Before the two of us could even think, or want to leave for Eldin we realized the sun was about to dip below the clouds for the night. Link turned to me, with a look of disappointment on his face. "It'd be too dangerous to arrive this late." He said softly. "We'd have to find a safe place to sleep. Since we haven't left, I'd say we simply spend the night up here." I nodded in agreement. I didn't have the heart to mention, I didn't know exactly where we'd go anyway. There was only one place to drop in, and that was Faron.
Link led me back to Skyloft, informing me that I would be taking the room I had slept in before. Apparently that room was supposed to be Kina's, but since she lived elsewhere it was rarely used. Link and I bid each other a soft goodnight, and I went to my room. The door downstairs to his room, presumably, shut. No locks on the doors. Obviously, it was extremely safe here. I couldn't help but fight my anxiety just a little bit.
Sleep wouldn't come without the nightmares. The whispers seemed to control me instead of beckon me. I felt like a puppet, watching from inside of my eye sockets. No matter how hard I pressed on my brain to move differently I couldn't. And I hurt people. All I could do was watch front row, screaming, crying, anything to stop the pain.
I awoke, sitting up faster than I could think. I sat shaking, gasping for air. I looked at my hands and flexed them in front of my eyes. Then I took the time to kick my legs out. I put my fingers to my pulse and sighed softly, unable to find it. I stood and grabbed the clothes I had scattered across the floor and took my blades. I decided to just put on my pants, my shirt could stay in its place on the floor. I was covered enough. I opened the door and quietly wandered out, walking to the nearest door. The cool air outside greeted me.
I crossed my arms over my chest, realizing that I may have wanted my shirt after all. I tentatively stepped off and away from the Academy's doorstep, deciding to wander the town when it was quiet enough for me to think. As I looked around, I read each sign aquatinting myself with the people who lived here. I was planning to become one of them, anyway. A flash of red light momentarily blinded me, but then I watched as it dipped beneath the clouds. I rushed to the edge of the island to watch. The red beam of light cleared an area of the clouds, leaving behind a red beacon similar to the one directing us to Faron.
Below the clouds all I could see was fire, angry red. It took my breath away how pretty it was. Was that Eldin? Had it revealed itself to Link and I in the night? I turned towards where the light had come from. The statue of Hylia. I smiled to myself and stood from my kneeling position. I wandered some more, coming upon the bridge to the river. Small bugs blinked at me, their pretty little lights. I sat and watched, the serenity of this scene carrying any anxiety I had left with the river.
My arms rested against the cold stone of the bridge, and for another moment I wished maybe I had more covering my torso. It was quite cold out. I closed my eyes, breathing in the air. My nightmare, I could piece it together with more understanding now. It was almost like I was watching from the outskirts instead of inside.
My mother, screaming on her knees with a tiny bundle wrapped in her arms. She cursed Hylia, screaming with all of her might. Diamonds cascaded my memory, and suddenly mother was sobbing again. This time, a soft cry wailed with her.
"Are you alright?" Link's gentle and sleep deprived voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I turned, opening my eyes to look at him. He was dressed in a plain white night shirt and some pants that seemed to be put on backwards. His hair was obviously missing it's hat, the blonde hair running wild. "I'm alright. What are you doing awake, and out here?" I asked. Link smiled softly. "I could ask you the same thing." That's when I noticed he had his sword with him.
"Were you... training? This late at night?" I asked, Link groggily grabbed at his sword. "No, I had to do something." He muttered. "In order for us to get to wherever we gotta go next, I have to bring these things to the great statue of Hylia and do this whole stupid thing in the middle of the night." He said, angry and tired. "The middle of the night part is important, apparently." I smiled and tousled his hair around. "It's so no one else sees you dummy." He groaned softly. "I know, I know. I just want to sleep."
He then got quiet. "Why do you have your blades?" Link pointed out. "I've never been out and about here at night. I didn't know if there were any monsters I'd have to be worried about." I shrugged. "Not really, except if you count the headmasters cursed pet. That thing can and will maul you if you're not careful." I giggled, and looked at the academy. "Well, if you're ready we should go back to sleep." I said pulling away from the bridge. Link nodded, yawning as he did so. He took a step behind me as we waddled back to the academy.
The silence we placed ourselves in was comfortable. Link moved to open the door to the academy before I had a chance to reach out. I gave him a soft smile as a thank you, walking inside. I stopped, the same anxiety curling up in my belly at the thought of sleeping in Kina's room once again. Link noticed immediately, gently taking my shoulder in his hand. The other he placed on my other arm, warming the cool skin up with his touch. "What's wrong?" He whispered into my ear. "It's," I paused trying to think of a way to explain, without sounding like a child, that I don't want to sleep alone. "I'm scared." It sounded even more pathetic than I thought. "Why?" Link asked, sounding surprised. "I just... I was outside because I had a nightmare. I don't want to sleep there again." Behind me, Link gently began pushing me down the hallway. He guided me in front of a door, and opened it.
He ushered me inside, whispering for me to make myself comfortable. Link left, and I was left to wander around his room. I made my way to his bed, sitting down on it. The blankets were half heartedly strewn across the bed, obviously with the intent of coming back. Link returned with my blanket and pillow, tossing them on the bed as he gathered his own up. "What are you doing?" I asked getting up quickly. "I'll sleep on the floor, you can sleep on the bed."
"No!" I hissed grabbing his blankets and putting them back on the bed. "I can sleep on the floor."
"Nonsense," Link said grabbing his blankets back. "You're the guest." I groaned softly. "Let's both sleep on the bed, ok?" I suggested, Link took a moment to process that. "Are you sure?" He asked. "I sleep with less clothes than this. Namely the shirt comes off." I couldn't help but laugh a bit. "Yeah, it's fine. I don't mind if it's you." Link smiled and placed his things back. We took a moment to organize the blankets and pillows.
After a bit, we crawled into bed. Link chose to sleep on the inside, and I slept on the outside. I laid awake, Link inches away breathing on my neck softly. I willed myself to go to sleep, but I couldn't. "Link, are you still awake?" A soft grunt. I took it as a confirmation. "I can't sleep," I whispered again. Link, again grunted. I turned around to face him. "What do you want me to do?" He asked softly. "I don't know... maybe tell me a story or something?" Link scrunched his face in thought before he opened his eyes to look at me. Those blue eyes stared into my soul it seemed.
"Okay, this is one that all the skyloft children know." He cleared his throat, and moved his arms so he wasn't muffled. "In a time of war, there was a kingdom that had one hero. The kingdom and people within it thought this hero had betrayed his people. Desperate times called for desperate measures, and the hero was brought from the prisons of the castle. His honor was tarnished, and he was weak from how little the prison guards fed him the hero still decided to fight. As the battle begun, a great being from the sky glided down atop a beast of crimson. The goddess had come to help. However, the knights were scared and confused and began to try and shoot her down from the sky with their arrows. Angered, the goddess scolded them. The hero stood, kneeling to the goddess. 'I apologize, we are frightened from the evils. A beast of red usually signifies evil has approached. We will fight to the death for our land, I promise you that much.' The goddess stared at this brave hero for approaching her. She took his measly sword from his sheath. The goddess ran her hand over it, and the sword grew in length and in power. She had granted him with the Master Sword, capable of vanquishing all evil. The hero kept good on his promise, giving his life for his people. As the goddess mourned the death of her brave hero, she granted him to be sent back home in the afterlife. She was angry with the others, they didn't seem to care about his death. With the hero held tight in her arms, she sealed away all evil. As she walked away, his people rushed forward asking for his sword. The goddess was offended, holding the hero away like the child he was to her. 'You ridiculed him until his death. All he has ever done was try to gain your forgiveness, and you never did. He was never a traitor, he was simply set up. You don't deserve his sword, or his body.' She had hissed, the knights cowered. She left, taking the red beast back and giving the hero a burial the forest mourned for."
Link looked at (Y/n), and she laid fast sleep. Her breathing had softened and she finally looked relaxed. Link pulled her blanket up to her cheeks and smiled. The girl murmured in her sleep, snuggling into the blanket. Link himself pulled the blankets up and shuffled into his bed. With a big yawn he found himself drifting back to sleep.
(Y/n) finally had a night where her dreams were full of laughter and happiness.