The Eternal Game

by Lincoln859

Everything can change in an instant. Sometimes all it takes is that next step, and you're in a new world, a new body. OC Insert into Link, Blended World starting in Skyward Sword. OC MC x Harem, this will be a very long story.

1. It All Begins

The Eternal Game

Chapter I

It All Begins

Summary: Everything can change in an instant. Sometimes it's life; the knowledge that you are a father, or a mother. Sometimes it's death; a truck on the road, your car going off the side of a bridge, or a knife in the back. Sometimes it's as simple as taking another step, one foot in front of the other, just as you always have and always will. A single step, the world spins, and you live in an entirely new world, in an entirely new universe, in an entirely new body, opening your eyes for the first time. The world is wrong, nothing is as it seems, and all things come to an end someday, just as all things begin. Gamerlight, MCxMassHarem, Blended world, starting focus of Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword.

This is, as mentioned, a fiction written in a blended world. This means that there will be multiple different universes in it. Minimal spoilers, it's starting off with Legend of Zelda and I will be slowly building a world and hating myself for every step of it. Barebones though, OC MC is reincarnated into Link in a much expanded Skyward Sword, and things eventually go sideways at a certain point and the other worlds mixed in show up. I go into a lot of detail for some things, and minimal detail for others, and this fic is very much a work in progress, so…yeah. Shit's happening, will continue to happen, and hopefully it won't be terrible.

One important note; this fic is something of a Gamerlight fic. The System, so to speak, will barely exist and the MC won't even know about it for a long time, but it is there and it is active in the background. The story works on something of a premise of "Be careful what you Wish For, because you might just Get it"; as such, a lot of shit is centered around the MC because of his own choices. Choices he will not recall making.

On that subject, let me go ahead and get the warnings out of the way. This will be a story that can and will alternate between fucked up and wholesome solely by my whim, and is something of a self-indulgence and self-loathing fic. Yes, the MC is going to get a mass harem, and yes, I fucking hate myself for trying to write a story that blends all of these worlds and characters together. It will likely be shit, but that's just one more warning. As such, this fic will possibly include, but is not limited to the following:

Shitty Writing, Violence, Blood, Gore, Death, Major Character Death, Minor Character Death, Abuse, Mind Break, Torture, Dubcon, Noncon, Implied Rape (actual rape too, but mentioned rather than detailed), Drugs, Alcohol, Child Abuse, Child Death, Starvation, Slavery, Sexual Slavery, Limes, Lemons, Kinks, Fetishes, Alchemy, Alchemical Experiments, Body Horror, Horror, Shitty Writing, OOC Characters, OC Characters, Random Bullshit, Fluff, Love, Devotions, Loyalty, Stupid People, Stupid Decisions, Regrets, Time being Fucked, Magic being Fucked, Story taking itself far too seriously and not seriously enough at the same time, and one kludged together reality.

Finally, this is going to be a somewhat confusing beginning, because unlike most gamers I am not going to be doing a start-up sequence, meaning that there will be no spending of credits, no world selection or CYOA options to begin with. They happened, and the MC will be dealing with the results of his choices, but you will be learning about the world even as he does. This also means that the Gaming aspects will take a little while to kick in, or even be known about by the MC. Despite that, however, all aspects that he chose will be present from the beginning, even if it will take a while for him to get the memo on some of them. This does mean that other characters will act oddly around him at times, and that sometimes women will be jumping into bed with him rather quickly due to perks and traits he chose.

In the meantime, enjoy the story, or don't, tis entirely your choice.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, places, powers, or universes within this story with the exception of any OC's that I create such as my MC. This includes, but is not limited to, Legend of Zelda (All Media), and anything else I pull from.

~It All Begins~

It really was a miserable day.

Green grass beneath dark blue sneakers, clouded over sky stopping the sun from shining down upon the world and a coldness to the air, a bus pulling away behind him as he walked down his driveway. He didn't need to look, the surroundings as familiar to him as his own room; the pattern repeated itself throughout his life, the bus dropping him off from school, leaving him to walk the remaining half-acre to his house. His eyes left the grass, flicking up to see the white trailer before him; his house, such as it was, though it wasn't much of a home. A place to sleep, a place to play what games he had, a place to relax…at least for the handful of hours before his parents got off work. Green grass beneath dark blue sneakers greeted his eyes once more as he looked back down.

He didn't spend much time there; between the two under the table jobs he was working, his junior year of high school, and the fact that he had never gotten along with any of his family members…well, suffice it to say that he spent as much time as possible outside of his parent's home. He couldn't wait to move out, couldn't wait to no longer have to deal with the people he called family.

Maybe there was something wrong with him, rather than them. The other kids at his school seemed to have better relationships with their parents, and seemed to enjoy their time outside of school. They didn't really seem to like him either, though he'd never really known what he did to deserve that. Never known what he did that resulted in him only ever having a handful of friends throughout his life, and even then it had always felt like he was the outsider in the friend group. He was grateful for them, truly he was…but it didn't change the bitterness.

A breath blown out through his lips, looking down at the grass as he walked. Just a few dozen more steps and he could enjoy his first day off in two weeks. Truthfully, he really shouldn't have had one; he'd been looking into the prices of everything, and had come to the realization that no matter how much he saved up he would need more. The twenty thousand he'd saved up so far would be gone stupidly quick, and while he did have over a year left to save…well, he needed every penny he could get.

That fact didn't change just how sore he was though. School and two labor intensive jobs weren't exactly easy on him, doubly so when he intentionally worked as long as he could, both for more money and so that he could spend more time away from his family. He had no desire to be screamed at for being away from home, or screamed at for being home, or for being lazy, or for not spending enough time with them…or anything, really. The reasons seemed to vary by the day most days.

A shake of the head, forcing himself to get his mind away from that. He was home, for whatever that was worth, but more importantly he was home alone for several hours. He had several hours of peace and quiet before anybody else got home, several hours where he wouldn't have to deal with anyone and could do whatever he wanted. Sleep, most likely, but maybe he would have enough energy to play some games? It had been a while since he'd been able to enjoy any of his games…

Green grass beneath blue sneakers, a body shivering in the wind as it kicked up. His coat had been too small for a while now, but he was fat enough that the cold didn't really bother him, at least not yet. The wind was enough to chill him, but the air itself wasn't too bad. In a few moments he'd be warm again anyways, and appreciate it all the more for the cold. He could buy himself a jacket; had been able to for nearly two years now, but that would only bring about questions. Questions such as how could he afford such a thing, where did he get the money, why wasn't he giving them the money instead, and other such lovely things. His finances were a secret, and had to remain that, otherwise he wouldn't have them anymore.

Green grass beneath blue sneakers, worn straps digging into his shoulders, adjusted with a sigh. He wished…he wished he didn't have to worry about all of this. He was so tired, all the time. Wake up to shouting, go to school and deal with a bunch of assholes and idiots…of which he was admittedly one. Leave school and go straight to work, work until nine, ten, eleven, or even twelve at night every day, and repeat over and over and over again.

All it ever takes is just one step.

"...and over to the left, as you can see…"

Green grass beneath brown boots, the leather soft and worn down by time and use. A warm hand holding his, fingers intertwined, gently tugging him along to wherever they were going. The wind ruffling his hair, almost playfully, the murmur of his classmates familiar and soothing. The soft, steady presence of his partner went a long way to soothe any issues he may have had, the warmth of a soul against his not allowing for any true distress to rise.

Blue eyes, both recently changed to that color yet 15 years old at the same time, flick up, taking in their surroundings. There is no panic, despite the change, for there was no way for this to be real. No need to panic over a hallucination; it wouldn't do him any good after all.

He was surrounded by people. Odd that, considering that after he got off of the bus the amount of people he would see until the next morning could be counted on one hand, and he'd known that none of them would be home for several hours. But then, this random thing wasn't showing him at home, was it? Upwards of a dozen people surrounded him, almost universally in tan shirts and brown pants, with two clear exceptions. The first was clearly the adult of the group, an older man with a dark orange robe and a very odd set of facial hair. Why anyone would ever consider having a unibrow that formed a U, extending up past the top of your head was unknown to him, even if the design did bring up a strange sense of familiarity.

The second, however, was much more interesting, because he did recognize them…recognized her, to be specific. A girl, dressed in a blue tunic with white lines and emblems stitched into it, also wearing the same brown pants as all the rest and a few pouches at her hips, with blonde hair that trailed down to her shoulders and pointed ears…a trait that everybody here shared, in fact. Her hand was warm in his, and even as he looked at her she turned her face to him, blue eyes almost sparkling with some emotion he couldn't identify and smiling at him. The corners of his mouth responded, quirking up with no input from him, and she turned her eyes back to the adult…back to her father. It all clicked in a moment, shock surging through him for several seconds before realization properly set in.

This was Zelda.

The man was Gaepora, the King of Skyloft and Headmaster of the Knight Academy, latest King in a line that was supposedly descended directly from the Goddess Hylia herself. He was depicted as wise, noble, helpful, and most importantly of all… he existed only in a fucking video game. Zelda was also, surprisingly enough, a video game character, and judging by that he was apparently so far gone on some kind of drug or stroke-induced vision that he was imagining himself in the place of Link, the Hero of Time and the main character of an entire series of games. He wished he could say that that was surprising, but if he was going to imagine any game to be the main character in…well, it was either this or Fire Emblem. He was kind of surprised it wasn't Fire Emblem, to be honest, because he'd imagined himself as Robin and Corrin more times than he could count.

Inhale…

Exhale…

Inhale…

Exhale…

'Right, keep calm, panicking will not help you. This is…well, I don't know what it is, but there's no way I'm going to have any of my wishes fulfilled by walking, so let's just treat this as a dream and we'll see how far it goes.' He didn't know what he was even supposed to do here; most of his fantasies that saw him self-inserting as Link tended to be a fair bit more private than what looked to be a class trip. But then, those fantasies also tended to include naked women, like Zelda…or Malon…or Impa…or Nabooru…or Urbosa…or the entire Gerudo Tribe in general…or the Great Fairies. He had a lot of fantasies, come to think of it.

Well, dreams were supposed to tell you things, right? He didn't know what, if anything, he would learn from a field trip on an island that could be walked across in about two minutes, but it wasn't like it mattered, he couldn't do anything else anyways. Well, he could, but none of that would be a good idea. He'd never really been someone to just start things, especially when it was going against the grain. He supposed he could focus in on whatever this lesson is?

"These fields are our very lifeblood, children. While it is true that the Skylian Army are typically the ones responsible for guarding our farmland, as Knights of the Sky you will all be expected to keep a sharp eye on them when you are patrolling. A single monster incursion here could have horrendous consequences for the entire Kingdom if it isn't managed carefully." His focus sharpened almost immediately; fields? Skylian Army? Okay…the dream was already a lot more detailed than he'd expected…

Blue eyes drifted around, taking in their surroundings properly now. Green grass was still beneath his feet, but off to the left were entire fields of wheat, as far as the eye could see. Acres upon acres upon acres, and looking to the right saw similar amounts of corn. They were in the middle of a road between the two, the entire class of 15 students around him, standing in a very loose group as Gaepora continued.

"I am well aware that most of you, if not all of you, do not find the concept of standing guard on our fields to be an interesting topic, which is why I am delighted to inform you that you will all be doing so over the course of your next year in the Academy." The man smiled as the groans of his students filled his ears, genuine delight in their pain in the expression.

"Hah! You will all need to get used to guard duty, children, and by the time you are Knighted you may even grow to crave it. I know that it sounds boring, but Knights of the Sky being utilized for guard duty rather than patrol means that we are in a time of relative peace from the monster incursions, as we have been for the past two years, and that is something you will grow to cherish as you grow older, much as I have." There was only one person in the entire group who scoffed at that, and looking towards them showed another familiar figure.

Groose.

Tall, noticeably taller than most of the other students in fact, with a rather solid frame and visible muscle, a sneer turning an otherwise handsome face ugly. He wasn't comedically proportioned like in the game, thankfully, which probably meant that the dream wasn't likely to go too horribly off the rails. At least not immediately.

Groose was also utterly unphased by the glares of some of his classmates, instead muttering to his two little friends…what were their names? Cawl and Stitch, or something? They'd only had a side quest or two between them, and if he was being honest when he was playing Skyward Sword he had had better things to remember than all the names. Gaepora, rather than getting offended, simply smiled at Groose, the expression a mixture between nostalgia and amusement.

"Yes, I know that the thought of enjoying something boring is a bit…much, at your age, but just give it a few years and some field experience and you will all see what I mean. Regardless, as you all know, this is the final trip we are taking for this semester considering the upcoming celebrations, so you all might as well enjoy yourselves. I will admit that, even for me, this particular trip is a bit boring, but these fields are arguably some of the most important areas in all of Skyloft. As your teachers have hammered home over your first year of training, a nation only survives so long as it is fed. In the battle for survival that Skyloft faces, losing even an acre of our farmlands to the monsters can prove catastrophic." There were rather solemn nods all around, even by Zelda and Groose, which begged the question of just what had his dream conjured up? It was rather obvious that they had lost land before, but just how bad had it been? Gaepora provided no answers, only continuing on.

"About 20 miles to our east is the Hylian Wall, which you should all remember from your studies. For those that don't, that is the legendary site where our ancestors under King Daphnes held the line against one of the worst ever monster incursions over 23,000 years ago, at the cost of many lives… including the Kings. This was back before we even had Loftwings, and due to the chaos of that incursion, and the many since, a great many records were lost. What we do know, however, is that it was a Moment of Fate: you can feel it in the air still today, even. We will be here for a couple of hours: you are all more than welcome to wander around so long as you do not do anything to the crops, though you can touch them so long as you are gentle. Take a flight, walk the fields, have a picnic with your lunches; whatever you like. Your only assignment for this trip, other than relaxing after a semester of hard work, is to pay a visit to the Hylian Wall at some point before we leave, and that you return to that monument about two hours before dark. With that, you are dismissed." And the children immediately split apart into their own groups, Zelda giving her father a wide smile and gently tugging him along behind her.

He was quite content to follow her, a step behind until she tugged him far enough forward to walk alongside her with another smile, humming gently. He just took the time to look at her, to observe what was, quite literally, his dream girl. Not his first choice to dream about, in all truth, but a very pleasant dream nonetheless.

Zelda in Skyward Sword was, like most other characters in the game, rather…goofy, to say the least. A bit silly in design, even if she was pretty enough, with long blonde hair, blue eyes, prominent pointy ears, and two long bangs that framed her face down to her neck. She was also one of two or three Zelda's that was actually shorter than Link. This Zelda…well, she had similarities.

She had blonde hair that was down to her shoulders, as he'd seen earlier, and she still had noticeably pointed ears protruding through the hair, though they weren't quite as exaggerated as in the game; they definitely weren't sticking out sideways, more elven than the games showed. She still had blue eyes, and as he looked at her, her eyes meeting his once more, he couldn't help but think that they matched the sky quite nicely. Those were the extent of the similarities though, and the differences were quite pleasant to the eye.

For starters, she had a chest. Breasts to be specific, ones that swelled out the tunic quite nicely, and with the belt she was wearing he could enjoy the fact that she had an hourglass figure that was not designed with children in mind, her hips flaring back out into a pleasantly large bubble butt honed through years of working out to become a Knight. Her face was more regal, far prettier as well, with a sharp jawline and thin nose, high cheekbones and perfectly white teeth, and plump pink lips so quick to part in a smile when she looked at him. She did have bangs, but they were brushed to the side rather than in two thick strands, and she was taller than him by several inches. More than several, really, a whole head's worth in fact; his eyes were just about even with her neck. He wasn't sure how to feel about that bit; he'd been tall for a couple of years now and shot up even further two summers ago to be one of the tallest in his school. He'd gotten used to it.

All in all, Zelda was a beautiful young woman, albeit one that reminded him more of her adult incarnation in the Ocarina of Time than Skyward Sword, not that he was complaining. A beautiful woman for a beautiful dream; if they were kissing, or going further than that, this would have been a perfect dream, reminding him of the Royal Treatment animation that he'd spent quite a bit of time enjoying…but, well, this was pleasant.

Far more pleasant than he was expecting, really.

There was something to be said for the relaxation a walk could bring when you were hand-in-hand with a pretty girl…or, if he was being honest, just walking with someone who seemed to have no expectations or demands of you other than your company. It was a lovely feeling, one that he could have basked in for quite some time.

"So…how much of that did you pay attention to, Link?" He didn't even register the question until her arm lightly bumped him; looking over to her showed him an amused smile and twinkling eyes. He did register her voice though; sweet and clear, almost musical, like listening to a fantasy elf…though, admittedly, that did describe Hylians.

"Lost in the clouds again, Link?" That name again; it fit, however. Link was the name of the Hero, after all, from this one all the way to the most recent game, reincarnated over and over and over again. Or, more accurately, his name now, odd as it was to say or feel. Link wasn't exactly a common name; Zelda had been more common, with at least one celebrity naming their daughter that. Thoughts for later; he needed to respond.

"Mm. What did you say?" His own voice, however, was wrong in every way. His actual voice was deep after he'd hit puberty and grown, not a full bass but a somewhat rumbling baritone. He'd been told by a couple of his friends that it was intimidating…but then he'd also been told it was annoying, so he had no idea what to believe. It was entirely possible both options were true.

The new voice, however? Entirely different. Higher pitched, for starters, by a noticeable margin, nearly to the point of Zelda's voice, though admittedly a few notes lower. Not quite a soprano, but above an alto, carrying the same nearly musical tone as hers. One major difference, however, was that his voice was quieter, shyer, even though he hadn't intended it that way. His mouth felt…gentler, almost, over each word said, phrasing them differently. Saying "What did you say?" in his actual voice made it sound like an accusation, like he was angry, and it wasn't helped by the fact that he had something of a resting bitch face. Saying it now, with Link's voice, made him sound like…honestly, he didn't even know. It was an entirely new voice, alien to him.

Not to Zelda, however, as she just giggled at him, shaking her head. Amused blue eyes looked back to the fields, the girl tugging him along for another few moments in silence.

"I suppose that I should have expected that. You are terrible at listening to lectures, after all." Link, who had decided to accept the name in the same way he accepted the dream, just shrugged. He didn't know why he was dreaming this of all things, but his hand was being held and Zelda was here. Might as well roll with it.

"I don't see how I'm supposed to focus on anything other than you when you're holding my hand." Red flared to life, a warm flush lighting up her cheeks as she turned to glare at him, far more playful than any glare he'd ever seen before. A gesture of anger…yet playful. He didn't actually know that was a thing in real life…scratch that, it wasn't. It was the realm of dreams and books, and this only proved it. One more thing to enjoy here, the only times he'd ever been glared at had boded for some rather unpleasant times.

"You…" Zelda stuttered for a moment, before sighing and shaking her head.

"I do not know what I expected there. Am I truly that much of a distraction?" Yes, yes she was, and he wanted to roll his eyes over it. Oh. That was odd…he didn't roll his eyes over it. Normally that was one of his immediate reactions to statements that he felt deserved them. Another issue with the dream body to add to the list, he guessed.

"Well, you are the most beautiful girl in our class." The blush this time was several times stronger than the previous one, and he found his lips quirking up into another smile.

"Just ask anyone, I'm sure that they would agree." He squeezed her hand, delighting in the fact that he could actually do this with someone. Nobody had held his hand for years now, and he'd never dated anyone either; dreams were such a delightful thing. Zelda managed to recover quite quickly though, as though used to words like that.

"I am quite certain that the others in our class can pay attention despite me existing, Link, so that excuse is not acceptable. Did you even pay attention to the lecture? The Headmaster said that we were likely to receive a quiz on the importance of ensuring a steady supply of food in war, after all." There was a slight pause before she managed to say the Headmaster, her mouth framing an F before she changed course before the sound could escape. Warm blue eyes turned concerned, facing him once more, the blush fading entirely.

"I do not wish for you to fail a quiz, Link; you would lose the privileges that come from being the number one male student in our year, and that would be horrible." Privileges? Number one male student in the year? What, first out of little more than a dozen students? His dream had put him in first by giving him no competition; how about that?

Zelda's concern was honest though, and he didn't like the sight of it. Wanting to roll his eyes for the second time, yet with his body once again not obeying him, he started speaking once more. Honestly, it wasn't like the subject was even that complex, considering the fact that supplies and logistics had been the death of many an army. Even without studying it in depth he knew full well the rules of war. Books and games had seen to that, after all.

"An army marches on its stomach, and a Kingdom falls with the food supply. A soldier not having access to the food they need is a quick way to have them die due to lowered performance and lowered morale, which is why in even minor skirmishes the supply chain is so important. The loss of even a single shipment of supplies, whether it is food, weapons, armor, or even reinforcements, can see at minimum a lowering of morale and at worst a complete collapse of a battle line. Furthermore, a King that cannot feed their people is a King that will not hold the rank for long, and nothing both unites and divides people as quickly as starvation. In a nation where we have to work together for any hope of survival, fighting each other for scraps of food is likely the quickest way for our Kingdom to fall." Blue eyes blinked; once, twice, and then a third time, shock filling them before she beamed at him, crashing into him for a hug.

Link blinked, standing stupidly for a moment as a warm, soft body molded itself to his, Zelda squeezing him tight even as his face was buried in her shoulder. Heat flared to life, his entire body feeling so pleasantly warm, even as his arms ever so slowly rose to return the gesture, holding her against him. How long had it been since somebody had hugged him? Dream or no dream, it felt real, and he couldn't stop himself from savoring it, from wrapping his arms around her waist and squeezing.

He doesn't know how long it lasts, but eventually Zelda is the one to pull away, and he lets her, the blonde girl looking down at him with calmed delight.

"I am surprised you were actually paying attention: normally in class lectures it is impossible to get you to focus. You are always fidgeting, always looking around and never paying attention to what is important. I am proud of you though." Well, there was another sign that this was a dream, as though he needed more. He had always been a good student, was well ahead of his classes despite his after-school jobs in fact, and on top of that he was in the advanced classes. Getting a scholarship to a good college would help ensure he wasn't running the risk of being homeless, after all.

"I pay attention to the important things, you know." A frown, nearly a pout, as blue eyes look at him in disbelief.

"Link, you spent more time looking at me than you did the Headmaster today, and in classes you spend more time looking at me or out the windows than you do the teachers." Well that was just asking for it, wasn't it?

"Like I said; the important things." His statement earned him another blush, red lighting up her cheeks even as she couldn't help but smile. It felt…pleasant, to be able to make somebody blush. It wasn't something he was used to. Then again, none of this was.

Zelda managed to beat back her embarrassment quickly enough, grabbing his hand once more and tugging him along. He was more than willing to follow: he didn't know anything about where he was at the moment. Finding east or west was easy enough normally, though north and south were easy to mix up, but there was no way to be certain considering that this was a dream. For all he knew, the sun rose in the south and set in the east here, it would make about as much sense as somebody voluntarily hugging him.

"I am glad that you are doing better, Link. I do not think that I have said that enough…or that I am very proud of how far you have come." Positive affirmation was always nice, but knowing what he was being praised for would help. Fortunately for him, Zelda continued on of her own volition.

"An orphan of the monsters, like so many before you. Unlike them…and, in truth, the knights assigned to protect me, you saved the Princess of Skyloft with no training, no weapon, and barely any idea of what was going on. Goddess, those first few months after I managed to get you moved into the castle to be my friend…I can barely recognize you some days." She sounded almost conflicted at the last bit, as though she regretted what time and her efforts had made the dream him. She continued on after a moment of being lost in her memories.

"You learned to read, to write, to fight…anything and everything that was thrown at you you managed, just because I wanted a friend that wasn't only interested in my position…" Guilt was clear in her voice, in her expression, in everything, and even if he hadn't experienced it he wasn't about to let that stand over something so simple. Oh wow, the orphan got uplifted beyond anything they would normally have options for, and the only cost was to be a friend? Wow, what a sin, typically when that happened the orphan was raised to be little more than a servant, and Zelda wasn't treating him like a servant in the slightest.

Zelda was cut off as the hand that held hers suddenly pulled her back, turning her to face him. She looked at him in confusion, blinking in shock as his finger poked her in the forehead. The girl nearly went cross-eyed looking at his finger before those blue eyes turned back to him, nearly pouting even as he spoke.

"None of that, unless you want me to go back to referring to you only as Princess." Indignation rose up on her face, followed swiftly by a surprisingly strong sense of irritation, but he continued on regardless, thankful that he was reading it right.

"If I have told you once, I have told you a thousand times; I am, if anything, incredibly grateful for you and your father taking me in. You were not the only one to gain things from the event, after all, and if either of us were to listen to those people who claimed to be your friends then the only thing that happened there was me taking advantage of pure chance to get uncomfortably close to the Princess." The indignation that had risen up before had nothing compared to what was rising up now, but he just poked her in the forehead again, watching with amusement as the irritation rose up, this time properly directed at him.

"You are my friend, my best friend, when you could have turned me into little more than a servant sworn to you, like a great many would have. Instead you saw potential, saw the chance for me to be more, and you and your father gave me everything I needed to thrive, like no orphan ever does. Do not feel guilty over that, or I will swap from poking you in the forehead to poking you in the eye." Irritation and indignation faded quickly under his words, the girl sighing heavily instead.

"It..it is not that easy, Link. I am always worried about you, you know that. You never truly wanted to become a Knight, after all." That…both made sense and didn't make sense. In a world where monsters apparently had regular incursions, wanting to be a soldier was basically suicidal. But, at the same time, not wanting to be a soldier was highly unpatriotic and had all kinds of other issues like treason and other, even less pleasant words.

How was he supposed to respond to that, though? Winging it based on knowledge from various fantasy or medieval stories was helping so far…but considering that Zelda was the Princess of the Kingdom…well, not wanting to be a Knight was almost a direct insult to her, considering how important Knights were in Medieval times. To say nothing of how important Knights had been in Skyward Sword, where they had been the only fighters in Skyloft in the game, and he had no idea how things were here. Especially when one considered that there was also, apparently, an Army here. Still…Gaepora had said earlier that Knights of the Sky being used for guard duty rather than patrol was a luxury, which likely meant that Knights had more responsibilities than the average soldier, which made sense considering that there was an entire academy for them. Who even knew how long that…

He was getting distracted; it had only been a few seconds but if he got lost in thoughts and theories about a dream of all things Zelda would rapidly realize something was wrong, and seeing as the dream seemed real enough…well, assuming she'd give him all the time he wanted to drift in the middle of a conversation was stupid. Fortunately there was an easy option.

"You're right, I don't particularly want to be a knight…" He could see blue eyes flicker down away from him, shame filling them, her entire head tilting down. He used his free hand to tilt her chin back up, not that it was exactly that far considering he was shorter than her, meeting her eyes with his.

"But I would rather be a simple soldier who can guard your back than risk losing you. At least as a Knight I know I can fly beside you rather than just support you from the ground." That was a gamble, but it was one that immediately paid off as Zelda's face flushed, and he found his eyes trailing after it towards her neck, vanishing beneath the blue tunic that was rather familiar before his eyes flickered back up to hers. Even with the embarrassment there was something in her eyes as his returned to hers; it didn't stop him from continuing.

"I thought that I had made that clear to you; I am sorry that I haven't." The blush deepened a little, and Zelda was the one to break eye contact this time as she nibbled at her lip; fuck she was far too cute. Being this close to an attractive girl that was paying attention to him was already new, but she was so much more than girls in the real world. Even Breath of the Wild didn't do Zelda's appearance justice, nor did the fanart he'd seen of her, and he'd looked at a lot of it over his life.

"I…I know that you are loyal to me, Link, and I know that it is because of how I have acted towards you. I know that you see it as a blessing, rather than a curse, and I know that you get along well with my father…a bit too well, if I am to be honest." The grimace on her face was odd; did they team up and tease her or something? That wouldn't get that kind of expression on her face.

"But…is it so wrong that I am concerned over that? You are my friend, my only friend for all that the entire Academy wants nothing more than to grow close to me, for all that I often have to interact with them all. I just…" She paused, frustrated by her own inability to speak. He could understand this much, at least.

"Not at all. It's part of what makes you a good person. Just understand that I reserve the right to call you silly for worrying over that, rather than worrying over me when I inevitably do something reckless." That got a scoff, amusingly enough, but the words were a surprise.

"Link, the only reckless thing I have ever seen you do is flying too close to the clouds, and even that is hardly reckless for you, considering the fact that you and Sylph have the strongest bond of the entire Academy…and, well, Sylph is Sylph. She is rather unique. That does not mean I like watching it, however, for we are told to stay away from it for a reason." That…huh. Link was typically depicted as a bit reckless before the game starts…though he might be mixing up his Link's. Skyward Sword…that one was lazy, that's right. Well, whatever, it wasn't like it mattered. Also, Sylph? That wasn't in the game…oh, no, wait, he was being stupid. It was the name of the Crimson Loftwing, which the game hadn't even bothered to name despite spending hours in game flying with them. That was odd though…if he was to name the creature, it wouldn't be Sylph. Something like Nero or Nami would be more likely, all things considered, but whatever.

"Yes, that is why you are being silly rather than reasonable. You don't need to worry about somehow having manipulated me into being friends with you; I chose you, I chose this, and no amount of guilt on your part will change that. Now come on, this is supposed to be a day off." He was the one to tug her forward this time, and she rapidly fell into step beside him.

"Oh? What would you have planned for the day then, Link?" He couldn't stop himself from looking at her, amusement in those blue eyes. What did he look like in this dream? Hopefully it wasn't actually Skyward Sword Link, because that one was a bit…goofy, compared to the others. Breath of the Wild Link would be better, but…oh, no, hold on.

His eyes flicked down, to his tunic and to hers, noticing again the blue base with the white lines making patterns that they were both wearing. The other students had been wearing more boring shirts…but what mattered here was the fact that the both of them were wearing the Champions Tunics from Breath of the Wild, almost perfectly so if his memory served. Likely a way to show the number one student of each gender, considering what Zelda had said earlier, but…why this tunic? Why this tunic of all possible options? Wouldn't it make sense to have the green tunic from Skyward Sword, or something similar?

Oh who cared, it was just a dream.

What mattered was the conversation; he was dreaming of companionship, and he wasn't ready to have that end, so it was best to keep it going. So he did, responding to Zelda's teasing question with the confidence born of knowing nothing about the dream and not caring.

"Well, I don't know about you, Zelda, but I for one rather enjoy going on walks with you." There was no blush this time, but the beautiful girl did smile at him, so he considered it a victory.

"Twenty miles is a bit much, however, but I had figured we could walk for a bit before we fly to the wall. I'm rather interested in feeling what the Headmaster was referring to. A Moment of Fate…that feels heavy, even in just words." It really did; even with this new voice he could both hear and feel a strange emphasis on those words, both now and when Gaepora had spoken them earlier. Zelda's eyes lit up in enthusiasm, and strangely enough there was a sudden swell of fondness within him, the girl speaking almost immediately.

"Mmm, I am looking forward to it as well, Link. The legends are quite clear about moments like those…" Blue eyes sharpened with something, looking at him with a mixture of amusement and teasing anger.

"I take it you missed the explanation earlier this week, considering it was not what you consider to be important?" Link couldn't stop himself from chuckling and shaking his head.

"Why would I ever want to pay attention in class when I can spend the day looking at you, and then have the privilege of hearing you explain it all to me again? Besides…you love telling me about things as much as I love listening to you explain them." Blue eyes left his, embarrassment flaring up, and Zelda stuttered for a moment before managing to continue.

"I…you…that is…" A heavy sigh.

"You are not incorrect, I suppose. That does not mean that you should ignore the Teachers, though!" He flashed her a smile, and it thawed whatever frustration existed, though he didn't believe there to be any. She began to explain far too quickly for there to have been any genuine concerns.

"A Moment of Fate is, at the core of it, exactly that. A moment in time, anywhere in the world, where a decision was made that affected the very Fate of it. The Legends tell us that, in ancient times, Moments of Fate were far more…I hesitate to say common, but back during the War of the Goddess there were a lot more of them. Supposedly there were points in the world that held so much weight upon them in the very fabric of magic around us that a Hylian could barely stand, to say nothing of the less magically resistant races. Humans, for example, would be brought to their knees; from what records we still have it was apparently something of a religious experience. A feeling of History, of Power, and of what is supposedly indescribably Fate." She paused for a moment, squeezing his hand even as they walked. Humans? What…why would a dream include them? Especially one that focused on the Legend of Zelda, where humans quite literally didn't exist? Oh well, whatever.

"These places happened because of the War; choices made on a daily basis that went against the original Fate of the World, back when the demise of all things waged war against the Goddess." His eyes narrowed; the demise of all things? That was a rather…pretentious way of describing Demise, but…well, it fit. The world was ravaged, the Hylians were cast up into the sky just for the sake of survival, and the only natural races that still existed down there were Gorons and Koroks, both of which no doubt survived through their own merit. Even Dragon's died, if only one of the more powerful ones. Still, it was a rather interesting way to slide Demise's name into myth. He didn't think he was quite that creative, but the dream proved him wrong.

"We do not know exactly how the phenomenon occurs; the threshold for it seems to be almost random, in truth. We know of two in the domain of Skyloft…although one has not been traveled to in centuries now, lost amidst the fallen lands. What we do know is that there are times when everything seems to be on the line, moments where the entire fate of our people, of the last of the Goddess's creations, is on the line. Moments that can tip the scale between victory and defeat. The last stand of King Daphnes was one of these." She fell silent for a moment, the weight of an ancient tragedy weighing down upon her.

"It occurred during what is the Third Incursion, named as such because it was the third time that monsters numbering in the tens of thousands attacked our people since being lifted into the sky. As you know, we have had 26 of those now, averaging about once every thousand years or so…fortunately, we are not due for another one within our lifetimes, though that is no excuse to allow vigilance to waver." Indeed not; were this not a dream he would be genuinely concerned, because Link's very existence basically guaranteed that an Incursion was on the way.

"This assault was worse than any that had come before it, and it had the misfortune of coming within just a century of the previous one, a horrific incident that has thankfully only happened once more in our history, though as you know that one was far worse in terms of lives lost…yet it turned around in the end, thanks to the Hero. Many of the veterans of the Second Incursion fought in the Third, so quickly did it come, and many of them fell to despair at the fact that it had come so soon. They pushed, and pushed, and pushed; miles and miles of land were lost, and it was during this incursion that we were finally pushed from the first of the Lost Isles, originally known as Naryu's Home, and leaving us with only the Islands of Farore's Hope, Din's Endurance and the smaller pieces of land that came up with us…though as you know, we lost Dins Endurance three thousand years later.. It was believed that the Goddess had abandoned us, that all was lost; the Kingdom itself was collapsing, in truth." He could see it. Monsters everywhere, entire islands abandoned, no doubt thousands of Hylians slaughtered? Tens of thousands, more likely, with mercy nowhere to be found, for monsters did not understand the concept. It would be a miracle for the people of Skyloft to not give up hope, if one was to be honest. Also, what was that about the Hero? The Link he was in was the first incarnation of the Hero…eh, probably not important. It most likely referred to a hero of Skyloft, not to Link specifically. The Game did have the Crimson Loftwing as incredibly important, after all, so that myth had to come from somewhere.

"Finally it came to the Hylian Wall, the only true fortification we had left. It was not much; not even a fort, not like Hylia's Fort, and definitely not a castle like back home. No, it was little more than a wall, and a piece of one at that, a remnant of the great walls that were built back during the War of the Goddess. It crosses the entire island, even now, and we have done everything we can to maintain it. It would be nearly impossible to hold, however, because we had not the forces left to man it." Considering everything…yeah, he could see it. Manning a wall would take thousands of soldiers, at least if it was as big as he was imagining.

"King Daphnes made the decision to hold it in one particular spot; to abandon the rest of it and concentrate all of their forces there, drawing the monsters in. His advisors called him mad, his men held no hope, and in a fit of fury he told the Skylians with him that if they would not hold the wall with him then he would do it himself." There was respect in her voice, the somewhat incredulous story apparently meaning a lot to her. He was very much on the side of the advisors, however, because under what circumstances would you abandon the only defensive fortification you had to concentrate all your forces on one small part of it? Especially when you were outnumbered; that was just begging to be flanked. Walls were not that hard to bypass, not for humans and not for monsters either.

Zelda continued on, unknowing of his thoughts, continuing to paint the picture, her voice gaining reverence as she did.

"Then they came; the monsters. Tens upon tens of thousands of them, against barely a few thousand Skylians, most of whom were not even trained properly due to the losses. A defeat here would see the fall of Skyloft, the fall of the last bastion of the Goddess, and see all that both she and our ancestors had sacrificed fall to ruin. King Daphnes stood tall, spear in hand at the top of the wall, and waited. The monsters came; arrows blotted out the sun, roars shook the ground, and all was soon to fall to ruin." She looked at him, smiling widely, eyes bright and happy.

"And then came the moment that you love to hear about so much; the arrival of the Loftwings, the last gift of the Goddess. She could still see us, and had not abandoned us, would never abandon us, and in our moment of need she answered. From the sky came thousands of birds, larger than a Skylian, larger even than a Goron of ancient times, and using magic inherent to them they drove the monsters from the walls. King Daphnes, still the only man on the wall, the bravest of Kings, stood tall and injured, amongst the corpses of a hundred monsters, and his bravery was rewarded as the first Crimson Loftwing landed before him. It found him worthy to ride it, and the cowardly Skylians, so undeserving of the Goddess's Mercy, found themselves facing the Loftwings, the beautiful blue birds that protect us even now.

Our Guardian Birds."

Huh. Well, that was an interesting little myth…but why in the hell did they show up to supposed cowards? Zelda was quick to continue, voice growing in passion as she did, the reverence gone.

"Many fell to their knees, weeping openly for their cowardice; many more looked up at the King, looking down upon them like an avenging Angel of the Goddess, there to judge them for their sins. And then came the Moment; before the King laid two choices. He could forgive them, or he could curse them, for even then he knew that his wounds were fatal, and it had happened only because he had fought alone. His soldiers could see it too, and it served only to make the moment of salvation worse in their eyes. His choice was the Moment, by the legend." She looked at him once more, eyes serious and intense.

"The choice of forgiveness, of understanding. He spoke to them, telling them that he understood their fear, for it had nearly claimed him as well. He told them that they were still his people, that he was still their King, and that he still trusted them to fight alongside him and save their people, to save their Kingdom. His speech was carved into the memorial stone there, for the people never wished to forget it; never wished to forget the moment that their cowardice nearly doomed us all." Her smile had long faded, the heaviness of the story getting to her, but she shook it off.

"Then they charged, Loftwing and Skylian alike. There was only one man who flew that day, that being King Daphnes himself, and with the aid of the Crimson Loftwing he slew the Blight that led the Incursion and seven Lynel besides, a feat that we would not believe were it not enshrined upon that memorial stone, considering that nobody had ever taken down that many Lynels single-handedly. Even the later rider of the Crimson Loftwing only supposedly took down three, and you have yet to be tested." That…that was indeed impressive. It held nothing on Link's accomplishments, admittedly, but for somebody who wasn't granted gifts beyond the norm it was truly a feat of legend. The only thing even close to it from the Zelda games was the Zora King besting a Guardian in Breath of the Wild, and even that paled in comparison to this. Then Zelda's eyes grew playful, confidence in her voice.

"I think you might be able to beat his record, however; you are far stronger and faster than any Skylian on record. Still, that is irrelevant to the story." Of course he was stronger and faster than any Skylian, or Hylian for that matter; he was Link. Quite literally every incarnation of the boy was built so incredibly differently that to compare him to an average Hylian was equivalent to comparing a fully grown jaguar to a housecat. Zelda grew more serious again, her words more pensieve now.

"The moment left…something behind. We do not have the words for it, not truly, it is more a sense than anything. A sense that something momentous happened there, a sense that things had gone right rather than wrong. It is actually something of a sight for pilgrimages, a place to see for every Skylian at least once. A feelable moment in time, a moment where we won." Blue eyes looked down, the weight of a kingdom on the girl's shoulders.

"It…considering our history, moments like that are precious, every one of them. For all that we have had countless victories over the monsters, it is the losses that are better known, for every one has caused us to lose something irreplaceable." Melancholy took her over, and before he even registered it he had tugged her towards him, wrapping her up in a hug. She took the comfort gladly, almost hungrily, wrapping her arms around him desperately. His voice was quiet, subdued, and while it wasn't intended it was certainly appropriate.

"None of that is your fault, Zelda." She shivered in his arms, but her response came quickly enough that he couldn't ponder it.

"I know…but it is the failure of my lineage." He squeezed her a bit harder, wondering how to deal with this. An exceptionally heavy topic for a dream, but then it had followed the direction he wanted it to go; he got curious, and it answered.

"Tell me, have the people of Skyloft ever rebelled against your family?" She tensed in his arms, and he wondered if he had screwed up. It would be just his luck to assume that they wouldn't rebel against a Royal Family like hers…

"No…no it has never even come close. What does that have to do with anything?" He pulled back far enough to look up at her, concern and confusion in her eyes even as he forced himself not to sigh in relief.

"It means, Princess…" His use of her title had her eyes narrowing, but the stress in it bought him the time he needed to make a point before she said anything.

"That the people of Skyloft trust your family. They trust your guidance, they trust your rulership…they trust you, even unproven as you are. They trust that your father will rule until you are ready to take over; that you will be as generous, kind, and wise as the rest of your family has been. They trust that, even though you will make mistakes, you will do everything in your power to see them corrected. They trust you to fight on the front lines of any engagement, to lead your people into combat as the magnificent Knight of the Sky you will become, as the magnificent Queen you will become." Another flush lit her cheeks, but he didn't revel in it this time; dream or no dream, he had a point to make. His arms unwrapped from around her, rising up to cup her cheeks, thumbs running across the bone even as she shivered.

"Lacking confidence in your future makes sense; you have an entire line behind you that have had incredible victories that have gained little and horrific defeats that have cost more than any Kingdom should ever have to pay, and you are afraid that any mistake could be the end. That is natural, and it means that you want what is best for your people, Zelda. Despite all of that though, you are not alone. You have your father, who will advise you till his death. You have the Nobles, and for all their arrogance and self-importance they are devoted to their people. You have the entire Army behind you, experienced soldiers who have been training for years. You have the entire Knighthood behind you, all devoted to you." Her eyes were watering now; he didn't know if that was good or bad. He really hoped it was the former, considering how much he was having to pick and choose pieces of random inspiring speeches from the stories he'd read. Why was he even doing this? This was a dream!

But then, the girl holding onto him so desperately was the answer. Zelda deserved the reassurance; she deserved the happiness, whatever could be given, even in a dream. She was never allowed genuine happiness; Skyward Sword was the only game he even knew of where she was not filled with regrets, doomed to failure, returned to politics without any true degree of happiness, or memory wiped. This girl in his arms, so soft and kind in every incarnation despite the fact that she was so strong, was so much braver than anyone else he knew. Dream or no dream, she deserved what kindness he could give her. Dream or no dream, she deserved support.

"You have the entirety of Skyloft behind you every step of the way, Zelda. You may falter, you may fail, but they all know that you will stand tall and proud, every bit the Queen Skyloft needs, every bit the Queen that Skyloft deserves, and one that has learned from both the successes and mistakes of her family." He smiled, slightly bitter, because the next words were a lie, but…well, gentle lies never hurt anyone, and were he actually Link it would no doubt be the truth.

"For what it's worth, you also have me. Every step, every battle, every war; no matter what comes for you, for Skyloft, I will be here to stand beside you." Tears fell properly from her eyes then, and for all that there were scant inches between them she still hit him hard enough to force him back a step as she hugged him, squeezing harder than any hug he'd ever had in his life. He just chuckled, the sound somewhat wet, somewhat muffled by her shoulder, and hugged her in return.

"You can be quite silly, sometimes, you know that right?" She didn't give him a response, but then he wasn't expecting one. Link, and the longer this dream went on the more he wanted that to be his name, would count this as a victory. If he had screwed up with it she wouldn't be holding him quite this tightly, after all, not with what his experience were telling him…limited as those were..

He couldn't stop the sigh, even as he gently rubbed her back, the gorgeous girl shaking in his arms. A dream, a fucking dream, and he was still making people cry. He really couldn't get away from it, could he? If it wasn't his mothers crocodile tears to guilt trip him, his brother's tears to his mother over all the things he wouldn't do, or the tears of pain brought about by fighting, he just couldn't get away from them. Happy tears he would take though, no matter how much he disliked tears in general.

"Thank you." The words were whispered, almost unable to be heard even with the fact that her lips were nearly pressing to his ear, but they soothed the ache even further. He'd take it; it was more than good enough.

The hug lasted for some time; neither side was willing to be the first to let go, but eventually Zelda managed, drawing back to look down at him once more, wiping away the tear tracks. There was a strange smile on her face, a mixture between bittersweet and amused.

"You know, if Father had seen this, he would be insufferable." For what reasons, exactly?

"Oh? Can you hear him already then?" She laughed, the sound still wet, but it was as happy as it was incredulous.

"How can you not? He would be demanding grandchildren with a hand on each of our backs." Link's brain froze at that; grandchildren? They were in a Military Academy, why in the hell would he be wanting grandchildren right then? No, wait, scratch that, why was he wanting an orphan to screw his daughter, didn't fathers the world round hate the mere idea…

Link found himself sighing in dismay, even as he stopped that train of thought. There he went again, treating this like it was real; of course Gaepora would want him to make babies with Zelda, it was a fucking dream. There had to be some indication of his more common fantasy, and there it was. Could have been worse, but it definitely could have been better.

"I can hear him; I just didn't want to be reminded." She laughed at him, but strangely enough there was disappointment in her eyes before she shook it off. Then again…well, it was his dream, and no matter that he was finding himself reluctant to push Zelda in any way it only made sense that his fantasy would want him in that way. He was inhabiting Link's body and Skyward Sword was one of the games where the two got together. Honestly, perhaps the only game where they were together and got to be happy, without the weight of past failure on them. Breath of the Wild was an example of that one; both had the weight of their failure and a destroyed Kingdom on their shoulders, after all.

"Come on, Link; we are going to be here all day, after all, so we had might as well go ahead and go see the monument. Then we can just fly around all day if you want, or we could find a nice tree to read under." Another laugh.

"Well, for me to read under; you are more likely to nap." He just smiled and shrugged at her; if there was one thing he and Link could agree on, it was that sleep was wonderful. There was absolutely no reason to be awake if you didn't have to be.

Zelda raised her hand to her mouth, an ear-piercing whistle ringing out, and a few seconds later the Loftwing appeared overhead, diving down until it's wings flared, braking hard enough to land beside her without stirring up so much as a cloud of dust, landing lightly on sharp talons. He couldn't help but look at it for several moments; he'd never seen a bird quite like this, after all, and just like with Zelda, the game did it no justice.

For starters, it was significantly larger than in the game, the taller girl barely coming up to it's chest even as it leaned it's neck down to receive some well-deserved affection, the beak that was longer and wider than her head, neck, and shoulders coming to a stop at the bottom of her stomach as she bumped her forehead lightly against the feathers just above its beak. A warble, gentle as could be and yet loud, left its beak, a sharp clatter as it closed again, the hook at the end of it a vicious tool if necessary. Yet it was so gentle with her, yellow eyes full of affection as the two shared caresses, and after a few moments Zelda turned to him, hands falling to her hips.

"Well? Are you not going to call for Sylph? Do not think that Rin and I will not leave you behind." He smiled at her, wondering how, exactly, one whistled. He had never been able to manage it, after all.

"Just admiring you and Rin, don't worry. It's…nice, to see the bond you two have." Zelda flushed even as he brought his hand up to his mouth, mimicking the way Zelda had held her hand. This was a dream…this was a dream…surely he would be able to whistle here? He wasn't sure if he could trust it, his luck would definitely have him embarrass himself…but, well, nothing for it but to try it. He put two fingers in his mouth, and found that suddenly he could whistle, a clear and equally ear piercing noise sounding out, and the feeling that had been lurking inside his very soul swooped with joy.

It was something he'd never felt before, something that he didn't have the words for: pure, clear happiness, untainted by worry or concern and cast straight into the very core of who he was. It was almost enough to bring him to tears, eyes closing just to savor the feeling that was unlike any other. Was.. was this what everyone who had a Loftwing felt? This joy that they felt at just being called? This was something that needed to be expanded on in the game, far beyond a mere "You can't feel your Loftwing nearby? I'm sure it's not an issue."

But then, as he was forced to keep reminding himself, this was a dream. It was little wonder something so incredible came from it when that was taken into consideration. No matter how realistic it was, no matter how wonderful it was, he needed to keep that in mind, otherwise this was gonna hurt so much more when he woke up. After all, considering the life he had, the way things in that life had gone…well, to say the least, there was no way he was lucky enough to be reincarnated with his memories into the body of Link. And even on the very slim chance, a chance so small that it was functionally impossible that it would occur, he would have been given Link's memories as well. Not been cast into his body in the middle of a field trip with no idea about anything; that wouldn't make sense for anyone.

Link just didn't know what to do, even as joy infected his heart and his eyes opened, automatically seeking out a rapidly approaching figure in the sky. Should he embrace the dream, or try and resist it? Holding back would mean that it wouldn't hurt as much, would mean that if he remembered this at all it wouldn't hurt.

But, as the magnificent crimson plumage of his Loftwing came into view, Link couldn't help but wish that all of this was real. And that, more than anything else, gave him his answer, even as the massive bird landed.

Zelda's loftwing was already big: taller than her by a significant margin, and the girl had his dream body beat by a fair bit. The Crimson Loftwing was even bigger, despite landing so gently and easily it barely kicked up a breeze. He didn't even come up to its chest, even as wings that were each longer than his body folded in, a beak that was larger than his entire torso resting in front of him.

This was a bird that could nearly swallow him whole, if not fully capable of doing so, yellow eyes full of an almost alien intelligence, alongside so much affection that they almost ached to look into. His hands came up, rubbing along the beak, a soft warble escaping the bird even as his hands ran over the cool keratin. It was smooth, surprisingly so, and as its head lowered and his fingers slipped into soft and warm feathers he found himself smiling.

"Hello, Sylph." His voice was quiet, calm and soothing even to his own ears, and it was rewarded by an affectionate bump by the much larger creature. Those yellow eyes were so full of warmth; its head leaned into any and all affection he was willing to grant it, and he found himself stroking its feathers with delight.

He just couldn't get over how big it was. The beak alone dwarfed him, and while part of that was due to how small Link always was, it didn't change the fact that it was ridiculous. That was a good word for just how big the bird was, in truth; ridiculously big, big enough to carry a full grown man in armor with ease, if not two or even three before it even felt the weight. Muscles flexed beneath the feathers, even with the slow and gentle movements it was making, so very careful not to harm its rider.

Sylph; the name brought to mind wind, a free spirit, a strong spirit, one capable of flying through the skies with ease and joy, which…well, in Skyward Sword flying had been the one thing Link seemed to take genuine joy in in the game, so the name made sense. The only question was whether this bird was male or female; Sylph was kind of genderless, if he was honest, though he leaned towards feminine simply because of the fact that the first thing to have the name come to mind was a female game character. Not human though, so this worked more than well enough.

He could have caressed the loftwing all day; its crimson plumage was far more striking than the game could ever convincingly portray, its happiness at the simple affection a balm on his very soul in a way he had no way to understand, far less explain. Zelda, however, had other plans, a giggle drawing his attention.

"Are you planning to pet her all day, Link, or are we going to fly soon?" His response was quiet, quieter than intended, but it seemed to make it to her ears well enough anyways.

"Sylph deserves every bit of affection I can give her; perhaps Rin would like you more if you pet them more often." A laugh, his head leaning against the cool beak even as his eyes found her, one hand stroking through the blue feathers of her own bird.

"Rin appreciates me more than enough, thank you. I give him all of the affection I can, I simply know that we have plans for the day." He hummed in thought.

"Do we, though?" She responded, slightly hesitant all of a sudden.

"Well, yes, unless you object." Another hum, Link needing a moment to recall what plans they had, the bliss of contentment radiating out of his soul proving difficult to move past. Reading under a tree, and perhaps a nap. While he wouldn't be able to sleep, there was nothing to say he couldn't listen to her reading, which meant that the dream wouldn't end…hopefully. Why had she suddenly gotten so nervous over that though?

"Hmm…only if you decide to read quietly, rather than loud enough for me to hear." He was able to tear his eyes from Sylph just in time to see her sigh in relief, and he found himself frowning.

"Why were you concerned over that? It's not like I was going to abandon you." In any other circumstance he would have left it alone; in the real world he wouldn't have pushed his luck in the slightest, would have been too happy over the fact that a pretty girl was willing to spend time with him to question anything. But here, in this dream…well, Zelda should know that he wouldn't abandon her, shouldn't be nervous over him paying attention to Sylph rather than her. Zelda's head faced the ground, Rin butting his head gently against her.

"I…it was just a bit of silliness, I suppose." He hummed again, patting Sylph one more time before walking over to her. It took her a moment to realize that he was approaching, and by the time she did, head rising to look at him, he was pulling her into a hug again. This one was quicker, only a few moments where she clung to him like a lifeline, before he pulled away, leaving confused blue eyes looking down at him.

"I'm sorry for making you think I wouldn't go along with our plans for the day; it's easy to get lost in the bond. I promise you though, I am looking forward to hearing you read to me." The blush that rose up wasn't like the others; gentler and stronger at the same time, more meaningful with the way that she was looking at him after she let him go. It took everything he had to not push his luck further, to kiss her; it would be his luck to turn it into a nightmare the moment he did, whether through a change in the dream or through Zelda getting angry at him for it. It wasn't like he could trust his own ability to read people, after all, not if the way people reacted to anything he said in the real world was anything to go by. So many times he tried to joke, only for people to take offense. So many times people reacted so strangely, so aggressively to him, even when he'd thought he was being nice.

It takes only a minute to return to Sylph, and the giant bird kneels in a gesture that was too fluid to be anything other than practiced. Mounting her was equally fluid, despite the fact that he had never done so, instincts of his body taking over. It was easy to hoist himself up, easy to swing a leg over the sizable body, easy to find the right spot to sit on the bird. Sylph's feathers were soft, so wonderfully smooth as his hands ran across her body. It was remarkable how small he was; every feather was longer than his hand, surpassing even his forearm in length.

His eyes returned to Zelda, who had recovered and was mounting her own Loftwing, and it was something he couldn't help but watch. Fluid movement, her rear outlined by tightly stretched pants for a few brief seconds before the leg came down and she was looking at him, smiling and calling over.

"Well, are you ready, Link?" He nodded, and that was all she needed; Rin's wings stretched out, Sylph's doing the same beneath him. His hands latched onto the bird, body tensing as he braced, and suddenly they were in the sky.

A shocked giggle bubbled up within him as fierce joy speared through the bond, powerful beats of crimson wings sending shocks through him with each one. He leaned forward, hands running across red feathers, the corners of his mouth aching just enough to let him know he was smiling.

Nothing he'd ever done prepared him for the incredible sensation that was flying, with little more than a single bird between him and a long fall to his death. Strong muscles flexed beneath his legs with every movement, the massive beak opening up and crying out in happiness as the loftwing sped up, gaining height so quickly it stole his breath away. Wind tore at his hair and his body, giddiness following almost immediately after. He'd always enjoyed feeling the wind, and now it was stronger than he'd ever felt before.

He couldn't describe how incredible it was, to feel how light his body felt, to feel the swooping in his stomach with the rapidly changing altitude. The way he felt so small as he looked down at miles and miles of farmland, at distant forests and rivers; the way he could, in the distance, see the land stop.

His joy suddenly took a backseat as he focused on that; the edge of the world. It was quite a ways past the wall, which in and of itself was massive to be seen so clearly from up here, but to see land so suddenly give way to nothing was…disturbing, to say the least. He'd seen land give way to water; beaches, rivers, even a lake. He'd seen land shrink away, standing at the top of a hill and looking down at the world, though he'd never seen it from the likes of a mountain.

Looking at the world just disappear however, was unnatural. There was no hint that it was coming, no sign that something was wrong; there was the green of grass, the brown of earth, then nothing. It put a pit in his stomach, one that remained despite the joy coming from Sylph. From earth to open air, it was a rather…unsettling reminder that, dream or no dream, he was on an island floating in the sky. One that had part of it designed to fall to earth after a certain point in time. No matter that this was a dream, that was disturbing to think about.

A sudden cry caught his attention, Sylph's wings flapping harder for a moment, and he found that concern slipping away. He was flying, something that was only possible because of the dream. Why focus on the disturbing implications of Skyloft when he could focus on that instead?

So he did, Sylph falling in line with Rin, Zelda's smile flashing in the sun and his own stretching his mouth, as the four flew. Whatever else this dream became, whatever memories of it were left after he eventually woke up…he hoped he remembered this.

If nothing else, he wanted to remember flying. It was too amazing to forget.

~~The Eternal Game~~

Heh…to think it comes to this, my people

You all look as if the battle has been lost already, staring up at me with such sorrow and such guilt

Tell me, my friends…my family…

Do you all truly think so little of me that I would not forgive you this? That a loss of faith would cause your King to turn his back upon you?

Nay!

I forgive you. Every Man, every Woman, every Hylian…

Nay, we are no longer Hylians, are we? For many generations now, for over seven thousand years, we have lived amongst the clouds, lived in the Sky. I forgive you, my Skylians. I forgive you for your lack of faith, I forgive you for your fear, your anger, and your despair.

You…you can all see the blood upon me, both the blood of monsters and my own. We all know I am not long for this world; soon I shall be with the Goddess, as my Mother and Father are, as so many of my valiant soldiers are. I will have to answer for my failure, for the fact that I could not keep them alive, and it is my burden to bear.

I will not! However, explain to them that I failed today! We will not have to explain to our loved ones that we let the monsters go unchecked! We are the last line! My people, my soldiers. I know it has been hard, I know it has been shattering, beyond anything we have ever experienced. To have not one, but two invasions within a hundred and fifty years…it is fate that led even those safe at home to fear that we had been abandoned by the Goddess. For had we not been cast to the sky and left alone? Had we not been made to live in fear of monsters for over two thousand years now?

It is enough to make any Hylian doubt, to make any Hylian fear…even me, my people. Even I went into this battle afraid that our glorious Goddess had abandoned us in our time of need.

But I can see my mistake now…we all can! And if our Goddess was kind enough to forgive us, to forgive me for my lack of faith…what kind of King would I be if I could not forgive my people? These birds, so large and yet capable of tearing monsters to shreds with talons and beak, holding enough magic within them to cut down even the largest of foes…

A gift from the Goddess Hylia, one to keep us safe and to reforge us into something new.

I called us Skylians earlier, and I am going to stick to it. We have failed too many times to continue to be the happy Hylians, no matter how beloved we are by the Goddess. Let us stand tall, without fear, for once in our lives. Let us stand strong, failures all, together against the monsters.

Let us stand…

And let us Fight!

Are you with me, my Skylian brethren?

Then we go, to death…but more importantly, to Victory! In the name of Hylia, in the name of Skyloft, and most of all… for our future!

If Link was to be honest, he wasn't all that impressed by the speech; considering he was pretty sure it came from his own subconscious, that wasn't saying much. It was no speech of Theoden on the hills outside the White City, it was certainly not on the level of Aragorn outside the Black Gates…but, considering that Zelda was running her hands over the stone monument with awe and reverence, perhaps there was something to be said for the historical impact. He supposed that if this wasn't a dream, that if it had truly come from a man bleeding to death and surrounded by the corpses of monsters during a moment that belonged to a story rather than reality, he would be far more impressed. Even the final details weren't anything special; an image of King Daphnes, looking somewhat familiar if he was being honest, surrounded by the corpses of seven Lynel around him and a large loftwing behind him. The words 'This Memorial is in tribute to those who fell in the Third Incursion, but most especially of King Daphnes, whose might, valor, and refusal to die led to him slaying seven mighty Lynel before his fall.' were carved just above it. Impressive…well, not really; it might be if that wasn't the baseline for Link in the games. For literally any other character in this entire universe, however, it was magnificent.

What was impressive, however, was the weight that had fallen upon their shoulders as they had approached. Well, weight wasn't necessarily the right word for it; Zelda had been right when she referred to it as indescribably Fate. A strange mixture between weight, pressure, and a certainty that what had happened here was both meant to happen…and not at all meant to occur. As though history was never meant to walk this path, yet this was the best option that could have been taken, which…

Well, it was just another reason that this was a dream, if he thought about it. There was nothing in reality that could give several conflicting sensations just from an aura around it, to say nothing of giving impressions that you'd never felt before, yet could somehow identify. He needed to make sure to remember that; no matter how real it all was, no matter how wonderful flying was, no matter how wonderful Zelda was, this was a dream. It would only hurt worse when he woke up if he got lost in this, at least if he remembered any of it.

"I had thought you would be interested in this, daughter." The calm voice of Gaepora came from behind them, the soft click of boots against stone disturbing the weight of fate around them. It was certainly enough to startle the girl, Zelda jumping slightly as she turned to face him.

"Ah, Father!" A warm smile crossed the man's lips, but Link's eyes were more focused on the U of his eyebrows. It still made no sense; who even came up with that for game design? Who looked at that and had thought 'Oh, this is a lovely design, I approve'? Legend of Zelda games had always been a bit odd when it came to character design, but Skyward Sword was certainly the strangest.

"Tell me, Link, what do you feel here?" His eyes left the unibrow and found Gaepora's eyes; warm brown orbs that held care and interest within them. He found his lips parting, his still-strange voice responding almost without his own will.

"Weight. Weight and a sense of both it being meant to happen as well as never being meant to happen." The man nodded in agreement, Link finding himself nearly jolting in surprise as Zelda's body brushed against him as she joined him.

"That is indeed the consensus amongst the Kingdom, my boy. Do me a favor, however, and look deeper. You have the talent for magic, after all, and I am curious as to whether or not you can sense more." Magic? Please, he had more than enough reasons to know that this was a dream already, he didn't need more. A gorgeous girl that was pleasantly affectionate, a new body that didn't ache, a bond in his soul that was a source of joy greater than any he'd ever encountered, and now magic? Perhaps the one thing he had fantasized about having more than anything else, and he was hardly the only human to have done so. Whatever, it wasn't the most immersion breaking part of the dream.

Inhale…

Exhale…

Might as well humor him, not that he knew how. Look deeper; blue eyes closed as he tried to do something, though he didn't know what.

"You should attempt as well, daughter. Your magic potential was almost as great as his, after all." An agreeing hum in a pleasant voice before he could hear Zelda taking a deep breath as well, several seconds passing.

Weight.

Pressure.

This was always never meant to be

Time ticks forward, no matter what you try

Fate comes to call

Desperation, war on a scale unknown

Time must continue

This isn't working, they need more, otherwise this is the end

Let Fate Stand Challenged

Images and thoughts flashed through his mind and pressed into his brain, some too quickly to understand and others so clearly they were painful. The weight and pressure of fate, the knowledge that this was never meant to be…yet it was, it was happening, so it would happen now in this way. Time moving forward, despite something trying to stop it, the weight and pressure of fate. A woman's voice screaming in defiance, a deeper voice laughing as weapons clashed. A ticking clock, a demand; a desperate moment, a denial. Two voices acting as one, the woman and the deep booming together in matching fury.

As quickly and randomly as the impressions came, so too did they vanish, and after several more deep breaths Link opened his eyes again, shaking his head. Where had that come from? Against his will his head turned left, blue eyes meeting blue eyes as he found Zelda doing the exact same thing beside him, emotions he couldn't register flashing through them. She spoke first, voice hesitant and unsure.

"It feels like…like time, almost. It feels like time is running out and they are desperate for…for something. What it could be I do not know, because it does not feel as though it was King Daphnes." He couldn't help but consider that for a moment. It was true, the emotions present were almost detached, for lack of a better word, despite the clear presence of desperation. As though someone else was manipulating things, especially with that final part. They need more.

"They needed more." Confusion he could recognize as it crossed her face, but his eyes turned away from her to look at the King. A man whose face was suddenly very interested.

"They needed more, otherwise it was the end. Desperation, but Zelda was right, it feels like someone else. And…and a roar. Fury and fire and denial." The final impression had been more of a feeling than a sentence, and Gaepora spoke it before he did.

"Let Fate Stand Challenged." Link and Zelda alike nodded at that part.

"What did you mean by they needed more, Link?" Her voice was next, but the question made no sense. How had she not felt that one?

"They needed more. I don't know what it means, just that they did." His response was once again odd; spoken in his old…no, his real voice that would have come off snappish and angry, regardless of the intent behind it. Now, however, it was gentle and soft, rounded edges leaving his lips to not cause any offense with his audience. Instead Gaepora just nodded and Zelda continued to look confused.

"Link is correct, my dear. We have never been able to figure out just what it was about, although we certainly have our guesses considering that this was the moment that the Loftwings were given to us. There has been some debate amongst the scholars, though never anything serious. There are bigger issues, after all." Link found himself nodding; from what the dream had stated, it made sense. Who would have time to nitpick and debate over impressions when they were facing constant existential crisis?

"Why did I not sense it?" Zelda's eyes closed once more, a frown crossing her face, but he simply shrugged.

"Honestly, dear, we have no idea. We have discovered that everybody perceives the Moment differently, even if there are similarities between them. Link did not even sense everything that has been reported about this Moment." The girl pouted for a moment, but shook it off fairly quickly, curiosity taking over.

"What else is there to feel?" Gaepora responded, his voice indulgent and warm.

"The emotions of the moment, mainly. You both felt the desperation, but you did not feel the fear. The terror that engulfed the hearts of every soul that fought here that day, nor did you feel the sheer joy as hopes and prayers were answered. You didn't feel the shame, or the raw certainty of King Daphne's speech." An amused smile spread across his lips.

"Basically, neither one of you felt the simpler things, the things that usually drown out what you felt. It is something we see in those that have greater gifts for magic. The deeper feelings from whatever was watching that fight seems to drown out the more muted feelings of the Skylians, and it is entirely reversed for those with a lesser magic sense like myself. Nothing to worry about, it simply serves as confirmation of what we already knew." Zelda nodded, white teeth worrying at her lower lip even as she visibly mulled it over regardless. Her father turned to him, eyes amused.

"Now, Link, tell me; how much of the earlier lecture did you pay attention to? I saw your eyes upon my daughter far more often than I…" He felt no shame, amusement bubbling up within him, lips opening to speak…

Before a hand covered his mouth.

Soft, silky smooth; oddly so, in fact, considering that he knew that this Zelda, out of all of them, had been trained to handle a sword for what was no doubt years at this point. Blue eyes glared at him, her voice filled with embarrassed anger.

"Do not dare, Link." Lips stretched against warm flesh, a smile pressed to her palm for a few seconds, before he calmly stepped away from her.

"I was looking at more important things, Headmaster." Gaepora's grin widened, a rather booming laugh sounding out even as Zelda flushed redder than he'd seen so far, the man happily picking up the trend.

"Of course my boy, of course! My daughter is without doubt the single most important thing in all of Skyloft…so when are you going to make it official rather than just teasing me about my future grandchildren?" He wasn't given time to respond, the red-faced Zelda speaking for him and rather rapidly changing the subject. Which…made sense, he supposed. Nobody liked being teased, to say nothing of the fact that a King was blatantly trying to pair up his daughter with an orphan. Regardless of whether she liked him or not, and he knew this variant of Zelda did, being put on the spot in front of her father wasn't exactly pleasant.

"Is there anything else of importance, Headmaster?" Despite her displeasure, and the rather pointed way she used Headmaster rather than Father, Zelda didn't step away from him. Even as Gaepora winced playfully, the Princess sidestepped closer to him, almost as if seeking reassurance. His hand found hers with almost disturbing ease, and she jolted slightly, eyes flicking to their linked hands and relaxing. Tension left her body so incredibly easily; it left him envious. Why couldn't he have something like that in reality?

Because this was a dream. He really needed to stop getting lost in how real it was.

Gaepora responded, reclaiming the more serious nature the man had always had in the game easily enough. Still, there was a twinkle in his eye that refused to be dimmed, and Zelda's blush wasn't going away.

"No, daughter, there is not. Your visit has already been more productive than any of your classmates will be; your day is free, as you know, until the sun begins to set. Do you recall the meeting point?" Zelda nodded, and though he did as well he didn't respond. It seemed to be expected, however, because Gaepora just nodded back.

"Then you are free to go about your day; you have the rest of it, after all. Just do not wander so far afield that you will be unable to make it back to us in time." Zelda nodded, and promptly started to walk away, tugging him with her to her fathers amusement. He let them go with a final word.

"Enjoy your day Zelda, Link." The Headmaster and King wandered back to the wall, leaving the two of them alone. Teenagers, alone in an area where it would be incredibly easy to find a secluded place considering they had access to flight. Perhaps the man truly did want grandchildren early. Perhaps Skyloft was facing a population crisis? It would make sense. A small group of people fighting a war against extinction with slowly decreasing resources for thousands of years; it was a miracle that they had lasted as long as they had. A miracle bought in blood, sweat, tears, corpses, and if the feelings of that wall were to be believed…divine intervention.

"So, where would you like to go? There are all sorts of lovely places to read, so I don't have much of a preference." Zelda's voice drew him from his thoughts, his eyes finding her once more. She looked content: the embarrassment from earlier was gone, her lips turned neither up nor down. A girl happy to have a day with a friend; she was looking at him in a way that made his heart ache with the knowledge that he would never be looked at like that in reality. He shook it off, responding as quietly as everything else he'd said so far.

"Somewhere shady and cool, I think. There was a river not terribly far away in the woods." Zelda smiled, nodding happily.

"That does sound rather lovely." So that's where they went. There wasn't a need for further conversation between them, something that he found amazing as well. To be able to just go, not having to nitpick everything or arrange every detail.

A pair of whistles had the Loftwings descend once more, and Link was happy to greet them. Sylph's beak bumped against his chest as the massive bird demanded affection, affection he was delighted to provide. A few minutes later and they were in the air once more, his stomach swooping and his heart soaring as flying continued to be everything he had ever dreamed of and more. It wasn't like being in an airplane, not even close to a hot air balloon; flying like this made him wish all the harder that the dream was real. His eyes found Zelda's as the girl came alongside him, separated only by the massive wingspans of their birds.

This was addicting. Strong muscles between his legs flexed, wings forcing air to bend to their will, wind slamming into him. Wind blowing through his hair, smooth feathers against his fingers, powering through the sky. Loftwings were strong; he could feel it in every beat of Sylph's wings, in the way she powered through the air with ease. That story from earlier, the one his imagination had created; the last stand of a Hylian..Skylian King against a horde of monsters that belonged to the likes of Hyrule Warriors rather than Skyward Sword. It had Loftwings facing off against monsters and winning, as though they were the only reason why the Kingdom still stood. It was an intriguing idea, and he kind of wanted to explore it…

Link shook his head. It wasn't his name, but he wanted so badly to embrace it. This scant hour or so had already been one of the greatest in his life; it really wasn't fair that he could have a taste of this and then never have it again. He didn't want to wake up. Didn't want to wake up at home. Not with parents that didn't love him, who started arguments and screaming fits for no reason that he had ever understood. Not with a spoiled rotten brother who delighted in causing him problems. Not with kids at school who only seemed to want to hurt him, whether physically or emotionally. He was tired of it all.

Perhaps that was why it was so easy to pretend that this was real. He wished it was, ached for it, even if it meant that the horrors of the Zelda games would be real as well. He was in Link's body; even Demise would be easy. Well, perhaps not easy considering this wasn't limited to a game, but it would be far from impossible. With most of his time spent being lazy, with this being his first life with no bleed over from past lives, the Link of Skyward Sword defeated the origin of the curse that would linger on through multiple games and eras. The enemy that was arguably the single most powerful foe that Link had ever faced, which said a lot about the strength of the Link whose body he was in. The monsters in this game weren't terrible, though admittedly it seemed like this dream was taking things a lot more seriously. The game hadn't exactly had a sustainable population, after all, and he could accept that. It didn't change the fact that Link was an army killer on his own. The threat of monster armies was…less terrifying than it otherwise would be when you knew you possessed a body that could carve through them with ease.

The feeling of descending shook him from the thoughts, and much to his dismay he realized they were landing already. He'd spent so much time thinking that the flight was already over, and he was on a hard time limit for the dream. What that would be he didn't know, but he knew it would end right about the point he was enjoying it the most. That was how most good things in his life went, after all. Still…at least this meant the dream would continue for a while.

His eyes took in the place Zelda had chosen as they landed, sliding off the bird and petting her once more for several moments. A slow-flowing river, though where the water came from and where it was going he didn't know, with quite a few old trees around it to provide shade. Perfect for a lovely day of reading, really, even if he would just be listening. A bit of a shame, considering how much he loved books, but he doubted that his imagination would come up with anything truly new. It was far more likely to be a rehash of something he'd seen before. Not that it mattered. He would be happy just to enjoy a little longer in this dream…

He walks to Zelda, more than happy to go along with whatever the girl wants to do. It will be a delight, he is sure, no matter what it is. The dream hasn't allowed for anything else yet, after all.

~The Eternal Game~

In the beginning, there was nothing.

An infinite void, so empty that the concepts of life and existence had yet to even be considered. Then, in this void, three golden lights began to shine. Brighter and brighter, bringing into reality the concepts of light and life. Over time the lights settled into three distinct forms; the three Golden Goddesses. They did not have names, not yet, but they existed nonetheless in a less radiant form than what they would become. In those early years they stayed together, uncertain of purpose and what to do.

Until one day, they separated. The first to leave became Farore, the Goddess of courage. The second was Nayru, the Goddess of wisdom, who acknowledged that courage was right and they needed to learn about the place they were in. The third stayed where they were, experimenting with their natural abilities; they became she, and she became Din, the Goddess of Power. The three remained separate for a truly long time, though how long no one knows, but eventually they reunited and shared what they had learned.

The three Goddesses made a choice; to establish life, to bring existence into the infinite nothing, and so they did. They created the stars in their image; shining gold in defiance of the dark that had been all to exist before. They created worlds, including our very own, but we do know that ours was very late in the line. By the point they had made it to us, they had become experts at it. What happened to the others, we do not know; it is entirely likely that there are other worlds full of life and light out there, untouched by the likes of war and strife, unlike our own. We can certainly hope for that.

Still, the three Goddesses came to a spot in the cosmos they had created, untouched by anything other than dark and the distant light of the stars they had made, and decided it was perfect for their next creation. Before time began, before spirits and life existed, they created the world. It was chaos, to start, and we do not know the process other than that, but we do know that the three Golden Goddesses descended upon the chaos of our land and brought order, life, and light to it. With powers the likes of which are unimaginable, they shaped the chaos into something incredible, something that we will never have the pleasure of seeing again.

Din, the Goddess of Power; with strong arms and stronger power she cultivated the land and created the red earth. It was she who created the world through her raw power, she who formed the mountains and the seas. Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom: with kindness and care she poured her wisdom onto the earth and gave the spirit of law unto the world. It was she who told the mountains what they were, who created the water for the seas and the air with which we breathe. Finally, Farore, who looked upon the empty world and decided it needed more. With her rich soul she produced all life forms who would uphold the law. It was her who created the grass, the trees, and the animals. It was Farore who created the first true life, created a Fourth Goddess. Not Golden, not all powerful like they were, but a Goddess nonetheless, and the one unto whom they entrusted the world.

The Three Great Goddesses, their labors completed, departed from our world for realms unknown. It is certainly possible that they exist even now, bringing about new wonders and new worlds in the void. They could rest in the heavens of their creation, awaiting those who die to allow them access to a paradise not seen since they first created this world. They could rest in those heavens and punish all the mortals who had looked upon their creations and believed themselves worthy enough to change it; we will never know.

It is said, however, that at the point of their exit from the world, at the point where they created the fourth Goddess, power was left. The power to restore the world to what it once was, or the power to destroy it further…nobody knows. Hylians have speculated about that for as long as we have existed, and this is not the book to speak of it within. What we do know is that in this most sacred realm where the fourth Goddess lives even now, there are three Golden Triangles to represent the Power, Wisdom, and Courage of the Goddesses, and in the eons to come they proved to be the basis for our world's providence. Their power can be felt even now; the crops still grow, animals still live, and you are reading this very book.

It is here, however, that the Fourth Goddess comes into play. Freshly created and knowing her purpose, the Goddess known as Hylia set about her purpose. She created Hyrule; created the Hylians and the Spirits and other forms of life that Farore had granted her the knowledge to make. She taught to them the laws of Nayru, taught them the power of Din, aided them in making their mark upon the world the Goddesses had created.

Hylia led her Hylians, led us, into the Golden Age of our society. Knowledge of what we were once capable of has been mostly lost, but we do know that in those days there was no such thing as resource scarcity. There were no monsters in those days; no terrors in the wild waiting for a Hylian to step wrong and be slaughtered because of it. There were no children going hungry because there were monsters attacking the farmers; no steel shortages because the mines had been overrun and good Hylians slaughtered. We know that we were advancing, that the Goddess was proud of us. Was happy with our growth.

Then came Hylia's departure, a day of both grief and happiness. Our Goddess trusted us on our own, to continue to walk the right path as she created other races. The Elves; made in our image, to replicate the success she had had with us. Stronger in magic, weaker in body, made to live longer; a favored race, but not as favored as us, who had truly been crafted in Hylia's image. The Dwarves; made to inhabit the mountains that the Hylians and Elves did not enjoy as much. A smaller people, bearded and strong, with long lives and longer memories. Good allies; straightforward and proud, never the ones to go against an agreement. The Dragons; big, strong, powerful even beyond we Hylians, yet relatively few in number. Prideful beyond the Elves or the Dwarves, with a love for pretty things. Amusingly enough, they found Hylians the prettiest of all; we have several stories of Hylians having to build Dragon-sized lodgings in their cities because the Dragons wanted to gaze upon them each day. The Humans; mortals, truly, with lifespans of merely a century in length, yet so very vibrant despite that…or perhaps because of it. Everything the other races were, they exemplified as well, so varied in character and nature that it was enough to make the heads of other races spin.

Still more did Hylia make, in those early years. Gorons; strong, reliable mountain folk, bigger than the dwarves yet getting along with them so very well. Zora, to populate the rivers and the seas, the blue species kind and reliable. The Rito, to fly the skies; musical folk, happy to exist. Goblins, smaller creatures to wander around and explore the world, enjoying everything the Goddesses had created. Giants, massive and noble, quiet thinkers who pondered the realities of life. Trolls, hearty folk who were the most excellent cooks. Truly, Hylia's vision had no limits for the light and wonder that she could bring. Unfortunately, tragedy struck.

Darkness rose up, for the first time in history. Something in the shadows found the goblins, the trolls, the giants, and even some humans, elves, dragons, and dwarves. They were taken and twisted, turned into things that were not even close to what they once were. Then, just as we Hylians began to catch on to what was going on, the Incursions started. According to our records, they made what we have fought so far look like little more than a brief wind before a hurricane, for the monsters numbered in the millions in those early days. The Hylians, the Gorons, the Zora, and the Rito promptly formed highly effective alliances to fight against the monster. The Humans, the Elves, and the Dwarves formed another. The Dragons fought alone, often in defense of the Hylians, but alone nonetheless for their strength was so great it was a danger to have others on the field with them.

Things got worse, and Hylia wept as her precious creations waged war upon each other. She sought out the source of the darkness, that which was the demise of all things, and she brought with her the full power of a Goddess. Power, Wisdom, and Courage matched against Power, Selfishness, and Monstrosities and was found equal to the task…but the battle was a terrible thing. Hylia had never fought in her life; her creations had never known war or pain until this end had come for them. Equal to the challenge she might have been, equal to the challenge we might have been…but it didn't change the fact that we were never meant for such things. The war was devastating, beyond anything we can imagine even now.

The earth was sundered. The skies wept and the oceans boiled, the earth cracked and the mountains broke. Great rifts were gouged out into the world from just the backlash of the wrath of a Goddess, and as time and the war continued on, the world became more and more uninhabitable. Hylia, the wonderful Goddess that she is, knew what she had to do and what the cost would be. So she gathered what was left; just us.

The War had been brutal; entire races were wiped out, and we had to create an entirely new word for the fact of it. Genocide- the deliberate killing of a race with the aim of destroying it. By the ending days, to her grief, all that was left were her Hylians. She could have left us to die; she should have left us to die, as cold as that is to say it. She could make us anew, could make us all anew. But our Goddess was too kind and loving for that; she chose instead to sacrifice herself. In the greatest sacrifice in the History of the World, a Goddess gave her life for her people. In one day, in one action, she ripped the entirety of what would become Skyloft from the ground and cast it into the sky, shielding it from the dark forevermore with an unbreakable layer of clouds. In that one day, in that one action, she saved us all and doomed herself, for in the action of doing it she made herself far weaker than she ever had been before, and the darkness saw that chance and took it.

Even as we ascended to safety, Hylia fought and laid the darkness low, though it cost her her mortal life and body. A Goddess could not be slain so easily, not truly, but the mortal shell that had allowed her to walk amongst us and be the Mother Goddess we Hylians knew her as was gone forever. She spoke to us despite that; every Hylian only gained the strength to rise from their grieving as our Goddess explained things. We would live in safety, and she would watch over us always, even if she couldn't speak to us anywhere near as often as she would prefer with the way she existed now.

Skyloft has stood for 30,000 years now. Skyloft has held the line for 30,000 years, despite the continued efforts of the monsters for a full 25,000 years. The Skylians learned the hard lessons from when we were Hylians, and it is important for every Skylian to know their history, lest we be doomed to repeat it. Now, the ancient history has been covered, at least as far as we have confirmable records for. It is time to transfer to the founding years of Skyloft, and the turmoil within…

~The Legend of Creation, Excerpt from The History of Skyloft V. I by Karu the Historian

The Eternal Game~

Link had thought that this dream had been perfect. He had thought that it couldn't get any better, that being read to would be fun, but nothing special. That he would have to fight the urge to "fall asleep" and wake from the dream.

Soft fingers gently running through his hair, a pleasant voice in the air, his head against soft thighs

He hadn't thought that this would be the best few hours of his life, occurring in a dream simply because nothing like this could ever happen in real life. He hadn't thought that the moment he went to stretch out on soft grass that Zelda would look at him with hurt blue eyes and ask why he suddenly wanted to be so far from her. He hadn't expected her to insist on his comfort once she'd gotten comfortable against a tree, patting her lap with insistent eyes and a smile.

Hadn't expected the thighs of a Princess trained to fight would be such perfect pillows.

His head resting against warm flesh only barely contained by trousers was…heaven, in a word. A heaven only made better by the hand that was running through his hair, alternating between massaging and rubbing his head. So long had his fantasies been about sex, about pleasure, about harems and power. Why hadn't he known that this was this delightful? He'd never had anyone play with his hair, never been able to lay on anyone's lap; never had anyone to care about him as clearly and completely as Zelda did for Link. Bitterness rose up within him like the tide, soothed almost immediately by the hand gently rubbing against his head. What he wouldn't give for a single friend like this in reality…

Then again, perhaps that was what made it so special. The fact that he'd never had anything like this made it that much more wonderful; made it so that every absentminded stroke of his head was heaven. Made it so that the minutes she spent casually massaging his head were better than anything he'd felt in his life. Made it so that human contact like this was so very soothing, so wonderful, rather than something merely expected and taken for granted. God, he couldn't even remember the last time his mother had hugged him without having first screamed at him for extended periods of time or being in public where it was expected.

Then came today; then came this dream. Zelda holding his hand, hugging him so very eagerly, and now lap pillows. This Link truly had it good, out of them all, of that there could be no doubt. His envy only grew as time went on…but he couldn't actually become bitter, no matter how much he wanted to. Not with Zelda's hand so casually stroking his head, not with her voice in his ears and the softness of her thighs serving as a pillow. Not with Sylph so close by, happy just to be in his presence as she and Rin settled down in the grass to listen as well. Not when flying was so wonderful, when the air tasted clean and the sun was warm without being hot. Not when the shade and wind were cool without being cold, the river flowing in the background with birdsong and insects that weren't actively bothering him.

Perhaps later, once he had awoken and remembered the wonder of this dream, he would find bitterness easy to come by. No doubt it would swell up within him, poisoning everything he thought about for some time after this, turning food to ash and putting the world into a dim malaise of reality, like it was every time he finished a good game or book and ached for something different, for something better. But for now?

For now it was so very easy to sit here and listen to the story his imagination had made up. To listen to a myth of creation that was far more fleshed out than anything he'd seen in the Zelda games, not that that was saying much. The fact that it went on longer than two minutes already put it above any creation story that the games had ever given him. Still…some of it was interesting. Hylia being a Goddess from the start, for example. Goblins, Trolls, and Giants being good to start with was even more interesting, as well as a rarity in fiction. For all that people had been throwing real life racism into fantasy verses recently, it hadn't changed the fact that traditionally those races were evil. Giants a bit less so; typically they were just dumb, but then that stupidity made them easy prey for evil to use, so it wasn't like it mattered. This also explained how Zelda knew about Humans…though not why Hylia created them. Hyrule had always been for Hylians. Zora, Gorons, and Rito had come along later, but even then the main race in Hyrule had always been Hylians. To create others was…odd, to say the least, and felt rather unnecessary. Elves especially, considering that the Hylians were just elves with a different name. At least in the older games; the newer games had been making Hylians goofier and goofier. Dwarves were an interesting choice as well, but it wasn't like they mattered. They'd all been wiped out, and he knew that only Gorons survived on the surface. It would take entire eras of time before the Zora, the Rito, and the Hylian off branches of Gerudo and Sheikah were formed. Actually, that was a point…

The Sheikah existed in the past; anywhere and when the Hylians were, the Sheikah were in their shadow, yet they weren't in the story. He knew that a variant of Impa was waiting for Zelda on the surface; two variants, really, though they were the same woman at different points in her life. Which…if the timeline was accurate, that was a very long time to be isolated in a temple. Why did the Sheikah always wind up alone for thousands of years? First Skyward Sword, then Breath of the Wild, and those were just the ones that popped into his mind. Sure, Skyward Sword only had the one, but Breath of the Wild had nearly two hundred of them all locked away for ten thousand years or so.

A soft hand running through his hair.

No point in focusing on it, or wasting his brainpower. He had other things to focus on right now than a dream-crafted history that wasn't even relevant. Things like Zelda's hand tangling up in his hair as the girl heaved a sigh, the book closing above his head and moving to the side. A gorgeous, smiling girl looked down at him, her other hand joining the first on his head, blue eyes shining with contentment. Nobody ever looked at him like that, and here Zelda was, so very happy to do so. That bitterness rose up again, fading back down every bit as quickly.

"My mouth is a bit dry after all of that." Her words caught him entirely off guard, but amused him after they processed. Little wonder, she'd been talking for a while. Did they even have anything to drink? The river was there, but river water wasn't exactly good to drink from what he remembered. Then one hand left his head, going to one of the small pouches at Zelda's waist and pulling out something bigger than the pouch. A glass bottle of milk, almost one for one of the stereotypical Zelda bottles. Large, glass, stuffed full of milk with a cork inside it. Apparently they did have a milk producing animal up here…kind of made sense, considering it was a staple of the Zelda franchise. Zelda let go of his head entirely to pull out the cork, taking a deep pull. His eyes followed her throat, barely able to see it past the swell of her chest, watching her swallow, and promptly found himself looking at the sky instead. He didn't want to ruin such a wonderful moment with intrusive thoughts, not when he was enjoying the most wonderful dream of his life. He could go back to dreaming about just sex later, on nights where he wasn't dreaming about having someone so close to him.

"I am starting to get hungry…do you want to stop for lunch, Link?" His eyes found her face again, blue eyes having something he couldn't identify within them that felt distinctly pleased. It took him a moment to remember he had to answer; even if he was wanting it so very much, he wasn't used to being called Link.

"I could eat…but I'm also very comfy." She smiled down at him, both hands returning to his hair after setting the bottle down. The earlier affection had been absent minded; certainly present, but more just something she was doing with her free hand. This was targeted; her fingers sought out points in his head that felt better than any other, massaging and stroking, and less than a minute passed before his brain was turned to mush as her fingers started rubbing right behind his ears. A pleasant giggle was all he could hear as he gave the impression of a dog being pet; if he'd had a tail it would have been slapping against the ground in happiness. Fuzzy white noise was the only thing in his brain, but it ended far too quickly for his tastes.

"You do not have to move, Link. It is not like either of our lunches needs you to sit up for them." Red started to creep up onto her neck and the tips of her ears, interest rising up within him at the sight. What was going through her head?

"I…I also would not object to feeding you." Heat flared to life in his face, matched and surpassed by the red building up on Zelda's, but his mouth opened and he was speaking before he even thought about it.

"I'd love that." The blushes only got hotter, but the smile that came across her face made it all worth it. Hand-holding, hugs, lap pillows, and now hand feeding; how many more firsts would this lovely dream provide him? If there was ever going to be a moment when he was rudely awakened from the dream, it would be soon, of that much he was certain. Being hand fed by a beautiful girl was definitely dream worthy, even if the rest of this hadn't been. Not something he'd ever expected to dream about…but he wasn't about to complain.

Zelda's hand left his head once more, reaching into the pouch and once again drawing out items that shouldn't fit into it. Another bottle of milk, and then two containers of something. Containers she opened moments later, her second hand leaving his head to aide her, and revealing to his eyes and nose just what it was. Curry of some sort; he could smell the spice coming off of it, and it smelled delicious. Zelda's voice sounded once again, quiet and musical.

"We have prime meat curry today, as you know Link; you cooked it after all. I still will never understand how you can be a better cook than the Academy Cooks, but I am not complaining." Blue eyes flicked back to him, favoring him with another playful smile.

"If I did not know better I would say you are trying to make me fat." Link had never cooked a curry in his life, though he had eaten them before. He could cook, had been forced to learn just to not eat sandwiches every day, so he considered himself decent. Better than people who did it for a living though? He'd never be that arrogant. Also…Skyward Sword Link wasn't a good cook…well, he wasn't shown to be a cook at all. Food didn't really exist in Skyward Sword, or any game before Breath of the Wild, where Link was fully capable of making 5 star meals at a pot over a cooking fire. So…well, perhaps it was a passed down trend. He liked the idea of the demon and all around badass Hero Link being a house husband though, it was funny. How to respond to this though…most girls he'd met throughout his life didn't respond well to fat jokes no matter who stopped it. Well, this was a dream, and she had reacted well to being called pretty earlier…perhaps a more possessive line?

"Maybe I am; it would stop the rest of the class from harassing you quite as much, which means we could have more afternoons like this." That stopped her for a moment, and he could see her thinking it over. Perfect white teeth nibbled at her lower lip for a moment, blue eyes flashing down to his head on her thighs, before she sighed and shook her head.

"If that would work I might consider it, difficult as it may be to actually put on weight with our education. However, I doubt that I would have any peace even were I to actually gain weight. If anything I would simply have to deal with careless comments about my body even more than I do now." She shook her head once more, blonde hair shaking.

'Well, it didn't do quite what I wanted, but I'll take it.' It was a far better reaction than he had any right to expect, really. Girls tended to be incredibly touchy about their weight…then again, this was a fantasy world, and if the random knowledge of the internet was correct, medieval times actually favored fat people since it meant they had the money to feed their families. Bah, he had no idea. He was counting himself lucky that it was a dream and his words had been taken well rather than offending her, and he was happy with that. Still…he felt he needed to add something to that last point…but what? Offering to deal with whoever was making comments to her felt…wrong, and not just because he was guilty of all the same thoughts towards her that they were. She was training to be a Knight; of every Zelda, this one should have been the least helpless of them all. Offering to threaten people into leaving her alone just felt like he didn't trust her to deal with it. Ignoring, of course, that this wasn't real. But then…what did he say to that? Oh, that might work.

"Have you tried making them stop?" Zelda laughed; a quiet chuckle that was as much amused as it was resigned.

"Oh, Link. Not all of us have the luxury of solving things with our fists or a blade, you know? I appreciate the image, truly I do, but I am going to have to learn to handle it more diplomatically for when I am Queen. Even if I were to take them to task on it, it would not actually accomplish anything of note. They would simply move from saying it to me to saying it behind my back." Blue eyes found his as he turned his head towards her, the girl confused as to why he was moving.

"That is entirely the point, actually. If they are making you uncomfortable, put them in their place; it means they won't be making you feel that way anymore. Who cares what they say away from you; that doesn't affect you anyways." Zelda hummed in consideration as she continued making the meals ready to eat.

"An interesting point, I will admit. However, thinking about our classmates is most assuredly not what I would prefer to spend my afternoon doing." Link nodded agreeably, settling back into place with contentment.

"As you wish, Zelda." This close, touching her, he could feel a little shiver in her body as he said her name. Did that happen every time? He rather hoped it did. She just smiled down at him, showing no sign of the shiver, and soon enough she was bringing food to his lips. It took everything he had in him to keep a straight face as Princess Zelda fed him the first bite from a metal fork. Spice greeted his tongue, thick and hot, warming his entire body even as meat nearly melted on his tongue. Soft rice followed, along with some type of veggie he couldn't name but paired quite well with the meat. It was, in a word, delicious, beyond anything he'd ever eaten in his life. Good enough that it took everything he had to not moan like this was some kind of Food Wars dream; good enough that it caused that aching bitterness inside him to swell up once more. Of course a dream would have infinitely better food than reality. Why wouldn't it?

A moan drew his attention back to Zelda, the woman taking her own bite with eyes closing and ears twitching from delight, the noise making his mind go to vastly different places. Blue eyes opened, the first thing they saw being his own amused gaze, and Zelda blushed. Heavy as could be, cheeks and ears and neck, body squirming slightly beneath his attention. She spoke up, voice defensive.

"What? It is your cooking Link, I cannot help that it is amazing." His lips tugged upwards, a grin spreading across his face. He wasn't Link, not truly, no matter how much he wanted to be, but he was going to take the compliment. It wasn't like his actual cooking had ever been complimented, even when his greedy family had eaten what meals he prepped for himself, not them.

"I'm glad you like it." It was honest, far too much so, with Link pretending that she was eating his actual cooking rather than dream cooking, and it came out so very clearly. Zelda blushed harder than before, but she didn't squirm away this time. She didn't do the anime trope of shoving food in his mouth to shut him up either, and he was thankful for it. Instead she just fed him, her blush slowly dissipating. Everything about the meal was perfect; it was beyond any fantasy he'd ever had, beyond anything he'd ever thought to dream of before today. Meat so tender and juicy it fell apart the moment it landed in his mouth, rice that tasted better than any cooked rice he'd ever had, and a pleasant heat to it that didn't match any spice he'd ever had before. Not that he'd had many; his parents weren't exactly big on heat in their food, not like this, and they were the ones who bought the groceries.

There was quiet for a while, both of them focused on eating; it was particularly entertaining to try drinking milk from a bottle while on his back. He'd had to sit up for that, and Zelda had, even more amusingly, been displeased by that. Straws didn't exist here, however, so there was no other option. But, eventually, as he was eating a type of bread that tasted different than any other he'd had before, she spoke once more.

"Link…" She started, dropping off almost immediately afterwards. His eyes found hers once more, waiting patiently for her to continue. She shook her head after a moment.

"No it…it is silly. There is no need to taint today further." A frown was her response, Link speaking a moment later.

"I'm willing to listen." Zelda sighed, eyes closing even as her hands found his hair once more, seemingly for her comfort more than his.

"I know…that is precisely the problem, I suppose. You are always willing to listen, and I am uncertain that I deserve it." His frown deepened.

"Zelda, please don't make me get up because you decided to be self-conscious." A laugh, helpless and amused, eyes opening once more even as she shook her head at him.

"Yes, that would be a tragedy, would it not? After all, you are comfortable." A sage nod, another laugh, this one more genuine. The Princess soon found the bravery to speak once more.

"It is about this upcoming week. I…do not believe that I have told you yet, for which I apologize, but…well, we will not be able to spend much time together." One eyebrow rose on his face, curiosity rising. Other than the obvious, what did she mean by that? She was quick to continue, hands massaging his scalp.

"Well, as you know, the Festival of Wings is coming up. Three days where all of Skyloft attends our yearly festival in honor of our partners and friends." Her face turned towards the two loftwings, a soft smile on her face.

"It culminates in the Wing Ceremony on the final day. Do you remember what happens then?" No, he didn't, because this was incredibly different already than the simple Wing Ceremony of the game. Still…thinking about it, he could assume that the Knight Academy still did a test, considering it was about loftwings, and that someone had to play the Goddess's Harp. The only question was who, which in the game was Zelda…and, considering the dream, here as well.

"The Knight Academy holds a test of skill for its students, but I think you are talking more about someone having to play the harp and lead the ceremonies." Blue eyes turned back to him, surprised and pleased, before she nodded.

"You are doing beautifully today, Link. Yes, that is exactly what I was referring to. It is a great honor, but it requires a great deal of practice to ensure that it is done correctly. I will be spending much of the next week practicing for every part of it. The opening ceremonies for each day, the hymns to the Goddess, and of course the Song of the Loftwing. I will also have to weave the Cloth for whoever wins the Wing Ceremony…speaking of…" Her eyes grew remarkably serious.

"Link…I want you to win that." He felt his eyebrow creep up once more, almost without his input. She didn't flush, didn't even blink; just kept looking at him seriously.

"I mean it. You are by far the best flier in the school, and I do not want to be in the hands of the Goddess Statue with anyone else. Besides…" It was only here that she got nervous, eyes flickering away from him in a show of uncertainty before they flicked back, solidified in whatever resolve they had come to.

"If you…no, when you win, I have a reward for you." Damn if those words didn't get his imagination racing. Was it what his mind immediately went to? Probably not. But it was another reason to curse the fact that this was a dream once more.

"Well then…" His mouth was suddenly dry as blue eyes gazed so intensely at him, fingers tightening in his hair. Zelda was suddenly a lot more than she had been; less a girl his own age and more a woman making a demand that would be met. All he could do was agree.

"I suppose that I will have to win for you." She nodded, as seriously as he had seen her act in the entire time he'd been here.

"Please do not take it lightly. I know that you are better than anyone else in the Academy, but Groose will snatch a victory if you are not careful. He has been aiming for your spot since the moment we started, and his friends are constantly trying to help him drag you down. He has yet to do anything against the rules, but please Link. Do not lose this; I do not want to have to deal with Groose being Groose, and far more importantly I want you to get the recognition you deserve as the finest of Skylofts upcoming Knights." Well…with her taking this so seriously, he couldn't just lay there, could he? So, much to his dismay, he sat up, finally removing his head from Zelda's soft thighs, her hands coming loose from his hair to mutual dismay. He turned to face her, one hand coming up to do what he had only seen in books and shows for the second time today; cupping one side of her face. He smiled, softly and determinedly; it was so easy to find the motivation to reassure her. Even if he hadn't had it earlier, he definitely had it now, after a meal that this Princess had fed a supposed orphan while giving him a lap pillow. Blue eyes widened in shock as a pale hand gently cupped a gorgeous face, lips parting in a hitched intake as he leaned in close.

"Zelda. I will do everything I can to win the test before the Wing Ceremony, so that I can join you in the place of honor." A smile, somewhat rueful on his part; he wouldn't be here to do that, but he knew that Link was more than capable of it.

"I will even put the effort into training with Sylph this week, just to be sure." Relief filled her eyes, mixed with something more regretful, but the second one didn't last. She smiled back at him, tension leaving her form that he hadn't even realized she'd been carrying. Was Groose that bad here, or was she more concerned about him? This was the second time she had been so concerned about his spot…what exactly did it grant him, that she was so worried over him losing it? He couldn't even ask, because he should know. What a maddening, yet wonderful dream.

He still wasn't ready for Zelda to hug him once more, but he reacted better this time. It felt far more natural for his arms to wrap around her, to feel her warmth against him. He was growing accustomed to it so very quickly…hopefully that want for hugs now that he'd discovered them wouldn't stick when he woke up. They were not something he was able to get in the real world, after all.

But for now? For now he could enjoy it. For now he could enjoy the feeling of a girl larger than him holding him close. Could enjoy the warmth of her body against his; the swell of her breasts against his chest, his face pressed into her neck, his every breath filled with her. Hints of spice from the meal peppered throughout a more lavender scent tinged with steel and oil, something that had him breathing deep, a breathing pace that was matched by her moment for moment. He could enjoy the way strong arms felt around him, could enjoy the feeling of holding someone in his arms. Could enjoy the feeling of safety and providing safety all in one. Zelda was so very affectionate, and he adored it.

It was a long time before they separated; probably longer than it should have been, but neither one could bring themselves to care. It was not until legs started to cramp and bodies began to shake that they separated, and Zelda's face was far more relaxed than it had been. Her entire body had been drained of tension unlike anything he'd ever seen, and it was with a warm smile that she sat back against the tree and patted her lap once more.

"Come on, Link; you can lay back down. We still have a good hour before we have to meet up with the rest of the class, and I barely got through the first chapter of that book." He looked at her, concerned. It was so hard for him to treat this like a dream when she was so very real.

"Are you sure? You don't have to read to me again if you aren't up to it, Zelda. We can do something else, if you'd like. Just lay here and talk, or I can even read to you if you'd like." Her smile widened, warmth and something else he couldn't identify filling her eyes and the breath she exhaled. Her voice was warm and almost syrupy with affection when she responded; another first in this beautiful dream.

"No, thank you though. It means a lot, but…well, it is as you said earlier. I enjoy reading to you as much as you enjoy being read to, and, well…" Red tinted her cheeks.

"I enjoy you resting on my lap as well. It is…lovely, really." Well, that was more than good enough for him; he nodded, and was quick to return to the heaven of Zelda's thighs. This was, without doubt, the best part of the dream. He could lie here forever…

The next chapter passed him by in a bit of a daze; soft and warm thighs against his head, fingers in his hair, and a pleasant voice speaking quietly in the warmth of the day. He could have sworn he napped for a bit, but that couldn't have been the case; the dream would have had to have ended if he fell asleep in it. All too soon, however, Zelda's soft voice was calling his name.

"Link. Link. It is time to get up, Link; we have to meet up with the rest." He heaved a sigh, eyes closed and still enjoying Zelda's fingers in his hair.

"Why is everything wonderful over so quickly?" He meant everything; this dream, happiness, and in particular this segment of it all, but Zelda just laughed at him.

"Come along Link; there will be many more days like this in our future. I guarantee it." She was so certain of her promise. Young, optimistic, and full of hope despite the hints of a far darker world that she lived in, and the reality of it having already slapped her in the face in the past apparently, yet so confident in taunting fate like that. He already knew it wouldn't last. Even if this wasn't a dream, this idyllic childhood would be irrevocably shattered in so short a time; ten days, apparently, in fact. Zelda would be cast down to the surface, and Link would be left trying to pick up the pieces and frantically scale up to fight Demise. He was absolutely up to the task, but even for a Link that was not an easy feat.

He forced the melancholy away, instead focusing on Sylph and Zelda. It was time to go; time to see what the rest of this dream would hold.

~The Eternal Game~

Wings beat, wind whistling through feathers. 34 wings beat down in near-perfect unison, 34 bodies hurtling through the air at speeds no human could ever reach naturally.

There was something to be said about flying in a formation.

Powerful muscles beneath him, cool air blowing against him, even as the sound of 34 wings beating overwhelmed it. Each wingbeat could be heard, could almost be felt with how strong a loftwing was and how they bent the air to their will. Beside him, Zelda, Rin's wings in perfect sync with Sylphs. Before him, Gaepora, a Loftwing whose vibrant blues had faded with age beneath him, in perfect sync as well, in the place of pride at the front of the formation. A King leads, at least for Hylians, and Link assumed the two "top students" were the next two, which would be himself and Zelda. Behind them was Groose, looking rather disgruntled, and three other students he didn't recognize. Behind them was the rest of the class, a further ten students in two lines; combined they reminded him of a wedge formation from the total war games, though what exactly they would be crashing into from up here he didn't know.

It didn't change the fact that it felt impressive.

It wasn't perfect; not every wing was in perfect unison, not every student was synchronized in their movements, but he and Zelda were in tune and following Gaepora perfectly, and that was all that he needed to enjoy it. To imagine the concept of leading his own wing of Knights, of slaughtering monsters with his own team of people he trusted more than anyone else…

Well, he wouldn't actually want to live that life, but it was a wonderful fantasy to go with a wonderful dream. A Wing of Knights off to war…a heady fantasy, even if that wasn't what was happening. He promptly forced his mind away from it; they were coming up on civilization, and he wanted to see it. What wonders could his imagination create, when it came to the flickering embers of a once great civilization? One that, while fallen and faltering, was still standing defiant against the dark and had been for a lot longer than humanity had a recorded history of. 30,000 years, 25,000 of which they had been in a long standing war for survival. His eyes finally caught a view of the city, Hylian eyes apparently far better than human eyes, and, well…

He wasn't disappointed.

The first impression was of size, followed swiftly by age. There were walls around the city: massive stone fortifications that rose up against the horizon in a challenge against the world. Come and break us if you can. Even from here, from so high up and still minutes away, Hylian eyes could make out guards. Not one, not two, not a handful scattered throughout like the games would have you believe. Dozens manned each segment of the wall, large piles of wood every so often along it with fires burning merrily beside them, waiting for the moment monsters were spotted in force so that the alarm could be sounded. They were old; as they approached he could see stone and wood weathered by time and the weather, not a single jagged edge or sharp point to be found amongst the stone. Something pressed into his mind, an impression that didn't come from his eyes or his ears, but the same source as what allowed him to look so deeply into the Moment of Fate from earlier. A strange, dream induced sense of magic that didn't make any sense to his mind. A sense of pride, a sense of defiance…but above all else? A sense of security, certainty, and home that took his breath away. Even now, on a distant approach, he could feel it. He'd never felt anything close to it. He could tell, without any other knowledge, that these walls had withstood the test of not just time but had taken assaults and won. They had stood strong against every assault they had ever faced, for 25,000 years and more.

The battlements were impressive, of that there was no doubt, but what stood out even further was the Castle standing tall and proud, higher by a large margin than the walls. If the walls gave the sense of a home made safe, the castle gave off a feeling of protection. A feeling that no matter what happened, so long as this castle stood, things would be alright. It was here, and it would be your shelter. Standing proudly with 7 massive spires, a second set of walls around it, and a feeling of age even greater than the walls, it was a testament to the pride of the Hylians who had built it. Great stained glass windows, massive ornaments of birds and golden triangles; the castle defied ordinary description between its size, strength, and the magical impressions it gave off.

From the heights he was at he could see the homes as well; some built of stone, some of wood, but all were lovingly maintained. Most of them were old, passed down through the ages from parent to child no doubt. To a home they gave the impression of welcome, of home, of safety and security.

Even the empty ones.

If Link had had any doubt that the Skylians were a race in decline, this would have been the final nail in the coffin. This was the capital of Skyloft, with walls that he knew had never been breached…and it wasn't full. How many settlements did the Skylians have left? How many cities, or towns, or even villages existed, when even the capital wasn't over full? A full quarter of the city's homes were dark to his eyes. As they flew nearer, beginning to fly over the city, his certainty grew, especially as he began to be able to see life. Kids playing outside, yet staying away from the empty areas. Adults looking at them sadly. Guards patrolling them with hands near weapons and in groups, as opposed to the "patrols" in the occupied portions that were playing with kids and helping people out.

He shook it off as the wing turned left, heading towards a different area, away from the capital. Not far on a loftwing, but a long way to walk. A compound more than a city, though there was a small town around it and a massive statue in the distance away from it, a large temple before it.

The Goddess Statue; the only depiction of the original Hylia that existed in the games, and it had remained the same in every game. A mature woman with wings, cloaked and hooded, looking like a grandmother more than anything else. This one kept…some of those. She still wore a cloak, still had wings, but the rest of it was vastly different. A massive statue of a beautiful woman in the prime of her life; a mother, a caretaker, a guide, and a guardian. She looked…rather similar to Zelda, truthfully, just older and far larger. The same high cheekbones and sharper jaw, the same nose; even the hairstyle was the same. The eyes were carved with a gentle set, looking out into all they surveyed with a caring gaze, lips carved to be a loving smile. No teeth, but a smile nonetheless. The cloak covered her figure still, but the wings were larger and more like stereotypical angel wings than the small ones that tended to be on the Goddess statues in the games. The statue was incredibly detailed, and unlike the capital it barely looked aged at all.

Link ignored the temple; it looked like the temple of time from Ocarina of Time, and as such he was far more interested in the compound they were rapidly approaching. Far newer than any other construction he had seen so far, with none of the impressions that had forced themselves upon him…actually, why hadn't the Goddess Statue given him anything? A shake of the head and a refocus; treating a dream with logic would just result in a headache, and he had other things to focus on. Like what was before him.

Skyloft Academy.

In the game it was your home; a place to sleep occasionally, a place for a few side quests, some dialog, and home to a few treasures. A humble two stories with a kitchen and a single bathroom with a separate room for a bath, it was nevertheless the largest building in Skyloft in game. The Bazaar might have had it beat, but he doubted it. Here, in this dream? It was a lot bigger.

Well kept grounds that were already larger than the game's entire building, with a variety of features that he could see on approach. An entire field of wooden training dummies, a well worn dirt track looping around a pond, and an aerial obstacle course set up on poles that took up a remarkable amount of room. There were three buildings on the grounds: one a one story tall and two sitting at two stories. though he did not know their purpose just yet. Only one building had the large bell from the game, however, so he assumed that that was the dormitory. Considering it was one of the two story ones, that made sense. Each building was noticeably larger than the game's entire academy, as well. The entire compound was fenced in by a massive stone wall; it had nothing on the walls around the capital, but was over three men tall nonetheless. One thing to note as well was that the compound was remarkably close to the end of the island, much like the game. There was a lot of room for people to mount loftwings in the way the game did; throwing yourself off the island.

Around the compound, some distance away, was a little town. Probably more of a village, in truth, as there were only about 30 buildings in total there. Four of them were fairly large, with one being identifiable as the Bazaar from the game. Everything was…not new, was decades to centuries old even, but it was a much newer construction than anything from the capital had been that he could see. It didn't have the same impressions that everything else had been giving him.

The Wing swept down, almost in unison still, and all too soon they were dismounting. He barely had enough time to give Sylph a pat before she was flying off with the other loftwings, and he turned towards the King and Headmaster in time with Zelda, something that wasn't even intentional on his part, but it pleased him anyways. It pleased him more to note that every other student was a few seconds slower. Perhaps it was petty of him, but he liked it anyway.

"Alright, students. With this trip over, your week off begins. As we have gone over previously, it is up to you whether you return home for the week or remain at the academy, but know that if you remain at the academy you will be required to cook for yourselves for breakfast and lunch, dinner will still be provided for you. All Academy amenities will still be available for those who wish to make use of them; the Festival of Wings does have five separate martial tournaments and multiple aerial events that you all may wish to train for, should you decide to participate in them. This does include the weapons room, but be aware that if you are training without a Knight present there will be consequences for your blatant disregard of safety." Gaepora's sudden deluge of information caught him off guard, but he was able to pick it up easily enough. Not that it mattered, really. The man paused for a moment, considering what he had already said, and then continued, eyes sharpening.

"As you are all aware, ten days from today is the final day of the festival, and far more importantly it is the day of the Wing Ceremony. The Ceremony starts at 11 A.M., and you will be there at the main plaza on time. I will not tolerate any of you being late, and you will answer directly to me if you go so far as to miss it, and that conversation will be an exceptionally heavy one about your future at this Academy." Link could hear the gulps around him, could feel Zelda flick her eyes towards him. She was right to be concerned, however; if this followed the games path, Link would be late and the entire ceremony would be put off due to sabotage by Groose. Fortunately, that wouldn't be a problem for him; there were some silver linings to this being a dream. Gaepora's intimidating stare continued on for another minute, making a point to make eye contact with every trainee on the field, before he relaxed again.

"I expect all of you to acquit yourselves admirably in the Ceremony; you are all a part of the advanced class of this Academy, and you have all made your instructors proud over this year of training. I expect one of you to be the victor in the Ceremony." There was a sudden feeling of threat behind him. The feeling of 14 separate pairs of eyes digging into the back of his skull was almost intimidating; probably would be if he wasn't safely and sadly secure in the knowledge that none of those eyes were real. The Headmaster continued, drawing the attention of his "classmates" back.

"Finally, Trainee Zelda will not be participating in the competition part of the Wing Ceremony itself. She has been chosen for the honor of acting out the role of the Goddess Hylia during the Festival." There were some murmurs behind him; surprise, interest, anticipation, and a few more notable ones that had him feeling irritable despite knowing that this wasn't real.

"I have to win this now! Maybe Zelda will give me a kiss if I win…" A whispered voice, quiet and barely audible, sounded out from behind him to his right. The corner of his eye saw Zelda's ear twitch, a slight furrow to her brow that he somehow knew meant irritation. He didn't have to look at who it was, even without recognizing the voice or knowing the specifics of who had lined up where in their formation, because there was a pair of voices that chimed in immediately afterwards.

"You got it Groose, you'll finally show that damn Link who's Boss!" He didn't know which one was which, but where one started, the other followed.

"Yeah Boss, you can finally beat Link at something!" It was either Cawl or Stich, or whatever their names actually were. Cawlin, Stritch? He really couldn't remember. One was the bug kid and the other was the toilet paper letter kid, that was all he could remember them by. They hadn't left enough of an impression as anything other than Groose's lackeys to merit his remembering their names, and at least Groose had somewhat grown up. Vaguely. If you squinted. The idiot leaping after you as you skydived to the ground was a pretty clear sign of lacking survival instincts, something that would have killed him in any medium other than a game where good guys won and bad guys lost. It was rather amusing to hear Groose's immediate response to them though.

"Will you idiots shut up? You're gonna get us in trouble!" There were two apologies, and then it was quiet once more. Gaepora, who had been staring at the three of them, nodded and continued.

"As you are all aware, this means that the winner of the Wing Ceremony will, in addition to a guaranteed chance at the spot of number one student of the year for their gender regardless of their current ranking, be participating alongside her in the ceremony of the Goddess's Chosen Hero, a rite that has been observed for the past 20,000 years. This requires no additional training, but understand that no matter who receives that honor they will be expected to perform to the best of their abilities." Gaepora's eyes evaluated them all for another few minutes, then he nodded.

"Very well then. Dismissed." And the discipline enforced by military training broke immediately, the volume going from nothing to loud in a split second. A soft, warm hand latched onto his and pulled him forward; Link barely had time to nod at the Headmaster before he was being pulled along, and he could spot a glimmer of amusement in those brown eyes as the man nodded back. Zelda promptly pulled him towards the building with the bell on it, and in a handful of minutes he was proven right; it was the dormitory.

They passed several rooms, and he soon discovered one of the major "privileges" of his supposed rank; not being in group housing. Perhaps, considering the military nature, being in a barracks was more suitable? There were eight communal bedrooms on the bottom floor, with four common areas, two kitchens, and two sets of baths, in addition to a few individual rooms that had the names of what he assumed were instructors on them. There were teenagers everywhere, dozens of them, all milling about and doing various things. Some were playing games he couldn't recognize, some were reading, others still were lounging around talking, but many of them stopped to look at them as they passed. More than one had hunger in their eyes as they looked at him, and not the good kind either; no, these kids wanted his position. They wanted to be with Zelda…and, really, he couldn't blame them.

The second floor was smaller, holding only two barracks, one common area, one kitchen, and one set of baths, but Zelda pulled him on past those to the far end of the building. Several more teachers' rooms, including one with a very ostentatious "Headmaster Gaepora" written upon it, but it was a set of large double doors that Zelda stopped at, finally letting go of his hand long enough to push them open before dragging him through. It was enough to startle a laugh from him, and she looked back at him with sparkling eyes before closing the doors behind them. Her head thunked against the wood and she heaved a huge sigh of relief; something that only amused him further. Without even bothering to look back at him she spoke.

"Do be quiet Link; there is no need to find joy in my suffering." Her words, and the long-suffering way they were said, got another laugh from him, the sound far gentler than any laughter he would make in the real world. Instead of harsh, mocking sounds it was softer, pleasant even to his ear and resulted in the blonde princess giving off a rueful chuckle of her own. His eyes turned from her, taking in their private rooms; rooms that had had their names written beside the door on paper. A very clear message that this status could be changed, if Zelda hadn't already made it clear with her worries over that very occurrence.

Link's room in the game, well everyone's room in the game, was a decent sized room. The decorations could be altered, some of the colors changed, but by and large they followed the same pattern. A bed big enough for the character in question, a corner desk and chair to work at, a bookshelf stuffed chock full of textbooks, a wardrobe, a dresser, and a few small crates for storage of various knick knacks that the character in question might have. The floor was mostly open, with all of the furniture along the wooden walls, and said walls were typically painted in a pattern resembling the sky. The room he was in bore some resemblance to that; the walls were still painted in the same sky pattern with little golden squares at the top and bottom.

For starters, this room was the size of at least three of the student rooms from the game put together, though how big that was he couldn't tell you. It was big enough, however, that splitting it between a personal kitchen, a common area, and a work area didn't make any of the rooms feel compressed. The kitchen was as fully equipped as a fantasy game could be; a stove that apparently ran off of magic, an oven that was much the same, a sink that may or may not have proper plumbing, multiple cabinets, drawers, and cupboards, two of which had what looked to be an icicle embedded upon them, and a small table with two wooden chairs in the center of the area. The common area had a sofa, two armchairs, a coffee table, and a fireplace with a stack of cut wooden logs next to it. Considering he hadn't seen one of those in any of the previous rooms, he imagined that that was a luxury if it got cold here. Several pillows were around, a few books scattered about on the furniture and the table, but overall it was remarkably clean for a pair of teenagers with far less supervision than anyone else had in this building. They had a door that closed after all, unlike every other room in the building bar the bathrooms. The work area was rather simple; two large desks, wooden chairs with a cushion on them rather than being bare, and a bookshelf each that was stuffed full of books. Light came from a pair of crystals on each wall, a constant glow.

Three doors went further into the suite; one on the right wall, one on the left wall, and one on the far wall. The right had Zelda's name, the left had Link written in far better handwriting than he had ever managed in the waking hours, and the far door was open to a bathroom, one that had a bath as well. So, if he was understanding it all correctly; being the number one student of each gender in the academy came with privilege. Private suite, close contact with the other top student, and possibly other benefits as well? Even with just one of those he could understand why Zelda was so concerned about him losing the spot; the thought of her having to bunk in the same room as someone who wouldn't leave her alone was a nasty thought. Even ignoring the part of him that wanted her, he'd lived that; it really, truly sucked. When peace was a nonexistent thing in your life, your life tended to go steadily downhill.

"What is so fascinating about our room, Link? Nothing has changed since we left this morning." Zelda's voice drew him from his thoughts, and his response was a little more honest than he would have preferred.

"Nothing, I was just imagining how bad it would be if you were stuck with one of the others. You'd never have any peace." He could hear her shudder, which was interesting; usually you "heard" that in a sixth sense sort of way, but not here. He actually, physically, heard it. It wasn't something he could describe easily, either; muscles tensing and shaking, a body moving rapidly…odd.

"Please do not put that image in my head, Link. I am happy enough with you here; I have no desire to room with anyone else, and father will not allow me to intentionally fail enough to be moved out into a barracks now that I have proven my capability." He turned back to face her as he heard boots be placed on the floor, treated to the wonderful sight of Zelda bent over at the waist and arranging her footwear by the door.

'Dear god that is beautiful.' His mind stuttered for a moment, having to reboot from far more appealing a sight than he expected to see right then, but he managed it by the time Zelda started to straighten up and turn around. She frowned at the sight of him, even as there was something in her eyes he couldn't identify.

"Well? No boots in the rooms Link, you know this." It made him smile, entirely unintentionally, but he knelt down to oblige her anyways. He probably should have expected that one, he had never worn shoes in the house anyways; why would a dream be different? It was the work of a moment to take them off and put them beside hers, and in a bit of drama he spread his arms and bowed to her slightly, still smiling.

"Am I presentable, your majesty?" Zelda frowned at him, sniffing haughtily even as her eyes sparkled with amusement, eyeing him up and down.

"I suppose it is presentable, trainee Link." That was as far as she got before she was laughing, and his own soft chuckles joined her as he walked over. Where was he supposed to go from here? If he really wanted to end the dream right, this would be the point where he started angling towards sex, towards fulfilling a fantasy he'd long held and really wanted to experience…but it felt wrong. It was one thing to fantasize, it was another to push, especially when he was on some kind of clock anyways. It had been a long and pleasant dream, however, and he still wasn't quite ready for it to end.

"What do you want for dinner?" He wasn't quite sure where it came from, but it seemed to be the right thing as her eyes lit up further even as her smile turned a bit teasing.

"You are trying to make me fat, I knew it! We ate just a few hours ago, Link; I know you have an insatiable appetite, but some of us cannot eat as much as you." It got a laugh from him, even as he teased back.

"Yes, I want my Princess to need to rely on me to carry her around rather than Rin. But you know as well as I do, a proper meal takes a while to prepare, and it is starting to get dark." Zelda blushed, and he wasn't quite sure what he had said for a moment, until it clicked. That…had been a bit more flirtatious than he had intended…oh well. Too late to take it back now, thank god this was a dream. The girl took a few moments to recover, her voice stuttering like it had much earlier that day.

"I…You…Link…" A shake of the head, the tantalizing red that painted her beautiful features forced away.

"I do not suppose you would mind making a Veggie Cream Soup? It does not have any meat in it, but after the curry earlier I feel like I need something a little lighter." He shrugged; he had no idea how to make that, he was entirely winging it at this point. It was a dream, however; considering he had the ability to fly a loftwing with ludicrous ease and the ability to talk to someone without upsetting them, hopefully he could manage to cook something even half as good as Link had made the curry.

"So long as we have the ingredients, I don't mind trying." Zelda pouted at him, lower lip pooching out adorably. God he wanted to kiss her; he forced that thought away even as she spoke.

"How am I supposed to know? You refuse to allow me in the kitchen." That…didn't make sense; Link would be delighted to cook with her normally. So…that would mean that she had done something wrong. So he raised one eyebrow, and the pout vanished as quickly as it showed up, her mouth opening to stop him. He got the words out first.

"And what happened last time you tried to cook?" She slumped, far more animated than she had been. Whatever masks she had been keeping up because they were in public, even if alone, were gone now. He rather liked it.

"I burned the food. I cannot help that I have not been allowed to cook my entire life, however!" He looked at her, debating his options. Well, what was the worst that happened? He made a terrible meal, which was already likely anyways, and could blame it on her? A convenient excuse to fail if he'd ever heard one.

"Fair enough. Come on then." Zelda froze, blinking slowly even as he turned his back on her and headed to the kitchen. Her voice spoke up, uncertain.

"Wait…you are really going to let me help? I thought it was "Improper for someone of your standing, Princess" and that I burn things anyways." That…seemed a bit hurtful, but Link had probably had his reasons anyways. Besides, he had been handed a golden reason just a little bit ago to have changed his mind.

"I stand by my words for the first one, a Princess shouldn't have to cook. As for the second…" He looked back at her and shrugged again.

"You're right; you'll never learn if someone doesn't teach you." He let himself somber up; it was so very easy to do, after all, when he thought about the fact that this dream would be ending so incredibly soon.

"Besides…as much as I enjoy just existing in the same space as you as we do our own things, we are about to go a full week with limited time together. Might as well make the most of today, right?" The smile she gave him wasn't like any other he'd seen today, or even in his life. He'd seen happy, relieved, watery, teasing, and more, but Zelda's smile now? It was like watching the sun coming out after a storm, the first rays of brightness and happiness after a long time without it. She nodded happily, humming in agreement, and promptly stepped forward to join him.

"What do we need then?" She was so very eager to learn, her voice so very happy. He stepped forward, then halted; he knew where nothing was. So, improvise!

"Depends on what all you want, really, but to start? A knife, a spoon, something to cut the vegetables you want on, the vegetables you want to eat, a pan, butter, oil, milk, flour, salt, pepper, and most importantly of all…" He looked up at her, smiling teasingly.

"You need to wash your hands and find them." Zelda didn't object, didn't question; she just did. She washed her hands, and as he was washing his she was happily stepping through the kitchen and pulling out various things. A pan from a drawer, a knife and spoon from another, a cutting board from a third. She grabbed a variety of vegetables from the cupboards with ice embossed upon them; opening them up confirmed his suspicion that it was a fridge, because she grabbed cold milk from there too. Even as she grabbed flour, oil, butter, and all of the rest of the things he pondered, however; how did he know all of that? He'd never made vegetable soup in his life before, but he could rattle all of that off hand? Perhaps…perhaps this wouldn't be as bad as he expected.

And it wasn't.

For a little over an hour he and Zelda moved together in the kitchen. He taught her how to wash the ingredients properly, how to chop properly, to dice and to mince. He taught her the right setting to put the stove on despite having no idea how to work the dial, Instincts and memories he didn't have guided his every step, laughter and amusement filling the kitchen as two teenagers moved together. Blue eyes sparkled in both faces, with contentment settling into them both. He had to stop her several times; she nearly added far too much salt, had to help her recut several of the vegetables, and had to slow down some of what he was doing so she could learn it, but despite that? It was delightful. It was cooking made fun, made pleasant, when every other time in his life it had been a chore. Far too soon for his enjoyment he was settling himself onto the couch with a bowl of vegetable soup that had no right looking or smelling anywhere near as good as it did, Zelda happily plopping herself right beside him. Just a minute later she was leaning against him as they ate, and they took their first bite in unison. Zelda's eyes fluttered shut, a moan of appreciation leaving her lips, and Link wasn't far behind her. Why was the food so good? Dream food or no dream food, it should have some basis in reality. There was no way that Hylian…Skylian food tasted this good constantly, that was his imagination at work. He didn't even like vegetable soup!

"Well, not bad, right?" His voice was playful, and Zelda's glare was equally so over her spoon. There wasn't much talking as they ate; the food was far too good for that, which said all that needed to be said. Link was left with his thoughts after he finished, well before Zelda; he couldn't even get up to get a start on the dishes with the way she was pressed against him. Not that he minded.

This really was a nice room. The couch was comfortable, far more so than he expected, and with Zelda's warm, soft body against him…well, he wasn't sure what heaven was, but he was pretty sure that this dream was it. This entire day had just been so nice; a wonder, on every level. Sure, there was a lot that didn't make sense, and he hated how much it would hurt when he woke up, but he was so very happy that he had had this dream.

"I really am not ready to go to sleep." Zelda's voice drew him from his thoughts, her voice soft and warm. His head turned to her, noticing how the taller girl had cuddled into him. His arm had wrapped around her at some point and he hadn't noticed; another of those instincts? His own desires? Both? He had no way to know.

"Then don't." It seemed simple enough; it had been getting dark, but that meant it couldn't be all that late. Zelda just groaned, responding a moment later.

"I have to. I need to be up early tomorrow for the training, and on top of that it is getting late anyways. I am just comfortable, and today has been a really good day." He nodded agreeably.

"It really has. I'm not ready for it to end either." A hum of agreement, the two of them luxuriating in each other's company for several more minutes before she sighed heavily, reluctantly rising.

"I am going to go ahead and bathe, unless you want it first?" He shook his head, and she nodded before walking off to her room. He watched her go, before turning to the door on the left. Link's name taunted him; what did the boy have in his room? So he got up, satisfying one last bit of curiosity.

It…wasn't much, in all honesty. A bed, a window, a rug of mixed reds and blues, another desk and cushioned chair beneath a window, a bookshelf stuffed full of books, what looked like a fountain pen and an ink jar alongside an ink brush and a small set of paints, a book with a collection of loose papers on the desk. A wardrobe, a chest of drawers, an actual chest at the foot of the bed, belt pouches hanging on a belt on the side of the wardrobe, and a bag on the nightstand. The wardrobe showed additional copies of his current outfit; the Champion's tunic, basic trousers, a second pair of boots, and then it had a pretty thick woolen coat. The chest of drawers had tunics of the same color as the rest of the class, along with underwear, some thick woolen trousers, and socks…some of which were rather long. He supposed it made sense; riding a loftwing could likely chafe after a while, not to mention the cold winds. Imagine flying during a storm? That would have to suck.

The book on the desk had artwork in it, and not a minor amount either. Both drawings and paintings were in there; of Sylph, of Rin, of Skyloft as a whole and a lot of nature. There was a rather breathtaking one of a storm over Skyloft, painted so vividly he could almost feel it. No, scratch that, he could; that magic sense was kicking in again. Well, the bullshit dream sense at least. The one thing there were more drawings and paintings of than anything else, even Sylph, however?

Zelda.

At rest, in combat, in training, laughing, laying on the sofa, dancing in the rain, and one rather amusing one of both Sylph and Rin besieging her for pets; Link must have spent months or more likely years making them all, and to make matters worse most of them had comments on them that could only have come from Zelda. 'You have painted me too pretty, Link. I do not think that my eyes are quite this impressive. Did you really have to make me the focus of this one? I am being grievously assaulted by our partners.' Link had drawn her so many times, and she had seen them all.

It was little wonder she was so affectionate.

His feelings were clear to see in the art work; the images of Zelda had incredible care taken with them, far beyond anything else. Every line was true to life as best he could, every action taken with great care and accuracy. They were, above all else, made with love and he could feel every bit of it. Link loved Zelda; it was as simple as the sun rising, the sky being blue, Sylph enjoying flying, or Link's own breathing. It was little wonder Gaepora was teasing them so much; he had to have watched this all grow and wanted nothing more than to see it all in bloom. Link couldn't even blame him; if he'd been watching two teenagers dance around each other for years he would want to end it too. "Will they won't they" was a trope that should only exist in a story, after all.

'There I am again, treating this like it's real.' A sigh, shutting the book. He instead looked to the bookshelf, seeing a lot of lovely titles. He didn't bother picking any of them up, but the titles had him ache for this to be reality just that little bit more.

History of Skyloft, V. 1-6

History of Hyrule

Hylia and her Commandments

Potion Making for Novices

Magic for Novices

Monster Compendium, V. 1-4

Races of the Ancient Times, V. 1-4

Mathematics

Hylian Primer

Skylian Tactics, V. 1-6

Knight of the Sky Tactics, V. 1-3

History of the Incursions, V. 1-16

Major Battles V. 1-2

The Knight Academy and Its Role

Skylians in the Modern Era

Knights of the Sky

Loftwing Care

Gear Maintenance

Weapon Creation

Cooking for a Queen!

The Skylian Cookbook

The Ingredient Compendium

Drawing for Beginners

The variety was amusing, and some of it he really wanted to see. The primer for magic and potion making nearly had him drooling, and he'd always enjoyed history on top of that and there was so much of it there. 28 volumes of it, in fact, at least that were clearly labeled as such. He wanted to read it all, wished that something other than his own imagination had crafted this world and those books wouldn't just be cludged together bits and pieces of his own imagination and theory-crafting. It wasn't, so there was no point in reading them, but he wished with everything that he had for it to be true, for this to be real rather than a dream. It would never happen; he wasn't that lucky. For a while though? He could sit at the desk and pretend he was Link. Could try to draw and act as though he wasn't staving off the inevitable crushing of his spirit the moment he woke up.

So that was exactly what he did.

Up until the moment Zelda knocked at his door and told him she was finished, he drew, despising the fact that his hand was steady and it came out beautiful rather than terrible. He couldn't even manage stick figures in reality, but here? In this dream? He was drawing an image of Zelda perfectly, every bit as beautiful and realistic as every other image in the book and he hated it. Why couldn't this be him? Why did he have to have shit parents and a world without magic yet still be taunted with this dream? He would never get an answer, and when Zelda knocked he just got up in disgust.

If Zelda dry and looking at him happily was a gorgeous sight, then the sight of her wet with hair slicked down and in a white nightgown was sinful. Skin pinked from being scrubbed, blonde hair smooth and wet, a pleasant scent of lavender suffusing the air, her gown drawing his eye to her curves; it ached to look at her, in this melancholy mood. She noticed immediately, because why not prove beyond any possible doubt that people in his life didn't care for him. Then every ounce of bitterness was drained as Zelda hugged him tightly, cheek pressing against his head, whispers leaving her lips.

"It is alright, Link; I will still be here, even if we will not be able to spend the week together as much as either of us would prefer. We will still be able to have the majority of the Festival together; my only duties are at the open and close of each day, along with the Wing Ceremony. We will be able to spend part of the evenings together this week, too." She squeezed him tighter, seeking comfort of her own now even as he hugged her back.

"I will miss you, though, even if we will be so close still." It was enough to both soothe that ache and cut it so much deeper. He didn't respond; couldn't respond, not when she was both hitting the nail on the head and incredibly off base. She didn't need one; she just held him for several minutes and was held in turn. Such warmth, such easy affection…he'd never experienced it, but this dream provided it so freely and easily. Eventually he mustered up the will to bottle up the melancholy, to push back the miasma of reality and find contentment once more. If he remembered this…at least he would have this memory of kindness and affection so freely given. He spoke, voice quiet and thick with emotions even he didn't recognize.

"I'm sorry." She pulled away, just far enough to tilt her head down and look him in the eye, blue eyes so very strong and determined.

"Do not apologize for this, my Link. I care for you, and you care for me; it is only natural that we miss each other, that we miss each other even when we are still here simply because we know we will be apart soon. Know always, however; I care for you." It was a hair's breadth from her saying she loved him, and he wasn't sure if that was a good or bad thing. He just smiled up at her, the gesture filled with even more emotions he didn't understand.

"Thank you, then." That got him a smile, gentle and understanding and kind, Zelda proving beyond a doubt that while she might not be able to handle flirting, she could handle every other mood with ease. Link was a very lucky elf in this reality, even if he would have to fight Demise to be able to be with this woman permanently. A fight worth having; a fight worth winning.

All good things come to an end, however, and so too did the hug. Zelda pulled away, slowly and reluctantly, but she did, and they bid each other a good night. He watched her go once more, his mind not even on the less than pure thoughts that came up so easily around a gorgeous girl. No, they were on her kindness, on the affection so freely given.

The only thing left for the day was to take a bath and end the dream. At least he could finally figure out what he looked like, assuming the bathroom had a mirror; looking in the river hadn't exactly been an option with Zelda making puppy eyes at him and patting her lap so invitingly. Curiosity perked him up, and he soon discovered his answer.

He was a twink.

Or perhaps a femboy, depending on how you judged it. The tunic he wore was not the only thing pulled from Breath of the Wild for this dream, for he was that Link. Two long blonde bangs framed his face, pretty rather than handsome, with elven ears much like Zelda's poking upwards and slightly outwards. Blue eyes so full of emotion stared back at him from the mirror, blonde hair longer than his real form had ever allowed it. A waist that was thinner than both hips and shoulders, a butt that was essentially the same as Zelda's tight bubble, and not exactly much visible muscle upon him as he stripped and examined himself. No scars either, however, so there was that. Soft and delicate hands despite their strength, soft and delicate feet despite their power. Perhaps the only thing that didn't lend to the idea of him fitting perfectly into the Gerudo outfit and entrapping half the population of the internet was the dick. Link had been, depending on the role he played in the smut, depicted with every size and a lot of game-related descriptors, with Deku Nuts for small and Master Sword for large, and he was rather thankful that this dream followed his preference and went Master Sword rather than deku nuts. He didn't know just how long he was, and he wasn't exactly about to bother measuring in a dream, but he did know that even soft he went a decent way up his own stomach. Rather humorously big, in truth, as though someone got Isekai'd and created a character before sliding the genital slider to maximum. Fun, but far more likely to hurt a woman than pleasure them. Not like it mattered; he would never be able to see it in use.

He bathed, brushed his teeth with a toothpaste that was rather distinctly not mint, and prepared for bed, making a point to wash the dishes right before he did. Link's ability to fall asleep instantly from the games came in handy here, for there was barely a moment to regret the fact that such a wonderful thing was now ending before he was asleep.

~The Eternal Game~

Today has been such a good day.

Princess Zelda of Skyloft hummed to herself as she sat at her vanity, a brush in hand as she slowly dragged it through her hair. Today had been, in a word, perfect. Every moment, every second, every hour; even the handful of minutes before she came in here to finish preparing for bed had been wonderful, even if bitter as well. Her Link was doing so good; she'd said it to him earlier, but it bore repeating, even here in the privacy of her mind. He was doing beautifully today.

Not that he didn't do beautifully every other day, of course. He tried his hardest, and while he could be a bit lazy she could hardly blame him with how boring most things were to him after the childhood he had been forced to have. For all that he forgave her even now, for all that he had never held a grudge for so much as a single moment…she could not forgive herself for her part in it. Who looked at an orphan who had saved the life of the Heir to a Kingdom and decided to treat him the way that Link had been treated? He should have been properly rewarded, not forced into the life that he had been. A childhood of training, of playing catch up at a hundred and one roles ill-suited for him, of loneliness barring only what companionship she was able to provide. What made it worse, however?

She wouldn't change it for the world.

All her guilt, all her shame, and yet to pile on even more of it she was glad that things had turned out the way they had. She was glad that her guards had died that horrible and wonderful day. She was glad that Link had been there, taking up a spear and slaughtering upwards of a dozen bokoblins at five years old. That he had then proceeded to kill a Moblin, something that could and had killed thousands of Skylians in their history, single-handedly. She was truly, genuinely pleased that her father had taken note of such incredible potential and insisted that he was to be brought to the castle. Glad that the man had insisted that the orphan with zero knowledge on how to read and write was put into her classes with the other noble children, despite being far behind them and the toll that it had inflicted upon her precious Link. She was a terrible person; a terrible person, a terrible Princess, and a worse friend. The only thing redeeming her was Link's faith and trust in her, and she would not fall short of the expectations he had of her.

For years now Link had struggled in a lot of things, and blew other things out of the sky. Anything related to combat he excelled at better than anyone in recorded history, feeling and acting more like a hero of legend than a flesh and blood Skylian. When a child was requested to act the part of a Lynel in platoon-training sessions, well…to say that Link was special was to put it lightly. He was stronger, faster, tougher, and had ridiculously greater levels of endurance than any Skylian in the entire Kingdom. She had not been joking earlier when she had told him that she had full faith in his ability to surpass the untouched record King Daphnes had set in his legendary final stand. Should the world require it of him, she had no doubt that he could put down twice that number. Possibly all at the same time, considering what she had seen when he'd trained without holding back. A dozen blows in less time than it took a fully trained Knight to make one? Enough strength to halt a Loftwing in full assault, Sylph at that? Spars between Link and the Loftwing of Legend were…intense, to say the least. The only reason anyone in the class thought they had a ghost of a chance in a fight against him was because of how much he held back. In one of his rare sentences, at least before today's wonderful outpouring of words, he had said that they were meant to be training. Beating them before they could even draw their weapons would achieve nothing.

Such power and potential came at a cost, however. Link wasn't stupid; far from it, in fact, as he had proved today with such a quick and easy summation of the lesson she knew he hadn't heard more than a few words of. However…academics were not exactly his specialty, not by a long shot. It was genuinely difficult for him to focus on a single thing at a time, difficult for him to sit still for periods longer than a few minutes if he wasn't sleeping. His down time was…well, it didn't exist. Even his laziness was more out of a lack of things to do, rather than a genuine desire to be lazy. He had trouble following conversations, especially the long form lectures of the academy. Too long spent droning on about things and not enough movement; his mind didn't like to function under those conditions. He could follow conversations, and even respond, but it normally took him several moments after a person had finished speaking to him for him to respond. It was not due to him being slow, rather it was due to him being fast; his mind put things together and dismissed it. Because of that, and due to a lot of torment in their youth, he didn't like speaking, having nearly become mute barring only noises of exertion that he couldn't avoid making. Words from him were a precious treat, because he never wasted them, saying only what he meant to say when he meant to say it. Which was probably why today was so wonderful, or at least a part of it. When someone who only said what they meant to say said everything he said today…well, her heart had been pounding for a large chunk of the day.

He even had trouble reading, even now after all these years. He could, and did, manage it, but he was slower than most commoners fresh out of school, to say nothing of a noble like herself who had been taught from an exceptionally early age. It had meant so much earlier, when he had offered to read to her. Offering to grant her the gift of his voice and his effort, just to try and make her happier.

It had taken everything she had not to kiss him right then.

That was not entirely fair, however; most of her days were spent trying not to kiss him, and today had been so much harder than any before. It had started so normally too. They'd woken up; well, she had woken up and then woken him up, because he never woke up before her. Not that that was an issue; he often had terrible dreams, and there had been a number of occasions where he woke up having no idea who or where he was. Besides…her Link was so beautiful when sleeping. A peace to him that she so rarely got to see on that stoic face; she'd seen it today, however, multiple times, and that had only made it better.

A tangle in her hair forced her to return her attention to the brush for a moment, but her thoughts soon drifted again. A pleasant morning; Link had been by her side, they had not had classes, and when Groose had tried his daily attempt at ruining her breakfast, Link had just looked at the boy and Groose had lost his nerve. He hadn't even been mad, was the amusing part; she had spent years learning to read him so that he didn't have to speak when he didn't want to, and he had been patiently waiting for Groose to speak. Her mind pulled up the memory of earlier, of Link asking why she did not just take care of Groose and his friends. It was enough to make her giggle; from his perspective, with the way he had been taught to resolve problems, it was so very simple. They were causing her issues, therefore they needed to be stopped; the how did not matter, but violence was a universal tool. Pity she could not use it; she would need to command them all in a few years time, and she couldn't resort to beating them in combat every time they got on her nerves. Besides, it was excellent practice for dealing with the burdens of the crown anyways, if the frustration of her father were anything to go by.

The flight to the fields had been so very normal, the lesson equally so. Link had allowed her to hold his hand; sometimes he did, sometimes he was too jittery to handle it, but today had been a good day for him. His attention had wandered within two minutes of the lecture, as normal, so she had just focused on paying attention so that she could condense it down into an easier form for him to digest later. He truly was brilliant, for all that school was a terrible experience for him. He had taken and held the number one spot in the Academy since day one on all fronts, academic and martial, and even she could only surpass him in Academia. Still, considering she had the extra practice of memorizing and translating things to be more easily understood, it was only natural.

Then the day had…well, it had gone wonderfully. That was when perfection had started, and the mere thoughts of it made a blush rise to the surface. Goddess, she ached for him. The moment earlier when he had first cupped her face…no, both moments when he had cupped her face, he could have done anything he wanted and she would have been eager to continue it. He had looked at her like she was a woman, tracing her blush and staring at her butt after they'd gotten into their suite, though she had baited that one. Never before had he shown any interest in any of that, a face more often solid and stoic. She liked it; liked it a lot, really.

Him speaking so much to her had made her so proud; he had done so well today. So many words, a regular focus on the conversation even if he had to snap back a couple of times. Compared to the normal needing a few seconds for every sentence, however? Beautifully done, so very well done that it filled her heart with pride. Her Link was barely even recognizable today because of how well and frequently he spoke. And flirting? Where had he even learned that? Not that she was complaining, it set her heart to racing and instilled a hope within her, a hope that had caused her to push. Hugs; usually they were one sided and stiff, but today he was so very warm and responsive. Sure, it took him a few seconds each time, but each and every time he had responded and not let go for minutes at the time. He had even initiated a hug! That had never happened before, and were she a lesser woman she had little doubt that she would be squealing into her pillow from that. It was still a close thing.

The hugs had given her the strength to push for something she'd wanted to do for years now, but never had the boldness; a lap pillow. She'd read books, heard stories from the maids, though admittedly those usually turned more scandalous than what she had expected to experience, but none of that compared to the reality. Link's warm head on her lap, her hand in his hair; she knew he had noticed the slow speed at which she read, but he had thankfully not said anything. How could she keep up a normal pace? Her Link was in her lap, and it had taken everything she had in her not to ruin the moment and focus solely on getting her hands in his fluffy hair and lavishing him with all the attention he deserved. After all, for all that she had learned and adapted to support him, it was Link who was always there. Never questioning, never hesitating, never judging; a more loyal companion one could not find, not even in a Loftwing. He cooked for her, and was teaching her to cook again after several years of asking on her part. Not that she could blame him, considering the reaming he had gotten when the Head Chef found out he had "Sullied the Princesses hands with servant work!" It had been one of the few times she had actually gone to her father over something, and while the man had been reprimanded the damage was long since done.

Still. Link cooked for her, cleaned for them both, tutored her in every form of martial combat the Academy trained in, was a friendly ear, was her best friend, and knew her better than she knew herself. Her moods were read and adapted to before she even realized she was having them; more than once she'd only realized she was hungry after Link had set a plate of food in front of her. More than once had Link's hand slipped into hers when she was upset or anxious, despite his uneasiness with touching her after years of being harassed for it by various people. He'd even done it today, when her father had teased her. More times than she could count Link had offered her comfort, no matter the situation; how could she not want to do everything she could for him? And then, on top of that, his hair was unfairly soft, silky, and fluffy. She would be envious of his hair, had she not been able to spend hours playing with it today. The few minutes she'd pushed and gotten both hands into it had been glorious.

Then, after all of that, as if that was not enough, as if he had not turned from accepting her pampering for quite literally the first time in his life to comforting her because she was distressed over the news she was giving him, he had then let her cuddle against him while they ate. He had looked at her lips, igniting her imagination and making her think that perhaps he was thinking about kissing her. He had called her his princess.

Link called her his Princess.

The Goddess personally granting her self-control in that moment was the only reason she had not ruined everything and kissed him silly. Even now those words, said so carelessly and easily, made her want to march over to his room and demand he take responsibility for the feelings they invoked within her. She had made the joke about her father being insufferable earlier; let him hear what Link had said and see how bad he would get. Let her father, the wise and noble King of Skyloft, hear and see the way Link had responded and reacted to her today. He would be enacting the wedding that he had planned out since they were ten years old so fast her head would spin. He had been trying to pair them together since they were eight and he had decided that no other man in Skyloft was good enough for his little princess. It had delighted him far too much when her eight year oldeight-year-old self had looked at him like he was stupid and asked why he even considered other options when Link was right there.

Link showing interest today, for the first time ever, had inspired perhaps her boldest move ever however. Beyond the lap pillow, beyond petting him, beyond actually being able to cuddle him; she was giving him a reward in ten days timedays' time. It would be, at minimum, her first kiss, and she had every intention of making it a deep one. It would also, hopefully, lead into her second, third, and all the way up to her hundredth as they made up for lost time. She wouldn't even mind doing some of the things she'd read in books to him, or having it done to her in turn; she would no doubt be the one leading and pushing, after all. Her Link was terrified of losing her, even if it had been years since he had been able to do anything wrong in her eyes. It said a lot when he came back to the castle bloodstained at eight years old and, after making sure he wasn't injured, her only response had been to ask if she needed to figure out how to hide a body. She blamed it on the murder mystery she had been reading at the time, but the look on his face had been priceless. The considering look and shake of head when she'd clarified that she meant it still did things to her to this day.

Yes, today had been a beautiful, wonderful, perfect day…even if bathing had been horrible this evening. After a day touching Link, after a day being touched by Link, going that long without his presence by her side had been a blow far greater than she expected. If this upcoming week was anything like that bath…well, it was going to be a bad week, that much was for sure. She would have to pray to Hylia in the morning that Link didn't backslide, because she would very much enjoy evening cuddles every day to make up for being away from him for so long. The knowledge that Link had missed her every bit as much, had been as sad as she was when her own weakness had led to her knocking on his door instead of just calling to him? It simmered away in her heart, warmth flowing through her at the mere thought of it.

Her mind returned to the Wing Ceremony, and all the preparations she would have to do to make sure that that day was even half as perfect as this one had been. Link would win, she would go through the ceremony with him, and they would share their first kiss in the hands of the Goddess. Soon enough she would have everything she had wanted for so very long. Soon enough Link would have no cause nor reason to doubt her affections for him, nor be concerned about his place with her. Soon Link would know exactly how much he truly meant to her, just as he had made a point of clarifying how much she meant to him today.

Soon, My Link. Soon.

The Eternal Game~

Birds sang, insects buzzed, and the start of sunlight streamed through a wooden shutter. In a room not his own, in a world not his own, with a name and body not his own, a boy woke up, eyes taking in surroundings that were as familiar as they were unfamiliar. It takes several moments for reality to sink in, for realization to be accepted. One sentence was whispered, one question asked, breathy and hopeful and tinged with raw want.

"It wasn't a dream!?"

~End~

AN: I'm finally trying to get back into writing properly, I have four chapters of this fic finished. Expect the next chapter in roughly 2-3 weeks or whenever I get the fifth one finished, whichever comes first. Am trying to keep a backlog and a steady pace.

Slight edit because I forgot some things. Beta'd by LuluViB|99th. Read and feedback given by Darwin, Slothful, Chojo, and Axe.