Centuries

When the time comes and Skyloft falls from it's lofty perch to rejoin the surface world, it becomes apparent that time in the Goddess's chosen realm and time on the world below move at drastically different rates.

For those from Skyloft, it's been but five years.

But for Link and Zelda, it's been five centuries.

-Artseke

A/N: This game includes elements from Skyward Sword and takes place post Ocarina of Time, assuming Zelda did not send him back and instead allowed him to stay by her side.

Thank you for your time, and enjoy!

Link waited in the throne room as the sun rose, the early morning light streaming brilliantly through the stained glass. The color glinted off the tile and spilled over onto the carpet that ran down the center hall, shrouding the entire chamber in a visual cacophony.

The pictures they cast down upon the walkway depicted times gone by; the Three Goddesses crafting Hyrule, the tale of the Triforce they so skillfully divided and hid away, and the tribulations of the Chosen Hero. he knew the story all too well- he'd lived it.

The largest window, situated above the main entrance and at the end of the room, cast the Hylian Crest down unto the polished floors. It was under those golden rays that Princess Zelda approached, her entire frame illuminated by the magnificent backlight.

Impa, whom Link honestly wouldn't have noticed if he hadn't known to look in the Princess's shadow, followed her closely. While Impa had always been taller than Zelda, always older and always stronger, she was perhaps the most inconspicuous woman he had ever met. She existed as the afterimage of a shadow, ever vigilant and ever wary.

Link was unashamed to admit Impa was the only Hylian that had ever managed to catch him off guard, and still could.

"Morning, Princess," He greeted, lazily leaning against the side of the great throne. He didn't acknowledge Impa aloud, simply nodding respectfully in her direction. "Sleep well?"

"As well as always," Zelda replied, smile lighting the carefully concealed circles under her eyes as she settled herself at the throne, "Yourself?"

"Dreamt about cuckoos again, unfortunately." He recounted, "The damn things traumatize, I'm telling you." He glanced down at Zelda over his shoulder, smiling as she laughed. He knew it wasn't Zelda's real laugh as much as she knew he hadn't dreamt about anything other than the battlefield.

"Well, maybe if you didn't go around poking at them," She played along, a dangerous true smile tugging at her lips, "I know you think it's fun to make them mad."

"I do not," Link did his best to look offended, "That's a child's pastime."

"Implying you aren't a child?" Zelda asked, raising her brows. "At heart, if nothing else."

"You know fully well that I'm twenty and seven years, Princess. Hardly a child anymore." He countered, "And at that, a wise woman like yourself wouldn't instate a simple child as your Chief of Guard, at heart or no."

"I'm no older; give me another decade or two before calling me wise." Zelda redirected her gaze forward, "It sounds prideful aside from making me feel old."

Link chuckled, "Yes, Princess. I'll mark it down."

Zelda continued quietly, "Not to mention you're but twenty and six."

Link had exhaled before she'd even finished her sentence, somewhat exasperated, "As good as! Tomorrow's no different from today."

Impa, nearly invisible in the shade of the throne, watched their exchange fondly.

Link had held his position for seven years now, and rightfully so. Renowned throughout the country as the Hero of Hyrule, there was not a Tribe that did not welcome him or a Providence that did not praise his name. His travels had taken him to every corner of the nation, from the fiery depths of Death Mountain, the most arid and barren reaches of Gerudo Desert, to the dark depths of long forgotten Zora ruins- Confident, steady, and level-headed, he put every other member of the guard to shame in combat and strategy.

...But that wasn't why she respected him. Beyond his skill and experience, he was humble and kind. He was no politician, no vulture, and his devotion was unquestionable.

It was the faint sound of rushed footsteps that shook her from her reverie and drew her eyes towards the door. "Mind your squabbling. Someone's coming."

Link and Zelda both silenced themselves immediately, each settling back into their proper places. Link stood to Zelda's right, Impa to her left, and the Princess herself sat with perfect posture.

The door was thrown open dramatically, as it was every other week, and a young herald stood panting in the entryway. "M'lady, Princess-" He began, mixing up the two greetings he'd been trying to decide between, "An urgent matter," He took a breath, "If you have time."

"Yes, speak." Her voice was clear, calm; an urgent matter in Hyrule ranged from a raid in a nearby village to a small merchant conglomerate threatening agricultural anarchy. After several appointments that had caused overreaction and embarrassment, she'd learned to reserve judgement until she understood the full nature of the situation.

The herald had nearly regained his breath when he spoke next, "In Hyrule Field, a great land- a vast island, it's fallen from the sky. The sentries posted by the bridge saw it, your Highness. They said it... It..." He wracked his mind for an exact quote, "It descended slowly from the heavens before going to rest yonder, past the entrance to Kokiri Woods."

Zelda leaned forward, intrigued, "An island from the sky?" She asked it inwardly; the concept stirred something deep within her, something she couldn't identify. "Is that all?"

'Is that all?' Link barely glanced at her; did she want more?

"No, no, he said he saw... birds. Massive birds."

There was a pause, and the silence hung in the air expectantly. "I see." Zelda said, words slow, "Curious. Thank you, you are dismissed."

The Herald shuffled for a moment, caught between leaving and speaking again. "But... Princess, don't you have orders for the men?"

"Dismissed," Link repeated, more reassuring than anything else.

Regretting the question, the Herald turned tail and was on his way. The door shut behind him, leaving the three alone once more.

"I'll go investigate," Link offered after an appropriate pause, starting to descend the stairs before Zelda gave him leave, "Purely for intel. I'll avoid any confrontation, if there's anyone to be confronted by."

Zelda continued to stare intently at the door, contemplating what the Herald'd said. "I feel there will be. Be on your guard, Link. Take few soldiers; if there is a new people to be found, we can't afford to appear hostile."

"Yes'm," Link gave her a thumbs up, walking towards the same hall the Herald had gone through. "Send someone after me if I'm not back by nightfall."

Zelda nodded, fixated on the door long after it'd closed behind him.

Link made his way to the stables with some urgency. Loitering guards pretended to be alert as he passed, and gossiped after he was gone; why was he in such a rush? Was something going on?

Link saw his horse was already waiting for him when he arrived; the stable hand had always been good at guessing when he'd be off somewhere, and he made a mental note to thank her later. The two soldiers he'd decided to bring were both members of the Calvary, and he'd ridden many missions with them before. They both boasted innate accuracy with the bow and arrow, a trait he himself possessed, and maintained that precision while riding.

He didn't explain the situation to them because he knew little of it himself, but they followed him on nonetheless. The sentries near the gate watched them leave, and the people in the street wished them luck on whatever it was they were leaving to accomplish. A few of the ladies were absolutely effusive; Link was rarely seen when he wasn't at Zelda's side, and as an eligible man of status-

Link preferred to ignore them. It was embarrassing when they tried so hard to get his attention, especially in such a public venue.

The three galloped over the bridge that lead out into the field, the thrum of their horses hooves against the wood serving as a thunderous fanfare.

At first, there was nothing to see. They passed on by the hills nearest the river, past the fork that lead into Zora's Domain, and the horizon remained familiar. At the entrance to the forest, however, things began to change. A cliff-face, sheer and towering, rose up from nowhere. Great birds flew high, high overhead- their size astounded Link, who in the presence of the mountain already felt belittled.

He slowed the party, calling for them to wait and observe. The soldier to his right drew her bow, wary of the beasts above. Link thought of doing the same, but remembered Zelda's admonishment; We aren't hostile.

There was a shrill cry from above, like a hawk ten times over, and in a way Link found it... familiar. In the most distant, disconnected way.

The creature responsible dove downwards, it's plumage fire in the sunlight, and swooped over their heads. It's wingspan easily doubled length of the horses they rode upon, and the three collectively ducked. Their mounts nearly started.

More beasts took flight; at a glance, Link counted nearly fifteen. "Hold steady," He commanded, watching the skies carefully. "Don't fire."

Minutes passed before another group began to descend. Three this time, moving in what appeared to be some kind of formation. They didn't speed towards them or dive. The way they landed, not ten feet away, was lofty and unassuming.

Link nearly relaxed.

As he opened his mouth to address the birds- and surely they were birds, or a race resembling such- someone else spoke.

"Oi, Link!"

Baffled, Link watched a man dismount the creature with a scrupulous eye. Tall build, taller than himself, and muscular. A plain green tunic and cap, and goggles he assumed were for flight. He carried a sword at his hip, but none with dangerous reach, and if he'd heard him correctly, he was speaking Old Hylian.

Prompted to continue by Link's continued silence, the man went on. "It's been a while, eh? Five years now?" He scoffed fondly, approaching Link with a careless step. "Who'da thought we'd end up back here." He kept his distance. It look like he was unnerved by... the horse?

The two that'd accompanied him on the flight downward hopped off their birds as well, and Link recognized the three were in uniform.

Honestly trying to place his face, Link hesitated. "...No," He clarified, almost reassuring himself, "Sorry, I don't know you."

The interloper froze, "Huh? You're tellin' me you forgot the Groose Man? It hasn't been that long."

Link looked up at the cliff-face, tracing the structures that wound upwards, "You're thinking of someone else," He re-stated absently, trying to stay professional, "Are you one from the island? The lot of you?"

'Groose' removed his goggles, revealing red-ringed eyes. "Link, c'mon," He chuckled, uncertainty echoing throughout, "S'me. Groose. Pipit and Karane too."

The others behind Groose removed their goggles as well, revealing two more unfamiliar, concerned faces.

"Sure, we've changed some," He struck a little pose, entirely conscious of his actions, "Got Knighted n'all. But it's still us."

"Look, I'm sure you're mistaken, but if we did meet at one point or another, you must not have made much of an impression."

The shock on Groose's face was obvious, as was the hurt that followed. "Didn't make much of an impression? Didn't make much of an impression?" He muttered it to himself, looking back at the other soldiers, "I- the Grooseanator-Are you hearing this?"

The woman- Link assumed it was the one 'Groose' had referred to as Karane earlier- walked past the sulking man with blatant disregard. It was easy to tell she was trying to set herself apart from her comrade, and Link took notice.

He also took notice when she looked him straight in the eye, defiant, fiery, and just a bit on edge. "Well, if you aren't Link, just who are you?"

The exchange became more convoluted by the moment. "No, you misunderstand. My name is Link. While the man you're referring to must share my name, he is not me." He paused, tired of wasting time on the subject. There were much more important matters to discuss. "Are you the commanding officer here?"

Karane's mouth was agape, as if she was at a loss for words, and she turned coy. "Commanding officer? Me?"

"Are you not?"

The third soldier, the only one wearing yellow, stepped forward with his thumb to his chest. "That'd be me. Senior Officer Pipit, heading this patrol."

Link heard the hesitation in Pipit's voice, and the familiarity he was trying to restrain. They must have known someone nearly identical to me, He thought to himself, to be so thoroughly confused.

"Officer Pipit," Link nodded curtly, officially, "I've come from the capitol of the Kingdom you now find yourself -and presumably your people- in."

"Oh. A... Kingdom?" He said it like he'd never heard the word in his life.

Link continued, "Hyrule. You've... literally fallen under our jurisdiction. Princess Zelda Daphnes Hyrule presiding." The way they focused on his words, the moment when he'd said Zelda's name, was unnerving. "Can I sp-"

He was cut off, "Stop messin' with us!" Groose laughed, "You almost had me there! I was wonderin' where Zelda'd gotten herself off to."

Pipit watched Link's steady face carefully, and then motioned for Groose to be quiet. "Sorry about him," He consoled, "Go on."

Link looked at Groose with a kind of disgruntled confusion. This had to be some kind of ploy, claiming to know both Zelda and himself. "You've come into Hyrule's boarders with no formal declaration of your intentions. I've come to ask what your intentions may be, so..."

Link stumbled. What else was he supposed to do? He wasn't one for diplomatic affairs. He'd come here expecting to observe and explore, not... participating in politics. "So I need to speak to your commanding officer, or your ruler, King or Queen," What other titles were there? Zelda had drilled him on all the various ranks and such before, but all that came to mind was 'Mayor' from Ordon, and he was sure that hadn't been on the official list.

Groose deflated, "You're serious."

Pipit, deep in thought, said nothing for a moment. "How peculiar," he mumbled, meeting Link's gaze, "We don't have a ruler, but I can take you to our schoolmaster. He's as much a leader of our community as anyone else, and I don't think anyone understands what's happened better than him."

Link nodded, "Alright," He looked up again, judging the height of the monolith. Vines poured down on all sides; he had more than enough experience to scale it.

He moved to dismount, but another great screech sounded overhead. Before Link had time to register what had happened, a colossal bird flew just above him, force of the pass knocking him clear off his mount. It was the same vibrant bird that they'd seen at first; brilliant and crimson.

Not that Link had a mind to admire it from his place on the ground. The bird had landed loftily nearby, bobbing it's head as if it were laughing. Laughing at him! A bird!

His company had been startled, and their horses were restless. Link rolled out of the way of a stray hoof before standing to right himself, brushing his tunic off. "What are those things?" He asked, glancing over at the three bystanders while he worked. "I've never seen anything like them."

"Loftwings," Pipit replied, keeping didactic, "They're part of our culture. A gift from the Goddess. Everyone from Skyloft that's of age has one as a companion. What's... that?" He motioned to Link's horse, which was still unshaken.

Link digested what he'd said in the back of his mind, but kept up with the conversation. "...This? She's my horse. Epona."

The red bird screeched again. Link did his best to ignore the grating sound.

"A horse," Pipit repeated, vexed. "Can I-" he stepped forward, reaching out, but Epona's dissatisfied snort turned him away. Link chuckled; Good girl, he thought, keeping us on task.

"You mentioned a schoolmaster," Link noted, trying to bring the point back to light, "I'd like to meet with him."

"Right," Pipit's demeanor seemed to change; he forced the confusion down, and in it's place a charismatic confidence thrived. "The Academy is up at the top, with the rest of Skyloft," he hesitated, looking beyond Link for a moment. The great crimson Loftwing had settled- it was awaiting a rider.

"The Loftwing behind you looks like it's willing to take you up with us."

Link turned. The bird squawked at him again. "I really don't think-"

Groose was talking at Karane, motioning to the bird and Link. With his hearing- sharp for even a Hylian- picked up a few words. It was his bird. This couldn't be a coincidence! That bird had been gone since the day he'd left!

Pipit interrupted his brief eavesdropping session, "You'd have to climb otherwise, and there's no telling what vines will hold your weight."

Link considered it. "I think I'll take the risk." He started towards the base of the great obstacle, turning back towards his two baffled comrades. "Are you coming?"

They looked confused, called upon. "Ehm, sorry, sir. We can't understand what you're saying. I think it may be Old Hylian, but it's a dead dialect, sir. We were never formally instructed in-"

Link paused, shocked. "Right. You two won't be much help above, then. Go back and tell the Princess that things are under control, and that I may not return until tomorrow."

He didn't mention he'd never learned Old Hylian, either.

The two hesitated before nodding, turning to head back to Castle Town. Pipit, Karane, and Groose watched the guards speed off on horseback, the sound of hooves on open ground a new and entrancing rhythm. Link shook them from their trance as he ran past, getting two steps up the wall before reaching to secure a grip on one of the mangled, tangled masses of vine.

The bird that had waited patiently below took flight, circling close by.

"Are you sure about this, Link?" Karane shouted, going to mount her own Loftwing, "It's not safe-"

"Don't wait for me," he called back, making steady progress, "I'll make it."

Pipit and Groose looked at one another in resignation, following Karane's example and remounting their respective Loftwings. Pipit called for the three of them to leave him behind and head back up to the town; they had things to discuss.

They had barely touched down when the barrage of questions began. Adults and children alike flocked to the three that had been to explore, their demeanors ranging from curious to terrified to nonplussed. Pipit was still in deep thought, but shook it off when confronted by the mob.

"What's down there?"

"What's it like?"

"Are there monsters?"

Most, if not all, had heard Groose's retelling of his venture to the surface more than once. The tale grew more extravagant every time it was told, but it founded the basis of their questions nonetheless. Groose and Karane were both silent, unable to come to terms with the man they'd met.

So, it was Pipit that indulged them. "We didn't go far," He began, "But it looks peaceful. We saw no monsters, but I'm going to have to advise no one go down to the surface until we've spoken to Gaepora."

His words prompted a new flurry,

"Why?"

"What did you find?"

The questions became a collective muttering and isolated discussion. Pipit tried to walk through them with Groose and Karane in tow, "It's fine, everything's fine."

They left the inquisitive group behind as they made their way towards the Academy, and Groose was the one who broke the silence.

"I'm not just seein' things, right? You two think it's him too. I mean, he's older, sure, but so are we." He spoke into the air, trying to make sense of it all, "He's not messing with us. He wouldn't know how!"

Karane bit her lip before nodding, "Oh! I've got it. Maybe he's lost his memory. That's not out of the realm of possibility."

Groose considered it, "Maybe. I'm sure he's taken more than one hit to the head over the years, livin' with Zelda and all."

Pipit exhaled, "His identity notwithstanding, we've got bigger problems. Like, say, our home falling out of the sky? The rumbling, the monsters? Even if... if we've run into Link, as Knights, our first duty is to our home."

"Yeah, well you didn't know him like I did," Groose explained, almost boasting, "He and I saved the world together."

"We know," Karane and Pipit said, voices the exact same pitch of exasperated.

They opened the door to the Academy, where Knights in training dotted the halls. They were all excited, all ecstatic, talking about the surface, all the monsters they'd have to face. Fledge was walking amongst them, reminding them they had chores to do; he had become a Knight two years after the rest of them, and had never taken up the true mantle; instead, he'd become something of an instructor at the Acedemy, and the kids adored him.

He saw that the group had returned, but was puzzled to find them here. Hadn't they been sent out only a few hours ago?

Karane passed a reassuring hand over his shoulder as they walked by, not taking the time to explain. Fledge was still curious, but didn't ask them what had happened; they looked like they were on a mission.

Gaepora stood in his office, Owlan to his right. From this high up, the land they'd happened upon opened up like a familiar book. Ragged mountains danced in the distance, and endless fields paved the way through forests and ravines. Their Loftwings soared far above it all, and if worse came to worst, he had confidence in their elevation to keep any sort of uncouth creature at bay.

He turned as Pipit knocked on the door, "Enter."

Gaepora expected students, not a patrol, and furrowed his brow as Karane, Groose, and Pipit entered. "What have you found?"

Groose couldn't restrain himself, "We found Link. And Zelda. But we didn't see Zelda, and Link- he didn't know who I was! Me! Groose!"

"Calm down," Gaepora demanded, the news troubling though incoherent. "You found Link. That's good, that's good... And my Zelda. I expected them to-"

"No, Headmaster," Karane began, trying to clarify, "We're not sure it was him. He was with two others that we didn't recognize, and he denied ever meeting us. He didn't know know what a Loftwing was, or that this was Skyloft. He didn't know we were Knights."

Eyes widening, Gaepora only managed to say, "I see. Where is he now?"

Groose took over again, "He wouldn't ride his bird! And we saw his bird! The Crimson Loftwing, it flew down and it landed right beside him. He wouldn't get on. He said he'd climb- he's climbing now."

"All that way?" Gaepora was incredulous, "The vines aren't strong enough to hold a full grown man. Maybe when he was a boy, but these days-"

As if his acknowledgment had willed it, a sharp shout pierced through the open window.

Thank you for reading! Chapter 2 will be up soon.

If you see any grammatical mistakes and/or continuity errors**, please let me know!

Also, if you ask questions in reviews, I may make it a point to answer them in later chapters. I really appreciate every single review I get- they spur me on!

Edit: I've changed this from post Twilight Princess to post Ocarina of Time. If you see any errors in relation to this within this chapter, please let me know.