Kid felt like he was going to drop from exhaustion. It took a whole day to even get close to the border of the Great Plateau. Now, in the early hours of the dawn, he was lumbering through the grass, rubbing his eyes every few seconds to try and stay awake. His stomach rumbled angrily, and the wounds he took from the fall and mini pig fight ached.

"I'm gonna drop dead at this point...I'm not doing very good on this rescue mission, and I'm not even THERE yet," he sighed, rubbing his head. He looked at the rising sun, groaning. Last night, the whole time, he was running from skeletons that kept popping from the ground to terrorize him. Now that the sun was up, he could rest easy between the time the dead monsters laid to rest, and the living ones awoke.

"How close am I?" he moaned, looking up. The castle was still far away, looming on the horizon. Kid felt like crying, he wasn't even CLOSE! His mother was in there, fighting that thing, and he was lagging through the field, complaining about sleep, pain, and hunger. His mother probably felt like this all the time if she was still in there.

Still...how long ago was that message recorded? Was his mother still alive? If she had been fighting for that long, she surely should be…

Dead by now.

Kid looked up in horror. What if he got there and found nothing but his mother's decaying body? The mere thought terrified him.

He began running again, now having a new fear. Tears leaked, his heart clenched. How much had he cried since he got down here? It's like this place took the lid of his tears and dumped them on him. They just...didn't stop. He found himself screaming again, this time for his mother.

"MOM! I'm here! P-Please! M-Momma I'm here!" he screamed, running faster.

His scream caught the attention of someone, or really, someTHING. Kid ran without knowing a beast was now pursuing him, following him, stalking him.

"M-Momma...can you hear me? It's me...your little blossom...it's Kid. Please…" his run slowed, eventually coming to a stop and dropping to his knees.

"Momma…" he cried, shoving his face into his hands, tears leaking through his fingers. He hated crying so much, it made him feel like a child.

*click click click*

Kid's head shot up. He looked around, nervous.

*clickclickclickclickclick*

He saw it. A red dot on his leg. He looked up.

A beast. ON LEGS!

Kid leapt out of the way of the blast, the beast crawling after him. Kid scampered to his feet, running rampant through the fields. When another blast was fired, he screamed when it grazed him.

"HELP ME!" he screamed, running past trees and jumping over bushes and rocks, trying to serpentine from each blast fired at his feet.

He saw a few large rocks, trying to leap over a small one to get to them. But he only cried out in pain, the sharp end of the rock catching his ankle and ripping his skin open. He collapsed, looking at his now wounded leg, seeing the blood rush down his ankle and foot. He winced, trying to stand up and continue his run.

But when he put down wait on it, he yelped, dropping back to his knees. It hurt like hell. He tried crawling away, hoisting himself over a small boulder and trying to hide behind it. But when the beast drew closer, he laid on his stomach and screamed.

"No! NO PLEASE!" he wailed, trying to faze through the large boulder he was pressed against. But these three rocks weren't enough, for the beast drew near, it locked onto him.

He waited.

"YAAHOOO!"

He shot up. He looked over him to see a figure leaping over the three meter boulder and onto the beast's face.

The beast screeched and thrashed, trying to shake off the surprise attachment. The boy only laughed, pulling out a small blade and slashing the eye.

"How's that huh? Can't look away?! I'm know I'm too awesome!" he shouted. The boy had spiked up blue hair and was wearing a series of weird garbs. It looked like some kinda hodgepodge of shirts and wraps to make a thick, armor like tanktop. He had various small knifes, swords, even a sickle hooked onto his belt, switching between them as he slashed the beast's eye. He had thick black pants and brown strapped sandals, giving him foot movement.

"How'd ya like that huh? Just can't look away from the big star I am?!" the boy yelled. The best lifted a clawed leg, reaching for him to manually rip him off. Kid watched in horror as it reached for him, only to jump in shock as a new weapon came out of nowhere, slicing the leg clean off. Kid watched as a new person came into the scene. This one had large weapons strapped to their back, like hammers, to axes, to heavy swords and spears.

"Nice shot dude!" the blue haired boy shouted. The new person appeared to be a girl with blonde hair with pigtails. She had sharp, green eyes has she lifted one of her large swords off her back and wielding it to hit the beast.

"Hold'em a bit longer. Out final shot is on the horizon!" the bluenette yelled. The other nodded, pulling on one of the legs and yanking it to its side.

Kid watched this all in amazement. These people...these humans, were fighting the beast, and WINNING!

"Final shot in range, lock and load him!" the blonde one yelled. The other nodded, grabbing the horns on each side and forcing the beast's head in one direction.

"FIRE IN THE HOLE!"

A blue light whisked over Kid. He watched it penetrate the eye, the beast squealing in pain. The holes and joints began to leak with light, signaling its demise. The blonde one jumped away, the bluenette still on its head.

"BLACK STAR! BOOM!" the blonde one yelled, reminding him this thing blew up after the lights contact.

"FF-"

Before he could finish swearing, the beast exploded, sending the bluenette flipping into the air. Kid winced when he saw him fly through the air and crash into the dirt, groaning slightly.

"Awww...fuck that hurt. What did he use?" he asked. The blonde one squatted in front of him, smiling amusingly.

"Ancient, causes guardians to explode remember?"

The bluenette glared, looked up at the boulder.

"SOUL YOU ASS! YOU DID THAT ON PURPOSE!" he screamed. Another voice entered the scene, one roaring with laughter. Kid jumped, spinning his head up. Before he saw the third, he jumped from the boulder and landed a few feet from Kid.

"Sorry, but it's your fault your dumb ass was in the way," he retorted. Kid looked up at the one who shot the final blow.

And gasped.

It was him. The albino from his dream. The same hair, the same eyes, the same skin, even the same outfit. He wore thick, beige pants with a sack full of those weird armed sticks on his hip. What made Kid blush slightly was his lack of a shirt, flaunting his ripped, scarred, sweaty torso. He had the weird instrument in his hand, like the light came from it. The albino sighed, and turned around.

Red met gold.

"Woah, the shit?" the albino gasped, seeing Kid hiding. Kid yelped, falling over and trying to run.

"Woah, hey hold on!" he yelled, running over and grabbing Kid's wrist. Kid felt terrified. First he dreams of the Surface and it becomes real, now the boy in his dreams shows up, saves his life, and even tries to help him? He was freaked, and terrified that the three boys took down the beast by themselves.

"Hey, hey calm down! It's ok we're not going to hurt you!" he got down on one knee to look Kid in the eye, trying to calm him. The two others rushed over, both doing the same.

"Hey it's ok, nothing going to hurt you," the blonde haired one cooed, rubbing Kid's back. The bluenette nodded his head.

"Yeah you're fine bro. With Black Star here nothing can touch you. Much less look at ya," he patted Kid's head reassuringly. Kid looked at all of them, trying to see if they were telling the truth or not. But the albino's eyes soothed him somehow, causing Kid's muscles to relax and for him to calm himself.

"You ok?" he asked, Kid nodding slowly.

"Y-Yes, I'm fine…" he tried to stand, wincing in pain when he put pressure on his ankle. The albino saw this and pulled him back down.

"Hey, take it easy there. You're hurt let us-"

"NO, no I'm fine. I just need to...need to…" Kid felt hazy, like his senses were becoming slowly clouded. He was tired yes, but why now of all times was it affecting him.

"You're not fine, please just sit down. It's ok we can help you," the blonde one tried to get Kid to settle back, but Kid pushed him away.

"I'm fine...I need to get there...to the...the…"

Kid's eyes rolled back, and his body went limp. The last thing he heard was the boys calling to him.

Then, he blacked out.

Kid felt warm, and comfortable. Was he back home? Was this all just a dream, and he was just asleep? Kid groaned, turning over to his side. He winced, immediately flopping back onto his back. His side hurt like hell. Why? Wasn't this a dream?

"Oh, is he waking up?"

Who was that? Kid groggily opened his eyes, sitting up with shaky arms. When he opened his eyes, he turned to see the blonde haired fighter sitting in front of a fire, stirred something in a large pot. When Kid sat up, he turned to him and smiled.

"You are awake. And I'm glad too, we were worried you passed out for good," she smiled. Kid simply started.

"Wha...where am I?" he asked. The warrior laughed.

"Southern Central Hyrule, just on the northern border of the Great Plateau. We needed to get you away from the castle. And I'm surprised we found you that close it. Not many go near the castle since it's infested with Guardians. We're shocked you're still alive really. Because if you're smart, to steer clear of the northern sector of Central. Or just Central Hyrule in general. What was your reason?" she asked, picking up a wooden bowl.

Kid sat in thought. Why did he go that way? Oh wait, that's right, his mother.

His mother…

"My mom...she's in that castle…" Kid whispered. But the warrior caught the sentence, and her face went from one of kindness to one of horror and sadness.

"Oh...I'm so sorry. People who go in usually never come back out…" she looked at Kid, who had tears gathering in his eyes.

So was his mother really still dead? Did that small ray of hope of her survival not really exist at all? The warrior noticed the tears and panicked.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to make you cry! Here, dry those up, it's gonna be ok," the warrior held a cloth to his face, allowing Kid to blow his nose. When Kid had sucked his tears back down, he turned to the other.

"Who are you? If you don't mind me asking," he asked. The warrior smiled.

"My name's Maka, Maka Albarn. Master of Arms. I was born and raised in Hateno Village with my brother Black Star. May I ask yours?" she held out a hand. Kid smiled nervously, taking her hand to shake it. But Kid found himself imploding when Maka lifted his hand and kissed his fingers.

"Wha-wha-wha...why did you!?" Kid began to panic, cowering into the blanket around him like a turtle. Maka raised her brows in shock at the sudden movement.

"What? What's wrong? Don't you know that's how you greet someone?" she asked, genuinely confused. Kid stared at her in shock, his eyes wide.

"N-NO! In the Death Islands we shake hands and that's it! We don't kiss each other!" he flushed darkly, burying his face. Maka cocked a brow, tilting his head.

"Death Islands? Where are those? Do you come from beyond the sea or something?" she asked. Kid shook his head, sticking an arm from his blanket shield and pointing upwards.

"No, up there! In the sky! The Death Islands are a series of floating islands miles above the Surface," he explained, peaking out at Maka.

Maka sat in silence, trying to comprehend what he was saying. When it did, Maka's jaw dropped.

"No way...you're a SKYCHILD!" she gasped. Kid looked at him in confusion.

"Sky...what?" he asked. Maka took both Kid of his hands and shook them vigorously.

"I can't believe the Paradise actually exists! And you're from there!? You're dressed kinda like us but you did have some odd clothes strapped to your side, so maybe. But WOW! A Skychild! Right here in front of me! So tell me, do you really have never ending good weather and crops up there?" she asked, practically jumping with excitement. Kid rose a brow.

"Paradise? You call it that down here...I beg to differ…" he turned his head down, looking away. Maka's spree ceased, looking at Kid worriedly.

"Is it not? That's a bummer, I was kinda hoping it was as nice as people said," she sighed. Kid shook his head.

"Well I can confirm one that we do have good weather all the time and our plants grow cycle 'round but...it's the people that make it a living hell…" he clenched his fists, thinking of his mentors and nobles and other people up there who told him to be, act, and LIVE better than everyone else. Maka noticed his hand, and placed his over it.

"Well...I'm sorry if I stirred up some bad memories. When did you get down here?" Maka asked. Kid shrugged.

"I think I fell about three days ago. It was the day of my wedding when we were attacked by the beast," he explained. Maka gasped, her hand flying to her lips.

"Your wedding!? Oh no that's awful! Your mate must be so worried!" she fretted, rubbing Kid's hands. Kid sighed.

"Well...she was my arranged wife to be. Not one I chose myself, and not like you could choose anyway," he hummed. Maka's eyes looked ready to pop out of his head.

"Wait...they FORCED you to marry her?" she asked. Kid nodded.

"That's how it is. We marry for name and money, not for love. I have a hard time believing people can actually love like that. The only two I saw were my parents, who despite being arranged, actually learned to love each other. Other than that…" Kid quieted when he felt a shiver run up his spine. He turned to look at Maka.

And nearly cried on the spot.

Maka's face was one of pure rage. Her eyes were narrowed dangerously, her teeth clenched.

"You were forced, into a bonding, that you wanted no part in? THAT'S, how the Paradise works?! That's...THAT'S…"

"Bullshit is what it is."

Kid jumped to see the two boys walk into the mini camp. The albino was carrying a bunch of slabs of dark, red meat, while the bluenette carried fruits, vegetables, and herbs. The albino snarled.

"Bonding for fame and money is fucking unfair as all hell and damages the soul. You people up there in 'Paradise', are fucked up. Why does it work like that? Do you understand that whole thing?" he asked. Kid shook his head, feeling slightly threatened.

"N-No, I don't understand it! I was the prince, so my wedding was more dramatic than others, but I didn't love my fiance and never will. My father wasn't very keen on it, and my only friends weren't either. None of us understand it...it's just tradition," he explained. The bluenette rolled his eyes.

"If you're a prince, than your Dad's the King, so have him chuck the rule out the fucking window. Boom, done, end of story. Move on in life," he placed the food down, Maka taking some and chopping furiously.

"I mean, for a Paradise that's a lotta mean stuff there! Forcing someone to love another, it's not fair. OH! This is Soul and Black Star, my honorary brothers by the way," she gestured to the other two.

'Black Star' crossed his arms and snorted.

"Yep! That be me! The world famous Black Star! So you're from heaven right?"

SMACK

Black Star doubled over when Maka cold cocked him in the back of the head with a ladle.

"OW! The shit Maka what was that for!?" he shouted, holding his sore head. Maka crossed his arms.

"Stop calling it heaven. Just because it's rumored to have pretty women doesn't mean it's heaven! Jeez you men are so derogatory..." she snapped. Kid held up a finger.

"Well...the Death Islands are seventy-five percent female…" he added. Black Star pointed at him.

"See? Heaven!"

SMACK

Black Star was knocked to his face when Maka picked up her hammer and whacked him with the butt end. All Soul did during the entire exchange was laugh.

"Don't freak out, they're always like this. Anyway, as Maka said, I'm Soul. You're a prince up there?" he asked. Kid nodded slowly.

"Well then, a pleasure to make your acquaintance your majesty," he got on one knee to get eye level, taking Kid's hand and kissing it. Not only in greeting, but respect. Kid blushed a deep magenta, his heart skipping one or two beats. Soul saw his face and chuckled.

"Do I frighten you?" he asked. Kid shook his head.

"N-NO! N-Not at all it's just...up there, kissing hands is a strict, married only thing. Not a g-greeting," he rubbed his arms. Soul laughed, shaking his head.

"Well your majesty, down here we're all kinds of touchy feely. If you're here long, better start gettin' used to it early. So tell me, what kind of things do you do for fun?" he asked, sitting down in front of Kid.

"Before you answer that prince, here," Maka held out a bowl filled with a soup. It was chock full of vegetables and meats, and the aroma was arousing. Kid drooled at the sight, taking the bowl and spoon, mouthing a thank you and horking it down. He hadn't eaten for three days, and his stomach felt like caving in on itself. Black Star laughed.

"For a prince and all, he sure doesn't eat very properly or any of that junk," he sat down, fixing himself a bowl. Soul rolled his eyes.

"The guy probably hasn't eaten for a while so leave him be. Besides, if you got separated from food for more than two days I think you'd be-"

The bowl was held out. Kid was smiling sheepishly, presenting his now empty bowl to Maka. All of them stared at him, eyes wide.

"Wow…" Soul mouthed while Maka took the bowl and refilled it. Black Star watched this and nodded.

"Oh! I thought he was showing us he was done like he wanted a gold star or something," he whispered to Soul, the albino nodding. When the second helping was given to the raven haired boy, he ate it a bit slower than last, but still finished it off pretty quickly.

"Hungry huh? You normally eat this fast?" Soul asked, Kid shaking his head.

"N-No, I just haven't eaten for three days, so I'll eat anything you put in front of me right now…" Kid smiled nervously, finishing off his second bowl. Soul nodded, shrugging.

"Eh, three isn't too bad, but I guess you people are used to having food twenty-four seven so I can't say anything," he fixed his bowl and began eating. Kid's eyes widened, staring at him.

"Not that bad? Are you used to not getting meals?" he asked in disbelief. Soul shrugged in response, but Maka smiled.

"It's fine, sometimes we hunt and don't get anything for days. But on other days we get so much food I don't think we can carry it all," she laughed. Black Star laughed.

"Yeah, but we're good at hunting so we normally don't worry about that," he tossed his spoon into his bowl and placed it beside him, throwing his arms behind his head.

Kid rose a brow.

"What's...hunting?"

He was met with silence. The three land dwellers all stared at him shock, and even slight horror.

"Wait...you don't know what hunting is? Do you know what, gathering is?" Soul asked. Kid shook his head. Maka leaned forward.

"Can you fish?"

"No…"

Black Star jumped up, "Can you track?"

"What is that?"

Soul got on his knees, "What about starting a fire? Can you do that?"

"Why would I start one? Isn't that dangerous?"

Maka next, "Can you cook?"

"Others did it for me."

"What about navigating?"

"Um...with a map or…?"

Black Star ran a hand through his hair, "Can you ride a horse?"

"What even IS that?!"

Maka pointed to the sky, "Can you read weather patterns?!"

"It's always sunny in the Death Islands…"

Soul bit his lip, "Can you fight?"

"Why would I do that!?"

Maka looked at one of his swords, "What about making weapons?"

"We don't have weapons up there…"

Black Star threw his arms up in the air and screeched, "Oh my fucking goddess, can you make bracelets for all I care what CAN you do!?"

Silence.

Kid smiled nervously.

"U-Um...I killed a pig like monster with a few sticks...on accident...in a blind panic," he twiddled his thumbs, looking at the three. They all stared at him.

Soul rose his hand.

"Guys, please? Private conference?" he asked, both Maka and Black Star wrapping their arms around his shoulder and leaning down away from Kid. Soul began to whisper.

"You know if we turn him loose he is going to die right?" he hissed, the other two nodding. Black Star huffed dramatically.

"I mean, the guy can't start a fire, or cook, much less gather fruits and veggies. How long did he say he's been down here Maka?"

"Three days."

"I'm surprised he's lasted that long," Soul sighed, looking over his shoulder to see Kid sitting there silently, looking frightened.

"Anyway, what are we going to do? The guy came from the sky, do they even live up there?" Black Star asked, waving his hands. Maka sighed.

"We need to get him somewhere where he won't have a risk of dying or being blown to smithereens by something!"

Soul sat in thought, giving Kid another glance.

"We'll take him to Kakariko, have my mom and dad look after him. He'd be much safer in the village with guards anyway. My brother can teach him the ins and outs of survival too. Sound like a plan?" he asked. Maka nodded in agreement, but Black Star sat in thought.

"How far away is Kakariko from here?" he asked. Soul hummed.

"I think maybe about one and a half, maybe two days by foot. I mean, the Dueling Stables is on the way but there'd be no point by then. We'll just head through the dueling peaks," he gestured to the twin mountains climbing to the horizon. Black Star sighed.

"While I wish we could go to Woodland like we were planning, guess his highness comes first since he's basically a baby down here."

The three nodded and sat up, turning to Kid. He sat in fear.

"Are you three planning to kill me or something what was that conference for?" he asked. Maka chuckled.

"We're not going to kill you your majesty, we're gonna take you to Kakariko Village, the place where Soul's from." She gestured to the albino, who nodded.

"My mom is chief there. She and my brother can watch you and give you ins and outs of living down here. You'll be much safer in the village to begin with," he sighed, scratching the side of his head, his ear popping out from behind his hair.

Kid jumped.

"O-Ok…" he nodded, staring at Soul's head. Black Star noticed this, making a face at the sky dweller.

"Where are you looking at his ear like that?" he asked. Kid shook his head.

"Your ear, it's...pointy," he pointed at Soul's ear, seeing it stick out horizontally from his head. Soul wiggled them, raising them then falling.

"What? You can't stick your ears out or flatten them against your head?" he asked. Maka revealed hers, removing them from her side lobes and sticking them out. Black Star stared at him, copying Maka.

Kid shook his head.

"No, I can't. Mine are round see?" he turned his head and pointed. They all stared, Soul humming.

"Those are cute, are they always naturally flat against your head like that?" he asked. Kid nodded. Maka sighed.

"Goodness gracious boy. You've gotta long way to go before you get anywhere down here…"

AND HERE ARE THE MAJOR CHANGES! Maka is now down on the surface with everyone, so that is what's changed here. Added some little details here and there, but we're getting there!

Next Time:

Kid and his new found companions head through the Dueling Peaks on their way to Kakariko. They teach Kid about life on the surface while making their way, and Kid discovered truly how ignorant his people were to the ways of life. What will he learn and how will it affect him when he returns to the Sky. Or...IF, he returns to the sky.