A/N: Well, I've never updated from mobile, but I wanted to give you all an update nonetheless. So hopefully, there won't be any issues with this haha.

This chapter is supposed to be sad/bittersweet. Grab your tissues if you're prone to tears. This is your warning.

Sky moaned softly as he slowly became aware of the waking world. No he did not want to get up. He was perfectly comfortable where he was, curled up in his blankets. His limbs were so comfy that they might as well have ceased to exist, and he was this close to sinking back into his dream of pumpkin stew and lazy afternoon flights with Crimson.

But no . The sound of voices was stronger than the pull of sleep, and Sky managed to pry one eye open to take in the bleary scene of Legend yelling at Warriors for some prank the captain had pulled. Sky wasn't sure if he wanted to be angry or cry, because he felt like he got twenty minutes of sleep.

He could really use a nap.

"Ah, you're up." Time sent him a small smile. "Wild's got breakfast ready. You should grab some."

Maybe it was because Sky was the 'oldest' of them all, but Time always seemed to let down some of his guard around him. It made him feel special. Like he was the dependable older brother.

Though if that were the case, then Time would definitely be everyone's dad, and Sky was sure as hell not going to come right out and say what everyone already knew.

Despite his want for sleep, his body's need for food was inevitably greater. He sighed as he hauled himself to his feet, limbs still somewhat shaky and numb with slumber. He stumbled over to the logs set out by the campfire, sleepily nodding or flopping his hand in an attempt of a wave at anyone who greeted him.

He sighed as he sank down into his seat, rubbing the grains of sleep from his eyes. A tired yawn escaped him as something poked his arm. He blinked a couple times before realizing Legend had poked him with his plate. "Eat. Food. Here." He held out the plate and it took Sky a moment longer for his sleep addled brain to understand what the hero wanted.

"Thanks." He mumbled around the cotton in his mouth as he took the plate with both hands. No sense in risking it hitting the ground rather than his mouth.

It took him a couple of bites before the flavor started to register, but when it did, his brain actually started to wake up a little. So when a familiar scarred hand held a mug of dark liquid out to him, he was quick to recognise that as Wild. He tilted his head in confusion.

"It's coffee. Figured it'd help." Wild explained.

"Coffee?" Sky tilted his head as Legend snorted.

"It's a bitter drink that helps people wake up." The veteran explained. "We've got it in my Hyrule and a few neighboring countries."

"Bitter, huh?" He grimaced.

"I mixed in some sugar to make it sweeter for you." Wild explained, holding it out towards him. Sky took it with a sense of trepidation.

"It won't bite." Time chuckled. "I drink coffee all the time at home. It really helps."

That made him feel a lot better. He took a tentative sip, feeling the hot semi-bitter liquid wash down his throat. It really didn't taste half bad. After a few larger sips, he started to feel more alert and aware.

"Wow, Sky's awake !" Wind laughed.

"Wild, you're a miracle worker." Twilight agreed.

"It's just coffee." Wild shrugged. Sky couldn't help but mentally argue that. He'd tried Warrior's coffee once. It was watery and bitter and did nothing for him. Wild's coffee was sweet and smooth and made him feel comfortably warm inside and out.

Fi hummed contentedly at his back as Sky let the conversations of the group was over him as he enjoyed his meal and drink. When he'd first met Wild, he'd nearly had a heart attack when he'd handed over Fi. His friend had aged so rapidly in Wild's hands that he felt faint with shock. Fi had reassured him that she was fine, but there'd been something in her voice that hurt Sky's very soul. It was... something like pain or guilt, but Fi had never really been one for such things. It made Sky wonder just what Wild had been through that even Fi was affected.

Apparently, the reason she'd aged was because she'd been absorbing her future self's memories through Wild. Sky had since reassured the other hero that should he need to use her (something Sky was admittedly reluctant to do, what with Wild's propensity for breaking things) she would remain at full power.

It seemed that neither Time nor Wild liked Fi much. He was mildly offended on her behalf, despite her reminding him that it was illogical for him to feel that way. But damnit, emotions were illogical, so he really couldn't explain to her why he felt the way he did.

Wild was quick to grow on him, though. Despite how closed off Wild was about his journey and past, he was an incredibly friendly individual. Wild had a certain charisma that flowed from him like a mist—you didn't notice it until it already had you. He was very sure that Wild was entirely unaware of this, which was probably why it worked so well in the first place.

He sighed when he realized his food and coffee were both gone, but for the first time in a while, he felt completely awake. He'd have to thank the cook for that. He eyed Wild gathering up the dishes. "Here, let me help." He offered.

"Thanks!" Wild beamed.

"It's a bit overwhelming sometimes, isn't it?" Sky mused as they worked together to clean up breakfast. "Traveling across dimensions and time like this, I mean."

"I suppose it is." Wild smiled softly. "I'm... not used to being around so many people."

"You journeyed alone?" Sky tilted his head. It would explain a lot of Wild's behaviors. The way he flinched at unexpected touch or noise, why he always had that little look of surprise whenever someone initiated a conversation, how he recklessly charged into fights without waiting for backup.

"Completely." He nodded as everyone started packing up to hit the road. "The koroks sorta stay wherever I find them until they get bored and head back to the forest... a few of them will stick with me for a half a day or so, but... Don't get me wrong, there're plenty of people that are friendly towards me, and even a few I'd consider friends, but they all have responsibilities and stuff... I'm just... a drifter."

"Mmm... You sound kind of like Hyrule." Sky hummed as the group started moving. "He was pretty much alone, too."

"I had someone for a little while. A wolf that traveled with me for a few months." Wild had a bit of a far off look to his eye. "He died protecting me."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Sky wondered if it was crueler for him to have had a companion that he'd lost along the way than not to have had one at all.

"His name was Dusk."

"You know, we've got a wolf that comes by every so often, too. He must be wary of you because he hasn't shown up for a bit. His name is Wolfie. He's really friendly, so don't be too startled if he just walks into camp." Sky warned. He wondered where that wolf was. None of them have seen him for a while.

"Thanks for the heads up. Lots of wild wolves in my Hyrule tend to attack me, so I appreciate the warning." Wild was quiet for a long moment. "How long has everyone been together?"

"You mean before you joined up?"

"Yeah. Everyone seems so comfortable around each other..." He wrung his hands a bit, and Sky realized that Wild still felt out of place with them. He resisted the urge to wince. Why hadn't he said anything?

"I think it was only about four months before you joined us. It really hasn't been that long... Come to think of it, it's been about half a year, now, hasn't it?"

"Feels like it's been longer." Hyrule chimed in. "Sorry to intrude, just couldn't help but overhear."

"I think it's because we've all got the Hero's Spirit." Legend piped up. "I'm a cautious person—it's in my nature. But I felt at ease around everyone within days. It was really weird."

"Me too." Wild nodded. "I'm super wary of people I don't know—and up until that point, I hadn't realized I'd been sent to a different Hyrule . Large groups of travelers aren't common in my Hyrule, let alone large groups with such pristine armor and weapons. If I'm being honest, you guys scared the crap out of me when you showed up." He chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah, I can see that." Hyrule winced. "Sorry 'bout that."

"No, don't apologize." Wild beamed. "Traveling with everyone is amazing! My best memories are with you guys. I'm really grateful."

Sky felt his heart swell at that even as Legend flushed and looked away with a half-muttered insult. At the same time, he felt his heart twist painfully. His best memories were with them? Fighting these monsters and being shuttled from one world to the next? Was Wild's journey really so bleak that he had so few good memories to pull from? Wild opened his mouth to say something else when his ears twitched.

"Monsters?" Legend asked as the whole group tensed. They'd learned very quickly that Wild's ears twitched like that when he sensed or heard something amiss.

"No—portal." He looked off to the side as a portal swirled into being a moment later.

"You... you can sense them?" Twilight blinked.

"Yeah. It feels like Hylia—warmth and light with the softest whisper of feathers..." He smiled as he spoke, and Sky tilted his head in interest.

"You can sense Hylia?"

"Mmhm." Wild nodded. "She would speak with me through the Goddess Statues during my journey whenever I needed guidance, or heal my injuries at the statues whenever I got hurt too bad."

Warriors whistled. "That's different."

"Is it?" Wild tilted his head.

"I can't wait to introduce you to Sun." Sky beamed. If Wild was that close to the Goddess in his time, he would probably get along really well with Sun.

"All right, everyone. Same order as last time." Time sighed.

Sky grimaced as he stepped through the portal next to Warriors. The world suddenly tilted and twisted, his stomach rebelled violently at the abrupt shift. For a moment, he couldn't breathe and panic started to settle into his gut. Colors swirled around him in such a disorientating manner that he was forced to close his eyes, which only made him more aware of his unidentifiable position in space.

Then, as abruptly as it began, it was over, and Sky was gasping for breath as he lay on the ground. Portals sucked . The Colors groaned, but looked markedly better than normal.

"Guess we were right." Green shook his head as he sat up. Vio offered him a hand. "It was us being merged that made the portals so bad."

"So we aren't going to have to carry you guys around after a Switch anymore?" Hyrule smiled.

"They still suck, but we should be good." Blue agreed, climbing to his feet.

Sky took a moment to send a mildly miffed look at Wild and Wind, who were the only two completely unaffected by the portals.

"How can you two just stand there and be fine ?" Red looked halfway to tears. "It's not fair!"

"I mean, they're not that much different than traveling by Slate." Wild shrugged. "I'm used to that."

"Remind me to never travel by Slate." Vio deadpanned as he let Red lean against him.

"Anyone know where we are?" Time spoke up, looking only a tad paler than normal.

Sky felt a gri stretch across his lips as he started to look around. He knew these trees. He knew that skyline. And he most definitely knew the sound of a Loftwing's call. "We're in my Hyrule." He excitedly informed the others.

"Aw, yeah!" Hyrule cheered. Most of the others seemed to like his Hyrule, and Sky could understand why. It was downright peaceful compared to the others' homelands. He sent a curious look towards Wild. He was the only one who hadn't been here yet, and Sky was eager to see the boy's first reactions to his home.

"Come on!" Sky sent an excited look towards Wild. "I have to introduce you to my Loftwing, Crimson!"

"Loft...wing?"

"Giant birds that they ride, here." Wind explained. "Sky's the oldest of us, didn't we tell you? He forged the Master Sword and everything!"

"Back in this time, everyone lived in the sky." Twilight added in. "Which is why we're going to take the bird express up to Skyloft."

"Well, they're repopulating the surface, but most people are still up in the clouds." Vio shrugged.

"Wild? You might want to take a step back." Sky warned him as he approached a Landing Point. He grinned as he whistled loudly, and that grin only grew when he heard the familiar cry of his Loftwing.

The crimson bird flew down with a joyful trill and quickly nuzzled his beak into Sky's hair. "I know, I know. I missed you, too." He hugged him as the bird tucked him between his beak and chest. He made a kreening sound as he checked him over, making sure Sky was unharmed.

"I'm fine, Crim." He laughed, scratching him where his bill met feathers. The Loftwing practically melted into him.

"What do you think? Pretty big, right?" Wind laughed, keeping a healthy distance from the bird. He'd confessed upon their first visit to Skyloft that he was somewhat scared of large birds—something to do with his journey. It made Sky feel bad, but Wind was slowly getting used to the Loftwings.

"Woah... It's huge ." Wild stared with wide excited eyes.

"I'll send down some Loftwings for you guys to ride up, yeah?" Sky grinned as he effortlessly found the familiar position on Crimson's back and took to the skies. The wind blew through his hair as the feeling of unbridled freedom welled up within him. The surface was amazing, but his home would always be the skies. He spread his arms wide as the two of them glided above the clouds, a light spray of moisture from the cloud cover made him shiver lightly.

Sky let out a sigh of relief. Seeing Skyloft floating in the distance and the familiar sea of clouds below him left him feeling relaxed and safe. Truly, returning home was the best feeling in the world, second only to Sun's arms wrapped around him.

Groose flew up beside him. "Aw, man! Back already?" He called. "Don't tell me your newest adventure has you tired enough to come home yet?"

"You can't be rid of me that easily." Sky laughed. "By the way, think you can send down some knights to escort my friends up?"

"I'm not your errand boy!"

"Will you?"

"Tch." Groose pouted. "Fine. Seven, right?"

"Eleven, actually." Sky corrected. "We've got some new ones." Well, one new Link and three extra Fours, but...

" More heroes?" Groose scratched his head. "You just can't keep addin' more, ya know!"

"Take it up with Sun." Sky shrugged. "It's her future self that's gathering us all together."

"And here I thought the surface was the strangest thing." Groose shook his head. "Now we've got heroes from the future that all somehow share your spirit."

"Like I said, take it up with Sun." Sky grinned. "Speaking of—"

"In the study as usual." Groose sent him a knowing smirk. "Go on, I'll gather the boys and we'll get your little cheer squad up here." Sky laughed as Groose flew off to gather the other knights to guide the rest of the group up to the clouds.

He and Crimson lazily drifted around the floating island for a few minutes before he spotted eight birds coming up from the surface. He smirked when he realized Wild was grinning broadly, and looked dangerously close to falling off his Loftwing. Flint was keeping a tight hold of Wild's tunic just in case, an exasperated look on his features.

Sky chuckled. Even up in the sky, Wild had no fear. He idly wondered if anything scared this boy. He and Crimson glided gracefully over towards the other heroes.

Wind had a very tight hold on the knight that was flying with him, and Sky felt a little bad for the sailor. They all quickly landed on Skyloft, where many of them looked relieved.

Wild looked mildly disappointed, and Sky instantly knew that he was going to ask for more rides.

"All right!" Sky started once everyone had their feet under them again. Wild was looking around in awe. "Since it's Wild's first time here, I'll explain a bit! This is Skyloft—a place provided to us by the Goddess, Hylia a very long time ago. She also gave us each a Loftwing as a sign of her protection. Loftwings are very personal, so please don't just try to ride one without the permission of that Loftwing's rider." Judging by Wild's pout, he was right to put that out there. He winced at the thought of Wild trying to ride a random Loftwing and getting bucked off over the edge of Skyloft.

"Monsters." Sky continued. "Up here on Skyloft, the most we deal with are Chuchu and Keese, though we do have these little guys called Remlits." He pointed out the small feline who was meowing cutely. "They're docile during the day, but at night they'll attack on sight. A couple of bonks on the head will make 'em run off, though. That's about as dangerous as it gets up here."

"That's it?" Wild blinked in surprise. He looked like the concept of safety was foreign to him, and that didn't sit right with Sky. Was Wild's Hyrule really so dangerous that the concept of safety was that foreign? He knew how to read body language, and he'd never once seen Wild relax. He always slept in trees, and whenever he was startled awake by a nightmare (something Sky had rarely seen, as the guy seemed to get less sleep than Time ), he always landed on his feet, eyes scanning for danger. It told Sky a lot about the kind of journey this kid had been through.

"I know, I was surprised, too." Twilight laughed, startling Sky out of his darkening thoughts. "Skyloft is really safe! It's the surface world below the clouds that holds all the danger."

"Eh, you've got the basics on the Surface—bokoblins and moblins and the like." Sky chuckled. "Nothing too bad. Things have calmed down a lot since I completed my journey."

"I'll say." Sun spoke up from behind Sky, and he whirled around, breathless. She was as beautiful as she'd always been, and he felt himself smile like the lovestruck idiot he was. Wild stared at her, too, but it was with shock.

"You're Hylia ." Wild whispered in awe.

Sun blinked for a moment, startled. "You're new. I'm Zelda, but please, call me Sun." She smiled warmly at Wild.

"She's the Goddess in mortal form." Wind whispered to Wild, who had a flash of... was that guilt in his eyes?

"This is Wild, he's been traveling with us for about two months, now." Sky introduced.

"Well, then, it's nice to meet you, Wild." She held out a hand, and Wild grinned as he took it. "Though I have to ask... how could you tell?"

"You feel like the Hylia from my time." He answered.

"How do you mean?" Sun frowned. The others were listening intently, curious about how their newest member could sense Hylia when none of them could.

"I mean..." He frowned as he thought. "It's like... the feeling of warmth and safety floating through the air. A whisper of feathers and the smell of wildflowers. Sunlight falling through the leaves of the trees on a warm summer day, and the gentle breeze of spring." He paused. "Does that make any sense?"

"Sounds like you're trying to describe divinity." Sun nodded. "I'm surprised you can sense it, though. Most can't unless they've been in a certain kind of danger. Even the others cannot sense it."

Wild went abruptly pale as a flash of realization lit up his face. It seemed Wild had a very good idea of why he could sense it. Wild's jaw clenched a bit. "Oh." His hand idly went up to trace his scars, and Sky's stomach dropped. He suddenly didn't want to know anymore.

Sun winced. "Whatever it may be, I'm glad you're with them." She startled a bit as she looked at the four colors. "And... You are...?"

"We're Four." Vio spoke up. "Our journey split us into four people but we were merged when you last met us."

"So you're four people that were originally one?" Sun tilted her head. "How exactly does that work?"

"Foursword." Green spoke up, gesturing to the blade at his back. "Splits one warrior into four down to their very soul. We can merge and demerge at will, but we still retain individuality."

"It's annoying." Blue huffed.

"We're all aspects of one personality." Vio added on. "I'm the logical side, Red is the emotional one, Green is the well-rounded one, and Blue is the hothead."

"I have so many questions about this." Sun's eyes shone, and Sky knew she was in one of her analytical moods. "Is it okay if I ask you about it?"

"Sure." Vio shrugged.

Wild relaxed substantially now that the attention was no longer focused on him. He still looked rather shaken, though, and Sky's gaze flitted to Hyrule and Legend—the two who were arguably the closest to Wild.

"Come on, Wild. I've got to show you a few things around here." Hyrule spoke up. "Let's leave Sky and Sun to reacquaint ." He gave them a grin that had Sky shooting him a glare. Honestly, little brothers.

"Oh, that reminds me, I wanted your opinion on something..." Sun pulled out one of her many notebooks, a distracted air about her.

"How's it coming?" He smirked as she frantically flipped through pages of loose papers.

"They're in the process of founding Hyrule ." Hyrule told Wild with a grin.

"W- what ?!" Wild choked. He'd never seen the boy pale so quickly before.

"Isn't it cool? Sky founded our whole everything !" Wind gushed excitedly, not bothering to look up at Wild.

"It is pretty neat to see history in the making." Warriors chuckled. "Even more so to actually meet the Goddess herself ."

"I heard that." Sun shot him a look. "I told you to just call me Sun ." She huffed.

"Sorry." Warriors didn't sound apologetic at all. Sky was about to make some smart-ass remark and really get the conversation rolling or turn her attention back to the colors—anything to get away from more work —when he really caught sight of Wild's expression.

It was like someone had punched him in the gut. He looked like he'd just realized the puppy he'd accidentally murdered belonged to his grieving best friend and had no idea how to tell him. He was about to ask him if he was okay when Hyrule nudged him with a somewhat sullen and concerned expression, and they snuck off to explore. Sky didn't have the heart to stop them.

~~~

Hyrule was worried. Something was bothering Wild and he had no idea what it was. The most he could do was distract him in the hopes that he could pull him out of whatever funk he was falling into, but he wasn't sure if he was doing a good job or not.

He just really wished Wild would tell him what was going on. They sat down together behind a waterfall that overlooked the clouds of Skyloft.

"What's bothering you?" Hyrule asked, and Wild looked startled for a moment.

"What do you mean?"

"I can tell." He deadpanned. "Don't even try. You've been off since Sun talked about your ability to sense divinity."

Wild sighed and chucked a rock over the edge. Hyrule idly wondered if it was safe to do that now that people lived on the surface. Wouldn't that kill someone if it fell on their head?

"Did Sky really found Hyrule?" Wild's voice was quiet and hesitant, not at all like the rambunctious pyromaniac he knew.

Of all the things he expected Wild to ask, this wasn't one of them. "Yeah. He apparently defeated some evil god and made the surface world safe enough for people to inhabit again. So he moved people from Skyloft down to the newly named Hyrule. Since he and Sun are a thing, I'm pretty sure they started the royal family, too."

Wild winced, kicking his feet for a moment as he thought. Hyrule thought he caught a gleam of guilt, but he wasn't sure. "Hey, 'rule?"

"Mm?"

"Do you think... I mean if I'm..." He sighed, frustrated. "Could we still be friends... even if I'm not a hero?"

Hyrule startled badly and looked up at Wild, who stared at the clouds resolutely. "Wha?! Why would you think...?" He shook his head. Obviously this was something deeper than a passing thought. What Wild needed right now wasn't to be told he was wrong—he needed to be told he wasn't alone. "Of course, idiot." He smiled and gently bumped Wild's shoulder with his own, causing the bright blue sky-clear eyes to meet his own. "We're brothers . No matter what you think, nothing will change that. And if you ask Legend that, you'll just get him mad, because I'll tell you now he thinks the same."

"But... what if I'm not...?"

"Not what, Wild? Not as experienced? Not as courageous? Not enough ?" Hyrule smiled when Wild nodded. "I'll tell you something. None of us feel like heroes. None of us feel like we're enough . I honestly think it's a trait we've all passed down to each other." He chuckled.

"R-really?"

"Yeah. You know Wind doesn't even share the same Hero's Spirit as us?"

"He doesn't ?"

"Nope. He's just a normal kid. His Hyrule got flooded and his Triforce was broken to bits. When his sister was kidnapped, he went out there of his own volition and forced the Triforce of Courage back together. He made it choose him. He forged his own Hero's Spirit. Do you think him any less a hero because he's just some random kid?"

"Not at all."

"So what if you think you're not enough? Wild, there is no ' enough' when it comes to being a hero. You survived. Your enemy is gone. That's enough." He smiled, looking out at the clouds. " I think you're a hero, Wild. Just from what I've seen these last few months... I think you're doing just fine."

"Can I... Can I have some time to think?" Wild asked after a moment. His eyes were suspiciously shiny and Hyrule understood instantly.

"Of course. If you forgot where we're staying, just ask for the Knight Academy." He smiled and went to pat Wild on the shoulder before he thought better of it and pulled him into a hug instead. It took him a moment before he hugged back. And if it was a bit tighter than normal, then Hyrule didn't say anything.

~~~

Sky sighed as he watched the sun sink below the horizon. Hyrule had returned a little while ago without Wild and explained that he needed some time alone. Apparently they'd had some kind of serious conversation, but everyone knew better than to ask. If it wasn't life-threatening, then it wasn't their business unless Wild told them himself.

Even still, he would really rather Wild not be out there alone at night. Despite the safety of Skyloft, with the infection going on, there was no telling what could crop up. A valid concern they'd all had for a while was monsters from other Hyrules showing up through the use of the same portals they used. It hadn't happened yet , but it was a very real possibility. If that really was something that could happen, then even Skyloft wouldn't be safe anymore. Sky shuddered when he thought of creatures like Hyrule's Lynels showing up on Skyloft. It'd be a massacre.

"I'm getting worried." Twilight frowned. "He looked off earlier, and he's still not back."

"We had a bit of a talk." Hyrule crossed his arms. "I'm sure he'll come back when he's ready."

"Yeah, but I don't like the thought of him being out there alone." Legend scowled. "What if he falls? He looked far too happy to jump off that Loftwing earlier."

"He's got a paraglider." Hyrule shrugged. "I'm sure he'd be fine."

"This is Wild we're talking about." Warriors pointed out. "He can handle himself." He then sent a smirk towards Legend. "You sound worried ."

"As if!" The red-clad hero huffed, crossing his arms. "I just don't want to lose our only cook!"

"Uh huh. Suuure." Wind laughed, causing Legend to flush a bit deeper.

"I'll go look for him." Sky offered, standing up. "It's getting late anyhow. Skyloft isn't big, but he loves to explore. He may have gotten lost." This was his home, after all. He knew the place like the back of his hand.

Time looked up at him for a moment before nodding. "All right."

Sky shot him a grin as he secured Fi to his back and jogged out into the cool evening. Most people were in their homes at this hour, so he knew Wild wasn't shopping. Plus, the guy hated crowds. So... where was the most isolated place on Skyloft?

The first place he checked was the waterfall cavern—where Hyrule said he'd spoken to Wild earlier. There was no trace of the hero which made Sky frown. He called Crimson and the two circled beneath Skyloft. Wild could free climb well enough, and didn't seem to be afraid of heights. It was entirely possible he was exploring to get his mind off whatever it was that bothered him earlier.

He had no luck with that, either. He and Crimson circled up, scouring any part of Skyloft they could see from the air. It wasn't until they were at the apex of their climb that he spotted a flash of blue and gold by the Statue of the Goddess. He let out a sigh of relief as he patted his Loftwing and rolled from his back, deploying his sailcloth to gently float down just outside the gates of the sanctuary.

Wild was kneeling before the statue, head bowed and hands in his lap. It looked like he was praying, and Sky knew better than to interrupt a prayer. But then he saw the younger's shoulders shake in what could only be suppressed sobs.

His heart clenched. Wild wasn't the kind of guy to cry—he was crazy, and free-spirited, and took on monster camps alone for shits and giggles. He'd never cried around them.

Perhaps he'd never felt safe enough to. The realization hurt more than Sky was willing to admit. For all Wild knew about them, they knew very little about him .

Sky made sure to scuff his feet against the ground as he approached, so as not to startle the other hero too badly. Wild stiffened, ears twitching at the noise. "Hey Sky." He croaked out, making him wonder how Wild knew it was him and not one of the others. Could he tell them apart by sound? The Skyloftian settled down next to the Hylian.

"What's got you up here all alone? We've been worried." He spoke softly, hesitant to break the silence that had settled around them like the night's cool air.

Wild hesitated as he gazed upon the Goddess Statue with an unreadable, heavy expression. "You founded the Kingdom of Hyrule, right?" Though he didn't take his gaze away from the statue, Sky knew he was talking to him. "You feel pride every time you look upon the kingdoms in the future, don't you?"

He did. Every time he saw what would become of this carefully cultivated seed he was planting, he was filled to the brim with joy. To know that he'd made a home for countless people and had created a beautiful culture that was so unique was incredible. Even still, as far down as Wind or Legend's times, he could make out tiny Skyloftian traditions that had survived the eons. Things like small Goddess Statues to watch over travelers, or celebrating the Day of the Sun—though the name and method of celebration had changed drastically between the eras.

It was truly mind boggling to see what his people would create.

"I'm sorry ." Wild's voice startled him out of his thoughts. It came out as the fiercest and quietest of whispers. Sky almost didn't hear it. He turned towards Wild, giving the other his full attention as his brow creased in worry.

"Sorry?"

"I..." He swallowed thickly, voice catching in his throat. He tried to sign something, but Sky was terrible at sign—something Wild remembered halfway through whatever he was trying to say. The fact that he was upset enough to try to revert to sign worried him. He'd been verbal for over a month, now. He'd never had to resort back to sign around them.

Sky gently placed his hands over Wild's, snapping the boy's attention away from his obviously darkening thoughts. He didn't like that dark shadow in Wild's eye, that shine of self-loathing that Sky was far too familiar with. It didn't look right on Wild. "Whatever it is you're trying to apologize for, it's okay." He was wracking his brain trying to figure out what was going on. He'd mentioned the Kingdom of Hyrule... had Wild's Hyrule changed somehow? Had it... Sky's eyes widened a bit as the thought slithered into his brain. Had it fallen ? "No matter what happened to your Hyrule, it wasn't your fault. Kingdoms rise and fall, and you're so far into the future, that it astounds me that Hyrule's lasted so long. It's not your fault."

Wild let out a small, pained gasp, and Sky knew with an ugly pang in his chest that he was right. Somehow, Wild's Hyrule had fallen, and the kid blamed himself for it.

"It is my fault!" Wild finally found his voice, and it was loud . It was raw with guilt and shame. Sky startled badly. He'd never heard Wild yell before. "I'm no hero." He spat, and Sky flinched at the amount of self-hatred he heard. "I'm just a failure. I couldn't save anybody. Hyrule... it's... because of me." Tears fell down Wild's cheeks, thick and hot. "And I can't even remember the people who fell! I can't even honor their memories!"

Okay, ouch . Sky couldn't even begin to imagine the kind of guilt and pain that Wild must carry around every day. To not only lose people he cared about, but to be unable to remember them? Why hadn't the kid said something sooner? Was he afraid they'd reject him? Look down on him for his perceived failure?

Sky really didn't know what to do. He was the unofficial 'emotional one' of the group, but Sky wasn't the best at comforting someone so distraught. He was better than the other Links, but he still wished Sun was there to help. He carefully pulled Wild into a hug, giving the other plenty of time to pull away if he found the contact uncomfortable.

To Sky's surprise, Wild clung to him like a child. His sobs were silent, but Sky held him close nonetheless, letting the lonely hero take solace in the presence of another. How long had it been since Wild had allowed himself this kind of release? Had he ever?

He couldn't help but let his mind wonder over this new information as he gently rocked Wild, running a hand through the long hair. Wild's Hyrule had fallen—likely to Ganon, if he was reading into this right. Wild blamed himself because he's the Hero, and was probably expected to deal with it alone. Sky was going to go out on a limb here and say that the scars that marred the boy's face was from his unsuccessful attempt to save his kingdom. It was very likely that was also the cause for his amnesia.

He turned his attention back towards the sobbing hero in his arms. He didn't seem to be calming down much, and abruptly recalled Sun singing to him as kids whenever he was upset about his parents' death.

He started by humming softly under his breath, and judging from the twitching of Wild's ears—which tickled his chin—the other hero didn't miss it. He kept his voice low and gentle as he slowly started singing. It wasn't really anything in particular, but it seemed to calm Wild down some nonetheless.

The scarred youth's ear was pressed against his chest, and Sky idly started braiding Wild's hair as he hummed and sang. The boy relaxed even further, the sobs starting to taper off into quiet hiccups and sniffles.

Wild's breathing was starting to even out, and Sky knew he was nearly asleep. "m sorry." Wild apologized.

Sky chuckled lightly as he tied off the braid. "Don't apologize for feeling, if you bottle it all up, you'll end up as salty as Legend." Wild let out a watery chuckle, and Sky counted that as a win. "And I won't tell anyone." He scooped the much too light hero into his arms, letting Wild's head lull against his chest. The boy relaxed even further. Like this, he really did look like a child, and it made his heart ache even more fiercely.

Wild settled into his arms, curling towards him as he drifted off to sleep. Sky wouldn't press him for answers, and he didn't expect a proper explanation, but at least Wild knew now that he could come to Sky when he needed it. Or, at least, he hoped he did.

The walk back was calm and Sky couldn't help but blink back a few tears of his own when he thought about the pain this child was carrying around each day. He loved Hylia, he truly did. But he had to wonder what happened in the future to allow her to let such pain befall this boy.

Opening the door was a bit of a struggle, but Sky managed it without waking his charge. The others looked up abruptly when Sky came in, carrying a sleeping Wild in his arms. He'd done Wild the favor of wiping away the tears, so while his eyes were still puffy, it wasn't quite so obvious.

"Is he okay?" Hyrule asked, concerned.

"He's fine. We just had a bit of a talk. He... confessed some personal things to me." Sky explained, looking down at the kid. He had grabbed a hold of the edge of Sky's sailcloth and was tucking it under his chin in his sleep. It was such an adorably childish gesture that he couldn't help but smile.

This kid had been through too much. He wanted nothing more than to keep the kid here in Skyloft and protect him from whatever horrors haunted his past.

"Go on, then." Time gestured towards the barracks. "Get some rest. It's late."

Sky nodded as he carried Wild down the hall and into one of the bedrooms. There were three to a room. Legend was already sitting on his own bed and Hyrule trailed in after Sky.

"Do I want to know?" Legend asked with a raised eyebrow. Though he sounded like he could care less, Sky still caught the flash of concern and the shine of worry in his eyes.

"He's just tired." Hyrule said. "I'll explain later."

"Hn." Sky set Wild down on one of the beds, but the kid had an iron grip on his sailcloth. He nearly pulled Wild off the bed when he tried to straighten up. Legend snorted in amusement as Sky finally gave up and untied his sailcloth.

"I'll expect that back in the morning." He told the sleeping youth, who proceeded to snuggle up to the cloth like a comfort blanket. He couldn't help but smile at the cute scene. Even Hyrule let out a small 'aww'. Sky sighed and tucked Wild in. "Sleep well, Hero of the Wild."