Long ago, creatures of evil attacked the land. Destroying Hyrule as they tried to siege the Goddess's power. The power handed down to her was without equal- allowing its wielder to make their desires a reality. She protected the power without rest. Gathering the surviving humans, Hylia lifted them into the sky. With humanity safe, she fought the demons, sealing them away. At last, peace was restored. Little did Hylia know, this was the start of her problems.

That was until the evil forces, lying dormant beneath the Surface awoke. With its awakening, the Goddess realised she was too weak to fight it on her own. The goddess reached out for help. Choosing an ordinary resident of Skyloft to train to assist her in defeating the demons once more.

Training began the morning that Link awoke late to a letter written by Zelda. The blonde had agreed to meet her before she commenced her duties assisting her father- who hosted the Wing Ceremony. They had snuck away together when they were younger.

The exhausted hero sighed heavily as he looked around the Surface that the people of Skyloft had forgotten about. The evil was vanquished. He should have been celebrating with the citizens of Skyloft. He should have been languishing in the glory. He did it! He imprisoned and defeated Demise. With help from Fi, Impa, Zelda and Groose. Instead he felt hollow and cheated. Not by his destiny, but by Zelda. His grip tightened on the hilt of the Goddess Sword before he changed his mind. Link tossed it across the field. It bounced to the ground like any other ordinary sword. Taunting him. He balled his fists. His blood boiled.

How could she do such a THING to me? After all we've been through? Doesn't that mean anything to her? I'm more than just a piece of Triforce. More than her chosen hero. I'm her best damn friend!

The blonde had so many questions. What did Zelda plan to do with him now that Demise was gone? How much of their friendship was fake? When did she start being a goddess? It felt real at the time.

What is time anymore?

He realized now, after his adventure that magic could manipulate time. His fate remained the same.

Zelda was probably off doing important goddess business. He would pack if he had any belongings. Link wandered aimlessly through Skyloft. Recounting ALL his happiest -now tainted- memories.

Skyloft looked like a classical painting. All the warm colours. Something was missing. His heart. He could not tell her how he felt- as much as he wanted to. The feeling was visceral and overwhelming. He snapped from his melancholy by a playful squawk of his Crimson Loftwing. The giant beast had come to say goodbye. Link had not yet decided what he was going to do. Would he stay in Skyloft or leave for the Surface? The raspberry coloured Loftwing was not alone. Stroking its long bill was the last person he wanted to see. Link gasped. Zelda ran after him, extending her hand.

"Please wait! I WANT to talk to you. Link! Where are you going?"

Link reached for his sail cloth, ready to leap from the bridge. Her voice trembled like leaves on a windswept plateau. Tears flowed like waterfalls down her cheeks, through her pale fingers.

"I'm sorry Link! I'm sorry for what I said when you returned the sword. Please forgive me!"

Link said nothing. Keeping his gaze locked on a pumpkin patch a safe distance from Zelda.

What is a safe distance anymore? She's a goddess. No matter where you go, she WILL find you. If she WANTS to. Now that they're all safe, she won't need you anymore. You're just her Chosen One. You can be replaced.

"I lost Impa when she volunteered to guard the sword. Twice. I was too stupid! I didn't know what she meant to me. I don't want to lose you too. I can't-" Zelda fell to her knees. "Please! I beg you. I'm sorry for everything I've put you through. It's not fair. You deserve…If I'd known, I-" The once eloquent Hylian stumbled over her words to make his change his mind.

What would my future-self think of this? He's so…collected. I'm…betrayed by my best friend.

He did not want to see his best friend – Zelda- on her knees. He hated the tears streaming down her cheeks. This was disrespectful. No one should see her this way. His hand trembled with a primal rage. He balled his fingers into tight fists that Demise would envy.

And I caused this. Pathetic!

'Forget about it.' He wanted to say. 'It doesn't matter anymore. The only thing I want is to be friends again. Real friends, this time.'

However, he was mute. He knelt beside her, wrapping his arms around the fragile female. He raked her in close and sat there with her until her wailing sobs faded into sniffles and deep breathing.

Link blamed himself for not being good enough. For allowing Zelda to take advantage of his good nature.

There is only one way that I can make this up to her. By being here for her now and always. No matter how she treats me. Hylia chose her. She chose me. There HAS to be a reason for her decision. Yeah, I know they're the same person, but if I can turn out so brave and cool, so can she. She doesn't have to be alone and cold. It worked out, because we still work together in the future. I can fix this. Is she planning to get rid of me? What if I'm NOT immortal like her? What if the Link I saw was someone else?

He wanted to scream at the heavens. Link felt torn in multiple directions at once.

What if I AM immortal like her? What if Hylia gets bored of me and chooses someone else to…replace me…someone with more experience? Less sentimental value. Or I age and she doesn't? She doesn't seem like a conniving goddess. At the moment. She already fooled you once. What do you want from me Zelda? Have you changed your mind? I WANT to go back to the way we used to be. I want the past, just two kids, chasing cats through the pumpkin patch, to be real. Please tell me!

'Let's go flying on Loftwings, like we used to. That sounds like fun, doesn't it? That'll help you keep your mind off your duties. Just for a little bit.' He signed between folded away his Sail Cloth with a heavy sigh.

It's always the same. I'm too weak to protect her. I made her cry. That beautiful face. Wracked with pain and guilt. When she should be celebrating. My fault. I could not have done it without her.

He knew when their journey started that things would change on the Surface, but he never imagined things would hurt this badly.

I know you don't mean it Zelda. I hope you don't mean it. I don't know how this Goddess awakening goes. I know your intentions are for the greater good, but could you please not break my heart like this? I will sacrifice everything for you. Even my own life and the Sword. Everything except that smile on your face. Even if that kills me inside. I would rather face Demise again with no chance of escaping. I feel more helpless than I did when I watched my father leave…to never…return.

"Link? What will it take for you to believe me? What are you going to do now?"

He had not thought about that. There had been no time for thinking in the lair of evil. Only action. Now he had to face the consequences. Good AND bad. He did not know what to think anymore.

"Did you really mean it? About the Loftwings..? You KNOW I'm not very good at flying them."

Zelda wanted to hold onto the past. She could only cling to the idea that he did too. Even if he could talk, what reason did he have to believe her? Even she had no idea what the future would hold.

Link chuckled.

"Don't laugh at me!" She hissed like a stray cat.

That only made him laugh harder.

"Link!"

Her pouting remained him that there was still a Zelda under all this prestige. His Zelda. He felt a glimmer of hope. So much so, that he reached out, lacing his fingers with hers. She froze in place.

"Link?"

It took all of his willpower not to let tears fall as he reached up, brushing tears off her alabaster cheeks. He lost track of the time he stood, eyes locked with her, trying to decipher her expression. It appeared that she was doing the same. Her difficulty in doing so reflected that she was not using her newly awakened powers on him.

'Forget the Loftwings. We should enjoy the celebrations.' He said, retrieving the Goddess Sword. He dusted off the blade, sheathing it before starting towards the pumpkin patch.

"Where are you going Link? The celebrations are that way."

The Crimson Loftwing squawked, bored of being ignored. It took flight into the cloudless sky.

'We're going to watch them from afar. You're not ready to face them like this. Neither am I.'

Zelda nodded, hoisting her hem in her tiny hands. He started walking. She followed the blonde boy through the twisting streets. She felt like she had been blinded her whole life and now she had TOO much to learn. Link seemed to have it all figured out. That could have been his speech impediment.

What was she going to do? She had no idea. She had to hope that her Goddess-self had a plan. She hoped the Goddess considered Link into those plans. She could not bear to leave him behind.

This path was strangely familiar. They climbed the hill until the pair had a magnificent view of Skyloft and the celebrations below. If they could rebuild their homes, she had a chance to mend her relationship with Link. Whatever she'd done, she had forgotten to consider his feelings and it hurt him. He was already more withdrawn than he used to be. His smile had changed. Even as he looked at her like he looked at no one else. They had both seen and done new things during their quest to end Demise. Zelda was terrified for the future. She did not want to forget Link. He deserved to be happy too.

He is always so bright and supportive. Why can't I do the same for him? I'm a horrible friend!

The silence was awkward between them. They stared at the sky until one of them mustered courage to speak up. Ironically, it was Link who started the conversation. In this case, it was more a case of her trying to keep up with the muddled signs Link made with his hands. She asked him to slow down and teach her to express herself with her hands. She hoped that would make it easier to convey her feelings to him. She was afraid to say something stupid. If she messed up a hand motion, she could use the excuse that she was no experienced with this form of communication and made a mistake. Their conversation attracted stray cats, looking for scratches behind the ears or on the stomachs.

Zelda woke up first, the next morning. She panicked. Her father would be worried and possibly looking for her. She had been gone an entire night. Her frantic bolting upright woke Link. He reached for the Goddess Sword as a reflex to the nightmare he'd been having.

'Morning.' He signed with a yawn. 'What's got you so jumpy?'

She blushed, noticing his arm draped over her lap. It was endearing.

"I have to go, Link. My father will be worried sick."

'Allow me to walk you home.' He offered. 'We'll take a shortcut through the pumpkins. Like we used to.'

"I…" She hesitated, glancing away from those baby blues.

'Listen Zelda, I know things have to change between us, I saw our future-selves the same as you. But can you promise me something? No matter what happens, promise me you will never change. That we will always be friends. That you won't abandon me for your duties as the Goddess. You'll have to play your harp for me some time. I return, I'll teach you to fly in circles around Groose's Loftwing.'

She closed her eyes, trying to break the entrancing hold his gaze had over her.

"We're still together in the future, Link. One way or another, we'll always be friends. I promise."