Archive of Our Own ^beta

Sky thumbed the hem of his sailcloth, feeling the weave of the fabric as the portal loomed before them. Skin prickled in anticipation of the lurching feeling that being dropped through time brought about.

"Well, little point waiting around." Legend stated to no one in particular, strolling up to the swirling surface and drawing one of his fire rods. 

"Again?" Four raised an eyebrow. "You're going to lose it one of these days."

"Better that than an arm." Legend shrugged as he dipped the orb on the end of the rod through the portal. Ten seconds later he pulled it back, completely intact. 

As the group joked and did last minute inventory checks, Sky felt the tension within him roil. He didn’t move, his focus on trying to stay grounded and keep his thoughts from swallowing him. Breathing felt uneven, like trying to breathe stray bubbles of air beneath water, and now his body felt unreal as if a poor memory.

Why did he feel like this? Nothing had happened lately beyond the usual. Why-?

“Hey, Sky?” Wind stood slightly off to his side, looking up at him and with his hand hovering above Sky’s sleeve, not quite touching. “Are you okay?”

“...Yeah, I’m fine. Just anticipation I think.” Sky smiled, the energy not quite mirrored in his eyes. “Thanks for asking, though.” 

With a returned, sympathetic smile, Wind turned back to the portal, following the others through.

Sky sighed. Best not to put it off... that could have unforeseen consequences.

The air was cooler and fresher on the other side of the portal than the humid forest they had been in. At the top of a hill ridge, the breeze rolled across the land and rose to meet them, carrying fragrances of nature. 

Maybe it was that, or something on the horizon that told Sky that they were finally in his Hyrule. The implacable tension that had been plaguing him began to abate, leaving a strange relief.

“I think this might be my time…. Though that’s maybe just a hunch right now.” Sky addressed the group at large, though a couple had already wandered off to check out the view. 

“You may well be right,” Time muttered as he squinted into the horizon, “There doesn’t look to be a lot of activity down there.”

Wild shrugged. “Not the first time we’ve been dropped in the middle of nowhere.”

...Although the tension was easing, Sky still felt floaty, not entirely present. Something within him felt… tired.

When a familiar cry reached them on the wind, he felt his heart skip a beat. A large shadow fell across them, and everyone fell into defensive positions, Wild drawing his bow, and it took a slow moment for Sky to realise what was going on. 

“NO! It’s okay! Don’t shoot!” 

The bowstring relaxed, and Sky’s heart beat again.

The loftwing circled, crowing in jubilation as it edged its way down to earth. Eventually, the crimson bird barrelled into its other half with a squawk, ending up on top of him. A large beak preened through hair with surprising gentleness.

Sky wrapped his arms around his loftwing’s breast, face pressed into soft feathers that brought back memories, and tried not to cry with relief. 

“Hey, I missed you.” 

For the first time in a long while, every sensation felt real.

A polite cough snapped them back to the present moment. Two heads turned to the source: Warriors, watching with a wry smile. 

“Are you going to introduce us to your friend?”

Sky laughed. “Yeah, I guess you didn’t get to meet her before. This is my loftwing.”

It had been fascinating, introducing them to her. They had never seen loftwings before- Wind had mentioned something called a Helmaroc, but from the sounds of it, they weren’t friendly. Perhaps they now appreciated his lack of experience with horses better.

Eventually, the clamour died down, and the group were content to let the two of them have a moment to themselves. The pair rested under a lone tree overlooking the landscape. The loftwing nestled next to him, content to just be near him as he ran his fingers through ruffled feathers. 

That ache in his mind had eased. He felt relaxed, and present, like his mind finally had permission to let go.

“I’m glad I have you,” he whispered, resting his head against her neck.

The loftwing cooed, and shuffled over- now nestled over his legs and pressed into his stomach, as if trying to hatch something. Despite the admittedly hard ground beneath him, the weight and softness lulled him. With a hand resting on her back, Sky let his eyes slip closed.

He was here. She was here. They were safe.

He could rest.

“Sky, it’s probably time to start moving- Sky?” Twilight looked over at where the two were sat. “Are they asleep?”

Legend wandered over, peering down at the pair. “Guess the bird really does take after him. Do we leave them?”

“Let them sleep a bit longer.” Twilight turned to go talk to the others. “It wouldn’t hurt to do a little scouting before we head off for real.”