thought... maybe you'd been spared some of the worst of things here on the surface. Then when you said otherwise, when you mentioned a famine, I..." Legend quickly cut himself off. He knew what the eyes of someone who’d lost loved ones looked like. That look… he hated that that look had filled Sky’s eyes, too. He wanted to erase that storm for him, desperately, though he knew that only time could soothe such wounds. In the meantime… he’d take responsibility for what he could.

"I-I was out of line either way,” Legend continued, quietly. “So. Y'know. I'm sorry for what I said to you, Sky."

It was as if Sky were a giant, snowy mountain, melting all at once in the warmth of his relieved smile. His hand thumped down against Legend’s shoulder, patting him like they'd known each other for years. 

"That's all this was about?"

Legend blinked. "Y-yes? Wait, what do you mean ‘that’s all’???"

Sky laughed softly. "Goodness. My goodness, that makes much more sense. My home is wonderful, but it's certainly not up to those standards. I can see how that would have seemed unfair." Then he sobered a bit. "I'm sorry, too, if I sounded defensive earlier. No hard feelings?"

Legend was gobsmacked. "You... but... you're letting it go?"

"Of course. Why not?"

"I just... I was so... what changed?"

"Nothing. I'd already forgiven you."

"W-why?!?"

Sky smiled. "I had a feeling you weren't as grumpy as you seemed."

Wind's face went red from the laugh he held in. He made eye contact with Legend, mouthing, I told you so! and buried his head in his sleeve.

"Plus," Sky continued, oblivious, "I've seen how kind you can be, Legend. You're not as hard to like as you think you are."

The veteran hero stared at him. How had the world not ripped Sky to pieces already, as it did to most kind folk?

"...Are you ok?" Sky asked after a long pause. "You look a bit... tense."

Legend barked out a laugh. "Sorry. I'm still a little shocked that I got off so easy with Hyrule's First Hero. Thanks for not... smiting me or something."

Sky's smile sank a bit. He turned and watched the stream quietly, his eyes as restless as the water before him.

"...You know, they say there was a hero before my time," the Skyloftian said quietly.

Legend and Wind looked at each other, startled.

"What?" Wind asked.

"It was his barely-begun quest, his impact on Hylia that inspired the trials I took up and conquered on my own journey," said Sky. "All these titles of 'The First Hero' or 'Hylia's Chosen,' I hardly feel worthy of them. I am a hero guided by Hylia, it's true, and I forged both Fi and a strong spirit, but if it's all the same to you..."

He looked up, the sun glowing amber through his hair, "...I'm still just 'Link.'"

Then he paused, and laughed. "Or 'Sky,' I suppose." He nudged Wind. "I'm not sure a simple carpenter-knight like myself could live up to all your old stories."

Sky's admission struck something in Legend, and all at once, the golden, perfect shell of the Hero of the Skies fell away. Left in its place was a young man, not too many years older than Legend himself. He was quiet, gentle, and so often unsure...

...much like Legend before his many adventures had hardened him.

And he finally understood.

The veteran pulled off his cap, letting his hair blow in the cool riverside breeze. He chuckled quietly. "You know what, Sky?"

"What?"

Legend shook his head. "That makes complete and utter sense to me."

Sky's relieved laugh melted all the tension around them, and finally, the weight in Legend’s chest lifted away. The veteran raised a hand. "Truce?"

Sky's calloused palm fell into his own, and they shook on it. "Truce."

Then Sky paused and turned over his wrist. "...You have a lot of rings."

Legend snorted. "That's not even half of them."

"You collect them?

"More like they accumulated, but yeah, I guess so." He paused. "You... ah, ever collect anything like that?"

Sky brightened. "Yeah! Not rings, but trinkets and little oddities from the Surface. Oh and several beautiful insects."

Legend raised his eyebrows, pleasantly surprised. "No kidding! You ever catch bees?"

"I have a few deku hornets! Scary little things, but their hives are masterpieces of craftsmanship. I caught too many of them my first time in Faron though."

"Really? How many?"

"I think I ended up with 40?"

"Shut up! Why?!?"

"It was self-defense! I had a net, they were attacking, what else was I supposed to do, politely apologize?"

Legend started wheezing as Wind rolled his eyes. "What is it with everyone and bugs today?" murmured the sailor.

Legend ignored him. "I'm still stuck on the fact you had 40 hornets just sitting in your pouch."

Sky shrugged. "Well... er... What about you? How many rings did you end up with?"

"Too many."

"Too many to count, or..."

"More than 40," Legend grinned. Sky whistled, impressed.

"What a treasure haul..." Wind’s eyes began to sparkle. "Hey Legend, if we ever end up in my era, don't go near Tetra! You might find some of your rings missing."

"Good! She can have them."

"Can I have some, too?" Wind gasped hopefully.

"No."

"What?!? C'mon!"

 As they all laughed, Sky glanced over his shoulder, and suddenly, his face went as white as a sheet. He turned back around quickly, lips drawn in a line.

Legend glanced back to see Wild and Twilight still cutting into the boar. He cringed for Sky's sake and patted his shoulder.

"Do you think Wild would be offended if I had some of these fish instead?" Sky gulped.

"Nah. He'll live. But you might want to try a little bacon first," Legend comforted. "It'll go down a lot better than the milk did, trust me."

"Ok, related note?" Wind cut in, "We need to get you some coconut milk, Sky. It comes from a plant and it's good for you, and it's a gazillion times tastier than cow milk."

Legend clapped his hands and pointed at the sailor. "Yes! The kid has a point."

"Thanks!" Wind beamed. "Gimmie one of your rings."

"No."

"Oh, c'mon, Legend!"

Sky wheezed with laughter. "You better watch out, Veteran. One of these nights your collection's going to get pilfered!"

"Heck yeah it is!" Wind cheered.

"I'd like to see you try," Legend smirked.

"Very well," said the sailor, a dangerous twinkle in his eye. "But be warned! You have henceforth incurred the wrath of the great Hero of Win—SKY! SKY REEL IT IN!"

Sky and Wind shouted in glee as they scrambled for their bobbing fishing pole. Legend threw in his encouragement, but he doubted either could hear him over their excited whoops. A decently sized fish flew out of the water, and Wind leapt for joy.

"TIME! GUYS! SKY CAUGHT A FISH!" the sailor shouted.

Several voices chimed in congratulations, and beside him, Legend could see Sky blush. As Wind expertly took the fish off the hook and added it to the pile, Legend nudged the Skyloftian's shoulder, pulling Sky's gaze towards him instead.

When Legend gave him a thumbs-up, it was like the whole forest became a bit brighter.

Who cares about those stuffy fairy tales, anyway? Legend thought, watching Sky's smile.

I'll take a good ol' friendship like this any day.

>>><<<

Masterlist | First | Chapter 6 | Chapter 8

Author’s note: Sky and Legend have SUCH good character chemistry, this was so much fun to write oh my goodness (and Legend’s very fun as a pov character!) I love writing the emotionally mature side of Sky ^u^ And since I love Wind, throwing him in here felt almost like making a perfect recipe. Underrated Trio, y’all, we need more of them!

…Also, I only just now realized that Time and Wars took a pretty long time to restock things in the village, didn’t they? Maybe they stumbled into a trading sequence side quest, lol >u<

Extra Note: I am a children’s book/family friendly author, so please keep all comments Safe For Work (no swearing please!) I want to do my best to make this a place for everyone. Cheers!

Sky gasped. The deer startled.

THWIP!

No!

In a blink, the buck was gone, scattering the fallen leaves in its hasty escape. Sky's arrow stuck uselessly out of a clump of weeds where it had been standing.

Sky grimaced. He wasn’t sure if he was more disappointed in himself or relieved. Was it bad that he was more relieved? Why was he still angry?

What am I supposed to feel?

Wild seemed to take pity on him. "Ooh, tough luck Sky. Not bad for a first attempt, though. Wanna try again?"

The Skyloftian frowned. “I…”

No. Yes? The answer had to be yes. This was his challenge. Sky had asked for this, hadn't he? And Wild meant well...

"...How ‘bout we just focus on tracking the deer for now. Then we'll see," Twilight's even drawl smoothed over the knots in Sky's chest. He gave Sky a pat on the back, and guided him to stand. With all the confidence of an experienced tracker, the farmhand led his small group deeper into the woods after the deer.

Sky let the sounds of their boots lead him as he stared at the ground. He felt his brow dig lines into his forehead. What had he gotten himself into?

Engulfed in his thoughts, Sky didn't notice Twilight gazing back at him in concern.

>>><<< 

The group’s troubles had all begun the day of their town visit. While most of the chain had been daring Sky to drink the unholy substance known as milk, they'd overheard that the town was having a monster problem. It seemed there were more enemies from across time on the loose, and it was only natural that the heroes offer their help with the infestation.

Of course, that also meant they'd be staying the night outside. Again.

So long, nice cozy inn, Sky had thought. You were a wonderful dream while you lasted.

They met a few odd moblins from Hyrule and Wild's eras and quickly dispatched them. A few keese and an octorock or two followed, and that would have been it, had the woods not been far more infested than they'd first realized.

It happened in a blur. One minute, they were peacefully camped out in the woods surrounding the village. The next, Hyrule and Time were shouting in alarm as monsters poured into the clearing where the heroes slept. Teeth gnashed. Venom dripped. Monster claws bore down like a hailstorm. However, even in their undergarments the Links were heroes, and together they turned every enemy to dust.

Remarkably, they only had a few cuts, bruises, and a winded Sky to show for it.

The same could not be said for their bags. 

Half of the supplies they'd just bought from the town were completely ruined, the meat especially. The monsters had either torn apart or gobbled up all of it from the pouches the heroes had hung up in a tree, and the wreckage was now sprawled across the campsite.

Poor Hyrule was very put-out about the whole thing.

"Ugh, what a mess,” he groaned. “I used to be so good at this when I traveled alone. If only I'd seen the monsters just a little bit sooner..."

"Shoulda, coulda, woulda, Traveler. Can't change what happened, and I doubt even gluing the bags up there would have made a difference." Legend sneered at the big hole that had been ripped into his pouch. "Tch. It’s gonna take ages to stitch this..."

"You also weren’t alone on watch this morning," Time added with a grimace. "Please forgive my lack of attention, Hyrule. Don't pin all the blame on yourself."

Warriors's yawn turned into a smirk. He elbowed Twilight. "Sounds to me like the old man's fallen out of practice."

"We're all outta form, Captain, if the state of this camp has anything to say," Twilight flew to Time's defense. 

"I…"

Time chuckled. "He has you there, Wars." 

Warriors huffed, glancing between Twilight and Time. "Co-conspirators," he murmured.

"What do we do now, Time?" Wind said, grunting through a big stretch. "Go back to the village?"

"The people were already low on resources from these monster raids, though," Sky pointed out. "Won't we be cleaning them out?"

"But our patronage could help them buy more stock," Four mentioned, "and we did just annihilate their problem." He gestured to the monster bits still strewn around the clearing.

Time hummed. "Perhaps... Yes. Here is what we’ll do. Any items we can't normally get from the land: certain elixirs, spices, vegetables and the like, we'll buy again. The monsters failed to destroy our entire supply, thankfully, so we shouldn’t be in want of much more. But for everything else: meat, water, mushrooms, berries, we'll scavenge. Between 17 eyes there's sure to be something to find."

Legend kicked his destroyed satchel. "Stupid monsters, not even from this time period..."

"Do you think we'll ever find out why time's so messed up around here?" Wind wondered.

Time crossed his arms playfully. "Well that's rude."

Wind jumped, then rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean, Time!"

Beside them, Hyrule scratched his chin. "I suppose I could go find some berries and mushrooms," he said. "I can't cook them, but I know what will and won't kill us."

“A useful skill,” laughed Four. "I'll come help!"

"Shall I head back down to the village, Time?" asked Warriors.

The older knight nodded. "Yes, and I'll go with you. It shouldn't take too long to restore everything."

"Me and the kid will fix the camp and refill the canteens," said Legend, jerking a thumb at Wind.

"Aww, clean up duty???" Wind groaned. "Why me?"

"Because I said so, come on," Legend grabbed the sailor’s arm, leading him back across their mess of a campsite. Discreetly, he mumbled, "The faster we clean, the sooner we can go fishing.”

Wind's eyes sparkled. “Really?”

“Anything to make this lousy morning a little better."

With new incentive, the sailor ran to clean the camp as quickly as humanly possible.

Twilight came up to Time, Wild at his side. "I'll take a group hunting if you think it’s necessary, Time," offered the rancher. "Wild here claims he's pretty good at it."

"Because I am," Wild grinned.

"Good," their leader nodded. "Take Sky with you. We'll need anything you boys can find."

Sky's heart skipped as Twilight rounded on him. "Ready to go, Sky?"

Uh-oh. "I-I don't know how much help I'll be."

"Nonsense. You're an able-bodied hero like the rest of us, aren’cha? That counts for something in my book."

"...Mmm," Sky hummed.

Wild’s brow creased. "Do you just not want to go?" he asked, gently.

"N-no! I mean, yes, I want to help, it's just... I can't... I don't really know... how?"

"Wait, really?" asked Wild.

Twilight's eyebrows raised. "You never learned to hunt?"

Sky's fingers found the embroidery of his sailcloth and began to trace it. He shrugged. "...I never needed to."

Legend scoffed loudly behind them. "Oh yeah, forgot for a second you grew up in paradise." He tossed a snapped ice rod onto his bedroll with a bit more force than necessary. "Sure must be nice to never worry about food and famine up in 'Blessing-Land'."

"Legend," Twilight glared.

“Hey, I think I’m allowed to be a little grumpy today! The moblins just wrecked my equipment!” The irritated veteran started rifling through his magic pouch, scowl only deepening as he took better stock of the damage to it. “Ugh, right after I organized it all, too,” he started to ramble. “I don’t even know if I’m missing anything ye…oh great, the magic powder’s leaking…”

Sky's fist tightened around his sailcloth.

He knew those words were made of hot air. His friend Groose often grumbled such careless things while he was upset, only to apologize later once he’d realized what he’d said. Sky was positive Legend would do the same in a few hours.

But that didn’t fix the icy sting that pierced his heart.

Sky's mouth formed a thin line. "...Skyloft’s not a paradise, Legend."

The veteran’s scowl faltered when he caught Sky’s hardened stare. Several of the heroes looked up in surprise.

Ignoring the angry knots swirling in his chest, Sky exhaled, letting his gaze fall away into the distance. "I’ve heard tales of my ancestors having to hunt beneath the clouds, but after Skyloft was created, that lifestyle had to change. There's only so much space available on a handful of floating islands, so the people had to make do with whatever the sky soil could yield. They had to stop hunting because... well... there isn’t anything to hunt up there."

"...Nothing?" came Hyrule's hollow whisper. He looked far too familiar with the concept. 

Sky caught his spooked gaze and gently shook his head. "For hunting," he clarified. "There's plenty of vegetables, beans, and grain to use in a good season, and we've been blessed with many years of prosperity. The last famine was..." Sky's eyes grew stormy at the unwanted memory, "...a long time ago."

He thought he caught Legend staring at him oddly. He tried to ignore it.

"...There's no game at all, then?" Warriors interrupted the silence, much to Sky's relief.

"We don't eat Skyloftian animals," the young knight sighed. "Remlits and ringers are far too small, and much too cute. Loftwings..." Sky shivered violently. "Goodness no. They're sacred, a part of us. Doing that to our birds... o-out of the question. Closest thing I can think of to another animal are insects, but they're their own thing. Not much meat on them." Sky paused thoughtfully. "They're not bad in a honey fry, though...."

Wind gagged. "You eat BUGS?!?

"Hey, they're good protein," laughed Wild, sharing a wink with Sky.

Wind's face contorted. "No no no no, go back. You hate milk but you eat BUGS?!?"

Sky looked at him firmly. "I don't hate milk, Wind. Milk hates me."

Laughter bubbled up all around him, slowly melting the stiffness in Sky's chest. He felt himself chuckling with them as he cuffed Wind lightly in the head, messing up his hair. The boy shoved him, only pushing more laughter out of the Skyloftian.

Legend stayed strangely quiet.

"Wait a moment," Four piped up. "I thought you said you've been living on the ground for a while, now. All that time and you've never needed a hunting party?"

Sky shrugged. "Lots of folks are still in Skyloft, and even the people that aren't are still using our old resources. We don't have enough buildings for everyone on the Surface yet. Oh! But you should see the gardens my friends and I have started! Especially Zelda's. Did I mention she's a plant whisperer? I'd swear she made some secret agreement with the Kikwis if I didn't know how nurturing she can be. It really is quite beautiful!"

"What is, the garden or the woman tending it?" Warriors teased.

Sky blushed deep red. "C-can my answer be both?"

A few more laughs flickered around him.

Twilight tilted his head. "So none of you 'Loftians know how to hunt?"

"No... although, we should probably begin to think about it. The seasons are harsher on the Surface. It’s just… a whole different way of life. I suppose we've been putting it off."

"Well. No time like the present to learn, oh Chosen One," said the rancher, throwing his arm around Sky. "How's about me and Wild here give you a lesson?"

Sky blinked at them. "Y-you'd do that? For me? I really don't know, won't that delay us? I don't want to hold us up—"

"Yikes, Sky, you and deadlines!" Wild laughed. "You've got to learn to slow down and smell the wildflowers. There's a time and place for urgency, buddy."

He'd once believed that while on his quest, taking his time to help civilians or explore new regions as he sought the path to Zelda. That was before he'd been too slow. Before Demise.

But Wild could never know that.

So Sky offered the heroes a shadow of a smile instead. "A-are you sure?"

Twilight's arm grew firm on Sky's shoulder. "One hundred percent. Now c'mon, dawn's the best time to head out. Just stick close to us and we'll show you the ropes. Deal?"

Sky nodded, and with several farewells, the Chain split off to do their assigned tasks. Wild was already gushing about his favorite hunting bow as Sky’s sailcloth disappeared into the trees, leaving the wrecked camp behind him.

Legend watched them all go in silence.

>>><<< 

THWIP!

Another feathered arrow tumbled uselessly into the underbrush. A boar squealed in surprise a few feet away, quickly disappearing behind a curtain of tall ferns.

Sky held his head in his hands.

"Um... well... fourth time's a charm?" Wild tried to brighten the mood.

Sky groaned. It was true. He'd lost them the deer after two attempts, and now the boar, all because he just couldn't shoot the things. The Chosen Hero didn't really feel like smiling back at Wild now. He didn't really feel like a hero at all.

Sky could sense Twilight's thoughtful gaze bearing down on his back where he crouched.

"Wild," came the rancher's low voice, "tell you what: go collect that arrow and see if you can pick up some tracks. Chances are that pig didn't go far with all this groundcover to hide in. I'll be with you in a moment."

Wild caught on to the subtext. The young champion nodded and picked his way through the forest, slipping gracefully out of sight.

Sky flinched as Twilight settled down in the dirt beside him.

"So," the rancher said after a pause. "What’s really going on?"

Sky's heart leapt. "N-nothing. I just need more-"

"Sky. You hit our practice target right on the mark, first try. Don't you go fibbing to me about needing more shooting practice."

The young knight sighed, avoiding Twilight's gaze. Would it be worse to stay here, he wondered, or go back to camp by himself with no game?

No. No he couldn't go back, not empty handed. Legend was still cleaning the camp, and as petty as it was, Sky didn’t want to prove the veteran right. He had to show he could be useful on the Surface, and not just for Legend or himself. The immigrants from Skyloft were counting on this skill. Skyloft couldn’t sustain them forever.

Oh, but those eyes... those soft, remlit eyes...

"I couldn't shoot them either, my first time."

Sky's thoughts slid to a halt as he looked back at Twilight. The rancher’s eyes were scanning the distance, dusted with the same reverence he always wore when he watched the sun go down.

"You see animals as I do, Sky,” he said. “You see them as living creatures. They have spirits and a function in this world, just as we do. And when I was a boy, asked to shoot those spirits... I couldn't do it. Not the first time. Nor the second. Nor the third."

Sky studied the rancher in surprise. "But then... how did you learn how to hunt?"

"By listening to what my... well, Rusl's his name, but he might as well be my pa... he told me something I'll never forget." Twilight turned his gaze to Chosen Hero. "You are not weak because you can't shoot an animal. You are strong in kindness, and in empathy. And this world needs those kinds of people. 

"But," he held up a finger, "there's also an order to this world. We're stewards of animals, but we're also part of the food chain. You can't tell a wolf—a meat-eater—to start eating carrots and expect her to still feed her cubs. In hunting, we take one life to feed another, but we do it with respect, just enough to get ourselves and our own loved ones those kinds of nutrients when needed. Understand?"

Sky nodded slowly. The stone of guilt still hadn’t left his stomach, but he supposed it did feel a tad lighter. To think that Twilight, probably the strongest of all his heroic successors, had once had the same problems that he was having now… it was something to ponder for sure.

As if the rancher could read his thoughts, Twilight slapped his hand down on Sky’s shoulder. "Hey, I’ve got an idea! You don't have to keep hunting today if you don’t want to—we can practice more later. For now, there's plenty of fruit trees around here that you can help us glean. And nobody's gonna be upset when you come back with a big helping of sweets!"

Sky withered in relief. Finally. Now that was a way to be useful!

“Sounds good to me,” he smiled back at the rancher.

Twilight then turned to a nearby tree, and to Sky’s confusion, raised his voice:

"And nobody's gonna complain when WILD, who loves hanging around like a keese in a belfry, stops EAVESDROPPING and agrees to cook whatever Sky finds!"

Sky jumped to his feet as the tree rustled, dropping Wild unceremoniously onto the mossy earth. Twilight just laughed.

Wild popped his head out of a clump of ferns. “Hey, it’s not my fault you’re easy to listen to. You’re like a storyteller. Back me up, Bird Man!”

Sky cracked a smile. “You’re also easy to please, ‘Tree Guy’.”

Twilight laughed harder as Wild made a face. “I see you’re feeling better, Sky,” squinted the champion.

The Chosen Hero took a deep breath, taking in the mirth of the young men around him. His friends, he reminded himself. “Yeah,” he caught Twilight’s eyes. “I… I think I am, actually.”

“Good,” said the rancher. “Wild, you figure out where that pig went off to before you became a fly on the wall?”

“North a ways, and it’s slowing down,” Wild rolled his eyes. “Are you coming with, Twi?”

Twilight hesitated. He glanced back at Sky, as if unsure of leaving him behind.

“Go,” Sky said. “I can handle myself. Promise to keep being patient with me during my next hunting lessons?”

 The rancher’s face brightened. “I’ll get you there, Sky, don’t you worry. We’ll take things one step at a time.”

“Um… speaking of time?” Wild nodded his head to the north.

“Right, right. We’ll meet you back here soon, k’ Sky?” Twilight waved, and in a blink, the two hunters were gone.

Sky took another breath, turning his eyes to several bright red fruits hanging from the trees around him. “Ok.

“Apples. I can do apples.”

>>><<< 

Sky hummed a merry tune as he slipped another shiny red fruit into his magic pouch. I’m not giving up, he repeated like a mantra. This isn’t quitting. He shifted his balance on the tree branch he stood upon and gracefully hopped to a thicker bough. The warm, morning glow of sunlight washed down his back like a gentle river, filling his weary bones with comfort.

He exhaled deeply.

This isn’t slow. It’s measured. I just need to treat it like my quest:

Do all you can. One day at a time.

He reached skyward, plucking a beautifully rich apple from its stem. “That’s all you can do sometimes, Link,” he muttered, studying the waxy surface. A part of his brain flickered to life as he traced the apple’s skin, momentarily distracting him from his troubles.

A line here… a few carved edges… I’d need my fine whittling knife for that shape, but the inside’s softer and lighter than the outer layer…what beautiful natural contrast. Maybe…

A familiar hissing noise nearly drove him from his skin.

Sky fumbled with the apple, holding his breath as he dropped it and caught it again with just three fingers. Heart thundering, he slowly trailed his eyes away from the fruit and down to the forest floor.

What had first seemed like shifting leaves suddenly shivered into a sickly lizard green. Wood became scales. Moss became claws.

Before he knew it, an entire group of lizalfos had shed their camouflage scales, gurgling to each other as they sniffed the ground below their talons. Their eyes—far more complex than Sky had ever seen them—swiveled in all directions, completely independent from one another. The monsters gripped their self-made spears with confidence, pointing out the numerous boar tracks still scattered below the tree. It seemed that Twilight was no longer the most experienced tracker in these woods.

Sky’s heart leapt to his throat. Those eyes… any moment now they would swivel upwards and see him. He wasn’t exactly hidden with his bright white sailcloth reflecting the sun like a beacon.

A beacon… a distraction!

Trying to ignore his body’s rampant protests of self-preservation, Sky moved like a whisper, swapping the apple for his scattershot.

They still haven’t seen or smelled me. That boar must stink—but for how much longer?!?

He didn’t wait to find out. Silent as a Sheikah, the Chosen Hero aimed his upgraded slingshot at the farthest apple tree he could see. Without so much as a countdown, he fired.

A hailstorm of deku seeds rained through the air, creating a cacophony as they crashed into the leaves of the tree several meters away. A few apples dislodged from their branches, splatting all over the forest floor.

In a tangible wave of alarm, the lizalfos screeched, bolting towards the distant trees and throwing their spears into the underbrush. In an instant, Sky was once again alone.

His knees buckled. The knight gripped the bough he now straddled like his life depended on it. Too close. That was too close. Could he have fought them all? Perhaps, but he knew better than to push his luck on a breed of enemy he’d never battled before. Whose era were those things from, anyway?

That question died as another thought replaced it.

Twilight and Wild.

Sky stood up on the branch in a panic. Did they know this kind of lizalfos could use camouflage? Would they even notice the sneaking creatures before it was too late?!?

The Chosen Hero pinched his nose as his brain scrambled for the answer.

Warn them. I need to warn them, but I’ll never catch up—not without being caught myself. Warn them, warn them! Need to send a message, something to send it along, something, something like—

Sky smacked his forehead. “My beetle!”

 In a flash, Sky had pulled another object from his bag, this one glittering gold in the forest light. The shimmering, ornate beetle clicked excitedly as Sky wrapped the magic contraption around his wrist.

“All right, little guy, time to do your thing!”

 Aiming his forearm in the direction of the lizards, he let the beetle fly.

Sky swooned as his reality swirled around him. He could still feel the rough bark of the tree beneath his left arm where he’d steadied himself, but his sight became blurred and warped. Double vision came and went, and suddenly, his eyesight was shifted far from his body.

Out of the eyes of the mechanical beetle, he saw trees whipping past its wings. He could still feel his wrist tilting as he steered the beetle through the forest, but the dizzying sensation of flying away from his own body was impossible to ignore.

Ugh... I can't believe I forgot how odd this feels...

Through the beetle’s shell, he could feel the vibrations of the lizalfos’ squawks. They were far closer than he’d have liked them to be.

And not a crowd I’d like to run into. Up, up, my little friend. Take me skyward.

Sky tilted his wrist gently, and soon he was zipping through the forest canopy into the open air. He tightened his fist, pushing the Tough Beetle as fast as its wings could carry it.

A glint caught his borrowed eye. Tilting his sight downwards, he saw a tail vanish into the ferns. The monsters were on the hunt.

Running low on time. Gotta keep going…

The beetle began to sputter the faster Sky pushed it. Even with upgrades, its power didn’t last forever, but he couldn’t afford a do-over. Frantically, he extended the beetle’s jaws, feeling for the slightest vibration of a bowstring or sword. Ornate eyes scanned the foliage in desperation.

The beetle’s wings sparked.

No no no! Please, Hylia, let me do this one thing!!! Just a little farther…

A Hylian’s deep drawl suddenly shook the beetle’s underside.

There!!!

Sky jerked his wrist downwards, sending the beetle spiraling into a dive. As he crashed through the canopy once more, Twilight and Wild rushed into view, their backs turned towards him.

Sky clacked the beetle’s jaws together as its wings sputtered and sparked. Wild’s ear flicked.

In a flourish faster than the human eye, Wild spun around, his shield crashing up to meet him.

CLANG!

Sky shouted in alarm as white filled his vision. His consciousness slammed back into his own body, sending him tumbling out of the tree and into a patch of bushes.

“Uugh…” he wheezed, holding his throbbing head. Wild certainly had an arm on him. It probably hadn’t helped that Sky had been flying at top speed, either.

Gingerly, Sky crawled out of the net of foliage, still blinking away his whiplash. The others were on the alert now, at least. That was good, but he couldn’t just leave them there. He’d be a lot slower than the beetle, but perhaps if he knocked back a stamina potion and began running…

A twisted sound rang through the air, shattering the sky like a poorly tuned trumpet.

The woosh of powerful wings beat somewhere above the Chosen Hero, and for a moment, a brief, hopeful moment, Sky imagined his Loftwing soaring to his rescue. Instead, two dark, leathery wings ripped open the forest canopy, and a face that wasn’t a face trumpeted down at him in rage.

Sky fumbled for his sword as ebony talons raced for his heart.

>>><<< 

“A bear.”

“Yup.”

“A bear.”

“That’s what I said.”

Twilight stared at the younger hero in disbelief. “You shot a buck. While riding a bear?!?”

Wild waved his hand. “I mean, the buck was more of a happy accident, really. I was just riding along, and this huge buck jumps out at the same time, and I’d been out of food for a while, so I thought, ‘eh, why not?’ and shot it. Had to share it with Bongo, though.”

The rancher blinked, silently, and several times in quick succession. “You named the… no. No. Of course you named the bear.” He pulled his fingers through his dark blond hair and cuffed Wild in the shoulder. “Not three days have I known you and in every one of them you have lived up to your nickname.”

Wild held up his thumbs. “I aim for consistency.”

“Pft-! Now don’t you make me laugh, Champion. We’re supposed to be trackin’ that—"

“HYAH!”

At near inhuman speed, Wild flung around, pulling out his shield just as something crashed into it. A mechanical wonder the likes of which Twilight had never seen erupted off the metal surface, showering them in a glittering storm of iridescent sparks. The machine—a beetle, by the look of it—flipped wildly before dissolving into the air, disappearing without a trace.

They stared at the empty air in stunned silence.

“What… the heck was that?” Wild finally muttered.

“Not any monster I’ve ever seen,” said Twilight. “Those sparks, though… that magic…”

“They felt familiar somehow,” Wild nodded. “Yeah, I got that, too. But why? Where did it come from, all the way out here? Who could have—"

Their eyes widened together. “Sky.”

“But then—”

“Trust a rancher’s hunch,” Twilight muttered, drawing his sword. “A message without a messenger is rarely a good omen.”

The forest seemed much darker now. The trees were tall and restrictive, hiding unsettling secrets within their long shadows. Every twig snap, every waving fern could be an ambush just waiting to happen. Twilight and Wild stepped closer to each other.

Wild drew his bow. His fingers hovered over his slate and quiver, twitching nervously over his arsenal of arrows.

Ears pricked. Blue eyes danced from shadow to shadow. They were alone in darkness.

Sky. Where is Sky? What happened to him? Twilight bit his lip. Why did we leave him I never should have left him he’s barely the same age as I am… is he younger? He’s engaged but I never asked—

The trees shifted.

Wild sucked in a breath, catching a ripple of camouflaged scales in the distance.

“LIZALFOS!”

Electricity scattered through the air as Wild launched a volley of shock arrows. Twilight yelped as the empty air shimmered, revealing an entire pack of the snarling monsters. The three lizalfos hit with Wild’s arrows seized and flopped to the ground, only for others to crawl over their bodies and replace them.

"Surrounded. Not again!" Twilight growled.

"These are from my era!" shouted Wild. "Use long range weapons. If they get too close duck under their chins, it's a blind spot!"

Twilight snapped up the flat of his blade, deflecting a crudely made arrow. 

"Oh, and they’ve got arrows, too!" Wild shouted, sending his own arrows back at the lizard archers.

The rancher rolled his eyes. "You don't say." 

A gaggling noise sent a creep up his spine as foliage shifted behind him. Twilight ducked just in time for the scaly green arm to slice through the air above him with its blade. Taking advantage of Wild’s advice, Twilight angled his sword skyward and stabbed.

The monster garbled and melted to smoke.

Another lizalfos charged at him, spear outstretched. Before it could take its revenge, Twilight beaned it with a crossbow right between the eyes. 

'Nice!" shouted Wild, who had somehow gotten his hands on a lizalfos spear and was now skewering enemies with their own weapon. "Now watch—"

"WILD!" Twilight yelled. His crossbow bolt shot past Wild’s head and straight into the talon of an attacking lizalfos. The monster's weapon dropped from its injured hand, not a moment before Wild’s spear cut through its jaw.

"Pay attention!" shouted the rancher.

"Sorry!" Wild flung out his slate. "I just meant, watch this!"

A new item materialized in the champion's hand. It was beautifully cyan, glowing in the shadows of the forest, and looked an awful lot like...

Oh boy.

"Say hello to my little friend!!!" Wild shouted, chucking a full-fledged bomb at a particularly dense cluster of enemies.

Twilight was blown back by the force of the blast.

Ears ringing, he saw the champion already back on his feet, swirling his spear and grinning madly. He danced under and around his pursuers with practiced ease, dodging so that the enemies crashed into each other with their large, heavy heads. 

"He's downright crazy," murmured Twilight.

Wild got a few more shots in with his bow before switching tactics. A lizalfos roared and tore past the few remaining monsters, charging at top speed at the champion, but Wild was ready.

His shield came down in a perfect parry, dazing the enemy. Before Twilight could blink, a golden magical field descended around the monster from all sides—Wild’s slate magic—freezing it in place. He then began slamming on the monster like a madman until his spear snapped in half.

“Wild, what the heck—”

“LAUNCH!”

The magic ended as quickly as it had appeared. The monster shot back into the forest like a cannonball, taking out another lizard along the way.

Only two lizalfos remained.

Twilight glanced at Wild, who was grinning unsteadily from ear to ear.

“Pretty cool, right?” said the champion.

“I honestly don’t know whether to be afraid for you or of you,” Twilight replied.

Before Wild could even laugh, a wail pierced their ears. They whipped around, only to see a monster finish blowing a horn for reinforcements. Twilight swore and shot it through the chest.

Wild was quick to dispatch the last monster, but the air was already shifting. Twilight felt every hair on his body stand on end as the atmosphere sent chills down his spine.

No. That’s impossible.

He knew that feeling. But how could it be? That realm had been sealed away forever…

The trumpeting sound ringing through the sky only confirmed his suspicions.

“Shadow monsters…”

Wild tore his gaze from the sky and stared at the rancher. “What? What does that mean? Is it something from your era? Twilight, what’s wrong, you’re paler than normal—”

“DOWN! Take cover!!!”

Twilight shoved Wild behind a tree just as several hissing arrows thudded into the bark.

The giant wing of a shadow kargarok tore through the tree line, opening up the clearing for the shadow bublin archer on its back. Another shadow bird flanked the first, swooping and tearing into the earth with massive, angry talons.

As their mournful, trumpeting cries filled the air, Twilight saw fear in Wild’s eyes for the very first time.

“What… what are those things?” he whispered, watching the shadow onslaught. “Why does everything feel so… cold?”

Twilight gripped his shoulder, offering his steady touch to the young knight. “They’re normal monsters corrupted by even darker magic. I don’t know how or why they’re here, but I’m gonna see to it that they never bother anyone again.” He drew his crossbow, the shadow crystal around his neck pulsing with magic. “Stay here. Stay hidden.”

“What?!? But—”

“You had your turn to show off. Now it’s mine.” He offered him a small smile.

Wild’s eyes flicked to the creatures. “…Fine. But you better be awesome. And I’m firing arrows if you miss.”

Twilight nodded. “Deal.”

The leathery kargaroks dove for Twilight as soon as he ran out from the trees.

Twilight shot the crossbow to distract them as he dug into his magic pouch, willing a new item into his open palm. If only the Captain could see me now, he nearly laughed. In a flash of silver, a giant chained ball materialized in his arms, and with all his might, the rancher began to swing.

Faster… Closer… Faster!

The dangerous momentum of the ball and chain and the force of the first beast’s dive were a disastrous combination. With a mighty crack, the kargarok’s head slammed into the earth, furrowing the soil with its great mass.

Wasting not a moment more, Twilight put the heavy weapon away and sprinted for the beast’s back. He vaulted upon its saddle, punching away the bublin archer still sitting there as he passed, and launched himself at the second beast still swooping low in the air. He was just in time to grab one of the kargarok’s spines, and hoisted himself upon its back, right in front of its rider.

This second corrupted bublin screamed, ready to jam one of its arrows into Twilight’s back and regain control of its mount. Twilight caught its arm, ushering forth all his strength to keep himself steady. Gripping the screeching, writhing kargarok with only his legs, he punted the shadow bublin straight off the back of the beast. It fell to the ground with a satisfying THUD.

The glint of an arrow caught his eye. As if in slow motion, the black arrow from the first archer tore through the atmosphere, its metal tip aimed right for him…

…until another arrow cut it off.

Wild, his bow drawn and body completely exposed, stood determined in the clearing.

Twilight’s heart sunk as he watched the grounded kargarok limp into the skies again, trumpeting right for the champion.

“YOUR SHIELD!” shouted the rancher. “WILD, PARRY WITH YOUR—"

He wasn’t given the chance to watch. The kargarok beneath him trumpeted and writhed, twisting its neck to shake the rancher off.

“S-steady… steady, darn it!” he swore, grasping at its jagged spikes.

But the monster would hear none of it. It shot into the sky, Twilight clinging to its back uselessly. It stalled motionless in the air, then tore into a spiraling dive.

“Grr… You wanna play tough?” he growled, baring his teeth against the wind. “Then let me show you my fangs!”

The kargarok snapped out its wings to prevent a collision with the battle below. That was all the opening Twilight needed. He drew his sword and stabbed downwards, striking the corrupted beast between the shoulders.

The creature trumpeted and lost control. Twilight wailed on its back as they descended, slashing and spearing, until beast and hero slammed into the ground in an explosion of purple smoke.

Twilight gasped as the collision knocked the wind from his lungs. As if he weighed nothing, his body flailed across the clearing, rolling him like a tumbleweed into another figure.

Dazed, the rancher grasped for his sword.

“Wait! Wait!” Wild held up his hands. “It's just me! I got the other archer, we just need to—”

The world turned over as a giant black talon crashed into Twilight’s torso.

“AAGH!” both heroes shouted, each pinned to the ground by a foot of the remaining kargarok. The beast trumpeted victoriously down at them, half of its spiraled, faceless head still bashed in from the ball and chain.

Twilight gasped as the trees shifted around them. Three spears pointed in their faces, held by three lightning-scarred—and very disgruntled—lizalfos.

“Aw, c’mon, I thought I killed you guys already!” Wild groaned, his wide eyes betraying his unspoken fear.

Twilight felt a rush of magic pulse in his chest as the kargarok leaned back to strike. He could still win. If he transformed into a wolf now, it might surprise the monsters enough to give them an opening. But how to explain such a blessed curse to Wild?

The talons tightened, and Twilight realized he was out of time.

Wolf of nothing. Fine. Wild, forgive me for this shock—

“TRAAAAAAAWWWWW!”

Twilight’s plans were shattered by the sound of another trumpeting wail.

“Oh no…” Wild breathed, watching a third kargarok spiral into view above them.

The creature pinning them down jerked its broken head skyward, clinging possessively to its prey.

 The new kargarok didn't seem to notice its challenger. Instead of attacking, the creature flapped wildly, spinning in tight circles and snapping its neck from side to side. Almost as if it had a rather annoying itch. 

A flash of blue and red flickered from atop the monster's back the closer it spiraled.

 Twilight's eyes narrowed. "Wait a second..."

Wild beamed. "No way... Sky?!?"

 The Chosen Hero yanked the bright cyan whip he'd wrapped around the monster's neck, pulling it into a sudden downwards spiral. The beast lost control, and plummeted straight for the other kargarok, who screeched at the oncoming challenger. It threw itself from Wild and Twilight's chests, claws extended at the other beast.

The giant birds collided with a thunderous crash, and Sky jumped.

The lizalfos, too distracted to see the body of a hero skydiving right for them, panicked beneath the battling creatures. Twilight and Wild rolled to their feet, blocking them in. Then...

The fwoosh of a sailcloth.

The glimmer of a sword.

"KEH-YAH!" shouted the Chosen Hero, driving the length of the Master Sword straight through a monster's head. 

"YES!" cheered Wild, running after a second lizalfos with a tree branch. Sky locked the third monster in a fierce sword fight.

Trying not to focus on Sky's gasping breaths or Wild’s... unconventional weapon choice, Twilight turned back to the corrupted kargaroks. He was just in time to see the injured beast shatter into splinters of shadow, leaving Sky’s mount to trumpet victoriously over a cloud of smoke.

And that's the last victory you're gonna have. 

The rancher wasted no time on theatrics this round. He drew his bow. He lit the fuse. In two thwips! of a bowstring and two BOOMs! of an explosion, the final kargarok knew no more.

 “HECK YEAH! GO TWILIGHT!” Wild shouted, grabbing the exhausted Sky before he could fall over.

“Did… we win?” rasped the Skyloftian.

“I’ll say,” Twilight smiled. He limped over to his ramshackle companions, offering another arm for Sky to grasp onto. “But we would have been in quite a pinch if you hadn’t pulled all those stunts back there.”

“Ha, you’re one to talk, Twi!" the champion cut in. "And they call me ‘Wild’. You guys were insane!!!"

Sky nodded breathlessly. “Hff… thanks… Used to… big birds… You two ok?”

“Better than we were a minute ago,” said the rancher, rolling his stiff shoulders. He gazed fondly at the other heroes. "You boys are really somethin’, you know that?"

“You... were really cool, too” Sky grinned. “And Wild’s fast.”

"Barely faster than that beetle thing of yours—on which I call dibs!" Wild added quickly.

Sky laughed.

Twilight cast his gaze around the clearing, finally able to get his thoughts in order as his adrenaline wore off. A frown wormed its way onto his face.

"Those creatures shouldn't have been here."

"Don't I know it," said Wild, growing serious. "I'm no biologist, but even I know my era's lizalfos are highly evolved from what they used to be, big swivelly eyes and all." He twirled around a finger. "And this forest looks nothing like the ones I've explored. By all accounts, my monsters shouldn’t even exist in this time period."

"Oh...” Sky suddenly grew sheepish. “You already knew… I didn’t need to warn you about the camouflage, did I?”

Wild’s eyes widened. “What? Nonono, that was a big help! Especially because Rancher here was distracting me with conversation.”

The two heroes turned to Twilight, expecting a witty comeback. Instead, the farmhand remained strangely quiet.

Sky’s features hardened. “Twilight. Are there more out there?”

“…H-hmm? Ah, no. No. It’s just…” His blue eyes washed over the bright sky, half expecting another monster to fall from it. “Those shadow kargaroks and their archers. They aren’t just from some vague era. They’re from one point in time. A very specific point… but how could…?”

“Same way that Hinox from earlier showed up,” Wild shrugged. “Either the goddesses are testing us, or this is why they brought us here in the first place.”

“Or both,” Sky murmured thoughtfully.

Twilight lingered on his companions’ faces for a moment before shrugging. “Well. All I can say for certain is that the village is a whole lot safer with those monsters gone. I don’t wanna jinx us, but I get the feeling this was finally the last of them.”

Wild suddenly went rigid, smacking himself in the head. “Aww!”

Twilight stood straighter. “What? What is it?”

“I never got to ride a demon bird!”

Sky balked at him. “Wh… why would you want that?!?”

“Don’t ask,” Twilight sighed. “He’s ridden a bear before, Sky.”

The Chosen Hero blinked. “A bare… what?”

“A bear,” said Wild. “Like… the animal?”

"Oh." Sky scratched his head. "...What's a bear?"

Twilight and Wild locked eyes. Barely a moment passed before their composure slipped completely, giving way to wide grins. Chuckling, and more than a bit relieved they were all ok, the two heroes sandwiched Sky between them in a lopsided hug.

“Wh-what? What did I say?” Sky smiled, still very confused.

“Something very ‘Sky’” Wild laughed.

“To think,” said Twilight, “the same young man whose heart’s too big to shoot a deer and has never heard of bears, just wrangled a giant beast he’s never seen before and mercilessly slayed some monsters to save our butts.”

Sky’s face flushed in embarrassment. “I-I… well… you killed most of them, so…”

Wild snorted. “Just say thanks, featherhead.”

“…Thanks,” Sky murmured. “…And nice hair, Wild.”

Twilight barked with laughter as the champion pulled a large, broken stick out of his tangled hair. Wild examined it with exaggerated surprise before holding it high in the air triumphantly.

“Behold! A new weapon to mark our courage!”

Wild swung the stubby stick around like a dagger, pretending to stab Sky mercilessly in the side and accidentally tickling him in the process. The Chosen Hero snorted with laughter, failing to escape the brotherly onslaught.

“All right, all right, break it up, you two,” Twilight grabbed the heroes, pulling them apart by their tunics. His eye twitched as the move jerked his sore ribs. “We’ve had quite a skirmish, but we’ve still got a job to do. You got those apples, Sky?”

The Skyloftian winced. “I… did. But then the kargarok tossed me, and my adventure pouch… well. Let’s just say I have some items to recover.”

Wild patted him on the back. “Want some help with that?”

“…Yeah. Help would be good.”

Twilight steered the heroes back out of the clearing. “Then let’s get going, boys.”

Sky turned back to him in surprise. “Really? But what about the hunt?”

Twilight shrugged. “There’s plenty of animals in these woods. I’ve got time to track another. In the meantime, I’d rather not let either of you out of my sight!”

He tousled their hair, sending a series of loud protests ringing through the trees. With lighter hearts and a closer bond, the three heroes finally made their way back into the forest.

>>><<<

Masterlist | First | Chapter 5 | Chapter 7

Author’s note: Legend will remember that. >=)

Ooooh Twilight and Sky are such a good duo, and this was a very fun exploration of them (and good battle writing practice, haha). The next chapter is a direct follow-up to this and I am SOOOO stoked to post it; This chapter and Chapters 7, 9 and 12 are my absolute favorites, and I had so much fun with everything in between! Things are picking up!

Extra Note: I am a children’s book/family friendly author, so please keep all comments Safe For Work (no swearing please!) I want to do my best to make this a place for everyone. Cheers!

Warriors gasped as the camp fell into silent shock.

Time's eyebrows rose slowly. "Oh-ho. Brave words, for a youth. You wanna bet 60 rupees on it, son?"

"You've got yourself a deal, Old Man."

The two men locked hands, staring each other down. Their faces were sharp. Stern. Unwavering…

…Until they burst into laughter. The men patted each other on the shoulders, and the whole camp breathed a sigh of relief at the mirth dancing behind their eyes.

Except for Sky.

Who was currently trying not to be sick.

Surely not... he'd misheard them, right? They couldn't mean... they hadn't said....

"You don't realize what you've just done, Twilight," laughed Warriors. "A bet with Time? Over milk of all things? I'm so sorry, but you, my friend, are doomed."

"Ordon milk is superior an' I'll die on that hill, Captain."

Oh goddesses. Oh golden three have mercy.

They were talking about milk.

Sky gritted his teeth as he tried to keep his stomach from rolling. What... what was...? Was this some future custom? And no one else seemed perturbed... Oh heavens. Was it common?!?

"Sky? You don't look so good..."

Wind's voice drew several eyes his way.

Hyrule hurried over. "Is something the matter?"

"And be honest this time, please," Legend added, the captain nodding firmly beside him.

 Sky fought for words. Wasn't the future supposed to be... more civilized? What barbaric customs had he just overheard?

Somewhere in his dried-up throat, he finally found his voice. "You said," he croaked, "you drink... milk? Regularly?!?"

The pure and vile disgust on Sky's face failed to impress the others. If anything, they just looked lost, maybe even amused.

"Maybe not regularly, but... why?" Four asked, decent enough to show at least some concern.

"Have you lost a battle to an expired jar of buttermilk, my friend?" Warriors smirked. Legend and a few others snickered.

"No, that's not...!" He couldn't even say what he meant, it was too revolting.

Suddenly, Twilight's face lit up in a revelation. “Wait, wait wait! Sky," he asked slowly, "if you’re used to living up in the air… do you know what a cow is? Or a goat?”

“I—No??? W-what does that have to do with… with… w-withbreastmilk?”

...

The camp exploded.

"OH MY GOSH! Oh my GOSH—" Legend cackled, stomping his foot in the grass as he keeled over from laughter. "No freaking way!"

“UGHHHHH! Gross, Sky!" Wind joined in, looking joyfully disgusted as he held his sides. "Eeeeewwww! Ahahaha!”

Wild had gone through about 5 different shades of pink as he flailed his arms around. "NO! Nononono! Sky, Sky, back up. Back WAY up, that’s not what I’m talking about!”

"Wrong milk!" Four howled. "Wrong milk!"

Twilight wheezed under his breath and ducked his head. "Spirits have mercy, no wonder you were so pale..."

Sky's disgust gradually morphed into confusion. "T-then, if not that, w-what are you talking about?"

"Not ‘breast milk’!" Warriors laughed, wiping away a tear.

“I mean!" Legend cried, rolling in the grass. "It kinda is!”

Hyrule groaned and covered his blushing face. "Oh, nooooooo!"

Time made a valiant effort to bite back his laughter. “H-hush, you. You know cow milk is far from the same thing.”

"Depends on how technical you wanna be!" Four snorted, descending helplessly into giggles.

Meanwhile, Sky was getting pale again. "U-UM."

Time decided to finally show him some mercy. "Sky, there's a few things I should explain about life in Hyrule..."

It took a while for Sky to understand what cows and goats were, and even longer to get over the renewed disgust of drinking their milk. (Because yes, Time, it was still... milk... even if it was from another creature.) However, Sky supposed it was a lot less barbaric than what he'd initially thought. It didn't seem to hurt anyone, either, as nasty as it sounded. And apparently you could bake things with it? That was a novel concept.

"Oh, no! I just realized!"

All eyes turned to the champion.

"Cheese! You've never had cheese! Now that's a travesty."

Sky cocked his head, almost afraid to ask, "What's... cheese?"

"Curdled, sometimes moldy milk that's drained until it's solid and chunky," Four explained happily.

Wild slapped himself in the forehead.

Nope. Never mind. Too much information.

"Nope nope nope nope goodnight never talk to me about this again. Thank you. Goodnight."

Sky threw his sailcloth over his head, not even bothering with his clothes as he flopped down onto his bed roll. He took a moment to appreciate whoever had unrolled it and placed it beside him while he'd napped.

"Noooooo Sky come back!" Hyrule giggled.

"Sky? Who's Sky? No Sky here. Just a poor sick man who's learned too much about cows tonight."

He heard more laughter spill over the campsite, followed by the tell-tale click! of Wild’s slate taking a picture. 

Sky couldn’t help but grin. If anyone had to be his successors, he was very glad it was them.

The Skyloftian was just about to nod off again when he heard the flop! of a bed mat being dropped and the small “oof!” of a warm body plopping down next to him. Sky peeked out from under his sailcloth. 

Wind smiled back.

"...You're not here to tell me more about cheese, are you?"

"Nope," said Wind. "I've just got older brother duties to fulfill."

"Older brother duties?"

"Yep! Think about it this way. We're all connected by spirit, right? That basically makes us family. And I have experience with family. Being a big brother's kinda my job description, besides all the pirating stuff."

Sky chuckled. "I'm not sure it works that way."

"I'm making it work that way, so there!"

Sky laughed harder, flinching as his lungs began to wheeze again. Shame swirled through his body at the awful honking noise.

"Sorry," he murmured, starting to pull away from Wind. 

The sailor stopped him. 

"Sky," he said quietly, gripping his sailcloth, "we all really care about you. You're a nice person, and like I said before, you're like family."

Wind looked down and picked at the mat. "...I'm also sorry about the potion thing earlier. It helped the blisters a lot, really. I just... wanted everyone to see that I'm strong, too, ya know? That I can pull my own weight."

Sky shifted closer to him. Wind wasn’t the only one.

"...Guess I kinda went about it the wrong way," Wind shrugged. He looked up at Sky with his big, green eyes, and the Chosen Hero could see only earnestness in them.

"Family cares about each other, Sky. So let us care for you, ok? That's nothing to be sorry about."

Sky studied the boy in front of him deeply. Wind was so young... but his eyes told stories of experience. He had wisdom beyond his years, and something about it felt so warm and familiar that Sky was sure his chest was melting. 

"C'mere, you," Sky lunged, encasing the boy in a cocoon of fabric. 

"UGH! SKY! LEMME GO!"

"NEVER! YOU'RE MINE NOW!"

"HEEEEEELP! THE UGLY DEKU PLANT'S GOT ME!!!"

"BWAHA—COUGH!—HAHA!"

If Sky heard another picture snap behind them, he ignored it. He poked his and Wind’s heads out from the sailcloth so they could breathe and laugh freely.

"You brought this upon yourself, you know," Sky said, his eyes twinkling.

Wind rolled his eyes. "I know, I know." He settled himself closer anyway.

Smiling, Sky unclipped his sailcloth and tucked it more tightly around Wind’s shoulders. A tiny voice in his head teased him, will you tuck your own children in this way, one day? and his chest fluttered all over again as he shoved the thought deep down. 

Wind let out a massive yawn. "G'night, Sky."

"'Night," Sky murmured sleepily. The weight of the day was finally crashing down upon him, pinning his lead limbs to the earth in the most comfortable way. Still, he couldn't resist one last...

"Don't let the deku plants bite."

Wind kicked him in the shins.

Sky cackled and smothered the writhing boy in his arms, locking him in his embrace. The little fledgling wasn't escaping this nest so easily!

After a few more punches, a few more pictures, and a chest full of laughter, the Skyloftian and the sailor began to succumb to their shared exhaustion. It wasn't long before the two islanders nodded their heads, finally slipping into the deep, blissful caress of sleep.

>>><<< 

To everyone's joy, they found the town the next day. They received some supplies and information, and per a nearly unanimous vote, some milk for Wild to use in his meals. It was also unanimously decided that Sky be forced to try some.

He took it. Only as repayment for all their kindness, but he drank it. It was... not as horrible as he'd thought it would be. Maybe even decent? He even began to apologize for his prior fuss...

...until he fell terribly ill. 

Wild said he must have been "lactose intolerant".

All Sky knew was he was never touching a glass of milk again.

>>><<<

Masterlist | First | Chapter 4 | Chapter 6

Author’s note: He's fine. They're all fine. They wean him onto cheese and milk eventually—it's like a group project. Or a nature documentary on the effects of dairy on your average Skyloftian. Sky is not amused.

(Sorry for my ridiculous animal science/biology science humor your regularly scheduled hurt/comfort appears in the next chapter, which turned out to be one of my favorites, and has some really fun action too! It's also a nice long one ^u^)

Extra Note: I am a children’s book/family friendly author, so Please keep all comments Safe For Work (no swearing please!) I want to do my best to make this a place for everyone. Cheers!

The sun had barely risen over the cloudless horizon, and already the air was inching towards the sweltering atmosphere of Lanayru Desert. The problem was, the air wasn’t dry. That he’d gotten used to from the few years he’d lived on the Surface. Instead, humidity rolled through the mid-morning sky like waves of invisible mist, sticking to every seam of Sky’s clothing and clogging his breath. His head swam as his high-altitude body tried to process the new climate. He’d never felt a heat wave like this before... except for, of course, in Eldin.

Sky grimaced. Funny how his fireshield earrings let him walk clean through the hearts of active volcanoes, but did nothing for above-average heat spells. Go figure.

Twilight let out a long whistle. “Feels like it’s gonna be a scorcher, boys.”

“Bring it!” Wind grinned, trotting past the rancher to get a better view of the vast, grassy hills before them. “We’ve had way hotter mornings out on the Great Sea!”

“Sounds delightful,” Legend grumbled.

Four pulled a face. “Sounds miserable.”

“It should!” Wind grinned. “That’s how we weed out the lily-livered. Only the toughest of sailors can brave the harsh days and frigid nights out on the water!”

Sky watched as the young sailor strutted around, puffing his chest out like a proud Loftwing. He smiled, letting Wind’s not-so-subtle boasting distract him from the heat a while.

If the rest of the heroes could handle the weather, then so could he. He had to. This was what the quest demanded, and he’d sell his precious carving tools before he let himself slow down the rest of his new team.

 And besides, Sky thought, the village can’t be that far away… can it?

>>><<< 

He was wrong. Very wrong.

Unlike Sky had hoped, their trek just kept going. Hyrule was a vast region, and the others seemed used to it. Every time Sky figured they would stop for a while to breathe, they kept walking, and the small breaks they did take were usually just quick checks for danger or direction. No village appeared over the horizon, no matter how hard Sky stared.

A cold dread seeped into his burning body as he began to understand what was happening. Yesterday was a test of courage. All those unusual monsters were proof of that. But today appeared to be a test of endurance. A test of stamina.

Sky shuddered internally. Oh joy.

This was probably the farthest he’d ever walked all at once without stopping, he realized. Skyloft certainly wasn’t this big, and even on his quest for Zelda, when he’d pushed himself to his limit, he’d had his bird, Crimson. He’d had Skyloft.

And I still was too slow.

Sky couldn’t force that thought back down as his gaze shifted over the other heroes. Wild and Hyrule led the group side by side, talking merrily about the places they’d explored. Neither boy looked like he’d broken a sweat.

Warriors and Twilight weren’t far behind, marching in long steady strides with Legend right beside them. Time stretched his arms and wiped his forehead once, but he never faltered. Four hung back to walk alongside the older knight, but certainly not for lack of energy—his small stature simply wasn’t made for striding.

Then that left Wind, who was… all over the place. His boyish excitement still hadn’t run out, it seemed, and he was bouncing through their ranks, asking as many questions as he could get away with. Sky had trouble keeping up with most of the answers. His chest was acting up again, and with each minute, he could see Time’s back getting farther and farther away.

Didn’t Wind live on a water-bound island? Wasn’t he tired, too? Why was Sky always bringing up the rear?

He wheezed involuntarily, drawing a glance from Time.

Panic struck Sky’s heart like a knife. No! Can’t let them see. Can’t be slow! Set an example…

Sky smiled brightly at him, fighting down the urge to cough.

Time stared at him a moment longer. He looked ready to say something, but whatever it was going to be was lost as Four pulled Time back into their prior conversation. Time nodded and turned away from Sky, resuming his discussion with the smith.

Sky let their words wash over him, desperate to ignore the dizzy ache settling through his body and his heart pounding in his ears.

Too slow…

>>><<< 

Their break for lunch went by far faster than Sky had hoped. The heroes plopped themselves down under the shade of some stray trees, happy to snack on some of Wild’s mushroom and potato skewers. They stretched their aching limbs, resting just long enough to regain their energy and wipe off their sweat.

Sky leaned his back against one of the trees, limbs pulsing and shaking. By now he could feel the familiar, nasty slickness of spit trailing down his throat, threatening to creep into his weak lungs. He downed some water, trying to subtly swallow the gunk away. He wasn’t about to start a coughing fit in front of the others; that wouldn’t do here, not when he was supposed to be an example for them. Time may have been made their leader unofficially, but Sky was still the Chosen Hero. The first of them all. He couldn’t let them down.

Too slow… Too slow…

He didn’t realize he’d fallen asleep until Time shook his shoulder.

Sky jolted, sending spit down the wrong part of his throat. He hacked on instinct. The ugly sound made him go cold with embarrassment, and he forced himself to be more subtle.

Time stared at him in concern, Hyrule frowning over his shoulder along with the others.

Warriors studied him like a bug under a magnifying glass. “Are you all right?”

Sky waved him away and stood quickly, trying to smile it off. “H-ha. Sorry. Spit went the wrong way. I… wasn’t out for very long, was I?”

“Only a few minutes...” said Time slowly, his gaze never leaving Sky.

“And boy, what a sleep,” Legend added. “You were still sitting up and everything. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone conk out so fast; were you going for a record or something?”

“Legend,” Twilight frowned.

“What? I’m genuinely curious.”

Despite his dizzy head, Sky found a true smile on his lips. That’s just like something Groose would say. “Oh, it’s just another one of my many skills, Veteran. I hope you’re not too jealous.”

Legend’s eyebrows rose, obviously not expecting that comeback. He chuckled to himself and shook his head. “Jealous? Of you? Fat chance, Bird Man.”

Sky grinned, but could still feel several eyes on his back as they packed up lunch. He focused on keeping in his cough to distract himself.

And of course, a sip of stamina potion when no one was looking didn’t hurt, either.

Once they set out again, the air only got hotter. As the day slumped past, many of the men decided to put away their armor, preferring comfort over defense. The only monsters they’d come across so far were basic chu-chus and other tiny enemies, nothing to warrant the mighty regalia of a knight’s outfit. Blasted by heat, most of the others simply slipped into a quiet daze as they let their feet carry them at a steady pace.

The key word there being “most.”

Sky kept falling behind.

His body felt numb and fuzzy with fatigue. His hands and feet were swelling and throbbing as his lungs struggled to keep time with his heart. He was certain his boots had gotten smaller.

Memories of his quest filtered through his mind, unbidden.

You were too slow, hero. Too slow! Too slow to save—

A grunt drew his attention. Wind, who’d been so bubbly that morning, was now strangely quiet. He’d fallen back to the end of the line with Sky, eyebrows notched in a sour grimace. His glazed eyes stared holes into the path before him as he gingerly moved his feet… feet that no doubt were causing him as much pain as Sky’s.

Ah. So I was right about him earlier, Sky thought. Poor little fledgling…

He quietly cleared the phlegm out of his raw throat, breaking the silence between them.

“So, what’s it like traveling an entire ocean?”

 Wind's ears perked up. "Huh?"

"I have... well, maybe not experience, but I've gone sailing on the Surface with a friend of mine before. He's a captain, actually."

 Sky's question worked beautifully. Wind's exhaustion was quickly swept to the side in favor of a big, dimpled grin. "No way."

Sky nodded. "Yeah. A mechanical captain from an age long past. It's sort of hard to explain, but there are these stones that act as windows to the past, and they can turn one of the deserts in my era into what it used to be: an ocean. It's beautiful. But to be completely surrounded by water for days on end... isn't that scary?"

 Wind shook his head firmly. "No! Well, maybe a little at first, but that was because of my quest. But on a ship with a crew, it's like journeying with a big family. Every day something new could happen, and there's always something to do on the boat. I like shooting the canons at monsters, personally. "

Sky found himself grinning. "Canon's have no right to be that entertaining."

"As long as you're not the one being shot out of one,” Wind agreed. “I got lucky with my pirate’s initiation. They only shot me from a giant catapult. But from the stories I’ve heard on the sea? Some guys across the ocean have some insane pastimes, heh.”

“Wait, wait, a giant… what did you call it?”

“A catapult? You know,” Wind cupped his hand and swung his arm forward forcefully. “Big wooden thing that you wind back and release, throws whatever you put in the barrel? Like a cannon but with less gunpowder.”

Sky blinked in amazement. That almost sounded like… No. It couldn’t be. “You’re not talking about—I can’t believe I’m saying this—the Groosenator, are you?”

Wind pulled an odd, pinched expression, somewhere between deep thought and utter confusion. “What? Wait lemme think, why is that… Oh! Yeah, actually I think my Grandma had an old school book that said something about a lot of early inventions all having this one guy’s name tacked onto them? Hey, and that goosen-something you mentioned…”

“Groosenator.”

“Bless you. But yeah! I think that was the earliest catapult or something?” Wind gasped as a thought hit him. “WAIT! Do you know the guy who made it?!?”

Sky smiled. “Yeah. He used to bully me in school but we’re pretty great buddies now. He’s actually been a big help with building our Surface settlement… when he’s not off getting distracted by his ‘latest stroke of genius’ and shooting me out of the ‘Groosenator Mark II like a test dummy.” Sky rubbed his neck. “Yikes.”

Wind's eyes blew wide. “So you’ve been shot out a catapult, too?!?”

 Sky bit his lip to keep his laugh contained. "Yeah, several times actually. And I’ve shot a canon AND been shot out of one. I have… many types of friends."

Wind blew out a puff of air. "That's amazing. Who knew we had so much in common! Islands, catapults, friends that sail..."

"...A hero's spirit," Sky added, putting a numb hand on Wind's back.

"And you're Tetra's ancestor... Ha! She'd probably flip if I told her. You two seriously need to meet."

Pride swelled in Sky's chest, overtaking his exhaustion for a moment. "You said she was the captain?"

"The best on the ocean," said Wind. He closed his eyes fondly. "She's brave and quick, and she'll do anything for the men that fight at her side. She sort of inherited the crew when her mom died, so they all look out for her even though she's in charge. They’re basically her family. I'm just the newcomer."

"Just the newcomer?" Sky pressed. "The way you talk about her and the crew, you seem a bit more than just that." 

"Yeah... well..." Wind scratched his head. He blushed when the older hero nudged his shoulder. "Hey, don't make this mushier than it needs to be, Sky."

"Then tell me more about her," the Skyloftian pressed. "What should I know if I'm going meet her?"

"...Well… we both like to spar."

"Hey, that sounds fun!" Sky smiled, thinking about all the sparring he'd done with his classmates in Skyloft. The thought of crossing swords with his great-something granddaughter sent warm sparks swirling through his chest. "I really hope I get to see her, and all the Zeldas, too," he sighed. "I just hope..."

Wind tilted his head. "What?"

It was Sky's turn to blush. "I just hope we'll get along, you know? That she doesn't think meeting her ancient ancestor will be weird."

"Weird? No way! She may be tough on the outside, but she's really great once you get to know her. She'll love you, Sky."

"If you say so."

Wind paused to consider something. Slowly, his face lit up with a big, twinkling grin. "Hey! Now that I think about it, you two actually balance each other out really well."

"We do?"

"Yep!" Wind winked. "You make the perfect team. Your all sweet and she's super sour!”

 Sky couldn’t help it. He let out a deep, sharp laugh, surprised by Wind’s blunt honesty.

This proved to be a horrible mistake.

His laughter erupted into a coughing fit, seizing his diaphragm and refusing to let go. All at once, Sky’s held-back phlegm was finally free. It surged from his ragged airways in a full force assault, drowning him where he stood. His chest spasmed, but no air came in. His head swam. There was thunder in his ears and a fire in his lungs, pounding, burning, suffocating him with overloaded senses. Air was water. Up was down. All at once the world was spinning, and the ground came swirling up to meet him.

Strong hands grabbed him before he could break his nose, but he was sure he’d bruised his knee on a rock. His throat tightened on him, and he wheezed. He couldn't swallow. Everything was too hot, too humid. He couldn't breathe.

Too slow too slow too slow!

Something smelling of a garden was shoved beneath his nose. It was clear. Sweet. Cold.

Skyloft.

Sky opened his mouth, inhaling the mint leaf’s fumes greedily as the powerful scent forced space back into his airways. He coughed up a disgusting amount of phlegm. He could taste salt running down his chin and nose, tears escaping his eyes with his body’s effort to clear his system. His heart thudded against his chest, his stamina long since spent. Limply, he let himself sink back into the arms of whoever had caught him.

A faint smell of pumpkins tickled his nose. He coughed weakly, too exhausted to even clear his lungs correctly. Someone ran a cool cloth over his face to clean it.

“Sky?!? Sky?” Wind’s jarring voice sounded from somewhere nearby. “Captain, what was that?!? What happened? We were just talking, and—!”

“Some kind of respiratory illness, perhaps” Warriors murmured right in front of him, wiping the water-soaked cloth across Sky’s cheek. “Bring the crushed mint a bit closer to his face, Champion. Twilight, sit him up straighter—don’t hold him so tight—there. Let him breathe.”

Numbly, the Skyloftian registered Wild’s hand on his rattling chest, moving the crumpled sprig of mint toward his mouth and nose.

“Sky,” Hyrule whined, sounding heartbroken. “Ugh, I knew there was something wrong earlier.”

Time consoled the traveler with a small pat to the shoulder. Sky then heard the path shift as the older knight knelt before him.

“A group is only as fast as its slowest member, Sky, and none of us have a problem slowing down. We are not made of clockwork, and it’s hot. If you ever feel ill, you need to tell us. You know that.”

“I know,” he rasped, chest catching fire all over again. Pain and embarrassment swirled within his eyes. He couldn’t move his body. “M’sorry…”

Too late. Too slow. Not enough.

Sky clenched his fist over the mint.

I’m so sorry.

For more than you know.

“All right, that’s enough of that,” Warriors cut in. “Time, I’m making an executive decision. We’re resting. Village be darned, we’ll find it tomorrow.” He eyed Wind, who was swaying on his feet, looking miserable. “All of us are resting,” he clarified.

Sky felt himself being lifted up and placed against another tree, all the while drifting in and out of consciousness in his exhaustion. Wild’s mint sprig was still tucked into the neck of his sailcloth, mixing its fresh scent with the lingering traces of Zelda’s perfume. Sky closed his eyes and breathed.  

“Oh, Sleepyhead…” she would have whispered to him, teasing his hair with her soft fingers. He could practically feel her curled up next to him.

Someone shifted by his side, and Sky jolted out of his half-dream.

Oh. Right.

Wind was leaning against Sky, arms crossed over his knees and his chin tucked behind them. He looked utterly spent, and there was little doubt that Sky looked even worse.

 "Sky."

The Chosen Hero looked up to see that the camp had already been set. The sun hung low in a late afternoon haze, its long shadows and golden glow joining with that of the firelight. How long had he been resting?

"Sky?"

His eyes snapped to the rest of the heroes. Time and Warriors, in particular, were staring at him with intense study and concern. The two of them looked scarily similar.

He'd seen that look on Gaepora a few times, too.

"Uh... yes?" Sky asked innocently. He did not want to have this conversation again.

"Kindly explain what just happened," said Time. It wasn’t a request. 

Sky sighed. He pulled a bottle out of his pack, the green liquid inside glowing faintly. He downed the rest of his stamina potion in one gulp, and the effect was immediate.  The cool, minty, earthy taste of the potion soothed his ragged throat, settling in his stomach like a refreshing drink of spring water. A buzzing sensation spread across his body, reaching even the tips of his fingers and ears. It didn't take much longer for it to chase his exhaustion away.

With the weight on his chest gone, Sky took a massive breath, gulping down clear air like a fish would gulp water. He sighed in relief. 

Meanwhile, Time and Warriors were still waiting for an answer. 

I guess there's no escaping it now...

"This is normal, for me," Sky began. He held up a hand before anyone could butt in. "My people… our bodies aren't built for this kind of air. We've lived in the clouds for countless generations, where the air is thinner. Found out pretty fast that anyone who spends time on the Surface has to adjust. Even then... some of us have a harder time than others."

"And you didn't think to tell us this before our massive walk through the hot sun that was obviously bad for your health?" Legend frowned.

"I-I..." Sky's heart began to pound. He had no good excuse and he knew it, but he had to give them something. "I'll get used to it."

"Sky—"

"Please," Sky interrupted Twilight. "I've done it before. I've already been living between Skyloft and my Surface for a few years now. The atmosphere here is just... thicker than I'm used to. My body will adjust. That's my burden and I'm at peace with that. But you all shouldn't need to slow down because of me. We have a quest to learn about and supplies to gather. If we're to succeed, little things like this are irrelevant—"

"Stop that."

It was Warriors who'd interrupted him. The captain’s ice blue eyes pierced through him, and Sky couldn’t look away.

"I'm not a fan of leaving people behind, Sky, and if you think you're an exception to that rule, then you’re mistaken, ‘Chosen Hero’ or not," he said. "Rest is not irrelevant. It makes you stronger, more alert and ready for the next battle. So, from now on, wherever we go, we go together, and if anyone needs rest, we will happily sit our butts down until everyone is fine to move again. Ask any one of us and he'll tell you the same. Mask especially."

Time hummed. “You never did let me forget that lesson back in the day, did you?”

“And I’ll continue to do so until something on Farore’s green earth finally succeeds in ending me. That goes for all of you, here me?” Warriors said sternly.

All around him, every other hero was nodding along.

"No hero left behind."

"You won't help anyone by running yourself into the ground."

"Let us look after you."

"No shame in that."

"We've all been there."

Sky clenched his fists, taken aback by the wave of caring. He didn't deserve it, he knew he really was slowing them down, but... it was very kind of them all to offer their support.

And the captain, Warriors, he was a good man. A kind leader, like Pipit or Eagus. Listening to his advice was the least Sky could do to show his respect for his character. And if it meant finally taking a break, well. Who was he to complain? 

Sky hummed his thanks to the captain, letting his shoulders droop. He really needed to brew more stamina potion if his was already wearing off. Or was he just that tired? That probably wasn't a good sign.

"Can we get you anything, Sky?"

"Hmm?" Sky blinked, looking up at Wild. "Oh. No..."

Wild gave him a stare sharper than a Loftwing's.

"...Maybe some food?"

"Done."

"Can't argue with the cook, Sky," mumbled Wind. "Ev'body knows that."

Sky studied the young sailor. He was still curled up next to Sky, but something about the way he shifted his ankles made Sky frown.

His feet, Sky remembered. He must have callouses from this much walking. I would know. Ouch. He shifted his own boots.

But why not tell anyone he was hurt? Unless...

Unless he's just like me.

Maybe the other heroes did understand his burden. 

Sky tried not to lament the implications of that as he rifled through his pack for another potion. He could bear some aches, but the thought of his successors hurt in any way was greatly upsetting to him.

Wordlessly, he held out the red potion to Wind.

Sky could practically see the cage slamming shut around the boy.

"What’s that for?" asked the sailor under his breath.

"I would hope you know what a potion is."

Wind rolled his eyes. "Well, duh! But why are you giving it to me?"

Sky subtly glanced at the sailor's boots. "I've found that it helps us islanders cope with prolonged, non-relaxing strolls along the Surface."

"I-I don't know what you're talking about."

The Skyloftian raised an eyebrow. When he was sure none of the others were looking, he reached down and flicked one of Wind’s toes.

The sailor yelped. He glared at Sky through tear-speckled eyes, only to come face-to-face with the potion.

"Barnacle blisters, Sky, OK!" he hissed. "So I'm a little sore, sue me. I'll be fine."

"Your feet need this."

"No they don't. I've toughed out way worse before, and I'm not letting you waste a potion on my stupid feet. I can handle it just like the rest of you."

Sky stared at him for a moment longer, then sighed. He hated to use this card, but he knew it was exactly what Zelda would have done for him... what she continued to do for him. Her wisdom was not to be taken lightly.

So he shrugged, "Fine. Then I'm not telling Wild how to brew more stamina potion for me."

"What?" Wind shot up. "Sky, you can't do that—"

"Why? I've been through worse. And I can be just as stubborn as you. Why waste someone else's time, anyway?" Sky looked down. His regret was real as he mumbled, "I've already slowed you down enough today."

Wind growled. "So? It's never a waste of time when you care about someone! Everyone would be MORE than willing to help you if you would just let—" Wind froze as those words finally registered in his head.

Sky held out the potion again, a bittersweet smile appearing on his face. "We really are a lot alike, you and I."

Wind stared at him for nearly a minute before swiping the red potion from Sky's hand. "I'd hate you if I didn't like you so much," he mumbled, taking a sip.

Sky wheezed with laughter and pulled him close. 

"And you better tell Wild about the stamina potion," Wind huffed, passing back the bottle. "If you don't, I'll know, and I'll personally help him shove it down your throat."

"It's a promise," Sky chuckled. He took a sip of the red potion for his own aching feet, and before he knew it, he was nodding off with his arm around the sailor.

Wild’s gentle voice woke Sky up a moment later. Wind cheered as the champion passed them two steaming bowls of leftover pumpkin soup, and by the smell of it, Wild had even added some extra herbs and vegetables. 

"For the healing properties," the champion explained.

A freshly brewed stamina potion materialized beside Sky's pack, and Wild walked away, smiling. 

He already knew how to brew it, Sky realized, warmth spreading through his chest at the kind gesture. "Thank you," he whispered after him.

Wind sighed in delight. "I love it when Wild cooks."

Sky grinned, his gratitude for the heroes of the future warming in his heart.

"Me too, Wind. Me too."

>>><<<

Masterlist | First | Chapter 3 | Chapter 5

Author's Note: Get cared for, Sky!!! For such a sleepy guy he's got a huge fixation on efficiency and timeliness. Good qualities, but like anything else, they can be taken to an extreme. I looooved writing Wind, especially alongside Sky! They're one of my favorite duos, and quite similar! Both are islanders, start their quests for someone they love, "sail" across a large expanse, and are very expressive, positive, & caring people. And both of them are mischievous. Sky's responsible when he has to be but let's never forget that he broke someone's entire chandelier while trying to grab a shiny Piece of Heart. And Wind legally owns his own private oasis. >u<

Extra Note: I am a children’s book/family friendly author, so please keep all comments Safe For Work (no swearing please!) I want to do my best to make this a place for everyone. Cheers!