Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It had been a good day. A good few days, even. Almost too good, but Wind knew better than to complain. The nine heroes didn’t get breaks this long, since there was almost always another pack of monsters around the bend, but they had portaled from his home on Outset Island yesterday and no trouble had jumped out at them yet.

The few days they had on the island were a welcome change of pace from the mess that was Twilight almost dying, and Wind’s Deku tree uncovering a split in the timeline – along with the possible existence of another hero’s spirit. There had been signs before, but when it was all laid out like that, it was a lot to take in. It made him wonder if there was more past that.

It hurt his head to think about it, but polishing his mirror shield had a way of making him reflect. Haha.

He glanced up from his work, seeing Wild next to him at the cooking pot and the rest of the group preparing their own gear for travel. He supposed it wouldn’t hurt to air out his thoughts.

“With all these timelines and portals,” he started, catching the attention of the quiet camp, “Do you guys think it’s possible other… worlds…? Exist?”

Time and Twilight exchanged glances.

“Yeah.” Legend shrugged. “But I guess it depends on what you mean by that.”

“I mean –” Wind’s reflection frowned up at him. “So far, we’ve always ended up in some version of Hyrule. Something connected to it.”

He waved his arm up at the sky.

“The rules of magic and stuff are the same, there’s always hylians around, and the stars are always familiar, even if they’re a bit out of place.”

Time nodded. “I see. You mean entirely different universes.”

“Yeah!” Shield balanced on his knees, Wind threw an arm into the air. “Maybe there’s one where all the people are like ghosts and fish have wings!”

Legend’s face twisted up in a strange way. “Hypothetically,” he croaked, with a worse morning voice than usual.

Wind glimpsed Hyrule shooting the Veteran a side eye.

“It would take a massive amount of research or power to even confirm the existence of something like that, though,” Four added. His eyes looked pale purple in the dim morning light.

“Yeah, probably,” yawned Sky.

Warriors snickered. “Not more power than it takes to get the Vet up early, I’m sure.”

Legend sent a glare his way, turning it on Hyrule when he caught him smiling at the Veteran’s expense.

Wild hummed. His lips twitched up into a smile. “Who knows, maybe one of those portals is strong enough to take us to one of these hypothetical worlds.”

He picked up a bowl, the signal that breakfast had begun. The cooking pot was almost immediately swarmed, the topic abandoned in favor of mouthfuls of delicious curry. Once they licked every bowl clean, Wild herded them over to a pot of water to make sure they also scrubbed every bowl clean.

Wind leaned back against a nearby tree when his turn with Time was done. He considered helping Legend in his quest to soak Warriors for teasing him, and Twilight, for the crime of being close enough to soak.

“What did I do?!”

“Nothing, that’s the problem. You’re too responsible and kind.”

The most honorable of endeavors, truly.

Time sacrificed their entertainment to intervene once it started holding up the line.

Despite that little delay, they were all ready to move out after a few more minutes. Wind wasn’t looking forward to another long day of walking and probably fighting. Not that any of them were, but Wind hated it a bit more than the others. He fiddled with the Wind Waker, wondering what it was like to fly on one of Sky’s Loftwings.

He shuddered. Hopefully it was more like getting carried by a Rito than being captured by the Helmaroc king.

“Have you all checked your gear?” Time asked the group.

A chorus of ‘yes’s, ‘yeah’s, and ‘of course we did, old man’s was his answer.

Nodding, he turned to Wild. “Alright, Champion, lead the way.”

The Champion beamed and jogged a few steps ahead. Wind couldn’t help but smile too. They all loved their homelands, but Wild had a special connection to his that only a couple of them even came close to reaching. It was clear in the way he stood while he turned back to talk to them.

An abrupt, blinding flash of light cut him off out of nowhere. Wind cried out, squeezing his eyes shut. He wrapped his face tightly in his arms. Around him, he could hear noises of alarm from the others – and the faint sound of waves lapping at a shore.

His arms dropped to his sides. He carefully opened one eyelid, then the other. He squinted through the overbearing light.

It was at least manageable now, enough that he could see its source. That source was a bright, swirling portal, hovering in front of Wild. It pulsated gently, in time with the soft melody of the waves. Through it, he could make out a foggy shore strewn with rocky monoliths. The vast amount of magic it radiated made the waves feel real.

It washed over him like the tide. Pushing him backwards, pulling him forwards, flowing around him, seeping into his skin. He could almost breathe it. It was spectacular.

Not one of them could miss the sheer power it held. Warriors was pale, Hyrule shook, Legend had started sweating, and Wild – just a few feet away from it – was frozen.

Several heartbeats passed. Wind exhaled, stepping closer to his nearest companions, Twilight and Hyrule. The Rancher shuddered, reaching for something around his neck.

Sky looked a lot more awake than he had a minute ago. He and Four turned to Legend and Hyrule, making sure the two most magic members of the group weren’t in shock. They looked a bit dazed while they did so, still trying to recover from it themselves. The sudden appearance of something that powerful was enough to knock anyone out of sorts.

Wind shook off the last of the initial shock and pushed through the still pulsating energy. He headed for Time and Wild, who had gotten the worst of it. Warriors and Twilight walked with him. The distance they crossed was just about ten feet, but it seemed to stretch so much longer. It felt like he was fighting the air, or the flow of time itself.

By the time the three of them reached Time and Wild, they had all fully recovered. Wild didn’t look happy with the development.

He frowned. “I guess there’s a change of plans.”

Warriors grimaced. “Anybody got an idea of what kind of portal that is?”

“No…” Time peered into the portal thoughtfully.

“That place doesn’t look like anywhere we’ve ever been, in any of our eras,” Wind added, squinting at said place. “Definitely not mine.”

“It… feels different…” murmured Twilight. He still had a hand on his chest.

Wind nodded, mimicking the older heroes’ serious expressions. “Way different.”

Time looked past Wind. His brow furrowed. The Sailor turned back to see what he was looking at. It was the four other members of the group, who were sitting down a good distance away.

Time turned to Warriors. “Did they suffer any adverse reactions to it?”

“Nothing serious, as far as I can tell.” Warriors glanced between them and the portal. “Let’s join them and figure out what we’re going to do about this.”

“Mhm.” Wind nodded. He doubted any of them wanted to stay near the portal.

Wild shot a glare at the thing before he jogged off to the others. Wind, Time, Twilight, and Warriors followed right behind him.

As they approached, the four on the ground looked up.

The Veteran frowned at their drooping faces. “Figure anything out?”

Warriors sighed. “We’re pretty sure it’s not the same kind of –”

“It’s not the same kind of portal we usually deal with,” Twilight cut in with a shake of his head. He sat, hands resting on his knees.

The Captain shot him a mildly confused glance. “… I can’t really tell you anything else that you wouldn’t have noticed already. You’re more qualified to figure this kind of thing out.”

Wind plopped down in front of Legend, pointing back at the portal. “Do any of you guys recognize that place?”

Hyrule, Four, and Sky shook their heads.

Legend shrugged. “Don’t think so.”

“It doesn’t feel… unsafe, at least?” Hyrule offered, squinting at the bright thing.

Shifting his weight from one foot to the other, Time sighed. “Well, all in favor of diving through a different mysterious portal than usual?”

Wind, Four, and Sky raised their hands. Seated next to Twilight, who looked conflicted, Wild huffed and crossed his arms. Legend and Hyrule exchanged glances.

“Sure, why not?” Legend shrugged.

Hyrule nodded. “There’s got to be a reason it’s here.”

The two of them raised their hands.

Warriors groaned, adjusting his scarf. “Alright then, let’s hope we don’t regret this.”

Wild frowned.

Wind smiled sheepishly at him. “Sorry, Champ.”

Shaking his head, Wild returned the smile. “It’s fine.”

Twilight patted him on the back.

Once they were all standing and done triple checking their gear, Warriors and Sky stepped toward the portal.

“Are we going through in pairs?” the Captain asked.

Time nodded, glancing around. “You two can go first. I’ll take the rear with the Sailor.”

Wind made his way to his side.

“The Vet and Rancher should go second, followed by the Champion, Traveler, and Smith.”

They began separating into their respective groups.

Time looked them all over once more. “Everyone ready?”

The others responded with a chorus of positives, nods, hums, or gestures.

Wind took a moment to look over his companions himself while they all started walking in their groups. Time was hard to read, but the restlessness of his eye let Wind know he was uneasy. Wild didn’t seem disappointed anymore, just excited. Warriors, Twilight, Hyrule, and Four were fidgeting nervously. Legend looked like he was trying very hard to pretend he didn’t want to hang back in the group behind him. Sky, Nayru bless him, smiled calmly over his shoulder.

Wind inhaled deeply. The magic had dimmed since it first appeared, but as they approached the portal, it still felt thick enough to breathe. The weight of its power made his chest heavy, like it was filled with sand. Seconds stretched on, longer and longer the closer they got. Pure, bright light overflowed from the gateway. His companions were reduced to silhouettes. It pulsed with the swells of the waves that sang from it. Almost indistinguishable from the brightness around them, Sky turned to Warriors and spoke. The sound was washed away by the overflowing, watery voice. Nothing else could be heard.

Wind glanced up at Time beside him. From where he stood at Time’s right, he couldn’t see his good eye. What he could see was strength. His armored hands were still restless, but his feet never wavered.

Wind braced himself and pushed on into the portal. One step after another. He couldn’t see Warriors and Sky anymore. Another step, another. Almost everything was white. More steps, more light. Twilight and Legend disappeared. More steps, pushing through the power’s flow. Four’s silhouette looked over its shoulder at them. More seconds. More steps. Three more figures gone.

Wind could no longer see Time out of the corner of his eye. Light was swallowing him up. He could feel it, latching on to every particle of his being. The waves flowed straight through him, around him, pushing, pulling. It all but swept away his senses. For a moment, he felt nothing. As if he were suspended in empty space without a body. The moment stretched on, like the ones before it. He began to worry that it wouldn’t end – then the humming light weakened and blinked away.

His feet rested on soft sand. Time stood next to him, the rest of the group just a few feet away.

Wind shook himself and took everything in. The portal set them right where it had shown them, at the peak of a round, rocky monolith. To the east, in front of them, stretched grey, sandy dunes. A couple giant stones, much smaller than the monolith they stood on, were scattered across the island. Each of their tallest sides faced a wall of clouds on the horizon. Perched in a break of the fluffy wall, a massive building was silhouetted in the soft light of dawn.

The waves lapped at the shore behind them, too far down to hear.

There was a kind of calm prettiness to the place. Even though it was barren, it didn’t feel lonely. Wind took in a deep breath of the welcoming breeze. The strange little magic presence nearby didn’t bother him. In fact, it might have added to the feeling of refreshment he felt.

Time, more relaxed than before, interrupted a couple of quiet conversations in the group. “Everyone’s accounted for?”

Warriors appeared to be doing a mental head count, probably not the first one he did in the very short time since he came through the portal. “Yes, all nine present.”

Wind hummed in agreement. The rest of the group made similar calm acknowledgements. None of them were suffering from the typical side effects of portal travel. They even looked refreshed – Hyrule and Legend might as well have been glowing. The only one who didn’t look better than before was Twilight. The Rancher hung close to Wild, scanning the horizon.

“Does anyone have an idea of where we might be?” Time asked.

Legend shrugged. “Another island? Maybe Hylia’s apologizing for cutting our vacation short.”

The comment got a snort out of Wind and a lighthearted eyebrow raise from Hyrule.

Twilight shook his head. Whether in was in response to Time, or in exasperation at Legend, Wind couldn’t tell.

“It feels so peaceful here,” Four murmured, admiring the building in the distance.

Hyrule’s face fell slightly. “There must be some kind of problem. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be here.”

That’s right. Wind frowned. For a second, he’d forgotten why they go through portals.

“It’s wide open,” Warriors observed. “Not much danger of an ambush, but we should still secure the perimeter. When we get down off this rock, let’s check around the boulders.”

Time nodded.

Always eager to explore, Wild took a step northeast. “I’ll check this way.”

Twilight caught his arm. The Rancher pointed up, to the southwest. “What is that?”

Wind followed the direction he pointed. Rising into the sky from behind the monolith they stood on, was a small, winged figure. It soared, flapped with a flash of light, and started to turn from its eastern trajectory.

He squinted. “Is it a Rito, maybe?”

Wild peered through the scope of his Sheikah Slate and shook his head. “No, it’s completely the wrong body type to be any kind of Rito.”

“It’s nothing I know of,” Sky added.

Warriors set his hand on the hilt of his sword. “I don’t recognize it, either. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s something we’ve never encountered before. If it’s a monster, it could be a scout for a larger company.”

Lowering the Sheikah Slate, Wild flashed them a curious and excited smile. “Well, we’ll find out what it is pretty soon. It’s headed straight for us.”

“Huh?” Wind craned his neck up.

It really was headed straight for them. It didn’t look like it was in a hurry, though, content with letting the gentle breeze carry it forward.

Chapter Text

Some tension built up in the group while the winged creature made its way toward them. Wild patted Twilight’s tight shoulders. Legend and Hyrule stepped closer together, hands on their bags. The skull hammer popped into Wind’s thoughts for a moment.

He could almost make out its human-like body by the time it landed, but there was still a good distance between them.

“Should we go meet them?” Sky said, taking a couple steps forward. “They could be friendly.”

Warriors’ brow furrowed. “Let it come to us.”

It slowed when it got within a shiplength or two, and came to a stop a couple dozen feet away. Instead of staying on its path towards them, it paced back and forth. It watched them from a distance, warily. It was small enough that Wind could just make out its pale pink wings, loose beige clothes, and white hair. Wild pressed a few buttons on his Slate and held it up again. He held another button for a few seconds, then blinked. Wind’s eyebrows rose at Wild’s incredulous expression.

“It doesn’t have a face,” muttered Wild, snapping a pictograph.

“Eh?! Lemme see –”

Among the curiosity and mild confusion his comment caused, Wind pulled Wild’s arm down to get a good look at the zoomed in picture he’d taken. The strange creature’s wings hung over its shoulders like a cape, shaped and colored like one of the cherry blossoms Wild showed them once. A pink flower crown sat on its silky, shoulder-length hair. It had a handsome little black bowtie on its collar, and as a slightly disturbing small detail, it had no face.

“Huh,” was Twilight’s intelligent contribution.

Four looked from the Slate’s screen to the pacing little stranger, curiosity in the purple of his eyes. “They don’t seem hostile at all.”

Hyrule shook his head. “It’s not a monster, I can at least say that.”

Warriors moved his hand off the hilt of his sword. “Is it dangerous, though?”

“Just look at them, Captain.” Sky smiled. “They can’t be much taller than the Smith.”

Legend spoke up, probably tired of standing around. “Well, it’s not coming any closer. Shouldn’t we go find out what it wants?”

Time nodded and took the lead. “Yes. If they’re friendly and they can understand us, they might be able to help.”

Wind followed at his side, Wild dashing in front of them both. Warriors walked at Wind’s other side, keeping his hand near his sword hilt.

The little mystery creature stopped pacing and stood still when they all started moving. They spread out as they walked. Before the group could get too close to them, though, they took a few steps backward.

“Ah.” Time paused, stopping the rest in their tracks. “Of course. We shouldn’t crowd them, we’re making them uneasy.”

The group stood there for a moment. Wind waved at the stranger.

Wild nudged Wind forward, catching the group’s attention and stopping the whispered chat Hyrule and Legend were having.

He smiled down at him. “How about the two of us try our luck? Diplomacy might be easier with someone closer to their size.”

Wind glanced at where they were standing, and at the warm glow falling on the sand by their feet. He heard Time hum in agreement.

Shrugging, he stepped up to Wild’s side. “Sure.”

While the two of them walked up to them, Wind watched the odd little stranger. This was a different kind of new compared to what they’d seen on this adventure before. Nobody had recognized the creature. They’d never run into anything none of them could recognize before, besides the Shadow. Is there a chance they could be connected? Their magic felt new, but familiar. It matched the presence he felt after coming through the portal earlier, but there was something else that he couldn’t quite put his finger on.

The closer they got, the thicker their magic aura seemed. It reminded him of fairies more than the Shadow. Dense, but light. It resonated with the bit of energy the portal left with him.

Wind and Wild stopped just a few feet away from the stranger, trying to decide what to do. Up close, they looked just as harmless as they had before. They were only a couple inches taller than Wind, at most, and they carried some kind of instrument on their back. They seemed like they were at just as much a loss as Wind and Wild were, unable to decide which of them to look at.

Wild grinned. They recoiled in response, standing up a little straighter. The movement made Wild hesitate.

Wind took the opportunity to wave and give them his own small smile. “Hi!”

Their attention finally settled on him, while Wild watched, curious. They let out a soft, tentative… honk? Or was it more of a chirp? It was the first noise he’d heard them make, and it definitely didn’t sound like Hylian, or any other language Wind knew of. It didn’t sound like a language at all.

Wind and Wild exchanged glances. The winged kid looked like it was waiting for some kind of response.

Wind addressed them again, offering a confused smile. “Sorry, do you speak Hylian? Or – do you understand us?”

They tilted their head and chirped – cooed? – again. One of Wind’s eyebrows furrowed. He repeated the question in sign. They tried to copy the gestures, not giving any indication that they understood.

Wild sighed. “That seems like a no.”

Cooing again, they took a step closer to Wind.

“At least they’re friendly,” Wild smiled. “And they look more comfortable now.”

Wind felt more comfortable, too. Their magic aura may have been thick and foreign, but it was also light and peaceful. It glowed with curiosity and excitement.

He felt their magic reach out towards him before he saw them move. Pulling a large white candle out of nowhere, they got down on one knee. They held it out to him, an open and questioning gesture.

Wind hesitated, looking around for help. “Uhh…”

No one offered any. Wild was blinking at the candle, confused, and the rest were inching their way over but still at yelling distance.

Wind glanced between the candle and its holder’s face – or lack thereof. With the extra light of the candle, though, he noticed… eyelids? Yes, looking closely, he could make out their closed eyes and thick eyelashes. The line of their eyes was mostly relaxed, but it got more tense as the seconds passed.

He turned to Wild, gesturing at the candle and making a face.

Wild shrugged.

Wind looked between the magical stranger and the candle once more.

“This better not be legally binding or something,” he muttered.

With a deep breath, he reached forward and took it. The wax broke apart under his fingertips, rising into little specks of light. He watched, wide-eyed. The candle flaked away and left their hands, every piece shining like its own candle flame. The flecks swirled around him on a wave of magic. He shuddered. They were trying to gather back together inside him, to meld to his very soul. The feeling was… strange. Warm, in an almost piercing way. The light slipped underneath his skin, but failed to reach any farther. It didn’t seem to find the space it needed, like he wasn’t made to receive it. It contented itself with settling there, clinging to his bit of portal energy and causing an unnatural buzz.

Wind shook himself. The magic calmed and smoothed out, buzz fading away. When he looked back at the glowy stranger, they stepped toward him and cooed twice. Now that he knew to look, he could see their eyes curving upward, like they were smiling.

Warriors’ voice announced his arrival behind them. “What was that?”

Wind looked over his shoulder at the other seven members of the group, who stood a few feet away. Warriors’ face held mostly confusion with a little pinch of alarm. Time was unreadable, as usual. Legend, Hyrule, and Twilight seemed to be mulling over what had happened in the last minute. Four and Sky stared in mild puzzlement and curiosity.

Ever helpful, Wild shrugged.

Wind smiled sheepishly. “I have no idea–”

The winged kid caught his attention again, holding their hand out towards him.

“Um…” He blinked. “Do you… want a handshake?”

Wild crossed his arms and watched.

Wind’s gaze drifted to their face. They radiated patience, open curiosity. The magic under his skin was ready to reach out and meet the waiting hand, almost looking forward to it.

With a quiet exhale, he reached forward and took their hand. The magic bubbling under his skin connected with their being, lines blurring, as if it were part of them again while still in his body.

Their skin felt strange, firm and textured like baked clay. They held on firmly, but no handshake commenced. Instead, they turned around and started walking off, dragging him along.

“Uhh.”

He glanced back at the others, who followed a few feet behind. They looked even more curious, confused, or apprehensive than before.

The winged stranger only took a few quickening steps, though, before they launched themself into the air with him in tow. He yelped. The shouts of his companions barely registered over the wind whipping at his hair. It was a familiar but unexpected feeling – which ended when they reached the peak of their momentum a second later.

His stomach dropped. Their grip, though firm, was slipping. Flapping a couple times more, they strengthened the hold with their other hand. They wobbled in the air as they started gliding east.

He stiffened. Over the quickening of his heartbeat, he realized they were carrying him off.

He twisted and shook his arm wildly, ignoring the winged stranger’s startled chirps. It slid, slipped, and with a yell of both triumph and alarm, he was falling. He had his Deku leaf in hand within the second, catching himself gracefully.

They fluttered around him, honking and chirping as they descended. Shaking off the last little bit of surprise, he landed in the middle of the relieved group of heroes and stowed away the leaf. His wannabe kidnapper landed next to him. That appeared to be a mistake; Warriors had them at sword point a second later.

Wild and Twilight were by Wind’s side, looking him over. They seemed mostly satisfied when they couldn’t see any obvious injuries.

“You okay?” Wild asked, guilt peeking through the cracks in his expression.

Wind shrugged off their concern. “Yeah, unless that candle thing was some kind of curse.”

From the edge of the group, Hyrule shook his head absently. “No, no, it wasn’t.”

He was paying more attention to the small conflict in the front half of the group.

“What do you want!?” Warriors snapped at the glowy stranger, more annoyed than angry.

They responded with a couple of calm coos.

The group watched, puzzled, as they grabbed his blade and moved it aside. They then attempted to walk past him toward Wind, but none of the heroes were about to let them pass. Warriors pushed them back, several others backing him up. They honked at the wall of armed swordsmen in front of them, then at Wind. He could just barely make out the frown in their eyes.

Still curious, he waved the others off. “It’s alright, guys, they couldn’t have carried me much longer even if I wanted them to. You can let them through.”

The group exchanged glances.

“If you’re sure.” Time stepped aside and sheathed his sword, keeping an eye on the little glowing stranger.

The rest followed suit, forming a tight circle around Wind and his wannabe kidnapper. The stranger in question stepped up to meet him, chirping. Their frown had lessened, but some concern still stayed.

“What was that whole thing about?” Legend asked, giving them a suspicious squint.

Shrugging, Wind leaned forward to get a better look at their face. “I have no idea.”

The winged stranger lifted their arm and offered their hand to him again, an exact mirror of the pose they took before. Wild and Twilight stepped closer, tense.

Wind made a face and shook his head. His communication finally seemed successful. They retracted their hand and scratched their head, thoughtful and maybe puzzled. The group watched them like a hawk, waiting for their next move. The serious looks on their faces almost made Wind want to make an expression that would break their composure. Wild would laugh, definitely.

Wind’s new glowing acquaintance raised their hand and pointed at him. Then they turned around and pointed east, towards the huge building.

“Maybe they want to take you there?” Legend wondered aloud.

“Huh.” One of Wind’s eyebrows scrunched. “Seems like it.”

“What for, though?” muttered Warriors.

Wild crossed his arms. “Well, we’re not just gonna let them take you alone.”

Wind nodded, and turned his attention to addressing the stranger. They were still watching and waiting for some kind of response.

He made a wide gesture toward the entire group. “Can we all…”

He pointed at the big building, just like they had.

“… go there together?”

They seemed to brighten a bit, nodding. A bit more tension leaked out of the group.

“Well, we don’t really have any other directions to go,” Sky shrugged. “And who knows, maybe they’re here to tell us where we need to be?”

Warriors stared at the stranger. “They could be leading us into a trap.”

Hyrule was examining them closely. He frowned, but didn’t add anything to Warriors’ statement.

Time held his chin in one armored hand. “We don’t need to lower our guard, but this may be the best lead we have to figure out why we’re here.”

“That’s true,” Warriors muttered, lowering his head.

The glowy kid chirped and turned around, pushing their way back out of the group – almost tripping Warriors in the process. After several steps east, they stopped and called impatiently over their shoulder.

Four glanced between them and the members of the group. “So, no one has any better ideas.”

Wind shrugged. Wild and Twilight exchanged glances.

Squinting forward, Wind started walking. “Don’t think so.”

He was joined soon enough by the rest of the group. Warriors, Time, and Sky walked with him behind their little winged guide, who hopped on in silence a few paces ahead.

Warriors watched them, curious and perhaps still a bit wary. “They haven’t shown any signs of fear since the Sailor first talked to them, not even at my sword.”

While Time and Legend hummed thoughtfully, Wind piped up.

“It’s not all that strange to me that they weren’t scared of your sword,” he said, stretching his arms behind his head. “If their hands were any sign, you’d have a hard time doing any damage to them with sharp stuff.”

This piqued the group’s curiosity.

“How’s that?” asked Legend.

“Their skin is…”

Wind must have made that face he makes sometimes when he’s thinking, because Wild chuckled. Wind shot him a glare and went back to explaining.

“It’s hard, like a pot. It felt like what a pot’s made of, anyway. Can’t tell how thick it is, of course, but you’d have more luck with a hammer.”

“That’s good to know,” Warriors said, resting a hand on his chin. “But still, they’re so small, and we’re all clearly heavily armed. They should at least still be wary of us, unless they’re more powerful than they’re letting on – or they know something we don’t.”

“They do have a strong magic presence, but nothing about it seems dangerous,” Hyrule added, brows furrowed.

“It’s possible they don’t know to be afraid,” Twilight offered. “If it’s as peaceful as it seems here, maybe they don’t face threats often.”

Four’s eyes had darkened into a deep violet. “True, but then why would they be so wary until the Sailor talked to them? Maybe…”

“It’s possible they’ve never seen a hylian before,” Time said, without turning his head. “They recognized that he was attempting to communicate, though, and I suppose that must have been enough for them to decide we weren’t a threat.”

Legend frowned. “What’s up with the magic here, is my question. It feels so different, and I think the portal gave me some sort of magic mark that isn’t going away.”

“Oh yeah, me too,” said Wind. He’d almost forgotten about that.

Six other members of the group made a similar comment.

Twilight glanced around at them, puzzled. “… Magic mark?”

“You’re the only one that doesn’t have it?” Legend mused.

“I… guess so.”

“There’s… something about that…” Hyrule walked with Legend to the side of the group, inspecting their little guide from a distance.

Legend hummed, encouraging him to continue.

“The magic they have, it’s almost exactly the same as whatever the portal gave us – and very close to the portal itself.”

Wind blinked. He’d distantly made that connection when the magic stranger gave him the candle, but it didn’t stick with him.

“That’s right,” muttered Legend, squinting at them.

Slight tension hardened Warriors’ voice. “Do you mean they might have been involved in bringing us here?”

“I’m not sure.” Hyrule crossed his arms. “They couldn’t have done it by themselves, though, they don’t have nearly enough power.”

Time slowed his steps, speaking without turning his head. “If they were involved, we need to discover their motives.”

“And find out where we even are...” Warriors sighed. “There’s too much we don’t know. I don’t like it.”

Wind turned his own attention back to their strange guide. They were friendly, despite the probable misunderstanding and short conflict earlier. They were calm and warm. They had waited for him to take their hand, and respected his refusal.

It was hard to imagine the little stranger having bad intentions. He supposed, though, that most people would also find it hard to believe certain things about him.

Wind rubbed away the faint buzz of magic in his chest.

Chapter Text

The sun rose ahead, casting its rays across the sand to meet them. The heroes’ little guide set a brisk pace as they led them across the sandy rock.

Several quiet minutes went by, with the occasional observation or remark. When they reached the edge of the monolith, though, they encountered a problem.

“Anyone want to ride with me?” Wild grinned. “My paraglider can take an extra person if all we need is a safe landing.”

Warriors grimaced. “Shouldn’t we look for another way down? There must be a path, at least. There’s intelligent life here.”

He gestured to the little stranger, who innocently looked up at him.

“Intelligent life with wings,” Legend pointed out dryly. “Would you bother with stairs or trails if you had wings?”

“We could try to ask, I suppose,” suggested Time.

Warriors looked around for a volunteer. His companions looked back at him.

“… Sailor? You were able to communicate with them earlier.”

Wind shook his head, smiling. “I’m fine, I’ve got my leaf.”

Sighing, Warriors turned to the little glowing one. “Alright. Hi.”

An awkward pause followed.

They tilted their head and chirped at him.

He continued slowly. “Is there… a path?”

Making sure they could see his gestures, he walked his fingers in the air, then pointed to the cliff and waved it away.

“Without cliffs?”

He threw in a shrug for good measure.

His conversation partner scratched the back of their head. They were quiet for a moment, looking a little confused. They just shrugged and pointed at the building in the distance again.

He and the other members of the group without any gliding equipment resigned themselves to their fate.

Wind pointed. “Couldn’t they carry someone down?”

At Wind’s gesture, all eyes turned to their winged guide. They startled at the sudden attention, head swiveling between each hylian in rapid succession. For a second, the group just watched them. Then the little stranger crossed their arms and honked at them.

Sky snorted at the sound. “Considering how high they were able to carry the Sailor, I think they could.”

“But do we trust them enough to let them do it?” Warriors said, eyeing the small, winged stranger.

Wind looked up at Time.

The man had a hand on his chin, considering the question with a slight frown. He slowly shook his head.

Legend nudged Hyrule’s shoulder, redirecting the group’s attention to him. “What do you think, Traveler? Can we trust them not to drop us, or kidnap us, or something?”

Hyrule hesitated. “Maybe...? If there are people on the ground and up here ready to intervene.”

Time and Warriors exchanged glances. Twilight looked pensive.

Hyrule’s healthy distrust of strangers – healthy as in very great – wasn’t something Wind had witnessed at its peak, being one of the later heroes to join the group. He’d heard about it from Legend, though. The fact that Hyrule was willing to trust the little guide seemed like a good sign.

“Well, there’s six of us who can’t get down by ourselves and wouldn’t be able to intervene,” Four pointed out.

Wild perked up. “I can climb back up the cliff to bring more people down,” He offered, pulling out his climbing headband.

Nodding, Time lowered his hand. “I suppose it could work.”

Warriors looked at the winged stranger, lips pursed, and then at the steepening incline of the rock. The little stranger had their arms crossed, squeaking impatiently.

He sighed. “Well, let’s not waste time. I’m not letting them carry me, though.”

Sky and Wild situated Four and Legend on their backs, and then slid down the sandy cliff. They waited long enough to break their fall that Twilight and Warriors grimaced. The little winged one watched them go, curious. Their head swiveled between them and the other half of the group, seemingly gauging whether or not they should follow.

After unloading their passengers at the bottom, Wild and Sky each waved up at the group on top of the cliff. Wind waved back, smiling, and Wild started climbing the rock wall.

Time gestured to the little winged stranger, who tilted their head. “Alright, who’ll be volunteering to ask them for a ride?”

Stepping closer to their little guide and the cliff, Wind saw Twilight glance over his shoulder at Hyrule. The Traveler in question was a little tense. He didn’t look like he wanted to exercise his trust of strangers any further.

Twilight hesitated for a moment, then approached the winged stranger. Wind watched with one eyebrow raised. Giving them a gentle smile, Twilight raised his hands to sign as he spoke.

The Rancher talked to them slowly and clearly. “Hello. Do you mind carrying me to the bottom of the cliff?”

As expected, they gave him the most literal blank stare Wind had ever seen.

Warriors sighed.

Switching to the one method that had worked so far, Twilight began making broad gestures along with his words.

“Will you carry me…” He gestured to them, and then himself. “…Down there?”

He pointed to the bottom of the cliff. They glanced down there, tilting their head. Straightening up, they watched him for a few seconds. Twilight waited.

When he didn’t say or do anything else, the guide gave a hesitant little nod.

Warriors put his hands on his hips. “Well, see you down there in one piece, hopefully.”

Giving Warriors a distracted but amused glance, Twilight extended his hand to the little winged one.

They looked between it and his patient face. Then they raised their own hand, reaching up to take it. Their fingers touched his palm – and they sprung backwards, staring at him, arms clutched to their chest. Time and Warriors’ stances widened minutely. Hyrule’s hand shot to his sword hilt. Wind’s wide eyes jumped between them, puzzled.

Hand falling, Twilight blinked in confusion.

He took a step toward them. “Are you –”

The little winged stranger leapt for the cliff before he could finish his sentence.

“Wait!” Wind shouted, reaching for them as they picked up speed.

They launched themself into the air, leaving behind a shower of sparks. Their wings carried them toward the eastern horizon.

The five heroes stared at their shrinking form.

Twilight looked down at the hand he had offered them. “Why would they…”

The tension leaked back out of Hyrule’s shoulders, but he hadn’t lowered his hand from his sword hilt just yet. “Something spooked them.”

Wind frowned, rubbing his chest. “None of us even moved, Rancher was being super nice–”

He threw his arms up to emphasize his point.

“What could’ve scared them off!?”

“Well, if we need to know, we’d have to follow them,” said Warriors. He didn’t seem thrilled at the idea.

“Hey, guys!”

Their heads swiveled back to the cliff, where Wild was working his way towards them in his climbing gear.

“What’s up? Why did the little cherry fairy fly off?”

While he gained his footing and stood up on the sandy slope, Time shook his head.

“We don’t know. They seemed startled when they touched the Rancher’s hand, and then… they left.”

Wild glanced over his shoulder at their former guide’s shrinking silhouette. “Are we still following them, then? Any change of plan?”

Time and Warriors exchanged glances. The Captain crossed his arms, but stayed quiet.

Time nodded. “The sky knight had a point earlier. We can see the entire island from here, and there is nothing else of such obvious significance. That temple likely has answers for us.”

Setting his hands on his hips, Wild smiled. “Alright then, you four need a ride?”

Warriors accepted the offer with a healthy amount of reluctance.

Time’s armor was too heavy to carry with him, so he let Wind take a few pieces. Wind immediately tried them on of course, to the others’ amusement and or exasperation.

Sky, Legend, and Four got an account of the little stranger’s odd behavior while Wild climbed back up the cliff.

Once they were all dangerously ferried to the base of the monolith, they resumed their walking.

The dunes stretched on between them and their destination, pure and smooth before their feet disturbed them. Not everywhere, though. Sometimes, a set of little dimples in the sand would catch Wind’s eye, long lines of them that started and stopped with a peculiar abruptness. His absent mind recognized them as footprints, the kind their former guide would leave. Once or twice, the group did catch a glimpse of another small, winged figure gliding toward the cloud wall.

None of that kept Wind’s attention for very long. Every so often, he would cast a wistful glance to the south, where the sand sloped down and met the water. The sea sparkled brilliantly under the rising sun, peaceful and rolling gently. The sight would have called to him… but the waves were too small, the water too dark, and the sand too grey. The more he looked, the less familiar it seemed. Even the air was wrong, heavy in a way more alien than any breath he’d ever taken before going through that portal.

It was painfully obvious that this was not the place he wished it was.

Wind pulled his gaze back to their destination, rubbing the static out of his chest.

Time, who had fallen to the rear with Wind and Sky despite being one of the better-traveled members of the group, glanced over as he did so. He might have intended it to be subtle, but he had to turn his head to see him with his good eye.

The Sailor met his eye for a moment.

Keeping his head turned just enough to focus on Wind, Time drifted a bit closer to him.

“Is there something bothering you, Sailor?” he asked quietly.

Wind crossed his arms, looking down at his feet.

This place was no home to any of them. He was not the exception.

Wind shrugged. “That… spell-thing, or whatever they did makes my skin a little tingly. It’s nothing much.”

“When did that start?” Time’s voice was a touch tenser than before.

It was probably not the most reassuring answer, now that he thought about it, since most of them knew firsthand what magic could do to people.

“When they cast it.” He swung his arms casually. “It’s not all the time, it goes away for a while when I rub at it.”

“Has it changed since then?”

He thought for a second, stretching his arms behind his back. “It’s getting less tingly. Hyrule said it wasn’t a curse or something, so I’m not worried about it.”

Time hummed. They walked in silence for a minute.

Wind wondered if he was calming down, or just making himself seem calmer than he was. He did that a lot.

“Tell us if anything changes,” Time concluded.

“Mhm.”

Wind glanced over at him. He looked satisfied, but you never knew with the Old Man.

A few paces ahead of them, Legend made a curious sound. “Hm? What’s that?”

Wind looked up. Wild had gone ahead up the dune they were climbing. He was waving to them from where he stood next to something dark in the sand, surrounded by flashing, fluttering lights.

Wind pushed forward through the sand. “It looks like…”

He passed the other members of the group, headed for the object of their curiosity.

Planting his feet in the sand, he squinted at the thing. “A boat?”

The dark object was apparently one end of a stone gondola, sticking straight up out of the ground with a tattered flag tied to the top of it. Next to it laid a couple half-buried stone pots, and a flock of butterflies made of pure golden light fluttered around Wind’s head.

“These can’t be fairies, can they?” Wild gestured at the bright little things. “They seem too… magical, to just be butterflies.”

Time stepped into the flock, raising one armored hand. He stood still, patient and calm as a statue.

One bright golden butterfly took the invitation, resting light on his finger. Its wings moved up and down slowly while it turned this way and that, peeking through the joints in his gauntlet.

A soft smile made its way onto his face. “Not fairies, but perhaps still hoping to help.”

“So just magic butterflies?” asked Wild, watching one intently as it circled around him.

Legend and Hyrule entered the swarm, casting curious glances at the one on Time’s finger. A few fluttering lights dashed over to meet them. Intrigued, the rest of the group joined them.

The butterflies were happy to humor Sky’s eager summons, and to tickle Wind’s nose. He sneezed, causing one in his hair to flutter upwards for a moment. It felt lighter and more tickly than when Ciela used to sit on his head. Legend and Hyrule were covered in glowy bugs, Hyrule more so. He had to stand still to avoid disturbing the bunch that had landed on him, but he looked happy. Warriors almost got a glowing bug to the eye, which Legend and Wind couldn’t not laugh at, of course. One landed on Four’s hand, who smiled, eyes shining red from the glow of its wings. Wild was following another butterfly’s example and spinning around.

Twilight walked past Wind, smiling at Wild. As he passed, the couple butterflies settled on Wind darted away, wingbeats so quick he could barely see them.

Wind glanced around at the flock, frowning. All the butterflies were keeping their distance from Twilight. It was like there was some bubble around him that they refused to enter, not even for a moment.

He reached Wild, and the butterfly he’d been mimicking flew off into the rest of the swarm. Twilight’s shoulders sagged.

Wind smiled at the butterflies as they came back to land on him.

Rubbing his eyes, Warriors gestured to the boat. “This must mean there’s a town nearby, right? It looks too small to take on a long trip.”

Wild frowned. “I don’t know, it looks… old.”

“There’s no way that thing ever floated,” Wind scoffed. “What kind of shipwright makes a boat out of stone?”

Legend shrugged, brushing some sand off the tip of the boat. “I’ve seen a lot of crazy stuff. A floating stone boat wouldn’t surprise me.”

“We should continue on now,” said Time.

He nodded at the butterfly resting on his hand, and gently blew it back into the air.

“If there is a town nearby, it would be best to find it sooner rather than later.”

He started the trudge up the dune. Eight other heroes followed suit.

Wind grinned over his shoulder at the flock of fluttering lights, waving goodbye. He could almost imagine they waved back, with all their bobbing up and down in the air.

Chapter Text

With the overturned boat and magic butterflies behind them, the top of the dune was just a little farther ahead.

The slope wasn’t particularly steep, but the sand made it feel steeper. It just wouldn’t stay still under Wind’s feet. That was to be expected, this was sand after all, but only to an extent. Beaches were usually flat, and they certainly didn’t have sand this slippery.

Wind bit down on a complaint about not being able to take a boat instead.

“Walking up all these dunes is awful,” Sky huffed. “If only we could fly instead…”

Legend rolled his eyes. “Of course you’re already jealous of that winged creature. We’ve been walking for less than fifteen minutes, do you want Hylia to descend from on high to grant you wings or something?”

Sky perked up, giving him a smile for his dry remark. “You know what, that’s not a bad idea. I’ll ask her about it when I make it back to Skyloft.”

Wind chuckled.

Wild had gone ahead again, waiting for them at the top of the dune. The temple towered over him in the distance. While they caught up, he pulled out his Slate and took a pictograph of the view.

Twilight stopped at his side. “Hm. It looks like people lived here at some point…”

Taking the last few steps to the peak of the dune, Wind took in the sandy valley below them.

It was ringed by tall rock formations that seemed man-made to some degree. Some more stone boats were strewn about. In a small cliffside off to the left, he could see a couple smooth, circular openings in the rock.

The largest rock formation in the valley sat on the far edge of the sand. A huge, dock-like structure, that rose up to point at the looming temple perched in the clouds.

“Okay, we should have talked about this sooner.” Warriors threw his hands up. “How on Hylia’s green earth are we getting up there?”

“Maybe we’ll find a way up when we get closer,” suggested Wild.

He turned and grinned at Twilight, pulling out his shield.

“Race to the bottom?”

Smiling back, Twilight readied his own shield.

They shot off down the slope, leaving their companions to walk while they shield-surfed. Wind watched them go. It looked as fun as it was fast, and it required no walking at all. Wild and Twilight made it look easy, too.

He reached for his own shield, but Warriors caught his arm.

“Nope, we aren’t having any more complications today.”

Wind smiled sheepishly at him, shrugging. “Gotta keep you on your toes, Captain.”

The two of them joined their other companions in trudging down the dune.

Wild and Twilight slowed to a stop in the lowest part of the valley and started poking around. While Twilight headed for the holes in the rock, Wild inspected the large rock formation. He puttered around the base of it, raising his hand in the air.

Wind sighed. Losing interest in watching them explore, he glanced around. The ocean was no longer in sight, just walls of sand on either side.

“Huh? Do you see that?”

Ah, looks like he wouldn’t have time to feel sad about that now.

Sky peered up at the temple. He and Time paused to watch it. Stopping beside them, Wind followed their gazes.

In the shadow of the towering structure, something was floating down toward the valley. From what he could tell, it was large, but not very. It was dark except for a bright head – figurehead? Front?

He squinted at it. “What’s that?”

Below, Twilight had gone back to Wild’s side. They were both watching it approach from the base of the dock-like rock.

Warriors and Legend resumed walking, the rest following suit.

“It’s headed for the Rancher and Champion,” Warriors observed coldly.

Their pace sped up a bit, but the closer they got to the thing, the less urgent the situation seemed. It had no visible limbs and looked mostly flat and grey, except for whatever lead at the front. Looking closer, that figurehead wasn’t even part of the object.

Sky laughed. “Is that the flowery fairy?!”

“It must be,” muttered Wind with a snort.

Frowning, Legend brought them back to the larger question. “But what do they have with them?”

Wind squinted, shading his eyes. Then he dropped his arm with an incredulous laugh. “It’s a boat – a floating stone boat!”

“Really now,” Legend said, a touch of humor audible in his voice.

They crossed the last stretch of sand between them and their two other companions.

Wild’s smile was beyond intrigued. “They actually have a magic floating boat!”

He gestured up at it.

“Do you think they might have gotten it for us?”

Twilight blinked. “Did they…”

“Hm.” Warriors raised a brow. “They did seem very determined to get us there.”

Sky craned his neck up to get a good look. “Floating people, floating boats… maybe they’ll make it complete with floating islands!”

The group watched the boat and its pink-winged figurehead sweep down, behind, and around them. They landed and slid to a smooth stop, facing the temple.

Curious, Wind and Wild went to meet them, the others close behind.

The winged kid’s gaze lingered on the group.

Wind couldn’t tell exactly where they were looking, but he smiled and waved. “Hi again!”

They turned their head towards him and waved back.

Wild gestured to the boat, tilting his head. “Is this for us?”

They chirped, pointing at him and then the boat.

“That doesn’t look…” Warriors eyed it skeptically. “… quite big enough for all of us.”

“Are we sure this is safe?” Hyrule added.

“Not at all,” replied Time. “But they’ve proven themselves harmless enough. I’m more concerned with why they’re so eager to take us there.”

A deep, steady sound rang out from the temple, turning nine heads toward it. It echoed through the valley, up the dunes, passing them by and fading slowly.

It felt like it meant something, at the back of Wind’s mind. He just couldn’t put his finger on it.

“A bell?” Four whispered.

Warriors looked between the boat and the temple thoughtfully. “So, there are people in that temple. And they aren’t keeping their presence a secret.”

“There could be people,” said Legend.

He exchanged glances with Hyrule, who squinted at the looming building.

“A beacon…?” the Traveler muttered under his breath.

“What’s that, Traveler?” asked Time.

Legend carried on whatever Hyrule was thinking, with a rather skeptical look at the temple. “I guess it feels like the bell is saying… magically… that we should go there.”

And that thing dislodged from the back of Wind’s mind. That’s what it meant. The tolling of the bell was a guide, perhaps not just for them if the signs of life they’d seen so far were any indication. That building was important, and the little winged stranger seemed to know why.

Wind smiled and hopped on at the bow of the boat. “Well, seems like a good enough sign to take the scenic route.”

No one objected. Out loud, at least.

The small winged sprite honked, either in agreement or impatience.

Time approached the boat. “Those with gliding equipment should spread themselves across the boat, just in case.”

He took a seat in the middle, and Wild squeezed in next to him. Sky took the back.

It was a tight fit, but all nine of them managed to find somewhat safe positions. Their winged guide watched, quietly shifting their feet or stretching their arms.

They chirped once the group was situated. Wind gave them a bright nod and a thumbs up, which they tilted their head at. They turned around, though, and started walking.

As the boat began sliding across the sand, Wind smiled over his shoulder at his companions, who looked back with various kinds of anticipation.

“Hope none of you landlubbers get air-sick!” he teased.

The winged one sped up to a hopping run, and then leapt into the air. The front of the boat followed suit – almost dumping out its passengers. Wind’s grip on the bow tightened, laughing with his companions’ various exclamations.

He heard their guide chirp as the deck leveled out, an apology, maybe.

From there, it was a smooth ride with a great view.

Wind’s namesake carried them up toward the temple, higher than the top of the monolith they’d arrived on, and showed them the entirety of the sandy isle they’d crossed. The dunes glittered, giant stones scattered across them. Past its three shores, the calm ocean stretched out to each horizon.

Sighing, Wind leaned back on the bow of the boat, facing his companions, and let the breeze tousle his hair.

Wild smiled. “It would be great if we had a view like this every day, wouldn’t it?”

Wind beamed back. “You bet. And from a boat, no less!”

“Well, maybe it’s just me,” Legend pointed out dryly, “but I think it would be better with proper rails.”

“I agree with the Vet for once,” said Warriors, peering over the edge.

Wild waved them off. “Come on, trying new things is good!”

“I’m not keen on trying out death, thank you,” Legend muttered.

Chuckling, Wind turned around to face the bow and their guide again.

“How’s it going up there?” he hollered.

The glowy flying one didn’t seem to notice for a moment. Then they tilted their head, listing a bit to the right, and honked back.

“It might not be wise to distract the one guiding the boat,” Time pointed out, with a hint of a smile in his voice.

Wind shrugged. “They’re fine. I don’t think they could go off course in this wind if they tried.”

“Yeah, I wonder what makes it so strong?” remarked Sky.

 “Hopefully whoever’s up there can tell us all about this place.” Wild leaned into the breeze. “It’s pretty, in a way. Reminds me a bit of home.”

Wind glanced over at the sparkling blue ocean.

His smile softened. “Yeah.”

“Those clouds are thick,” Four pointed out, leaning over the edge in the back half of the boat.

Twilight tried to pull him farther inside the railing, making that face he made when he was trying to remind himself that the smaller heroes didn't need to be doted on.

Legend squinted down at said clouds. “They look… very fluffy. Almost solid.”

“Oh? You mean these clouds are special?” Sky tilted his head. “Well, that’s another point for this place being like Skyloft.”

Wind’s gaze wandered once the topic was dropped. He peered up at the looming temple, which didn’t look much closer than it had a minute ago.

“Wait, how long has it been since we started flying?”

“Four minutes and thirty-eight – thirty-nine seconds.”

Eight pairs of eyes landed on Time.

He looked around at them. “What?”

“It just never stops being weird,” Four said, shaking his head.

Wild shrugged. “Well, we’re not getting there for a few more minutes. Who wants to bet on which one of us is the most likely to throw up from the ride?”

Sky, Wild, and Wind boasted no votes for themselves. Warriors voted for Legend, which of course immediately earned him a vote in return.

Wind yelled in their winged guide’s direction to ask for their vote, which was a calm chirp.

“They said the Captain!” he howled.

“Oh they did, did they?”

Twilight elected not to vote, for his own sake.

The others gave him mercy, except Four, who still had a concerning disregard for heights despite there being no way for him to break his fall.

The playful dispute went on a few minutes, until the wind died down and their ascent slowed. Their guide honked, bringing the group’s attention to the front.

The boat was level with the top of the temple’s huge entrance. The sight was no less grand than from afar, but the age of the building was unmistakable now.

Large cracks ran through the massive slabs of rock that made its walls, faded patches of blue paint lining the higher stone surfaces. Multiple rocky towers poked up from the roof, resembling the artificial-looking formations in the valley. Their edges were worn down by a great deal of weathering. It looked like nobody had cared for this building in a very long time.

“… I’m not convinced there’s anyone here,” commented Legend.

The plateau the temple stood on was covered in grass, except for a little sandy trail leading to the entrance. Their flying guide gradually steepened the angle of their descent, aiming for the trail. They sped up as they did, causing their passengers to brace themselves.

“Are they going to crash us?!” Warriors yelled.

Wind grinned, holding on tight to the bow of the boat, listening to Wild whoop and Sky laugh. He stared wide-eyed at the rapidly approaching ground, far too close – then their guide flared out their wings, bringing them and their passengers to a stop barely three feet from the ground.

Most of their passengers, that is. Four, who had been leaning over the side again, tumbled out and ate dirt.

While the boat and its guide landed gently on the trail, Twilight shook his head. His other companions chuckled.

Wind hopped off the bow of the boat, followed by the rest of the group. Four got up and brushed himself off, muttering something about a rock’s cake, whatever that meant. Their quiet guide stood by while they gathered themselves.

Time raised an eyebrow at Four’s dirty hair. “Everyone well? No intense nausea or cracked skulls?”

A round of cheerful ‘yes’s, ‘yeah’s and ‘quiet, Old Man’s answered him.

Warriors stood up from stretching his legs. “Let’s head inside, then.”

Their small acquaintance took the lead once they started moving.

As they approached, Wind became more and more aware of something.

The temple radiated magic. Now this wouldn’t have been out of the ordinary for a temple, if it wasn’t this very specific, ethereal kind of magic. It hung over the place in a slightly different way here; stronger than the winged stranger, and warmer than the portal. But it was the same thick magic those two had, that was both light and heavy.

He glanced back at Legend and Hyrule. From the looks on their faces, he could tell they’d both realized already.

There was a powerful presence in this temple, one that was connected to whatever brought them here.

Some of the others seemed to figure it out when they stepped into the grand entry hall. They paused, sharing glances with each other, but carried on. Not without making sure their weapons were in easy reach, though.

They followed the winged one inside, their steps echoing down the passage. At the end of the hall, the first chamber of the temple opened up to them. The group slowed to take it in.

A few white candles, three each, burned on the two pedestals at either side of the room. They were almost outshone by the glowing white murals covering the walls. Wild wandered over to the images on the left, pulling out his Shiekah Slate.

Wind craned his head up at the lofty ceiling. It was so high up that the light from the candles and murals didn’t reach it, much of it shrouded in shadows.

Hyrule knelt to examine the candles with Legend.

As he watched their little winged guide hold a red candle – where did they get that? They definitely weren’t carrying it a second ago – up to the massive, decorated blue door at the end of the chamber, Wind felt like there was something missing.

“This place looks empty,” said Legend, gesturing to the largeness of the recently unoccupied room. “No monsters, no puzzles, but a huge magic aura? I don’t like it.”

Four scraped the floor with his boot. “Well if this place is abandoned… how did the bell ring?”

A rumble answered him. All eyes turned to the double door at the end of the room, that their little guide stood in front of.

It slid slowly, scraping open, gracing them with soft light. Beyond was another chamber, much bigger than the one they stood in, illuminated by the sunlight filtered through tall metal grates and echoing with faint birdsong.

In the middle of it, on a platform at the end of a walkway, stood a plain stone shrine. A single white candle sat lit on the pedestal in front of it.

The strange little candlebearer skipped through the door. The group started to follow.

Legend and Hyrule fell in step next to Wind.

“Did you see how they opened the door?” Legend asked him.

Wind shook his head and shrugged. “No, but it might have had something to do with their candle.”

“Woah…”

The sound brought their attention back to the doorway, where Wild stood, looking down. He went on along the walkway, but kept peering downwards curiously.

As Wind neared the threshold, he gaped as well. What he’d mistaken for a lowered floor was, in fact, an entire lack of floor. Around the shrine platform and the pathway that connected it to either end of the room, the walls stretched down and out of sight, obscured by clouds.

Wind made his way along the bridge-path, staring down at the gentle rolling blanket of fluffy white. He’d climbed some tall mountains in Wild’s era, but standing right over the clouds was a very different feeling.

Walking along the path in single file, most of the others had similar reactions. Sky and Four didn’t acknowledge it, though, to none of Wind’s surprise.

Legend’s voice echoed around the strangely shaped room. “I’m of the opinion that we should try not to find out how far down it goes.”

Reaching the platform, Wind stood by their quiet guide, who was waiting for them in front of the shrine. It soon became obvious, though, that the platform wasn’t built to house ten people comfortably, even if most of them were short. Wind, Wild, and Sky were once again pushed to the edges of the group and used as a shield from the drop.

The little guide watched them mill about until they seemed satisfied with the group’s position, and chirped.

Wind tilted his head at them. The others only spared a glance.

“This can’t be where we needed to go,” said Warriors, hands on his hips. “This place is empty.”

He gestured to the missing floor.

“Way too empty.”

Time’s brow furrowed. “Hm. The magic–”

The little winged one let out a loud honk, bringing seventeen eyes back to them. They tried to stare each of the nine heroes in the eye – as well as they could, with theirs closed – and pointedly turned around, sitting down at the foot of the shrine.

With an eyebrow raised, Wind followed their example. Sky shrugged and plopped down as well. The rest exchanged glances, still standing.

A quiet moment passed. The flowery guide leapt back to their feet and chirped at them several more times. The group stared.

They pointed at Wind and nodded, then pointed around randomly at the ones still standing.

Warriors just watched. “… Uh huh.”

Their guide sat back down facing the shrine. Legend and Hyrule took a seat, keeping a close eye on the guide.

The rest followed suit, Twilight rushing to block Four off from the edge by sitting next to Wild on the left side of the platform. Warriors and Time settled by Wind on the right side.

Judging by the glances and frowns Warriors shot over his shoulder at the edge, he didn’t seem happy with the amount of safety offered to them, even with Wind between him and the drop.

Their little guide looked over their shoulder at the group, nodded, shushed them, and then lowered their head. The still, focused way they sat reminded Wind of Medli, when she was praying. Well, this was a temple…

Wind leaned forward to whisper over Warriors’ shoulder. “Hey, Old Man–”

Their guide’s head whipped around, focusing on him.

He blinked back. Wind caught a couple amused glances in the corner of his eye.

They shushed the group again and returned to that reverential posture.

Maybe they were a sage of some kind?

But before he could continue that stream of thought, something caught his eye: little golden flecks of light circling the guide, blinking in and out of existence.

The candle on the pedestal brightened. The eyes of the shrine glowed.

Suddenly, the ethereal presence grew closer, stronger, drawing them in somehow despite filling the air itself – Wind’s vision went white.

Chapter Text

Wind shook his head wildly as his vision cleared. When he looked around, they were no longer in a temple.

White birds flocked overhead, chirping together, bright feathers flashing as they flew. The platform and the pedestal with its one white candle sat in the middle of a blank, flat land. There was water behind and to their sides as far as the eye could see, rippling in the gentle breeze. Rising from the horizon in front of them was a mountain, a massive beam of light shooting from its peak into the sky.

What had really captured the attention of all ten travelers, though, was the towering figure that stood where the shrine should have been, peering down at them with glowing eyes.

Their tall, thin frame was draped in a robe of dark and light grey. Most of their face was obscured by a stone mask. The rest of it was hidden by their beard, their dark, bald head uncovered. Their beard glowed, as did the geometric markings on their robe and mask.

They lifted their huge staff, the flame suspended at its end shining. A calm, soft voice echoed around them.

“Welcome, travelers.”

Wind stared.

The group blinked, shook their heads and got their bearings, while their guide stood and started chirping at the new stranger.

They listened, nodding and stroking their beard.

Wind’s body was… weird. His limbs felt light and airy, as if they were just hanging off him idly, disconnected from his mind. He was a little numb. Their little guide pointed at him during their bird-like ramblings, and he found he couldn’t do much more than straighten up where he was sitting. He shook himself, trying to sort out his limbs, but they remained weightless.

The tall stranger lifted their gaze from the little winged one as their chirps quieted, looking over the nine heroes. The voice returned.

“Do not be alarmed. You are safe. I am Daleth, the Ferryman. The temple you rest in at the moment is mine.”

Wind stared, trying to take in the voice and the stranger. They are the same, no doubt, but the image before him didn’t seem to encompass their entire being.

Time leaned forward. He spoke in a slow and meticulous way, probably the airiness of the place making it difficult to talk.

“Where are we? Why are we here?”

Daleth waved their staff over the water. “In the realm of the Isle of Dawn. Or do you ask what kingdom you are in?”

They bent down to inspect the group closer.

“You certainly don’t appear to hail from any realm of the Kingdom of Sky. As for why you are here, I know not the purpose or the nature of your arrival. I felt an unusually strong presence in my land a short while ago, however, that ties itself to you. It is by connecting with that tie that I can now communicate with you.”

Wind felt himself adjusting to the place. Moving was easier, but he didn’t really have anywhere to go.

Having found his voice, Legend started muttering. “Presence? The portal…”

“We’re from Hyrule,” said Wild, but Wind couldn’t see his mouth move clearly. “We came through a portal.”

He made a vague gesture with both hands.

“It was big, round, bright… You know anything about it?”

Daleth straightened and stroked their beard. “Perhaps, that description does sound familiar… Hyrule, you say? That is not a kingdom I have heard of, nor have I ever encountered beings like you. I take it you are unfamiliar with the Kingdom of Sky and its people as well?”

“Yeah,” said Legend. “You said you connected with the ‘presence’ or something, right? Can you use it to send us home?”

Daleth shook their head. “That is beyond my power.”

“Figured.” Legend sighed. “Do you know how we can get back, then?”

“I am afraid I do not possess such knowledge.”

Legend facepalmed.

“However…”

Turning slowly like a tree waving in the wind, Daleth pointed their staff towards the horizon, at the great mountain and its beacon of light.

Wind’s eye caught on the little guide as they stiffened, wings rippling in a wave of some strong emotion that he couldn’t place.

Daleth continued speaking. “If such knowledge exists within this kingdom, it will be held in the Vault of Knowledge.”

The little winged one relaxed.

“The Elders of the other realms may be able to help you as well, but if the Elder of the Vault does not have the answers you seek, then no being in this kingdom does.”

“Understood,” said Time. “How do we reach this ‘Vault of Knowledge?’”

“You must travel through the realms.”

Daleth placed a gentle hand on the little guide’s head, who gave a slight start and looked up at them.

“This Sky Child and those of her kind know the kingdom well, and tend to be rather curious. I am certain there will be some willing to guide you along your journey.”

Wind leaned around Warriors’ arm and pointed at the ‘Sky Child.’ “What’s their name?”

“Their name is Caelestis.”

They said it with a sort of distant fondness. Like the kind of fondness someone might have for a friend they wanted to know better, but never had the time to visit.

Caelestis clasped her hands together sheepishly, chirping at Daleth a few times.

They nodded at her and addressed the heroes. “Caelestis apologizes for their abrupt departure earlier. She was startled by the darkness carried by one of you, and thought it best to consult me right away.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Wind saw Twilight wince.

“Darkness?” Wind frowned. “What do you mean?”

Daleth’s head inclined toward Twilight. “You are not a creature of darkness, yet you carry it.”

The Rancher kept silent, head lowered. Wind looked between him and Daleth, trying to figure out what he was missing. Wild and Four looked like they already knew.

Daleth leaned back. “You do not wish to discuss it. I understand. Know that if it is corruption you suffer from, you need only ask, and I will find whatever help can be given to you. Be aware, also, that it may be incompatible with the light of the Sky Children and other creatures of light. You may not be able to engage with them as your companions can.”

Twilight seemed to consider the equal parts confusing, compassionate, and strangely ominous-sounding statements. He fiddled with the string around his neck.

Wind’s mind wandered back to how their winged guide startled when they touched him. How the butterflies refused to go near him.

After a moment of strained silence, Twilight gave a quiet response. “How do you mean?”

Daleth gestured at Caelestis, who seemed a little awkward about the conversation they’d ended up causing. “Sky Children exchange blessings of light with those they befriend. Caelestis tells me she has already given one to someone in your company.”

Looks of realization went around.

Wind gasped. “Ohhh the candle…”

“These blessings allow them to communicate and keep track of each other, among other things. It is likely that whatever darkness you carry will prevent you from accepting one.”

“How important would these ‘blessings’ be to our journey?” Warriors asked.

Always down to business in situations like these, that’s the Captain.

Daleth stroked their beard. “In order for your guide to assist you to the best of their ability, they will need to share blessings with most of you, at the very least. A Sky Child’s blessing, however, will not break your barrier in communication. I will need to set the bond in place myself if they are to understand you.”

“Okay,” Legend said, “Well, do we have to wait around here for one of those Sky Children to volunteer? We’d probably be fine if you just gave us a map.”

Daleth blinked at his dry tone. “I am not sure what capabilities you possess. Can you fly?”

Legend exchanged glances with Hyrule. They shook their heads.

“Ah. Then I am afraid you will not get far without a guide.”

Caelestis piped up again, bringing Daleth’s attention back to her. Her chirping was shorter this time.

Daleth nodded and straightened up. “Caelestis has offered to be your guide.”

Their newly official guide bowed at them.

Wind met their closed eyes and smiled. Their lashes curved upward slowly in return.

“Oh, good,” muttered Legend. It was hard to tell whether or not he was being sarcastic.

“Do you accept this?” Daleth asked, poised to raise their staff.

The group exchanged glances. Wind watched Time and Warriors have a short conversation with their eyes – well, three of their eyes.

Time turned to face Daleth again. “Yes.”

“Very well.” Daleth gave them all a firm nod.

They lifted their staff into the air, pointed at the sky. Wind watched in awe as light streamed from the flame at its top. It headed in ten directions, reaching out to each traveler. The light swirled around them in little flecks, seeping into their skin.

Time and Warriors stood up straighter, inspecting it as it swirled.

Wind watched it sink into his arms. The flecks made little spots on his skin glow for a second, it looked cool.

He put a hand on his chest. The magic hummed slightly under his skin, but it was more comfortable than the buzzing from before.

Raising his head, he saw Caelestis welcome the light with open arms. It settled in her chest much faster than it had attached itself to him, brightening her glow for a moment.

She lowered her arms, and looked across the platform.

Wind followed her gaze. It landed on the only one that hadn’t yet gotten a blessing; Twilight.

The flecks danced around him, never touching the surface of his clothes or body, like they were repelled by a force of some kind. He glanced between them and his companions, expression uncertain. All the other flecks of light sank and disappeared under each of the others’ skin. Twilight’s blessing whirled away, back to Daleth’s staff. His face fell.

Daleth lowered their head. “It may only be a minor inconvenience, as long as you and your companions are together.”

Holding onto the string around his neck, Twilight nodded.

Wind perked up, turning back to Caelestis. “Wait, we can talk now!”

The Sky Child straightened and skipped forward. They bowed again, letting out a few bright chirps.

Wind squinted. They didn’t seem any different from before, still just sounds that carried little meaning.

“Um. Did it work?”

They nodded, eyes lifted in a cheerful curve.

Daleth rested a hand on her shoulder. The flame on their staff was smaller and dimmer than it had been before.

“I have bonded her to you and allowed her to understand you as I do, but that is all I can do for now. My power is spent.” They lowered their head in apology.

Time nodded. “Thank you for your help. May I ask where we will be headed from here?”

Resting their staff on the ground, Daleth gestured behind them. “Past the gates of this temple is the path to Daylight Prairie. It was a pleasant land, last I saw it, and from what I have heard, it continues to be so. Elder Ayin resides in the temple there. I urge you to visit them and the other Elders; they will have more power to help you than I do.”

Leaning forward, Time went on with his questions. “Is there anything at all we should be wary of on the journey?”

Daleth stroked their beard. “The Prairie is not a hazardous place. I suppose since you lack the power of flight, though, you may need to be wary of the many drops. Beyond that realm, I cannot properly warn you of any dangers.”

Time and Warriors exchanged glances.

“You mentioned creatures of darkness,” Warriors pointed out. “Monsters, correct? Are there any that we may need to fight?”

Daleth and Caelestis stared.

Wind’s brow furrowed. Was there something about what he said that they misunderstood?

Daleth blinked. “Light of Orbit, no. What would give you such an idea?”

Puzzled, Wind sat back. If there was nothing to fight, why would they be here?

Time frowned. “We travel through portals regularly, though the one that brought us here was unfamiliar. We have been following after a being that commands bands of dangerous monsters.”

He gestured to the armor he wore and the massive sword on his back.

“We fight these monsters. Our quest is to ensure that they do not cause harm or destruction of any kind. If we are here, they may be as well.”

Hand sliding deeper into their beard, Daleth’s gaze lowered to the ground. “This is… troubling news.”

Caelestis scratched their head. She chirped up at Daleth quietly.

They blinked at her, and raised their head. “Caelestis has seen none of these ‘monsters’ you speak of. I have not heard from any others regarding such a thing, but I do not receive as much word of the happenings of the realms as the other Elders.”

Daleth stood up straighter.

“I will inquire with any Children who visit, and request that they spread a warning. Should anything out of the ordinary appear, the Elders will know.”

Time and Warriors dipped their heads in respect.

Daleth’s face lifted toward the sky, eyes half-lidded. They began to raise their staff. Wind blinked and shuddered as hazy brightness grew around them.

“It is time for you to continue your journey.”

While he squinted, Wind saw Wild lean forward to speak up. “Wait, I have some questions! I, uh – Is there time?”

Daleth closed their eyes. “There is not. I apologize. I am sure, though, that you will find the answers you seek through other means.”

Time addressed them once more. “Thank you for your help.”

There was something soft in his voice that Wind couldn’t place.

Slow and sincere, Daleth nodded. “It is my duty to guide.”

Their staff reached up into the sky. The light at its end grew brighter and brighter, quicker and quicker – Wind squeezed his eyes shut, shielding them with both arms.

There was a brief second of calm nothingness. Then Wind felt his body again.

He opened his eyes, vaguely registering his companions as they muttered and stirred.

They were back in the open temple chamber, sitting in front of the shrine in the same positions as before, like nothing happened.

Caelestis stood up and stretched while Wind rubbed one of his eyes. He shook off the last of the daze and got to his feet.

“What was that?” he blurted out.

Wild shrugged from where he was shaking out one of his legs.

Twilight’s lips were pressed into a thin line. “It must have been a vision.”

“One whale of a vision,” Legend groaned, stretching his spine. “That was vivid.”

Caelestis honked, nodded, and then shrugged.

Four looked at them funny. “Right, you can understand us now.”

A deep rumble shook the temple chamber. Wind gasped, widening his stance.

Behind the shrine, a massive stone double door pulled itself open. Bright white birds flocked in, filling the air above their heads with chirping and flashes of light.

Wild hopped up the few little stairs past the shrine, over to the threshold. Sky followed. Wind slipped past Warriors to join them.

The door led out to a dock-like ledge. Beyond it stretched a great ravine of clouds, no land nor sea in sight. Just fluffy white, and countless birds riding the wind in a stream of bright feathers, flowing down the length of it.

They stared out at the rolling clouds.

Wild chuckled. “Looks like this is gonna be fun.”

The echoes of loud footsteps hurrying away caught their attention. They turned around to see Caelestis running off along the walkway, back into the first chamber of the temple, and leaving them all standing around in confusion.

“What’s she doing?” Legend asked Four, who was closest to the path.

The Smith shrugged and gestured at the giant door in front of them, with a slightly miffed expression. “I don’t know, they just pointed there and pushed me aside to get back on the walkway.”

Time stood at the top of the stairs, peering out at the soft clouds. “Well, if that is the path to the next realm–”

Warriors facepalmed. Time’s lip twitched.

“–then we will need that boat.”

Wind laughed at the mixed reactions of his companions.

They joked around for a minute, letting any lingering tension fade away.

Caelestis appeared outside the door, floating boat in tow, and settled it sideways on the ledge. The nine heroes piled in, Wind at the bow again.

“Alright!” He grinned at their guide once everyone was secure as they could be. “Let’s go!”

Caelestis chirped back, and leapt off the edge, spreading her wings.

End of Part 1 - Dawn

Chapter Text

Ellooo everybody! has been quite a while. Good news: the draft of part 2 is almost finished, less than 1k words left if i had to guess. It's a good deal shorter than part 1, maybe 3 chapters long? It might be a little early to give this estimate, but im pretty sure chapter 6 will be ready in 1 or 2 months.
in related news, im looking for skykids! I want to give people's skykids cameos in the fic, because i think making up every background character when sky is so centered around community would feel shallow. So i'd be happy if you showed me your skid, told me where theyre most likely to be (realm, and being area specific is great), and what you think their reaction to seeing the chain would be. You can put them in the comments, but i'd prefer you send an ask on Tumblr, it would be easier for you to send pictures and for me organize stuff there (i might forget about your skid if its for a later part and its just in the comments, sorryy). I'll see if there's a spot they'll fit, but unfortunately most of them will only appear for 1-2 sentences (so you dont have to worry too much about details either) ᓚᘏᗢ oh wow cat? i just found that in my emoji menu lol
Right now, i think it would be better for me not to take too many skykids for parts other than 2 (prairie) and 3 (forest), but i wont mind if you send in some for 4 (valley) and 5 (wasteland), because i already have a couple spots in part 5 that i want to fill. If im not getting very many, feel free to send in more than one! its great to have options :D You can also submit a character who's not a skykid, like an unrelated oc or a character from another piece of media, as a fun skykid-ified cameo
Also important!! The fic takes place during the second half of season of revival, where Sky was mid-December 2023, and im a stickler for continuity. So unless you can convince me that it canonically would have been around at that point, I dont plan on including any elements (like cosmetics) that were added after. I wont reject your skykid if its something minor i wouldnt end up mentioning in the fic, but do keep it in mind.
Annnd thats it! remember if you send asks you might get sneak peeks 👀 see you around!

Edit: i wanna clarify that, unless i say otherwise, cameo skid submissions will always be open for chapters that haven't been posted! dont be shy, send me your skids!

Chapter Text

Countless white birds rode the wind with them, flapping by close enough to touch. Caelestis answered their chirps with one of her own, causing a few around her to reply louder. Her wings stayed steady as they lead the boat through the white ravine.

Wind leaned into his namesake, watching the clouds roll by in awe from the bow of the boat.

Was this the least that the Kingdom of Sky had to offer? A smooth ride in a floating stone boat, through a sea of clouds, songbirds chiming left and right? Maybe the vacation they started on Outset didn’t need to end.

Ah, no, thinking something like that was just asking for trouble.

He squinted forward with a smile on his face, the chatter of his companions tickling his ears. They’d been in the boat for a few minutes, just clouds and birds as far as the eye could see, but just then he caught sight of a growing patch of green poking up through the white.

A small field, backed by a tall rock formation with a gap down the middle, a trail leading into the split.

“Are we finally at the next stop?” Legend half asked, half complained.

Caelestis honked back twice, moving her head side to side. Whatever they wanted to convey, it seemed they couldn’t really do it while in flight.

Wind braced himself as she brought them closer their assumed landing spot, but when they reached the shore of cloud and grass, she pulled up. Up and over the rocks they sailed, then Caelestis leaned back and slowed to a stop in the air. She started falling to the ground, slow as a feather, the boat following suit.

Before them, the sea of clouds didn’t end. It was broken up by more patches of green, though, islands and plateaus much bigger than the one they’d stopped above.

The boat landed, only jostling its passengers a little bit.

Legend released his white-knuckled grip on the edge of the boat. “Well, smoother than last time, at least.”

Caelestis responded with another two absent chirps, and bounded off. She slid to a stop in the grass when they didn’t stay right behind her, though, gesturing for them to follow.

Wind hopped off the boat. Caelestis had set them down on a small hill overlooking a meadow on their right, the tall twin rocks rising into a wall behind them. The meadow was occupied by almost a dozen small people. Next to the boat was a spectre-like blue sapling with no leaves. Scattered around the part of the hill in front of them were some strange, upright cut stones with a diamond-shaped hole in the middle of each one. He thought he saw blue fire flicker in the air in front of them, but it must have been a trick of the light.

Warriors adjusted his scarf, giving the meadow a skeptical look. “Is there something important we need to do here?”

Caelestis ignored him and beckoned them into a short little tunnel in the ground. It was lit at both ends by sunlight, no doubt leading down into the meadow. Wind followed right behind her, heading the heroes, with Wild and Warriors close behind.

As soon as he stepped foot in the meadow, it became abundantly clear that their arrival had been noticed. Every one of the almost dozen heads in the area were fixed on them.

They all resembled Caelestis, all Sky Children, but unlike her, most of them wore masks. Their eyes glowed brightly through the eye holes.

Caelestis stopped and turned to face the heroes. Wind looked between her and all the people staring at them. Some of them had gotten up and were walking over.

Warriors returned their stares, but addressed Caelestis. “So. What are we doing here.”

She just stood there for a moment. Then she shrugged and ran off toward the other side of the meadow, leaving them at the mercy of the other Sky Children.

Wind tried to go after her, but by virtue of being in the front, he was immediately boxed in by the incoming crowd. The heroes were swarmed by small, caped strangers honking in their faces, examining them and trying to get their attention.

He cast a distracted glance toward Caelestis, hoping she was planning to handle the crowd. She must not have been, since she was standing still in some kind of nook in the rock wall on the other end of the meadow. She must have left them behind on purpose. Scandalous.

Another skykid brushed by him, one with a sparkly mask and a long, dark blue robe. He sidestepped one offering him a candle and finally broke free. Walking briskly to the shallow, ring-shaped pond in the middle of the place, he turned around to watch the chaos.

A couple skykids were still watching him, some from between him and the group, but the pandemonium was big enough to see perfectly well anyway. He laughed.

A shorter one with short hair, no mask, and bright yellow clothes was poking at Time’s armor, almost causing him to trip on them. They weren’t much taller than his thigh. Warriors was trying to ward off two that were inspecting his scarf, but he just stumbled into another one that took interest. Four was barely visible in the crowd. Many of the skykids were taller than him, and that’s even with the fact that none of them were any taller than Caelestis.

Legend and Hyrule were looking at some candles on the ground – upright and lit, in the grass. What were those doing there?? A couple more skykids watched them as they did so, one offering their own candle as a helpful comparison.

A sharp movement at the back of the crowd caught Wind’s eye. His grin faded slightly.

One Sky Child stared warily at Twilight. Another next to them tilted their head and chirped. The first one took their hand, backing away. They replied without turning their attention from him.

The other tensed. They shot him a distrustful glance.

Twilight was standing apart from the group, hunched over and looking away from the skykids.

Wind turned around to find Caelestis again. Maybe it would be good not to stay here for too long.

And it seemed they were in luck; she was walking back to the group already.

She splashed through the pond, sending little orange fish darting through the shallow water, but stopped on the stones lining the side of the water nearest the crowd. She watched the heroes flounder in the swarm of skykids.

Some of the ones pestering Warriors had moved on to Sky. One examined his sailcloth, while another wearing a rabbit mask spread their cape, a cloth mimicry of bird wings, for his own appraisal.

Wind glanced at another skykid running over from the stone wall Caelestis was just at, and then did a double take. They wore a white replica of Wild’s hairdo, complete with fake pointed ears and a cracked mask reminiscent of his scars. Their outfit also bore a resemblance to his; blue tunic with white accents and brown pants, as well as a dark cape.

They ran up to Wild and presented themself to him proudly, getting attention not just from him, but Legend and Warriors as well.

Wind’s attention returned to Caelestis when she pulled something off her back. It wasn’t the instrument they’d been carrying before. This thing was a dark box with brass parts and detailing. She held it still, peering down into the top. Waiting a few seconds, she fiddled with something on the side of it, then the box flashed and clicked. She put one hand on the bottom of the boxy thing, clicked something, and pulled out a piece of paper.

Was it some kind of pictobox? He stepped forward to get a better look, but she pressed the paper to her chest and it disappeared in a flash of light.

Turning to him, she lifted the pictobox, peering down into the top again. Wind blinked, remembering the pictographs he took himself. He smiled at what he assumed was the lens while she briefly fiddled with it some more.

They hesitated, but took the pictograph. He walked over, hoping to see if the paper was what he thought. Caelestis clicked, pulled it out, and paused, looking at him.

He smiled at her. “Can I see?”

They held the paper out to him. He took it from their outstretched hand. Turning it right side up, he looked it over. It sure was a pictograph. The image on the paper was him, standing in the meadow and smiling at the viewer, with a couple skykids puttering around in the background. In color, too! He wasn’t sure if color pictoboxes even existed in his era.

He nodded, handing it back to her. She took it and it disappeared much like the last one.

Pulling things out of nowhere and sending things to nowhere… Kinda weird. Seems useful, though.

Wind turned to the crowd, where Wild was offering his little imitator a sword, but meeting resistance from the older heroes.

He glanced back at her. “You ready to go, Caelestis?”

They took another picture and disappeared it. Nodding, they tossed the pictobox onto their back. Then they bounded off toward the boat, honking at the rest of the group over the commotion of the crowd as she went by.

Wind had another laugh watching them escape from the crowd of Sky Children while he followed her at a leisurely pace.

A couple skykids waved at him as he crossed the meadow. He waved back, returning their curious looks with amused smiles. He waited for the rest of the group at the mouth of the little tunnel. They were close behind, still trying to shake a few eager skykids.

Into the shade of the tunnel and out into bright sunlight again, there was Caelestis, waiting in front of the boat. Wind smiled, climbing onto the bow again. They tilted their head, curving their closed eyes upwards.

Not for the first time, Wind wondered why her face was so blank, and why she never opened her eyes. From what he’d noticed, most of the other skykids had their eyes open. Glowing, golden, wide, and round with curiosity. It at least told him that Caelestis’ eyelashes weren’t fake or anything, and that she did have eyes. Probably.

The rest of the heroes gathered around the boat, ignoring the couple tag-a-longs honking at them.

Warriors adjusted his scarf with a miffed expression. “I don’t see the point in stopping here just to get swarmed by children.”

“Really?” Wild said, taking his seat with an excited hop. “That was amazing! They’ve probably never seen Hylians before, and I’m certain I’ve never seen anyone like them, either! You’ve gotta say it was funny, at least. And – You saw the one that looked kinda like me, right? I think they were trying to mimic my movements, too –”

They all piled into the boat while they chatted. The curious skykids watched, and tried to join in on the conversation, but neither side could understand the other.

Caelestis honked once they looked situated enough, peering at the heroes over her shoulder. Wind looked them over himself, all starting to brace themselves for departure.

He gave her a smile and a thumbs up. “Ready, Captain!”

“’scuse me?” Warriors scoffed.

Wind chuckled.

She started walking, pulling the boat across the grass. The other skykids followed, chirping and waving, giving it a proper send-off.

She sped up, and quickly they’re running out of ground, headed for a steep dropoff into the clouds. They ran, and jumped, and for a moment the boat slowed when she dropped out of sight – then she flapped her flowery wings and started to glide. The boat slid off the grass after her, onto nothing but air. A couple passengers sighed in relief at the smooth departure.

Wind leaned into his namesake, watching Caelestis steer them out over the clouds.

Chapter Text

The wind carried them forward, funneling them into a tunnel in the clouds. Soon they were surrounded by fluffy, rolling white, following a trail of thin stone towers topped with bronze arrows. Wind ‘ooh’ed and ‘ahh’ed with some of his companions.

The tunnel curved and sloped gently, and after a few minutes, opened up into a big, rolling field. On the far side of it, he could see a huge round rock with holes in it. Away to the left was a tall cliff face with a split down one part, and up in the clouds beyond the field shone the bronze towers of a building twice as large as the temple they’d left not too long ago. It was very similar in style, probably the next temple.

Wind’s stream of thought was interrupted by the boat suddenly starting a sharp descent.

“Woh–” He tightened his grip on the boat’s bow, leaning back.

The various noises of unease from behind him were muffled by the wind whipping at his hair.

Caelestis was headed for the start of a trail, at the top of a hill that sat at the tunnel’s end. It didn’t seem like they were slowing down, and the broken-down stone at the head of the trail wouldn’t make it any smoother of a landing. They were speeding up still, even though Caelestis was trying to pull up – Wind braced himself, watching the ground approach with widening eyes – Caelestis’ feet met the ground, skidding forward, and moments later the stone hull of the boat crashed into the rocks.

Suddenly, there was nothing under Wind’s legs. Or rather, he felt that was the case because he’d been launched into the air. He stayed there for only a moment. Then he hit the ground, rolling over grass and wildflowers, vision flashing between sky blue and leaf green, Phantom Sword flying out of its sheath.

He stopped on his back, winded. Hah.

He laid there for a bit, staring up at the sky.

His left arm hurt a lot. He’d landed on it. That’s probably not good.

“Sailor! Are you okay?” shouted Warriors, jogging over.

Wind sat up, careful not to jostle his arm, and looked around. He hadn’t been thrown far, just rolled a little ways down the slope. Four and Hyrule had also been launched, but ended up closer to the group than he did. Caelestis was standing by the now empty, stationary boat. The rest of the group was checking the other two unlucky ones over.

Wind tried to roll his shoulder, grimacing. A butterfly flew in circles around him.

“In one piece, at least,” he replied, as Warriors reached him.

The Captain offered him a hand, and helped him up. He looked Wind over, frowning.

“Your arm?”

“Eh–” Wind tried to shrug, but winced instead.

Warriors’ frown deepened. Oh, that must have been the opposite of reassuring.

“… Nothing a bit of healing can’t fix.” He smiled sheepishly.

Warriors nodded, shooting a glare in Caelestis’ direction. She was walking over, focused on them.

“Anything else?” he asked.

“Uhh…”

Wind raised his non-injured arm to check himself over, but as he did so, Warriors stepped forward and grabbed it. Wind hesitated, then looked down. Ah, he’d missed something.

There was a thickening line of red down his arm, cut through his sleeve. He must have landed on his sword when he was tumbling.

He looked up, hearing Caelestis’ footsteps quicken. They reached him and started honking, stepping side to side anxiously next to him. They looked from the wound to his other arm and back again, glancing at Warriors at one point. Hands hovering near his arm, they kept chirping every couple seconds.

He smiled at her, moving out of Warriors’ grip to pat her shoulder. They stopped moving and making noise when he touched them, but didn’t relax.

“It’s alright, I’ll be good as new in a few minutes.”

Looking between the cut and his face, she lowered her arms slowly, and gave one last quiet chirp. Wind nodded.

It was hard to tell if she was very reassured, she was somewhat blank-faced – hah – when she wasn’t trying to communicate something. It’s sweet, though, that she was so worried about him when they only just met.

Warriors gestured at the top of the hill, where the rest of the group was still gathered. “Come on, let’s go get that taken care of.”

They walked over, Wind picking up the Phantom Sword on the way, and gathered up the medical supplies they needed. A couple skykids came through the cloud tunnel while Warriors tended to it, each landing on the hill and staring at them before moving on.

Caelestis stuck to his side. After Time checked on him, Twilight came over to do the same. She sent the Rancher glances while he stood there, keeping herself between them.

Was the darkness stuff really that big of –

Wind winced at the wave of pain that came with the wound being cleaned. Caelestis leaned closer to him, peering over at the cut. Their cape brushed his other arm. It stirred up the light magic under his skin, somehow making him feel a little better.

Warriors dried off the wound and handed him a red potion, which he downed half of without complaint, though not without his face scrunching up at the taste. He rolled his injured shoulder. Sore, but much better.

Four and Hyrule had already taken care of themselves, lacking any injuries that needed attention. The group gathered in a circle, the less subtle among them glancing at the boat a little ways away.

“So,” Legend prompted.

Warriors sighed. “We’re not getting back in the boat. We’ll walk instead unless there’s no other option.”

Time nodded, face firm.

“What?” Wind frowned.

Any plan that involved lots of walking sounded like a bad plan to him.

“Why?”

The Captain gave him a Look. “Sailor. It’s clearly not safe. It could’ve been much worse if it happened anywhere else. In fact, I’m surprised this didn’t happen sooner, with the rough landings we’ve already had!”

If she hadn’t been standing so close to him, he might have missed how sharply she lowered her head.

Wind stared him down. Warriors stared back sternly.

Wind’s shoulder ached. His arm stung a bit.

He huffed, crossing his arms. “Fine.”

The heroes briefly checked over their gear, Wind wiping off some dirt from the Phantom Sword’s handle. Then, since no other complaints had risen, they walked on.

Caelestis led them quietly down the slope, glancing back at the group every now and then. She lacked the brisk pace she’d kept earlier, but still wasn’t taking it slow, so Wind fell to the back again.

He kicked listlessly at the sandy trail.

Sky spoke up from his left. “Did you hurt your legs at all? I’m sure the Rancher wouldn’t mind giving you a lift.”

Twilight glanced back at them from the middle of the group and nodded at Wind.

Him and his unreasonably good hearing…

Wind shook his head, glancing back at the boat with a frown. “I’m fine, I’d just rather be in a boat.”

“Well,” Sky shrugged, “As nice as it was, I think the Captain had a point. That was an awful landing.”

Scoffing, Wind crossed his arms. “I know, but it was obviously an accident.”

When he looked up, Caelestis was peering over her shoulder. It was hard to tell where they were looking, but it seemed like their eyes were on him. Was she still worried?

He refocused on his conversation partner. “Besides, I’ve seen much worse.”

Sky laughed. “True, I’m sure we all have!”

Conversation picked up again while they walked.

Soon, they approached a rock by the side of the path with a four-point star painted on it and a few white candles at its base. Wind stopped to look. He squinted at it. It must have some sort of significance.

A couple others stopped to see as well, and Caelestis looked over her shoulder at him.

He raised his voice to be heard from the back of the group. “Hey, Caelestis, what’s this?”

They stopped and started making their way over to him.

Legend and Hyrule gave the rock curious glances. Caelestis stood next to him and the rock, and chirped.

Right, getting an explanation would be tough…

“How did you expect her to answer when she can’t talk?” said Four, eyebrow raised.

Wind scoffed. “Well, we can teach her, can’t we?”

He turned on his heel to face her fully, pointing at the rock.

“Caelestis, that is a rock. Now you say it: rock.”

Chirp.

“Rock.”

Chirp.

“Rrooocckk.”

Cooooooo.

“That went absolutely nowhere,” Sky remarked, “I’m almost impressed.”

“Hey, we’re not done yet! We still have to try sign,” Wind replied.

He raised his arms and gestured.

“This sign means ‘rock.’ ‘Rock.’ Now you try it.”

Caelestis watched closely, slowly raising their own arms. He repeated the sign again. She paused… and then copied it flawlessly.

Wind blinked.

“Huh? Wow,” said Wild, “I guess she’s really good at copying movements.”

Wind grinned. “Well, that works!”

“I’m afraid it’s not possible to teach someone enough vocabulary in a couple minutes to make them capable of explaining anything,” Time reminded him.

Wind rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I know. Come on, Caelestis, I’ll teach you more while we walk.”

Caelestis chirped, following him closely back to her post at the front of the group.

He taught her a few more signs while they passed a cave entrance and followed the subtle curve of the path between the hills. They saw a few more skykids traveling in the same direction they were while they walked. They each either stopped to stare for a while, or ran off when the group approached. Butterflies seemed to come out of nowhere to greet them every now and then.

After a while, they approached a big, round rock formation, the last landmark between them and the end of the field. Near it were more lit candles.

Just there, on the ground. Well, he’s seen weirder.

There were a couple big holes in the rock, one at ground level facing them, which the trail led into. Through it, Wind could see that the whole giant thing was hollow.

As they got closer, though, something in the entrance to the hollow caught his eye. He squinted. It was some sort of blue, shimmering light, and…

He blinked. He had an idea, but…

A little closer, and he was sure. It was a spirit. It was hard to see clearly, flickering like a remnant of itself. It didn’t react to them as they walked by it, or move at all. None of his companions seemed to notice it.

He tried to make out its appearance: a wide build, round head, star-like eyes – he couldn’t make out any other facial features – and a yellow cape. It looked a lot like the Sky Children, but grown up…

Was it? Surely not all the people they’d seen here besides Daleth were actual children, right? Weren’t they just small?

Wind’s thoughts were interrupted by a chirp. Their guide had abandoned her post and was walking back to him, halting the group.

Warriors crossed his arms. “What is it now?”

Caelestis ignored him, pointing at Wind.

His eyebrows rose. “Huh? What’s up?”

They pointed at… the spirit? They stood there staring at him for a moment, scrunching their lashes a bit. Then they tilted their head back and forth, tapping their chin thoughtfully.

Wind stepped toward them. “Can you see it too?”

They stared at him blankly.

“The spirit,” he pointed at it like they had, “You can see it?”

“What are you talking about, Sailor?” Legend chimed in.

Caelestis looked at the spirit, then at him. Finally, she nodded.

He smiled. “Oh! Were you trying to ask me if I could?”

The other heroes, having gathered around since they had nothing else to do, muttered to each other.

She signed, ‘No.’

He blinked. “Uh? What were you asking, then?”

Chirping, they walked toward the spirit, apparently giving up on both charades and sign. Wind followed. Time and Warriors caught up to him.

“What’s going on, Sailor?” Warriors asked.

“Um…”

Wind watched her pull that red candle out of nowhere again and hold it up to the unresponsive spirit.

“Not really sure? There’s some kind of spirit here.”

Time pulled out a strange-looking magnifying glass, a thoughtful look on his face.

The spirit unfroze all of a sudden and jumped into the air, shrinking into a blue ball of light, then flew off into the hollow through a flock of butterflies. The magic under Wind’s skin stirred.

Caelestis put the candle away – somewhere – and went after it, beckoning them to follow. He obeyed, curious why or what she wanted to show them. The rest of the group trailed behind.

Chapter Text

“What do you mean there’s some kind of spirit here?” Legend questioned. “How do you–”

He paused at the entrance to the hollow rock, next to where the spirit first sat.

“… Okay, I can feel something going on here, but I’d still like an explanation.”

Wind glanced back at him. “Haven’t I ever told you I can see ghosts?”

“Wait really?” Four exclaimed.

Legend gave him an incredulous look. “Just. Any of them? With your eyes?”

“You haven’t, no,” Time replied.

“Oh.” Wind shrugged. “Coulda sworn it came up at some point.”

The spirit had reappeared on the opposite side of the hollow, facing a pocket in the wall. Caelestis stood by it, looking at him expectantly as we walked over. He stopped to take another look at it. A couple butterflies circled around him.

“They must be one of Caelestis’ kind,” Time observed, handing the glass to Warriors.

She stepped toward him and signed ‘no.’

“They’re not?” said Wind, a bit relieved. “Do you know their people?”

She tapped her chin thoughtfully, then shrugged. She gestured to the spirit and looked at him pointedly. It remained unmoving.

He squinted, trying to figure out what she was trying to say. “You’re not sure? Or you haven’t met many of them?”

She stared.

“Uh, have you met many of them?”

They shrugged.

“Can I see?” Wild asked carefully, eyeing the weird-looking glass in Warriors’ hand.

Warriors squinted at him.

Wild held his arms up. “I won’t break it, I promise.”

Time nodded, letting Warriors hand it over.

Wild peered through it. “Woah… huh. They’re facing the wall.”

Caelestis stepped into the figure and it dissolved into a ball of light again, flying off to the center of the hollow.

Wild looked around. “Woah–?”

The spirit reappeared again next to some rocky thing sitting there, as a static figure that seemed to be in the middle of a good frolic. Wind and Wild followed it over with Caelestis, the rest watching on.

Wild stood in front of the figure with the glass held up to his face. “Oh, I see their resemblance to the Sky Children. Was Daleth one of their kind? Was Daleth one of your kind?”

Caelestis shrugged. She pointed again at Wind, and then at the spirit.

He squinted, remembering how she triggered it to move. “Um… do you want me to touch it?”

She nodded, signing ‘yes’ for good measure.

“Uh. ‘Kay.”

He reached an arm out and stuck his hand into the figure. It stirred the light under his skin, connecting to it, making it circulate and hum. Then the figure dissolved again, and the spirit floated over to a pocket in the other wall, breaking the brief connection.

He stretched his fingers, not really sure what emotion he was supposed to have at that moment. That felt kinda weird. But to be honest, it was pretty similar to when Caelestis or the butterflies touched him.

He and Wild walked a few feet to the next spot, where the figure was facing the wall on all fours. Tired from running around, maybe? He could agree that it was more exhausting than it had any right being.

Wild handed off the glass to Legend, who had to move a butterfly from his hand to take it – he had a bunch of them all over him – and Caelestis gestured for Wind to touch the spirit again.

It flew back to the middle of the hollow, into a… dark, humanoid husk. The ‘something rocky’ they’d been walking around this whole time.

Wind and Legend exchanged glances.

“Uh, Caelestis,” Wind said, “Is that their body?”

She shrugged. Not very reassuring… If it was, why hadn’t it been buried? Were burial rituals that different here?

This was a very odd spirit.

Caelestis stood next to the husk, looking at him expectantly.

“Well.” Warriors grimaced. “Is there anything else?”

She glanced at him and raised one hand into the air, standing very still. A butterfly flew over to land on her fingers. Her glow and the butterfly’s both brightened. She didn’t move, gaze on the little light she’d invited to her hand.

“Okay…?”

Warriors didn’t seem to expect that response.

Wind brightened. He studied her pose for a moment, then carefully copied it. Butterflies fluttered around him, but didn’t land. Watching him, Warriors awkwardly attempted it as well.

Time gave them both a small smile. “Relax. Try breathing slowly.”

Warriors’ shoulders lowered. In a second, his pose was far more natural.

Wind looked up into the fluttering lights, and breathed in deeply. He thought of ocean breezes on calm summer days, the calls of seagulls over the inhale and exhale of waves, his grandmother humming while the smell of her delicious soup reached his nose…

He could have gotten lost in reminiscing, but something bright lit on his fingers.

He blinked, and giggled. It was kinda tickley, how the butterfly sat there.

Glancing over, he saw one on Warriors’ hand as well. He was giving it an amused look. Wild eagerly joined them, along with a couple others.

Twilight didn’t bother. The butterflies wouldn’t go anywhere near him.

Wind’s arm started to hurt. Regretfully, he lowered it, causing the light to flutter away.

He felt different, though, like he had barely walked at all since the day started.

He smiled. “Is it just me, or are these butterflies refreshing to be around?”

“No, I feel it too,” replied Wild, lowering his arm. “Last time, I just thought it was because we took a break.”

Wind raised an eyebrow, turning to their guide. “Is that why you taught us this, Caelestis?”

She stared at him – if it counted as staring, considering her eyes were closed – but didn’t answer.

Warriors snorted. “Well, I hate to say it, but it’s about time we got moving again.”

She nodded, and started walking toward an exit hole, past Wind. He stepped forward to follow, but she paused. She looked at him for a moment, with her very blank face.

Not for the first time in the last few minutes, Wind found himself in the dark. “Uh, yeah?”

She pointed at the arm he cut earlier, chirping softly.

“Oh!” He pulled up his dirty sleeve with a smile. “I’m all good, see?”

Caelestis leaned in to inspect it.

The red potion had taken care of most of it, just some small scabs left, but his torn and bloody sleeve probably made it look worse. It really wasn’t anything to fuss over, but his earlier reassurances might not have been enough.

They straightened up and nodded, apparently satisfied. Turning, they took a few more steps toward the exit, and then stopped to wait for the rest of the group. Warriors watched her with some sort of look on his face as he caught up.

Refreshed and bidding farewell to the friendly swarm, they followed Caelestis out of the hollow and looked forward to the shining temple ahead.

Some couple hundred meters in that direction, the trail led to a stone gate, behind which was a ledge, clouds all around it. No bridge or other such thing to let them go on to the small islands beyond.

“It may be time for you to retrieve the boat, Caelestis,” said Time.

She nodded, pointed at them, then pointed over at the gate.

“Yes, we’ll wait for you there,” he confirmed.

She bowed, and flew off back the way they came. Wind smiled as she went. The thought of soaring over the clouds in a boat again was exciting.

The heroes continued on to the gate. There, they waited.

Four took a look at the grass and a few candles on the ground nearby. Hyrule and Legend poked around at another of those odd presences of this world’s magic. Warriors leaned against the stone structure. Wind joined him, watching everyone else idle about.

“How are you doing now, after that tumble earlier?” Warriors asked.

Wind rolled his shoulder. “Only a tiny bit sore. Why do you ask? You saw me show Caelestis, right?”

Warriors pursed his lips. “I wanted to see for myself. Especially since it’s their fault you were injured.”

“Captain,” Wind’s face scrunched up. “It was an accident. They pretty clearly felt guilty about it, too.”

Warriors frowned. “We don’t know anything about them. We don’t know anything about this place. We can’t take risks on strangers in a situation like this.”

“We already did, though. We’ve already let them guide us around. And be honest,” Wind spread out his arms, brow raised, “You can’t say that some of us haven’t messed up worse than that. We’re all fine now, Captain.”

Warriors’ frown turned thoughtful.

He signed. “I suppose I can afford them a second chance… They are our teammate now, even if temporarily.”

Wind nodded. They stood together in comfortable quiet for a couple minutes more.

A skykid went by, stopping to watch the group as they approached. They had a big head of kinky hair, and some jewelry that went ding-ding as they walked. They quickly ran through the group and off the ledge. He watched them glide over the clouds to one of the nearby small islands.

There was some kind of distant, resonant sound from the clouds that Wind couldn’t pinpoint.

He watched skykids mill about on the three islands with little towers on them.

He heard it again, louder. Something in the clouds caught his eye.

A massive creature rose out of the fluffiness with an echoing call, its two brilliant white wings spread wide.

Wind’s jaw dropped. Wild gasped.

“What’s–!?” Warriors spun around.

A couple more of the same creatures joined it, wheeling around in the air and picking up skykids on their backs. Each one was a flat, graceful pair of wings with a barely-there head and a long, narrow tail tipped in yellow. They turned and spun and called so strangely, but so beautifully, no legs, arms, or neck to speak of. Like if a bird were a fish with wings that could fly…

“Wow…” Twilight breathed.

Wind could only agree.

Wild stepped forward with his Slate.

“Have any of you ever seen a creature like that before?” Time asked, eye full of wonder.

Hyrule shook his head, wide-eyed.

“I don’t know,” Legend muttered.

Gaping, Sky shook his head as well.

Wind watched them soar and twirl over the clouds and islands, moving so impossibly graceful for a thing of the air.

Behind him, he heard a thump and a slide. He turned, and there was Caelestis with the boat.

“Caelestis!” He jumped to meet her, pointing behind him. “What are those?!”

She paused, glancing at the creatures, then chirped.

He facepalmed. “Right. Uh, can you tell us anything about them?”

Caelestis put her hand on her chin and tilted her head back and forth, thinking. She held up her arms for a moment, then hesitantly signed ‘big’ and ‘happy.’

“Hm. Like, they are happy or they make people happy?”

She shook her head.

“Something else?”

They signed ‘yes.’

Wind sighed. “Oh well. I’ll teach you more later, and then maybe it’ll be enough to explain.”

He walked past her to claim his spot at the bow again. “They look kinda weird, but the way they move is so pretty…”

She tilted her head at his muttering.

The heroes slowly piled in, repeatedly glancing up at the graceful flying creatures. Wind watched them gently flap their wings, and rise up to the temple with skykids on their backs. The thought of riding one himself was so exciting… But they had Caelestis and the boat, so they probably wouldn’t end up going out of their way to do that. Sad!

Setting aside his disappointment, he smiled and gave Caelestis the go-ahead to move. She dragged them along the ground, jumped off the ledge, and flapped into a glide over the clouds.

Wind leaned into his namesake once again. Good to be in a boat again, even if it was an air boat.

Caelestis glanced back at them a couple times, then set her sights forward. She flapped, and turned gradually onto a trajectory that would bring them close to one of the creatures. Wind perked up. As far as he could tell, she was focused on that very creature.

A skykid, with a bright cape and a rabbit mask in matching colors, was flying beside it. They saw the boat and stared, almost meeting Wind’s eyes. Then they started to coax the creature closer to it.

The boat and the creature came closer to meeting every moment, one minute far away, and the next, so close – the tip of its wing came down in front of them, and then Caelestis towed them over its back, hanging in the air there. The other skykid turned, flying off toward another one.

The creature let out its big, resonant call. He felt a wave of magic on the air; the creature’s magic, so similar to Caelestis’. She answered with her own little voice as it twisted around to face the temple.

Wind spread his arms, grinning and laughing. “Woooo!”

Wild and Sky echoed his hollering, rocking the boat in their enthusiasm. Caelestis glanced back at the noise.

“Stop rocking the boat! Did you even get scraps from Nayru?!” Legend complained.

Wind took a deep breath of crisp, fresh air as the creature began to bring them higher.

All of a sudden, he was struck by the realization that it smelled nothing like his home.

He paused.

He looked around at the sea of clouds below them. The islands, the fields, cliffs, towers, creatures. The sun, high in the sky, warming his face.

Though foreign, it was wonderful, and beautiful, and really cool. He looked forward to seeing more of it.

Chapter Text

“Wow, wow!” Wild exclaimed. “Zelda would be going crazy if she were here! Like, have you seen these things’ eyes? I haven’t, I can’t find them!”

“They’re all wings and tail!” Sky added.

“And they’re glowing, have you noticed that?” Legend pointed out. “Some creatures with the same kind of magic the Sky Children have.”

“This place just keeps getting stranger…” muttered Warriors.

Wind was sure he heard a touch of wonder in his voice. He smiled, leaning on the bowsprit to get a better look at the creature below the boat.

“Do you think we’ll see more weird creatures?” Four said.

“Imagine,” Wind spread his arms wide, grinning, “Glowing pig with wings.”

It got a laugh out of Wild and Sky.

They joked around for a few more minutes, suggesting different fantastical creatures, until they were level with the stone bridge in front of the temple. It arched over a pond, short, flat sections of stone path on either end, leading to the temple’s entrance.

The creature carried them up and over the platform at the start of the bridge, and suddenly they fell through it toward the stone below. The boat landed a little heavily, but safely. Wind heard a couple of his companions sigh in relief.

He stood up and turned around, watching the creature start to descend back to where it picked them up. He smiled, waving it goodbye. Then he hopped out of the boat, next to where Caelestis was waiting. Just as before, at the Isle temple, he could feel a strong presence from the building. This one was muted, though. Sort of like it was sleepy.

This temple was much bigger than the last, and less rundown. It had bronze accents and towers on the rooftops, still somewhat shiny. Blue blocks of color covered the top third of each layer, with lighter triangle patterns running parallel along them. Down in the pond below the bridge, Wind caught a glimpse of a few orange fish.

Caelestis seemed to look the group over. Then she turned, took a few steps toward the entrance, and stopped, looking over her shoulder. Wind looked back himself to watch his companions finish piling out of the boat.

Twilight smiled. “That was nice.”

“Hm.” Warriors crossed his arms. “It wasn’t bad, I suppose.”

The heroes started following Caelestis to the entrance.

“I wonder what this Elder will be like,” mused Wild.

Wind raised his arms in an awkward, silly pose, grinning. “Maybe even spindlier than Daleth, like a big spider.”

“Maybe they’ll talk really dramatic, like this,” Sky chimed in, deepening his voice and over-emphasizing his words.

“Maybe their beard will be so long that they have to wrap it around themself, like a robe,” Hyrule suggested.

“Maybe they’re teeny tiny and they’ll give us a magnifying glass to see them through,” added Four.

They chuckled when Caelestis gave them a weird look.

Everyone quieted, though, when they stepped into the entrance hall and into the cool shade. Their footsteps echoed along the passage. Ahead, they could see a brightly-lit floor.

They stepped out into a wider area shortly. In front of them was one large temple chamber, illuminated by a few large skylights. The stone floor was broken, covered with stone pots and overgrown with grass. There was an almost comical amount of stone pots here, actually, some sticking out of the broken floor.

The sunlit shrine stood elevated in the center of the room, candles lit. Caelestis led them up to it, past some more candles on the rims of pots. A couple skykids who were walking around stopped to stare at them.

They climbed up and over more pots until they stood on the grassy platform. A swarm of butterflies greeted them. The group crowded in front of the shrine.

Caelestis sat down, on a spot that seemed to spark slightly. They all followed suit.

The presence, powerful like Daleth’s, drew closer. Closer… waking…

White overtook Wind’s senses.

He blinked it away. The group sat on a stone platform, clouds everywhere as far as the eye could see, with the exception of the mountain and its beam of light in the distance.

Laying behind the candle pedestal, where the shrine statue would have been, was an absolutely massive someone. They lifted their head and yawned, pulling a giant stone pot closer to them. It was practically a roar. Every movement they made shook the ground.

Like Daleth, they had glowing eyes and geometric patterns on their grey robes. Small shocks of white hair stuck out from either side of their head, and the mask that covered their face had a rectangular frame along the top and sides.

They stared at the heroes, blinking. Wind blinked back for a moment, getting his bearings. There wasn’t as much of a disconnect between him and his body in this strange vision space this time, but he wasn’t used to this by any means.

Warriors cleared his throat. “Hello…? Are you Elder Ayin?”

The Elder(?) tilted their head.

Caelestis stood up, catching their attention, and started chirping. They nodded along, still sitting down but somehow towering over them all anyway. They had to be at least ten Times tall, maybe even fifteen Times. It was a very big jump from Daleth’s size, and they were unreasonably tall to begin with.

Caelestis turned and awkwardly gestured to the rest of the group, letting her chirps fade into quiet.

The Elder blinked at them again. “Mhmm...”

They blinked back.

Warriors shifted in his seat. “You... are Elder Ayin, yes?”

“Oh.” They moved to sit up straighter. “Yes, that’s me. And you’re the heroes from Hyrule, this child has just told me.”

Wind made a so-so gesture. “More or less.”

They tilted their head. “They said you bring some kind of warning?”

Time nodded. “We are warriors who travel distant lands through portals. That is how we came here, though we aren’t sure precisely why we are here. We fight bands of dangerous monsters on our journeys, to stop the threat they pose to our world. Since we are here, we think they may be as well.”

“That so…” Ayin fiddled with their giant pot. “Ah, shadows…”

“Daleth said they would send out a warning with any Sky Children who visited, to keep watch for those monsters. I see we outpaced it.”

Ayin settled into a more relaxed position. “Yes, I certainly wasn’t expecting you. Well...”

They leaned forward, squinting at the heroes.

“Do… you… have the power of flight? It doesn’t really seem like it, but you did get here.”

Legend and Hyrule exchanged glances.

“No,” Warriors answered simply.

Ayin tilted their head. “No? Not at all? Well, now I’m intrigued; how did you reach my temple? I can hardly imagine that traveling by boat became commonplace again overnight.”

Caelestis chimed in, apparently to explain.

Ayin blinked. “All the way from the Isle of Dawn? That can’t have been pleasant, if you’ve been lugging it around everywhere.”

She nodded, chirping briefly.

The Elder straightened up, dragging an arm forward. “Well, that won’t do.”

They slowly raised their arm and booped her nose – her face? Their fingers were more than half the size of her head.

She looked up at them, then the pot rattling caught the group’s attention. Wind watched, curious, as a stream of light whirled out of the mouth of Ayin’s giant pot. It melted into her, and she flashed brighter, wings flaring out.

So a blessing, but only for her?

Ayin leaned back. “There. Now you won’t have to worry about hauling it around for your whole journey.”

Wind waved up at them. “Hey, question!”

They blinked. “Yes?”

Ignoring the look Warriors always sent him when he wasn’t being formal enough, Wind went on. “You connected to the weird magic we got here, right? Can you make it so we can understand her?”

Ayin tilted their head. “You can’t understand her?”

Caelestis chirped what Wind figured was another explanation.

Ayin listened. “Mhm… What about the dark one?”

Wind glanced over at Twilight the same time she did. The Rancher was trying to ignore the eyes on him.

She softly added a few more coos to the conversation.

Nodding, Ayin turned their attention back to the heroes. “It seems another blessing is in order, then.”

They pulled their giant pot in front of them. Placing one huge hand over its mouth, they carefully drew out a handful of dancing light.

“Wait, so you’re–”

Legend cut himself off when Ayin’s gentle, encouraging breath sent the light streaming through the air in nine directions. Wind watched it swirl around like snow in the breeze, so mystical...

He spread out his arms to see it melt into his skin again. The magic under his skin hummed as more was poured into it, rippling with each droplet, but soon settling.

He looked up. Caelestis’ open wings welcomed her blessing. Twilight hadn’t received one.

Ayin yawned, watching the little flecks of light disappear into their recipients.

They squinted down at the group. “Hm… how was it you came here, again?”

“On a boat?” said Sky.

Ayin shook their head, slowly. “No, I meant… how did you reach… this kingdom…?”

“A portal,” Wild explained, moving his hands in a round gesture. “Big, round, swirly, and bright. We could see the Isle through it before we went in.”

Warriors sat up straighter. “Why, do you know who or what might’ve created it?”

Ayin’s eyelids drooped. Wind leaned forward. They were dimmer as well, slouching over.

“Mm… your light fragments… they’re a connection, a powerful one… connected by the portal…”

Yawning deeply, they started to lay back down.

“Are you going back to sleep?” Legend said, indignant. “Light fragments? Connection to what?! Please elaborate!”

Ayin gave them all a sleepy blink. “Mmgmh… Elder Teth… will explain it better…”

“Wait, I still have questions!” Wild cried, as a hazy brightness gathered around them.

They cushioned their head on their arms, yawning again. “Good luck…”

Wind blinked rapidly. The conversation’s already over?

The brightness grew and grew, until it was all he could feel. Then he opened his eyes, back on the grass in front of the temple’s shrine.

“Seriously?!” exclaimed Legend, stumbling to his feet. “They’d tease us with answers and then make us wait forever to actually get them?!”

Wind smiled, amused at the almost comical show of indignance.

“Don’t worry, Vet, it can’t take more than a few months,” he teased.

Legend rolled his eyes.

“We should make it to the Forest Temple by reset, I think.”

Wind jumped, yelping. He spun toward the source of the odd voice but not-voice–? Caelestis stared back at him, wings flared from the sudden reaction.

“Wow,” said Wild, looking at her, “That’s kinda strange, and also cool. Nothing I’ve ever experienced before!”

Caelestis clasped her hands and spoke(?) again. “What’s strange?”

“Well. Uhh,” Wind squinted. “I don’t know, I guess I was expecting for it to be like with the Elders? Where we hear a voice?”

He made a vague gesture at her and himself.

“But it’s more like… we get a message from your chirps, and just sorta understand it.”

“Like there were a bunch of words in the sound and we could understand them even though we don’t know them!” Wild added cheerfully.

“Mm?” She tilted her head. “Part of that just sounds like how skykids normally talk.”

“Really? How do you normally talk?” asked Legend, more intrigued than he’d looked in days.

Caelestis scratched their head. “Uhm… Well, I guess… I sort of… decide on a message, and then call, and the call carries the message outside my mind? And when I hear someone else talk, I get the message and I recognize the parts in it. Unless I don’t know them. Like if it was a name I hadn’t heard before.”

“Oh! Wait!” Wild hopped toward her. “Can you tell us what those big creatures are called?”

“The mantas?”

“Is that the giant, white flying creatures that we just saw?” Wind asked.

She nodded. “Yeah, mantas.”

“Huh, well, what she says is somehow… not so much words as it is ideas?” remarked Legend.

“Yeah, but I think I could say it!” said Wind. “It’s like...”

Sky gave him an amused smile. Oh, was it Wind’s thinking face? Whatever. He’s thinking.

“Like man-tuh, kinda. Manta.”

Wild nodded. “Yeah, that’s the idea of it.”

“We should get going,” said Warriors, looking around. “Uh. So where is the exit?”

Silently, Caelestis pointed up. Wind craned his head back to look.

There was a large hole in the ceiling, part of what bathed the temple chamber in sunlight, along with a few smaller ones. No back door in sight, and no staircase up. Not even so much as a nearby wall.

“You’ve gotta be kidding,” Legend deadpanned.

Warriors made a face. “Okay… how do we get up there?”

Caelestis slouched, looking at Wind. “Well… I could use the boat to get you all up, but you would need to hold on very tight.”

“And there’s no other way forward?” Time asked.

She thought for a moment. “No safer or faster way, no.”

Wind watched Warriors grimace and exchange glances with Time.

The Captain sighed. “Alright, I’ll trust you. How do you suggest we do this?”

“Umm…” She hesitantly reached over her shoulder. “Hold on, I’ll be right back.”

She turned and bounded off through the temple, back toward the entrance. Wind wondered if bringing the boat inside would be disrespectful to Ayin. The temple was in bad enough shape without a vessel getting dragged across the floor.

They stood around for a minute, and then she came bounding back in… with no boat in tow?

Hopping back up to the grassy platform, they held a miniature replica of the very boat they’d been traveling in.

They gestured for a few of them to move. “Make some room here.”

Sky, Legend, Hyrule and Four shuffled out of the way, giving her confused looks.

Wind watched her toss the replica boat onto the grass. The moment it touched the ground, a shower of sparks engulfed it, and all of a sudden it was a full-size boat – not a replica?!

Wind gaped. “You can turn it tiny now?!”

“Something like that,” they shrugged.

“Alright,” Warriors sighed, “Let’s… try this…”

He looked like he expected to regret many of his life choices.

Caelestis instructed the heaviest people to sit in the front, and for all of them to hold on as tight as they could. A couple of them wound their hookshot chains around the bowsprit for more security. Two or three skykids stopped to watch them prepare before flying up themselves.

Once they were confident enough, they gave Caelestis the go-ahead.

She flapped straight up, up, the bow following but just barely leveling out between flaps. Until, finally, they were sliding over grassy ground, into a clearing guarded by massive trees.

End of Part 2 - Daybright