No pressure ifbyou arent taking writing requests, but i would love to see what you could do based off the song Battle Cries by The Amazing Devil
It gives me Skyward Sword vibes
Link stared at the loftwing feather held gingerly between his fingers.
The last few months had been... difficult. In some ways, they'd been more difficult than his actual journey to rescue Zelda and stop Demise. The pain of pushing his body past its breaking point, the anguish of never seeming to be enough, the heartache of always missing Zelda... they had amounted to such invisible wounds that he was still fighting the repercussions.
Somehow, that was worse. How was one supposed to move on when such a life altering event happened? How did one jolt out of the keep moving keep going don't ever stop or falter for a second and not just... collapse? How did one get back up after doing so?
The world continued to move ahead. His academy still had classes, though chatter of the Surface and its exploration was still a hot topic, even six months after the cloud barrier's disappearance.
The first month it had been acceptable, even understandable. Link had nearly died from his final fight, it had been one thing too many in a collection of wounds and exhaustion. Despite the healing affects of the life fruit he'd been given, he'd still slept for nearly a week upon his return to Skyloft. And after that, the headmaster had ensured he didn't have any kind of workload. Zelda had been at his side constantly, and the two had silently enjoyed each other's company, seemingly cut off from the rest of their people.
But that had been understandable. It had been a long journey. They would never be the same.
However, that didn't excuse this exhaustion lingering for so long. By the fourth month, Link was nearing a point of despair. It wasn't until Commander Eagus spoke to him candidly, told him of the affects on his mind after such an event (no one on Skyloft truly comprehended what had happened on the Surface, but some had put more pieces together than they probably should have). After all, Eagus had become commander when his own commanding officer had fallen in battle. Eagus hadn't fought as Link had, but he still understood to a small degree.
It had helped. To a point. Knowing that his mind needed time was good, that he wasn't just defective, but... it still didn't make it any easier to bear sometimes.
And that was only covering half of the issue. Eagus only spoke from a soldier's perspective. Link had seen more than battle. He'd watched his best and dearest friend become someone else entirely, he'd been told that their friendship was a carefully constructed plan, that he was a weapon as much as Fi had been.
He still hung around Zelda. She still hovered close to him. She'd said it herself, she was still his Zelda. But it... wasn't the same.
He tried not to think about it. After all, he did still love her. After all, she hadn't known any of the plan their entire lives.
But it stung. It stung. Because now... if he had been chosen for this purpose, and if Zelda had been born in the right circumstances so as to befriend him... now what?
What was his purpose now that his journey was over? Now that Demise had been defeated?
Link had never really had much of a plan for his life, honestly. He'd daydreamed his time away, relaxing and just enjoying being with Zelda and his loftwing, enjoying sights and smells and warmth and comfort. He was in the knight's academy, so becoming a knight was obviously a goal, but he had never felt particularly motivated for major life goals. He wasn't much of a planner, certainly not that far ahead.
But now... all he could think about was the future. All he could think was now what?
He knew, though. He knew what to do next. Because six months was enough time to let himself float in this haze of existing and not existing. He also knew it probably wouldn't get entirely better. But life wasn't going to stop just because he had, and for once, that meant something to him.
Link carefully wove the feather shaft into the leather cords, tying it in its place. He'd added beads to the headdress already - his loftwing's contribution was the final touch.
Because yes, he was tired. And yes, he wasn't entirely sure if his mind would ever clear of the fog that had crushed it since his journey's end. But no matter how he felt, his perception of hte world didn't change how it was.
Zelda was still there for him. The Surface was vast, endless even, and so, so new and different. The Triforce needed protecting. Zelda had already made plans for a settlement, and, with Groose's help, was in the process of setting foundations, while Link cleared the area of threats. There was hope, there was new life and a future and things beyond Link's comprehension.
His loftwing purred, bumping his beak against Link's forehead.
Link chuckled, nuzzling into his companion's feathery cheek, melting into the softness of it. "Yeah, I know. Let's go for a flight and then I'll go to her."
Crimson chittered excitedly, moving quickly towards the edge and diving off the island. Link stood there a moment, alone, and then smiled, tucking the headdress into his pouch. He felt anxiety hold him hostage a moment, and then he broke free of it, running full speed to the island's end and leaping with every ounce of energy he had.
The air whipped and whooshed around him, slamming into him layer after layer as he crashed through the sky. His wounds and worries were left behind, and he yelled in excitement and joy, he screamed in defiance at everything that weighed him down.
At the end of the day, nothing could clip his wings. Not even himself. He refused to let it.
Putting his fingers to his mouth, Link whistled shrilly, and his loftwing immediately came. He could always rely on Crimson. He knew, in the end, he could also always rely on Zelda.
And that headdress, alongside a traditional dance, would be the start of a physical representation of that.
In the meantime, his mind and heart soared with his loftwing, and he laughed as he flew through the sky.
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