Hey everyone... it's been a minute, hasn't it? Well uh, this chapter kept giving me issues. I've had to strangle a few parts before rewriting them. That, and this chapter just kept getting longer and longer. So uhh... yeah. Enjoy!

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"I'm borrreeeeddddd...." Wind exclaimed as he tilted his head back and let his body go limp in the chair. Everyone else was off doing exciting things. Most of them had ventured into the unknown, off to see a brand new era. mysterious dangers awaited them, and there were surely adventures that were yet to be had. But here he was, stuck in this one room. He could hear the troops outside if he strained his ears. Training them wouldn't be quite as thrilling as going out with the others, but at least it would allow him to move around. If he weren't so used to being confined to small cabins aboard ships, he would be going absolutely stir crazy right now.

He tilted his head so that he could get a better look at Hyrule. He was still passed out. Poor teen was still so utterly pale, so weakened to the point he hadn't moved a muscle in his slumber. Wind had to force himself to look away. Staring at his comrade so much left a nasty pit in his stomach, as though he might puke, or cry, or both. Probably both. Maybe that was immature of him, to not be able to handle such a mild sight. It was hardly anything in comparison to some of the injuries he had gotten himself. Not to say he once had it worse, but he had seen much more gorey sights with less of a reaction than this. So then why...?

"Gahh, all this boredom is making me all sad and depressed." He sighed. He hoisted himself up and out of his chair before walking over to the window. Sure enough, he could make out the rows of stupid adults whose asses he handed to them only yesterday. If he looked closer, he could see Wars making various motions with a stick in his hand. By the looks of things, they were still doing just basic training, the kind that would have also just about put him to sleep as well. Still, it was better than just sitting around feeling sorry about unchangeable realities.

He lightly slapped his cheek. "This isn't about you, though." He told his reflection in the glass pane. He took a deep breath and sighed, trying to dispel the pent up energy and all the negative emotions that was likely only feuling it. It worked only a little.

"Hmm...?"

Wind's breath caught in his throat as he froze. Nervous energy ran down his spine, enough to make him shudder. "Hyrule!" he exclaimed as he spun around. The Traveller hadn't moved at all, but his eyes were now slit open ever so slightly, showing that he was awake. Wind was quick to rush to his side. "How are you feeling?"

Hyrule's eyes fully opened now. His pupils moved around, observing Wind. His lips parted, and then he spoke. "I... it hurts." He winced.

"Okay, okay." Wind replied, a shiver of nerves running down his spine faster and stronger than a moment ago. How exactly was he supposed to respond to that? He wasn't sure, but he felt as though he needed to keep talking, keep him awake. He recalled that Wars told him to ask simple questions to try and keep Hyrule engaged. "Do you remember your name?" Wind reached for his hand. He hesitated before fully taking the larger one in his own and giving it a squeeze.

"My...?" Hyrule echoed, his voice barely a whisper. For a moment, his eyes looked a bit clearer, as though he may have understood. But then his voice faded, and his eyes glazed back over. He didn't react to the touch, either. Then he moved his head slightly to get a better view of Wind, and only after that squeezed their interlocked hands. It was weak, but he did it. "Hyrule." He replied. "And you're... Wind."

Wind had to bite his lip to bury his worry deep down. Hyrule needed a brave face, after all. "Hyrule... Yes, that's good." He grinned. He paused before glancing over at the door, the strained smile wasting away. Right, he needed to get Wars. He glanced back, ensuring he was smiling again. "You stay right here, okay? And stay awake for me, ok?"

Hyrule nodded. "Sure." He supposed, emotion far away from his voice. Wind supposed that was the best he was going to get, and so he slipped his hand away before dashing to the door. He nearly threw it open and ran outside as fast as he could.

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Link and Sky walked side by side, taking a tentative step into the ancient temple. Everything was as still as could be, a sacred silence hanging in the air they didn't quite dare break.

The temple was huge, to say the least. It was a wide open expanse, showing all of its architecture in all of its glory. Simple yet refined, it was. Two huge gears turned in front of them. But in front of that was a chiseled staircase and a pedestal that held what looked to Sky like a giant amber relic. It floated slightly as it radiated a golden light.

"What's that?" Sky asked Link. It may have looked like a giant version of the material he had gathered in the silent realm, but he could tell this had to be much more important. It was almost as though the temple had even been built around the artifact, dare he say.

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Everything was going well in taking down the hinox. Both Four and Time got in a good amount of slashes before the monster managed to get up on it's two feet. He looked from Four to Time and back again as it raised it's hand.

"Fall back!" Time exclaimed, already half in the motion himself. Four obeyed on instinct, running backwards. The downside of fighting on a bridge was that it was a rather narrow area to fight in, and with each step of the hinox, the entire bridge shook to the point both hylians had to fight for their footing. As the hinox moved to look directly at Four, the Smith stumbled right into the railing that hung on the sides of the bridge. He gasped as he instinctively looked down. That would be quite a fall. The hinox let out a roar as it began to bring its hand down.

"Oh no you don't!" Time exclaimed. He leapt back into action, clutching his sword tightly. The weapon sliced right through the hinox's back, causing the monster to stumble back instead of clobbering Four. The bridge quaked and Time stumbled, trying to get out of the way while also not tripping and falling over himself. The hinox was also trying to not tip over but it was failing, its weight unevenly shifting towards Time. It was certainly going to fall.

"Watch out!" Four exclaimed. Now that he had mostly regained his own footing, he could act. Quickly taking out his gust jar, he pointed it at the hinox. He activated it, sucking in the air around the monster. This was far too big an enemy to suck inside of it of course, but all of him hoped that this could keep the hinox from falling for just a few more moments. It flailed its arms as it swayed side to side. Four held his breath as he watched Time do a half barrel roll out of the way just in time for the hinox to collapse where the hylian just had been.

The entire bridge shook once more, more than it had when the hinox walked. Four stumbled forward. This time, he really was sure that he was going to bite it. A blue spark burst to life in his chest, and he let a scream rip out of his throat. He threw all the momentum he had in his fall, gripping his sword and charging at the fallen hinox. He plunged the blade right into its stomach, bashing his head against the pelt at the same time. It was a clumsy attack, but it was an attack nonetheless.

Time had gotten back onto his feet now. He too charged at the monster, but having done so after the bridge stopped quaking, he was much more notably steady on his feet. Because of that, he was able to land blow after blow, unlike Four who had to take the time to recover and stand back up. The hinox roared out in vain, whipping its arms and legs to try and whack the Heroes out of the way. Both of said Heroes were sure that they dodged the desperate attempts.

When the hinox began to rise to its feet again, Four and Time both instinctively drew back, switching to much more defensive stances. But then the hinox froze in place and promptly fell over once more with one last cry.

"Is that it?" Time asked, unmoving from his stance.

"I think so." Four replied, only glancing over at his successor for a second. It would seem that they were both right, because the monster's red skin became covered with a blanket of pure black before it disappeared before their very eyes with very little proof it was ever there.

The two breathed a sigh as their stances relaxed. Time put his sword away first before walking over to what remained of the towering beast from before. The weapons that were around its necklace remained, as did a few partly digested fish, a few toenails, a tooth and its horn. Gross. He carefully took ahold of the spear after pushing one of the toenails away with his boot. "What do you think of these, Four?" he asked.

Four was right behind him at that point, taking up a broadsword that was just around his size and probably weighed a fair amount too. He lifted it with both hands to inspect it. "Well... quite frankly they're pitiful. They can hardly be called weapons." He spat, looking at his blue eyed reflection. When he looked away from it, his eyes turned into a more reasonable violet. "But... they're about comparable to the other things I've seen in this era. We should keep them, if we have room for them."

They shared a glance before bursting into laughter. Of course they had enough room; as adventurers, they would always find a way to make room for shiny new things. Or, in this case, old and decayed sorry excuses for weapons.

Four slipped the broadsword in the bag that sat on his hip. The bag looked like it'd only be big enough to store a large sum of rupees, but the broadsword slid in with ease. Similarly, Time put the spear in his own bag, careful not to disturb the masks hid within it.

"Should we get going then?" Time asked, decidedly not going to take any of the monster's other remains.

Four nodded. "Hopefully Spirit won't throw us off this bridge though."

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Link shrugged at Sky. He didn't know what this thing was either. He didn't look over at Sky for even a moment though, his eyes locked on the object. He blinked as an unknown feeling swirled in his chest. It felt... he wasn't sure how to describe it. Part of him wanted to call it curiosity. Part of him wanted to call it warm. Another part wanted to say the presence it gave was oddly familiar, like an old friend, yet something entirely new to him. Such was a paradoxical statement, but that was the best way he could think to describe it.

He found himself taking a step. Then another. And before he knew it, he had made his way up all of the steps and now stood directly in front of the oddly shaped crystal... or whatever it was. He could feel Sky behind him, but choose to ignore him for now. Whatever this stone or crystal or whatever it was, was, had captured his full attention.

The familiar buzz of magic made his way through his natural arm, causing him to look down at his unnatural one.

"It's glowing again!" Sky exclaimed, and indeed it was. Only this time, Link hadn't done anything to activate the magic that laid inside of it. He hummed as he extended his arm, observing it. Why was it activated now? He looked back up at the artifact that was now in front of him. From this distance, he could feel a similar feeling -- a slightly different magic-- emanating from it. Was that what was causing the magic within him to stir? (He still wasn't quite sure how magic worked, anyhow).

In any case, he couldn't help but feel compelled once again to touch an object before him. Maybe this was just like the door they had just went through, where something in this borrowed arm could affect this artifact. With that in mind, he gave in, reaching out to touch the center of the stone. The edges of his fingertips were just barely grazing the surface of it before an overpowering golden light flooded the room. Both him and Sky cried out as they covered their eyes and stumbled back away from the mysterious object.

It seemed as though that Sky was able to recover faster than Link could, because he called. "Wait... don't tell me that's--"

When Link opened his eyes, he saw for himself -- there she was. "Zelda." He mouthed her name, partially out of shock, partially out of the sense of relief knowing that she was fine. Wherever she had gone in that flash of light, she was okay. But then again -- was she?

He squinted, studying her. She was wearing a style of dress that he had never seen before. It didn't look like anything from the hylian settlements he had been to, nor the gorons, zora, rito or gerudo. And that aside, because her garment was about the least important thing in this scenario, he couldn't help but notice that she looked astral, her frame glowing with the same golden glow that had exploded from the crystal moments ago. But unlike the ghosts he had seen, she wasn't semi-transparent; just glowing. Was that okay?

He glanced around him. The temple was obscured now, a thick mist enveloping them. He could make out Sky, but in what suddenly felt like a dream, the blonde seemed much further away than he was just a moment ago. Link could hear the hums of his words, but he couldn't make any sense of them. Whatever this was, it seemed to be between him and Zelda, then.

Speaking of Zelda, she had moved the least of the three of them. Her eyes were closed, as though she were in a deep slumber, even though she was standing upright. No -- suspended in motion seemed more like it, seeing as she was floating slightly. Maybe if he just called to her... He opened his mouth, but he couldn't help but glance back at where Sky was. His mouth clicked shut.

He could talk in front of Zelda, but not in front in Sky. Not even now, when he was pretty sure his voice wouldn't carry over there. He knew it shouldn't be this difficult, but he couldn't help how the anxiety could steal his words so easily. If he couldn't make noise, then how could he hope to wake her up?

Perhaps she wasn't asleep after all, because just as he wondered that, her clasped hands undid themselves. Her right hand lowered and opened expectantly. Link didn't understand, not really, but he took a step closer to close the gap in between them to take her hand. Her hand squeezed his lightly, letting him know that he had done the right thing. He squeezed hers back much tighter, hoping that way she would finally open her eyes and speak to him. He held his breath as he stared up at her, waiting in anticipation.

She still did not look at him, nor did she speak or move. But what did happen was the light that seemed to emanate through her gathered at her necklace. One, that by closer examination, looked like a small version of the stone that was on the podium before. When the light stopped growing in both volume and intensity, it ran down her arm and into her hand, before seeping into Link's own hand. He couldn't feel it as it spread into the prosthetic, but he gasped as he saw the golden hue that quickly enveloped the smoky black and spread up to his natural arm.

Just as he started to feel the warm tingle of the magic, all of the light drew back into a single point on the back of his hand. Once it had all collected there, it exploded and caused him to shield his eyes as he stumbled back. When he was able to open his eyes again, there a strange insignia encrusted the back of his hand, and Zelda was nowhere to be found.

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It had been about an hour since Legend and Twilight had begun to look for Wolfie. They had tried calling, searching quietly, and everything in between, and yet the wolf never appeared. Any time that Twilight tried to sneak off, Legend was right behind, quick to rejoin him.

"You usually find him a whole lot faster." Legend said pointedly as he slowed to a stop at last. "And you always seem to know right where he is. What gives?"

Anxiety twisted in Twilight's stomach. It had been there since they had set out on Epona that morning, and only doubled when they began to look for that which could not be found.

He had to come clean. He knew that. Yet, he couldn't help but try to hold onto his secret for a little bit longer. "I told you, he doesn't like others. He only comes out if it's just me." he tried one last time.

Legend huffed, crossing his arms. At first, Twilight had expected him to say what he had said before; that Wolfie wasn't that shy. But then his shoulders lowered, tension easing. "Well, I guess you'd know him better than I do." He admitted. "Sorry for doubting you."

An apology didn't come often from the Veteran, and that made Twilight feel that much worse. He had his reasons for keeping his secret, sure, but this group was already beginning to feel like home to him. Coming home to his village, no one could relate to all the pains he suffered, nor did he know how to even begin to bring up most of them. But this group had experienced so many things like he had. Maybe it was wrong of him to keep the secret any longer, even if it was a rather odd one. Time accepted him, so maybe...

Twilight cleared his throat. "Legend, do you remember when I told you that my horse was the only one who knew and accepted m--?"

A yelp sounded in the distance, causing Legend to spin around. "Wolfie, is that you?" He asked. He had a hand on his sword just in case he was mistaken, but he didn't take it out just yet. He rushed to the bush a few feet away, calling for Wolfie again.

Twilight rushed after him, calling, "No, that's not Wolfie!" It couldn't be, seeing as he was the wolf after all. He too grasped his sword, but he held on much tighter as he prepared to draw it out.

A wolf jumped out of the bush, toppling Legend right over. He grunted as he was thrown to the ground and rolled his eyes fondly. "Jeez, Wolfie. Really?" He asked, unable to stop the smile from forming. The wolf let out a short yip as it tilted it's head down at the hylian. It reluctantly got off of Legend before looking up at Twilight.

Twilight's eyes widened when he saw the familiar markings on the wolf's face. No, this wasn't some regular wolf, and not just because it seemed tame. It looked nearly identical to how Wolfie looked, down to even how the chain was broken around its paw. But, that clearly wasn't Wolfie, because Twilight was Wolfie. ... Right? He hadn't just dreamt that. 

The wolf stared at him silently, almost as though it felt just as shocked as Twilight. Or maybe, it was silently asking him why he was so confused. Or maybe -- maybe Twilight was just imagining a level of sentience that a normal, weird looking wolf had. Or--?

"Took him long enough, eh Twi?" Legend asked as he got up and lazily pet Wolfie.

Now Twilight really didn't know what to do. Should he fess up, or should he thank the Goddess for being able to hide his secret? He was frozen on the spot, his eyes locked on the wolf that now had begun to wander aimlessly. Was that him? Or an imposter? Or just some regular wolf that somehow looked exactly like him? None of the three made any sense. Maybe. Or maybe it did. He wasn't quite sure of anything anymore. All that he really was sure of was that the wolf seemed harmless enough... so maybe he could just go along with it?

"Er-- Twi?" Legend asked again, now waving his hand in front of the Rancher's face and causing him to startle slightly.

"Huh-- oh right. Yeah." He nodded, having already forgotten what had been said to him. "I guess we can get started then?" He kneeled on the ground, making a low whistle as he extended his hand. The wolf turned and came, nuzzling his hand slightly. To say it felt odd, being nuzzled by someone who (possibly?) was himself, or at least looked exactly like him, and pretending this was somehow normal. That was an understatement. He reached out and scratched right below his chin -- he loved that. This wolf did too it would seem, melting to his touch and waving its tail. Okay, so maybe this was him then? But how--? This didn't even look anything like his era! He felt a massive headache coming on.

Legend was giving him a side eye now. It was something that almost looked judgmental, but he knew the Vet well enough to know it wasn't that. It was more like he was scrutinizing his behavior. Wait, did he know? Was this some kind of practical joke? (He wasn't sure how Legend would be able to pull something like that off, but it would have been the best prank he had ever been part of if he had.)

No... this would be a rather poor time to play a prank, given the circumstances. Twilight tried his best to collect himself and not act like he was losing his mind. This was... his wolf friend. Right. "Hey there boy... We were trying to find Sky and the new Link again. Could you try to track one of them down?" He asked, trying to show a smile. He just hoped that if this wolf really was him, that would be enough information for wolf-him to remember the past -- er future -- no, present? Or... something. He had no idea what to expect any more.

The wolf tilted his head slightly before barking. Okay, he seemed confused then. "They are lost, remember? We can't find them... Do you still have their scent?" That was a rather stupid question. The answer was almost certainly no, unless maybe he accidentally managed to clone himself last night. (Actually was that a possibility? What exactly was Purah capable of? Hmm... he tucked away that theory along with the others.) He looked back over at Legend. "Do you have Sky's handkerchief on you?"

Legend nodded and quickly took out the scrap of fabric. He held it just above Wolfie's nose, allowing him to sniff it. He first whined, lowering his head and shaking it as his tail drooped. He glanced back at Twilight and gave a quiet bark. "What's wrong with him?" he asked.

"I'm... not sure." Twilight asked. He lifted his hand and embraced the wolf, petting him in all of his favorite spots. The wolf leaned into him, burying its head into his armpit. It definitely seemed like him, having his mannerisms and seemingly being comfortable with him. Twilight's head still spun the same. "Maybe he misses Sky? It uh-- it's going to be alright, boy."

After a few moments, the wolf turned, breaking away Twilight's arms to face the handkerchief again. Twilight wasn't sure if his words had even made sense to the possible time travelling clone and/or imposter and/or look alike, but he was relieved that whatever he did seemed to work. The wolf sniffed at the cloth for a minute before putting his nose to the ground. He began to sniff around, wandering aimlessly as he looked for a trace.

He couldn't help but feel a bit of tension slip from his shoulders. This was good, he thought. He stood up before joining Legend in slowly trailing the animal. They followed it for a few minutes, basking in the warm spring day.

"Say Twi?" Legend asked. "What were you saying about your horse again?"

Twilight immediately flushed, recalling just how close he had been to revealing his secret when this wolf showed up. "I uh— you were right... I did tell her I was bi. And I spent many nights telling her all about my crushes."

Legend snorted. "Knew it." He smirked before lightly punching Twi in the arm. His smirk then faded and he looked back down at Wolfie.

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"Link, what just happened?" Sky asked as he rushed over to Link's side. "Was-- was that Zelda? Did she speak to you? Where did she go?" He hadn't meant to ask so many questions as he did, but they all came tumbling out at once. It was probably a bit too overwhelming for the silent Hero, as he lowered his head and raised his shoulders protectively. Upon seeing such a reaction, Sky made sure to give him some space and a quick apology. After Link reluctantly relaxed, he waved a hand dismissively to ensure that it was alright. He began to open his mouth when a voice behind Sky spoke.

"Indeed it was." He said. Sky turned around, finding what looked to be some kind of spirit. With incredibly long ears, Sky realized that he must be from the legendary Zonai tribe.

"Wait, who are--?"

"My name is Rauru. My people call me the first king of Hyrule, but I'd hardly call that true." The spirit lowered into a short, respectful bow. "When I saw that Link here was in trouble, I brought him up here so he could recover. It seems as though someone brought you here as well, huh... I wonder why." He brought a hand up to his chin as he hummed thoughtfully.

Sky took a few moments to digest his words. This really was the first king of Hyrule? He couldn't possibly imagine how important he must be! And, not to mention, that would mean he would have to have married one of Sun's descendants... His heart panged as he wondered for the millionth time who would be fortunate enough to marry her. Groose, probably.

But enough about that. He pushed the thought aside before responding to Rauru. "It was a dragon. I'm not really sure why either. Maybe the Goddess Hylia guided it so that me and Link could meet." Sky explained. Despite what anyone else said, he truly believed that Hylia had always watched over him and helped him through everything that he did. Even if he may not understand at a given moment what her plans were, he could always look back and see her hand in his life.

"And who are you, exactly?" Rauru asked. He kept his hand on his chin as he narrowed his eyes, staring at the symbol that had been dyed upon Sky's sailcloth. "And where did you get that fabric?"

"Well actually I'm--" Sky paused, glancing down at his sailcloth himself. Did this spirit know what a sailcloth was? He sure was looking at it as though he was, at least. The group was never too keen at revealing their true identities. Usually, they only did so if the resident Link thought it best. He glanced over at said resident Link hoping that he would catch his silent question.

Link nodded.

"I'm also Link. Think of me as a... past life of his that time traveled to the future." Sky replied. He couldn't help but smile, glad that he didn't have to worry about conjuring a string of lies. "You can call me Sky to keep things simple. This fabric is a sailcloth -- I come from the a sky island just about this size. Knights are given them in a ceremony based on an old legend."

Rauru hummed and nodded. "Yes, Skyloft I believe it was called. You know, my wife had one just like yours, down to the same shimmer in the design... She said it was a family heirloom that came from her grandfather." He chuckled as though he found it funny. Well, Sky supposed it was a rather strange coincidence. But then again, surely Groose would get a sailcloth of his own eventually. Maybe Sun would be the one to give him one, too seeing as she was the Goddess herself. That all checked out.

"In any case, I'm not really sure what has occurred here, either." Rauru continued as he floated over to Link. "That there is Recall... the ability to reverse the movement of of an object through time. And Zelda vanished as well... What's happened here... It's a mystery even to me. Perhaps Zelda was a sort of echo-- one that reflects her sheer will. And you, Sky, surely there is a reason you've arrived in this place as well. No doubt that you and the Recall ability will prove important." He said. And before Sky could respond, Rauru vanished before his and Link's eyes.

"Wait-- where'd he go?!" He asked, spinning around to see if Rauru had appeared behind him. However, it was just him and Link now. The other shrugged his shoulders, his calm demeanor revealing that this may not have been the first time that this had happened. He paused before reaching for his device.

'He comes and goes randomly.' He wrote before stashing it away. He didn't wait for Sky's reaction, instead turning before walking over to one of the two giant turning gears, set up in a way that made the large temple symmetrical.

"Right, we should keep going." Sky agreed with his sentiment, following behind a few moments later.

They walked up to the very edge to where the floor gave way to make room for the gear. Connected to the gear were large platforms that spun with it, jutting out enough to submerge in the water below as though it were a water wheel. There were gaps in the platform, allowing the water to quickly drain from it as it pulled out, but it would surely still be wet when it arrived at where Sky and Link were standing. But that wasn't all -- the wheel was going the opposite direction than they would want if they wanted to take a ride to the next floor of the temple.

Sky tilted his head curiously as he looked over at Link's right arm. Would he really be able to reverse time like Rauru said, he wondered as he sat down.

Link hummed in assent, as though he could read Sky's thoughts. He took a deep breath before snapping his fingers. The arm came to life just as it had before as he reached out towards the gear. He slowly closed his fingers into a fist and grunted as he squeezed his eyes shut. The wheel kept spinning. Sky frowned at that, but decided not to comment. Whenever he had a new tool, it took a lot of concentration to figure out how to use it effectively, and he imagined that Recall wasn't much different on that front.

Link opened his eyes again and sighed, letting his hand drop and rubbing it with his other. He took another deep breath before trying it again with the same result. Sky watched on, not interfering, as he watched the third attempt. And this time, for a brief moment, the gear paused. Link must have missed that though, because he let out a frustrated huff.

"Oh!" He exclaimed as he himself pointed at the wheel. "Did you see that? You had it! It froze for a second!"

Link's expression quickly changed from a scowl to a look of surprise as he looked down at Sky.

"You almost got it! This time I bet you can do it!" Sky encouraged as he stood back up in anticipation. He could feel it -- this was going to be the time.

And he was right. When Link extended his arm and made something akin to a fist, not quite this time, the gear fully stopped. Together they raced to get onto the platform quickly, but also careful to not slip in the dripping wet metal. Sky almost slipped, but he caught himself.

Before they could relax, however, the gear creaked before it stirred back into motion-- this time the opposite direction than it had before. As the ground beneath of them began to shift, they both were forced to walk to remain upright-- Sky notably a lot more shaky and stumbling and almost slipping. He had to hold his arms out fully in both directions to get a semblance of balance as he made his way to the inner circle that the platform was attached to. From there he mostly slid his way to the next platform.

Link, on the other hand, made the transition as seamlessly as he would have on solid unmoving ground. Sky briefly wondered how the others would hold up against this obstacles. His balance issues were clearly making themselves known, but even so he wasn't so sure the others had as good of balance to make it look so easy as Wild just did. Maybe Wind, but he could almost imagine all the curses that Legend would sputter.

Sky didn't dwell too much on that, however, because he was actively sliding down to the fixed platform stationed between the two gears. He was only continuing to gain speed, despite the way he flailed his arms and tried to run to a stop. It wasn't working, and at this trajectory he was going to faceplant right into--

Link grabbed his waist as he spun around in an elegant dance, saving Sky from the embarrassment without even stumbling himself. With a snap of his fingers, the gear was released and returned to the motion from before. He found himself looking up at the hylian as they parted.

"Er-- thanks." he replied. Usually he didn't like strangers grabbing him like that, even if it was helpful, but considering he was about to get hurt without a doubt, he couldn't help but smile. Link only nodded before turning to their next challenge -- a gear much smaller than the other two placed in between the two larger ones. It was facing a different direction from the others, and just above it laid the next floor. "Do you think you'll be able to do Recall on this one too?"

Link nodded again as he called magic back into his hand. He reached out towards the new gear the same way he had before. This time, it didn't work. The second time, however, he had much better luck. No, not luck -- he was learning how to better control it, Sky realized. Just like how he learned to navigate with his beetle. (He didn't even want to know how many times he had bashed against the wall.)

When the gear stopped, they both walked onto the platform. This one was easier for Sky to walk on, seeing as it was dry. That didn't mean, however, he was in the clear yet. As the gear began to move upwards, opening a path for them to reach the next floor, they both made the transition from one platform to the adjacent one. He had to jump to get onto solid ground again, but he didn't nearly fall this time. Wild once again made it seem easy.

That over, Sky was sure to take a few deep breaths. A familiar chime of his sword came from his back. He could practically hear Fi telling him that his walking steadiness had fallen below an acceptable level and that the chance of falling had risen to alarming levels. He silently rolled his eyes at her nagging, not without affection, before he turned his attention back to the present moment.

Ahead of them was another symmetrical sight. The path before them led to a circle platform with a small statue of the Goddess. Two stairs curved around her on either side upwards to a large stone door. Link was already passing the statue, walking up the steps to the left. Sky hurried to catch up, giving the Goddess a quick bow in respect as he passed her.

When they reached the door, they found that a decoration the door had was an insignia of an eye with two hand holds like before. Other than that, the door had a large circle engraved in it, with smaller symbols that were hard to make out. They both paused, glancing at one another. Recalling what had happened the time before, Sky took a step towards the door. Link was quick to put his arm in front of Sky to block his path and give him a look.

"Are you sure?"

A nod.

If you insist," Sky supposed, deciding it best not to argue. "Just be careful."

Link gave a firmer nod, his lip maintaining a slightly quivering grin. Then he stepped in front of the door, lifting his hands up to the the handprints inside of the eye. He let them just graze the surface at first before he began to push, leaning his entire frame into it.

One.

Magic began to bloom inside the circle, lighting up symbols that were hard to make out before.

Two.

Link's form quivered and shook, curling in on itself.

Three.

It was too much. Link fell to his knees. Sky rushed in, wrapping his arms around him to ensure that he didn't collapse and hit his head. "Link!" he called. He stared at the same vacant eyes he had seen before, the ones that had sent a shiver down his spine -- both then and now. Just as before, it looked although there wasn't a soul behind those eyes, as though the hylian was fully gone. "Link!!"

The second time his name was called, Link suddenly jolted, as though suddenly coming back to reality after being under some sort of magic spell. His eyes widened, almost as though he saw something, but then he eased. He quickly averted his gaze, waving his hand to ensure he was alright before pulling away. But despite this assurance, he pulled up his knees and drew into himself.

"This door stands as a test of your own overall vitality, Link." Rauru explained, his form appearing beside them both. "You remain in a weakened state. You're not strong enough to open it."

"What about me?" Sky asked, moving to better face Rauru from where he sat. "I've gone through a lot of training, been fortified by Hylia herself and defeated evil incarnate."

But Rauru shook his head. "I'm sure that you could, but there is much to do. Many dangers await you both, and it would be wise for both you and Link to be ready for it." His gaze then turned to Link. Sensing this, Link not only looked up, but also stood up from the floor. "There is one more shrine on this island. There, you can get another blessing. If you add that to the other blessings you received at shrines and offer them all to the Goddess... You might just find your way forward after all. Let me see your Purah Pad."

Link reached for his magic box, apparently called a Purah Pad, and handed it over to Rauru. They huddled together, both viewing the screen at an angle he couldn't begin to hope to see. The Zonai explained some things that Sky didn't quite grasp, yet he couldn't help but notice sounded suspiciously like some kind of instant transportation. He opened his mouth to ask more about it, but then both Link and Rauru suddenly just... ceased to exist.

"Hey-- wait a minute!! Don't just leave me here!" He exclaimed, leaping to his feet. But it was too late-- he was alone now. Just like he had been before. His legs ached under him, so he sat back down with a sigh. While he did want to go and chase Link, he knew that it wouldn't be as simple as that. He had proved before that he simply could not track this Hero if he didn't want to be tracked. So...

"What am I supposed to do now?" He asked to no one in particular. He glanced back at his sword, which had not reacted to his question. He knew she wouldn't, but that didn't keep him from hoping that she would. He sighed again, his attention now being drawn towards the small Goddess statue. "Well, I guess a quick prayer and a nap wouldn't be so bad, would it? I'm sure it'll be fine..."

「∆」

「∆」「▲」

I like the headcannon that Sky often vents to the others that he's stuck in the friendzone. Then they meet Sun, and it's abundantly clear that they are dating -- Sky just somehow missed that despite always being so lovely-dovely, and being called boyfriend, etc... Not sure that this is the case here, but He definitely missed some information that Rauru all but told him directly. Ah well.