Hey an update, and I'm pretty happy with this one! Link meets some new people, our villain makes his fabulous debut, and Zelda is feeling horrible.

Leave a comment if ya want more! They always make my day and keep me motivated.

'A Weird Person': that's strange, cause I love repeat commenters! I'm always happy to know people are reading and still care so say as much as ya want.

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After finding out about Link's fascination with the sky the Masters flipped his bed around so he could see out the small window. Fledge was far stronger then he appeared, being able to move the furniture practically on his own. He had Link under the sheets and propped up by several pillows in only a few minutes. The former slave was so perplexed by their actions. Why were they treating him like this? What could they possibly gain by being this kind? He could hardly do much on his own, so certainly it wasn't for physical labour. Perhaps something more unspeakable? Link shuddered, pushing the thought to the back of his mind while sinking into the cushions. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this comfortable.

Gaepora had left early on to get some work done, while Zelda stopped by throughout the day, decreasing her distance with each visit. He still didn't like her getting close, knowing that stupid itch in his arm would keep coming back. He did his best not to react though, afraid of upsetting her more. Fledge hardly left, seeming to be keeping guard over him. That is if Link could even call it guarding. He kept himself busy unloading any bags Zelda brought in, sometimes explaining the origins of a few items while Link ate the soup that girl in green dropped off earlier. It tasted wonderful, made with a sweat orange plant called pumpkin. Sadly there wasn't much provided and he really wished for more.

"A-are you done?" Link flinched a bit at Fledge's voice, but eventually gave a small nod. The boy took the dirtied dishes even as Link's heart sank. Who knew when he'd see a full bowl again?

"Zelda said you were probably tired from earlier. Maybe some rest would be good?" Fledge questioned nervously. It was funny how unsure this guy was, as if he acted out most of Link's internal feelings. Though he indeed felt very tired, he wasn't going to fall asleep with someone else in here. He still didn't trust this Fledge not to try anything, regardless of his kindness so far. The other scratched the back of his neck at the lack of an answer, looking around the room before an idea struck.

"Oh! Give me just a second." The boy rushed out of the room much to Link's confusion, coming back several minutes later with a stack of books. "Zelda said you don't remember much… so maybe some literature about Skyloft will help?" Link just tilted his head perplexed, but Fledge seemed excited by the prospect. Carrying the desk chair over he took a seat by Link's bedside and opened one of the smaller books. Fledge quickly began flipping through the pages until he found what he wanted. It looked like a map of sorts, several tiny splotches surrounding a few larger ones.

"This is a map of Skyloft and the Sky Islands. Does it look familiar?" Link just stared blankly at the page, following the uneven lines that made up the islands against the white background. Fledge frowned but flipped to another page, full of text and illustration on one of the smaller rocks.

"Maybe reading will help? Here." Fledge held the book to Link expectantly, though he wasn't sure what to do. He sat there looking between the book and Fledge, trying to think of a response but coming up short. "Umm… you can take the book, if you want to at least."

Oh, that makes sense. Shakily Link reached his hands out, gently clasping the pages between his fingers. He couldn't remember ever touching a book before, though he knew what they were for some reason. The binding was hard under his fingers, harder than the thin pages. Fledge let go, and the book slid from Link's grasp. It hit the ground with a thud, some of the pages crinkling under impact. Link stared down at it wide eyed. It was heavier than he thought, and he just damaged it. His heart rate escalated quickly, hands already trembling with dread. He made a huge mistake, and he would pay dearly for it.

"Oops, I'm sorry." Fledge reached down and grabbed the text, swiftly sitting upright and smoothing the crinkled edges. He looked up at Link, but the teen couldn't make eye contact. He needed to keep breathing. If he stopped that might upset Fledge more. Link shut his eye and waited, but nothing happened. He flinch at the light weight placed on his lap, opening it to see the book sitting open. He glanced up at Fledge trying to understand. "I-I should have remembered your not very strong right now." Fledge tried explaining at his questioning glare. "I'll be more careful next time." Link looked between the book and Fledge, trying to make sense of what happened. Fledge should have disciplined him, not apologised. Why would he apologise? It was Links fault!

"A-are you alright? Should I get some help?" Fledge asked uncertain. Link shook his head and wiped the tears forming in his eye. He was still hesitant, but this Fledge seemed the safest master of the group so far.

"S...s-sorry…" Link said quietly. His voice was uneven with emotion, and he couldn't help but feel a bit relieved. Darn his stupidity.

"Don't apologise. Really I'll be more careful." Fledge gave him an innocent grin, as if he didn't know who's fault this was. Link shook his head, looking down at the book and touching the page. If Fledge wanted him to read then he would try it. The section regarded a place called the Isle of Songs, though he wasn't able to read far past the title. His eyes were drawn to a drawing of an odd female. She was a simple form of a women in robes with long hair and wings. He brushed the picture gently with his fingertips. It felt like he should know this figure. Why can't he place it?

A loud series of knocks made him jolt. He shot upright ignoring the twinges of pain in his joints. Was that Zelda? She knocked before but it wasn't that forceful. The rapping repeated, only this time the door cracked open, a tall white haired man standing at the entrance with a brown bag in hand. He was thin and tall, his harsh eyes looking him over carefully.

"Hello Link, I'm Professor Owlan." The strict looking man said stoically. "I'm just here for a brief exam. Is that alright?" Link looked to the floor, knowing the man would do it no matter what he said.

Fledge made to leave, but Link unconsciously grabbed his shirt. He didn't want to be left alone with the scary man. He didn't know what was in that bag, or what he was planning. Even if Fledge would hurt him later on… he just couldn't do it.

"Are you alright Link?" Fledge asked worriedly. He wasn't able to muster a response, only biting his lip and looking to the floor. "Umm… is it alright if I stay?" He asked Owlan to Link's relief.

"That shouldn't be a problem. It won't be anything too thorough." Owlan stated while setting his kit down on the table. He gently removed several tools the teen recognised from earlier. Those were tools from the torture room upstairs. They really were going to discipline him. He deserved it for hurting two of their men, but he had really hoped they were telling him the truth earlier. He should have expected this, in many ways he did, but the betrayal always hurt. Link bit his lip and began trembling slightly much to the elder's confusion.

"I don't think he knows what those are for." Fledge suggested. "Perhaps you could explain before starting?" He nodded, still a bit perplexed but catching on quickly. He held up a weird wooden cylinder first.

"This is a stethoscope. I'll use it to check your heart rate. Now please try to take deep even breaths." He moved the object slowly to Links chest. The teen tried to do as told, though the pounding of his heart refused to slow down. Owlan looked up at him with a raised brow. "I'm not going to hurt you. You understand that right?" Link nodded stiffly, though he couldn't lax the tension in his shoulders. He tried to hide his shaking hands under the sheets, hoping this Owlan fellow wouldn't notice. Apparently he did, turning back to his bag and taking out a vial. He measured out a bit of dark liquid, passing it to Link.

"Could you drink this please?" Professor Owlan requested. Link looked down at the glass, afraid of what the concoction would do. He was scared, but was even more afraid of angering Owlan. He shakily put the vial to his lips, letting the bitter liquid slide down his throat.

"So you caused all that damage upstairs?" Professor Owlan asked out of the blue. Link looked up stunned. Why was he asking about that? He should have already know, right? He has to be testing him or something. The boy's breath hitched as he tried forming some sort of answer.

"S-sorry…" he croaked out. His voice was still weak from earlier, but the stoic man hardly minded.

"You should apologise to them, not me." Owlan responded. "I'm more surprised that you were able to walk, much less hold a scalpel." He turned to his tools, packing them back up carefully. "I think it best we try this later. I'll return in a few hours." Fledge waved the man off as he walked out, gently closing the door behind him.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Fledge asked him. Link didn't give an answer, tightly clutching his chest as his heart finally calmed. His head was starting to ache badly, and all he wanted to do was sleep.

"... S-Stay?" Link asked barely above a whispered. He tried to form a proper question, but his mouth refused to make words. Thankfully Fledge nodded and sat back down by his bedside.

"Of course Link. I'll stay as long as you want me to." The teen nodded and laid back into the pillows, snuggling under the warm blankets. He should have been alarmed at how drowsy he suddenly felt, but lacked the strength to really care. His vision had started going dark around the edges, and his thoughts became muddied.

He couldn't make sense of anything that's happened today, though he'd figure that out later. Within a few minutes he slid back into that familiar darkness.

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Zelda slowly walked through the hallway, carrying another bag of Link's things and some food for Fledge. She had been flying between the surface and Skyloft all day, too lost in her thoughts to accomplish much else.

She felt sick, though she knew it was from worry. Not only was her friend physically harmed and crippled, but his mind was a complete mess too. This morning had been horrible, and she couldn't get the image out of her head. Her best friend looked so frail and gaunt, shakily hunched with a scalpel pointed at everyone. The worst part for her thought was his eye. The terror in his eye was absolute, looking more like a defenceless animal on their last leg. He lacked that resolute and determined expression he always wore after Demise's defeat. It's true he no longer bore the Triforce of Courage, but he was never weak willed even without it. The fact that he was forced into such a state, to the point where Faron herself would abandon him…

She rounded the stairwell, seeing a familiar face leaving the mess hall.

"Cawlin!" The short boy jumped at her voice, turning frantically before finally finding the source.

"H-hello Zelda." He replied rather on edge. "What can I do for you?"

"Oh, I just wanted to thank you." He tilted his head in confusion at her gratitude. "I'm not sure if you heard, but Link was found in the the cave you spotted in the mountains. I am very grateful for your keen eye." He began sweating a bit, glancing about nervously.

"N-no need for thanks. Just doing my job!" He quickly bustled down the hallway without a goodbye, leaving a rather confused Zelda behind. That was odd. Then again he hasn't been acting like himself in weeks, ever since he reported the cave with strange activity around it. Did something happen during his patrol? It's hard telling, but if he didn't return to normal soon she would be sure to talk to him. That's the least she could do anyway.

The girl walked the last few steps to Link's room. She knocked on the door gently, slowly stepping inside at Fledge's prompt. He had done a good job getting things set up, a few of Link's carving lined the bookcase as well as a few books Zelda picked out. It appeared that the clothing was put away too, though she didn't think anything would fit him at the moment. She'd need to figure that out later on though, after he started recovering.

"How is he?" She asked quietly.

"He fell asleep a while back." Fledge assured while cracking his back. He had been reading a book on surface fauna, and looked about ready to pass out. "Apparently books still make him tired." She couldn't help chuckling at that. Some things never changed she supposed.

"Thank you for staying with him this whole time." Zelda smiled gratefully. "I'll find someone to relieve you shortly."

"It's n-no problem." Fledge stuttered. "I'll stay as long as you need me. He's my friend too after all." They both smiled sadly at that. Sure they knew him before this all happened, but so much has changed in the past year. From what they understood Link thought his friends were complete strangers out to hurt him, and he certainly wasn't the same boy that defeat Demise two years ago. It was very likely that their Link was gone, even if neither wanted to admit it. Still Zelda tried to find hope in all this. Perhaps this memory laps was just a temporary thing and he'd recover with enough time.

Walking quietly through the doorway she set the bundle of bread and milk before Fledge, giving him another thank you for good measure. Zelda's attention shifted to the bed, approaching it with gentle steps. As Fledge stated he was out cold. Carefully she sat on the edge of the mattress, examining him carefully. His visible eye was dark and sunken in, the missing one hidden under bandage wraps. His face was gaunt and covered in small scars, and his skin pale as bone. She leaned in to swipe the long strands of hair covering his face, noticing the slight contortion in his facial features and shallow breaths.

"Hey Fledge, had his breathing been off before I arrived?"

"Not that I could tell… Why?" Fledge stood up noticing the others gasps becoming more ragged. Zelda touched his forehead checking for fever, not expecting the ragged scream that left his throat.

"Link?!" She pulled her hand away but hovered close when his back arched in agony. His fingers curled and straightened, and his eye began tearing up as the cries increased in volume.

"I'll get Professor Owlan!" Fledge ran from the room.

"It's alright Link! Fledge is getting help." She pet his cheek reassuringly, but Link barely reacted. Instead he wrapped his right arm around his gutt tightly while using the left to claw bloody ruts through the bandages. He was hurting himself worse! "Link no!" Zelda tried grabbing the arm and pulling it away, but he managed to knock her back, yanking his head sideways and denting the wall. Just where did this strength come from?!

"Stand back Zelda." Professor Horwell grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her back. Owlan took her place, though she couldn't see what he was doing. The walls of the room transitioned to a sparse hallway, Fledge standing by the wall wringing his hands. Karane ran down the stairwell shortly after, her eyes wide with shock and worry.

"W-wait! I want to-"

"Owlan says he needs space to work." Horwell said. The normally smiling professor looked grim, lacking the positive attitude he normally carried. She dropped her shoulders. Link was going to die and she was completely useless. Her eyes began to sting, liquid starting to spill down her cheeks as her breathing worsened.

"Come on Zelda. Let's get some fresh air." Karane suggested gently grabbing her hand. She led her out the door to the training area, pulling Zelda in for a hug. She squeezed back, struggling to keep her sobs under control.

Why couldn't she stop? The Goddess Hylia would have been able to function, unhindered by human feelings. Then again Zelda herself was more than just the Goddess, even if she did have most of Hylia's knowledge and memories. The fact was undeniable. She cared deeply for Link, and seeing him suffer so horribly after all of his struggles was more than she could bare. She could only pray that Farron, Din and Nayru would give her and Link strength through all this.

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Cawlin flew over Farron Woods, leaping from his bird when the settlement came into view. He paraglided slowly to a hill, walking the rest of the way to his small cabin. Strich was gone as usual, probably off cataloguing more insects he'd found or something. The knight stepped further inside, shivering when that familiar chime sound filled the room. Ghirahim appeared before the boy, seated on his table holding a glass of wine. His face was cast in shadow, but his fangs were visible through that devious grin.

"I'll skip the pleasantries." Ghirahim began. "Tell me, how has my 'pet' been behaving." The demon asked swirling the fluid around his chalice.

"I-I don't know all the details Master." Cawlin said nervously. "I've only heard that he's lost his memories, and he stabbed two people earlier." The demon grinned in delight, chuckling lightly.

"Oh! So he still has some bite after all!" Ghirahim laughed even harder. Of course he's already dropped in a few times to check on the sky brat. The humans have certainly helped with his physical wounds, but the psychological scars would never heal. He wondered if the Goddess has found the little 'parting gift' he left Link with? If not he could only imagine the look on her face as her mere presence makes him squirm in agony. Oh the thought filled him with so much glee!

Incessant whimpering caught his attention. His spell was starting to wear off and the stubby kid was getting antsy. Nothing too difficult to fix though. He sashayed over to the short human, leaning in closely and petting his hair.

"You have done an adequate job so far." Ghirahim purred stroking Cawlin's cheek. A wisp of diamonds left his fingers, entering through the boy's ear and making his pupils turn red. "I will leave for the time being. Do keep an eye on him for me."

"Yes Master." Cawlin droned as his eyes returned to normal. Goodness humans are so easy to manipulate. He swore he could have most of these sky children under his control if he wanted, but that would serve no real purpose right now. No, he'd let Link find some form of security before he came back and ripped it away.

Ghirahim turned, the cracks in his diamond and face reflecting in the dim light. With a snap of the fingers he was gone, back in his hideout away from prying eyes. This was going perfectly so far, and things were only just getting started.

He would completely break the hero's spirit. Not just in this life, but for every reincarnation to come. He'll never be a threat to Master ever again.