Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Through the years, Bucky had gotten used to waking up in various places, often without any recollection of how he got there in the first place.

Different rooms, different buildings, different countries, even different decades.

Opening his eyes to a place completely different to the one he had been when he last closed them was almost more natural than waking up to the same cramped apartment in Romania or, more recently a small Wakandan hut.

Even then he had to admit that waking up to a blue, cloudless sky and what felt like grass under his body was unexpected, particularly when his last memories were a flash of blood, carnage, death and defeat.

Unexpected, but not necessarily unpleasant.

He wasn’t in Wakanda, that much he knew without having to get up. No battlefield was this peaceful. No battlefield carried the smell of fresh grass and dew; the obvious lack of smoke, barriers straight out of an H.G. Wells story and honest-to-God aliens was pretty telling as well.

They had lost, he knew that much.

He remembered the chaotic fight and running through the foliage to catch up with Steve. He remembered –much to his displeasure– the indescribable feeling of wrongness that came over his body as it turned to dust before his very eyes and then… waking up there. Wherever there was.

Had he finally died?

If so, death was surprisingly lifelike.

His skin itched like he had laid under the sun for hours on end and his parched throat supported that theory. His shoulder ached ever so slightly and he desperately needed to piss.

“Not dead then.” He muttered, getting up to stretch and take a look at his surroundings.

All around him, overgrown grass stretched for what seemed like miles, interrupted only occasionally by small clusters of trees or boulders. There were no buildings on sight and the snow-crowned mountains he could see in the distance looked nothing like the lush mountains he had grown used to seeing in Wakanda.

In fact, as he stared at an enormous mountain that had seemingly been split in half, he realized nothing seemed familiar.

His memory wasn’t the best, but he would’ve remembered a landmark like that, if only to help him figure out what country he was in if he ever found himself in his current predicament.

‘Somewhere in Europe’ was his best guess and even that he couldn’t be sure of.

He needed to orientate himself, find a source of water, gather more information and piss.

Not necessarily in that order.

With his most pressing need out of the way, he started walking, heading towards the split mountain. He was no longer a betting man, but he’d be willing to put good money on that mountain being the shape it was due to erosion. Running water had a funny way of doing things like that.

A handful of minutes into his walk, his hunch had already proven correct, he could see the sun reflecting in a river, which snaked its way across the meadow and disappeared at the base of the mountain.

It would be a good place for a settlement, close to the water and what was obviously a small forest, though he still couldn’t see even the slightest hint of civilization.

Life bloomed all around him in the shape of wildflowers and the ever-present sound of cicadas. There was a small pack of wild horses grazing in the distance and every now and then a group of birds would fly above him but that was the extent of it. No occasional plane, no trash scattered around. No people.

Was this what Thanos had wanted?

They hadn’t explained to him much before the battle started.Steve had tried his best, but there had been too much to do and not enough time to do it: The Mad Titan was hell-bent on destroying half the universe and the key to his success was firmly embedded in Vision’s forehead.

He hadn’t said so at the time, but while he understood Steve’s refusal to trade lives, he couldn’t shake the feeling that his friend had been mistaken. Trading one life for billions made all the sense in the world to him.

(He wished it was just the Winter Soldier speaking.)

Regardless, if this was earth as Thanos envisioned it and not something entirely else, he could certainly see the appeal.

No matter where he looked, nature spread triumphantly. Uninterrupted in a way that reminded him of the Wakandan wilderness, which he had slowly grown accustomed to for the last handful of months; it had been a peaceful existence. Comforting even… Maybe a little bit on the boring side, but to him, boring was a novelty.

Despite not knowing where he was or what was happening in his end of the world, he could feel a sort of contentment slowly seeping into his bones.

He reached the riverside not long after, the soft babble of water intensifying as he approached.

Like everything he had seen so far, the river was untouched. No boats, piers or even a discarded fishing net. The crystalline water ran peacefully, interrupted only by the occasional splash of a fish and small birds skittering along the riverbank.

It was a perfect place to rest and even though he wasn’t tired, there really wasn’t a lot more he could do so he knelt by the river and took his sweet time drinking before sitting down to take stock of his inventory.

His rifle was gone, he had noticed that from the moment he woke up. He supposed it made sense, frankly, he was surprised he even managed to keep his arm; His dagger was still strapped to his calf and he even had some extra ammo on him...Nothing to shoot it with, though.

He could think of worse odds.

Leaning back on his arms, Bucky sighed, tracking the flight of what looked like a hawk until it turned into a spot in the horizon. He needed to find out where he was, that much was certain, and he wouldn’t be able to do that without more information.

Following the river was his best shot at finding civilization, though he was debating which direction to take. Downstream was the general rule of thumb, but he had learned while on his time in Wakanda that, at least in Africa, upstream was the rule of thumb.

The geography suggested downstream, though he didn’t actually know how the geography was like in the area…

Bucky crouched quickly, senses suddenly in full alert.

It was too quiet.

Something whistled through the air and before he knew it he was rolling sideways, narrowly dodging the wooden spear now lodged on the spot he had been sitting on. He picked it up as he turned to face his assailant and startled briefly at the sight that greeted him.

Four red, humanoid, pig-like creatures stood a few feet from him, looking as surprised at his dodging their attack as he was at their appearance.

They were smaller than a human, though strangely wider despite their lean, long limbs. They all wore tattered primitive clothing and, more important, they were armed. Two bows and one spear, plus the one they had thrown at him.

Giving up on their attempted stealth, the creatures screeched and attacked, the one still armed with a spear charging at him as the other two readied their arrows. The unarmed one was putting some distance between them as it looked for something to use as a weapon.

He didn’t give it a chance.

In a matter of seconds, he was on the creature, driving the spear into its gut before wrenching it free. The spear felt too light and unfamiliar in his hand as he threw it, but it still soared through the air before hitting one of the archers in the shoulder just as it released its arrow.

The projectile soared over his head, but a second arrow hit its target and bounced harmlessly off his metal arm. The second archer cried in surprise, though it wasted no time in readying another arrow.

Bucky charged.

He ran as fast as he could then threw himself to the floor to dodge the arrow, using his momentum to roll towards the creatures’ legs and bring it down to the ground. Less than a second later his knife was plunging into the creature’s neck and tearing , causing the pigman’s screech to turn into a wet gurgle.

With a panicked series of screeches, the pig wielding the spear tried to run away, it’s short squat legs carrying it as fast as they could.

Unwilling and unable to give up the advantage, he took the discarded bow and arrow and aimed, though he didn’t have to do anything, as the creature suddenly fell to the floor, struck by two arrows.

It seemed like the skirmish had attracted someone’s attention.

Chapter Text

A few seconds later, a small group of horse riders broke the horizon, approaching at a steady trot. Two men and one woman, all dressed in similar attire.

They stopped a safe distance from him, inspecting him from the relative safety of their steeds. Hesitance clear in their face.

He couldn’t exactly blame them either, as he was suddenly very aware of what he looked.

While his clothes didn’t stand out as much compared to theirs, as did his hair, there was no hiding his arm or the trio of dead creatures scattered at his feet.

Bucky lowered the bow slowly as a sign of good faith.

That did the trick, as the woman waved at him before descending from his horse and approaching, face open and friendly despite the way her hand rested casually on her sword, ready to be drawn if necessary.

She was of average height and a stocky build, with freckled tanned skin and dark brown hair, kept away from her face with a strict braid that hung over her shoulders.

She held herself with the easy confidence of someone used to lead and the width of her shoulders and revealed she probably spent long hours performing some kind of physical task; She also seemed unable to keep her eyes off his arm, which was fine, considering he couldn’t stop looking at her ears.

Elongated and pointy, her ears looked right at home in the fairytales he used to read to his sisters for bedtime. They also confirmed what he had known the moment he set eyes on the pigs.

Forget Africa. He definitely wasn’t on earth anymore.

“A bheil thu math?” She asked, or at least he assumed she asked. It was hard to tell, considering he had never heard her language in his life; it made sense, of course. New world, new language, but it still threw him out of his loop for a moment.

Hydra had made sure he learned different languages. Encountering one that he couldn’t at least understand was a new experience.

The woman repeated the question, a small frown appearing on her eyes. When she didn’t get an answer, she pointed at her ears and asked something else. “An cluinn thu mi?”

That one was easy enough to figure out and he nodded, hoping the motion meant what he wanted it to mean.

Surprisingly, it worked and she smiled as she pointed at her lips.

“An urrainn dhut bruidhinn?”

“I can speak.”

Now it was the woman’s turn to look confused, though it only lasted a few seconds as she then pointed at the trio of dead creatures behind him.

“An do mharbh thu na Bokoblins sin?”

He nodded again.

They weren’t able to speak the same language, but they had reached an understanding easily enough. Whether she was used to encountering people who didn’t speak her language or it was just dumb luck he wasn’t sure, but he was willing to roll with it.

“A bheil an t-acras ort? Tha am pathadh?” This time she mimicked putting something in her mouth and drinking.

The meaning was clear, though it still took him by surprise. He knew he didn’t paint a particularly friendly picture,  but it didn’t seem to bother the woman in the slightest. In fact, she was already walking up to him, hand outstretched.

“Is mise Amira” She pointed at herself.

“Bucky.”

“Chan ann o chinneadh Yiga a tha thu, a bheil thu?”

Amira was asking him if he was something. He was sure of that, though he couldn’t piece together the rest of the sentence, so he did the next best thing, repeating the eating and drinking gestures she had used.

That earned him a laugh and she shook her head before walking back to her group, motioning for him to follow.

“Feumaidh sinn an t-each a cho-roinn.” She said over her shoulders. He got the feeling she was talking about sharing the horse.

They rode in silence.

He could feel the eyes of the other riders on him, as well as hear them speaking with each other, but for the most part they seemed content with following Amira’s lead and she, for her part, didn’t seem interested in anything other than getting to their destination, which left Bucky with nothing else to do but to watch their surroundings.

The other riders were siblings, that much was obvious. They shared the same slender build, dirty blonde hair and aquiline noses. They too had elongated ears like Amira, though theirs seemed wider and shorter, which could be either a family trait or a gender thing. It was hard to tell.

The scenery turned out to be more interesting.

While the vegetation and geography remained more or less the same, showcasing plenty of grass and some small clusters of trees, signs of intelligent life became more common, mostly in the shape of small camping sites along the river, as well as the occasional wooden watchtower. All of them empty, though.

Once again, he was reminded of Thanos.

He was in another world, that much was obvious, but what exactly did it mean? Was he on another planet or was his situation completely different? The apparent lack of people made sense if he was in a different planet, what with Thanos wanting to get rid of half the universe. However, he knew too little about the land he was to jump into conclusions just yet.

Something completely different could’ve happened. Hell, for all he knew, the world was just sparsely populated.

He got his response when he spotted the castle.

It had remained hidden from sight by a large hill but as the group rode by, it was impossible to miss.

Even from the distance, he could tell it was enormous. A well-guarded fortress built on what looked by a cliff and protected by huge walls. It was an impressive structure even though he could tell there were some chunks missing.

What really caught his attention were the structures that surrounded the castle, though. Monolithic columns sprouting from the earth and leaning at almost 45 degrees towards the castle, as if keeping it in place. They were dark yet pulsed red light from what looked like complicated symbols.

They reminded him of the spaceships he had caught sight of during the battle of Wakanda. Not in looks, necessarily, but in the way, they clashed with their environment. Alien and eerie. Things that weren’t supposed to be there, but were nonetheless.

As if to add insult to injury something rose from the earth and surrounded the castle. It looked like mist, though it moved with far too much purpose to be anything other than a living entity, lazily circling around the building before plunging back into the earth.

“What the fuck?”

Trust him to somehow land not only in a completely different world but also a world where weird shit was happening.

Chapter Text

They arrived at their destination just as the sun started to set and the distant sound of thunder echoed in the nearby mountains; It would be a storm soon if the rapidly increasing humidity was any indication, but for the time being there was nothing to worry about.

Built right next to the river, their destination turned out to be a large wooden construction, equal parts tent and timber building. Its facade must’ve been bright and colorful at some point, but the colors had muted after years of wear and tear; the only eye-catching thing about it was the large ornament at the top, wood, and fabric shaped like the head of a horse.

Nonetheless, the place was a lively one, equipped with its own small ranch and a stable.

A man and a woman were tending to the horses, gently guiding them towards the stable in preparation for the night. A young boy, no more than ten, was running around a couple of goats without a care in the world; An old woman was sweeping the entrance, or at least pretending to, as Bucky got the impression she was just eavesdropping on a group of men gathered around a cookpot.

Overall, the place gave the impression of being more of a rest-stop than a permanent residence, though it was no less welcoming.

Eager to stretch his legs, he descended from the horse and turned his attention to Amira. The woman had promised him food and, frankly, he was hungry. The only answer he got was a long finger pointing at the building before her horse trotted over to the stable.

The inside of the building was no different than the outside. Worn and old, but obviously well cared for.

A row of beds lined one of the walls, all of them empty. A handful of tables were bunched together on the opposite side, occupied only by a young woman, her attention lost in a book; The rest of the space was occupied by a large desk, behind which a dark-skinned man gave him a cautious look, and a thick wooden support beam holding the entire place together.

It was maybe five minutes later than Amira popped inside the building, free of her companions for once. She balanced some plates and mugs and he quickly stepped in to help her, which earned her a grateful smile and a gentle shove towards the tables.

The meal was simple, though hearty. A heaping bowl of rice topped with strips of meat, accompanied by what looked and smelled like beer.

“Thank you,” He said as she motioned for him to eat. She grinned and answered with an “ S mise tha toilichte” before digging in.

They ate in companionable silence and, for the first time since he had woken up in that strange land, he allowed himself to relax.

It was clear these people didn’t mean him any harm, at least not for the time being,  and though he had caught some of them discreetly looking at his arm, they all seemed perfectly happy to just let him be. Considering that none of the riders had seemed particularly alarmed by the state of the castle and the weird monoliths surrounding it, he figured they were used to stranger things.

(The thought was nowhere near as comforting as it should’ve been.)

Rather than dwelling on that he focused on his food. The rice was fairly plain and the meat was gamey, venison if he had to guess. It was spiced with something he couldn't quite place and the story repeated itself with the beer; It was familiar enough to be recognizable yet distinctly different at the same time.

As he ate, the people he had seen outside started making their way in, some heading straight for the beds, some taking seats by the table, carrying their own drinks and food.

Soon, the place was filled by their gentle chatter and soft laughs and even though he couldn’t tell what they were saying, it was easy enough to see that they were all relaxed. His presence was new, strange, but it was just another part of their lives.

The first drops of rain brought with them the scent of petrichor and, as the drizzle turned into actual rain, a slight chill.

It also brought another traveler, a tall and lean man with a horrible bowl-cut and a massive, beetle-shaped backpack; The merchant –for he couldn’t be any other thing– barely made it inside before it started raining in earnest, thick sheets of rain obscuring Bucky’s view of the world outside.

The merchant also had no time to get properly settled before Amira was on him, eagerly asking for something in that musical language of theirs and thrusting a fistful of gemstones right under the man’s nose.

Whatever it was that she wanted, she wanted it bad.

Once the transaction ended, she approached him with an almost manic smile and placed a bottle full of...something right in front of him.

“I’m not drinking that.”

The liquid was a nasty shade of brown and visibly thick, clinging to the sides of the bottle in a way no liquid should; It looked almost like paint, which only increased his resolve to not drink the thing.

It was a different world, yes, but there was no way that was something people regularly drank.

Noticing his discomfort, Amiira uncorked the bottle and pushed it towards him.

Bucky pushed it back, much to the amusement of one of the patrons, who guffawed and took a drink from his beer.

Amira glared at the man then turned her glare at him before grabbing the bottle and making a drinking gesture.

He shook his head. “Not happening.”

Bucky could see the gears turning inside her head as she tried to come up with a way to convince him. For a brief moment, she looked like she was going to try and make him drink by force –a horrible idea– but she reconsidered quickly.

With a defeated sigh, Amira took a drink from the bottle.

Even though she was clearly trying her hardest to convince him to do the same, she made no attempt at hiding the disgust from her face. The liquid obviously tasted as bad as it looked and, as she struggled not to gag, it struck him that if she wanted him to drink the so called liquid so badly, it was probably for a good reason.

She had been nothing but helpful so far. Not only had she offered him food and drink, but neither she nor her companions had seemed in any hurry to harm him.

She also didn’t seem like she had the balls to try to poison someone in front of so many people so, without allowing himself time to reconsider,  he took the bottle and downed the rest of the liquid.

It was worse than he had imagined.

The first thing he noticed was the texture, slimy and thick enough that he almost felt the need to chew. The taste was no different, as it smacked him with a combination of salty and bitter so strong it somehow managed to clog his ears.

Drinking what was left of his beer did very little to wash off the taste and he was about to complain to Amira when he noticed her looking intently at him.

“Did it work? Can you understand me now?”

Chapter Text

"Can you understand me?"

Yes, he could understand her just fine. He could understand everyone; Amira's companions were chatting about the moon, the old woman was scolding the child for eating his food too fast, the merchant was happily selling his wares. It was all clear as day.

"What was that?" He asked, just to confirm that she could understand him as well.

Amira clapped in excitement and turned to give the merchant a broad smile. Gone was the no-nonsense adventurer he had met in the field. In her place sat a young and curious woman who was grinning as if Christmas had come early.

It was almost contagious.

"Thank Hylia! I've been dying to ask you so many things!" She said, scooting her chair forward as close as she could with the table between them.

Bucky tensed, aware of the potential danger in that.

What was he supposed to say? That he didn't know where he was and how he had gotten there? That he wasn't even from their world?

Sure, the people had been welcoming so far, but that could change if he pushed them too far; they were to seeing weird things, but he was willing to bet 'I came from another world' was a little too weird even for them.

Amira, who either didn't notice his hesitance or just didn't care, continued to speak.

"You're not from around here, obviously" She pointed at his ears, as opposed to his arm. He was surprised and oddly grateful. "But what are you doing in Hyrule? I don't travel around as much as I used to these days, but these lands haven't had visitors in...well, forever!"

"Why?" He asked, only half curious. She seemed eager enough to talk, so nudging her into taking the lead of the conversation was the safest bet.

She snorted "You're kidding me, right?"

It took him a moment to realize she was actually asking a question and not just being sarcastic, so he shook his head. "The monsters are weird, sure, but the land doesn't seem that bad. It's actually beautiful."

Bucky wasn't even exaggerating. Sure, he hadn't seen much of Hyrule, but what he had seen was charming enough.

"I guess" Amira conceded before straightening up with a frown. "Come on, though. You can't tell me you didn't see the castle, the stronghold, the malice, the ruins...Sure, the place can be beautiful, but it used to be so much more!"

So, something had happened to the land after all. Something big by the sound of it.

He wasn't precisely glad that his suspicions were confirmed, but at least that gave him an alibi of sorts.

"That's why I'm here. To explore the ruins."

A traveling explorer looking to profit from the ruins of a fallen kingdom? It would explain his presence in the land, and it would keep people from asking too many questions. Greed was a simple enough motivator, no matter where you were.

"I was hoping to visit the castle."

"Oh great." Amira's smile was gone, replaced by an actual scowl. "I feed you; bring you here and go through the trouble of helping you use the local language so that you can go get yourself killed."

Bucky remained quiet, aware of the fact that everyone else was silent as well, no doubt watching the exchange.

"Let me save your time and your life," Amira said as she got to her feet and gathered her stuff. "The thing that destroyed this kingdom a hundred years ago is still there, and it doesn't like visitors. You won't find anything valuable or interesting in that castle. You'll only find death."

With that, she stomped off to her bed.

Without his impromptu Guide to Hyrule, there was nothing much for Bucky to do but to sit there and watch as the conversations resumed and, with time, turned into hushed whispers as people turned in for the night.

There weren't enough beds for everyone, which meant those who didn't want to share a bed had to make do on the floor –like the merchant, who was using his bag as a giant pillow– or had to settle down for a long night of sitting around, which was exactly what he intended to do.

The night slowly went by without eventualities. Now and then people would get up and pace around the building, standing by the entrance for a handful of minutes before moving again. Whether they were waiting for the rain to stop to get moving or they were guarding the place, he wasn't entirely sure.

He doubted they knew either.

When he wasn't trying to pass the time by people watching, Bucky was trying to come up with a plan.

He now knew the name of the place he was in and that, at some point, it had been a prosperous kingdom. He knew that a hundred years ago something destroyed it and that that something was still in the castle, killing-off travelers dumb enough to get close.

No mentions of spaceships –although the things surrounding the castle still looked somewhat alien to him–, visitors from outer space, little green men or talking raccoons, no portals opening up in the sky. Nothing.

If space travel of any sort wasn't a thing in Hyrule, then he was left with magic. It made sense, of course, there was no other way to describe the infinity stones properly, but if that was the case, it also meant he was fucked.

He didn't know the first thing about space travel, and he knew even less about magic. If he was going back to Earth, it wasn't going to be on his own... If he could go back to earth at all.
He was snapped out of his thoughts by a loud rumble and the earth shaking under his feet hard enough to wake everyone up.

Whatever minuscule hope he had that this was a frequent occurrence vanished as almost every traveler sprung to their feet and stormed outside, some without putting their shoes on, but all armed and ready to fight.

He followed.

The rain fell mercilessly on them and soaked them to the bone as they stood outside, trying to determine if there was any danger or if the entire commotion was the result of an earthquake — a rather short-lived one at that.

"Over here!" Amira's voice cut through the rain somewhere to his right and further down the road.

It was hard to see past the curtains of water plastering his hair to his face but luckily for them, or their eyes at least, what Amira had found emitted its own light.

Maybe he had been too hasty when discarding the alien theory.

The object was enormous, standing around twenty-feet tall from top to bottom and appearing almost as wide; It was narrower at the top, and a series of intricated light patterns adorned the bottom in a way that reminded him of the monoliths surrounding the castles, though these were orange, as opposed to red.

No one approached the thing, choosing instead to stand as a group and wait.

When it was apparent that nothing was going to happen, Amira slowly made her way towards it. Bucky wasn't far behind.

"Looks like you won't have to go to the castle to explore after all." She tried for humor and failed, so she didn't say anything after that.

Up close, it was even more obvious that the thing had something to do with the monoliths. The material was smooth and, as he found out when his foot connected with a part of the structure that was hidden by the muddy terrain, slippery.

Amira stopped by the foot of the structure, but he kept going, climbing the small set of steps and stepping on what was clearly a platform. As soon as his feet touched the smooth stone, the structure hummed –someone in the group screamed in alarm– and an eye-like symbol appeared above him, illuminating the structure even further.

Bucky's breath caught in his throat.

This thing, whatever it was, had a door. A door and a smaller structure with a flat surface placed next to it... A control panel?

He could hear the people in the group moving, but he ignored them, choosing instead to try and find a way to open the door. It was made of the same material as the rest of the structure, and while he could feel lines under his fingers, giving him a vague idea of how the mechanism worked, no amount of pushing moved the door even a little.

He turned his attention to the smaller structure.

Up close, he was even more confident that it was a control panel, as it looked almost like a touch-screen, though when he poked and prodded at it, all he was met with was hard and smooth rock.

"It's a shrine!" The fear in Amira's voice had been replaced by something more like wonder, though she didn't attempt to approach it. "Legend says these structures were supposed to stop the Calamity."

"Do the legends say how to open it?" He asked, still trying to find a button, a switch or anything that could get the thing working.

"...not really? I think they had something to do with the Chosen Hero, but I'm not sure."

Bucky let go of the control panel like it was burning.

He had just fought against literal aliens, died and appeared in a brand new world.

The last thing he needed was to be part of some prophecy.

Chapter Text

By the time the group went back inside the ranch, the workers had set up some improvised fire pits in anticipation for their return, and most of the excitement had died down.

In its place, was an undercurrent of fear and cautious optimism. The shrine itself wasn't surprising, but no one was sure whether its appearance was a good or a bad thing.

Knowing even less, Bucky sat by the fire and tried his best to get dry, an action shared by those unlucky enough to not have extra clothes on them.

Amira wasn't one of them, he noted when she plopped down next to him, wearing an enviably dry outfit.

"Enough excitement for you?" She asked, keeping her eyes on the fire.

"Hardly."

After everything he had seen, particularly in the last few days, a strange, alien-like building popping out of the ground wasn't even worth batting an eyelash at.

It had killed whatever vague interest he had in going to the castle, though. If the shrines, and by extension the monoliths, were part of this world, then there would be no answers there. Particularly not with some unspeakable horror lurking around.

"Good. I was hoping you said that."

Great, he had just walked into a trap.

Bucky turned to face her, expecting a cheeky smile and finding a serious frown instead. He sat up straighter on reflex.

"We're not sure why a shrine appeared out of nowhere" She explained. "We don't know if it's a good or a bad thing. We don't even know if it was supposed to happen, but the Shiekah may know."

Bucky nodded. He had no idea who or what the Shiekah were, but something told him he'd find out soon enough.

"We need to send word to the Shiekah and find out what they know, but we can't spare the scouts. Not while we don't know if things will get better or–"

"You want me to go." Bucky cut her off.

Amira nodded.

He wasn't surprised she was asking. It made sense. They needed information but didn't have the people to spare; Sending an explorer who, by his own admission, was just there to explore ruins was a pretty solid move, everything considered.

It was also an excellent opportunity for him to find his way back home.

The shrine was a piece of technology, that was clear as day, and they were asking him to talk to those who had created it. If anyone could help him, it was going to be them, not the people gathered around the fire.

"I'll do it." He held up a hand to keep Amira from talking. "But I want you to tell me what happened here. Tell me what happened to Hyrule."

If he was going to travel around the land, the least he could do was to know it.

Amira sighed.

"Hyrule is... well. It's a cursed land." She started, turning away from him and gazing into the fire. "It's prosperous, yes. Large, rich in culture, resources, magic, and people, but it's cursed nonetheless. Cursed to be destroyed by the Calamity."

Some of the conversations started to die out as people started paying attention to the story. The look on the traveler's faces told him they all knew the tales, but they didn't mind hearing them again.

"Hyrule prospers, the Calamity appears and attacks the land, the Princess and the Hero face It, vanish It and eventually the kingdom goes back to normal.  The people rebuild, the kingdom prospers and, eventually, the story repeats itself."

As far as stories went, that was fairly stereotypical, Bucky thought, but he kept his mouth shut.

"A hundred years ago, the Calamity appeared again. The Kingdom was prepared. Champions for each of the races were selected to command the Divine Beasts, the Hero had the legendary sword. There was a plan and the plan–"

"Went to shit."

Amira nodded.

"Those who witnessed it say it happened too fast. The Calamity took over every preparation and turned it against Hyrule. Towns were decimated, entire armies destroyed, the Champions were killed and the kingdom fell."

"What happened after?" Asked Bucky, choosing not to dwell in the uncomfortable familiarity of the story.

"The Hero died protecting the Princess and the Princess faced the Calamity on her own. She couldn't defeat it, but she sacrificed herself and managed to seal her off. It's been trapped in the castle ever since."

She didn't say anything after that and he didn't press her.

He could see why she was so adamant about getting answers. The shrine's presence could be either very bad or very good. There was no in-between.

Chapter Text

Bucky hit the road with the first rays of light.

The downpour had stopped at some point in the night, though a drizzle remained, chilling the early morning and enveloping the fields in faint mist.

The river had grown overnight, and its water now lapped the fence surrounding the Ranch, making the stablehand's jobs harder as they trudged through slippery mud to tend to the animals.

It was a peaceful scene, and though he knew he had a long day ahead, he took his time on the road, content with enjoying the scenery.

Kakariko, Amira had explained, was about a day and a half's journey from the stable, and as long as he followed the roads and watched out for potential ambushes, he should have no problem getting to his destination. Even with such reassurances, the ranch owners and some of the travelers had parted with their belongings to make his trip more manageable, and he now sported a hooded traveler's tunic that was almost his size, a map, a bow, and a spear.

The later –a nasty looking thing with a wooden handle and a long, jagged metal edge– would prove particularly useful, as he had grown familiar with spears, albeit far more technologically advanced ones, during his time in Wakanda.

Though he found himself retracing his steps and looking at the same landscape as the previous day, the rain had changed things considerably. , and a wide array of fat toads and speedy frogs were having the time of their lives, hopping and croaking to their heart's content, though quickly scattering away as he walked by.

More than once, his attention was drawn by a splash in the water or rustling leaves in nearby trees, though nothing ever came of it. Bucky was well and truly alone, and he couldn't say he minded it.

By noon, the rain had stopped entirely, the sun was finally drying the road, and the landscape had finally started to change.

The dirt roads were gradually replaced by overgrown cobblestone, and the undisputed reign of nature gradually gave place to ruin and decay. Crumbled walls and buildings spread as far as he could see.

While some small towers endured stubbornly despite missing entire walls, most of the ruins were nothing more than scattered and scorched stone surfaces and rotting wood that suggested a building had once stood there, but had been brought down by time and some unknown, yet devastating force.

In the distance, rising tall and proud, was one of the largest structures he had ever seen. It wasn't as tall as some of earth's skyscrapers, but it was far wider. As if someone had piled one Great Wall of China on top of another and then wrapped it around a cliff.

Amira hadn't been kidding about Hyrule's former glory.

Though he was tempted to stick around for a while, Bucky continued moving. The place was impressive alright, but the nearby ruins were perfect for an ambush and standing there in the open, so close to a multitude of possible hiding spots, made his skin crawl.

Luckily, he didn't need to go very far.

The road continued for a few more minutes before veering off towards the river and straight into a large, stone bridge marked in his map as 'Proxim Bridge.' The first landmark on his journey.

The bridge itself was wide enough for a truck to drive in comfortably and relatively well maintained. Weeds were growing on it, and a handful of areas appeared to have crumbled, but it appeared stable and well-traveled; There was also a Shrine by the bridge, though unlike the one by the Ranch, this one was open.

The Shrine was open.

Bucky approached the structure with caution, stopping on the main platform. The entrance was tall and wide enough for the Hulk to go through, but the inside didn't seem exceptionally wide; In fact, it appeared to be the same size as the platform he was standing on. If not smaller.

The inside was completely dark, however, and a quick peek inside revealed what could only be described as an elevator shaft, despite the obvious lack of rails or counterweights. An electric elevator, perhaps?

A part of him wanted to go in and see what was inside, while another wanted to keep going, talk to the Sheika and then check out the Shrine.

An even more significant part wanted to do nothing with the Shrine. If Amira's legend was right –and he had no reason to doubt them, considering someone had opened the structure– and the Shrines were there specifically for the hero, then staying away was the best course of action.

He wanted to go back to his world, not get involved in some post-apocalyptic prophecy from a world he had only been in for less than 48 hours.

The decision was made for him; however, when the orange lights decorating the Shrine switched to blue and a soft, electric hum came from inside the structure; Seconds later, he was face to face –chest to face, really– with a short, blonde Hylian.

"...you have to be fucking kidding me."

The so-called hero was a literal child.

Chapter Text

Bright blue eyes framed by blonde bangs stared up at him in surprise, and for a brief moment he's transported to a simpler and more carefree time, but the flash of memory is gone almost as soon as it comes, leaving behind nothing but bitter nostalgia. 

The looks are all wrong; Hair too light, eyes too large, ears too inhuman, and though the kid looks about as small as Steve did back then, if not shorter, he also looks infinitely more capable of putting the hurt on anyone.

The same kind of stubborn determination shines bright behind those eyes, though, and whatever Bucky was planning to say dies a quick death as he simply stares at the kid. 

The kid stares back, looking at him with guarded curiosity like he doesn't quite know what to make of him. 

The feeling is mutual. 

The kid is young, far too young to be fighting any kind of war, yet he looks experienced; it's not just the scars that peek from under too-short sleeves or the collection of weapons hanging from the kid's frame, but rather the way he stands at ease. 

Deceptively relaxed, yet ready to react at a moment's notice. 

'A soldier,' his mind supplies, and he's inclined to agree. 

"Can I help you?" The voice is soft, unsure, like the kid is carefully choosing his words. 

It sounds a lot more confident when the kid repeats his question. 

"I'm looking for Kakariko Village," Bucky answers, a small part of him relieved that he doesn't need to lie to this kid just yet. Not entirely anyway.  

He's burning with questions. Wants to ask the kid who he is and wants to know how he got in the shrine.

He wants, no,  needs  to know what's inside and a huge part of him wants to simply march up and demand to be let inside to see for himself, but he keeps it in check. 

He might be ascribing someone else's personality to this kid, but something tells him that interrogating the blonde out of the blue is only going to cause him to clam up. 

The kid doesn't have a reason to trust him. He knows how he looks; He wouldn't trust himself either.

Doesn't  trust himself most of the time.

A gentle touch is necessary, at least at the beginning, so he tries to make himself look trustworthy. Not harmless, he  can't  look harmless, and he doubts the kid would fall for it either way.  

"Do you know the way?" 

The kid hesitates for a moment before pointing in a general direction that just barely approximates the area marked on Bucky's map. 

"It's somewhere over there," the kid explains, a sheepish smile on his face. "Haven't been there in a long time, but I'm headin' that way." 

"Is that an invitation?"

The kid shrugs. "There's safety in numbers."

The kid is lying, Bucky can tell, though he's not sure about what. Could be about knowing the way to Kakariko, about feeling the need for backup or about something else. 

Either way, Bucky's getting what he wants. 

"I'm Bucky," he says, holding out his flesh hand. The metal one still hidden by the hooded cape. 

The kid shakes it without hesitation. 

"Link." 

While he was far from an expert when it came to teenagers, Bucky was sure they weren't supposed to be this quiet. 

Even the small handful of Wakandan kids he had met had been more talkative, and they tended to talk  about  him rather than  to  him. 

This kid? Link? 

Not a peep since they started walking together. 

He could feel the kid's eyes on him every now and then. Not so sly glances that went away the moment he turned to look at the kid. 

He didn't mind the silence, not one bit, but it did throw a wrench in his plans. He had hoped for questions. Small talk. A conversation that he could guide towards the things  he  wanted to know while still allowing the kid to feel like he had some agency. 

Rather than striking a conversation himself, he focused on his environment, enjoying the relaxed feel of the whole place. 

The Proxim Bridge had been a lot larger than he first assumed –a huge and sturdy structure that had no doubt been an essential and well-transited area in the past– but the remnants of civilization started and ended with it.

Past the bridge, only the meadow remained, and unlike the area before the bridge, this one was free of structures, destroyed or otherwise; No rubble, no destruction, nothing. 

Just the river to their left, the path under their feet and some hills to their right. 

Up ahead, a scattering of trees betrayed the start of a thick forest, and above the canopy, two  enormous  peaks reached towards the skies, the very tops disappearing into water-swollen clouds. 

"Looks like it's going to rain," He said, more to himself than anything, though to his surprise, the kid answered with a snort. 

"Always does." 

By the time they reached the bottom of the peaks, it was raining in earnest. The clouds releasing their bounty in the form of rolling thunder and icy rain.

It slid harmlessly down his hood, the treated materials doing wonders to keep him dry, from the knees up at least.

Link wasn't so lucky. What little he wore was soaked through and, like his hair, clung to him like a second skin. 

To his credit, the kid looked more resigned than upset, and by the time they took cover near a large boulder that just barely slowed down the rain, he even seemed to be taking it in good humor. 

"Think you can lend me that hood?" The kid asked, huddling next to the rock. It was a pitiful sight, and Bucky  almost  felt bad for him. 

"Not a chance, pipsqueak."

"Eh." Link shrugged. "Worth a shot."

Brushing his hair from his forehead –for all the good that did– the kid pointed down the road, which disappeared under the shadows of the colossal mountains. 

"We can press on and reach the stables, or we can look around for shelter. Rain isn't goin' to stop."

Though he was still getting familiar with the weather, Bucky was inclined to agree. If anything, the rain seemed to be getting worse. 

Both ideas had their merits. Searching for shelter would be faster, the woods were thick enough that a dry spot was a genuine possibility. 

The stable, for its part, was just plain more comfortable. Bucky didn't know if the new stable would be like the one he had spent the night in, but anything would be better than soaking to his bones. 

"Let's keep going. You can't get any wetter." 

Chapter Text

Despite having seen them for the last couple of hours, the size of the "Dueling Peaks," as the locals called them, was still staggering. 

Bucky had expected the road to narrow when passing between the mountains, but that never happened. The space between the unforgiving peaks was wide enough to house a highway, and then some. 

The constant rain made it impossible to tell where the river ended, and the road began, and the rock walls on both sides only made things harder; their sheer height blocking what little light managed to get through the rainclouds and sinking the place in darkness.  

A small, almost whimsical part of him thought the experience was akin to walking into the mouth of a great beast. A much bigger part told him this place was perfect for an ambush. 

Trying, and failing, to push the thought away, he sped up to catch up with the kid. 

The rock faces were steep, but he could see shelves large enough to hold a person scattered around the surface. He couldn't see any movement, but that meant nothing when he could hardly see with the rain's constant assault on his face. 

There was a loud splash of water somewhere to his left, and he stopped, hands flying to his spear as he squinted at the choppy water, trying to see what had caused that noise. 

Next to him, the kid had drawn his sword and shield, either alerted by Bucky's sudden movements or the noise. 

He hoped it was the former. 

A loud hiss, almost concealed by the crack of thunder was the only warning he received before his attacker was on him, but it was the only warning he needed; Bucky jumped back, twisting out of the way just as a jagged spearhead sliced past him. 

The second attack came just a moment later, a large blade swinging towards his abdomen, forcing him to jump back a second time just to avoid it, the movement putting him face to face with his attacker. 

It was a lizard-like creature about his height and twice as long. Standing on two short, plantigrade legs and armed and armored, the animal cut an imposing figure, though it would need a lot more than that to intimidate him. 

A clash of steel and a shriek to his back revealed Link's position and the presence of another attacker, but he kept his attention focused on the creature before him, which excitedly hopped from one side to the other, clearly measuring him up. 

He struck without warning, thrusting his spear in the creature's direction to gauge its speed. The lizard leaped back with ease, sticking a long and thin tongue his way in mockery before rushing him again, a thrust of its spear followed by a swing of its tail, which sported a wicked blade strapped to its tail. 

Realizing that's what he needed to worry about, Bucky changed his strategy. He could stop that tail with his metal arm, no problem. If he moved fast enough, he could rush the creature and render its spear useless with proximity. 

Its neck looked long enough to twist and bite him, though, and for all, he knew those things were venomous. Usually, he'd risk it, but he didn't know whether or not his enhancements could deal with venom from a whole different world. 

Better play it safe, then. 

The lizard, for its part, seemed to be examining him as well, thrusting its spear almost lazily in his direction to keep him at a distance… unless… 

Another loud splash to his back and he barely had time to turn around and raise his metal arm to catch the sword swinging towards his head, the movement catching the second lizard by surprise long enough for him to thrust his spear straight into its chest. 

A pained shriek and a spray of blood erupted from the creature's mouth, but it was silenced with a powerful front kick that sent it flying back into the river. 

Not waiting to see whether the creature floated back up or not, he whirled around once more, just in time to see the kid jump between Bucky and the beast and deflect the incoming spear thrust with his shield. 

Though the lizard recovered fast, the kid was faster, following his block with a shield bash that caught the creature right on its elongated snout with a resounding 'clack' and taking advantage of the opening to thrust his sword right through the creature's neck, the spray of blood catching the kid straight in the face. 

If that bothered Link, Bucky didn't have time to find out, as more screeches broke through the darkness as they were rushed by more of those lizards. 

In a matter of seconds, they found themselves moving in tandem, matching each other's moves with surprising ease. 

Link used his shield to block incoming attacks while Bucky used his superior reach to thrust a retrieved spear into the creature's bodies, aiming for their vitals to the best of his abilities; The few times his strikes didn't mortally wound the monsters, Link's sword finished the work, slicing the lizard's soft bellies with no reservation. 

By the time the battle was over, they were both soaked in blood and a viscous, foul-smelling fluid that squirted out of the creatures whenever stabbed under their chins  just right.

"Think that's it?" Link asked, taking advantage of the brief respite to adjust his grip on his sword, but otherwise maintaining their formation.

Bucky scanned the river. The water was still choppy, but nothing big seemed to be moving under the surface, and the only sounds he could hear were those created by the rain. 

"Looks like it." He answered, lowering his spear and stepping away from the kid. "What were those things?"

"Lizalfos," Link answered after a moment, straightening up and swinging his shield over his back. "Stealth hunters...for the most part".

"No shit."

Link grinned and made a gesture with his hands, and Bucky got the distinct impression that it was the Hylian equivalent of flipping the bird.

He answered in kind. 

Chapter Text

Hi everyone.

Let me start by saying I'm grateful for all of you that took the time to read my crazy ramblings. This crossover has occupied a huge space in my mind, and it means a lot that people like the idea.

Now, to business.

As some of you may know, I work as a copywriter, so I spend most of my time writing; This means that, when I have time for myself, I'd rather just spend my time playing videogames or doing something that doesn't involve writing.

It's one of the reasons why I prefer writing one-shots, and why I can't, for the life of me, keep up a multicharacter fic.

What I can do, and do frequently, is roleplay, so consider this a formal invitation for any interested to roleplay this scenario instead.

As much as I would love to continue the fic, I can't see myself doing it for the time being, but if you want to roleplay the Bucky for my Link, I'm sure we can explore Hyrule together. No extensive Zelda knowledge required.

If you're interested, please add me on Discord: NoSarcasmForYou # 4381

Once again, thank you all for your time, interest and patience.

NoSarcasmForYou