#i get that loftwings are the other half of a skyloftian

[candy8448]

Sky's dark world form would definitely be a remlit

I am so convinced of this

Like, they are adorable, soft little guys who just sit there all day

But then they can be really angry and demonic feral gremlins

I mean, how is that litterally not the definition of Sky's character?!?

Edit: i ended up drawing it

Lineup

[monpalace]

ships .. (skyward sword) link/reader, (linked universe) sky/reader

content .. what sky is like when he's in love, skyloftian culture regarding romance, and how miscommunication is inevitable when the two involved are from two differing cultures.

warnings .. miscommunication, but not in a dramatized way. written with linked universe in mind. they/them pronouns used for reader. i came back to this at different levels of tiredness, so a few thoughts left me and never came back (including the ending). not beta-read. remember the original ramble? ignore that.

notes .. based off this request, but i've never touched skyward sword aside from tauberpa's abridged videos, plus i wrote that original proposal thoughts while sleep deprived, so inaccuracies may or may not be present?? i focused on the romance/relationship culture of skyloft since i'm so unfamiliar with the game

but on the subject of feather proposal i think i got the original idea from cloudninetonine??? i truthfully don't remember because when it was first put in my head it felt like a fever dream

Sky had always been, and will always be, a hopeless romantic.

His Zelda, Sun, had shown him more than enough stories that included romance as they grew up. She had exposed him to just enough that it had molded and cast what he thought the perfect romance would, permeating his dreams with his other half and the blank spaces of his papers with what he could remember they looked like.

(For some time, Sun was all that he coveted. They had spent so much time together, he had felt as though she was The One, but after years of exploring his tastes, he had learned better.)

Loftwings had a large influence on Skyloft. Even someone taking their first step on the sky islands could tell.

Not only were they said to be borne from their rider's soul, destined to carry their Hylian counterpart through the waves of the wind; but they also mated for life, until the flames of their conjoined souls finally diminished.

Of course that would bear heavily on Sky's interpretation of romance (— alongside how a Loftwing's choice in mate more often than not influenced who their rider would choose to spend the rest of their days with, and how divorce between riders was often seen as taboo).

(But who was he to comment on that? He's soundly sure he and his other half would never part.)

On Skyloft, disposing all but one of a Loftwing's shed feathers was to be expected from residents once they hit puberty lest someone pick one up and get the wrong idea. Even those in relationships need to keep the habit to keep away suspicions of adultery.

Sky kept two of Crimson's feathers on his person at all times since he was a child.

One had been plucked from the plume of his head when they had first bonded as a sign that their souls were one and the same. It's always within sight of both himself and others, dangling freely from his left ear with the same amount of pride Crimson has when he soars through the air.

The other had naturally fallen from Crimson's breast not long after they had both matured. He keeps it close to his heart, tucked underneath his layers and layers of clothes, kept overtop his chest where his heart beats strongest by a form-fitting undershirt or a prick of his skin if it's something looser.

Because he's much better at working with wood rather than metal, Sky would always keep his whittling kit on him. It's not as large or extravagant as the one he keeps in his room on Skyloft, but it's small enough to fit alongside his other utilities without issue and he's able to use it just fine without any issue aside from the usual knick or two.

He always keeps the kit and a piece of raw wood on him in the event he meets his other half on his travels. He knows he wouldn't pop the question right after meeting them, but he doesn't want to be ill-prepared in case they ask for something.

Whether it be practical or for aesthetics, he's always willing to deliver the highest quality product.

Upon meeting the one he wants to spend the rest of his days with, Sky is a mess by his standards.

(It takes him weeks to determine whether or not he really wants to dive into the deep end and give his all to someone who may or may not like him— in a non-creepy way, of course. He knows better than to do most of what characters do when pursuing someone.)

He sleeps less, he and his items are constantly in order, and his usual appearance that screams “just got out of bed,” is cleaned up.

He strikes himself with the question of whether or not he should be this out of sorts when in love (no one in the stories he read was), but he accepts it.

If he were to find his dream person in his Hyrule where everyone knows him, it'd be obvious to everyone that he's interested in that certain someone.

If he were to find his dream person outside of his Hyrule with the other Links, it'd still be very obvious he was in love regardless of how long they'd been traveling together.

Prior to his supposed proposal, Sky would court his love interest with at least a gift a day; one every week or so if he's busy. It's always more intricate the longer he takes to finish.

The gifts are never something they have to imply they want. He takes what he hears from the grapevine and from what he's heard his interest said in passing and takes it from there.

On Skyloft, physical affection (both platonic and romantic) is an accepted practice because of how open Loftwings are to giving and receiving it with their riders.

Naturally, it carries on outside of the sky islands.

Sky had always slept closer to others than what was typically deemed acceptable. He gingerly knocks his head against those he considers family, grooms others when they have a leaf in their hair or wipes away a smudge on their cheek, presses kisses to their face when they look like they need it, and covers most of their body with his own when they speak of being cold.

Physical affection comes first nature to Sky, so he wouldn't put it past who he's interested in to think of it as them being good friends only.

The only thing is; he can't help but wonder whether or not he and the one he's been courting can consider each other more than friends.

There was no point in time either Sky or his interest ask to date or whether they were dating.

Eventually, their kisses drifted closer and closer to their lips, their hugs got longer and longer, and they had begun pressing against each other when sleeping to the point where almost melded as one.

When the time came Sky felt it was appropriate to propose, your response was lackluster, in his opinion.

You had said your thanks, held it up to yourself and asked if he thought it looked good on your person, kissed him on the cheek, and then went off to Wind because he usually had a colorful assortment of knick-knacks to decorate with.

Nothing else changes after that.

You still hold each other while asleep, you still walk shoulder-to-shoulder with each other with intertwined hands, you still press kisses to the other without shame, and you still accept any type of affection the other offers.

The only new thing is that, from his perspective, you're engaged and he doesn't know whether to feel giddy (you're engaged!) or anxious (did you even know?).

Whenever the topics of significant others, marriage, proposals, ideal type, and anything else relating to romance, during nights when everyone was tired and curiosity ran rampant, Sky's eyes are consistently drifting to you during the conversation.

When he brings up how riders present the feathers from their Loftwing's breast during one of those nights when the campfire is flickering down and it's hard to make out anyone's facial expressions, he knows something clicks when your eyes lighten and widen before relaxing.

You pull him away when the topic changes to Warriors and his stories of a younger Time (who swears none of them are true).

"You proposed?"

Sky has to lean in when you speak. Your voice is so low as though you were scared of the others hearing even though you were far enough you couldn't hear the belly laughs from the others.

And he returns the same energy.

"Not if you didn't want me to."

"I thought we were dating. Was the feather not supposed to be us making it official?"

"Dating?" It was a foreign concept in Skyloft. Most relationships went from courting to marriage. "Do you want to date?"

When you bite the inside of your cheek and shake your head, Sky watches as you finger the feather that hung loosely from your person. "We're already this far in. I don't see why we have to now; I just have a few questions of my own."

Sky answers all questions to the best of his ability. He's shocked that you aren't mad he swindled himself into a relationship (no less, a relationship), but he'll easily give you confusion.

Most of the other Links are asleep by the time you both return (Sky's halfway there himself) and those who are still awake know better than to say anything when they see the way you both wear your feathers in matching styles.

[16mistypaw]

Fluffvember Day 22

Stuffed Animal/Plushie

Another unplanned contribution to @skyloftian-nutcase fluffvember event. I was bored on a long car ride and inspired by the fact that SS Link has what appears to be a Loftwing plushie in his closet.

Link has a Loftwing plushie that sits in his closet. Zelda is known to do fabric crafts. Wanna take a guess where he got it from?

-

Zelda helped Link into his room, letting go of his arm slung over her shoulder to lower him to the bed. He sat with a wince, and didn't protest when she started fussing over him. He had only just defeated Demise that morning, and the fussing when he got himself hurt was a small bit of normalcy after everything.

He unbuckled his belts and straps, and did his best to ignore the empty scabbard that was removed along with them. Zelda helped lift his dirty shirts and mail off when his shoulders proved too stiff to do it himself, revealing the cuts and bruises underneath.

Most of it was already healed, having downed a couple potions after the battle. That didn't mean he wasn't still sore. He nearly fell asleep sitting up while Zelda tended to what the potions hadn't healed, exhaustion hitting him full force now that he had stopped to rest.

He didn't open his eyes until she moved away, going to his wardrobe to find a clean set of clothes. She rummaged for a minute, returning with a loose sweater and the red plushie he had forgotten was sitting in there.

“You still have this? It's been so long since I gave this to you.”

“Of course I do.” He took the shirt, leaving her holding the toy while he got dressed. “You made it for me.”

“This was one of the first things I made, it's hardly the best quality.” She picked at a loose thread as she looked at it fondly.

“But it was for me.” Link repeated, gently tugging it from her hands to smooth a tear in the fabric. “I don't mind that it's a little rough, or got a few threads loose. It's been through almost as much as we have.”

“I remember you carried it everywhere for the longest time after I gave it to you.” She sat beside him, producing a small sewing kit and taking the toy back.

“You even took it flying with you, though you only did that once. You were inconsolable when you dropped it, until one of the knights showed up with it later. You couldn't find me fast enough to show me he was safe.”

Zelda stood, setting the now patched plush beside Link's pillow. “It's been through so much, and yet it's still here. Maybe a little worse for wear and a bit patched up, but still the same stuffed animal beneath it all.”

She nudged Link, prompting the half asleep boy to lay down. She pulled the blanket over him, then cleaned up the tiny room.

“Get some rest.” She made to leave, but stopped when he called her name. “Link?”

“Don't leave.” He didn't care if he sounded desperate. “I just got you back, don't leave.”

“Oh, Link. Scoot over.” Zelda slipped under the blanket as he complied, and then he was pulling her closer.

“I won't ever leave you like that again.” She said softly, fingers coming up to work a knot out of his hair. “I'm sorry I did that to you.”

“Promise?” Link had already relaxed from holding her close, his words muffled against her.

“I promise.” She returned his embrace, letting her own tiredness take hold. A natural exhaustion, so different from the magically induced sleep she had spent so long in.

They drifted off together, finding comfort in each other's embrace. And between the two lay a red plushie, worn and tattered, but whole all the same.

[neverchecking]

No gonna lie, but the discussion on picking the best father being sky, since no one has any negatives except for his home being skyloft has me thinking. I mean, he is trying to set up a kingdom on the surface, so that isn’t as much of an issue, but kiddo could get hurt if they wander off. If he plans to have kiddo in skyloft, his rebuttal could include him saying “Oh, no, you don’t need to worry about them jumping off the island. My loftwing, is my other half and will catch them if he falls or jumps.” and then he introduces Reader to his loftwing if they haven’t already. Maybe he’ll carve a whistle out of wood that reader could use to call his loftwing if kiddo jumps/falls when they are nearby and he is not?

Or, you know, he could just use a baby leash if kiddo’s small enough. It might be a lost cause for slightly older kids though.

I WAS FISHING OKAY- /j

I know. Sky is pretty much perfect <3 The whistle idea is so good bc I imagine when a Skyloftian gets married, their soul, and Loftwing hence forth, kind of extends itself to their partner. Meaning Crimson would probably care for Reader as much as she does Sky. And, by extension, when there are kids involved? Those are also the Loftwing's kids. Co-parenting you know?

Or yeah, just full send, Sky has a baby leash. As the kid grows older it probably lengthens, but like...Sky is a baby leash parent.

[skyloftian-nutcase]

Lofty help. 😂

I have BotW Rito!Crimson Loftwing rolling around in my brain and He is very feathery and is basically like, okay so combine Sky and Sidon in a blender and add feathers. Basically Sky's loftwing gets turned into a BotW-style Rito and now we have this luffable, ferociously protective, bird-brained bestie who follows Sky around everywhere and likes to carry Sky on his shoulders whenever possible.

His name is Eponym because naming loftwings is a weird concept in Skyloftian culture 'cause loftwings are just part of their people right? so Sky would feel like the only "fitting" name would be Link but there's already 9 Links so that would just get more confusing, so he goes with Eponym 'cause he feels like that's kind-of a smart reference to, "hey he's mah bird, he's supposed to be named after me" & Sky feels really smart about that name & doesn't realize how close it sounds to Epona until someone points it out to him.

So yeah Eponym the Crimson Loftwing Rito is flapping around in my brain now and I am highly entertained but also very. what do I do with him 😂

Having Sky’s faithful loftwing as a Rito who can talk and interact more sounds really fun honestly! Love the name, because it works for the meaning but also is similar to Epona so like… animal companion friend and other half all in one!

I have no idea what you should do with him, though, aside from snuggle with him 😂

[zarvasace]

Hi I just reread your marvelous misadventures fic and I just wanted to let you know that I absolutely adore it!

Would you be able to toss some hc’s about the boys in the fic? 💜💜💜💜 (no pressure if you’re busy or have better things to do!) : )

Awww thank you so much!!! I'm so glad you like it!! 💜💜💜 (Here's the fic in question, it's a modern "everyone's a mythological creature" AU that's pure self-indulgence with a plot)

I'll be careful about spoilers but I can totally throw out some hcs!

Wind's a seer, and he'd be nosy even if he couldn't See things. He can't See emotions like some seers, but he can See other manifestations of emotions (see: Hyrule's wings, or Twilight's wolf), and he's gotten really used to using those cues to help him navigate social situations. If he couldn't use his talent for some reason, he'd get really awkward.

Downfall, the magically cut-off continent that Hyrule and Legend are from, has government, but it devolved a while ago into.... we'll call them bureaucratic warlordships. It'll take some effort to get that organized again. Anyway, those warlords don't give official recognition for being a Hero, not like the mainland does, but they used to. Legend knows the stories better, but Hyrule knows the more romanticized versions, and he used to dream of becoming a Hero. He still does. Legend sort of does, too, but he'd never admit it.

Sky is a dragon, as were many Skyloftians, but there aren't too many left. They're not immortal, just slow agers. The government's in on it, or at least a few high rankers are. Wind was right when he hypothesized that there's only ever been one Hero of the Sky, rather than a long line of them. Loftwings are endangered, since they live longest when bonded with one of the flightless dragons. Sky and his Zelda have been alive for at least two hundred years and still aren't married, incredibly.

Warriors is a half-demon who literally grew up in hell, and though his Zelda/Sheik and a few others have mostly pounded decency through his head, he still has a few messed-up assumptions about the world internalized. Due to his abnormal education, though, he's the only one who actually knows what Wild is (including Wild himself.)

Four's pretty sure he's just human. The colors in this story work more like LU canon than I usually write them, they're more just extensions of himself than fully realized individuals.

Twilight and Wild live on a patch of good land that one of Twilight's older relatives willed to him. They're currently living in an old cabin there, but someday Twilight wants to build two new cabins, and settle into one with a family of his own. His half-baked plans include setting Wild up with someone who won't mind how unafraid he is of death and giving them the second cabin. He's not sure how he'll do that, though, and he is increasingly unhappy with the fact that "werewolf" is both on his ID and his background check.

Wild's just half-aware of all of that, and is more focused at the moment on getting settled into the modern world��his land was cut off from the continent for that century he wasn't around, and both he and everyone else there are getting used to cars and fast food chains.

Due to some spoilers, Time isn't able to have biological children, and he and Malon are starting to look into fostering. Time's realizing that there are a lot of teens and tweens out there with magic who are a lot like Wars was (i.e. in need of realistic expectations of cause and effect), and he wants to help.

...okay that was a lot sorry I love them too!

[gust-jar-simulator]

I'm in understimulation hell, what have I not rambled about.

Maybe I should brainstorm my Links more? I've been thinking about Bloodfeather, he's got so many issues. Maybe I'll rewatch a playthrough and think about the impact of being soulbound to a bird.

Skyloftians in Tool Gods only have a bird partner if they undergo a binding ritual courtesy of the knights' academy, and the connection is two way. The birds get more intelligent, the Hylians develop avian mutations, and they both get an empathic link to eachother to facilitate communication while flying. They literally become two halves of a whole. Bloodfeather's journey is an utter nightmare because it mostly takes place in the one area his other half can't follow, and he went through a mutation speedrun since he's Hylia's special boy. When he fights Ghirahim the first time it's like someone severed a limb he didn't know he had.

Fun fact: if both he and his bird got zapped by dark magic, he'd turn into a Loftwing and his bird would turn into a Hylian. Not a functional or smart one, but still.

His Zelda didn't actually get soulbound to a Loftwing. She has an innate talent with every Loftwing, her blue one just insists on mothering her. If she actually went through with it the best case scenario is her Loftwing turning into some sort of biblically accurate angel.

[secretlysheikah]

10?

Oh hell yes!

What objects do they always carry around with them? (What do they need for their normal, day-to-day routine? What does ‘normal’ even look like for them.) 

This is for the “get to know your character questions” these are great!

So since you didn’t pick a specific blorbo I have decided to give you two.

Hiri/Sheikah (my OC):

She will always have her cloak and lantern with scout the sentient flame with her. Her daily routine is fairly standard. Walk around Hyrule I search of her brother. Seek out any Yiga on her way. Catch, interrogate about the other missing travelers and send them off to the castle.

She is always on the move, sleep is cut into very short stints of around a half hour before she wakes up and moves to a new spot to sleep (for safety purposes). Sometimes she even remembers to eat! Such a good blorbo.

Next!

LU Sky:

He has his trusty sword at his side, and a lunch his Zelda made.

His day back home consists of a few things! Help the skyloftians get used to their new home on the surface, clear out any hoards of roaming monsters, build their new little town and talk to other inhabitants of the surface to start the kingdom of Hyrule! He also has to keep an eye out for Zelda who has a habit of being their loftwings in the house… he’s tired of picking feathers out of his side of the bed damn it.

[powdermelonkeg]

My BO2W Wishlist

There's a lot of hopes that I have for the new BO2W game, and a lot of things I'm excited for. Some are a lot more ambitious than others, so I've taken the time to put together a list, half so I can get my thoughts out on paper, and half so that when some of them DO happen, I can run circles in my room screaming with happiness.

So without further ado, let's get right into it.

Pettable dogs. This is by far the LEAST ambitious of all of them, since Nintendo's basically confirmed it themselves. But it would still be nice to have Link interact with animals more, and give him a bit more personality.

Cooking mechanics expanded. I am a SUCKER for cooking mechanics in video games, not for their complexity, but because it feels like I'm actually making something cool in game. It's one of the biggest draws for me for Genshin Impact, where you can make all kinds of dishes with specific ingredients and buffs. My hope is that, in BO2W, we get new ingredients, new recipes, and maybe even learn some ancient Zonai or Skyloftian foods from old texts or new characters.

Worldbuilding. I'm an author. Worldbuilding is my JAM. Anything new to the game that shows sign of culture--alphabets, food, architecture, clothing, historical events--is going to make my gay little heart happy.

A new house. In the original BOTW, you have the option to buy and fix up a house. It's a small place, but it's pretty, so I like it on a surface level. But the stable at the side of it is purely decorative, the house doesn't have any storage functionality besides weapons display, and the two construction guys camp out in my front lawn. I want a bigger house. I want it to be able to do things, like store cooking ingredients or let me hang pictures of myself or take a bath, and I want it to be AWAY from people. Ideally, in the sky isles

Loftwings. This is one of those ones that's more far out there, and I'd be very surprised if it came true. But Loftwings are BEAUTIFUL creatures, and given that we get sky isles, I'd love the option to be able to fly on one whenever I like, even as a later-game mount. And the idea of being able to sneak up on wild Loftwings like you do horses in BOTW, maybe with a little minigame for hanging on while they try to throw you off in the air, gives my the happy chills.

Playable Zelda. This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, because it's about half of the fandom's wildest hopes. I would LOVE to be able to play as Zelda for different segments of the game. Maybe she has a subterranian adventure while Link's up in the sky, and the two of them have to activate different parts of Zonai tech to advance the plot. And maybe when she cooks, she gets different buffs than Link does, because she's more of an alchemist than a chef. Do I think it’ll happen? At this point, no. But I can hope.

Ancestry lore. The Zon-eye symbol reminds me of the Sheikah and Yiga, and the architecture reminds me of the Twili, Lanayru Robots, and the Tower of the Gods. I want to know if the Zonai are related to any of the above things--were they the ancestors of the conflicting clans? Are they gone because they were banished for dark magic? Were they around before Skyward Sword? Please link them to established lore, Nintendo, I would die!

Three more levels of Hyrule to explore. I don’t mean dungeons, though I do want those and will get to that. I mean in the sense of exploration; we’ve already got the sky, but I want to be able to explore underwater and underground, too. Tunnels with ruins of old dungeons, underground mushrooms to forage, the Lakebed Temple, things far out in the ocean...I also want the sky isles to be EXPANSIVE. Give me more islands than just the Skyloft cluster.

Dungeons and items. Another popular one by the fanbase, but I want to give my reasoning. I LOVE puzzles. They’re the reason I hold the Zelda franchise so dearly; it feels really cool to manipulate the area around me cleverly enough to discover secrets or progress. We sort of had that with the Shrines; if EVERY Shrine had given you a rune, I wouldn’t be so upset (even though 120 runes is ridiculous, but I was expecting less shrines back when it got announced), but in the game, you get four cool abilities, and then everything feels...same-y. The themes of the shrines didn’t change; we never got a shrine that was overgrown by invading plants, or had lava seeping through cracked walls. It was always “the monk is over here, do mini-puzzle to win.” I want DIFFERENT puzzles. I want THEMED dungeons. I want BIG motivators. Maz Koshia’s shrine was PERFECT. Give me more of that.

Timeshift stones. These were my absolute favorite mechanic in Skyward Sword, and I would pay literal money to have them implemented again. When I was playing Skyward Sword for the first time, they were INCREDIBLE, and I thought we were going to get one as a key item. BRING THAT BACK.

If anyone else has wishes for the game, feel free to shoot me an ask! I’d love to hear about them!

[nolongerapileofashprobably]

Little Bird

Aka a little fic post-Skyward Sword that explains BoTW Zelda’s nickname. Enjoy!

[[MORE]]

“Don’t worry, Zel. Our Little Bird will be perfectly fine.” Link assured Zelda, unaware of her shocked expression as he tried to lead her out of the nursery. “Karane and Pipit love her, plus they have some practicing to do.”

Zelda shook her head, still unable to get the name out of her head. Little Bird. It was a nickname she hadn’t heard in a long time. Her mother had given her the same nickname when she was born.

After she died, her father used it for years, barely calling Zelda by her actual name. It had spread to the point that the entirety of Skyloft began to call her Little Bird. When she wandered through the Academy, it was near impossible for her to not be called that by Horwell or Owlan. Once she started class, they had the smallest amount of self control that let her just be Zelda again. Not little.

She wished Henya was like that, but the old cook was intent on the name. Henya swore that she had called Zelda’s mother by the same name until she had Zelda. This, of course, freaked her out. She didn’t want to have a child just for the cursed name to cease to exist.

Even Link’s parents had called her that, though they were respectful enough to do it when she was visiting Link or helping with his mother’s chores. She’s never admit it but the name sounded like nails on a chalkboard whenever anyone else spoke it. There was something about it that made her go crazy.

But Link’s parents had this way of saying it that made her feel more loved than anything. Perhaps the reason behind that was the fact that it made Zelda feel like a part of the family. She and Link were so close, it was only natural that his parents ended up raising her whenever her father was too busy. Which he always was, but that didn’t mean she loved him any less.

She just... liked the feeling of being accepted into Link’s family. They were so supportive of her, despite her bossy attitude and even when she and Link had their fights. It never mattered to them, since they knew she and Link would end up by each other’s side no matter what.

Zelda had always known they would be together forever, though she had a bit of trouble with transitioning from wanting to be with him to wanting to be with him. Link had the same issue, eventually leading the two of them to get into numerous fights all because they were to dumb not to notice the other was utterly in love with them. And Link’s parents... they had a front row seat to when it got really bad. She always wished they got to see the two of them now.

Last time she saw them, she and Link hadn’t talked in three days. Not the longest bout of silence the two had, but this time it was a bit different. Neither wanted to take that chance, the one where they would admit their feelings for another and just be together finally. They had been screaming about the other’s inability to notice anything else but themselves. She said some particularly nasty things, even accusing Link that he wasn’t truly her friend. Why? She couldn’t even remember now. She just knew he had yelled something about how selfish and conceited she was.

Link’s mother found her that same night, and Zelda couldn’t help but cry into her arms because she drove away the person she was in love with. His mother had hugged her real tight, murmuring that everything was going to be okay, that the two of them just needed to be honest with the other. At the time, Zelda didn’t know how that would help any of it. But she just continued to cry in his mother’s arms because she thought she lost her best friend.

They didn’t live long enough to see the two of them make up.

When his parent’s had died, from an accident in the sky during a horrendous storm, the name ended up disappearing. No one called for “Little Bird” when dinner was ready, so Zelda knew she could wake Link up or get him to stop carving a wooden figure. There were no hair ruffles after a particularly tough fight with Link that assured her everything would be okay.

She suspected her father spoke to Henya about the name, since the old cook never called her Little Bird again. It had become taboo. For the longest time, both Link and Zelda were ticking time bombs, just one nudge from blowing up or bursting into tears. That was what brought them back to normal, actually.

No one had understood what they were going through. To an extent, Zelda didn’t know exactly what Link was going through. But she understood more than anyone else on the island. She lost two people who she considered to be family. He had lost the last of his.

Until now. Until they grew up and created one of their own. And it had been years since she heard that name. He had the same way of saying it. Loving, gentle, but not condescending. Link never called her Little Bird, instead opting for ‘Zel’ or ‘Zeldy’.

But he just called Alouette, named after his mother, the very nickname that she detested for the longest time.

“I’m sorry, what did you say?” She asked him, turning around as soon as he dragged her from the room. His blue eyes went wide, quickly placing a finger in front of his mouth before slowly closing the nursery door.

“Karane didn’t tell you?” He asked in a panicked whisper, whipping his head around like someone would overhear them. Maybe in Skyloft, someone would have. But on the surface, they weren’t confined to the rooms at the Academy. They had their own home.

“No, not that,” Zelda answered, lightly punching him on the shoulder as she laughed. He feigned heartbreak and she stuck her tongue out in retaliation before continuing. “I’ve known for two weeks now that she’s pregnant. The other thing.”

“Two weeks?” He repeated, incredulous at the idea that she didn’t tell him the second she found out. “Zelda, Pipit said Karane just told him.”

Zelda shrugged, momentarily distracted at the memory of Karane freaking out. Her best friend truly was something. “She didn’t know how to tell him.”

“You told me right away.” He reminded her, as if she ever had a choice but to tell him immediately.

��Yes, because I didn’t know if having the soul of a goddess was going to complicate something as mundane as pregnancy.” She rolled her eyes, interlocking their fingers as they continued down the hallway. Zelda didn’t want to accidentally wake Lou up, especially since their best friends would be there in a few minutes to watch over her.

“You still would have told me right away, right?” He inquired, though the concerned expression dulling his smile betrayed his playful tone.

“Yes, sleepyhead, as soon as you woke up sometime during the afternoon, I would have told you.” She joked, making him pout. Zelda looked over, never able to resist putting a smile back on his face. She knew Link did this on purpose, but if she got to kiss her soulmate, did it really matter?

She unraveled her fingers from his, cupping his face so she could bring his fat head back down to a normal height so she could properly kiss him. It never got old, the butterflies still dancing in her stomach as her lips met his. Sometimes he would pull back so she would have to chase him, giving her a taste of her own medicine. Sometimes she’d do the same to him, just for old time’s sake. And sometimes, like this, they were more than happy to not play any games and just be with each other. Zelda eagerly took advantage of this, snaking her arms around his neck and pulling him closer. His arms found themselves wrapped around her waist, leaving no room between their bodies. Until of course, Link laughed and reluctantly pulled away, giving her a light kiss when she frowned.

“What was the other thing?” He asked her, voice barely lauded than a whisper. He rested his forehead on hers, humming as she took a second to remember what he was talking about.

She bit her lip, her gaze flickering between his eyes and lips before she sighed. “Little Bird.”

It was two simple words, when strung together symbolized exactly what Skyloftians were meant to be. High in the clouds, free as can be, and utterly loyal to their other half. The name was suited to a life on Skyloft, even though Zelda had her own distaste for it.

Link’s lips parted as it clicked in his mind. Then, he tilted his head, the lopsided smile that she adored making an appearance. “I always liked when my mom called you that. I know you hated it when anyone else called you that but you never told my parents to stop.”

“I liked it when they called me that.” She replied with a sad smile, the memories once again washing over her. Unlike the one’s that belonged to Hylia, these ones were just for Zelda.

“They always knew you would end up being their daughter,” He told her, drawing away when she laughed. “No, really! I always overheard them talking about how much they can’t wait for us to get over ourselves so you could officially become a part of the family.”

Zelda smiled at the thought. “So... Are we bringing back ‘Little Bird’?”

Link shrugged, before his stare shifted to the door down the hall. “It just feels right. We may not be in the sky anymore, but we’ve always been a part of a pair. I don’t know if they’ll still be riding Loftwings in a few generations, but this can be our way of paying respect to our home. To our life. To you.”

Her heart surged with affection, all the love she felt for him swelling inside her. There was never going to be anyone else. Not when Link was so damn lovable.

“I think it’ll grow on me.”

“You think?”

“You hope.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Urbosa, do you know where my mother got the nickname ‘Little Bird’ from?” Zelda asked, peering up from the journals her mother had left behind. She saw the term numerous times in the last journal, but no explanation for why that was the name she had given Zelda.

Urbosa stopped wandering the princess’s room, a small smile spreading as she sat down next to her.

“Your mother told me it was a family thing,” The warrior started, relishing in the fact that Zelda abandoned her focus on finding the formula for an elixir just to listen to her. “Whenever the royal family had a child, that child would grow up with the nickname Little Bird. Apparently, the first ever Zelda in your family had been given that nickname. Her husband convinced her to use the same one for their child. It’s odd that such a simple thing has stayed in your family since the beginning of Hyrule. But that’s what makes it all the more special, in my opinion.”

Zelda couldn’t help the sad smile that crept onto her features, which seemed to be inevitable whenever she spoke about her mother. “So that’s why you call me your Little Bird.”

“That and you are my Little Bird.”

[drabbledragon]

Home

Another fic inspired by the LinkedUniverse AU. This piece was written for Sky Week over on Discord and I was surprised to see the length it reached (5.7K words!). It was honestly so much fun to write.

Summary: Throughout months of travel, Sky finally has the chance to go back home.

Warnings: Some violence and a minor mention of animal abuse. 

Wrapped in his sailcloth, Sky dreamt about memories from the past. He dreamt about running around Skyloft with his Zelda, marvelling at the Skyloftian Knights as they soared by on their birds; he dreamt about jumping from the island to the clouds below, his Crimson Loftwing catching him before he could so much as blink; he dreamt about flying with Zelda after the Wing Ceremony, a fond smile on her lips as she looked at him with so much adoration and fondness that it made his heart melt; then he dreamt about falling - about being knocked off his Loftwing and Zelda mercilessly being ripped away from him, tears filling her eyes as she reached out for him but couldn’t quite grasp his hand. He saw the pure fear in her eyes as she was brought further and further away from him and soon enough, she was gone from his sight. He yelled out, calling Zelda’s name over and over again as if that alone would bring her back but his pleas were left unheard. He was falling alone now, plummeting towards a world filled with monsters and demons, the screams from the Surface threatening to cancel out his cries.

Sky jolted awake with a yelp. With adrenaline still pumping, he frantically pushed himself off the ground, whipping his head around as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. Tall trees towered over him and panic started to seize him as he realized that he wasn’t in his bed in Skyloft anymore but somewhere unknown - somewhere that wasn’t safe; however, once he caught sight of Legend softly snoring beside him, his pounding heart started to settle.

Oh, that’s right; we’re in Warriors’s Hyrule, he reminded himself, willing his uneven breaths to come out slower and more controlled. They had settled for the night after hours of wandering through the dense forest that covered a majority of Warriors’s land; they were hoping to find at least some kind of clue connected to their sudden meeting but to no avail. Judging by the height of the moon over their makeshift camp, it was around three in the morning, meaning he could still get a good three hours of sleep before Time would force them to keep moving again.

But then memories of his recent nightmare started to resurface and his heart clenched painfully as he remembered the terrified scream that escaped Zelda’s lips. There was no way he could fall back asleep with that sound haunting him.

He stood up instead and made his way over to an overhang not to far off from camp - maybe gazing at the night sky would bring him some peace of mind. Securing the Master Sword across his back, Sky gently shuffled through the camp, careful not to wake the others.

With his knees tucked comfortably underneath his chin, he gazed absentmindedly at the full moon above. Combined with the slight breeze that ruffled his hair every so often, the moon’s shine replaced his unease with a sense of longing. The sight reminded him of his younger days  in the Knight’s Academy when he would stay up late to watch the stars twinkle over his dorm. There would be unfinished papers and books strung haphazardly along his desk, long since abandoned once Sky caught glimpse of a shooting star crossing the sky; after that, he would spend hours admiring the beautiful night, thanking Hylia for bestowing such a beautiful scene for all of Skyloft to see. A soft sigh escaped his lips at the fond memory. He missed his home dearly.

“I knew I saw someone walk off from camp.”

Sky perked up at the voice, turning around just in time to see Twilight emerging from the bushes. He watched amusedly as the newcomer dusted off the stray leaves sticking to his clothes and hair before a sudden thought dawned on him: "Oh! I didn't wake you, did I?"

"Nope, just saw you sneak out while on watch duty. You’re quiet but hard to miss." He replied casually before settling down next to the flustered man. He observed the night sky silently for a few seconds before turning his attention to the other. “So didn’t feel like sleeping tonight?”

His embarrassed expression dropped into a sorrowful frown. “Not quite; just woke up from a bad dream, that’s all.”

“Oh, sorry to hear that.” Twilight grimaced as he felt a pang of sympathy. It wasn’t unusual for each of them to have bad dreams every once in a while, whether it be from recent events or from memories long ago. They’ve all been on various quests - have all seen their fair share of pain and agony and there was no doubt that it affected each one of them deeply. It was upsetting, but there was nothing they could do about it. The air filled with a mournful silence.

“Do you miss your home, Twilight?”

Sky watched as the other’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, a quizzical look on his face as if he couldn’t believe the question was even asked in the first place.  

“‘Course I do; it’s where my friends and family are. I would give anything to see them again.”

He felt his throat tighten in response. Of course Twilight missed his home - everyone did. He’ll never forget the way Time’s face lit up when he saw Malon for the first time in ages, or the way Wind chatted endlessly about his time spent with his grandma and sister on the island, or even the way Warriors spoke about a few members of his team as if they were family to him. They all missed someone dearly back home - they all wanted to go home. He could feel an overwhelming sadness start to take over him.

“I miss them.” Sky started softly as turned his gaze to his boots. “ I miss Zelda, Pipit, Gaepora, - everyone. I miss flying around on my Loftwing, I miss going to Knight School, I miss the Wing Ceremony, I miss -” His voice caught in his throat and he could feel tears start to form in the corner of his eyes. He buried his head into his knees as his whimpers were reduced to a soft muffle. “ - I miss Skyloft.”

Twilight was at a loss for words. He knew the pain Sky was feeling and he would be lying if he said he didn’t feel the same way. However, before he could say anything, a piercing screech echoed through the air.

Sky’s head suddenly lifted with so much force that he surely would have headbutted someone into unconsciousness. His breath ceased as he stared wide - eyed into the distance with such intensity and concentration that it appeared that nothing other than himself and that sound existed. He knew that sound - he’s heard that sound all throughout his life - but the simple thought of one being here, in a place where they would never dare to venture to - it was nearly impossible.

Although nearly didn’t mean completely.

Without a second thought, Sky stumbled to his feet and sprinted towards the ledge of the overhang. He tugged off his sailcloth hastily, as if the sound would disappear from his memory if he took too much time to actually think the situation over.

“Hey, what are you -?”

But Twilight’s startled exclamation was lost to the wind as Sky began his descent down. From what he could tell, the call came just a little ways north of where he just was so it shouldn’t take too long for him to locate the source. He chanced a glimpse at the mass of trees below and tightened his grip on his sailcloth. The size of the forest beneath him was unnervingly large and would undoubtedly make his search a little harder if he turned out to be wrong - but he couldn’t let that thought deter him now. He would make sure he found the source of that sound no matter what, even if it took searching all of this Hyrule.

As soon as his feet lightly touched the ground, he was back into a sprint. He had half the mind to whistle to see if he could cause that cry to sound again but he couldn’t risk it in unknown territory; for all he really knew, he could have mistaken the sound for an enemy’s howl or the screech of some animal but the sound brought up so many memories from his time in Skyloft that he couldn’t think otherwise. At the sight of a blue mass flickering just outside a mass of trees, Sky felt his pace quicken at an impossible rate.

As soon as he pushed past the underbrush, he immediately came to a halting stop. Before him stood a large bird with bright blue feathers and beady yellow eyes - a Loftwing, his mind helpfully supplied. He stared in awe at the creature, his breath stolen by the feeling of wonder the bird possessed, and a million sights, sounds, and feelings bubbled up to the forefront of his mind. He could distinctly hear the cheery screech of his Crimson Loftwing as it flew to him at his whistle, the feel of its soft feathers in his grasp, the wind combing through his hair as they soared through the sky without a care in the world - it was home. However, before he could take another step, he caught sight of the mess of ropes around the bird. Tangled around its feathers and beak were strands of thick material that pinned the large creature to the ground, immobilizing it save for the few scratches its claws managed to make in the dirt. By the way it was set up, it definitely had to be a hunting trap of some sort. Sky could feel his awe start to flare outrage.

Just out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Twilight come to stuttering stop next to him, taking a moment to catch his breath. Before he could berate Sky for taking off without explanation, he caught sight of the strange bird a few meters away from them.

“What is that thing?” He wondered allowed. It was definitely something he’s never seen before and judging by its sharp beak and talons, it was definitely not something to be messed with; but before Twilight could express his concerns, Sky was already striding towards the large creature without hesitation. He watched with unease as the bird made a distressed squawking sound as it noticed the Skyloftian slowly approaching and struggled frantically against the binds holding it down.

“Shhh, it’s alright,” Sky soothed as he carefully moved his hands up in a placating gesture. He inched forward with a calm air around him, unhindered by the bird’s hectic movements; no matter how much the creature screeched in warning, he would keep moving forward. As soon as he was close enough, Sky gently grabbed onto the course rope holding the bird down and removed his carving knife from its pouch, starting to slice through the thick binds.

A sense of recognition seemed to flash in the Loftwing’s eyes and its frantic movements ceased as it eased its way back down to the ground. It watched the newcomer with weary eyes but didn’t utter another sound otherwise.

Twilight marveled at the scene. The distressed creature, easily twice the size of himself, yielded to a complete stranger with a knife. Even if the bird deduced that Sky was here to help, it didn’t explain how all hostility seemed to leave its eyes in such a quick amount of time. Maybe they’ve met before? He mused, although the notion was highly absurd.

Another bind snapped free and the Loftwing’s right wing slowly rose. It curiously watched as it flapped its limb a couple of times, almost as if it was testing to see if it still worked. Sky had caught a glimpse of a few feathers out of place and gently moved to smooth them down with an easy touch; once he was satisfied with the result, he moved to untangle the rope from the bird’s neck. He worked like that for the next few minutes, the Loftwing never once protesting.

His work was suddenly interrupted at the sound of multiple screeches piercing the air and both Twilight and the Loftwing seemed to tense in fear. The Loftwing’s once serene expression turned into a frenzied panic as it blindly flapped its wing around in an attempt to defend itself, knocking Sky off his feet. Twilight gritted his teeth in annoyance as he pulled out the Ordonian sword from his back, already moving into a defensive stance.

“Those are Aeralfos,” Twilight stated as the aforementioned enemies flew into view. “ they’re fast and hard to hit so stay on your guard.” And then a muttered: “ Wasn’t fun to fight them the first time around.”

Sky gave a curt nod, unsheathing his Master Sword and positioning it in front of him. He situated himself close to the Loftwing, determined not to let a single enemy lay a claw on the bird.

Before they knew it, the enemies were diving towards the clearing they stood in, a fierce snarl on their faces. The Aeralfos flew with such precision and accuracy that it was hard to even land a hit on them, nevermind actually attack them. Sky managed to scratch a few as they sped past him but other than that, his attempts were fruitless. One second, they would take a stab at the hero, managing to nick his clothes or land a slice on his arms, and in the next, they would take off to the sky and ready themselves for another attack. It was dizzying to him; he’s never seen an enemy move so quickly in such short a time. He glanced at Twilight to see how he was managing.  

He was defending himself almost perfectly, moving about skillfully as if he’s been battling Aeralfos all his life. He swiftly dodged a stab to the head before rapidly spinning and slicing an enemy diagonally across the chest; it fell with a deafening screech and disappeared into black ashes. Not even a second later, another enemy attacked from behind and Twilight responded with a quick crouch, turn of the heel, and a stab of his sword through the monster’s neck before it also met the same fate. Every movement was calculated - perfectly executed - and it showed.

Just as Sky drove another enemy away, he heard the Loftwing give out a distressed screech. Fearing the worst, he quickly whipped around to see an Aeralfo’s clawed hand rip through a few of its feathers. A sudden sense of rage overtook him and he rushed at the foe with ferocity; before the other could react, Sky raised his sword skyward before bringing it down through the enemy, another howl of pain joining the chorus of the battle. He smiled triumphantly as he watched the monster before him disappear to a pile of dust. Unfortunately, another Aeralfo saw Sky’s distracted state as chance to attack and charged towards the hero with its claws poised to kill. Sky felt a surge of panic race through his mind as he knew he wouldn’t be able to defend himself in time but just as he was ready to take the hit, a large gray wolf leapt up and seized the enemy by the neck, killing it in an instant.

“Thank you, Wolfie.” Sky sighed in relief. The wolf responded with a huff before turning to attack again.

Sky grimaced at the red gash across the Loftwing’s body; thankfully, it didn’t look too deep. Just before he could turn to join the fight again, he saw some of the rope holding down the Loftwing snap and fall loosely around the bird. It rose to its full height and spread its wings before moving in a panic, clearly still frightened by the enemies.

In an attempt to calm the Loftwing down, Sky held his hands in a placating gesture and tried to soothe the bird once again. He heard the snarl of an Aeralfo behind him followed by a wolf’s bark and he caught sight of yet another enemy dissipate into ash. Despite the relief Sky felt, the Loftwing only became more frightened and flapped its wings about faster, most likely aggravating the injuries it already had. Sky frowned. Seeing no other option, he leapt onto the Loftwing’s back and took hold of the Skyloftian reins circling its body, trying desperately to regain control; however, the bird responded by lifting itself and its rider into the air albeit unsteadily. Sky was taken aback by the sudden movement and held onto the blue feathers for dear life as the bird flew about erratically. Again, he tried to calm the creature but his soft words were drowned out by the frantic screeching. Suddenly, the bird dove down into the fight below and plucked the gray wolf off the ground, earning a surprised yelp. It took the Skyloftian and wolf into the air and flapped its wings irregularly as it soared. Behind them, they could see the Aeralfos start to take flight as well.

Loftwings aren’t meant to fly during the night, Sky recalled as he felt his stomach drop at the sudden altitude change. Ever since they ascended into the air, the Loftwing changed elevation every two seconds or so and despite all his flying experience, the constant motion was starting to make him sick. From what Sky could observe, one wing flapped faster than the other, causing the bird to make uneven turns and unnecessary dives; it also didn’t help that they were being chased down by enemies capable of flight. He didn’t quite know what to do. Jumping off with his sailcloth would definitely save himself but he wasn’t too sure what Wolfie’s or even the Loftwing’s fate would entail; other than that, there were no other options than to attempt to fly to safety. Sky was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts as he heard the sound of angry snarls accompanied by monstrous faces right behind him. In a split - second decision, he took hold of the bird’s reins and leaned to the side, just narrowly avoiding a sword to the head. That must have put too much weight on one of the bird’s sides because the next thing he knew, they were flying sideways towards the forest floor below. He then pulled the reins up to lift the bird once again, hearing the creature squawk in surprise before changing direction. He smirked as that sudden movement caused some of the Aeralfos to crash into the underbrush below. However, his relief was short - lived as he saw the remaining enemies get even angrier and speed up by an unimaginable amount. He eyed the remaining monsters warily. For a brief moment, he thought about taking out the Master Sword and defending the three of them that way but that would surely leave the bird without a pilot and most likely lead to all three of their deaths. But before he could come up with another plan, he saw the moonlight enshrouding them suddenly disappear and the enemies slow their pace. Albeit a little confused, he grinned triumphantly, glad to see that they were no longer being chased. When he turned his attention back to the front, he didn’t even have two seconds to notice the wall of rock in front of him before he made impact and lost consciousness.

________________________________________________________________

Once again, Sky dreamt about memories of the past. He dreamt about falling endlessly through a black abyss only for a purple light to break through the overwhelming darkness, a distant voice informing him that he had a dire mission that needed to be completed; he dreamt about waking up to Gaepora’s worried expression hovering over him and the look of anguish that painted his face as he was informed that his daughter was missing, most likely trapped somewhere on the Surface; he dreamt about following the mystical voice that echoed in his head, leading him to the Goddess’s Sword as well as Fi. He regarded the spirit with apprehension as she introduced herself; however, when Fi informed him that Zelda was still alive, he felt hope swell in his chest. He was informed that he was Hylia’s chosen hero - that he was the only one that could stop the demon Demise from his terrible reign. As he raised the sword skyward, he felt an overwhelming sense of power and courage course through him and together with Fi, they journeyed towards the Surface, ready for any tribulation they would face.

Sky slowly blinked his eyes open to the fuzzy world around him. He could tell it was somewhat dark here and small brown smudges littered the area along with an oddly - colored blue smudge a bit closer to him. The more he stared at the blots, the more they came into focus and soon the brown blurs turned into rocks and the blue mass shaped itself into a scabbard with the Master Sword tucked into it. Funny, he doesn’t remember falling asleep here. He racked his brain for answers but he found that the harder he thought, the harder a headache pounded in his head. He mindlessly reached out to the Master Sword, grabbing the hilt with a weak grip and begging for Fi to come out and explain the situation he had gotten himself into. He let his eyes fall close as he let a breathless “Fi…” escape his lips.

Instead of a mystical voice answering, he heard a set of footsteps walk briskly towards him and a set of scratches scurry away from him. When no other sound was made, Sky managed to open his eyes just in time to see Twilight’s apprehensive expression morph into a relieved smirk.

“Glad to see you’re okay.”

‘Okay’ was a bit of an overstatement. Although Twilight’s voice was at a normal talking level, Sky couldn’t help but wince as a jolting pain shot through his skull, no doubt a result of the splitting headache he had. With a soft tsk, Twilight searched through one of the pouches on his belt and brought out a glass half - full with a red potion.

“Here,” He began quieter, offering the bottle to the Skyloftian. “ it’s not much but it should help a little.”

With a shaky hand, Sky took the bottle and let its contents dribble down his throat. Within a few seconds, the pain in his head lessened to a manageable amount and he was able to muster enough strength to push himself off the ground and lean heavily against what felt like rocks behind him. He glanced to Twilight again, about to thank him, until a nasty - looking cut caught his attention.

“Your face…” He rasped.

Twilight’s smile dropped into a pout. “ Well you’re not looking too good with that huge bruise on your head either.”

He had a bruise on his head? That cleared up a few questions. “ Where are we?”

“A cave in the cliffside,” Twilight began as he made to stand up. He regarded the area with caution, almost as if he was expecting something to come out and attack them. “ the bird you helped took us into the air and flew away but the Aeralfos had the bright idea to chase us down anyways. A big chunk of them ended up crashing into trees and rocks so we got most of them off our tail; only downside is we ended up crashing into this cave, too. I just got a couple of scratches, the bird looks fine, but you ended up smashing your head on that rock wall over there.” He took a second to point his head towards a nearby set of boulders before returning to observe the injury that stood out so prominently against the Skyloftian’s tan skin. “ You’ve been out for two hours; we should really get back to camp to have the Old Man take a look at you.”

Sky nodded, his head tipping just a little too forward for his liking. As he started to stand up, he felt a heavy hand push him back down.

“Easy, we’re still surrounded. We did ditch a lot of those Aeralfos back there but there’s a good number of them flying around, probably searching for us. I don’t have a bow on me so we really can’t do anything right now - we just have to wait until they leave.” With that said, he walked back to the opening of the cave, eyeing the sky cautiously; at least the rising sun made it a little bit easier to see now. As he crouched down, Sky could hear him mutter “the Old Man is going to kill me”.

Sky mulled over the recount, connecting Twilight’s summary with his own muddled memories. The fight, the Loftwing - speaking of Loftwing, he heard the same sound of scratches echo through the cave again and he shifted his gaze sideways to see the bright blue Loftwing inching towards him. It moved about curiously, moving its head every which way almost as if it was trying to investigate the situation itself. When it got close enough to Sky, it picked at his clothes and hair and made curious sounds every so often. He chuckled as it nuzzled his neck before returning to look at him inquisitively and Sky would be lying if he said it didn’t remind him of his own Crimson Loftwing back home.

“It looks like that bird really likes you.” Twilight stated with a soft smile.  

“Yeah,” A fond smile crossed his lips as he felt the bird nudge his side again. “ Hylia gave us these Loftwings as a sign of protection. As little children, we meet our Loftwing under the Statue of the Goddess; once we find the right one, we feel complete, like we found our other half.” He smoothed over the blue feathers; a few of them were displaced but the bird’s coat looked relatively alright. Once he caught sight of its talons, a few of his memories started to clash with Twilight’s earlier summary. “ Twilight, where’s Wolfie?”

Twilight immediately jumped at the question, turning to meet Sky’s questioning gaze. “ Huh? What do you mean?”

“Before we took flight, I remember the Loftwing grabbing onto Wolfie.” He paused for a moment, the headache threatening to come back as he thought harder but he continued regardless. “ Now that I think about it, I don’t remember the Loftwing taking you -”

“I’m the one the bird grabbed; I was fighting a few Aeralfos before it swooped in and took me.” He answered back hastily. He saw the confliction cross the other’s face so he quickly covered up with a more firm: “ You hit your head pretty hard so it looks like some of your memories got messed up; just take a nap and I’ll wake you up when we’re ready to move.”

Although not completely satisfied with the response, Sky heeded his advice anyways, leaning against the bulky rock wall as he felt the need to sleep overtake him. He glimpsed tiredly to the Loftwing’s curious gaze one more time before catching sight of its tied tail. It was still heavily bunched up in rope and if Sky’s assumption was correct, that may have caused the lack of stability on their flight. Although he was deeply tired, he still reached for his carving knife again and shifted to have a good hold on the Loftwing’s tail. The bird tensed at the sudden contact but did nothing more as it watched Sky cut through what remained of the trap.

When the last bind snapped off, the bird unfurled and furled its tail a couple of times, similar to what it first did with its wings. Satisfied with his handiwork, Sky let out a long sigh and curled back onto the ground, using his sailcloth as a blanket; he was determined to get some amount of sleep, even if it was just for a few minutes. However, before he could do so, he yelped in surprise as he felt the Loftwing violently yank on his clothes, instantly making him alert. He sat up in a panic but that clearly wasn’t enough for the Loftwing because it pulled at his clothes again, hauling the disorientated Skyloftian to his feet. The bird sounded as he gripped onto its neck to steady himself and the call reverberated throughout the entire cave, causing Twilight to look back in concern. The bird suddenly crouched down and Sky fell onto its back with a thud before it gently shook to ease the rider onto its back. Despite Sky’s bewildered look, the bird rose up and started to flap its wings, causing small clouds of dust to rise up. Sky tightened his grip as the flapping became more frequent and soon enough, he felt the bird moving its long legs towards the opening of the cave.

Twilight immediately rose to his feet as he saw the creature near him. He spread his arms out in an attempt to block its path and scowled as he yelled out: “Hey -!”

But he was quickly cut off as the Loftwing abruptly grabbed him by the scruff of his tunic and placed him on its back, just behind the disconcerted Sky.

With only a few flaps of its wings as a warning, the Loftwing pushed off the cave’s ledge and took to the air at an incredible speed. Sky gripped onto the reins as soon as they changed altitude and he felt Twilight behind him hold onto the back of his tunic in a death grip. As he looked down below, he was astounded to see how much height they had gained in such little time. From what he could see, there were a few Aeralfos glaring angrily at them with a few starting to chase the bird; fortunately, their speed was no longer a match for the Loftwing’s steady ascension. Before he knew it, they passed through a layer of clouds and he felt the water vapor gently spray over his face. As soon as he felt the drop in his stomach settle, he looked past the Loftwing’s head to see the sight ahead of him.

Before him stood an endless sea of blue sky with the sun casting a soft glow across the land as it rose to start the day. Countless bundles of clouds lie underneath them and just as many floated lazily above. The cool air caressed his face and tousled his hair and he felt that same feeling of home he had felt before when they first escaped the forest clearing. With years of practice coming to the forefront of his mind, he eased his grip on the reins and leaned to the side, feeling the bird underneath him recognize his movement and gently shift its wings so they flew at an angle. The weightlessness, the feeling of rushing air, the calmness that came with weaving between the air currents - all those feelings rushed back to him as if he was meeting with a long - lost friend. He flew in silence for a few minutes, just admiring the tranquility it brought him.

A sudden shrill whistle caused his breath to hitch. That sound - he could place that sound at a moment’s notice: it was the sound of a Skyloftian calling their Loftwing. They were close to Skyloft, he realized and although he knew that there was something deeply wrong with that statement - that Skyloft shouldn’t be this low in the sky, that Skyloft shouldn’t be possible to get to without a Bird Statue - he couldn’t help the sudden homesickness that rushed through him. Throughout his journey with the other Links, he never went a single day without thinking about returning home - even when he was sent off on his own quest by Goddess Hylia herself, he still thought about his home every day. Groose’s constant teasing, Owlan droning on about the various plant life in SkyLoft, Zelda’s airy laugh as she teased him about being late to the Knight Academy again - he missed everyone so dearly, and now - finally - he had the chance to go back home.

As he signalled for the Loftwing to fly higher, he felt the grip around his tunic tighten. He glanced back to see Twilight looking down with a frightened expression and Sky felt his heart drop. He can’t go home, not until him and the other Links figure out why they were brought together. He believed in his Goddess and he knew that she wouldn’t merge timelines and dimensions together if it wasn’t for a reason, and there had to be a good reason.

He turned his head back hastily to the front. But he was so close to home! He could practically feel Skyloft’s soft ground! Maybe he could go to Gaepora and explain the situation - see if he could give him some guidance - or maybe find Zelda and see if the Goddess sent her any messages of what’s going on, or maybe reawaken Fi - she would certainly be a valuable asset to their team. His grip tightened on the reins again. Maybe he’s not meant to be back in Skyloft yet. There has to be a reason as to why throughout the past months, they had visited everyone else’s land except for his. Maybe his arrival… might not be what Hylia wants. He’s meant to stay with the other heroes - he’s meant to follow their travel regardless of what he thinks or feels. He has wants and needs and desires but his mission always comes first.

Another whistle sounded through the air, this time louder and longer. They were getting close to Skyloft now. He hesitated, mulling his decision one last time before bowing his head in sad realization. He can’t abandon his mission.

“Let Hylia guide you safely back to Skyloft.” He sadly whispered as he let his fingers graze over the plumage one last time. He heard the Loftwing give a soft coo, almost as if it was disappointed to see its rider leave, but he didn’t have a choice. He tugged at the sailcloth wrapped around his back and gripped it in his two hands. He swiveled around again and asked with a louder voice: “ Are you ready to leave, Twilight?”

The other’s eyes widened fearfully and he was starting to wonder if Sky actually did lose his mind when he hit his head. Just as he was about to protest, he felt the soft feathers from underneath him disappear and his stomach dropped at the sudden feeling of weightlessness. He didn’t even realize he closed his eyes until he opened them again to see that he was now gently drifting through the air. He looked up to see Sky gazing at the Loftwing with a sentimental look as it disappeared into the clouds - almost like the same look Twilight gave at the sight of dusk: a longing, fond expression. Once the bird was gone, they slowly began their descent down, drifting their way back to camp.