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.

7. The Champions

The Eternal Game

CH VII

The Champions

Tap tap tap

Stomp…stomp…stomp…

Tap tap tap

Thunder boomed, flashes of lightning trailing across the sky, heavy rain splattering against the ground, and blue eyes opened as the world lit up. The crash of thunder came a moment later, Link frowning as he looked around. This wasn't his room…

Warm arms squeezed him tight, softness pressed into his back, gentle breathing in his ear. It took only a moment to remember the situation he was in and heat flared to life in his face and body, shivers racing across his frame. He was being cuddled, sleeping with Zelda…almost all of his most recent fantasies answered in a single night, but the reason for it wasn't exactly one he'd have wanted.

Was this being a little spoon? He wasn't exactly sure how that worked, but he did know that he was the one being treated like a teddy bear, with Zelda's limbs wrapped around him and her breath washing over his neck. If that wasn't the little spoon he didn't know what would be. He was happy with that, though. More than happy to relax back against her, not particularly caring what had woken him up for the moment.

No, far better to enjoy this for now. Perhaps he should get up and start breakfast…but a few extra minutes wouldn't hurt anything. Besides; Zelda had had a very bad day yesterday. She didn't need to be woken up early just because he'd decided to get away from her. He wasn't even sure he could get away at the moment anyways, not with the way she was holding him.

So Link settled back against the warmth, against the softness, and luxuriated in a feeling he never expected to enjoy. Enjoyed being cuddled, being held, and feeling like he belonged here. It was a balm like no other on the parts of him that still believed he wasn't and couldn't be Link. This wonderful thing shouldn't be ruined by him deciding to get up early…

The crash of thunder, the flash of lightning

Tap tap tap

Stomp…stomp…stomp…

Tap tap tap

Link was off of the couch before the noises were even finished, the strange taps and elongated thuds tugging at his mind in a way that he didn't understand…and yet recognized. Then he noticed it all; he was standing, body wanting to move and walk towards the roof, and the greatest sin of all? He had left Zelda alone, without so much as a second to think about it or realize it, much less stop it. His back was swiftly cooling down, and he hated it.

He hadn't had any issues controlling his body for a few days now. Even with those points, however, it had felt more like his mind couldn't keep up rather than actually losing control. With whatever this call was, though? Even with the ache and chill that came from leaving Zelda behind, he couldn't stop himself. It took far more than he expected just to tuck the blanket back around her, and then he was gone. He had enough control to gently shut the door behind him, frowning, as he walked towards a set of stairs he had ignored up until now.

Something needed him, and his body was answering. It was not a want, it was not a request; it was a demand, heralded by the flash of lightning. Fog covered his mind, intensifying with each step, anticipation rising up within. What was going on? How was it going on?

There was no answer to be found, nothing that could stop him from opening the door to the roof. Nothing that prepared him for what he saw.

Booming thunder, crackling lightning

Tap tap tap

Stomp…stomp…stomp

Tap tap tap

A curtain of rain crashed into him, wind trying to rip the door from his hand. Tunic and trousers alike soaked in an instant, and his eyes snapped forward, disbelieving. One step, two, his strength easily able to shut the door behind him. Water pouring down his face, eyes forced to blink away the sting of rain, but the image before him didn't change.

A woman, dancing in the rain.

Lightning struck the earth, lighting up the world with a green glow as the woman twirled, dry clothing flying out in the wind to reveal muscular thighs and smooth calves. A stomp on the roof, hips shaking back and forth in a rhythm that Link knew somehow. Knew the counterpart to.

It was as much incredulity as anything else that made his own body start to move, a flash of white teeth and a gorgeous face lit up in the next flash. His feet moved in time with hers, yet opposite. The woman stepped forth with her left, Link with his right, bodies perfectly mirrored. Right, left, bare feet sliding across the rain-slick roof on both sides, yet only one disturbing the water.

More lightning thundered through the sky, the flashes revealing a muscled stomach bared to the elements, a breastplate protecting the more than generous swell of her chest. A thought of incredulity, of how much protection could that really be, but it vanished as his body moved. Hips snapped left and right, a perfect mirror even despite the size difference, both spinning as thunder and rain provided their music.

A call, a demand, a plea, and an act of worship all in one, though how he knew that he didn't know. A dance meant to implore Hylia herself, to bless the world with her gifts, to luxuriate in her blessings. A dance to call the Rain. Right foot on her, left foot on him, rising in unison. He knew the movement, he knew the rhythm, he knew the next step. Which was why it was such a surprise when the woman took more movements to his one.

His foot came down hard, a stomp meant to linger, to splatter the puddle about his feet. Tap tap tap; a gentle foot pressing down, yet the sound echoing in his mind. Quick, faster than his stomp had been, and yet still his stomp was perfectly timed with the first of hers. Water scattered from his foot, undisturbed by hers, yet it was hers that he heard in the wind and rain. Echoing in his head, lasting far longer than it should.

It was meant to be a pause after this, several seconds to adore the oncoming rain or to plead with the Goddess to bring it, but the woman's other foot rose, stomping once more with that odd echo. The first foot rose once more, stomping down one final time with an echo ringing in his ears. The pause began to end, her right foot and his right mirrored and sliding back behind them, a tap at the end of the motion for her. A half circle, the two bodies making a full one, two more rapid taps happening in the swift motion, each one short and sharp in his skull.

He had no time to think about it, no time to consider that, for the dance that was half in his control and half not continued. Closer they came, each step followed by other movements. Her movements were recognizable, a style that he'd seen online enough to recognize as belly dancing, if far more intense than any online video. He was less happy to realize that he was doing it too, each movement mirrored perfectly, as though his body was used to it. Did it matter, though? He couldn't stop himself, and a part of him didn't want to.

Something about this felt important, and not just because of who his dance partner was. A tilt of the world, an alteration of reality, something that should not have happened yet always would happen. Not quite a Moment of Fate, but something more nonetheless. Something he couldn't recognize, but that ticked at his senses regardless.

Closer they danced, steps in unison, until finally it ended. One last step, looking up into a wide smile set in a gorgeous face, and they twirled around each other, ending in each other's spots as hips cocked in the exact same way, right arms flicking out, woman and man snapping in unison. Thunder boomed, louder than anything before. Lighting crashed into the world, green and powerful, strong enough to shake the earth, magic draining from him and green flames flickering into existence around the woman for just a moment. Full control returned to his body, the feeling of rain-soaked cloth against his body now unpleasant all of a sudden, yet it didn't stop him.

"Urbosa."

The Champion of the Gerudo, Chieftain of the Gerudo, and pilot of the Divine Beast Vah Naboris, the desert based one of the four. It could generate electricity to an astounding degree, striking all who came near it with the fury of the heavens, to the extent that you needed an artifact that nullified electricity entirely just to get near it.

Her body still swayed, but the movement slowed, a wide smile clear upon a gorgeous face. It wasn't as the game had portrayed it, though there were many similarities, and Link could finally appreciate it. Gerudo women had always been attractive, had always been made to be attractive, but the games and fanart once more had nothing on the woman in front of him.

Tall, tall, easily topping six feet, easily well beyond where his original body's height had stood. Six foot seven, his mind provided, having googled it before. She was tall enough that his eyes were perfectly even with that far larger chest, showing beyond doubt that the games had told a lie about the size of the Gerudo. An hourglass figure that put anything the games and art had made to shame, a body molded and carved by a lifetime of work and movement into a thing of beauty beyond words. Muscles, not bulging but rather perfectly defined, a stomach that held a visible eight pack without so much as a flex. Three golden necklaces rested upon her neck, shining in the flash of lightning.

Yes, Gerudo women were beautiful, and Urbosa had always been a sterling example of them, but here it was even more so. Sharp and regal features made for a beautiful face, softened only by her smile. The only flaw of them in the games, if it could be called that, was a remarkably large nose set in their faces; Urbosa, a real Urbosa at least, lacked that issue, with her nose fitting far better in her features, if still more prominent than most he'd seen so far.

"We don't have much time." Her voice was quiet, barely understandable above the rain, sea green eyes looking down at him with emotions he didn't understand. Her eyes flicked upwards, taking in the storm clouds, and Link found his own following them. Up, and up, and up, forced to crane his neck to get Urbosa even somewhat out of his view; being short was an odd thing. He had thought that he'd gotten used to it, this week, but along came a Gerudo to remind him that no, he hadn't. She would have towered over him even in his original body, but at least with that one he could look her in the eye without risking neck pain.

"This storm will end, soon enough, and it's only thanks to it that I can manifest." Green met blue, eyes meeting once more as Link pondered that. You would think that rain would be linked to Mipha, and Vah Ruta, not Urbosa and Vah Naboris. Unless it was based more upon the culture? He could see why rain would be a more sacred, meaningful thing to a desert woman than it would be to a Zora.

"You would be right, little Hero." His focus snapped back to her as the woman answered his thoughts and not his voice. "I'm…not sure where to start, in all truth." The beginning was usually best…but if they didn't have time, he couldn't exactly fit her life story in, as sad as that made him. He would love to know how Urbosa became the woman she was; Chieftain of the Gerudo, good friend to the Queen of Hyrule, pseudo-mother to Zelda, and all around badass. His compliments got a laugh from her.

"It's not as exciting as you'd think, if I am to be honest. I'm the Chieftain because my mother was, and it's as much a ceremonial role as it is anything else. Hitrea, you know her as the Queen of Hyrule, was two years older than me. We met when she came to Gerudo City to learn how to sand surf…" A laugh once more, clear and happy. "I still remember the way she face planted into a dune her first time!" Link blinked, eyes focusing on her fingers.

Brown skin slowly turned green; just a hint, just the very tips of her fingers, but it changed from solid looking skin to ethereal green. Urbosa seemed to realize it in the same moment, tsking in irritation as she performed the odd movements again. Three taps of her foot, three drawn-out stomps, and three more taps to end it out; he could swear there was something familiar about them. Something that told him he should recognize them.

"If you do, would you mind letting me know? The rhythm is helping me to connect to you, but I don't know why. Something from Naboris, all the way to you, reaching me even in the darkness that was smothering your soul." Link frowned, and Urbosa blew out a frustrated sigh.

"And now I'm getting ahead of myself. Right. Limited time, lot to go over. First things first; you recognized us, by name even. I take it you know who and what we are, properly?" Link nodded. Urbosa, Champion of Hyrule, Chieftain of the Gerudo, and pilot of the Divine Beast Vah Naboris. Her Fury was the ability she passed on, calling down lightning, even if his ability to use it didn't quite match up how it was supposed to work. An amused huff was his answer, but Urbosa moved on rather than address whatever had entertained her.

"You remembering at least me is good; better than we had any right to expect, in truth." Now what was that supposed to mean? "Do you remember the others?" The other Champions? Revali, Daruk, and Mipha. Responding in his head to her rather than speaking was odd, a thought that had another bit of suppressed laughter.

"How do you think I feel? Honestly, I spent my entire life wishing I could actually speak to you and know what was going on inside your head, and now suddenly I can. Almost makes dying worth it." Blue eyes narrowed, a gorgeous face wincing at the sudden scrutiny. The amusement drained from her faster than he could have imagined, Urbosa shaking her head. Lips parted, hesitating before closing as she tried to figure out what to say. A heavy sigh, and Urbosa spoke once more.

"Right. Figures that you wouldn't remember that, though how and what you remember is troublesome, to say the least." Wait…so Urbosa knew that he was missing memories? She knew he was from another world? A frown crossed her face, irritation and frustration.

"I know that you woke up, for all intents and purposes, less than a week ago. It…Link, I know it feels like an entirely new world to you, that you are frantically scraping at bits and pieces of your life, at memories in more pieces than the weapons you break so easily, but I promise you; you belong here. This is your home, your Princess is every bit as much your Zelda as you wish her to be, and I can speak for her in this pretty easily… kiss her." Disappointment rose up within him, mixed with a sense of relief so heady it almost made him sick. She didn't know. She could hear his thoughts, somehow, but she didn't understand that he was from an entirely different world. A world where she was nothing more than a character on a screen. As if to prove his thoughts correct, she continued.

"I don't know much, but I know that it's our fault your memories are gone." His full attention snapped back to her instantly, concern and anger welling up within him. He didn't expect the latter, but it made sense. Even as she flinched, just slightly and guiltily, he knew why he was angry; the idea that someone else damaged his memories, ensuring that he couldn't even mimic the Link that Zelda knew and loved properly, was enough to infuriate anyone. Up came her hands, fingers glowing green, and she sighed. Even as she continued speaking, she did the odd motion again, except this time it was oddly soothing to his emotions.

Tap tap tap

Stomp…stomp…stomp

Tap tap tap

"I can guarantee you that you are still Link. You are not an imposter, you are not failing your Zelda, and you are not betraying her by acting as you are. It will hurt her to know that you have lost your memories, but she would rally admirably. She's stronger than you know." Link wanted to snort, but this body didn't. He knew exactly how strong Zelda was, it was why he didn't want to hurt her anymore than he already was. And yes, he very much was an imposter, but it wasn't like he could prevent or help that, could he? Urbosa continued, not responding to any of those thoughts.

"To answer your question…" There was no accusation in her eyes or voice, but Link felt guilt well up anyways. He hadn't said anything, or even done anything other than look at her sharply in truth, but it was still there. Urbosa was dead; getting angry at her solved nothing. He doubted that she really had anything to do with his memories anyways, now that he wasn't simply reacting.

"I'm not the best at this, that would go to Daruk, but there is a darkness in your soul. A grime, a taint, a curse…it is darker than even the Calamity tha…that killed me." She spoke of her death with nothing more than a stutter; Urbosa had always been a strong woman. He wasn't quite sure that it was a virtue here though. Also, the best at what? Comfort? He felt like she had always done well with Zelda. Perhaps it was merely comforting men? The Gerudo were a female only race, however that worked in reality.

"No, in understanding the depths of Faith magic." Link blinked, having not expected that. Daruk being a user of Faith? Or, perhaps more importantly, having a deeper understanding of it than Urbosa? Daruk was, by everything the game had shown, a good man…goron…and a better friend. As reliable as the mountain he called home, brilliant in his own regard certainly, but…not really the brightest, per se. Not stupid, but Link wouldn't have expected magic to be his specialty. Urbosa's laugh drew his attention back to her.

"You're being a lot nicer about it than Revali, that's for sure. Daruk is bright enough, but he would be the first to admit that Reason makes his head ache. Faith, on the other hand? He manages Faith as easily as he does a rock roast, even if I've never been able to make a Molduga's fin out of his explanation." Another blink, the odd phrase now catching him off guard. Make a Molduga's fin? What was that even supposed to mean? Making sense of it or not making sense of it? Context wise, at least, it was the latter. Urbosa shook her head slightly, red hair swaying as though it wasn't pouring rain through her entire being.

"You would be correct. As I was saying, however…there is a Curse within you. I don't know what cast it, or how it got there, but when the four of us arrived in your soul it activated." Urbosa looked both sad and haunted, eyes staring through him rather than at him. He didn't know what she was seeing, but it quite clearly weighed on her.

"We couldn't break it. Four of us, the strongest fighters in all of Hyrule, and we couldn't break it. We managed to shift it, a bit, but it consumed much before it was subdued once more." Link frowned, eyes narrowing. When had the Champions arrived…in his soul, which was an odd thought in and of itself, but somehow he got the feeling it wasn't them that triggered this curse.

"We showed up almost a week ago, I think. Time is a bit weird for us currently, as we see bits and pieces of your life. It is strongest when you call on us, but fragments come through. I believe the first time we saw you, you were flying; the Curse had already done it's work by that point, and we were left weakened and knowing we had failed. It's last act before once more falling into remission was to taunt us. To let us know just what it had destroyed; it was only then that we realized where we were, and what had happened." Link considered that, still looking up at the much taller woman.

How would that even feel? Dying during the hardest fight of your life, knowing as you did that you had failed. That all hope was lost, if indeed there had ever truly been hope to begin with. Waking up in an unknown place, with only the other failures for company, and immediately having to fight once more against yet another entity that could not be beaten. Losing again, learning the cost of failure, and then being stuck with someone they didn't know.

Guilt flared up on Urbosa's face, and Link was reminded of something Urbosa had said earlier. She'd spent her entire life wishing she could actually speak to him. Which meant that she knew him. Which…he didn't even know what that implied. Had he existed in Hyrule, in some form or another? How did she know him?

The night lit up in a flash of green-tinged white, a lightning bolt striking the earth nearby. Urbosa looked at it, her body turning ethereal green once more, and she once again performed the odd motions. Brown skin rippled back into existence, white teeth worrying at Urbosa's lower lip. It wasn't a gesture he expected from her.

"We're running out of time." He could believe it. It had progressed from just the tips of her fingers turning green to over half of her body in the same time frame, something that no doubt signaled the coming end. What would happen then? Would Urbosa vanish from him, never to be able to speak to him again? Dissolving into her power, with her world gone and no way to gain vengeance against the Calamity or save Zelda? Her Zelda, at least.

"I don't know." Her words were of no comfort, but they held a certainty to them that hadn't been there before now. A step forward, a hand coming up to touch his chin. Lightning surged through his veins, cold racing across his skin. Link had been shocked before, but the jolt and buzz that rattled him down to his very bones was new. Green eyes, akin to the sea Zelda so wanted to see, looked down at him with an intensity he'd never seen.

"I do know, Link, that it doesn't matter. Whether I am here or not, know this; what happened to us was not your fault. What happened to Hyrule was not your fault; you didn't even exist there as you do here. You were little more than a spirit, less present than I am now, unable to speak or truly be present. You could not even touch us the way I can you, and even this is not actually touching." Brown skin on a gorgeous face slowly turned green, one half entirely ghost.

"Focus on living your life, Link. Live it well. Protect yourself, protect Zelda, and protect this beautiful Kingdom. Leave us ghosts in the past, where we belong." The green crossed her face, one last bolt of lightning striking the earth, and Link blinked.

And Urbosa blinked back.

An awkward silence ensued for several seconds, both of them just looking at each other. The buzzing in his body didn't stop, nor did the chill spreading across his flesh. Urbosa's entire body was green, little more than the ghost that she had been when seen after her death, outside of the game's cutscenes, yet she didn't vanish.

"I…I had thought that was the end." She sounded embarrassed, and Link was more amused than he probably should have been. Green eyes where everything was green narrowed, staring down at him, but she made no move to stop touching him or to back off. Was she planning on saying anything else? He waited a moment, but while her face shifted, she didn't speak immediately. He couldn't read anything like this, oddly enough. She wasn't even that green, simply the same shade as she had been as a spirit in the game, yet the details of her features were less.

"Well, I suppose I might as well say it again. When you get back to your room, and your Zelda wakes up, you need to…" And Urbosa was gone, leaving him standing alone in the rain. He could hear her words as though she had said them, however; kiss her. She'd mentioned it once earlier, but he'd been a little more focused on the impossibility of being able to speak to her.

He was rather cold now.

It wasn't just from the aftereffects of her spirit touching him, either. The rain had soaked him completely, his tunic and trousers clinging tightly to his body and his boots waterlogged. He was entirely certain that, were he to take a step, his feet would squelch inside the boots. Yet, somehow…he was fairly certain that the chill was not from the rain, or even Urbosa's touch, but rather her absence. As though the warmth of the world was less from her absence.

He shook it off, eyes turning towards the sky. The rain remained, but the power of the storm was gone. No more thunder, no more lightning, and the clouds had parted enough to allow a crescent moon to peek through. What was it about that that had allowed Urbosa to manifest? The lightning? Would he see her in the midst of every heavy storm from now on? He didn't think he would mind that, but it would be rather irritating to deal with his body leaving his control when it happened.

Link frowned, considering, looking forward. The rain continued to splatter against him, cold and lonely now that Urbosa was gone, yet some else within it. Something almost cleansing, a strange sense of other held within it that he didn't recognize. Magic, of some sort, though who and how he didn't know. It felt…he didn't even have words for it.

A mixture of belonging and kindness, alongside a rather odd mixture of playfulness and something else that he didn't understand. His eyes wandered the horizon, focusing on something in the distance, near one of the mountains. He wasn't sure quite what it was, and in another blink it was gone. A moment later he didn't even remember which mountain it was, the strands of other in the rain vanishing too as it washed away the last of Urbosa's presence.

His skin was cold, but no longer from her touch. No more buzzing in his bones, no electricity crackling beneath his skin. Even the feel of Urbosa's Fury in the back of his head that could be called upon felt subdued, as did the other abilities of the Champions. As though the cleansing rain had washed it all away.

A shake of his head, turning back to the door. No use staying out here. He didn't know if he could get sick in this body, but it was better not to risk it; there was a festival coming up in a mere two days, and in five there was the nonstop war of a lifetime. Being sick for any of that would be rather unpleasant.

He needed to dry off and warm up, and judging by the time…it was two in the morning. He had several hours before he was meant to be up, and unlike the last time this happened…well, he had something he very much wanted to get back to. The idea of snuggling back up to Zelda on the couch was intoxicating…

So he did. And, in a remarkably short time, he found his body pressed up against a warmth that drove away any thoughts of the cold lingering in Urbosa's wake. He could think about what had just happened later. He could examine it, could overthink it, and could wonder all about whether or not he would meet the other Champions later. For now, however? All that mattered was the girl who grabbed him the moment he slipped back under the blanket. What mattered was the warmth of her body pressed so tightly to his, and the feeling of her breath against his hair.

What mattered was Zelda, right now. He might not be kissing her, like Urbosa wanted him to…but this was more than nice enough. More than he deserved.

~~The Eternal Game~~

Zelda woke up cold.

The type of chill that came from missing something that should otherwise be there, and she despised it. She opened her eyes, still half-asleep, knowing exactly what was wrong despite the difference from her normal morning. Or, perhaps, because of it. Link was no longer in her arms; it left a chill slowly spreading across the front of her body, despite being underneath a blanket.

Her side protested from where she had slept on it for the entire night, her neck complaining as well due to the couch not really being meant for sleeping. Far worse, however, was her cold front and icy back. Her Link was a rather efficient heater, and his absence was sorely missed when he was no longer present. She rolled onto her back, staring up at the ceiling, and wondered where he was. A few seconds of listening told the tale, along with a deep breath in an attempt to wake up. Perhaps, as well, an attempt to horde a bit more of his scent before she was forced to face the morning.

Instead what she received was the scent of eggs and rice, without any of her Link, and the sound of cooking. Never of his steps, only his actions; sizzling eggs, currently. She could not even hear a spoon with them, scraping against a pan. He was too busy, always moving; then again, he had always been like that. With a sigh she forced herself to sit, eyes immediately going to the kitchen. There was no treat this morning; no delicious sight of her Link half-naked and vulnerable, and she could not stop the disappointment.

Zelda stood, returning the smile when Link looked back at her with one, and returned to her room. She needed to dress, needed to prepare for the day, needed to…needed to…

An old gray dog dragging itself across the ground, intestines sliding from its sliced open stomach, trying desperately to get to a dead child.

The memories slammed into her like a shield to the gut, and Zelda froze, tears beginning to rise as the horror of the previous day began to remind her of their existence. She made no noise, yet even as her body tensed there was warmth behind her. Soft yet strong hands wrapped around her hips, lifting and turning her to face her Link. Blue eyes looked up at her with sorrow and understanding, and her pained gasp was met with a warm hug.

She latched onto him like a lifeline, seeing in his golden hair the white and brown dog licking the dead woman's face. A deep breath, his fingers trailing warmth across her spine with one hand and a solid pressure holding her against him with the other, right in the small of her back. An odd choking sound greeted her ears, and it was only the pain in her throat that told her that it was her making the noise.

Link started humming, an odd and gentle tune. One note, long and slow, then two others meandering down in tone, followed by more. It was familiar, known to her in a way she didn't recognize, and it was enough to draw her mind from the memories of yesterday. The Hound's Lament faded into the back of her mind, slowly but surely. Not gone, and it would not be for some time, but distant, and that was enough.

All too soon whatever song Link was humming finished, and he drew back enough to look up at her. His hands slid away from her back, but fell down to her hips, slotting against them like they were meant to be there, soothing trails of heat left in their wake. He did not ask if she was okay, or any form of it, and for that Zelda was grateful. She was not sure if she could handle speaking at the moment.

Instead she looked down into warm, affectionate blue eyes, and let herself be sad. She allowed herself to not fight to be the Princess she should be right now, and let herself be Zelda. A girl who had made a mistake, but thankfully had someone to help make it better. She pulled him tight once more, and Link did not fight it; instead he embraced her once more. It was some time before she let him go; strangely enough, she never smelt anything burning.

Finally, however, Zelda found the strength to let him go and actually enter her room. Getting dressed in new clothes was quick, and she found herself returning to the main room almost desperately. She found plates on the table, steaming and golden, but her eyes were instead searching out Link. Her Link, who was suddenly so very close; close enough to hug once more, and so she did. Safflina greeted her nostrils, warm and soft, making sure that she remained anchored in the moment.

The morning continued after that; no speech, and rather off balance compared to normal, but with Link by her side and warm against her she was able to continue. Even after breakfast was over, and they were cuddled on the couch, Zelda could not help but focus on the warmth rather than anything of actual use or benefit. A thousand and one things she should be doing, yet she could not do any of them.

"Do I need to let your father know you won't be able to weave today?" Link's voice was quiet; soft enough to not break the peace of the morning, just barely loud enough to be heard. A sigh, long and heavy, Zelda burying her face into his shoulder. She did not want to face the day; did not want to do anything other than remain here with Link and bask in not having to think. Thoughts would bring back memories regardless of how she tried to keep them focused, and she did not want to see it all again.

"I will manage." Her voice was every bit as quiet, filled with as much certainty as she could. It was not a matter of want; she was the Princess of Skyloft. She would manage, once she managed to peel herself away from the warmth of her Link. She would leave, finish the cloak, and then she would pick up the Harp once more no matter how much the idea terrified her. She felt him nod rather than seeing it, and accepted it. She was not sure if she appreciated his faith or was disappointed by his acceptance.

"Do you have any plans for the day?" Her words were still low, almost whispered into his shoulder. It was far too peaceful to ruin with loud noises, she felt, even despite the moment having been broken. Link agreed, for his response was every bit as quiet as his first question.

"Nothing set in stone just yet. A flight, perhaps, as my time for practice is running out." Goddess that sounded wonderful. Just her, Rin, Sylph, and Link, up in the sky where the matters of the Kingdom and her people could not reach them, even if for just a short time. A flash of envy rose up within her at the thought; perhaps this evening they could do that? They had not flown together for nearly a full week now, and would not have much time for it in the immediate future either.

"Would you care to make that our plans for the evening, then?" Link hummed consideringly, Zelda wondering where his mind was at. There was no fear of rejection; Link had only ever said no to her in regards to things that were dangerous for her. It was one of several reasons why she tried to be careful about asking him for things, though on days like today it was a lovely reassurance to have. Even if guilt would come from using his willingness to help against him.

"I don't mind, but unless you can finish up early we won't have much time to fly before it gets dark." That got a frown, Zelda knowing as well as Link the issues facing Loftwings at night. They could function; they could fight, they could fly, and they could aid the Knights in their duties at any and every time of day. The mighty birds were their greatest and truest ally, after all, and nothing as simple as the mere time of day could possibly stop them from being beside the Skylians in combat.

That did not change the fact that Loftwings did not like to fly at night. Their eyesight, remarkable beyond words during the day, took a sharp decline to slightly worse than the average Skylian's. Their hearing was distracted with the sounds of the night, an entirely different world from the day. The warm thermal winds that rose with the sun's light were absent from the night entirely, and while there was more wind overall during the darkness, it was a different wind than what many Loftwings were used to. A small, almost unnoticeable issue if it were to be merely that, but when combined with the other two, and others still that no doubt affected them?

Zelda could not blame them for disliking it. They could manage, and there existed a number of different training methods for the Knights to acclimate their Loftwings to the night in full. Learning to make the most of their senses, working with the winds, compensating for the diminished level of sight; the training methods varied only by the personality of the bird in question, with certain ones learning better with one method compared to the others.

Unfortunately, that training only happened in your second year at the Knight Academy, and they were only just ending the first one. So, naturally, neither Sylph nor Rin were accustomed to it. She did not expect the two to complain, but she also did not like asking them to do it.

"I will attempt to finish up earlier than normal, but I believe it would be better to fly for a little bit than not at all." Link nodded in acceptance, and that was that.

"Would you like a picnic as well, or just a flight?" A moment of consideration, before she chose the former.

"If it is not too much to ask, I would prefer the picnic." Fresh air, with her Link and their birds nearby, and zero responsibility. It was very close to perfect, cut short from that lofty goal solely and simply by virtue of the limits on their time. The picnic would have to be short, rather than lounging and luxuriating in each other's presence. Link nodded, mind likely going to what he was going to make.

Then blue eyes returned to focus, looking at her consideringly. Zelda forced herself to ignore the way her breath caught at the sight, and so too did she force down the guilt at being so weak. She was a mess; flipping from sad to happy to guilty with each passing moment. She should not be burdening him so…yet she could not help it. She was weak, especially weak to him.

"No more of that." His words took her by surprise, as did the slight dig into her ribs from one of his hands. Confusion met certainty as she focused on him once more. "You are not weak, you are more than deserving of comfort, and you are not a burden." A flinch that she was unable to hide, a light shined directly into her mind and the thoughts within.

"I was not…" Link did not allow her to finish, squeezing her tightly against him.

"Zelda…I can see you doubting yourself. It's as clear as day." Link was the one to look uncertain now; uncomfortable, struggling to find words. It was enough to melt her protests from sheer affection. A few days of being more outgoing did not break the habits of a lifetime, after all, and Link had always been more the type for action rather than words.

"Being upset, being hurt, because of something that went wrong is fine. It's natural, even, and I know you are strong enough to handle it eventually." Pink lips, slightly damp and so incredibly tempting parted as he opened and closed his mouth in several false starts.

"I'm happy to…" Mild panic in his eyes as his brain told him he'd stepped wrong, but she was more happy than anything else, fully content to wait for him to manage it. She would wait forever for him, after all.

"I'm touched that you trust me enough to let yourself be upset in front of me." What Link finally settled on had warmth spreading through her body, but he was not finished yet. "It's okay to not be okay. There's no need to hold strong right now, and you won't for a bit longer." His hands slid off of her body, coming up to cup her face, Zelda finding the warmth following them as heat flared up in her face from the casual, comforting touch.

"You are not a burden. You've supported me without question or concern every time I've needed it; allow me the privilege of doing the same." Zelda melted; there was no other word for it, and she had not the presence of mind to even feel embarrassed over it. A moment later she was pulled tightly against him once more, and she embraced him in return eagerly, her head winding up pressed against his chest this time as she curled up against him. A little awkward, but more than worth it for the feel and sound of his heartbeat against her ears.

One of his hands rose up, fingers finding her hair. The other moved as well, trailing warmth up and down her spine, fingertips dancing along her body in small circles. Tension drained that Zelda had no idea she was even carrying, a long breath exhaled out in contentment.

This would not last anywhere near long enough; she knew that for a fact. Soon enough the morning bell would ring, and she would once again be parted from her Link. She would have to be the Princess of Skyloft once more, replacing the mask that had shattered the night before with the slightest of pressure from the one holding her. It was fine; she could handle it. She would handle it. For now, however?

For now she let herself enjoy the moment. The warmth of Link against her, the slow and even pace of his breathing. The gentle beating of his heart, strong against her ear, making sure she knew he was alive. Soft fingers in her hair, carding gently through blonde locks. Warm fingers massaging her back, drifting up and down. It was a wonderful way to spend the rest of their free time.

And if Zelda allowed herself to be selfish, to soak in the warmth and kindness that Link was so willingly giving her…well, who was to judge her? Link would not, he had made that clear.

Ba-thump…ba-thump…ba-thump…

Thump thump thump

Ba-thump…ba-thump…ba-thump…

A sudden pattern in the heartbeat had her confused, but it returned to normal almost immediately, and talented warm fingers soon soothed her into forgetting about it. It hardly mattered, after all; Link was fine, she was fine, and they would be fine. She would not make the same mistake a second time, and she had a picnic to look forward to later. A mere two days separated her from being able to have Link consistently by her side once more, and there were three full days of festival to look forward to. She had the deepening of their relationship to look forward to.

As Zelda breathed alongside Link, she let go of the ghosts of the past. Each exhale let go of a little of the guilt, a little of the horror. Each beat of his heart in her ear soothed an ache in her that she had felt, but did not know how to soothe; loneliness. His heartbeat told her he was there, that he would stay, and it was a wonderful sound to hear. If the two of them wound up stretched out on the couch, Zelda atop her Link with her head on his chest, moving every time he breathed? No one was there to judge, and Link was not protesting. If Zelda let out a rather undignified groan when the bell finally rang, just as she was on the cusp of falling asleep against him once more? An amused exhale and twinkling eyes were the only response, even as the two shared a long, tight hug before parting.

She was not fully over it; watching what she had had left a mark that would linger, even with the care she had received. It was a vastly different experience to killing monsters, but she would move past it. She was Zelda, Princess of Skyloft, and her best friend was Link, the Hero of Legend. Where one faltered, the other was strong; when one suffered, the other aided. It was a wonderful thing to have, and she would do her duty. Perhaps…perhaps she might even find enjoyment in it, despite her mistake.

~~The Eternal Game~~

Wind rushing through his hair, roaring in his ears. A powerful body beneath his legs, flexing and twisting as they powered through the sky. Joy and happiness radiating through his soul, guilt churning a pit in his stomach.

He was a failure.

Transported into a new body, into a new world, yet he couldn't even figure out words to help someone who had rapidly become the most important person he'd ever had. Couldn't manage a sentence properly to tell the girl he loved anything to truly make her feel better. He wasn't Link, wasn't a Hero, and definitely wasn't worthy of the trust and affection Zelda was so quick to shower him with.

Why was it so hard to speak? He couldn't even put that down to his body being awkward around other people; the words left his lips as easily as they always had around Zelda. No, this was entirely on him and his worthlessness. Some damn Hero he was turning out to be. Living his life without regrets? Throw that out the window too! Zelda had a horrible afternoon, of course she hadn't been over it.

Link had thought he was prepared. He'd spent the entirety of the time he was cooking their breakfast thinking about what he would do if Zelda woke up still upset, but when the moment came the words just fled. He was left looking into sad blue eyes and entirely tongue tied, and it was only through the grace of Hylia that Zelda had the patience of a saint and seemed to accept him just stumbling over his words in an attempt to make her feel better. The hug he'd pulled her into had been far too full of desperation, of hope and prayer that maybe something of what he was saying or doing would help her.

A shriek beneath him, joy and delight attempting to overwhelm the guilt and self-loathing as Sylph had a wonderful time. The land blurred beneath them, green and brown and blue coming in and out of focus as Sylph flew faster than any other loftwing possibly could. The storm had covered a lot of Farore's Hope, it seemed; what pieces he could clearly make out as his eyesight sharpened occasionally showed wet grass and dripping trees.

It was, in truth, a beautiful morning. The sun was bright and cheerful, present strongly enough to warm the world yet not so overbearing as to be hot, a mix that his first world very rarely managed. A rainbow, big and beautiful, stretched across the morning sky, gleaming against the open air. Combine that with the beautiful and unspoiled scenery beneath him, and it was very nearly enough to salve his soured mood.

This should have been a good day; a great day even. He was flying! On a Loftwing, a creature several times his size and stupidly powerful. Faster than perhaps even a car, he believed, considering he didn't recall the land turning into an indistinct blur while driving. A hint of magic drained, the land below taking on distinct features once more. A forest, birds flying around, his eyes just able to make out a break in the branches to see a deer standing there. Perhaps it was the height that blurred the world? Height and speed? He didn't know.

What he did know was that he wanted to take his mind off of how much of a failure he was. He wanted to enjoy this flight, to have his own soul singing a song of delight and wonder alongside Sylph's. He didn't want to think about the fact that he hadn't managed to give Zelda so much as a crumb of the comfort she had so selflessly provided earlier in the week. He hadn't even been able to help her get some more sleep due to the fact that the bell had, naturally, rung just when Zelda was beginning to drift off. The groan she'd let loose had been amusing, but not enough to drown out his guilt and disappointment in himself. Something he was sure that Zelda had seen, and no doubt agreed with, because she had walked off and not even turned back.

Link shook his head; no, that was dipping too deep into the pool of self-loathing. Zelda had shown no sign of the cruelty he was familiar with, and she'd shattered every barrier he had without even trying. He was useless, he wasn't going to put malice onto Zelda. Not with how wonderful she was. Not with how supportive she was.

So he forced himself to focus on Sylph; on the reality of the world, of how wonderful it was up here. The air was clean; cleaner than anything in his old world. A landscape unmarred by the scars of industry, with wildlife not being slaughtered to extinction for this or that. He didn't know how accurate that part was, in all truth, but the news had harped on about it enough.

There had been landmarks in his world; natural ones, full of beauty. Places like Niagara Falls, a massive waterfall that people could see. He'd always wanted to visit that, and the thought of having found one for Zelda to be amazed by later was appealing. The Grand Canyon, one of the largest canyons he knew of. Places like the Amazon, a massive rainforest full of life and energy, or Machu Picchu, an ancient citadel crafted by a long-ended civilization. The Athena Parthenos, or the Pyramids and the Sphinxes, or any other of the incredible man-made wonders of the world. He'd googled them, in his old life, wondering if he'd ever manage to make it out of his hometown and live, being able to see such incredible sights.

He had that chance, here and now. Things that would blow the mind of any scientist, things that any nature lover would give anything to see, and the only things standing between him and those things were a collection of monsters that seemed to pose no threat to him. He could fly here, on a bird that was larger than any in his original world, and who seemed to be utterly delighted to spend the entire day showing him the sky.

It was time to stop moping and focus on what was in front of him, at least for now. So he leaned into the wind and let magic rise to the fore, that strange connection with Sylph shining all the brighter as he provided her with power. A cry of joy and delight, red flecks glowing in the air around them, and her speed increased.

Cold wind ripped away his breath, the only sound the roar of the wind and the flapping of wings. The sky became the ground and the ground the sky, then it twisted once more, and again and again as Sylph blitzed through a Spiral Charge with another screech, enthusiasm burning within his heart. Wings tucked to the body and they dove, the island approaching at a terrifying pace as she traded height for speed.

Link had thought she had been going as fast as she could, but the bird proved him wrong. Land gave way to clouds in seconds as the island gave out beneath them, and then they were moving once more. Fluffy, white, and deceiving, but Link paid no mind to that reality as his partner descended once more. His heart pounded in his ears as excitement was fed directly into him, and he began to feel it as well.

The wind picked up, stronger than ever, as they hit the barrier between the sky and the clouds. Lesser loftwings would be battered by the winds, yet kept safe from the monsters in the clouds by it, but Sylph was no mere loftwing. She was the Crimson Loftwing; bigger, faster, stronger, and his bias said smarter as well. The winds were no issue for her; a shriek of challenge and power, and she cleaved through the winds with the same speed she had been flying with previously. A headwind, nasty and powerful, failed to even make her flinch, wings beating it into submission.

Moments later they were truly flying; hurtling through the air at speeds unmatchable, reptilian monsters writhing in fury beneath them. Mandibles snapped at red wings and were sliced in two as the mighty bird flapped, wings edged with red light. Twist and turns as the sea of clouds rolled with fury, dodging monsters and strangely dense cloud at once.

A pounding in his chest, delight growing further, lips parting in a grin. A hand lanced out, fingers snapping once to call the fury. Thunder roared to life as lightning slammed down into the clouds, screeches of agony ripped forth from monstrous throats. The same hand grabbed a bow from his back, somehow remaining attached through magic like his blades and shields had. His second hand left Sylph's saddle, drawing and nocking an arrow in a movement so smooth he couldn't help but enjoy it. A moment later he released it; they were past the target before the arrow even hit, but he could hear the collision of the corpse with another monster as it fell.

Then the wind was howling once more, roaring through his ears alongside his heart, and they were all that he could hear. A beast flew from the sea of clouds, leaping up to attack them; Sylph spun in place, Link's free hand drawing the Darknut sword that he had been using since he found it. Magic surged, the blade growing, and black blood gushed out of a bisected beast. The parts fell right back into the clouds, and oddly enough the other monsters began to tear into it. Link frowned, just for a moment, as his mind considered that.

Then mighty wings flapped, spinning the sky back around, and Link paid it no more mind. It didn't matter, not when he was here for training. And for fun, admittedly. His joy fed into Sylph's joy, feeding back into his. Magic flared, power bursting forth as the Gale rose up beneath her wings. Sylph gained height, losing neither speed nor energy, and Link found his grin sharpening as her own magic joined with his. Far less, but more specialized; wings tucked to her body and she dove, faster still than anything before.

Wings flared, red specks gleaming with power, a blade at its greatest size. Monsters died, the remnants scattered and broken in the wake of something so much greater. It was their element, Skylian and Loftwing working as one.

A blade caught a mandible before it could tear into soft flesh; a beak tore into hardened carapace like it was soft tissue. Wings beat, launching them forth and away from a monster aiming for the rider; an arrow flew and caught another in the maw, a gurgle of pain making it through the air before the beast fell harmlessly past the outstretched wings of the bird. Power surged and thunder crashed, a screech of victory and triumph pulled from a beak right before it pierced through a beast bigger than the rest.

It was almost perfect. Every movement kept his attention, every strike and dodge ensured his mind stayed in the present and that he enjoyed himself. Sylph beneath him pouring every ounce of joy and delight into the bond that she had, wholly and completely, and it was such a wonderful and heady feeling that Link was nearly feeling lightheaded just from it. And yet…

Despite it all; the adrenaline, the pounding of his heart from sheer enjoyment, the partner delighting in his company and their activity, and the fact that a distraction could very well prove deadly, a part of Link's mind could not help but linger on his failure. The fact that he hadn't been able to soothe Zelda properly, had not been able even find the words he needed to help her feel better. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't drown out the part of him that whispered not good enough.

Clack clack clack

Flap…flap…flap…

Clack clack clack

Sounds that didn't come from himself or Sylph caught his ear, eyes searching around as he tried to figure out where they came from. There was nothing else around that could do it; the monsters didn't have wings, and their mandibles striking against each other didn't sound like this. This…this sounded like a beak, but it didn't come from Sylph. There were no birds around them, either…

A blink, his mind churning over what he had heard. The rapid clacks, the odd echo to the flaps…wasn't that the same rhythm as what he had heard from Urbosa earlier? Which meant…

Clack clack clack

Flap…flap…flap…

Clack clack clack

"Waiting around for me? Pathetic."

A long breath, in and out as blue eyes closed. He made no movements, but Sylph rose up above the clouds anyways, catching a rising draft with noticeable strength; not quite Revali's gale, but he could taste the green attached to the winds despite not even opening his mouth. Fresh air, clean and warm, countering the cool air that had surrounded them before.

His eyes opened, head turning to the right to spot Revali, Champion of the Rito and pilot of the Divine Beast Vah Medoh, the only one of the four that could fly. A massive bird-like construction, almost akin to an Eagle, armed with enough cannons to satisfy an entire fleet of battleships. Approaching it in the game required immense caution and blowing up several of those cannons, lest you and the Rito flying you up there be obliterated by them.

Revali was tall; taller than Link in the games, and he suspected that that height difference was far more pronounced now. Dark blue feathers covered his frame, edged with white at the tips of his wings and the crest of his head. Would those be considered pinion feathers, primaries, or something else? He'd read a few fantasy books that had owls as warriors in them, but the Rito definitely were not owls. Provable, at the minimum, by the fact that the large feathers at the end of each wing served as remarkably dexterous fingers, the entirety of the wing allowing them to hold and use bows, blades, cooking utensils, and presumably anything else they pleased. They also seemed to have no issues with doors in Windwaker, though he didn't recall ever seeing one inside a building in Breath of the Wild, so perhaps that had changed?

White pants covered the legs of the birdman, green bands around what would perhaps be his ankles right above taloned feet. What looked like an armored skirt flared out around the thighs, a breastplate covering his torso. Unlike with humans, however, he wore no armor over his wings, though he did have pauldrons atop his shoulders. A blue scarf, his version of the Champion's Tunic, was wrapped around his neck, yet it did not blow with the wind even as he flew beside them. Green eyes, ringed with red, though he had no idea if it was the color of his feathers or some kind of paint. Similarly, a dot of red was roughly where his cheeks would be, above and to the sides of his beak with one on each side. Those, at least, he believed to be natural, if only because he remembered a lot of Rito having them. Or perhaps he was entirely wrong and it was simply a standard adornment?

Green eyes glared at him, and Link wondered what it was about his thoughts that had upset the Rito. Revali had never gotten along with Link, and while the Champions Trials had revealed a more uncertain side to the bird, he'd never been much of a fan of him. Egotistical, callous, and generally arrogant. Revali had some of the skills to back up his boasts, but he had died to a Blight just the same as the other Champions, and the idea of him fighting even a weakened version of Calamity Ganon was so ridiculous as to be hilarious.

"Well? Are you going to speak, or are you going to just stare stupidly at me again?" Revali's words held the same sharpness that had characterized every one of his interactions with Link in the game, to his absolute lack of surprise. What was surprising was the fact that Revali wasn't responding to his thoughts. Could he not hear them? A second, two, Revali still not speaking. Well then; either he couldn't, or he was making a point to not respond to them.

"How many times have I seen you without speaking?" Green eyes lit up with something unrecognizable, and Revali responded remarkably quickly.

"Have you truly forgotten, then? You've been watching me my entire life, judging me every time I failed. Yet you enjoy the fruits of my labor so easily…it makes me wonder if you were just watching to learn my technique." Scathing ire, painful hurt, sour bitterness, and something he didn't recognize oozed out of every word Revali spoke, blending together in an odd fashion.

"I don't remember seeing you at all before today." A scoff of many emotions, Revali's beak clacking shut as his head looked away to his right.

"And yet somehow you recognize me. I suppose I'm not so forgettable after all." Link couldn't forget Revali if he tried. Least liked Champion or not, his amusement at mocking the Rito or not, Link would not be forgetting Revali at all, much less anytime soon. His own personal dislike aside, he could respect someone who tried, who fought with everything he had and lost despite that. It wasn't his fault the world was hardwired so that anybody who wasn't Link was destined to suffer and fail. It wasn't Revali's fault that a fraction of Calamity was still more than enough to shatter even the best of the best.

Revali didn't respond to those thoughts either; not a twitch, not a scoff, and not a response in words. Instead he flew beside them in silence for a moment, before speaking up once again.

"I have a question though, since you can actually talk now." Green eyes, bitter and hurt. "Why weren't you there?" Green began to bleed into blue, starting from those aching eyes of his, and Revali twitched in irritation.

Clack clack clack

Flap…flap…flap…

Clack clack clack

"Well?" His questioning returned the moment the final echo vanished. "Why weren't you there? We died! Princess Zelda is no doubt dead, the Divine Beasts are corrupted, and to make matters worse, we never even found the blasted Hero who was supposed to ride in on a red Loftwing wielding the Sword that Seals the Darkness. So…where were you?" Poisonous anger dripped from his tongue, matched only by the fury in his eyes. Link, for the second time in the same day, had trouble finding his words.

"I don't know." It was the best he could do, and with that simple admission the anger drained away from Revali, leaving the Champion looking tired and sad.

"No…no I suppose you wouldn't. You don't even remember helping me develop my Gale, much less learning to dance from Urbosa, playing with Mipha, being the Princess's obsession, or listening to Daruk ramble on, do you? Years and years of you showing up at random, always a ghostly green, only ever speaking to anyone once and it wasn't even to me!" A scoff, the top and bottom of his beak clicking together once more. It was honestly rather distracting; the games had never had that sound effect with them.

"Now here I am, dead. Dead and gone, nothing more than a green ghost, just like you. How long will it be before I can no longer speak, like you couldn't? How long will it be before Hyrule is destroyed entirely by the Calamity, all those who remember me dead?" Link wished he had an answer, any answer, but Revali didn't seem to be looking for one.

"Do me one favor, Link, if nothing else." Green eyes, burning and intense. "Don't fail like I did, should the moment come." Perhaps more than anything else Revali had said, that hit home.

Revali was an egotist in the game; even in death, he would rather say that the Blight that killed him only bested him because he was winging it, choosing to play it off as a joke rather than admit the truth. Even if both sides knew it, he wouldn't say it. Yet here, he had not just admitted it, but asked him to not repeat his failure?

"I won't." There was nothing else Link could say in the face of that. The cold reality was that Revali was dead, and there was no saving him; but he would not repeat the Rito's failure. Revali nodded, darkly and grimly.

"Good. Now, your archery needs work." A helpless laugh left his lips, Link missing the way Revali's eyes widened in shock. Naturally Revali would move on from vulnerability to the one place he might be better than Link in, and to tell the truth, Link rather doubted it.

"Somehow I think it will be fine." Another scoff, yet this one felt different than the others. Less bitter mocking and more competitive mocking. Perhaps…perhaps he wouldn't be stuck with a Revali who he wouldn't like.

"You shoot one arrow at a time most of the time, and you're not even using bomb arrows; your archery is pathetic." This, perhaps more than any other moment, was where Link wished this body of his would let him roll his eyes. For all that it was nice to not have his first, instinctual response be sarcasm or wit…he missed the ease of expressing exasperation.

"Nothing I'm fighting is worth breaking out bomb or elemental arrows." There was also the little fact that he didn't have any yet. Yes, Gaepora had informed him that Skyloft did have them…well, it would be more accurate to say that Link requested that some of his rupees be spent upon them and Gaepora didn't look at him oddly for doing so, simply nodding and clarifying a rough amount of rupees to spend for them for when his house got stocked up with everything. The huff of air that Revali released told him that the Rito didn't consider any of that an acceptable excuse, however.

"And you will be unprepared when it is time to break them out if you don't train now." That…was actually a fair point. He fully expected this body to somehow have the muscle memory required to adjust for them, but it was always better to be safe than sorry. He should probably look into getting some for when…for when…

His mood soured at the thought of what was coming, and Revali noticed it.

"I'm glad you realize how serious it is. You should remedy it at once; today would be a good day for it." Link shook his head, eying Revali.

"It's not actually that easy; we are at war. Elemental arrows take time to make, and bomb arrows equally so." A nod from the Rito; a very interesting thing to observe when the man was horizontal and in flight.

"They do indeed. I suppose that means today would not be a good day for practice, but you are capable of obtaining both materials and money to pay for their creation with ease. Perhaps today should be spent doing that instead." Another good point; it was almost concerning, how easily Revali made them. Link didn't expect this from him, after knowing of him in the game. Death and failure had not changed the Rito that much, in that timeline. Was the difference simply that he was no longer in Hyrule, and that there was apparently no way to save it? Was it that he apparently knew Link well enough that he attributed credit for helping to perfect the ability that made him so incredible amongst the Rito, despite Link supposedly not being able to even speak to him?

Even more concerning…why was Link green in those visits? What was destined to happen, after Link died? Would he be doomed to watch the eras pass by, incapable of influencing them or interacting with them? Would he have lost so much of himself by the point that the Champions were born that all he could do was watch them, knowing they were important but not remembering why? And then, worst of all, destined to watch that Hyrule fall?

Clack clack clack

Flap…flap…flap…

Clack clack clack

The pattern drew his eyes back to Revali once more, just in time to watch green leave his wings, the blue retaking its rightful place. That was another concern; what was the deal with that?

"Do you know why that is happening?" Silence for a moment, Revali's eyes on the horizon.

"I have a theory, but I'm hardly certain of it." Link waited for the Rito to gather his thoughts, but Revali didn't share. He wanted to roll his eyes again…

"Do you mind telling me?" The moment the final syllable left his lips, Revali was speaking, much to a somewhat irritated amusement on Link's part.

"I believe that our manifestation is dependent on three factors; external, internal, and emotional. It follows the Rule of Three like most things do, and it would be why we can only see and speak to you at certain points and then manifest at others." A blink, slow and confused. The Rule of Three?

"I'm going to need a bit more than that…what is the Rule of Three?" A scoff, arrogant and disappointed in him…and a flash of guilt in those green eyes. If there was nothing else he could recognize in the way Revali looked at him, he could tell that much.

"The Rule of Three is one of the guiding forces of magic, nature, and…well, anything, really. I suppose it doesn't surprise me that you haven't paid attention in your Academy enough to know this, you've always been slow." Strangely enough, Link didn't feel any irritation from that. If he had died, spent untold millennia as a ghost, and only manifested to a couple of people in that time he probably would be slow. Insane too, for that matter, which would explain why he didn't interact probably. Then there was the fact that he had no memories from the Academy, so there wasn't even anything to get insulted by. And Revali knew that, which was why the insult was less sharp than the original ones.

"The best and worst of things come in threes; Power to form it, Wisdom to Guide it, and Courage to use it. Storms, for example, since I imagine that would be on your mind when you use my Gale and Urbosa's Fury so easily. Wind, Water, Lighting; three facets, three factors. They are not sentient, so Wisdom and Courage are not included, but instead it uses Three forms of Power. Magic especially follows this rule, both Reason and Faith. If you do not have the Power to supply it, the Wisdom to know how to guide it, and the Courage to call it forth you will never succeed in the use of any type of magic." Link frowned thoughtfully. That…that sounded familiar, yet not quite. Reason needed Time, Magic, and an understanding of Nayru's Laws. However, Hinea's explanation had included some of this, hadn't it?

Will upon the World through Reason…that had been the start of her explanation, back before it had grown more complex. And yet…and yet the impressions, the connotations that had triggered upon her saying that. Power upon Courage upon Wisdom, though Revali's explanation had Power molded by Wisdom and used by Courage. This…Link wasn't quite sure what to make of it.

"When it boils down to it, a great many things can boil down to either Three or Four, but the strongest of them come in Threes. Four Seasons, yet one is always weaker than others, isn't it? Three states of existence; Child, Adult, Elder. Three states of being; Solid, Liquid, and Gas." Link blinked as one of the principles of science in his original world smacked him in the face. There were four states of matter; Solid, Liquid, Gas, and Plasma…but then, this world wasn't advanced enough to know about the last one then, was it? And even then…he could see why it would be boiled down to three.

Spring and Fall were little more than two sides of the same coin; a time of growth and a time of fading. Summer and Winter were opposites, and depending on where you were, any one of the four seasons would be minor enough that it might as well be lumped in with one of the others. His home had had hot summers and winters mild enough that they were essentially a long Fall. Plasma didn't matter here, so the three states of matter were all that were necessary.

"It's not always directly linkable to three domains of Hylia's Triforce, but from what we've noticed the Rule of Three is important. Four Divine Beasts, yet they stand…" Bitterness began to coat Revali's tongue once more.

"...in support of three. The Princess with the power of the Goddess, the Hero with the Sword that Seals the Darkness, and the Calamity that rises to destroy them. An attempt from the ancients to aid the two who actually are useful in the final confrontation." Link didn't say anything, and after a few moments of stewing in his own failure and the bitterness of playing second-string to others Revali moved on.

"I don't know all of it, admittedly, but that is the basics. Look at the world, and see how many things can be boiled down to just three things. Like my Gale; the Power of the updraft, the Wisdom to know when and how to ride the winds, and the Courage to call it forth." Courage felt like the odd one out in a lot of this. Power and Wisdom went together naturally, for one was either useless or destructive without the other, but Courage? Courage didn't fit in any of this. Not in nature, not in magic. How much bravery did it take to use elements to strike down your foes, after all?

Something rang of right in the back of his mind, however, something deeper. Something below the surface, that this explanation wasn't quite hitting on. What it could be, and why he was even getting that sense, he didn't know. All he knew was that this felt like a step towards whatever that was, but not the full explanation.

"As for us actually seeing you, and then manifesting…well, again, I'm not entirely sure." There was distaste dripping from his tongue as he admitted his uncertainty. "But I attribute it to three things, as I said. External, Internal, and Emotional. Power, Wisdom, Courage." Green began to bleed into his body once more, and Revali repeated his rhythm once more. Three clacks of his beak, three echoing flaps, three clacks of the beak; the same pattern as Urbosa. What was that, and why did it feel familiar?

"External, the forces exerted upon you. We could see the outside world, and you, for the first time when you went up against the Platoon and the Company…however long ago you did that. You were facing forces of might, where you might need us. Power arrayed against you, and Power you needed to be prepared to bring against them. Internal; the fact that we existed in the first place and were now capable of helping rather than trying to understand what had happened, why we were there, and why that Darkness in your soul even existed." More guilt, in his words and in his bearing, Revali's green eyes focusing on the horizon once more.

"I…I am sorry for my failure, in that." Link looked at him, for perhaps the first time seeing Revali for who he really was. Ego-driven, competitive, and cocky…all a mask to hide the insecurity. In a very short time Revali had been found wanting twice, first leading to his death and the second resulting in what was supposedly Link's loss of memory. Memories where, apparently, they held a friendship of some type.

"It's…alright. I'm handling it as best I can." Yet again, Link wasn't sure what to say, but he tried his best. Revali didn't relax, or give any sign that he had even heard him, but after a few moments the Rito continued.

"In addition; Internal, the Wisdom to know you might be outmatched. You weren't, because as I have come to learn you are ridiculously powerful, but with no memories and running off of whatever you could manage it was an understandable concern." Green eyes turned to him once more, incredulity within them.

"Slaughtering monsters at 6, really? For Hylians that amounts to barely old enough to walk. A Rito wouldn't even be able to draw a bow capable of killing bokoblins." Link shrugged; it hadn't really been him, and it honestly wasn't even the most ridiculous of feats. This body had been capable of beating fully grown adult soldiers at the age of four, per canon. A few monsters while defending Zelda was hardly that impressive. Revali shook his head and returned to his explanation.

"Finally, Emotions; the Courage to admit that you were uncertain and scared, wondering how you would be able to manage it. I believe it was that that called us all out at once." Link nodded slowly, consideringly. He had been rather unbalanced there, having just figured out everything was real and working to figure out just what he was even capable of. Looking back on it, he could freely admit he'd been a bit dense that first afternoon and evening; he probably shouldn't admit to anyone, ever, that he'd spend several hours convincing himself that the entire world was nothing more than a dream.

"The second time we all were called upon at once was against the Lynel. Once again, Power against you, Wisdom within you, and Courage in the emotions you were feeling led to all of us being present to see clearly what was occurring. We didn't need to step in, but none of us could stand aside." That…well, if nothing else, that last part made sense. There was no courage in what he had felt that day; the Lynel hadn't been a threat. Anticipation, excitement, enjoyment; all of those. No courage to battle against fear, however.

The Champions, each of whom had been chosen to defend Hyrule from Calamity, each of whom went down fighting, being unable to stand aside when someone was in danger though? That made sense, a great deal of it even. No matter their personality or ego, all four of them had chosen to lay down their lives fighting for a better tomorrow without hesitation. Each of them had died standing tall, even if they were brought low by the Blights. Standing aside when someone was facing a powerful foe was very much against who they were.

"Now manifesting is a bit more of a challenge to strike down." Link refocused on Revali at the strange turn of phrase, and the Rito continued. "I can't speak for Urbosa, but a few minutes ago you were very much…resonating, so to speak, with me. In the sky, fighting enemies that would be a nearly impossible challenge for anyone else, yet you were blazing through them. Adrenaline high, in tune with the wind and the sky itself, and very much in control of the situation." A clack of the beak and a toss of his head, an odd gesture for a human but one that fit for a Rito.

"There's more to it than just that, of course. You are in the sky, which is the Rito's domain." Glittering green eyes looked at him, a wicked smirk upon his beak. "Hylians like you shouldn't be up here, but I suppose that partner of yours makes up for the fact that you all are too heavy to fly." Amusement welled up within Link as well; he, at least, was light enough to fly in full armor with nothing more than a sailcloth, so Revali was once again wrong.

"You were using a bow, having fun, and even using the Gale. I think, though I am not yet sure, that there were similar effects behind Urbosa's manifestation. A thunderstorm, something which is loved and admired by the Gerduo, with your own ease and happiness with life at the time, perhaps." Link nodded, but picked up on what Revali hadn't said. It wasn't just the feeling of being free and fighting in the sky that had led to him calling forth Revali.

It was the feeling of failure.

He wasn't sure about what that said, for either of them, but he was reasonably sure that none of them were good. It also, whether for better or worse, didn't bode well for seeing Revali again like this. The Rito was infinitely more tolerable in real life than he had been in the memories of the game, but the idea of focusing on failure just to see him manifest was unpleasant.

"I'm not entirely sure what would work for the other two, if they even can manifest anytime soon. Some kind of body of water for Mipha, I'm sure, but I don't think that a volcano is easily accessible for Daruk." Link nodded; he hadn't seen any indications of a Volcano on Farore's Hope, though he hadn't looked either. It wouldn't surprise him if Din's Endurance had one though, or even multiple for that matter. Din had always been linked to the volcanoes in Legend of Zelda. Having a volcano without Gorons, however, would be an odd reality.

"It's more than I had to go off of, at least. Thank you." Green eyes blinked, Revali's flight shifting for a moment before he smoothed it out. Link was the one to blink this time as the red dots on what passed for a Rito's cheeks darkened somewhat, and his beak fluttered oddly. Was…was that what passed for a blush? Why was he blushing over that, if it even was one?

"You're welcome, it is always good to educate the ignorant." The words were sharp, but the intent wasn't there. Revali was embarrassed at being thanked. That…that didn't make sense!

"Regardless, we have gotten off track. The green…" As if summoned by the mention of it, his body began to turn green once more, far more rapidly than before. An irritated clack, the pattern repeating.

Clack clack clack

Flap…flap…flap…

Clack clack clack

It faded, slowly returning to the blue that characterized Revali. Judging by how quickly Urbosa had faded away earlier, they were running out of time. He wasn't sure if Revali had been present for more or less time than she had; they'd spent a while dancing before speaking, after all, yet Revali's explanation had hardly been short.

"The green heralds a return to what we are; ghosts. Something is…sustaining us, for lack of a better word. Helping forge this connection to you; it's why we can't stop repeating that pattern." Revali seemed to chew over his words thoughtfully, consideringly. Link also wondered about it. It felt…honestly, the way it sounded was more akin to what he expected of something fighting against time.

"As if you're trapped in a single moment, fighting time from marching forward?" Green eyes narrowed in response, but he didn't answer immediately. He didn't answer for so long, in fact, that green once again began to overtake his feathers, and this time the pattern didn't stop it.

"Not quite." His words were quiet, considering despite the proof of his time being over. It was odd; he was tinged green, and his features and expressions were faded despite still being visible, much like Urbosa's had earlier, yet Link could still make out the blue of his feathers. As though the green was just a bubble, wrapping around him and turning him opaque rather than actually engulfing him.

"The green advances when you lose whatever is connecting you to us the strongest, I think. The connection holds for some time, whatever else is sustaining it allowing for that. I'd put it more like we are being drawn back into a pool, almost. Mipha dragged me swimming a few times, and while it wasn't terrible it always felt like a film over my feathers after I got out. It…it's rather like…" Revali was gone mid-sentence, just like Urbosa had been, leaving Link to ponder his words.

Rito could swim. That…it both made sense and very much didn't make sense, all things considered. Considering they were, in Windwaker at least, "evolved from the Zora", retaining the ability to swim would feel like little more than a survival mechanic that their bodies hadn't gotten rid of yet. That whole explanation still didn't make sense to him, however. How in the world would a species custom built for swimming and surviving underwater evolve to a flying species in a world that was mostly water, with only the tops of mountains supposedly remaining above water initially? That was stupid, he would stand by it until his dying day.

It didn't make sense, however, because the Rito were bird people. This wasn't like Windwaker, where they were mostly human with a beak for a nose and wings granted by what amounted to a minor deity. Wings that didn't even show up to start, because they had regular arms too until they called upon them. No, the Rito here were more avian's in the rough shape of humans…hylians…than they were anything else. Wings and talons that both could manipulate a lot of things, a beak rather than an independent mouth or nose, and no doubt far lighter bodies considering Revali's jab.

Being drawn into a pool was also an odd way to describe it, though Link had to wonder if there was anything about this situation that wasn't odd. Perhaps it would vary amongst the Champions? As he thought back on the conversation, Revali had had some inconsistencies from Urbosa's perspective. He'd seen things about Link later, after all, supposedly not seeing it until the fight, whereas Urbosa's words had him thinking that she had seen that very first flight.

Then there was the fact that, evidently, Revali couldn't read his thoughts at all, whereas Urbosa was both reading and responding to them. It might have been politeness, some part of Revali not liking the fact that he could see into somebody else's head, but Link doubted it. His reaction to being thanked of all things pointed to the idea that Revali's ability to hide things wasn't exactly the greatest, for all that he would no doubt protest that, and the memories from the game painted a similar picture. His squawking when things embarrassed or surprised him, for example.

What was the source of the inconsistencies? What was the source of this other thing that Revali believed to be connecting them? Why hadn't Hinea explained this Rule of Three thing, or the Big Book of Reason for that matter? A groan of frustration, Sylph still quietly flying along. Her enjoyment was subdued, but still present; a more leisurely flight was fine, after all, but nowhere near as exciting as that of an engaging one.

This was as likely to give him a headache as studying Reason was. He didn't have enough information, nor did he have the time or even ability to get access to the sources of information in the first place. Combine that with the fact that said sources didn't even know what was going on in the first place and he was doomed to failure before even beginning. Hopefully that didn't prove to be a trend.

Link shook his head, shaking off the implications of Revali's words and his visit. He'd probably keep obsessing over it, chewing on it in the back of his mind, but at least he had something to bring that part of his brain away from his failures for the moment. It would serve as something to ponder on as they continued, and yet…

He could feel Sylph's acceptance before he'd even made the decision, banking sharply and turning towards an island. Not Farore's Hope, but rather Din's Endurance. She passed it, because he wasn't reckless enough to charge over there looking to try and force another Champion to appear, but it was close, and there was a reason she passed it first rather than turning towards his actual home island first.

He wanted to go there. He wanted to see what was there, to see if he could bring out Daruk or Mipha. To try and get more answers, any answers. Why were the Champions here, why was he in this body, was he or was he not actually the Hero of the Sky…or the Hero of the Wilds? Was Hyrule maybe, just maybe, still around? How long had it been since their death?

The more time he spent in this world, the more unanswered questions he had. There was too much going on for just him to make sense of, no matter how hard he tried, especially since he was working with an incomplete picture of a puzzle that was missing pieces to start with. Too many mysteries, too little time.

He'd practiced flying for long enough today, his taste for it unintentionally soured by Revali's manifestation. Not, surprisingly enough, by his presence, but rather the implications of what he was saying and the confusion it left behind. That was okay though; there was more than enough to do here. Quite a few things that didn't require thinking, as well, just action. Sylph was more than fast enough to head to a Bounty Board location and pick up enough missions to spend a few hours on, and he would be back in more than enough time to prepare the picnic for Zelda. He would not fail her in that too. If he couldn't give her the comfort she so desperately needed earlier today, he could at least provide a quality evening.

Yes, this would also serve another purpose. He needed to find a good place for a picnic, after all, and this would help ensure there was no chance of monsters coming along and ruining it. Zelda needed no reminders of earlier traumas, after all, and Link was going to make sure that, if nothing else, she had a good evening.

Sylph shrieked out something harsh and challenging, magic welling up within her and Link alike. They'd flown faster than ever before earlier; both were now interested in seeing how fast they could make the return trip. No need to hold back, no need to fight monsters; time to see just how fast they really were.

~~The Eternal Game~~

The Princess has played a song she shouldn't have.

A complete lack of surprise was Archmage Hinea's opinion to that, looking at the young Acolyte of Hylia that had delivered the message to her. Not that said Priestess knew what the message was, of course; the young lady Zelda, and in truth each of those who had played the Goddess Harp, was a bit more protected than that. It was the well-known and entirely predictable result of giving a young girl access to an Artifact that allowed one to view the past, and it was something that had been repeated year after year for the entirety of the time Skyloft had held this tradition.

"I will pay a visit to the temple soon, you may let High Priestess Tirei know." The acolyte bowed her head and excused herself with that dismissal, leaving Hinea to sit and reminisce in her office. It had been…Goddess, it had been a long time since she herself had played the Goddess Harp the first time, way back when it had been her to play the role of the Hylia. A cackle left her lips, amused despite herself, at the memory of what that event had led to, as well as the thought that it might be repeated.

The Wing Ceremony was not as unbiased as it appeared to the younger generation, though it was certainly kept fair. Not a single Skylian would even consider tampering with the competition or the results, even before accounting for what someone like Gaepora or Hinea herself would do to the individual who tried. However, that did not mean that any of them were blind.

Six times out of ten, they knew who the winner would be before the Ceremony would ever happen. The other four were usually close enough that they could make a solid guess as to who the victor would be, being right more often than not. As a result, and so long as it wasn't being unfair to someone who had put in significantly more work, the role of the Goddess was quite often played by a girl who was close to the person most likely to win. Like, as a clear example; Link and Zelda. In Hinea's time? Herself and her future husband, Corrah.

It served multiple purposes, as so many things often did, but the one she remembered most fondly was the fact that two teenagers dancing around each other could be brought together. It had not been their first kiss shared there, atop the hands of the Goddess with the King and Queen and Prince waiting down below…but it had arguably been the one that sealed their fate together, that ensured they chose each other. Before that had been the simple relationships of teenagers, but then and there, with the fond amusement of the Goddess in their minds and the fact that Corrah had just presented her with the trophy, well…one thing had led to another.

She hadn't intended to kiss him there, not really. It would have been embarrassing to know that while the Royal Family waited on them they were up there trying to devour each other's mouths and touch things that shouldn't be touched in the light of day, and definitely not in the eyes of the Goddess, but…well. Adrenaline, delight, the emotions of the Goddess overwhelming the mortals performing the Rites, and it tended to happen more often than not.

She could still remember it as if it was yesterday, the moment frozen in time in her mind due to the presence of the Goddess. Corrah knelt before her as she said the words, brown hair ruffled from the wind. Hylia's warm affection, stronger than ever before, almost consumingly so, both for Hinea herself and for Corrah. The passion that ignited as Corrah gave the traditional oath, Hylia's memories of this event making it clear that her affections for her Chosen Knight were more akin to those of a wife for her husband. And finally, her Corrah rising to his feet, slow and steady, weighed down by something Hinea had not been able to feel…nor had she cared.

Her lips had been on his the moment amber eyes had looked into hers, Corrah's attempts at protesting ignored entirely. A melting pot of emotions, both their own and that of the Goddess, and it was a story that had been repeated throughout history. It was not until she had been much older that she had been mortified to learn about this particular aspect of the tradition…and also quite pleased. After all, it was still one of the happiest and most intense moments of her life, and the fact that it was known to the older generation what had happened was, while embarrassing…very much manageable. Infinitely more so than that pesky memory of Captain Rassom walking into their tent on campaign while Hinea was in the middle of being ravaged, ruining what had otherwise been a very pleasant evening. They hadn't stopped, admittedly, but the moment had been ruined, and it had been a very special moment indeed.

Hinea couldn't help but idly wonder, as old bones protested her standing from her desk, just how thoroughly the young Princess would be kissing her dear Knight silly. Gaepora had bet a full three hundred rupees on a mere ten minutes. Hinea was not so foolish; she was aiming for thirty. Time, after all, was a very curious thing in the palms of the Goddess, especially when she was remembering a moment of her own that seemed to stretch on forever. Priestess Tirei, however, was being the true fool; she had bet upon a mere five.

The Archmage of Skyloft scoffed, several practicing students flinching as she did and frantically trying to figure out where they went wrong. She didn't correct them either, too amused to do so. The young Princess and Hero had been in each other's orbit for years, ever so slowly growing closer. When they finally started, nobody with any sense would bet on them managing to stop any time soon. Gaepora was personally hoping for grandchildren in nine months, but in her opinion he was a fool for that.

Not that she believed they wouldn't be going at it like the easily excited teenagers that they were; no, she and her newly sealed lover had not been anywhere near as attached at the hip as those two were, yet they had been entirely unable to keep their hands off each other. If her experiences held any value, Link would be all over Zelda every chance he got, especially now that he was seemingly freed from the Curse.

An irritated growl at that, but she pushed it from her mind. She was in far too good a mood to allow thoughts of that to influence it. No, Link was going to finally be enjoying the benefits that came with being a teenager. She blinked, a thought occuring. She would need to make sure that the Princess was stocked with stamina potions, and perhaps a few pain ones? Birth Control teas for certain; as much as Gaepora hoped for grandchildren, Hinea knew good and well that Zelda was far too committed to her goals to allow for that just yet. In a few years, after she had graduated from the Academy and settled into her role? Absolutely, she would even go so far as to put money on four or even five children.

A chuckle, amused this time. The young Princess wasn't one to shirk her duty after all. Hinea sobered, quite rapidly; perhaps that was a bit more on the nose than she had intended. After all, back when Gaepora was a young lad, the Royal Family was bigger than it was now. A main branch and a cadet branch, and yet all that was left was Gaepora and Zelda. Hardly the first time that it had happened in history, but it was entirely likely Zelda would push herself to have more children than she would otherwise want.

A shake of the head; that was something to be considered later. For right now, what was important was making sure that the young girl knew she was not alone. After all, Zelda was far from the only one to make the mistake she had. Hinea wondered what song it had been; there were too many options, after all. The Coming of the Loftwings had been her mistake, all those years ago. A song about the fall of the legendary King Daphnes and the arrival of the loftwings that served as their partners for all these years. She had thought that it would show her scenes of triumph, of victory and might.

She hadn't been thinking of the fact that the song started off with the fall; with the Hylians turning against their King, spewing words of cowardice and even hatred. She hadn't expected to see the death and violence even amongst their victory, so many good people dying. Hinea hadn't expected to see both the arrival of the loftwings and the first of their deaths, broken and severed body parts of the great birds strewn across the ground.

The Queen, Hinea's first Queen, Queen Hesha, had been the one to comfort her, amusingly enough. The woman had been a force of nature, the likes of which Sonia did not live long enough to truly match, having raised multiple children to adulthood and accepting no arguments in anything. It was alright that Hinea had made that mistake; mistakes were how you learned, and this was, as things went, a relatively harmless one. It was okay to be affected by it; Hinea was not weak to be upset from it, no matter what her head told her.

Tales of bravery and prowess often neglected to mention the cost, after all, and it was a cost that Hinea was intimately familiar with. Trauma, mounting on as time and the tide of events carried on. She had dealt with that simple fact of life ever since that first mistake, though at least that one had had a far kinder end than any other. She'd had nightmares for two weeks, waking up shivering, but overall she had recovered from it easily enough.

It was, after all, far better than the memories of death caused because she wasn't good enough. Memories of that accursed beast, the Blight that had destroyed so many, including many of the Royals. It had been targeted, hunting them down, and Hinea had been one of the very few to see it and walk away. It was a trauma that would never heal, of that much she was certain, and that was okay. Life was full of wounds like that; wounds that only dimmed with the aid of time, never truly healing.

Queen Hesha's mistake of choice had been the Ballad of Endurance; not a song that Hinea would have expected to be a terrible mistake, yet one that proved to be it regardless. The song and the images it portrayed were not as in tune as other melodies, which was what had caused Queen Hesha's woes. The ballad itself was a tale of endurance, of standing strong against any enemy; a tribute to the Goddess Din as much as it was anything else. A way to remember, a way to inspire the intent to stand strong against all comers.

In terms of images, it took the form of a group of Skylians in battle, and the consequences thereof. Limbs and extremities lost in gruesome fashion, deaths, maiming…the final line, as her Lady had put it with a haunted look in her eye, focused on a single man, the last one standing. Blonde haired and blue eyed, with only a single eye remaining, a blank look upon his face as he stood alone against a dark tide of foes. Never giving up, never surrendering.

The song, thankfully, was part of a trio; The Ballad of Prophecy, the Ballad of Endurance, and the Ballad of Hope. Hope had actually provided the light she needed to get out of her funk after witnessing her brethren slaughtered and crippled before her eyes, unable to stop it or even stop the music. The Ballad of Hope began with the scene that Endurance ended on, and told of the turning of the tide. Of other Skylians arriving, and saving the survivors, who had previously only had a single combat effective Skylian to try and protect them.

The trio told the story of what the Skylians faced, really, but that was unimportant. Everyone knew what was coming, everyone knew their roles and knew how important they were. High Priestess Tirei's mistake was, in truth, more amusing and embarrassing for her. She had decided to play a rather raunchy song known as the Lonely Maiden; where in the world the girl had gotten the idea to do that from, Hinea would never know, but witnessing a woman being satisfied by multiple men was, quite honestly, the kindest way to discover the negative effects of the Artifact.

Her choice to play that song in particular was also why Hinea was the one to have to walk all the blasted way to Temple rather than having Tirei, who was already there, just handle this herself. It would be a rather cruel thing to tell someone you understood what they had seen, having made the same mistake yourself, only to tell them that no, you hadn't seen innocents being slaughtered. You'd watched a woman get railed for three minutes instead.

A cackle once more, still incredibly amused by that. To think that a young girl who would choose to play a song about sex on the Goddess Harp of all instruments would rise up to be the High Priestess of Hylia. Truly, one never knew where the path of life would take them. Hinea couldn't help but wonder if Hylia, watching as this girl used her sacred harp to watch a woman get ravaged, knew that said girl would become her High Priestess in the future. Another cackle, as she pondered the hilarity of the idea of that being the reason Hylia chose her.

Hylia truly was a wonderful Goddess, but Hinea didn't think that she would choose a High Priestess based solely off of that. It may have been a factor, it may not have, the Archmage certainly wasn't an authority on the mind of the Goddess after all. However, with the way she did everything in her power to help Skyloft survive…well, somehow Hinea didn't think it had much to do with it. After all, Tirei was the strongest Faith Caster in all of Skyloft; not exactly an easy feat, considering that both Gaepora and herself existed. In addition to that, the woman had grown into her role with an astonishing ease; Hinea might have more of a personal appreciation for the now gone High Priest Nangal, but from everything the younger generation tells her Tirei is a magnificent Priestess.

Hinea's thoughts continued to take her on a winding path as she traversed the land, slowly walking towards her goal. There was, after all, no need to rush; the Princess would be there all day, and it was always nice to get some fresh air. A frown crossed her lips as she inhaled, once more tasting an odd taint to the air. It was something she smelled occasionally, acrid and dark, yet she could never pin down what it was.

It didn't show up all the time, either, seemingly at random. It was the only thing she'd ever smelled that polluted the air, and yet something told her it had been around for as long as she had been alive, if not far longer. It had become more common, if not truly common, as she enhanced her magic, however. Perhaps it was something related to the monsters; it would make sense, and the air always smelled tainted around them, but this at least was there and gone in the span of a single breath. She believed it to be important, but it was impossible to investigate when no type of magic turned up anything in result of it and she had no way to track it down.

A sigh of irritation, but it mattered not, for she was nearly at the Temple. The scent of old parchment and long-dried ink, the taste of time and age that were entirely unique to this temple, the sound of truly ancient lyrics she had no way to recognize, since they were in languages long since lost. They were soothing, however, blending into the background of the temple as a whole. Most things that she picked up with her other senses were like that, unless they were out of place.

It was a natural consequence of being as steeped in magic as she was, and it was something she was grateful for. It helped to detect ambushes, just for starters; it took a rather unique monster to hide from her. It also helped when her students were being stupid, and helped her tell the difference between when it was harmless stupidity and stupidity she needed to stop. There was nothing wrong with children being children; there was a lot wrong with a child trying to mix ingredients that should not be mixed and then drinking the result.

"Archmage Hinea, a pleasure as always." A warm, gentle voice that did not belong to the little rapscallion that it came from. Hinea focused, High Priestess Tirei in front of her with a smile that matched her voice. She huffed, speaking in return.

"High Priestess Tirei." She managed to inject a teasing tone that had Tirei flushing slightly, but the Priestess didn't respond other than that. The girl had gotten far too used to her over the years, more's the pity. Even now, there was no doubt she'd only reacted because the girl knew exactly what Hinea was thinking after having been called here.

"How is the Princess?" She would give the girl mercy, and hopefully have her let her guard down at the lack of pressing. Besides, as much as Hinea enjoyed poking at the younger generations, she was here for something else first. Tirei took the stay of execution with the grace such kindness deserved, one hand pointing towards the right.

"She is in the same place you were when you weaved your own sailcloth, Archmage, though I can of course escort you if you have forgotten the way." Hinea laughed; there was the fire that was so restrained nowadays. Not much, but it was nice to know it was there. An age-related joke wasn't much compared to the firebrand that Tirei once was, but it was better than the girl usually allowed herself.

"No need, I'm not quite that old yet, child. Besides, I know that you are no doubt too busy to even be meeting with me now at this time of year." A wince, Tirei nodding in reluctant agreement. The festival times were always busy for the Priesthood. Busy for everyone, but the results were so very worth it.

"It would still be uncouth of me to not greet you." Hinea snorted, but nodded. Sometimes the niceties did have to be observed, even by her. After all, she couldn't think of a single person in charge of anything that wouldn't personally greet Zelda or Link, simply because of how important they were. The Princess and future Queen, alongside what anybody who knew them was the future King.

"Well, consider your obligation fulfilled, I will go and bother the Princess." Tirei raised her hand, brown eyes calm.

"Hold on one moment." Hinea obliged, halting her step. "Princess Zelda was notably affected last night, even if those who do not know her would not be able to recognize it, but today she is far more composed than one would expect. She returned to the weaving with the same eagerness she has had all week, if not more, and did not flinch away from the Harp." Hinea raised an eyebrow, impressed; that was more than anyone she knew of had been able to manage.

"You sure she didn't decide to go for…" Tirei cut her off by speaking over her, much to Hinea's amusement.

"I am certain. Her eyes were far too glassy, and she was too easily able to look at others. Also, I don't think she would have rushed back to Link had she played one of those." A blink, considering, and then a smirk crossed the Priestess's lips.

"Or, had she actually been the type, she would have been far more eager to get to him." Another laugh left Hinea's lips, the old woman nodding. That was fair enough, and had indeed happened a few times before. It was always a pleasant year to know that a girl had successfully avoided traumatizing or embarrassing herself, rather leaning into it and having a pleasant day…and night…and once the next day as well. They had all thought the girl had been hurt enough to hide away, but instead they showed up just in time to get the poor lad she was with some much needed water. That particular lass was now a fairly high-ranking Knight, and her husband lived in rather delighted fear of her interests. Skylians came in all types, it must be said.

The two parted with that said, one last bit of amusement before one returned to their duties and the other confronted something that would no doubt be terrible. It was remarkable, however, that the Princess had bounced back so easily; Hinea wouldn't have thought her to be so strong, but she was pleasantly surprised.

That feeling continued as she reached where the girl was working, and watched her work for several minutes. She was going through the Hymns of the Goddess currently, a gleam of gold around her very form; the strongest manifestation of it that Hinea had ever seen, in fact. Perhaps that was the result of her Royal Blood? She knew that the Royal Family had long been beloved by the Goddess, more even than the average Skylian, and it showed in things like this.

It was, in truth, mildly dangerous for the scions of Royalty to do things like this. Hylia was closer to them than she was to others, resulting in a blend and meld that could be difficult to walk away from without issue. Nightmares of war, memories that didn't belong to them, visions of ancient kingdoms and great tragedies…the results ran a gauntlet from the wonderful to the unspeakable, with one in particular actually snapping like a branch beneath the ancient weight of the Goddess's mind during the middle of the weaving. It had not been permanent, by sheer luck and mercy, but it had been enough to turn that poor girl away from Faith magic forever.

Even Gaepora was not immune to the dangers, and Hinea had witnessed it herself. Calling on the Goddess could be dangerous, no matter when or how, when one was loved so much. It was difficult for Hylia to not give more of herself than the Skylian could handle, as if pouring too much water into a glass without letting it spill. Sometimes the water could spill out without harm, merely going to waste. Sometimes the water would accumulate above the glass, granting a very brief and exhausting period of tension where the Skylian went beyond mortal limits. Sometimes, however, very rarely? The glass shattered.

She'd never seen it go to that level, but Gaepora had been dazed and confused after battle on more than one occasion when he was forced to lean heavily on the Goddess's power. There was a reason he preferred Reason, despite being far stronger with Faith; it ensured he could continue to command, and more importantly allowed him to be of use even after the battle was over. He was of no use to anyone when he was crying over an empty space, begging his daughter not to die. He was a liability when he saw his wife, his mother, and his father in the faces of every Skylian around him and started begging for forgiveness for failing them.

There was a reason that, when the fighting got truly deadly, it was the Royal Guard and the veterans that fought by his side. Should things turn sour, should the King have to call upon the Goddess to that extent and face the backlash, it was far better to have those who would not be shaken by such a sight.

Hinea refocused on Zelda as the golden aura faded, a bit of now whispering to her from the background choir that didn't exist. Hylia provided, especially when she was present, and it would seem that the Goddess was as focused as always. More focused than Hinea herself, in all truth. Her thoughts tended to run away from her if she didn't have something pressing to handle.

"What?" The word was whispered to herself, Zelda almost starting in surprise after she stuttered in a chant, the absence of the Goddess noticeable enough to draw her from her work.

"Looks like the Goddess has decreed it's time for a break, Princess." Shoulders stiffened and then relaxed quickly enough that Hinea was impressed, Zelda turning to face her.

"Archmage Hinea, it is a pleasure to see you. I did not expect to see you today." Polite, refined, with genuine pleasure; she truly was Gaepora's daughter, disgustingly enough. Queen Sonia had been much more relaxed. She supposed she couldn't blame the girl, however; she only had one example to model herself off of.

"Eh, I was bored and figured I might as well check in on you. How is it going…and why does it look like you're weaving something other than a sailcloth?" There was no guilt in Zelda's eyes or bearing, but there was suspicion as Hinea spoke. Clever girl, she already knew something was up…not that Hinea was particularly subtle, admittedly. The Archmage of Skyloft wasn't one to just show up places, after all, considering just how busy she was. Her excursion to see Link dominate the Royal Guard had already been pushing it somewhat, but at her age she could allow herself a treat every now and again, especially when it served more than one purpose.

"I decided that a sailcloth, while traditional, did not serve much of a purpose other than a memento for the future. As such, I would rather give the winner of the Wing Ceremony something far more practical, in line with what the Goddess actually provided to her Chosen Hero." Zelda was good, Hinea would give her that. Gaepora could have learned a lot, even when he was several decades older than she was now. She didn't mention Link at all, didn't even hint that she was intentionally and specifically weaving a cloak just for him, despite how incredibly obvious it was.

"Most choose to see the fact that it is nothing more than a memento as an honor and a memory; something to be cherished, and perhaps brought out occasionally as a memory of the past." She did that, occasionally. The Sailcloth still smelled of Corrah, even after all these years, so when she was feeling particularly sad she would use it as a blanket. Zelda smiled politely in return.

"It is a valid, and even appreciable, tradition, but it is not one I chose to follow. I believe that giving a future Knight of the Sky a tool that they can use is of more value than a memento that serves no purpose. This way, after all, they will still have it as a cherished memory even after years of making more memories with it." Hinea grinned, shaking her head.

"I'm not criticizing your decision, Princess, merely pointing it out. It is coming along incredibly well." Too well. Cloaks, in and of themselves, were not that difficult to make; usually only taking a day or so. This was, of course, with prepared materials and no magic involved, and also not hand-weaving it from start to finish. This particular example, however, was not made using any shortcuts. Hinea could feel, could taste, could smell the magic that had been poured into every single thread of the cloak that was before her, each one taking far more time to add to the whole than any normal weaving. It wasn't even finished yet, but Hinea could tell that the Goddess and, far more importantly, Zelda had been sinking significant effort into it. Likely more than any weaver of the past few centuries.

This wasn't normally possible to do this fast. Hinea was reasonably sure that it would take her two weeks of constant work to achieve the same result, and then another to finish it. Zelda had the remainder of today and tomorrow if she wanted to attend the festival, and Hinea got the sense that it would be done. Which meant that, once again, time was acting strange in the hands of the Goddess. Nothing new there.

"Thank you for the compliment, Archmage." Zelda still wasn't sure why she was there; it was a realization that amused her. The girl likely thought that she had managed to bypass suspicion, and from Tirei's words, she almost did. Unfortunately, Skyloft had long since learned to look for things like this, and not even merely during times when some child was messing around with an Artifact. Stability was important, the health of a mind even more so; she would learn that in her third year of the academy. They would be taught how to look for the warning signs of their fellow Skylians crumbling under pressure, and how to bolster those same souls. Only you could fight and win against the demons that haunted you, but there was nothing stopping your comrades from holding you up while you figured out how to do so.

"I hear you had a stressful day yesterday." Hinea provided her the answer she was looking for, interested in the results. Several emotions passed through blue eyes in rapid succession; realization, sorrow, surprise, disappointment, frustration, and then surprisingly enough? Calm and steady equanimity. Blue eyes met her own brown orbs, a minor flash of long-held jealousy going through her mind. Her eyes were so bland and boring, though Corrah had always insisted they were gorgeous. Then again, her poor husband had been required to say that, hadn't he? Both Link and Zelda shared absolutely magnificent blue eyes; bah.

"It was, unfortunately. Might I ask how my having a bad day reached all the way to your ears?" Hinea let herself be amused once more, though this time she didn't show it. Leave it to the Princess, always so mindful of decorum, to be concerned that she had failed to mask herself to the extent that it reached Hinea's ears of all people. It was an unfortunate reality of her position, however; rumors spread about the Princess, no matter how she acted. Good, bad, or anywhere in between, her life was a source of gossip, just as with her fathers. Even she was not immune to it, however, as there would no doubt be talks of the Archmage visiting the Temple before the day was over.

"High Priestess Tirei sent me a note, asking me to drop by, as she believed you could use someone to talk to about what you saw." Hinea let herself smile now, more gentle and kind than usual. "After all, I've done much the same, if not worse." Blue eyes widened slightly, intelligence churning away. It was always remarkable to watch people reach conclusions so rapidly.

"Which song did you play then, in your year?" Her smile became a little more genuine.

"The Coming of the Loftwings." A blink, confusion welling up, but Hinea was quick to answer the question before it could be voiced. "Tell me, dear Princess, what do you think happened just before the Loftwings arrived?" Zelda flinched, Hinea giving a rueful chuckle.

"Indeed. To make matters worse, that battle was hardly the nearly bloodless victory it was made out to be in the stories, either. I witnessed a great many dead, Skylian and Loftwing alike, in a great many gruesome states of being. While it no longer haunts me, it resulted in more than a few sleepless nights." Sorrow and empathy crossed Zelda's young face, clear as day. Some pity as well, which was interesting; which part brought that about? Empathy she expected, but pity did not usually come from those who had experienced the same thing.

"Ah. I am sorry that you had to see that." Hinea waved it off, long since having healed from it.

"It's alright, it has been a long time since that day. Do you feel comfortable talking about it with me, or would you rather someone else come and speak with you?" She did not, however, give the young girl the option of not speaking about it, something that Zelda noticed. She didn't fight it, however, simply shaking her head.

"No, I am perfectly fine speaking of it with you…though my experience seems to have not been quite as bad as yours." A raised eyebrow and interest were the only responses Hinea gave. Now was when Zelda sighed, drawing up the strength to speak of it.

"I played the Hounds Lament." Hinea hissed out a breath between clenched teeth. She'd seen that one before, and it was a particularly brutal set of contradictions. Such wonderful, incredible animals as the dogs, slaughtered right before your eyes, alongside children. Going from the pure-hearted happiness of the hounds, particularly the little white-and-brown one, to their murder was enough to shatter anyone. She had spent quite a bit of time holding her kids close after that day, and more than one evening crying into her husband's chest, regretting the fact that she'd been there to tutor the girl of that year.

"Oh, child." It was all she could say, and she wasn't sure whether her opinion of Princess Zelda rose or fell from the fact that the Princess was currently dry eyed and calm, holding the same equanimity as before. The girl simply nodded; solemnly, but still with that odd calm.

"I…I was not in a good place last night. I am surprised I made it back to my quarters as easily as I did, in truth." That checked out, but it didn't explain how the girl was so calm now. When Hinea had witnessed that song previously the girl she had been tutoring, who unfortunately was dead now, was inconsolable for several days. Zelda, however, simply smiled; soft and fond and so very lovingly, and suddenly Hinea had a good idea of why she was so balanced.

"Link noticed something was wrong…immediately, essentially. I am still not sure how, but he was a step away from me the second I closed the door." That made sense, if Link's magic potential was anywhere near what she thought it was he could likely taste the pain radiating off of her. "He reacted several different ways to it, but settled on opening his arms and looking at me sadly. I…I kind of broke down." Hinea raised an eyebrow, impressed despite herself. Young men were not normally the most sensitive when it came to young women, and vice versa. That Link both recognized something was wrong and reacted in a reasonable manner to help her was a mark in his favor.

"He made sure I drank something after I finished crying, and was patient with me as I told the story. He made sure I was not alone, made sure that I stayed grounded, and was basically perfect." A giggle, helpless and surprised.

"It is so much more than he would have been capable of a week ago; I am so proud of him, even if I wish it did not manifest for the reason it did." Hinea nodded in agreement. Link had done the best he could, clearly, and it was a far greater best than he would have been capable of before the curse had broken. She was rather proud of him, she must admit.

"Then, this morning, he was even better. It was a little difficult for him to find the right words, but I am doubtful that I could have managed better." She smiled, soft and so utterly gone it was almost disgusting. Almost. Hinea could remember a young woman smiling in much the same way, and getting teased because of it.

"I'm glad you have him, then." Zelda nodded, still looking so perfectly like the girl in love she was.

"I am too. I am thankful for the simple fact that he exists, and more grateful for everything he does for me." Hinea laughed; yeah, Zelda would be fine. Leave it to the Princess to experience something that left everybody else with days to weeks of sorrow and be mostly settled in less than a day. She likely wasn't fully alright just yet, but she would be, especially with Link's competence at reading her.

"I'm glad; make sure you show him how important he is to you, alright?" Zelda nodded sincerely, no doubt planning something to that effect already. Well, it seemed like Hinea's job was done here. She had shown up, done nothing, and completed her goal of making sure the Princess was dealing with things alright; a lovely waste of a walk, but not of the time.

"I will leave you to it, but Princess?" Blue eyes looked up at her once more, so genuine and soft, no doubt with her mind still on her darling. It was either a miracle or a curse that the girl hadn't broken long before now and started doing all sorts of things to that boy, especially this week.

"If you want someone else to talk to, about anything, my door is always open to you. Alright?" Warmth filled those unfairly gorgeous eyes, Zelda smiling softly at her.

"I will. Thank you for your time, Archmage; it is always good to see you." Hinea snorted, shaking her head. The worst part about Zelda, much like her father, was that the girl meant it. Disgustingly genuine. Then again, she thought as she walked away; that was what made them worth following.

Zelda would be fine, Link would make certain of it even if nobody else did. Link would also be fine, because Zelda would make sure of it even if nobody else did. Skyloft had already been on a solid upward trend with Gaepora at the throne, but the future looked brighter still once those two left the Academy and started working for the betterment of the Kingdom. Who knows, perhaps they would even be able to reclaim the entirety of Farore's Hope for the first time in generations?

~~The Eternal Game~~

Sparks scattered from clashing blades, a ferocious roar matched with apathy.

Back leaped a monster, steel flying forwards as a boomerang arced towards him. His face didn't change as he pursued, boomerang caught in one hand and flung back at the monster fast enough that it couldn't react. Two others, giant lizards both, screeched in anger and charged forth, spear and steel sword ready to strike. A step to the side, the world slowing, one falling to decapitation and the other cut down in a single slash.

Bodies poofed into smoke, parts left on the ground, and Link sighed, looking around. That seemed to be the last of them, though he wasn't entirely sure. His eyes took in the surroundings, quite pleased with it; this would do nicely for the picnic later. It was only about a twenty minute flight away from the Academy…perhaps sixty, considering how fast Sylph had been going, but while that was a significant distance away, it was still close enough to be within range for the night. An hour here, at most, an hour back, and several hours of luxuriating in each other's company; it sounded like a wonderful evening.

It was also a fairly decent bit of scenery, or so he thought. No massive waterfall in the background, or truly ancient tree to sit near, but those were expectations that only made sense in his head anyways. It didn't matter what he thought was perfect, only what would be the best for them. So it was this; a clearing in a forest, with flowers in bloom all around a large tree. There were, strangely enough, all three types of Safflina, some kind of Sunflower it looked like, several dozen blooms of light purple, yellow, and white, and most importantly? It had a handful of the Silent Princesses Zelda liked, which meant that she would be happy there. They were in bloom as well, and if the flower he had picked for Zelda a while ago was any indication, they would remain that way. Ideally for at least the night, that was all he really cared about.

There were also several pools of water in the clearing; nothing deep, not even above the ankle really, but they were there. Not stagnant either, oddly enough; fresh and clean. He would almost put it down to the rain earlier if it hadn't been him noticing movement within them. He'd been confused at first, but spotting holes that presumably led to some underground source had settled that easily enough.

The clearing was pretty enough, really, and he'd been able to clear out a spot in the roots for the two of them to sit, so this would do quite nicely. Nothing to make sitting down awkward, and now that he'd dealt with a few monsters hanging around, it was about as safe as it could be, too. Hopefully there wouldn't be anything trying to move in within the couple of hours that he would be gone, if there were he would just have to handle it.

A nod to himself, and Link turned to leave. Fingers rose to his mouth, about to whistle and call Sylph, when something odd caught his ear. A horn; mournful and low in pitch, yet sharp and shocking in the way it was blown. Several short notes, followed by a really long one. A few seconds passed, and the call came again; several short notes, four to be exact, each one maybe a second long. The long call, six seconds that Link counted off. What was that even supposed to be?

Well, he had some spare time; he might as well check it out. He started to walk towards it, then paused. What if…he remembered watching Lord of the Rings before, back in his original world. Boromir, one of the characters in it, had been blowing into the Horn of Gondor to let the others of his group know that he was being attacked by the enemy. By massive numbers of the enemy, at that. What if…what if this was a similar situation?

Concern began to fill him, something else rising up as well. Before he realized it he was running towards the horn, a third call of it making sure he knew exactly where the caller was. Feet pounded against the dirt, one after the other, the world seeming to fade around the edges. A frown tugged at his lips, pulling his magic up. Was this…was this some kind of trap or something? Why was he reacting this way?

Seconds later he burst through the foliage onto a road, remarkably maintained and made of small rocks. Eyes flicked around, taking it all in, even as the horn sounded one last time. His sword was in his hands before he even realized it, eyes taking in the scene. Twenty-seven Skylians around a few carts, several of them in armor. The ones in armor looked relieved to see him; the ones that weren't had a brief moment of hope before they seemed to slump, sorrow radiating from them.

Link ignored them, focusing instead on the group of eight Lizalfos that approached him. Lizalfos and bokoblins both menaced the caravan, and his mind narrowed down to just his charges, and the things standing between him and them. His left foot planted against the ground, launching off, and there was something in his head.

Thump thump thump

Thud…thud…thud…

Thump thump thump

Strong, earthshaking sounds reach Link's mind, but there was no time for that. His blade flashes out, a lizalfos screaming in pain as it loses an arm, seven others all around him. Link's eyes weren't on them, however, but rather the group of bokoblins in the distance, menacing a small circle of guards and a caravan of goods. A mere twenty men and women left, a couple more dead on the ground, but outnumbered two to one by bokoblins and lizalfos. Because of course the monsters would never approach things fairly.

It wasn't enough that they were already stronger than the average Skylian; it took a trained Skylian to match even the bokoblin, after all, and the stronger the monster got the less common the Skylians that could match them became. Link watched, cutting through the body of another Lizalfos, as one of the men went down to a spear wound, and fury beat a drum in his chest.

No more. Not today.

Feet set themselves, blade falling horizontal and growing even as the spin began. Bisected monster corpses hit the ground all around where he'd been standing, but Link was already gone, darknut blade once more upon his back and the bow drawn. Fury filled the arrow, green electricity sparking off of wood and metal alike, and the arrow was launched before more than a few steps were made.

Forward flew the arrow, and several more besides, all crackling with the fury of the Gerudo, and when the moment came? All were unleashed, thunder booming through the air as bursts of lighting struck the monsters around them. The scent of burnt flesh filled the air, cries of pain and agony coming from the monsters, and then Link was amongst them.

Slash, cut, parry, dodge, kick, slice; the pattern blended together with the certainty in his mind. This would not pass. Not while he was here, never while he was here. He couldn't save them all, and to try was foolish, but while he was here he would be damned before others died in front of him.

Something in his mind felt confusion at the certainty, at the fury and protectiveness, but the rest of him was consumed by it. A club approached, the world slowing as he dodged it by a scant inch, unintentional on his part. He let it go before it could drain anything from him, and chose instead to cut down the monster. A spear stabbed towards him, little more than a stick that had been sharpened. It was nowhere near enough to faze him, not with as slow as it moved. His blade smacked it away, and Link stepped closer, the end of the darknut blade lancing out in a stab…and decapitating the monster. A frown, confusion filling his mind, before it clicked.

Darknut blades didn't end in a traditional point, as others did. He suspected that, were he not as strong as he was, stabbing with them would be an exercise in futility,as the rounded end didn't really pierce anything. However…he was Link. Round end, sharp end, pointy end, or blunt end, it mattered not; if he stabbed with an object, it penetrated. It was something to keep in mind, for the future.

For now, however? It just reminded him that he needed to cut through them all. And so he did; they were just bokoblins and lizalfos, and not even of advanced colors. Merely reds, a few blues, and the basic greens. It was ridiculous, really, just how strong he was. At least it would help him keep people safe, he supposed, but what was with the odd insistence?

Thump thump thump

Thud…thud…thud…

Thump thump thump

The earthshaking rhythm returned once more, but nobody else noticed it. Link could feel it in the ground, rattling his bones, yet nobody else noticed it as he accepted thanks and stepped forward to heal the fallen. By whatever luck existed, perhaps even Hylia's fortune, only two of the nine that had fallen were dead. The other seven were simply in varying states of injury, and Mipha's Grace could handle that.

One hand outstretched, a cool and soothing energy easing his mind and the other's bodies, and Link found himself puzzling over that. Why had he reacted like that? That wasn't him…at least he didn't think so. And even in the fight, he didn't react like he normally did…

"Sorry little buddy…heh, it was my fault."

A voice, warm and rumbling through his ear; Daruk. He knew it instantly, but didn't acknowledge it just yet, instead making sure the others were healed and that the caravan got on its way. A minor irritation flared within him, however; it was wasting his time.

Daruk would only be here for so long, after all, and making sure the caravan got far enough away to not think he was talking to himself was taking up precious minutes. So he turned, walking the opposite direction, and came face to face with a rather smugly pleased Goron.

Big, brown, and white; like a boulder with hair, that was his first thought. Massive was the second though, with his head barely coming up the heavily muscled stomach of the Goron; he was even taller than Urbosa, which was no small feat. He was also, perhaps oddly so, the one closest to his video game depiction.

Short and thin legs, far stubbier than one would expect for a being of his height, but with a torso that made up what felt like his entire frame. Muscled so completely that his entire front appeared to be hewn from the rock that Gorons supposedly came from, with arms that were the length of his entire massive torso and thicker around than some trees he had seen, with tufts of white hair coming off of some parts of them. Bands of metal wrapped around his arms, one vaguely near what could be considered the wrist and the other at, perhaps, just above the elbow. A large chain wrapped diagonally around his torso, held together by a strange buckle in the center of his chest that held an equally odd design upon it. A square, yet turned to resemble more of a diamond was the buckle itself, and the closest thing he could compare the emblem on it was a paw, though to what he had no idea. Perhaps a Rito talon was the closest thing Link could figure, being a larger diamond at the bottom and three sharp triangles coming off the top.

A face that was visibly happy to see him, a wide grin parting thick lips to reveal white teeth thicker than any he'd seen, discounting the Hinox. The same white hair formed a beard and a remarkable amount on his head, ensuring that Daruk was perhaps the most refined looking Goron Link had ever seen. Not that there was much of a competition; the elders of the tribes usually were just old Gorons with long beards and incredibly fragile legs and arms, as far as the game's portrayal of them went.

Not a single part of Daruk could be considered frail or fragile, however; even his legs, the smallest and thinnest part of him, were still cut with enough muscle to be ridiculous. Something that was no doubt required when the Goron in question weighed hundreds of pounds and ate rocks to survive. Finally, to complete his outfit, or perhaps lack thereof, he had a blue sash wrapped diagonally around his torso as well, opposite of the chain, to form an x across his body for…some reason. It wasn't like any of the games provided insight into Goron fashion, considering that very few of them wore anything that could be considered clothes anyway.

Fortunately, if the Goron even had genitals, they were disguised in such a way as to be utterly unrecognizable to anyone not a Goron. Not something he'd ever even considered until that very moment, but something he found himself grateful for anyways. It did, naturally, lead to such fascinating questions as "How do they breed", but Link believed this was one mystery he would rather leave unsolved.

"It's good to see you, Daruk." The words that Link finally settled on saying had the Goron beaming down at him, laughing heartily.

"Oh, you have no idea how nice it is to have you able to speak, little guy. Fifty-five years of life, fifty of which I knew you for, and this is the first time I've heard your voice directed at me." Another laugh, Daruk leaning down to look at him closer.

"Mm, not quite what I imagined, but it suits you." A hand reached out and protect washed through him as Daruk swung through his entire body in a failed attempt to clap him on the back. Link frowned, matched by Daruk doing the same. That was an odd feeling; far fiercer than he'd expected.

"Aw, drat. I'd hoped with Urbosa being able to touch you somewhat I'd finally be able to clap you on the back, but…well, that's just how it goes." Another laugh, though more subdued this time, one hand reaching up to scratch the back of his own head. A movement that, interestingly enough, he was able to do despite being a spirit.

"Ah well, I suppose you can't have everything. Anyways, yeah, sorry for the surge of emotions, that was my fault; I was really trying to get out here and talk to you, ya know?" Link raised an eyebrow, and strangely enough he felt his lips shifting upwards in a smile. Daruk's cheerfulness was rather catchy…

"Mipha might be willing to wait for the right moment, but Urbosa and Revali had already gotten to talk to you, so I really wanted to too. It took some doing, and that curse in your head was getting a little fidgety before I managed it, but I did!" Alarm rose up within him, but Daruk was already raising both arms, palm out. "Don't worry; it looked more troubled than anything. It's not as strong as it was before, so it's not going to try and fight us again." Certainty filled a craggy face, blue eyes that were all blue barring a small black pupil resolved.

"If it tries to overextend again, we can beat it, and probably even destroy it." Link frowned, curious. Daruk, whether reading his thoughts or his face, sighed, shaking his head even as he lowered his arms.

"No, attacking it would result in our loss and it's regaining strength, while we diminished. We established something of a balance, light and dark, between us and the curse." How did any of that even work?

"Don't worry about it, though. Like I said, if it tries anything, we'll thump it good and destroy it; I won't fail again." Resolve and certainty filled the Goron to the brim as his fists clashed together with the sound of rumbling stone. Link blinked, absorbing the whirlwind of contextless information, and then nodded.

"I believe you." The grin that Daruk let go was enough to brighten up the night, but Link wasn't quite satisfied. "Can you explain…basically, any of that a bit more?" Blue eyes widened, Daruk looking at him confusedly for several seconds…then oddly enough, roared with laughter.

"I'd be delighted, little buddy. This is why you're my favorite." Link blinked in shock, but Daruk was already rolling along with his explanation.

"So, first things first…hmm, conversation or time? I suppose time works better." Daruk nodded to himself. "So, based on my understanding of it, we arrived in your soul seven days ago. Not exactly, it's a little over seven days at this point, but that's close enough for this. We all died facing the Calamity and its forces, and…" For the first time a grimness overtook his face and countenance, Daruk looking sad.

"We died. Not…not really happy with that, but I gave it everything I could. Wish I could apologize to whoever is going to have to clean up that mess, and I really hope it's not about to go as badly as everyone expects it to, but I can't do anything about that now. I'm dead, and here." A shake of his head, and the Goron moved along.

"We woke up in darkness, with a strange glowing light behind us that was covered in toxic goop. At least that's what I saw, the others see it differently." And wasn't that interesting?

"What we do know is that the toxic goop all came together the moment we approached it, forming what was, to me, something that looks a lot like you. Just all black. And I mean all black, head to toe and even the eyes." Link blinked. Was…was there a Dark Link in his soul or something? Daruk waved his hand, almost dismissively.

"Don't take that at face value, wherever your mind's going. Urbosa saw a powerful figure taller than even I am. Revali saw an ancient bull-like beast, and Mipha saw some kind of shadowy figure in robes. Point is, the Curse gathered up its power and attacked us…and we lost. Didn't matter what we did, we couldn't fight it at first, and the things that happened make me rather glad I'm already dead and can't die a second time." Link looked up at him, concerned, but Daruk kept on trucking. He was beginning to understand what Revali meant when he'd said listening to Daruk ramble on.

"The moment we hurt it though, we all knew. That lance of power was difficult to manage, but we did, fueled by the golden light that was trying to aid us in the fight…which, as we later learned, was your mind and soul, or close enough to it." Link paused, needing a moment to process that. His soul had an actual physical manifestation. Huh. Well…he supposed he wouldn't be acting like the Geth any time soon. This unit had a soul, the Champions could prove it.

"It roared, and it struck back at you with a fury we couldn't match or stop. It launched something, I dunno what, but it burned away parts of the gold. We later learned that those were your memories, and I'm pretty sure that you did something to make sure that the least valuable part of you was burned away. Or what your soul considered the least valuable part, anyway." Even more concerning implications and thoughts, but with zero time to ponder them. Daruk was a boulder rolling down a mountain, an avalanche that didn't care about the side effects or for more time.

"We hit it with another lance of power, weakening it further, but that was about all we could do. It said…something, but I was a little too busy at the time to listen to it. Sounded like some kind of vegetable nonsense." Vegetable nonsense? What was that even supposed to mean?

"We could see you taking a flight next to Zelda, and Urbosa and Mipha could make out enough of your thoughts that they realized then it was your memories that had burned away. You were obsessed over flying like it was your first time, reacting to Zelda like it was your first time talking to her." He laughed, looking down at Link and winking.

"Enjoying that lap pillow like it was your first time. I don't see the appeal, but good for you little buddy." One arm raised, drawing back, before Daruk sighed, looking at his hand sadly.

"You know, out of everything, I think that's going to take the most getting used to." Link could understand and react to that much, at least. Daruk had been a rather tactile individual in the memories of the game.

"Maybe you'll be able to figure out how Urbosa could touch me?" Daruk looked at him, amused, before shaking his head.

"Nah, her method won't work for me. She used her power to do it, whereas mine doesn't work like that." Link chewed on that for a moment, before it clicked. He'd felt the electricity down to his bones, after all, more than anything else. As he'd already seen, Daruk's protect merely filled him with emotion rather than anything else.

"Anyways, we watched what we could, but we didn't get much of a sense of time. It wasn't until yesterday, when the time passing was on your mind so much during the day, that I got a certainty of how much time had passed. The four of us got different flashes of your days too, but it has felt like just a couple hours since we showed up and now." A nod; Link was following along with this much better than earlier.

"I know every time you used our powers, the one you were calling on could see it. I also know that the first time all four of us talked to you was because you needed reassurance, and all four of us were pushing so hard that something shifted, letting us speak to you." Daruk laughed, loud and proud once more.

"Even prickly Revali was trying anything he could to get to you right then, which is what let us through the first time." Daruk fell into a quieter, more reflective state once more. "I dunno what caused the second one though, it just happened. Don't know if that's going to keep happening, or if it's just a one off." Link considered that for a few seconds, but then Daruk continued once more.

"These moments, on the other hand, are different. Revali's got a point, but I don't think it's that simple…or perhaps that complex? External, internal, emotional…bah, it's too much reason." Daruk said the word reason like other people pronounced foods they didn't like. As though there was nothing he disliked more than eating spinach, yet was currently having to shovel it down.

"What I know is that it's linked to our powers. The lightning in the storm earlier, and Urbosa's own Fury. The wind in Sylph's wings and your hair, and Revali's Gale." A grin, sharp and strong. "The desire to defend others, and my Protection." The look turned sheepish, Daruk once more rubbing the back of his head.

"I might have pushed a little bit more of me into the power, as much as I could, and it influenced you there." Green began to bleed into Daruk at that revelation, and he frowned.

"Huh, I see why the others dislike it so much. That's cold." Up came one foot, stamping against the ground with force.

Thump thump thump

Thud…thud…thud…

Thump thump thump

"Wish I knew why we have to do that though, doesn't make any sense. There's nothing in the magic I know that runs off of patterns." Link looked down at the ground where Revali's feet had connected, had stomped, where the grass was not even so much as flattened.

"What if it's music?" Daruk considered it for a moment before shaking his head.

"Nah, can't be. No such thing as magical music." Link was the one to laugh this time, blue eyes turning to him in surprise. He shook his head, amused.

"There's a lot of magical music, actually." Those odd eyes of his widened in shock, before grinning wildly.

"Really? Ya mean it?" Link nodded, and Daruk beamed, happy as could be. "Well, how about that? Old Bludo's going to be happy about that, if he ever learns. He always liked his drums." Bludo? The Goron Boss? Huh. Well, maybe he would learn one day.

That…hmm. That actually brought up a good point. Breath of the Wild was a game that didn't have any musical instruments in it other than Kass's Accordion, which meant that it didn't have any magical music. That wasn't something he'd really thought about before. Was it more, or less, because of that? He didn't know.

"Well, since you say so, it might be magical music, but I still don't feel like it is." Daruk's words were actually considered now, thinking it through. Link shrugged.

"I'll take your word for it then, since you're the one feeling it." Daruk nodded, smiling still.

"Anyway, I don't think I'll be able to do this again. The Curse might have allowed it once, but somehow I don't think it'll play as nice the second time. I'll just have to wait and see if we can manifest again, I suppose. Still, if this is the last time…" Daruk stopped, turning properly to face Link, and lowered his face to be on the same level as Link's. Blue eyes stared deeply into blue eyes, happy and subdued all at the same time.

"Thank you for being my friend, Link. My life was made brighter by the fact that you were there, whether you could speak or not, and I am so very grateful that you were there…no matter how it came about. I'm sorry that I died before we could meet properly, and I'm sorry that I can't help you the way you could me. But I believe in you; you're strong, really strong, stronger than me! Faster than Revali, more skilled than Urbosa, and fiercer than Mipha. I have faith that you'll live a long life, Link." Heat flared to life on his face, red trailing its way down his neck and chest. That…he wasn't prepared for that, and Daruk straightened back up with a loud laugh. Then he stopped, and looked a great deal more solemn.

"Also, I'm sorry that trying to meet you wound up with your head going all weird. It wasn't what I was trying to do, and I will not be trying anything like it again." Link nodded slowly, consideringly, but chose to force that into the back of his mind for now. Daruk looked at him for a minute, and seemed to decide to not push it.

"Now then, since that's handled, whaddya say we do? I'm not really sure how long this whole thing will last, but I think we have a couple of minutes." Link hummed, consideringly. What did he want to know about Daruk? He could ask about why he was so good with Faith magic, but that felt too serious. He could ask how he had apparently helped Daruk in the past, but that felt too selfish. He could ask about the other Champions, but that was also wasting time with Daruk. He could ask whether this Daruk was still afraid of dogs, but that felt too cruel. Perhaps this would work, however.

"What does a Rock Roast taste like?" More laughter, proud and strong, but Link was genuinely curious. Link in the game had managed to eat Rock Roasts, canonically. What was the boy's jaw even made of? What was his jaw even made of?

"I knew you'd like them, little guy. Well, I suppose from the explanations that the Hylians would give me when I would try to get them to eat something solid rather than those piddly little things they ate, you wouldn't be able to manage it. But if you could? Amazing would be the right word for it." Green began to spread, slowly but surely, and Daruk repeated the pattern almost absentmindedly to beat it back.

"It tastes like the perfect combination between obsidian and basalt, ya know? Got the softness of basalt and the sharp tang of obsidian that you can't get anywhere else, with a little hint of gemstone in it that just gives it that extra oomph. Too much gemstone in your ore is bad for the taste, right, but that little bit of ruby and sapphire with just a hint of diamond makes it so much better." Link considered that.

"So gemstones are seasonings rather than the main meal?" One big hand came out, wobbling back and forth.

"Somewhat? Depends on the gem, really. Something like topaz isn't worth eating at all, nor is amethyst. Onyx actually makes for a great desert, practically everyone in Goron City gets excited when a deposit of that pops up. Diamond has a kick to it, strong enough that there aren't many who can eat one normally, but I can! A little sniff of it over some granite makes for an otherwise bland meal much better though, even for those who can't otherwise take the diamond. Works out well though, cause you Hylians love your diamonds for some reason." Link laughed, shaking his head. Well, he wasn't wrong.

"Opals are kinda just…vegetables, really." Link raised an eyebrow; there that was again, vegetables. "Small, pointless, tastes bad, and too soft to even get a good crunch out of them." That was not even close to what he expected, but somehow it made sense. So…would vegetable nonsense, the way he used it earlier…huh. Pointless, bad to hear, and not even worth the time it takes to listen, as best he could translate it. Not a terrible metaphor, even if one that only applied to the Gorons.

"Aquamarines, though? Those make for excellent snacks. Now the big two, Rubies and Sapphires…well, those can get a little more heated. They're more a matter of taste, but the general opinion is that Rubies are a little bit of crunch and Sapphires are a little bit like…like a side dish, right? Something you eat with the main meal and go to to cleanse your tongue before you continue it so you can keep getting all the flavors." That was odd.

"How does that work with the Rock Roast then?" Daruk laughed, seemingly delighted that he was paying attention.

"Goddess, is this what we could have had all these years?" Green began to fade into existence, Daruk once more stomping into the world…but it didn't fade away this time. The Goron, good natured as ever, shrugged.

"Eh, what can you do? Anyways, the Sapphire tends to come out like a cleanser, an aftertaste at the end of each bite of the roast, preparing your mouth for the next bite. It makes sure that each and every bite is enjoyed to the peak, and your mouth is ready and eager for the next one. I can't think of a single Goron that doesn't think a Rock Roast isn't gone too fast, no matter how slow you go." The green had already consumed him, once again dulling his features. The smile was less, his eyes were less attention drawing; even the blue of his sash was dimmer.

"Anyways, be careful little buddy. I'll protect you from everything I can, but I can't help you if you run out of magic, alright?" One fist slammed against his chest, a muffled crash sounding out.

"Take care of yourself, and your Princess too. Oh, and one last…" And Daruk too, was gone, just like that. Something clicked into place, or perhaps back into place, and a tenseness and readiness to fight that Link hadn't noticed he'd been feeling until it was gone suddenly disappeared. Apparently Daruk's shoving of more into his Protection was gone now, which…he had so many questions.

Daruk was a lot more than what he'd expected. In a good way, certainly, but he was just…more. Daruk's departure left him feeling a bit odd, though. Somewhat sad, as well as content. The Goron seemed like he would make a great friend, even if he was a bit enthusiastic. Then again, perhaps that simply fit the fact that he was larger than life? Dying hadn't exactly seemed to dampen his spirits much, but at the same time…none of them had seemed that different from their game portrayals so far. Simply deeper. Living…dead beings, rather than characters following a script.

What he wasn't sure of, however, was the fact that Daruk had messed with his mind. Or had he? It didn't seem to be intentional, and Daruk didn't seem to have many, if any, malicious bones in his body. Any that did exist were directed solely towards the monsters as well, of that much Link knew. That didn't change the fact that Daruk had forced more into his Protection, and doing so had altered the way Link acted, fought, and even thought. In hindsight, calling the group his charges was a clear point where Daruk's mindset melded with his.

How was he even supposed to feel about this? It wasn't bad, he didn't think; he would have protected the Skylians anyways, after all. Yet the way he had been almost made to go about it was…unpleasant, to say the least. Link shook his head, forcing the thoughts away. Perhaps it was better that this had happened now rather than later, so that he could keep an eye out for things like this. He liked the Champions, he really did, but that had been too much. Still…Daruk had apologized, and Link believed him when he said he wouldn't be trying it again. So, ideally, that issue wouldn't be happening again.

Wings flared, wind whistling through feathers, and Link turned his head to see Sylph landing near him, warbling an affectionate greeting. He smiled, reaching up to caress her as she thudded her beak against his chest. Even despite his failure, today was a good day. He'd met Urbosa, met Revali, and met Daruk. He was going on what was, for all intents and purposes, a date with Zelda, even if it was mainly to make her feel better. To give her something to look forward to, in the face of what had happened.

Honestly, his first instinct was to cook her favorite food, but somehow he got the feeling Risotto of any kind wouldn't be a good picnic food. Fruitcake might be, but there was no point in making that if he wasn't going all out and making the rest of the meal too. So what to even make? He didn't really want to repeat anything he'd made so far, not for this, but he also couldn't think of anything offhand that was good for a picnic. Sandwiches would work, he supposed, though they weren't exactly comfort food. Or romantic, but for all that he was excited by the idea of a date…Zelda likely wasn't looking for that here. She'd had a bad day yesterday, and he had been less than helpful this morning and of dubious help even the night before.

So sandwiches could work. Meat and cheese, most likely, something simple. Maybe some tomatoes? Some with and some without, because he had no idea whether or not she liked them. Rice balls would work as well, both meat and vegetable filled. But there needed to be something more, something of a main dish…eh, he'd figure it out. He had a little bit of time, he would just have to look at the cupboards and see if inspiration struck. If not…well, he'd figure something out. Even if it meant repeating something.

He mounted onto Sylph once more, ready to get back home and start preparing. He'd been lucky enough to find a decent spot earlier, it was why he had been on foot in the first place for Daruk to mess with his granted ability, which…was rather ridiculous. How any of this had happened today was beyond him, even with the explanations he'd received. He could empathize with Daruk's reason complaint quite well, after all of this.

Maybe he would meet Mipha later, but he doubted it. He was going to be with Zelda for the entirety of the rest of the day, after all. Perhaps, however, he would meet her before the festival? There was only one day left, but anything could happen, as today had proved.

~~The Eternal Game~~

Link was waiting on her.

It was noticeable from the moment she got into view of the Academy, because for the first time in the entire week Link was outside of the building rather than inside. Sylph was settled on the grass, beak nestled against her wing, with Link leaning up against her. A book was on his lap, a basket next to him, and now Zelda was incredibly concerned as to just how long he had been waiting on her. She had told him she would try to be back early, but she had barely managed to get away at the same time she always did. High Priestess Tirei had tried to draw her into a conversation, but she had thankfully managed to bow out of it when one of the Acolytes had needed the woman's time.

She respected the Priestess, truly she did; any other day and she would have been more than happy to discuss whatever it was that had been on the woman's mind. Today, however, when Link was waiting on her? No, she would so much rather leave early. Fortunately she had managed, otherwise she would be feeling even guiltier than she already did. No doubt Link had been waiting on her for far too long…

'Make sure you show him how important he is to you.' Those had been Archmage Hinea's words earlier, and they had hit surprisingly hard once she had begun to think about them. What had she done to ensure he truly, genuinely knew how important he was? Sure, she had said it several times, but no matter how far he had come this week, Link was someone for whom actions would always speak louder than words. That had been reemphasized to her this morning, as he tried and failed to find the right way to speak his thoughts.

What did words mean, really, to someone who had barely used them throughout their life? A million different ways Link went above and beyond, throughout the entire time they had known each other, and while she had tried to match him…she did not think she always succeeded. She was raised to speak; Link, through no fault of his own, had grown up to do. Even just this week alone, she could see it as she looked over it.

Link woke up early to ensure breakfast was ready for her every morning. He also returned to the Academy early each day, likely several hours earlier than she did, cutting off whatever he could have done with the remainder of his afternoon, just so he could ensure she had dinner waiting. He let her be as touchy and needy as she liked, even returning the affection. The closest she could think of where she had done for him the way he so casually did for her was when he had had the headache after working on Reason.

Zelda was not quite sure how she could go about fixing that, considering how quietly and stubbornly independent Link had always been, but she planned to try. He also did not seem to enjoy her telling him exactly what he meant to her, which meant the way she was used to doing things was not quite how she needed to go about it. She would still do so, of course; if he did not believe her the first time, or the hundredth, she would tell him a thousand times.

However…well, physical affection was something he seemed to be enjoying. He had claimed to enjoy resting his head on her thighs as much as she liked having him there, after all, and if that was the case…well. Heat rose up, her cheeks warming unpleasantly in a blush, but they were about to have a picnic. While it would not be a waste to not have his head there, it would certainly be a personal disappointment.

A deep breath, forcing those thoughts of more away. No matter how much she craved more from him, he still was not quite ready yet, and that was fine. She had her plan, and she would stick to it. A few days from now, at a moment that would form a wonderful memory for both of their lives, she would kiss him for the first time. For the moment, however, she had to restrain herself and her excitement.

Her foot pressed the grass down, barely making a sound, but beautiful blue eyes flicked up and saw her regardless as she approached. A small, happy smile spread across his lips, a thrill of want going through her. A smile that she returned, far wider, if a bit less wonderful to look at in her opinion. She could watch her Link smile all day, after all.

"Please tell me you have not been waiting out here for long, Link." She was not sure whether to be relieved or not as he shook his head. Link would not want to burden her even if he had been here all day, after all.

"No, I've been out here for…" A wave of his hand, the time floating in the air before his face. Five forty-nine in the afternoon; perhaps she had made better time than she thought. "About forty-five minutes." Zelda winced; nearly an hour? Link looked down at his book, shutting it even as Sylph began to stir.

"It was actually pleasant. While I didn't have a wonderful Princess to sit beside me, I did have the history of Major Battles to keep me occupied." Odd, but not that odd compared to the week this had been. Link searching out books…no, she was being silly.

"Why that one?" She was curious, after all, looking at Link's face. He had never been a fan of books, after all, and this week had been a remarkable amount of reading for him. Link looked up at her, blue eyes confused.

"Is there something wrong with it?" Genuine concern, as though the book was the issue. Zelda shook her head, finally coming to a stop before him. It was a thrill to see him lean back against Sylph; a slightly bigger one for him to have to crane his head back further to look up at her past her chest. She knew he liked that, after all.

"No, it is merely an odd topic for you to research." Link nodded, looking thoughtful as she extended out a hand. Blue eyes focused on it instead, one hand reaching up to grab hers. Warmth and soft flesh met warmth and soft flesh, and Zelda pulled even as he rose. It was far from necessary, but it was something to do; far more importantly, however; it allowed her to hold his hand. Her grip loosened, his doing the same, but rather than let him go she switched the way she was holding him, interlacing their fingers. His eyes found their linked hands, then looked back up to her. Zelda just smiled at him.

"Huh. Well, mainly it was something to read, since I didn't know how long you'd be. I didn't want to wander around our rooms, and I didn't want to look into Reason when I had no idea when you'd get back. Since it's a lovely day, well…I decided to come out here. I mainly just grabbed the book off the shelf, honestly." The Princess nodded, absorbing that. Perhaps whatever had changed had caused him to gain more of an appreciation for literature? She would not protest that; it would be quite nice to be able to discuss novels together with him rather than her simply explaining them as he listened.

"I see. Well then, I am ready so long as you are." His eyes flicked to their linked hands once more, and then nodded. Her other hand came up, whistling out a call for Rin; a muted delight in her soul, her Loftwing on the way. It felt as though he would need a minute or two, however, so she simply held hands with her Link.

How to make sure he knew how important he was; it was something she had always struggled with, in truth. Perhaps…hmm. Words were her area, action was his. Perhaps she should use them, at least at first.

"Thank you, Link. For both last night and this morning." A flinch, only noticeable because she was watching him. Why would he flinch over that?

"You're welcome, but I know that you would have been fine regardless." Zelda frowned; was he…oh, he was. That was ridiculous, and could not be allowed to remain.

"Link, I would not have been able to weave today had you not been as wonderful as you are." Surprise crossed his eyes, and Zelda knew for certain; for whatever reason, he did not think his actions this morning had been valuable. Was he blaming himself for not being comforting enough, or something equally odd and existing only in his head? That would not do.

She was not one for public affection; holding his hand was already pushing further than she was entirely comfortable with, out here. There were no students around that she could see, no doubt out with friends or already having gone inside for the day, yet this was not private in the slightest. For Link, however? It was more than worth it.

So up came her free hand, pressing tight against his cheek. Her thumb ran gently across the bone, blue eyes wide and red staining his cheek. A smile stretched her lips, want flaring up, but she forced it back.

"I mean it. You are the only reason I am as content as I am right now." A small giggle, the memory of the Archmage showing up popping into mind once more. "I was not as controlled as I thought I was, yesterday evening. My…emotional state was noticed, and Archmage Hinea stopped by the Temple to check on me." Link blinked, Zelda not letting go of either his face or his hand. This…hmm. He looked like a deer, caught by surprise. It was adorable.

"She was surprised by the fact that I was handling it so well. According to what she told me, she too had made a mistake in playing the wrong song." Understanding lit up in those eyes, Zelda leaning down without meaning to. He really was so pretty…she straightened back up, letting go of his face. Instead she lowered her hand, grabbing his free hand with hers.

"She played the Coming of the Loftwings, and according to what she told me it took her a while to recover." She smiled, warm and pouring every bit of the love she held for him into it as she could. Her eyes burned a little, but she blinked it away even as she squeezed his hands.

"I slept…far better than I had any right to expect last night, Link. Yesterday was bad, and this morning was far from perfect, but you made it better. You made it so very, very much better, and do not let your mind tell you otherwise. Alright?" It takes him a minute to respond, looking up at her like he had never seen her before. He swallowed heavily and nodded, however, so she would accept it. She may have to tell him again later, but that was fine. Zelda would tell him as many times as she needed, to make sure that it stuck.

Rin landed just a few seconds later, a soft warble of greeting leaving his beak. She did not let go of Link's hands just then, staring into his eyes and making sure her point was driven home, but a minute later she released him.

"So, where are we going?" She sees him visibly shift to the new topic, and shake his head. It makes her quite happy to know that, should she try, she can affect him as easily and completely as he could her. Being able to make him react like that, in shock and awe, was rather nice.

"I found a place that I feel is good enough for a picnic. It has a big tree and some flowers; it looked pretty enough, I think." She smiled at him again.

"I am sure it will be lovely, Link. I take it that you will lead?" He nodded, and she mounted Rin, who was delighted to finally get a chance to fly with her again. She spent several moments lavishing him with affection, but all too soon they were in the sky. Wind chilled damp hair, but that was okay. She had quite a few wonderful ways to ensure she stayed warm, after all.

A shudder that had nothing to do with the cold ran through her at the thought, and she yet again had to force the thoughts down. Zelda could not help it, however; this was almost a perfect match for a scene from one of her books. The heroine had a bad day, and the Knight she was in love with noticed it. He comforted her, but their duties pulled them apart until the evening, where the Knight surprised the woman by taking her for a flight on his Loftwing. They landed at a lovely waterfall, nestling against an ancient tree together, and the scene became quite heated not long after.

It contained a rather affectionate dinner scene, a picnic where the Knight spread out a magnificent meal across a blanket that was far richer than the heroine should have been eating, but that she was able to enjoy anyways. One thing led to another, confessions of love and delight, and the heroine had her first time under the warm light of the moon.

Heat flared to life on Zelda's cheeks and within her core, but this time it dimmed by itself almost as quickly. That scene, no matter how delightful it was to imagine, was not how she wanted anything to go. Being cuddled up against her Link was a delight, but the idea of giving up her first time in a place that anyone could stumble onto was definitely unpleasant, to say nothing of her own uncertainty if Link was anywhere near willing to go that far to begin with, much less there of all places.

Besides…for all that she enjoyed the thought of it, that was all it was; an enjoyable thought. A fantasy, not to bring into reality, and especially not today. Perhaps a testing mention later, after they had grown more comfortable with one another in that way, but not today. The idea was pleasant, but lingering sorrow still dragged her down.

It was easier to focus on Link than the memory of the Lament; so much easier that it was almost a crutch. No…no, it was a crutch. She was not yet over it, but as Archmage Hinea had agreed, she would be in time.

So she should lower her wants to something that was actually practical, and get her head out of the clouds of fantasy. This was not even a date, far less a way to convince Link to lay with her. Zelda grimaced, her mind reminding her of what it really was.

At best, this was Link trying to make her feel better. She had asked for a picnic, and of course Link had agreed. Guilt welled up in her chest; she did not even know what he wanted to do, or if this was even something he was interested in. Two nights in a row she needed his support, and a morning too. Possibly even tomorrow morning as well, if the memories snuck up on her the way they had today.

This was not a date; even though she wanted it to be. She wanted something to make sure her mind stayed away from the Hounds and their fate, something that she could enjoy and use to help Link realize just how wonderful he truly was. How valued he was.

It took her some time, but Zelda managed to get her mind away from both the fantasies and the horrors entirely. Wind blew through her hair, muted joy billowing throughout her soul, and Link looked towards her and smiled as they flew alongside each other.

It really was good to be able to fly again.

She had gotten quick flights during the week, but nothing on the level of tonight. They just kept flying, even when they had passed all the spots that Zelda knew of, and all the ones he had ever shared with her. For what felt like an hour, they flew, until finally they began to descend onto a road meandering through a forest. A remarkably thick forest, too; one that she knew regularly had monsters within it. She was not scared; Link could handle anything in these woods, no doubt everything at the same time, but she was surprised. Coming out this far was odd, but perhaps Link had discovered something he wished to share with her?

He had not seemed too impressed with whatever it was he had, so perhaps it was simply a place he had found that seemed comfortable. A part of her mind hoped for a waterfall, for romance and a date, but she was sensible enough to push that part back. There was also a part, a little larger than the romantic one, that felt mildly disappointed that they had not returned to place from the beginning of the week. A simple tree near a river; humble and small, but it had been the first time that she had been able to run her hands through his hair like that. A sign of the barriers that Link had so long held between them beginning to crumble. The site that she had finally gotten his head upon her thighs.

Zelda shook it off, focusing on the here and now rather than pleasant memories. After all…here, perhaps, there were more wonderful memories to be made. Even if this was not a date, even if it was merely done due to his obligation, they were here. Zelda stepped past the ring of trees, turning her head in surprise as they turned right rather than go straight ahead. Then her breath caught in her throat, shock and awe warring for dominance within her heart.

It was gorgeous.

A clearing surrounded by a ring of trees, one large tree nearly center of it, with small pools of water glittering in the evening sun. Blossoms of beautiful white, of shimmering gold, and of deep purple rose from the pools, petals blooming and angled slightly towards the sun. Sprigs of Safflina rose up along the outer edges, ignoring the logic that usually told them to grow in hot, cold, or dry areas. To make it even more impressive, though it would be far more so soon enough, Silent Princesses rose up around the old tree, glowing a gentle blue against the aged and weather worn brown. Not fully in bloom, admittedly, but just beginning to shine, a treat that was a rare sight even amongst those who regularly scouted the wild. A sight that she herself had never seen before.

The tree itself was of great age; it may have held nothing on the oaks of the deep forest, but it was no doubt centuries old, wider than several lesser trees combined. Branches spread across over half the clearing from it, the tree towering over the ones ringing it in as though it was the only tree there.

Something pinged in her mind, even as her eyes took more in. The roots of the tree had grown above ground close to the trunk, yet at the base of the trunk, where the roots would be the thickest, there was an opening made. Not naturally; she could see cuts made to the roots, clearing out a patch of grass and dirt large enough for three people to sit comfortably. She was familiar with this, it was something she had heard of…but what was it?

"Is this good enough?" Link's voice was quiet and concerned, and it jolted Zelda from her thoughts as she turned. A deep breath, a heady mix of floral tones and safflina filling her lungs. Good enough?

"Link, this is wonderful." Her words came out a bit breathier than she would have preferred, but it was worth it for the way that he smiled. Small, so very small, but precious, lighting up his entire face.

"I'm glad." Zelda turned back to the clearing, breathing deep once more. Something about this was familiar, but she could not figure out what. Not dangerous, she knew that much, but she knew something about this. The ring of trees, the massive tree that could not be seen from above despite being taller than its surroundings, the pools…she could remember something. It…she shook her head. It was not worth struggling to remember, not when Link was here and she had a picnic to enjoy. It was, after all, her request. The bare minimum she could do was to give Link her full attention.

So she did; it was hardly a burden to enjoy time with her best friend and loved one. The small opening at the base of the tree was soon set up; a blanket laid out, sandwiches of various types laid out, and Zelda found herself amused by the centerpiece.

"Was a pumpkin really necessary, Link?" Blue eyes finding hers, amusement sparkling within them.

"Entirely. You've been burning energy, so you will need the food." An eyebrow raised skeptically, Zelda looking at the pumpkin as Link set it on the blanket. A pumpkin was not exactly a filling thing to eat, unless it had been made into soup. Then Link took the top off, revealing the fact that it had been stuffed to the brim with meat and smelling so very, very good.

"I…" Zelda stopped herself, before laughing. A meat-stuffed pumpkin, fruit sandwiches, and as he pulled out glass bottles of both milk and tea, Link revealed just how much effort he had spent on this. Nothing he had was difficult to eat on a blanket, nor did it require any form of utensil. Even the meat in the pumpkin, for all that it was glistening with juices and various spices, was still fully able to be eaten by hand, if slightly messy.

"Thank you, Link." He did not seem to understand why he had thanked her, but that was okay; she would make it clear in time. For now, however? For now she enjoyed the moment. A quiet meal that held neither awkwardness or expectation, in a beautiful place. It was truly a wonderful way to end the day.

Zelda, however, wanted a little bit more from this. Not much; for all that this week had been a challenge to restrain herself from constantly pushing the boundaries of their relationship, she was still not in the right headspace to do that tonight. A lingering gift from the Hounds Lament, and just another reason to regret her mistake. However…there was something she very much did want.

It took a few minutes to manage; the last bits of the meal, helping to clean it up. Shaking her head when Link asked if she would like to fly together now that they were done eating, smiling softly at his confusion, and choosing to slide closer to him. The surprised, delighted, and uncertain look on his face as she chose to cuddle with him rather than do as she had spoken of earlier that day.

The way strong arms slowly, hesitatingly wrapped around her body despite how many hugs they had already exchanged. The warmth of his body against hers, separated only by a few layers of cloth. The strength of his heartbeat, pounding in her ear as she laid her head upon his chest once more. Adjusting their positions, making themselves more comfortable, Link's body so incredibly comforting against hers.

Zelda did not intend to fall asleep like that; she had a great many things she still wanted to do, after all. From providing Link with a pillow of her lap to conversations she desired to have, there were things that she wanted to accomplish. Yet, with Link's heartbeat in her ear and his arms around her, one hand once more running through her hair, feeling safe and protected, a full stomach and the rightness of the clearing that she still could not explain…she drifted into slumber between one breath and the next, entirely unexpected.

~~The Eternal Game~~

Link was having trouble breathing.

Not that he couldn't; his body was working the same as it always did, far better than his old one ever could. His lungs could expand with air just as they always could, and he could breathe out just as easily. Despite his body being in perfect health, however? He could barely breathe.

Zelda might wake up.

She looked so beautiful in her sleep, yet some things were a bit different than he had expected. He'd read so many examples of people's faces smoothing out as they slept, as though years of tension were washed away from the feeling of safety. Zelda didn't have that; her face looked the same as it had in those last few minutes before her breath evened out into what it was now, gorgeous and relaxed.

A deeper breath, fear in his mind at the possibility of waking her back up. She didn't, thankfully; it let him take another proper breath, and then another, and another as she slumbered on undisturbed. This evening hadn't quite gone the way he'd imagined it to, but that wasn't a bad thing. Zelda had visibly and vocally enjoyed the picnic, even the stuffed pumpkin, which relieved him on so many levels.

Her falling asleep had surprised him, however. They hadn't spoken much during the meal, and as soon as it was over Zelda had snuggled up against him, but within a few minutes of getting comfortable? She'd been gone within just a few minutes; she must not have gotten enough sleep the night before. Which…might have been his fault? He wasn't sure exactly, even now, just how long the Champions showed up for, but he did know that Urbosa's had likely been the longest, with Daruk's the shortest.

Then again, it could also just be her still being drained in general. Yesterday had been a terrible day for her, after all, and she'd gone right back to her efforts today like nothing had happened. Work that was no doubt tiring as well. The more he considered it, the more it made sense for her to pass out not long after she got comfortable.

It didn't change the fact that he felt a little cheated. He didn't know what he'd expected from this picnic, but Zelda falling asleep soon after the meal wasn't it. There wasn't anything he was willing to do, however; slightly cheated or not, he wasn't even going to consider waking Zelda up for a while. An hour or two, at least; if she was going to fall asleep this quickly just from being held and his fingers running through her hair, she clearly needed it.

His head thunked softly against the tree trunk, his eyes still on her. This couldn't possibly be comfortable for her, but she was the one who had chosen it. Her body was half curled around him, her arms around his stomach, head pressed against his chest. She seemed to like that, though he wasn't entirely sure why. Her chest was infinitely more comfortable, no doubt, but he wasn't about to criticize it. It was…nice, to be able to hold her like this.

To have Zelda feel so safe around him that, even when she perhaps didn't want to, she fell asleep so easily. Warmth and contentment pooled within him, making his heart feel far too full.

He still wasn't entirely sure if you should be able to fall in love with someone in less than a week…but damn if he wasn't sure that he had. Looking at her now, relaxed and sleeping so easily against him…

He forced the thought from his mind. He'd never dated before, and any crushes he had on real people didn't last long. Even if he had, Zelda was so different from people he'd interacted with that there was no point in comparing her to any of them. What he did know was that he adored her. He cared for her, he was in love with her, and he wanted nothing more than to spend this new life with her.

Guilt and pain flared up at the knowledge of what was to come; of the sacrifices that had to be made. He still had no idea what was going on in this world, but for all that it was wondrous, he could not trust that Skyward Sword wouldn't happen. Stories, myths, and visions of the Hero and the Master Sword or not, he was Link and she was Zelda. Tragedy was in their future…but, so long as he pushed himself? He could win.

He could keep her safe, or as safe as possible. He could break whatever came for her, could be the shield between her and whatever threat was coming. He wasn't sure if it would be Demise or not…but he expected it to be. Zelda was different, but Gaepora was the same. Groose was the same, and so was Sylph, even if all of them were more real. He didn't trust the world to be kind enough to give him an easier task, even if this world was wonderful.

Resolve built, filling him alongside the warmth and care. He loved her, of that much he was rather certain. He didn't deserve her; that much he knew. If his suspicions were correct, and this was Skyward Sword entirely…he couldn't save her. She would have to fall, otherwise everything would go wrong. But what he could do?

He could fight. Ghirahim would never lay a hand on her, not while he drew breath. There would be no close encounter each time she did some of…whatever it was Zelda had been doing in that game. There would be no hunt, no fear; he would put everything he had into killing Ghirahim at the start, and even if he couldn't manage it, he would injure the Demon Lord enough that he wouldn't be able to keep following Zelda around.

He would protect what he loved, no matter what it cost him.

Splish splish splish

Splash…splash…splash….

Splish splish splish

The first sound had his eyes rising up, the following two had him looking around. The longer splashes had his heart beginning to beat a bit quicker, as something glows green in one of the pools. Orbs of light form, coalescing together into a shape; a person, a Zora. Green becomes red as the sounds finish, and Link was left looking into golden eyes.

Mipha.

The final Champion, pilot of Vah Ruta, Princess of the Zora; a girl kind and sweet, yet with a core of steel. She agreed to pilot the Divine Beast without hesitation, had been admired and loved throughout the entirety of Zora Domain. She was to the Zora what Zelda was to the Hylians, and she was perhaps the most beloved and missed of the Champions. The only one who came close was Daruk, but Link had always believed that the Zora loved Mipha just a bit more.

Besides even that…Mipha was everyone's favorite Champion, at least from those who he'd talked to about it all. In love with Link, too shy to admit it to him, yet so very kind and supportive. Where the Zelda of that game had been unkind at best and cruel at worst, Mipha had adored Link nearly from the moment they met, first finding a four year old child to be adorable and then falling in love properly once he had gotten older. She'd been loved by the fanbase for that; so many people adored her.

"Hello, Link." Mipha smiled at him, looking exactly as she had in the game, just…more. Short, about his height, with a red and white body. Her chest and stomach were white, the tops of her arms red along with her back; the head piece and fin, which he had no idea what to even call, were also red. Her teeth were every bit as perfectly white and sharp as Sidon's had been, though unlike the Prince hers didn't have a gleam to it. She was cute; yellow eyes with red seemingly painted around them looked at him and Zelda, and took them both in, and her smile only grew wider.

"I am glad to see you well." There was so much honesty in her words; simple, genuine care, to such an extent that it made his heart ache.

"Mipha…" His voice was quiet, breathless even. If there was one Champion that it hurt to not be able to save, it was her. Daruk and Urbosa had both gone out the way they would have wanted to, even if they'd have rather not gone at all. Revali, for all that he was apparently able to get along with the Rito more than he expected, had left him feeling nothing in the face of his death. Mipha, however? Her death hurt.

"I do not deserve your grief, Link. I am…not happy, but at peace with my fate." Blue eyes narrowed, Link slowly shaking his head. So she could read his thoughts too, it seemed? She nodded, looking guilty.

"Don't feel guilty over that, it's not something you chose." More guilt, but a tentative nod. Link frowned at her. Was she really feeling guilty over something she had no control over? The way her eyes left his, falling to the grass, told him that yes; yes she was.

"It is not something that I feel a right to, Link." Yellow eyes flicked back up to him, beseeching and sad.

"I spent nearly my entire life wishing I could understand you better. To be able to hear your thoughts and opinions on things when you showed up. To be able to hear your voice, the way you could hear mine. Now, however…now I can speak to you, yet I am violating your privacy by the simple fact that I cannot keep your thoughts from entering my head." Link shook his head once more. His privacy was fine, really. A few minutes of her hearing his thoughts was more than a fair price for the chance to speak to her.

Her face took on an odd tint, a strange blue hint to the white of her face, but that was her only reaction. Instead, after a moment, she approached, looking down at the two of them.

"This is your Princess, then? Zelda, much like our own Hylian Princess…it is an odd coincidence I must say." She smiled down at him, a strange look in her eyes. "You must care for her very much, if Revali's theory is correct." He wasn't sure how to respond to that, in all truth, and that odd blue hint rose to her face once more.

"I…hmm. It is unimportant, in truth. I do not expect us to be able to meet each other that often, and…" Her smile was gentle and soft, yet also tinged with sorrow. "It isn't that important anyways, really." She shakes her head, and moves on.

"You know…it's funny. I spent my entire life wishing to be able to speak with you properly…ever since it was revealed we were with you, I have desired nothing more than to speak with you." Mipha looked as if she was about to cry, yet no moisture gathered in her eyes.

"Yet now…now that I am before you, able to speak with you, I cannot think of anything to say." Link's head tilted. Why not tell him about herself? He had lost his memories, after all, and what he knew of her from the game may not be entirely true to life. Mipha considered, before nodding.

"I suppose that I can do that, yet it feels…wrong. Every time I spoke to you in the past, it wound up being about me after all. There was no way for you to speak, after all, and despite our attempts we couldn't find a common ground in a nonverbal language." She looked guilty, once again.

"If you do not mind, I would rather listen to you. It does not matter what about, really, but after I am done…I would love to be able to listen, for once." Link nodded slowly, and Mipha began.

"I am…I was the Princess of the Zora; my father was King Dorephan and my little brother was Prince Sidon. I spent most of my life learning to take up the Throne, once my father chose to retire in his twilight years. I was fifty-five years old at the time of my death, though based on everything I can understand that is the equivalent of about seventeen to a Hylian." That…huh. He hadn't thought her to be that old. He'd known that Zora lived longer than Hylians, but he hadn't known that they grew up slower too. Mipha shook her head.

"We don't. Or, perhaps, not quite the way your thoughts are painting it. Our life has four segments, essentially. Childhood, which lasts for forty years, followed by adolescence, which lasts for another ten. Adulthood can vary, though usually it lasts for several centuries, and the twilight of our lives, what Hylians usually call their elders, can last for up to two centuries. The longest lived Zora was just a few years shy of a thousand." So Mipha was, just barely, into her adulthood. Sidon would have been still in childhood, which explained why he was so small in the memories involving her. The Zora nodded.

"Yes, he was just about to turn thirty-five when I died." She handled that statement quite well, all things considered. Sadly, certainly, but nowhere near what Link thought he would be if he was in her position.

"I enjoyed swimming, fishing, and helping people. I disliked monsters, lightning, and anything involving paperwork." Link was amused by that, and Mipha continued on. "I had quite a few friends, but it was not until Princess Zelda showed up that I seemed to find somebody I truly bonded with. The other Champions…as much as they could wear on my patience sometimes, they were also my best friends." A smile, warm and soft.

"You do not count towards that; you had always been so easy to get along with, no matter how immaturely I acted occasionally. Even when I did not deserve your companionship, you were there, and I am so very grateful for that." Link frowned, but Mipha remained unmoved. He hardly believed that she did not deserve for him to be there, no matter how she had acted in those days. Mipha winced slightly, but ignored his thoughts for the most part.

"Now…may I finally learn about you, Link?" He nodded, even though he didn't think he was the important thing here. What to even say, however? He didn't have the vast majority of Link's memories, after all.

"I am sorry that we failed you." Link shook his head; he was reasonably certain there was more to his lack of memory than whatever curse was in his head…soul…wherever it was.

"I am Link, a trainee of the Knight Academy." Even if he had had neither lessons nor training from them that he could remember. "I am one of the top two students of our year, along with Princess Zelda." Even if he hadn't earned that accomplishment, even if it had been the actual Link. Mipha smiled.

"I am glad to meet you properly at last, Link. What does the Knight Academy do?" It trained Knights, but he doubted that was the kind of answer she wanted. It was also far too sarcastic for him to even want her to hear, but her presence in his head ensured she would.

"It is a place to train up Knights of the Sky; the strongest defenders of Skyloft, though not the most valuable." That went to the army, without doubt. The Knights were useful, incredibly so, but it was the army that held the line against the teeming hordes of monsters. The Knights may be more famous, may get the glory as dubious as that was, but it was the army that saved the most.

"We learn to fight alongside our Loftwings against the monsters, to defend our homes in a war that never ends." Mipha looked sad, eyes lowering.

"That is unfortunate; I am sorry to hear that. While Hyrule has always had monsters, they were always in numbers low enough that they could be managed by the respective forces. The armies of each race stayed busy, but it was not until the Calamity began to rise that we started to have issues." Link nodded; that much made sense. He still didn't know just why Skyloft was facing Incursions anyways. Mipha frowned.

"Incursions?" Oh. Right, she wouldn't know about that, would she? He started to explain, before stopping himself. No…no, he wasn't going to explain that just yet, if ever. Not when Mipha had died so recently; not when she was no doubt still in pain from her fate. She frowned, but nodded a few seconds later.

"I will trust your judgment, then." Where did he even go from here? He didn't know about his likes or dislikes just yet; he was lucky enough to know that he enjoyed Safflina Tea, and even that hadn't been his own discovery but rather told to him by someone else. Everything else he knew of just…didn't apply, really?

Chocolate layer cakes likely didn't exist, and if they did they wouldn't be the same. Granulated sugar definitely didn't exist, which meant tea as he'd always drank it in life didn't either. So his favorite foods didn't exist…he would have to find new ones. His hobbies didn't really exist, because games didn't exist here, nor had he read any books here that were anything other than informative. Perhaps Reason would count?

"I am trying to learn Reason Magic, and I am trying to learn everything I can about the world I'm in." He frowned, considering, and then confessed to something else he hadn't told anyone yet. "I enjoy fighting. Probably a lot more than I should." Mipha just smiled softly.

"I enjoyed fighting as well." He looked up in surprise, and her smile took on a tone of something that he couldn't recognize.

"The Zora have long been Hyrule's closest allies; more than once I led the soldiers of the Zora in battle alongside our Hylian comrades." He wouldn't have thought that Dorephan would have let his daughter on the front lines so early, but Mipha was competent. More than competent, really, considering the stories of her skill with a trident. Her smile was sharp as she looked at him, eyes gleaming with that same something from a moment ago.

"You are right, my father was not exactly happy to see me on the battlefield…but he also knew that he did not have much choice. That we did not have much choice. I was quite skilled for any level of Zora, much less one as early into adulthood as I was. By the time that Princess Zelda arrived and asked to make me the Champion, the only Zora who could match me in combat was my father, and even then…I won more than I lost." That was news to him; Mipha had been stated to be a good warrior by the game, having been tutored by many of the elders of the Zora, yet it had never really been shown. Her memories had focused less on her combat and more on her person, after all.

"He beat me in physical strength by a wide margin, yet with Faith and Reason I was able to match that and work around it. He was so proud of me the first time I won…yet also sad, because it meant he could no longer keep me away from the front line." Sorrow stained her visage, the Zora lost in memories of long-gone days.

"I…in retrospect, it would seem as though I tried to grow up too quickly." Link frowned.

"I don't think there was a better option for Champion, Mipha." Yellow eyes returned to him, confusion within them.

"He was proud of you; will remain proud of you, even as he mourns you. You will not be forgotten." It was the kindest thing he could say, really, and it was the truth. So long as Zora's Domain existed, Mipha would be remembered. That much he was certain of, because unlike every other Champion her family loved her enough to hold her close to their hearts long after her death. A hundred years had gone by, yet Dorephan and Sidon both still held her memory close. Mipha didn't smile, but she did nod.

"Thank you." A quiet settled over the two of them, Mipha's face going through a number of expressions. Sorrow, frustration, and others still that Link couldn't recognize. Then green began to seep into red, and Mipha shuddered.

"That is freezing." Up came her feet, and she did what the others before her had. Stomps upon the ground, yet unlike them it made a different sound.

Splish splish splish

Splash…splash…splash….

Splish splish splish

Feet in water, yet she was standing upon grass. Red returned, the green beaten back for now, yet Mipha still did not speak immediately. Her head lowered, and she finally spoke, yet her voice was quiet and sad.

"I am sorry, Link." His eyes stayed on her, curious, and the Princess continued. "I have been pondering what I can ask…what I should ask…yet everything I have ever wanted to know about you, you no longer know. My…our failure has cost you so much, after you spent our entire lives doing what you could to support us." Her head came up, a broken expression upon her face.

"I am so sorry." Link frowned, shaking his head, yet Mipha raised one hand to stop him from speaking.

"It is our fault. We have cost you so much, simply by our presence and foolishness. I…I can only hope that my Grace will be of use to you, in the future." A smile, weak and fragile. "Perhaps…I am not good for much, as I am, but I can at least heal your wounds like this. No matter what happens, no matter what foes you face, I will be here, and I will heal you should you be injured." His chest hurt in the face of that statement, and the way her voice wavered as she delivered it.

"You are worth far more than that." She deserved so much more than this. Yet Mipha just smiled the same weak and fragile smile, and something changed. Green began to consume her once more, and unlike every other time, with every other Champion? Mipha didn't fight it.

"I wish you the best, Link. I'm sorry that we couldn't save your memories, and that I am not good company at the moment. Perhaps…perhaps, should this happen again, I will be better." She vanished a few moments later, leaving Link reeling. They could end the connection early, apparently; he wasn't sure if that was good to know or not. And yet…there was so much he had wanted to ask her. To speak with Mipha about…

Some minutes later, he finally managed to get his thoughts in some semblance of order. Mipha…it didn't seem like she had handled her death all that well, not that he blamed her. Not her death, and not the loss of his memories either, for all that he was entirely certain that it was not their fault. Blows to her confidence and her goodwill, one right after another…and no doubt with the knowledge that Hyrule was doomed weighing on her as well.

With just a few moments of thinking, and with the cold reality that he couldn't provide comfort by giving her his thoughts on whatever meetings they had once had…it was little wonder that she had felt the need to leave. He wasn't even entirely sure she had chosen to see him to start with, in all truth, even though she initially seemed she wanted to.

For all that she had disliked seeing his thoughts, he wished he'd been able to see hers; it would have helped to be able to cut off whatever spiral she had gone down, but it was too late now. Next time…if there was a next time…he would do better. He would speak, telling her about the world rather than being passive like with the other Champions. Urbosa and Daruk had both had their own things to say, for the most part, and Revali had helped conversation flow much easier.

That was okay though; he was willing to do that. He would have to do something to make up for his failure with her here, and he had no idea how to do so, but he would figure something out. He wasn't even sure what she was interested in, in truth; her introduction had been short, but it wasn't like his had been much better. Perhaps…perhaps stories? How much did she see?

A long, frustrated sigh, a body shifting slightly against his, causing panic to spike. Please tell him he hadn't woken Zelda…no, thankfully she still slumbered. He had some time to figure things out; not much, but a little. He would make sure to see Mipha smile a little more honestly, a lot more happily, the next time he saw her. He wasn't going to treat this as the one and only time to see her; he would figure out a way.

Link settled back against the tree, mind sifting over the encounters of the day for a little longer. Letting Zelda sleep for a little longer. He would wake her far too soon, and the sheer bafflement and disappointment she would express upon being awoken would amuse him, but that was for later. For now he considered things; things to do, things not to do, and how to make up for other things.

For now, Link let himself be lost in his head. All too soon he wouldn't have time for anything like this again, and if his fears were right, it would be a long time before he was able to hold Zelda like this once more. So for now, he would enjoy it, and he would deal with what was coming as it came. It was all he could do, after all.

~End~

Little bit of recovery for this chapter, even if the final two scenes are a bit cut off. Reasons are basically explained in each one though, for anyone who ignored those, the tldr is: Zelda was still drained after her experience yesterday, whereas Mipha is rather consumed with guilt and isn't sure how to actually interact with Link with that weight on her shoulders. The other Champions also have guilt in this regard, and are handling it in their own ways.

Speaking of, let me know your thoughts on how they come across. I'm mostly satisfied with everyone but Mipha, though that one is primarily because I wound up deciding that a demure and shy character that she canonically is would react a bit worse to her own death and failure. Sure, she handled it well in canon…after a century. Also, I'm fully well aware that that's not how Zora age. I don't know how Zora age, nobody does. After all, Sidon is 135 in Botw, meaning that he is 35 in the flashback memories while Mipha is 55, at least according to what I could find in quick googles. So Sidon, at age 35, is looking like a toddler, whereas his sister at 20 years older is roughly equivalent to 17 or so year old Link. Doesn't make no sense, but whatever. So I created the stages as best I could, with potential for more expansion upon this later.

Daruk was fun though; I have, with the way Faith Magic works (that hasn't been explained to you yet, kek), decided that it fits him remarkably well to be well-suited for it. He is a simpler soul in canon, and while I have made him a bit deeper of a character…he still very much remains a "What you see is what you get". It's also why, out of all four of them, he's handling his death the best, with Urbosa the second best. Also, to anybody wondering why they started off belly-dancing in her scene…I am weak. That's why. I wanted something suitably arabic/desert, and the Gerudo have always been depicted as dancers. Arabic+dancing=belly dancing, to my gutter driven mind, and I will accept no criticism; belly dancing is good civ.

Daruk is also the only one to force his connection, whereas Mipha is the only one to forcefully disconnect the two of them. An interesting study of contrasts, I feel; Daruk is simpler, but more impulsive, whereas Mipha gets dragged down by the riptide of her guilt and emotion. Daruk apologizes for his failure, and lets it go; Mipha obsesses over her failure and is genuinely hurt by the fact that her own failure has affected someone she cares for to such an extent.

As for the actual relationship between the Champions and the Hero? Eh, you're gonna have to learn that one as Link does, I'm afraid. No spoilers there, just know that, as stated, Link has shown up and been present in each of their lives, to varying effects in each one.

As for High Priestess Tirei, and her use of the Goddess Harp to play a lewd song…kek. I regret nothing. It came about because I took the logical thought path of "not everybody would be stupid enough to play traumatizing songs with the Goddess Harp…some people are perverts." Hinea checking in on her came about for a rather similar logical thought; if Zelda could make that mistake, and at least one person plays the harp each year, somebody else has. So you get the support group, where women in higher levels of Skyloft come and comfort the recently traumatized, and check up on them. Most of said traumatized girls don't have a Link to make the nightmares go away, either, so Zelda was doing many times better than the average.

As for the time between this chapter and the last…life sucks, then you die. Work is a bitch, my own focus is a bitch, and that's about it. I will do better with the next one, or try to at least. On that note, 2 and a half to 3 chapters remain before things pick up and we start moving! The slow creep of plot will eventually slip past my wall of fluff, more's the pity. Welp, you lot have fun, see you when I post the next one.