Chapter Text
Legend groaned as he lifted his tunic off. His side was bruised black and blue, red flecks scattered across the surface. He sat on a fallen tree with Four, Time, and Twilight, waiting for further treatment.
Time bit down a yelp as Wars yanked the arrow from his back. “So much for ‘I’ll be gentle’,” he hissed.
Wars shrugged, wagging the arrow. “I can put it back in and try again if you like, old timer.”
Time rolled his eyes, wincing as Hyrule saw to his wound.
“That was in pretty deep,” Hyrule said, cleaning up the blood. “Their bows didn’t look that strong…”
“They’re not,” Wild replied, sitting with Twilight. “They’re just getting stronger.”
Time bowed his head, his forehead beading with sweat as Hyrule used a clotting mixture he devised with Wars and Legend to stop the bleeding just to keep their potions rationed. The bleeding stopped, the open wound seeming to burn shut. Hyrule took out a length of bandages and began to dress it.
“I wish I knew how to do more,” the traveler sighed. “If they keep getting stronger, we’ll need to get better at treating ourselves.”
Wars smiled, patting Hyrule’s shoulder. “You’ve already taught yourself plenty. It’s more than I can do, anyway, and I have proper training.”
“Just wish it hurt less,” Time offered lightly, though tears gathered at the corners of his eyes.
Wars handed the arrow to Wild. “Are these from your world?” he asked.
Wild studded the arrow head thoughtfully. “The shaft of it is, but I haven’t seen this arrowhead design. It’s barbed, isn’t it? Like a fishing hook.”
Legend took the arrow, examining it. “It’s like that so it doesn’t fall out and it does more damage when you pull it out. It’s like a harpoon.”
Wind shuddered. “They’re using those?”
Wars sighed, face grim. “Well they got them from somewhere.”
Hyrule moved on to Four. The smith kept his head low to keep his stomach from being too upset. The bump had gone down between the potion and an ice jelly he held to it, but it was still swollen and dark, and the eye beneath it was red from a ruptured vessel.
“Feeling any better?” Hyrule asked gently.
Four managed a nod. “Drowsy,” he admitted. “And I can’t see straight. But beyond that, I’m okay.”
“You remember what happened?” Time asked.
Four nodded. “Yeah–I’m sorry. I should’ve been paying better attention.”
Wars shook his head, folding his arms. “It took all of us by surprise.”
“I’ve never seen them use tactics like that before,” Wild explained. “Sure, they hunt in groups but they’re not usually that strategic.”
“It begs the question why they took a hostage. To keep us from killing them? The hinox? Or did they know Hyrule was up to something?” Wars postured.
The traveler paused, his hands twitching softly. “Maybe I was too obvious, but they’ve never seen something like that before, have they?”
Wild shook his head. Wars got out a long sigh. There were too many questions and never enough answers. But the infection was worsening, he determined, and it was spreading. Something or someone was building a cross-dimensional army and it drove the captain mad he couldn’t discern a motivation for it.
After using some magic to ease Four’s concussion, Hyrule moved on to Legend. He frowned, lightly prodding the bruise. Legend grit his teeth in pain.
“It’s bruised,” he confirmed sarcastically. “And it hurts .”
“It’s internal I’m pretty sure,” Hyrule said. “You should’ve let someone carry you,” he scolded. “Open your mouth.”
Legend waved his hand casually. “Hy–”
Hyrule fixed a mean look on his friend. Legend lost color in his scraped face and nodded, opening his mouth. His lips, tongue and teeth were stained with blood, and dry blood crusted his nostrils.
Hyrule sighed. “You’re lucky you’re not dead , Ledge. That was a rough hit. I can’t even imagine what it did to you. You need a fairy.”
“I do not,” Legend argued. “I’ll be fine with a bit of magic.”
“Doctor’s orders,” Sky said, offering a bottled fairy to Hyrule.
Hyrule uncorked the bottle. The fairy danced around the veteran and despite Legend carrying on, relief was visible on his face as color returned to his complexion. The bruises along his torso faded to a few dark splotches.
“Thank Hylia,” Hyrule sighed. “Just some bruised ribs now, probably. Does that feel better?”
Legend nodded reluctantly. “Yeah,” he sighed. “Much better.”
Hyrule moved on to Twilight. The rancher hadn’t spoken the whole time. His breathing was labored, he clutched his chest. Their first order of business was to get him a change of clean clothes and wash him up. He looked better without being covered in mud, but his gaze was still distant, confusion still on his face.
Hyrule checked his arm and side first. The potion cleared up most of his injuries. Left behind was a black eye and two long cuts on his forearm, which the mud clotted quickly. Despite his visible injuries being healed, the rancher was still clearly reeling from something.
“Twi,” Hyrule prompted. “Where does it hurt?”
Twilight lifted his eyes. “What’d’you say?” he mumbled, words slurring together.
“I asked where it hurts,” the traveler repeated, more firmly. “Your head?”
Twilight shook his head. Hyrule frowned. The rancher’s breathing was ragged, each breath drawn in as a noisy gasp and then expelled through a rattle. Hyrule took Twilight’s face in his hands, warming his skin with a healing spell. The black eye subsided, the cuts on his arm mended into white scars along his skin. But still, the rancher’s condition failed to improve.
Twilight shoved Hyrule away instead. “M’fine,” he snapped, voice hoarse. “Jus’ tired.”
Legend scowled. “Don’t talk to Hy like that,” the veteran snapped. “He’s helping you.”
Wars sighed, glancing at Sky. Sky nodded, gathering the other heroes.
“Let’s finish getting camp set up so they can rest up right away,” the chosen hero said. “Ledge, can you get Four to bed? Wind, can you build a fire?”
Legend hesitated, but he caught Time’s look and he wasn’t well enough to test Sky’s temper, so he nodded, taking Four over his shoulders and walking him to his things on the other side of their camp.
Twilight coughed, bowing his head as he hacked up globs of dirty mucus. He whined softly, covering his face.
“Pup,” Time said, kneeling by him. “What’s the matter?”
Twilight turned away, hands hugging his belly. “Burns,” he murmured.
“Where?” Hyrule asked, setting a hand on Twilight’s back. “Tell me so I can make it feel better.”
Twilight gasped in a breath. His eyes drifted to Hyrule, confusion glazing them. He shook his head once as he gasped for air again.
Wars bit his thumb. “He coughed everything up, right?” he asked.
Wild nodded. “I’m pretty sure. I mean he puked too, and he hasn’t coughed up any more water for a while.”
Wars nodded, face unsure. “If he won’t let you help him, then so be it. We’ll just keep an eye on him. Whoever’s on watch can sit with him.”
“M’tired,” Twilight mumbled, ignoring all of them.
Sluggishly, the rancher got up to his feet. He rubbed his neck in discomfort, drawing in sharp breaths which lifted his whole chest as he shambled aimlessly, dazed.
“Twi,” Wild said, turning him around. “You’re going the wrong way.”
Twilight nodded meekly. He took another step, but then through another coughing fit, he fell to his knees. He bowed his head down to the ground, clawing at his chest as he coughed and coughed. Mucus and blood came up with surges of watery, muddy vomit from whatever he’d swallowed. He squeezed his eyes shut with a strangled whimper.
“Can’t breathe,” he gasped desperately.
Wars eyes widened. “He’s hyperventilating,” he warned as Twilight’s gasps became quick and shallow.
Time pulled Twilight up to his knees. Twilight’s eyes hurt, the edges of his vision darkening as a cold sweat washed across his skin. His fingers felt numb, his lips tingled. His chest burned and he felt like he needed to keep coughing something up.
He wheezed uselessly in Time’s arms, eyes rolling to the whites as he fought to keep awake.
“Stay with us,” Wars said urgently, patting Twilight’s cheek.
Twilight choked on his own breathing, globs of muddy mucus dripping from his mouth.
“Hold on, Twi,” Time said quickly.
“Wild,” Hyrule said, “get an ice jelly or a shock jelly–we need to reset his breathing.”
Wild nodded, panicked but determined to help his brother. He found the ice jellies first and popped one against the back of Twilight’s neck. The frost spread immediately, seizing Twilight’s body.
The rancher fell still in Time’s arms, his breathing slowing back into rhythmic gasps again. He mumbled incoherently, but was losing his voice. Still, his hands fumbled against his chest.
“Get it out,” he moaned, words nearly unintelligible. “Get it out…”
Wars shook his head. “I don’t think all the mud is out of his lungs.”
“Pup,” Time ordered quickly, “you need to cough.”
Twilight didn’t respond to them, squirming and wheezing in Time’s arms.
Wars clenched his jaw. He swore finally with a shake of his head. “I hate to do this–Time, keep his mouth open so he doesn’t bite me. Hyrule, take Wild somewhere else.”
“No,” Wild argued, “I’m staying here–”
“Link, please,” Wars said. “This is going to upset you.”
Wild faltered. Hyrule grabbed his arm in a gentle tug, pulling him to join the others. The rest of the heroes watched, worried, but Sky and Hyrule kept them herded.
Time pried open Twilight’s mouth, holding it there. Twilight panicked, confused, unable to recognize what was happening to him in his delirium. Wars shoved his fingers down the rancher's throat. Twilight gagged and twitched, trying to scream as he weakly fought, but Wars found something in the back of his throat.
“Time,” he said quickly. “Either I tug on this and it clears his throat, or I tug on it and it makes things worse.”
Time hesitated. “Do it,” he said finally. “We have to do something .”
Wars nodded. He pinched the slimy piece of grass and pulled. Twilight’s eyes widened, a weak cry escaping him as a long piece of grass was drawn from his airway. The rancher pitched forward, spilling a load of mud, water, and vomit across the ground. The two older heroes held his shoulders as he purged his lungs and stomach. After three large pushes of the gunk, smaller bits bubbled up and then finally, he drew in a long, smooth breath. Bile and mud dripped from his lips and nose and his face was red and eyes wet, but the gasping faded into quiet sobs.
Weakly, Twilight fell into Time with a soft whimper. “Hurts,” he whined.
“I know,” Time said, relieved, “but it’s better now.”
“We almost lost you there,” Wars sighed. “Let’s get you washed up.”
Sky and Wild washed up Twilight while Time and Wars cleaned themselves up. Using warm water and a cloth, they wiped Twilight’s nose and mouth and cleaned his hands. Twilight was hardly conscious throughout and eventually, his eyes closed and he slumped into Sky’s arms. Once Twilight’s face was cleaned, the others put him to bed. He didn’t stir as they laid him out and tucked him in, but his breathing was steady, the crackling reduced. Next to him, Four slept as well. The concussed smith roused groggily as the blankets were moved around. He found Twilight’s warmth and curled into the rancher, dozing back off.