Chapter Text
Link looked up at the stormy sky. Cold raindrops hit against his hood and his cheeks. Although the tree he sat against gave him some protection, it wasn’t enough to keep him from getting damp. Link found the rain somewhat peaceful. Sure, he appreciated being able to stay away from the weather in a cozy home, but being in the wild brought him an air of peace. The sound of raindrops hitting the leaves was almost like music to him. Soothing, relaxing, and melodic.
It was getting fairly late. After spending the whole day gathering food, fending off monsters, and looking for scenery that matched his photos, he felt he needed some rest.
He was just about to close his eyes when something in the sky caught his attention. He saw a streak of shimmering light falling to the ground. A shooting star. The light looked even brighter than any of the stars he'd seen before. It landed where Link couldn’t see, but he could make out its trail shining in the distance.
Link quickly stood up and stretched his legs, preparing to climb up the small hill in front of him in order to glide over to collect the star fragment. He tried to wipe his hands dry so he wouldn’t slip too much while climbing.
It didn’t take much time for him to get over the hill. His hands started to slip a few times, but luckily he had the strength to hold on. From where he was, he could easily see where the star landed. It was fairly close. It landed next to the remains of an old wooden building.
He pulled out his paraglider and wiped the rainwater off of the handles. He took off from the rocky ground. Usually he didn’t like gliding in the rain because of all the rain hitting his face, but he knew there was no time to waste. By morning, the light and its prize would disappear.
After Link glided to the ground, he took a running start towards the light. A few Keese began to trail behind him, but Link stopped to pull out his Zora Sword and take care of them. Soon, the monsters were nothing but remains. He picked up a fallen pair of Keese wings, put them up for safekeeping, and continued onward.
As he put away his sword and started to run again, Link wished he’d brought Epona with him. She would’ve made the trek a lot easier. He put her in the Riverside Stable to rest up while he searched for his old memories by himself and didn’t realize how much easier she made traveling. Though, he was glad she didn’t have to brave the horrific weather. Every shock of lightning made Link’s heart race, and the storm only seemed to be getting closer the more he ran.
Finally, the light faded as Link got close to the star. However, he noticed that the place where it landed looked to be damaged and affected by the force of the landing. Usually, the land around the star was perfectly fine, but this time the star looked like it dug its own hole. The dirt and grass around it was charred black. Even the wooden planks from the nearby destroyed house had been pushed far away from it.
Link stood over the crater and realized something.
What he stood in front of was no star fragment.
Instead, there was a boy lying in the center of the destroyed land. He had messy brown hair, and he wore robes decorated in gold jewelry. He looked like he was unconscious, and he was covered in dirt and drops of rain. He appeared to be Hylian, except he had a pair of white wings on his back, which covered part of his body. Was he some sort of deity? Or was he a monster?
Link stood over the crater for a moment, thinking. What should he do? Rescue the boy, or leave him? What if he woke up and was hostile? Or what if this was some sort of trap? And how could something survive falling so far from the sky?
The sound of thunder shook the ground and forced him to make a decision. If this was a monster, surely it would have attacked him by now. Plus, Link was no slouch. If he did wake up and attack, Link could easily take him down. He decided to trust his gut and help.
Link carefully hopped down into the crater. He noticed the large amount of feathers that were in the dirt when he accidentally stepped on one. He also spotted a golden laurel sitting a few feet away from the boy’s head. He stared at it for a moment before kneeling next to the fallen boy.
Link pulled his right shoulder back so that he was lying on his back. The boy looked to be a bit younger than him. His eyes were closed, but Link noticed that his chest was slightly, and shakily, moving.
His clothing was unlike anything Link had ever seen. His white robes were seriously stained with blood and dirt. The gold and leather cuffs on his arms were covered in scratches. In fact, his entire body was covered in cuts, as if he’d just been in a serious battle. The right side of his clothes were stained red and there was a small slit in the robes where Link could see hints of a serious wound. What in Hylia could have happened to this boy?
Link knew the best thing he could do was get him some shelter from the rain. However, getting him there was going to be a challenge. Dragging him out of the crater was only the first step. Shelter was a serious problem. The nearest place Link could think of was Kakariko Village, but that wasn't close enough. It would take him at least half a day to get there on foot and that wasn't even considering that he'd be carrying another person.
He picked up the young boy; he was heavier than Link was imagining, but to be fair he had a pair of wings weighing him down. Link straddled the boy across his back and held his limp legs between his arms. In order to get out of the hole, he held the boy securely with his left arm and started to pull himself out with his right. It took out quite a bit of his strength, but Link made it up and sat on his knees in the wet dirt. The boy was still unconscious. Link looked at his face, which rested on his shoulder. He looked exhausted, and his face was twisted in pain. Link had no idea what caused this to happen, but seeing the young boy so hurt made his heart sink.
He rested for a moment, trying not to let the cold rain sap his strength. After catching his breath, he carefully stood up before beginning to walk.
The rain made it difficult to see his surroundings, but he could make out a small forest to the west. Though, he’d have to slide quite a bit ways down a hill in order to make it. He tried to pull out his Sheikah Slate to see which forest it was, or if there was any other way to get down there, but the boy’s foot was right on top of it. Link sighed and continued without checking. He hoped there wasn’t a sleeping Hinox waiting for him.
Another clap of thunder caused Link to jump. Rain slipped from the top of his hood onto his face. He tried to inch his way down the hill, but the second person and the harsh rain was not making it easy. He once again held all of the boy’s weight in his left arm and used his right to grab the hill for stability. He was able to find his footing and slide down most of the way. When he got close to the forest, he could easily walk the rest of the way down. Link was happy he was in good shape. Carrying the younger boy on his back was nothing compared to climbing Mount Floria while avoiding attacks from a Guardian.
He finally felt both of his feet hit steady ground. He let out a sigh of relief. Through the heavy rain, Link could feel the boy’s chest moving up and down. It was reassuring in a way.
Link made his way under a few trees. He was glad to have something to block the rain besides his hood. He saw an unlit cooking pot sitting underneath a large tree. A perfect place to rest for the night. He walked over to the spot and carefully slid his companion off of his back. Link tried to set him down so that he would sit up straight, but the boy was awkwardly slouched over. So, Link carefully laid him down on his left side. He avoided the right side because of his wound, but laying on his back was too much of a hassle with the boy's wings.
Link pulled out his Sheikah Slate. He had collected a few fairies when he was at Kakariko Village. He still didn't understand how the fairies could be held safely in the slate, but now wasn't the time to question it. With the push of a button, a fairy materialized from a blue light. It shone brightly, covering the forest in pink. Link held his hand below the fairy and gently began to guide it towards the unconscious boy. When his hand got close, the fairy quickly zipped to the boy. It floated around him, coloring everything with pink light.
After circling him a few times, the fairy floated away. Link was expecting the boy to wake up, but he didn’t move an inch. Was he too late…? He tried to get a look at the boy’s wounds to see if they’d healed, but he couldn’t see anything in the darkness.
Link quickly squatted next to the pot and took out a fire arrow. He used it to light the wood below. Luckily the wood wasn't too wet because it quickly caught flame. Link didn’t realize how cold he was until the fire’s warmth hit his skin. He stood up and examined the other boy.
The first thing he noticed was that he was shivering. Well, at least he was still holding on. His breathing was steadier and his face seemed to be easing up, no longer in as much pain. The fairy's magic seemed to work, no matter how minor. Still, the boy looked so cold...
Link sat down next to him and pulled off his cloak. He wrung out the water and shook it near the fire. Even though it wasn't completely dry, it was better than nothing. He laid the cloak softly over the boy, giving him some protection from the cold.
Link looked back at his Sheikah Slate. It was nearly one in the morning. He knew that he needed to rest. He had so many questions about the boy that he wanted answered, but he supposed he’d just have to be patient and wait. Link closed his eyes, and the raindrops and crackling fire lulled him to sleep.