Gazing Skyward

Part 3

"Great! Now Time's gone," Legend grumbled irritated like.

"Should we follow them?" Hyrule asks as he jogs up to him.

Four cut in with a finger to his temple, "hold on a minute. I'm still trying to figure out what just happened."

"We can figure it out if we just ask what happened." Wind turned toward the smithy. "Can't we? Wars looked really... I'm worried about him."

Legend started walking in the direction that Time had gone. He called to everyone.

"I want this to be over and done as soon as possible so let's get going already! We need to catch up with them!"

The rest of the Links glanced at each other with a wide assortment of emotions and jogged after the veteran.

Legend hated this. There were Hylian soldiers everywhere. They were swinging their weapons seemingly at him only to faze through. It made him flinch horribly. They didn't look see through at all.

He gritted his teeth in annoyance and scanned the area for any signs of the captain and the old man. His eye caught the royal blue of the captain's scarf.

"Oi, Captain! What are—" Legend stopped himself as he examined the man further. Warriors wasn't wearing the same clothes. His shoulder armor was missing and he was wearing the traditional long green hat.

"I don't think he even heard me." He realized. "He's an illusion too? Why is he here?"

His eyes widened when the illusion of Warriors turned toward him. Wrapped in the folds of his scarf was little Sky.

"What the hell!" Legend yelled as he tugged on his pink-tipped bangs in frustration. "This doesn't make any sense!"

"He's moving away!" Wild said urgently as he sprinted past. "Come on!"

Legend followed, needlessly dodging people as he ran. He kept his eyes focused on the green of the illusion's hat so he didn't loose him in the fray.

At last the illusion of the captain came to a stop. The place the group had entered into appeared to be a fort for refugees. It was full of people who dressed in the same manner as their resident Skyloftan.

When Legend spotted the illusion of Warriors once more, he was standing before Zelda's father.

"Where's the boy's mother?" Legend heard the big man ask worriedly as he slowly approached.

He watched as Warriors frowned and glanced away clearly ashamed of himself. Now that he was closer, Legend easily noticed that this Warriors was younger than the one he knew. Perhaps a year older than himself.

"I'm sorry. She's... gone." Young Warriors replied quietly.

"I... I see." Zelda's father stated sadly. "I will take care of him. He's a family friend."

Young Warriors gently gave him the sleeping child with a silent nod. Then he turned to the battlefield, wrapping his scarf about his neck.

Legend observed in heavy silence.

"It's changing again..." Wind whispered next to him. He'd forgotten the others were here too.

Turning his face to the sky, he watched as it turned grey with rain clouds. The rain fell, but his clothes remained dry.

"Wars!"

Legend glanced down to see his friend kneeling on the ground with Time crouched next to him.

Wind sprinted ahead to the two men.

"Time! Wars! Is everything alright..." the boy trailed off as he noticed what they were looking at.

"This place..."

"It's a graveyard. Yeah." Twilight finished Hyrule's sentence.

Legend slowly approached the three at the forefront. He grimaced at the depressing scene displayed.

Wind crouched next to Sky's small figure and reached out. Of course all the boy's efforts to comfort his friend were fruitless.

The sailor let his head fall.

"This is so unfair," he mumbled bitterly.

Legend simply placed a hand on the frustrated boy's shoulder.

***

Twilight had only closed his eyes for a brief moment, but the group appeared to be on the other side of the island.

The scene had shifted again and was reverted back to sunny weather. The ground beneath them was crafted of wood. To their left a stairway connected the larger floating landmass to a smaller one which held what appeared to be the knights academy.

"Are you alright, Wars?" Twilight turned to look at Hyrule who was the one who spoke. "What happened?"

Warriors stood shakily to his feet and brushed off his pants.

"Ah. I'll be fine, Traveler. I just need to... mull things over, but I suppose it can be put on the back burner for the time being."

Twilight studied the man's face for a moment. He recognized the haunted look in his eyes. He decided not to press for further information. Though curiosity nagged at him, he instead settled with the pieces he'd been given by the illusions.

"He blames himself..." he realized. He glanced back at Warriors. The captain stood close to Time who reassuringly placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey! It's Sky again!" Wind announced grasping everyone's attention.

Everyone went silent as they all watched Sky, who was notably older yet still not surpassing Wind, sit down with his back to the rock wall behind them.

Tilting his head back and closing his eyes, he let out a tired sigh.

"I'm not dumb. I'm not stupid. Why are they so mean?" Sky mumbled to himself.

Twilight bristled at the words. Sky didn't say anything about being bullied during his childhood. The more he thought about it the more it didn't make sense to him. His friend, his brother, was such a sweet person. He was strong, courageous and wise too.

Twilight growled quietly. "A bunch of little jerks whoever they are."

"HEY!"

Startled by the voice, Sky leapt to his feet.

A kid with bright red hair marched up to him, glowering menacingly.

"When did I say I was done, huh?" Sky backed away from the other boy whom towered over him. The boy however, quickly grabbed the collar of Sky's light green tunic and dragged him back. "You won't get out of this one, shrimp!"

Fists clenched at Twilight's sides. He glared in rising anger at the red haired fool and also in his frustration at being unable to intervene.

"Oi!

He watched as Wind tried in vain to separate the two children.

"Agh! I hate these stupid illusions! I can't-" the teen huffed and stomped back to the group in a frustrated manner. Warriors patted him on the back, causing Wind to relax a bit.

Helpless... That's how they all felt as they watched these visions unfold.

"Hylia, what is the meaning of this?!"