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Link had an intimate relationship with trauma.
He knew death, fear, pain, and suffering. He’d fought for his home tirelessly in the past, present, and future. But even after his quest caused a massive rift in space-time, Hylia just couldn’t seem to let him rest. Defeating Majora and coming into possession of the Fierce Deity mask wasn’t enough, even though he did spend a few blissful years of calm with his wife.
The first time Link had been pulled away from his peaceful life, he’d been angry and bitter. One day, he had woken up to an unfamiliar Hyrule and unfamiliar body. Yet, when he met the Hero of that era, that bitterness began to crack. It quickly became clear to him that this was his reincarnation. The result of an endless cycle. A boy so different but so similar. So eager to learn and so reckless.
For once in his life, he completed his task with pride. Pulling the Master Sword from its pedestal and keeping the moon from crashing into Hyrule was nothing compared to the sense of accomplishment he got while passing his skills to the next Hero. If anyone was going to outshine him, it would be his blood. And this boy—who had such a shocking likeness to him and carried the same name—definitely fell into that category.
Link taught him everything he knew and the boy learned it all. Every special move and skill.
It saddened him that his reincarnation… no, his legacy, would have to carry such a burden. Hylia and this cursed cycle brought nothing but agony upon the land and his bloodline continued to suffer because of it. But at least Link had been able to lessen the load. To assist his descendant and offer some solidarity.
Hylia returned him to Lon Lon Ranch once he completed his task, and Link took comfort in knowing that his blood remained strong. That, even though he hated the responsibilities that came with being a hero, his children’s children would help the world thrive.
Then, he was dragged into another adventure and dubbed Time.
Sky was a breath of fresh air. He was kind and happy, unbothered by the burden he carried willingly on his back. He was, however, sorrowful that he had failed to end the cycle at the start.
Hyrule was humble and resourceful. He was proficient with magic, which had been unexpected, but even Time could admit that it was useful. He was a brave adventurer, but lacked confidence in his abilities.
Legend was experienced in a way that Time could appreciate. Out of all of them, he had the most experience. He’d gone on his fair-share of world saving ventures and kept his emotions close to his heart.
Time was also reunited with his legacy, Twilight. He found that even though Twilight had never seen his face, he’d been able to identify him nearly instantly. And so, they grew closer through practice duels and sharing their woes under the cover of night while the others slept. Unsurprisingly, the boy still carried the strength of an Ox. He also hadn’t managed to defeat Ganondorft without a few lasting scars, but none of them really had. One scar had stained his heart at the very end of his journey.
He also had apparently been sent on another quest, but when Time asked, he didn’t elaborate. He simply shook his head and looked up at the stars with a surprisingly wistful look.
Four had an odd vibe. He was fearless and had a steady heart, but he liked to murmur under his breath and wander off on his own. Time couldn’t complain, though. He truly held the soul of a hero and could hold his own in battle.
Warriors was… something. He was by far the flirtiest and most prideful of them all, but had respectable morals and terrific battle sense. He could organize their band of heroes with a few encouraging words typical for a leader.
Wind was their youngest addition. Fourteen years old with two adventures under his belt. He was younger than Twilight when he’d been tasked with saving the world. Not as young as Time had been, but young enough to remind Time of how *cruel* this damned cycle was, even if Wind was a capable hero.
Every single one of them had done their job. They had saved their respective Hyrules, some more than once. They all had scars and nightmares and fears. Hell, some of them hadn’t even reached puberty during their quests.
And, even though he knew it technically wasn’t his fault, maybe if he had been just a *little* bit better, he could have prevented the timeline split. He could have lessened the amount of suffering.
“Has anyone recognized where we are yet?” Warriors asked for the hundredth time. When they all sent him a glare, he cried, “I’m only asking what we’re all thinking! Where the hell are we?”
“Maybe the reason no one answered you before, is because none of us know!” Legend hissed.
Time kept his silence, mulling over their predicament. He’d never seen so much land before, and he doubted the others have either. This land was ridiculously large, which was probably why they haven’t stumbled into any villages or travellers yet.
Yesterday, they had all been sleeping under the trees in Legend’s Hyrule. The next day, they woke up beneath the vast stars on a snowy mountain. No one recognized the land around them.
They decided it would be in their best interest to make the trek down the mountain. None of them were equipped for the cold, so it was in their best interest to leave as fast as possible. Their hike had been slow. They ended up having to stop and light a fire every once in a while because the light blue ChuChus would freeze them. And that was definitely not something any of them were familiar with. In fact, they had panicked quite a lot when it first happened.
By morning, they had reached the plain and were moving a bit faster. The hiking was aimless and quickly becoming frustrating, and he knew that their younger and more inexperienced members were tiring quickly. Unfortunately, the weather was also unpredictable and harsh. They went from frigid temperatures that made them sniffle, to an overbearing sun and heat. Even Hyrule, with his adventuring spirit and Twilight, with his unnatural strength and endurance, admitted to being unaccustomed to so much trekking.
The only habitable place they could see was the castle in the distance. Yet, when he asked for Twilight’s advice on whether or not they should head towards it, he had simply stared at it before shaking his head. And, honestly, Time had to agree. The castle gave him a bad vibe.
The others complained, particularly Warriors, but they trusted Twilight and Time’s judgment, so they mostly just bitched and moaned for the principle of it. However, under the cover of moonlight, Twilight had confessed to him that he was somewhat familiar with the place. He didn’t elaborate and Time didn’t push him. He simply trusted the word of his descendant.
With a laboured breath, Four wiped his sweaty brow and glared at the massive expanse of land in front of them. “At this point, I think it’s become obvious that this is a new Hyrule.”
Wind groaned and yelped briefly when he tripped over a rock. Sky helped him back onto his feet, placing a hand on his back in concern.
“Maybe we should take a break?” Sky suggested.
They all looked at Time, their silently appointed leader.
Wind struggled and pushed Sky’s hand away from him, huffing, “I’m fine. We can keep going.”
Obviously, he wasn't. Wind wasn’t their smallest member—that achievement belonged to Four—but his stamina wasn’t the highest. Apparently, he spent a lot of his travelling time on boats. Time made a show of cracking his neck and rolling his shoulders before pointing to a ruin in the distance. “You might be fine, but my muscles are aching. We can take a break over there. It looks safe enough.
It also felt familiar, but he kept that to himself.
Their group begrudgingly began to head towards the ruin. Sky and Four stuck close to Wind, who was getting sluggish with his movements but kept on insisting that he was fine. Warriors took the lead and Time allowed himself to trail behind.
A small part of him couldn’t help but wonder why this place, which they could only assume was an alternate Hyrule, was so lonely. The land was vast, so there was plenty of space for people. Yet, they never stumbled into travellers. So far, they’ve only come into contact with those unfamiliar light blue Chuchus and scattered Bokoblins.
At some point, Twilight had slowed down and fell back, keeping pace with him.
“Are you really not going to ask?”
Time raised an eyebrow as he was pulled from his thoughts and sent him a small look. Twilight was staring ahead, painting a picture of indifference. Time’s lips quirked upward. He cleared his throat and replied, “Ask what?"
They walked in silence for a few feet before Twilight ran a hand through his hair and motioned to himself, then opened his arms to the land around them. “How I know? Why I’m leading us in this particular direction?”
Time shrugged his shoulders.
“You can turn into a wolf,” he replied easily. “It’s not hard to trust in your nose.”
Twilight tched and deadpanned, “You know what I mean, Time.”
He did, of course. Not even a wolf would be able to navigate very well on unknown lands.
Time shrugged his shoulders and placed a hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “No, I’m not going to ask. I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough.”
Twilight grunted his agreement, or perhaps disagreement, and Time took his hand back.
Ahead, they heard a cry.
Time caught Twilight’s look of alarm before they both darted into a sprint. Somehow, the two of them had ended up slowing down to the point where they could only watch helplessly as Warriors kneeled beneath his shield, blocking a blow from a club-wielding monster. A Bokoblin. Four slipped past him and swept his sword at it. The monster growled and stumbled back with a new wound.
Four swore and shouted, “They’ve got dark blood!”
Twilight sped up and drew his sword, bringing it down on his unsuspecting prey. As his sword lopped off the monster’s head, a low horn sounded from the side. There stood another of the monster’s kin. Legend drew his bow and shot it, but the damage was already done.
Behind the monster that had been unfortunately unaffected by the arrow, a gathering of Bokoblins charged forward.
Time skidded to a stop when he reached the rest of the group. Hyrule was kneeling behind Warriors, pressing his hands into Sky’s chest. Sky groaned as Hyrule’s hands ignited in a soft glow. Wind drew his sword and watched the oncoming attack anxiously.
There were a lot of Bokoblins. Each of them carried a club and he spotted a few with shields and bows.
Time took in the state of the group. Normally, a gathering of enemies that large wouldn’t be an issue. Hell, they’ve all probably fought larger. But with Sky down, Hyrule busy healing him, and the knowledge that these enemies carried dark blood that would make them stronger, Time made a decision.
“Get up!” Time shouted. “If we can make it to the ruin, we can block ourselves inside!”
Hyrule shook his head. “Sky’s got cracked ribs!”
Legend grabbed him by his elbow and yanked him up, cutting off the glow from Hyrule’s hands. “If you heal him here, you’ll lose more energy. You’ve already taken one elixir to restore your magic and you’re already falling asleep!”
“We really don’t have any time to argue!” Four hissed.
Twilight rushed to Sky’s side and grabbed his arm, bringing it over his shoulder and lifting him up. The Hero of the Sky hissed in pain and placed a hand over his wound.
“Sorry,” Sky choked out. “I wasn’t paying attention.”
Time took his other arm to support him. “It’s fine,” he reassured him. “There’s no point dreading on it.”
With a nod from Twilight, they took off, rushing towards the ruin. Behind them, Warriors grabbed Hyrule’s arm and yanked him into a run.
By the time they had reached the mossy stairs leading up to the ruin, the striking familiarity of the area was starting to dawn on him. Time didn’t have much time to dwell on it, though, not with the Bokoblins on their heels.
Four and Wind flanked their sides. Warriors, who was dragging a weakened Hyrule behind him, was already skipping up the stairs. Legend was using his bow to try and dispatch some of the Bokoblins, but they wouldn’t go down unless he got them in the right place or covered them in arrows.
They continued up to the longer flight of stairs, doing their best to avoid slipping on the moss and tripping over rubble. It was quickly becoming apparent that the ruin was far too wrecked to offer any protection from the mob behind them.
Warriors swore and shouted, “We’re going to have to fight back!”
Time watched Warriors as he pulled Legend’s fire staff from his belt and tossed it to Four, who directed the weapon towards the approaching enemies and sent a torrent of fire at them. Now that they neared the top of the stairs, they could make an effective stand. They could use the highland to their advantage. He glanced at Twilight, who’s eyebrows were furrowed in thought.
An explosion rocked the earth beneath them.
Time stumbled on the last step and stopped, risking a glance behind them, trying to gauge what had happened. The fire from the staff had ceased, as Four was clutching the stone railing to steady himself. Legend and Wind were stopped on the stairs beside him, staring at the Bokoblins that had paused in their pursuit, strewn across the floor dead or dazed.
Then, he heard the sound of galloping. He turned his head just in time to see a horse jump onto the small stone plateau they stood on. The figure—dressed in a dark cloak that made the golden hair covering their head pop— jumped off their steed with their bow drawn taut. They released the nocked arrow and another explosion sent any of the Bokoblins who attempted to stand up and attack them, tripping back down the steps.
The stranger landed a few feet away from him and, in an unexpectedly soft voice, said, “Hurry. I can take care of them.”
Time grunted as Sky’s weight suddenly increased. Beside him, Twilight had slipped under Sky’s arm. He sent him an incredulous look, but the boy wasn’t looking at him. He was watching the stranger.
Without acknowledging his comrades, Twilight drew his Ordonian sword and replied, “I’ll help.”
The stranger eyed him before nodding his head. Time could see a flicker of… something in his eyes.
Before the Bokoblins could reorganize themselves, the two of them charged down the stairs. The stranger launched himself into the air and, with a speed Time thought unimaginable, shot down four enemies, each with a brilliant halo of light.
Time wrapped his arm around Sky’s waist and looked over at Warrior, Legend, and Four. He could see each of them reaching for their swords. “Go help them,” he ordered. “Some of the Bokoblins might be dead, but we can’t underestimate them.”
The three of them nodded and rushed into the escalating fight.
Time spared a second internally pondering the stranger before commanding Wind and Hyrule to continue retreating. Surprisingly, they complied and remained silent. At the door of the ruin stood another red Bokoblin. Wind, probably itching to prove himself, lunged forward and stabbed it before it could attack.
Thankfully, Wind had the initiative to rip his sword out and slash it across the neck when it raised its club. With a bloodied sword, the Bokoblin at his feet, and nothing else around, Wind whispered, “Did you see his face?”
Time raised an eyebrow and looked over at Hyrule. The adventurer nodded his head and elaborated, “The left side was covered in scars.”
Confused, he glanced between them and then at the monster on the floor. “The... Bokoblin?”
When Wind gave him a look, Hyrule snorted and said, “He means that man.”
He blinked and thought back to the stranger. He’d been a bit distracted by the Bokoblins to take in his appearance, but he could definitely recall something on his face.
Sky coughed dryly and grimaced. “No offence but can we first find a place to settle down before gossiping? My lungs ache.”
Time barked a weary laugh and moved past Wind and Hyrule, stepping over the Bokoblin. “Are your bones getting weaker?”
“Not as weak as yours, old man.”
He allowed the jab to go without a retort and ignored the stifled giggles behind them.
He was far more preoccupied with the sudden feeling of dread that blanketed him.
The moment Time stepped inside the ruin, he knew exactly where he was. This was the Temple of Time. Sure, it was in terrible condition. It was covered in grass and mould, lacked walls and windows. Even the roof was caving in. But he had no doubts. He could never forget this place. None of the misplaced rubble inside of the Temple changed the fact that he had been sealed away here for seven years.
The Statue of the Goddess mocked him from her pedestal.
He felt a soft tap on his arm. Sky was looking up at him with an expression of concern, aware of how he had tensed and stopped at the entrance. Wind and Hyrule had slipped past him and were inspecting the ancient ruin.
“Are you okay?” Sky asked him softly.
Time didn’t warrant the question an answer, too wrapped up in conflicting emotions to explain them. This was where he had pulled his master sword from. This was the place he used to travel through time. This was the place that the legends, his legends, depicted as the beginning. Yet here it was, an utter wreck. The most important location of his story, destroyed.
This time, he felt a prod to his side. Wind and Hyrule were analyzing something past the broken wall, murmuring questions and speculations.
He cleared his throat and croaked, “I’m fine.”
Sky raised an eyebrow. Time avoided his eyes and continued to walk, taking them to the small room by the entrance. At least he wouldn’t have to see the statue from there. He helped Sky prop himself up against the wall and sat across from him, eyeing the entrance.
To distract himself from the sounds of battle outside, he cleared his throat and asked, “How are your ribs?”
Sky shifted and shrugged his shoulders. “Hyrule managed to heal them up a bit. I think they might just be a bit bruised now.”
Time nodded his head absentmindedly, mumbling, “That’s good.”
They sat in silence together, both of them itching to do something. Time didn’t like leaving all the work to his companions. He knew Sky didn’t either. In fact, he could see his fingers twitching, just like they did whenever he felt like pulling the Master Sword out.
Hyrule came to rest with them after a few more minutes of exploration, softly sighing in relief as he sat down. He crossed his legs and kneaded his fingers into his calves.
“We’re going to have to ask that boy about this Hyrule. It’s far too large to walk around without direction. We’ll never find a village without help,” he told them. His hands halted briefly before he added, “Or where this Hyrule’s Hero is.”
Right.
They definitely needed to find the Hero. Time had a few questions for them once they found them.
Wind skipped into the small room and exclaimed, “There are these big… things outside! We passed a few as we came up here, but there are two in this platform thing where the wall is gone. They look old. And metal.”
“And unfamiliar,” Hyrule chimed. “But very dead.”
“Another thing to ask our saviour then,” Sky joked. “Hopefully he’s a walking encyclopedia of everything here.”
Wind sat down beside them, continuing his chatter. Time couldn’t complain, though. He knew Wind liked to talk to distract himself.
“It’s like we’re a magnet for bad luck,” he was complaining. “If we had landed someplace we knew, we could have restalked and avoided this sitting and waiting bullshit.”
“Wind,” Sky started.
“Yeah, yeah. I know. Anyway, we probably could have gone scavenged for herbs if we were in anyone else's Hyrule. But no, that would make our quest too easy. It sucks that we got cornered by Wizzrobes and wasted all our potions then.”
Time shrugged his shoulders and said, “I don’t know about the herbs thing. Hyrule might be able to, but I doubt any of us would manage. I know I certainly wouldn’t. I’ve stumbled into plenty of poison ivy despite being raised by a tree.
The comment raised multiple brows. Before any of them commented, Wind sharply looked over at the entrance and whispered, “It’s gotten quiet.”
Time looked over at the door. The sounds of battle had indeed died out.
A few seconds later, Warriors walked into the temple, cleaning purple blood off his blade.
“Man! I could use those bomb arrows of yours!” he said.
Legend and Four walked in after him, and Time pushed himself up to his feet just as Twilight entered the Temple. Then, the stranger followed.
Their saviour, as Sky had called him, chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. “I know how to get lots of them. I’m sure I could part with a few.”
Warriors gasped dramatically and sheathed his sword. “Really?”
“Oh ‘kay there. Let’s not hand out explosives just yet, yeah?” Twilight interjected.
The boy smiled guiltily and walked over to Sky. He squatted and reached into his satchel, pulling out a bottle full of red liquid. Sky took it without letting him explain and downed the entire thing. The stranger blinked and cleared his throat, trying to cover up his surprise.
“Um… that’ll… heal you…” he chuckled and stood back up. “So what were you guys doing on the road?”
Legend stepped forward and crossed his arms. “We got lost.”
The stranger nodded his head in understanding and pulled the odd rectangle from his belt. An odd sound came from the rectangle just before it lit up with blue light.
Wind gasped and leaned closer to the stranger to get a better look. Time frowned. Was this magic? He’d never seen anything like it before. He glanced back at Hyrule, but the boy looked just as intrigued as everyone else.
The stranger flipped his rectangle around to expose it to their group and pointed at a patch of sepia and lines.
“This is where we are right now. The closest village is Kakariko and the closest stable on the way there is Riverside.” Time watched as the boy scrolled through the map and pointed out locations to them. He hitched the rectangle back onto his belt and continued, “I’m actually going to pass through it. I’m heading to Hateno.”
Time shared a glance with Twilight, who gave him a quick nod.
He cleared his throat, and the stranger looked up at him. “Will you take us? If you don’t mind?”
The stranger shrugged his shoulders and nodded his head.
Four hummed in thought and asked, “Can you tell us your name?”
At that request, the stranger hesitated. With the threat of battle no longer looming over them, Time could confirm that yes, this boy was scarred. The left side of his face and his ear was covered in marred flesh. He couldn’t help but wonder how he had managed to get such a wound. They reminded him of the burn marks left on Warriors’ arm.
After a moment, he sighed and nodded his head once more.
“Link.”