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Chapter Text

The warm sea breeze accompanied by seagull calls greeted the band of heroes as they stepped through the portal. No questions had to be asked to know who’s land they found themselves in as Wind was ecstatically bounding too and fro in a manner that reminded Twilight of an excited puppy. Nothing said could calm him until the band of heroes followed him to his family’s modest home. As the group drew close to the settlements on the island, they saw the island bustling with activity. The inhabitants of the island were hanging colorful decorations up on houses and around palm trees, constructing and fixing up boats, and creating fire pits. While the group slowed, carefully trying to not get in the way of the members of the island, Wind somehow managed to get more excited and ran the rest of the way to his home, skillfully dodging the working islanders while greeting them in his native tongue.

When everyone made it to Wind’s home, they saw him speaking to his grandmother and sister in his island’s language. The normally sparse home was now filled with clutter. Bits of fabric were scattered across the floor, trinkets and assorted seashells were semi-organized into piles on the space unoccupied by sewing supplies, and an absurd amount of foodstuffs was on the small table. Having heard the door open, the small family turned their focus from catching up with each other to clearing enough space for the rest of the team to enter.

“You came just in time! Big brother always has the best timing when it comes to festivals,” Aryll giggled. Wind laughed along, moving some shells before Sky accidentally stepped on them.

“Oh? What festival?” Time asked. Aryll gasped dramatically, turning to Wind.

“You never told them? The Outset Mermaid’s Arrival is one of the best festivals ever! People from all over the Great Sea come here to see it.” Wind bashfully looked away.

“It never came up, I guess,” he replied, hand scratching the back of his neck. Aryll was quick to forgive, as she delved into explaining the festival.

“This festival is to welcome Outset’s mermaid! We found her about six years ago. She came here the same time every year since then. She usually stays here for a day or two and then we end the festival with the Mermaid’s Farewell. Mermaids are lucky, and some people say that if you actually meet one, you will have good luck for the rest of your life! They’re pretty rare, too. The mermaid that comes around here is the only one that we know of. To thank the mermaid for visiting us and giving Outset luck, we send out a boat with gifts for her!” Aryll interrupted herself with a gasp, “You have to get gifts for her! That way, if you see her, you’ll be on her good side. You don’t want to be on a mermaid’s bad side, they can be pretty mean to people they don’t like.”

“Now Aryll, you are missing something very important,” Grandma’s soft voice carried out to the rambunctious young girl.

“What is it, Grandma?”

“You have to be careful. Mermaids are known for using their beautiful voices to lure people into dangerous waters. Even if our mermaid has not done this during the festival, there is still a chance it could happen. The more aware you are of the pull of a mermaid’s curse, the easier it will be for you to resist. Although,” Grandma’s gentle eyes twinkled as they held uncommon knowledge, “not all mermaid songs hold violence. Legends say a duet with a mermaid can bring peace even to the most lost souls.”

“All the more reason to give her a gift!” Aryll stated firmly. The heroes, excluding Wind, looked among themselves.

“Well, what does she like?” Hyrule inquired.

“Something with meaning. The more thought you put into it, the better. That’s why I’m making her a crown out of seashells and Grandma is making her soup!” Aryll started with a firm nod. She then turned towards Wind with her mouth parted, no doubt with a question on her tongue. Before she could speak, Wind shrugged.

“I don’t know what I’m going to give the mermaid. I might just give her a joy pendant again.” Aryll’s eyes widened with horror.

“You can’t give her that! You have to give her something good, otherwise she might think you’re bad and not give you luck!”

“I don’t think she’ll mind. I mean, I kinda didn’t know I would even be here for it. Anything’s better than nothing, right?” Aryll grew fed up with her brother’s antics.

“Come on, big brother! I’ll help you make something. Anything is better than another joy pendant.” Wind sighed deeply.

“Okay, fine. But you finish your gift first. You’re the one that actually makes a point to see her every year, so she might get mad at you if you give her an unfinished crown.” Aryll pouted, but made no further attempt to get Wind to improve his promised gift.

The rest of the day consisted of the Links attempting to find suitable Aryll-approved gifts for the main event of the festival. Sky’s gift was a whittled loftwing, painted to perfectly fit his own. Time was giving a spare deku nut, which was only approved because of Time’s explanation that it was a memory of carefree days for him. Twilight found a seagull feather and turned it into a hair accessory with the help of Wind’s grandma. Legend, after Aryll lecturing him many times that he couldn’t just give the mermaid rupees, was giving one of the wild red hibiscus of the island. Aryll saw this as an improvement to rupees, so she reluctantly accepted it. Wild was giving an ancient arrow, Four a small knife he made but found no use for now, Hyrule a leather-bound journal, and Warriors a small, golden comb. By the time the gifts were sorted out, the sun was about to set. Aryll and the heroes were on their way out the door when Grandma stopped them.

“Link and Aryll, where has your sense gone? You can’t attend the festival like that, hurry and get changed.” With that, Grandma gave the two children bundles of clothes and ushered them up the ladder. She turned to the rest of the group,

“You boys can head out now, they won’t take long. If I knew you were joining us, I would have made you fine boys something. Don’t worry, I’ll have something next year for you.” Then, Grandma closed the door on the departing heroes. True to her word, Wind and Aryll were quick to return. The children were dressed in earthy browns, Aryll in a plain dress with small blue and green stones shimmering like glass on the seams with braids replacing her pigtails. Wind’s tunic was similar to his previous one, only there was no crayfish in sight. Instead, the same stones used on his sister’s dress created a beautiful rendition of rain if the light caught it just right. Following the children, Grandma stepped out with a red hibiscus tucked next to her bun and in a dress similar to Aryll, only hers had red stones and a sash to match tied around her waist that flowed behind her.

“Have fun, loves. I will be watching from underneath the deck, here,” Grandma said as she walked past the group.

Outset Island was bustling with tourists. Boats of all different shapes and sizes filled the dock, but one stood out from the rest. A long boat with a loop of rope affixed to its bow was overflowing with gifts of varying value, from expensive jewelry to simple sticks with vague symbols and crude drawings scratched in. The group made their way over to the boat, being led by a rambling Aryll.

“How does the mermaid even know what gifts are from who?” Legend questioned, inspecting the spilling gifts with a mask of disinterest. Aryll pondered for a moment.

“I’m not sure. She just does!” She said confidently as she handed her and Grandma’s gifts to the man carefully adding the gifts to the balancing act on the boat. The Links followed suit.

“Every year, more and more people visit. Next year, we’re going to have to do two boats!” the middle-aged man chucked good-naturedly, “You folks should be the last ones. The boat’s departing soon, so you might want to get a good spot to look for her.”

“Come on, I know the best spot. One time, I even got to hear her splashing. I was so close to her!” Aryll dragged the group to a rock bridge and sat down, feet narrowly missing the water. The others began getting themselves comfortable. Most sat cross legged or took off their footwear to avoid waterlogged boots. The exceptions being Four and Wild. Four didn’t need to worry, as he was not much taller than Aryll. As for Wild, he went in with reckless abandon, causing Twilight to look on in mild disappointment while a fatherly sigh from Time was heard. Wind, however, didn’t sit down. He stood, watching the sun begin its descent into the water.

“I’ll be back, I’m going to check on Grandma.” After a few affirmative nods, he expertly jumped across the rocks back to his home, quickly disappearing into the condensing crowd. Aryll sighed once her brother was out of sight.

“I hope he makes it back in time. He hasn’t seen the mermaid once. I’m beginning to think he doesn’t think she’s real.”

With that, light conversation sparked, jumping from topic to topic, until the rhythmic bang of a drum echoed throughout the village, slowly, yet effectively, quieting the crowd. The fire pits that dotted the island were doused, plunging the island into the majesty of the rising full moon as the boat was pushed out to sea, now at the ocean’s mercy. The crowd waited with baited breath as the gifts floated gently further into the ocean. The anxious wait was interrupted by a gasp from Aryll.

“There she is! Right there!” she attempted to whisper, but her excitement was getting the best of her as she pointed into the distance. Twilight followed her line of sight, but he saw nothing besides the gentle waves. Hyrule, however, must have seen the same as Aryll, as he let out a gentle gasp. A look of amazement graced his features as he leaned forward, attempting to get a better look at the rare creature so far away. This reaction slowly spread, as the heroes started noticing a small shimmer approach the boat. Twilight, once spotting the quickly approaching mermaid, placed a firm grasp on Wild’s shoulder, a warning to not do anything foolish like try to swim with the mythic creature but also to ground himself to the moment. Soon enough, the mermaid reached the boat and hoisted itself aboard with the end of its tail barely touching the surface of the water. Surprisingly, the mermaid did not cause the carefully stacked gifts to topple into the ocean. The observers could only make out the silhouette of the rare creature, along with the occasional twinkle of water on scales in an amazing mimicry of starlight. A gentle humming was heard on the breeze. It brought with it a feeling of gratitude, like heartfelt thank-you’s said from a queen to her trusted knights after a long battle. The mermaid ceased its humming and dove back into the water with an elegance that can only be bred. Grabbing the rope and securing it around its waist, the mermaid began swimming closer to the rock bridge. Unfortunately for the observers, the mermaid never got close enough to make out any finite details. As the mermaid slipped back out of sight, the fires were lit once more and the crowd dispersed across the island and onto boats.

“Wasn’t that cool?” Aryll looked around the group, examining their expressions.

“I can’t believe it. A real mermaid! I thought they were only made up tales for kids. But I guess every story has some truth in it…” Four continued raving about the rarity of the experience to Hyrule and Aryll as the group rose and began to head back to Aryll’s home. Wild and Twilight made up the end of the group, walking much slower than the others.

“Twi, guess what?” Wild enthusiastically said, Sheikah Slate in his hands. Twilight hummed in response, more interested in observing their surroundings now that the mermaid disappeared.

“I got a few pictures of the mermaid! I haven’t checked how they turned out, yet. But, I think I got a few good ones!” Twilight raised an eyebrow at this.

“Is that allowed?”

“I mean, no one told me not to. I’m pretty sure I also saw a man with a picto-slate or whatever it’s called. Do you want to look through them with me? I only want to save the best ones to show Wind.”

“If you want me too,” Twilight smiled. Thus, when the team returned to the house, Wild and Twilight remained outside, sitting on the deck with the Sheikah Slate between them, flicking through pictures.

“I’m surprised it took such good pictures in the dark. It’s better than what I actually saw,” Twilight stated, now noticing how short the mermaid’s hair was as it was boarding the boat.

“I know, right? Look at this one, you can almost see the scales in its tail!” It was true, the mermaid was in the middle of hoisting itself onto the gift boat. It’s tail fin disappeared underneath a wave as the water ran down its clothed back, making the creature look as if it was part of the ocean itself.

“Yeah, it’s really amazing. I like this one better, it’s almost like it’s looking at the camera,” Twilight filtered through the pictures until it landed on one of the mermaid with its mouth curved into a soft smile and dark eyes trained on something just to the right of the camera on the Sheikra Slate. Inspecting the picture once more, Twilight’s eyes narrowed.

“Wait, does it look familiar to you? It almost looks like I’ve seen it before,” Twilight muttered in thought. Wild hummed in response, pulling the slate closer to him.

“Kind of, I can’t say what it reminds me of though. Maybe we’re just thinking it looks familiar because we can’t make out all the details? I think I heard my Zelda say something like that can happen sometimes,” Wild supplied, looking back between Twilight and the slate. Twilight huffed, unable to be satisfied with the answer yet not being able to come up with another explanation.

“I guess that makes sense. Come on, let’s go see if Sailor’s grandma needs any help cooking dinner.” Twilight rose and offered his hand to his protege. Wild took his hand and stood, placing the slate back on his belt. Before they reached the door, Wild put his hand on the farmhand’s shoulder.

“Can we not tell the others about the pictures? I want to surprise Wind and I think that will be easier if this is kept between us,” he requested, gaze flicking between Twilight and the worn door between them and the rest of their party.

“Of course, Cub,” Twilight spoke with a soft, reserved smile as they entered the home.

The rest of the night, the pirate-hero remained absent from the family’s festivities. He remained absent when everyone awoke from the family’s festivities the next morning as well. It was when Wind’s grandmother was making breakfast with Wild’s help that it could not be ignored any longer.

“Aryll,” Warriors began, shifting her attention from gathering bowls for everyone, “shouldn’t your brother be back by now?” The young girl hummed, looking as if she knew the answer but was unsure if she should say it. Slowly, she started.

“Big brother doesn’t really like crowds too much. Says it makes him feel weird and nervous,” turning her attention back to the bowls, she continued, “He probably left for the rest of the festival again.”

“Well,” an aged, warm voice carried over, “‘left’ makes it sound like he left the island. He’s still here, just out of sight from the festivities where it’s quieter.” The girl’s grandma supplied as she finished up the meal. While breakfast was served, Twilight mulled over the risks and rewards of searching for Wind. One one hand, Wind could just need to be left alone and any company could make him feel worse. On the other, Wind could have found another portal and was off in who knows where doing who knows what on his own. It wasn’t that he was doubting the younger’s skills, he wouldn’t want any one of them to go off on their own like that. To Twilight, the pros of searching for the sailor largely outweighed the cons. He could handle an angry teen much better than an injured or lost one. With his mind set and breakfast finished, Twilight embarked out on the once quiet village, after helping clean up, of course.
He didn’t get too far, however, as he was promptly joined by his protege.

“Where are you headed?” he asked, clearly excited to explore the island Wind spoke so highly about.

“I’m going to look for Wind,” Twilight answered, eyes constantly scanning the area for any sign of him, “I won’t be doing any of the festival activities, so if you are interested in anything, you might want to go with one of the others.” The champion shrugged.

“Well, Four, and Sky are looking at the ceremonial weapons, and Time, Warriors and Hyrule are going to check out the sparring competition. So, I’m fine following you if you’re okay with it.” Twilight nodded and the two began walking towards the quieter parts of the island.

“What’s Legend going to do?” As Twilight asked, a streak of pink hair and a frown came into his vision.

“Speak of the beast, and he shall appear,” Wild said, a humorous grin gracing his lips.

“Shut it,” Legend said with no true malice, “Festivals aren’t really my thing, so I was going to explore what the kid says is so great about the island. I take it that’s what you two were doing?”

“We were going to look for the Sailor, but close enough,” Wild stated.

“Ah, so you don’t mind if I joined you?”

“Well, I guess not,” Twilight joined in, “But if he wants us to leave him alone, we leave. Got it?” Legend scoffed.

“No shit. I may be cold, but I’m not heartless.” Satisfied with the response, the trio continued on their way to search for the youngest.

Chapter Text

The first place the three thought most obvious to check was the outlook. Many travelling tales Wind told about his pre-adventure childhood took place there. The space was empty, save from a disheveled man in a well-loved blue jacket, it’s white accents almost reminiscent of Wind’s lobster tunic. His brown, aged eyes scanned the sea as he leaned against the railing, hand raking through his unkempt hair. Wishing to not disturb the tired man, Twilight ushered the two back down the ladder. Luckily, they obeyed him without much fuss, assumedly taking notice that they were about to disturb someone. Next, they looked in the forest. With the threat of monsters, it was unlikely to find any of the festival attendees there. However, after encountering only a stray chu-chu, their Sailor boy was still nowhere to be found. Wild scoured the treetops while Twilight and Legend searched the ground. Twilight’s hope of finding him was dwindling. Until Wild’s shout disturbed a few of the local fauna. Instincts taking hold, Twilight ran towards his Cub’s yell with Legend in tow. What greeted them was not a battle, as Twilight suspected. Instead, it was his predecessor quickly descending from a tree with the same excitement in his eyes when he showed the farmhand the pictures of the mermaid. 

“I heard them! The mermaid is really close!” Legend and Twilight shared a humorless look Time would be proud of.

“Champion, we aren’t looking for the mermaid. We’re looking for the kid. Did you hit your head or something?” Legend cocked his head, voice as blank as his face. Wild huffed and rolled his eyes. 

“I’m aware, thank you very much. Just, do you remember what his sister said? They can give us luck! And as far as I’m concerned, we need it. We’ve been looking for hours and haven’t gotten any closer to finding him. Maybe we can ask the mermaid if they’ve seen him?” Wild turned his focus towards his mentor, “What do you think, Twi? I think she can help.” Twilight sighed and put a hand to his temples. How has Time been able to handle all of them and not go completely insane?

“I don’t think it’s a completely bad idea,” Twilight responded carefully. With a guffaw from Legend and a beaming smile from Wild, it was decided that it was worth a try.

Following Wild’s finely tuned hearing, the group made their way to a cliff side. Here, the breeze carried the soft voice of the mythic creature easily. Despite the calming notes, Legend glared down the cliff into the endless blue waters below.

“Come on, Legend, just give them a chance!” Wild attempted to encourage. 

“And how, exactly, do we know this isn’t one of the mermaid’s ploys to catch some prey?” Legend challenged. Wild paused, blinking as he processed what to say.

“We...don’t? We just have to hope that they won’t attack us, I guess,” Wild surveyed the smoothed face of the cliff, “Now it’s just a matter of getting to them. They sound like they’re right below us.”

“I can get there pretty easily. I’m not sure about you two though.” Twilight stated, already slipping on his Zora armor, “With this, I can breath underwater.”

“I can swim, I’ll be fine.” the hoarder stated as he procured a pair of flippers and a ring from his bag. 

“What about you, Cub?” Twilight asked, noticing that he has been studying the distance between the cliff and the water for a while. Without looking up, Wild determinedly nodded.

“I’ve got this. On the count of three, we all jump, okay?” Not liking the answer received, but deciding not to push further lest the mermaid hears them and flees, Twilight agreed. 

“Okay, one.”

Legend slipped the ring on his finger and stepped up to the edge of the cliff, eyes trained on the empty waves below.

“Two.”

Twilight felt the wind push at his back, nearly impatient and urging him to go. With his toes at the edge of the earth, he fought down the rising anxiety for what his prodigy would do to make it down.

“Three!”

Twilight more felt the word than heard it. With the wind at his back and the movement of his friends, he jumped. Encased in breeze, his anxiety ceased if only for a moment, replaced with adrenaline that filled every fiber of his being. Only when the deafening wind dissolved into cooling water did the nervousness return. Resurfacing, he looked over to his companions. There, to his left, was Legend easily staying afloat in the caressing waves. To his right, was empty water. Twilight’s eyes widened. He knew he should have gotten a solid answer out of the champion before they dived! Glancing frantically around, his panic was interrupted by Legend. 

“Hey farm boy, look up.” Swiveling to face the hoarder, Twilight followed the direction he was pointing. There, still in the air, was Wild. He was periodically opening and closing his paraglider to ease his descent. Breathing out his stress in a huff, Twilight opted for finding the source of the mermaid. He didn’t need to look far, as in the base of the cliff they were standing on gave way to a small cave. The singing didn’t let up, either. If anything, it has gotten louder. With a splash, Wild joined the two in the ocean. He immediately started making his way to the cave’s mouth. Eager to find the mermaid to hopefully gain a hint on where Wind went off to, Twilight followed with Legend close behind. 

If one asked Twilight what the experience was upon first entering the cave, he would have been unable to fully express what he heard in words alone. The experience was one to share with the world, but one that meant so much more if it was his alone. The voice was pure, light, and full of joy as it sang a playful jig. The single voice melded into a choir as it echoed off of the small cavern’s walls, as if the cave itself wanted to sing along in perfect harmony (it would be a lie if he said he didn’t want to join it, too). It hit him like a bolt of lightning, the stark difference between the melody on the empty sea and being woven into song as his soul beat to the tempo. He could only hope the others had a similar experience, as he would bet rupees that he would sound like a tongue tied child if he had to verbalize such an experience. One thing Twilight would definitely be able to describe was his disappointment, akin to a child being told he couldn’t stay up any later, as the song was interrupted by a new voice. The voice of his very own protege. 

“Hello?” The song ceased as if it never existed in the first place, flooding the cave in deafening silence. Wild continued, to fill the space if nothing else, “We’re looking for a friend and was wondering if you could give us some assistance.” Silence. 

“I told you this was a bad idea.” Legend ‘helpfully’ supplied, “Let’s get out of here before we waste more time.” The three disheartened heroes began their trip back into the silent sea. 

“Wait!” A voice, one different that the group yet so very familiar nonetheless, exclaimed, “Wild? Legend? Is that you?” The voice didn’t bounce between the cave’s walls like theirs, despite being louder than the group has ever been. 

“How do you know us?” Wild questioned, awe coating his voice. A childlike giggle was his response. 

“I’m not that forgettable am I? I know I look a bit different, but you guys aren’t idiots. Come here.” With that, a lantern was lit, bathing the cave in golden light. The cave was noticeably larger than expected but still not overwhelmingly so. The overwhelming part was not even the treasures the cave was filled with. From the comedic stacks of gleaming rupees and gemstones to handmade trinkets and well-loved toys to books and preserved foods. What was overwhelming was the fact that their friend, their partner, their little brother, who sat where the rocks met the water, had a tail. A deep blue tail that gleamed with false stars and rivaled the gemstones. Gills that slit between his ribs and across the side of his neck. Light webbing betwixt his now-clawed fingers and six pairs of fluttering fins imitating butterfly wings down his back, framing his spine. All of this and a carefully crafted crown made of seashells resting on his brow. Nearby him sat the very boat the island sent out last night. 

So they stayed there, slack-jawed, barely remembering to tread water. Wind, the now mermaid, sheepishly grinned. 

“This isn’t exactly how I wanted you guys to find out…” he scratched under his jaw. The three, shaking off their shock as much as possible, swam towards Wind.

“What...How?” Wild stammered as he moved his way to sit next to the merboy.

“This has to be an item or something, right?” Legend joined in.

“Or a curse?” Twilight murmured under his breath.

“Nope. Just me!” Wind said, his newly sharpened canines shown by his smile, “What brings you here?”

“We were looking for you. You didn’t come home after the ceremony, so we wanted to make sure you were alright.” At Twilight’s response, Wind’s eyes narrowed in thought.

“Why didn’t you call me?” At those five words, Wild held his face in his hands while Legend’s groan reverberated throughout the cave. Twilight merely chuckled, eyes closed as he realized the hours they spent searching could have boiled down to a two minute call. 

“Hey, we hold the Triforce of Courage, not Wisdom,” Wild weakly defended. Wind let out  a bubbly laugh, the fins on his back fluttering softly. 

“Well, thanks for checking up on me. But,” the Sailor paused, “can you keep this between us? I don’t want the others to know, not yet at least.” Before Twilight could agree, happy that he was alright, Legend responded.

“What’s in it for us?” Wild and Twilight stared at him, wide-eyed. 

“Legend! He doesn’t have to-”

“I’ll sing with you.” Wind interrupted the soon-to-be squabble. Now it was Legend’s turn to be surprised.

“What? No, kid, I was joking. You don’t have to do anything for us to not tell them,” the Hoarder attempted to remedy, but Wind shook his head, surprisingly not toppling his fragile crown. 

“I know I don’t have to, but I want to. Please? You don’t have to be good at singing, you can play an instrument or even hum along if you want,” if his voice wasn’t pleading enough, his puppy-dog eyes were. 

“Alright, if you want to,” Legend hesitantly agreed. 

“Who wants to go first?”

…

Wild instantly straightened up, excitement sparkling in his eyes. Although he would never say so out loud, he was mesmerized by the creature his brother became. He knew that Flora would have a field day with the information that mermaids exist and weren’t purely folktales. Twilight and Legend must have noticed his excitement because they volunteered him to go first. Wind nodded and turned his focus to the resident cook. 

“Just follow my lead, okay?” Wind began tapping a simple, slow beat on the rocks beneath them, effectively turning the cave into a giant metronome. Wild no longer saw the shimmering light of the lantern bouncing off of rupees. He no longer saw Twilight and Legend peering curiously at the duo. The cave seemingly melted into obscurity as a comforting darkness wrapped the champion and the mermaid, as if they were cast into a starless night sky. The only thing remaining being the steady tempo Wind created. Finally, Wind sang two smooth notes and the darkness exploded into the zora’s domain of his own Hyrule. The waterfall crashing soundlessly as if he was in a peaceful dream. There, he saw a red zora, much shorter than the boisterous zora prince he knew in the current time, with a blue sash wrapped around her waist and draped over her shoulder. She breathed kindness and serenity, forgiveness and sorrow. The song continued, but Wild did not truly hear it, for peace has engulfed his being and coated him in warmth. There they remained, purely enjoying each other’s presence. He knew he was not the person Mipha fell in love with. Not anymore. But, he could not deny the way his heart soared yet broke when he gazed at her, complete and forgotten. In that moment, Wild knew he was forgiven, even if Mipha believed that her death wasn’t his fault. He knew that he may never wholly move on, his fragmented memories forever out of reach, but he understood that she didn’t blame him. So, maybe, he shouldn’t blame himself either. 

The song’s end came all too soon. The silent cascade of water and beautiful scenery gave way into the cold, unfeeling walls of the cavern. Twilight and Legend awestruck. 

“Damn, champ. I didn’t think you could sing that well.” Legend stated once a healthy silence overtook the cave. Wild blinked owlishly. He sang? He didn’t remember singing. The sailor’s the one who sang.

“Who’s next?” Wind asked, flicking his tail lazily in the pool of water, startling some minnows who found it cozy to rest under. 

“You go,” Twilight lightly shoved Legend towards Wind.

…

With a shrug, Legend switched spots with Wild, who had a misty far-away look. It can’t be any worse than what he went through before, right? Besides, Wild looked so...calm. Then, Wind started singing. Only, instead of the simple, yet elegant notes he sung with Wild, he sang lyrics. Lyrics that brought memories he tried desperately to suppress to the forefront of his mind. 

Sleepers wake.

Dreams will fade.

Although we cling fast.

The cave dissolved into thousands upon thousands of seagulls taking flight, unnaturally silent as they scattered about him. There, where the birds refused to obscure, was her.

Was it real, 

what we saw?

I believe…

She remained as perfect as when he last saw her, Untouched by time’s constant pull as evident by the never-wilting flower in her hair. Legend almost wanted to cry out, scream, run towards her, hold her and never let her go. But, something kept him rooted in place. 

Lost in dreams, 

we sleep on

Tossing and turning.

It was the distant sadness in her eyes. Like she was mourning a loss greater than losing a love. A sadness not towards him, but for him. Why would she be grieving for him? For his heartache? It was his fault he awakened the Windfish and ruined whatever chance they had to be happy together. She should be disappointed in him, angry and raging. Not...this.

Dream with me,

By the sea.

We watch the waves crash.

It confused him. It confused him greatly why instead of unbridled rage, she looked on at him with acceptance. With wanting him to be better. For him to move on and live a happy life. She continued to radiate sorrow, yet she smiled. Bittersweet and strained, but a smile nonetheless. He understood. He couldn’t move on just yet, but maybe he could in the future. It’s what she would have wanted, after all. Marin approached him. Slowly and methodically as the seabirds parted at her feet.

Hold my hand,

Think of me

She placed a hand on his cheek, wiping away tears he didn’t know he had. She placed a kiss on his other cheek, soft and warm and right, Just as he remembered.

And I’ll fly

As quickly as the birds appeared, they vanished, leaving Legend to face Twilight, Wild, and Wind in the treasure filled cave. He lowered his hands, now only numbly aware he was holding his ocarina to his lips. 

“Wow,” was all that Legend could utter as he touched Marin’s kiss, “I...thank you.” Wind smiled.

“Of course,” A yawn escaped Wind’s lips, “Come on, Twi. I have one more song left in me.” 

...

Twilight hesitantly took his spot next to the mermaid pirate. 

“If you’re getting tired, you don’t have to. It was nice enough to hear your other songs.” Wind scoffed at Twilight's words.

“There’s a difference between hearing a song, and experiencing a song. Besides, I’m not that tired yet.” Sighing for what felt like the twentieth time that day, Twilight nodded.

“Alright. You win.” With an affirmative nod, Wind began.

The song was much more melancholy than Wild or Legend’s. It reminded him of calm days fading into peaceful nights. The area between sun and moon, between light and dark. Like his faraway princess. Her fiery red hair and matching eyes. Her dripping sarcasm and downright rudeness were a perfect mirror for her compassion and elegance. She was full of paradoxes. Before he knew it, the scene was before his very eyes. The shadows bounding around the cave’s walls morphed and shifted into a mirror, as dark as the night rebounding the light of day. He didn’t see himself in the mirror, he didn’t see anything at all. The harder he looked into the contradicting abyss of the mirror, the larger it grew until it devoured the cave and the two bystanders. There standing before him, was Midna, standing tall and radiant. Swirling light and dark covered her body. He couldn’t speak, it's not that he didn’t have anything to say, quite the contrary. He had so much to say, he couldn’t think of where to start. Thankfully, pleasant and snarky Midna made the first move. She reached out and rested her hand in midair as if it was against a window. Twilight responded in kind. He could not touch her. It was as if the Goddesses were shielding them from each other. After minutes of enjoying each other’s company, the glowing blue that decorated her arm surrounded their hands etched into the nonexistent glass that separated them. May we meet again. The words pulsated light until it’s bright rays combust around him, bringing the cave back into focus.

Wind opened his eyes, having closed them during the song. He appeared much more weary, as if he hasn’t slept in a day or two. 

“You alright, Sailor?” Twilight asked in a whisper, daring to not disturb the hope that bubbled and grew in his chest.

“Yeah buddy, you look dead on your feet, er, tail.” Wild added. Wind shook his head, the seashell crown making a pleasant pinging sound. 

“I’ll be fine. Singing takes a lot of energy sometimes.” 

“Do you need food or anything? I can whip something up really quick.” 

“No, I have enough food here to last weeks. Thanks, though.”

“In that case, we best be headin’ back. Don’t want a search party for the search party,” Twilight stated, looking towards the cave’s mouth. Wind gasped, struck with an idea.

“Wait, why don’t you take one of the boats around here? It will probably be faster than however you got here,” Wind offered, “Do any of you know how to sail?” 

“I do,” Wild raised his hand. Legend looked a little put off at the idea of using a boat, but agreed to the idea nonetheless. With everyone in agreement, Wind pushed himself into the deep water with not even a splash and swam into the darkness. He returned seconds after with a modest sized boat trailing behind him. 

“Here ya go! Say hi to everyone for me.”

“Of course,” Twilight said as the trio boarded and ready to set sail, “Thank you for singing for us.” With a giggle that showed his age, Wind nodded.

“Anytime. Remember, not to tell everyone about this. Just tell them that I need some time to be alone or something.” Saying their goodbyes, Twilight, Legend, and Wild all left the cave with a semblance of acceptance towards their lost lovers. 

…

Time and Four were done with the festivities. They saw all they wanted to see and were not keen on wasting time doing things they didn’t want or need to do. So, like any rational thinking adult and older teen, they found themselves wandering the forest with this universe’s Zelda and a tired man in a blue coat. Tetra introduced herself to the two stating they “looked like someone Link would know” and “were up for an adventure.” Only one of these things was correct, but they found themselves traveling through the forest anyway. The man, who dubbed himself as the fearless captain Linebeck, only joined the group because “it’s weird for two strangers to follow a girl into a mysterious forest.” To be honest, Time thought he was the only one with a lick of sense. Apparently, the two captains knew each other through Wind: Tetra traveled with him on his first adventure and Linebeck on his second. The only reason Linebeck was here with Tetra was because his boat, the S.S Linebeck, needed some repairs and Tetra happened to be on the same island as him. Tetra kept berating him as he recounted the events to the two heroes, saying his boat was fine and “what’s a little water intake going to do.” Further proving Time’s belief that Linebeck was the only sane person in their makeshift group. 

They wandered the forest exchanging stories and tales until they came across another group, one that outnumbered them three to one. Each of them dressed to the nines in lavish jewelry and gold-embroidered clothing. They were mumbling among themselves, just loud enough for Time to pick up on some of the words. He could have sworn he heard the word “mermaid,” but he also thought he heard something about a carrot, so he wasn’t very sure how accurate he was. At the sight of Tetra, whom everyone was following through the forest, the men tensed and stopped whispering, side-eyeing where she was leading the heroes and man with at least an ounce of sanity. Once out of earshot, Tetra glanced behind her followers. 

“Well, they seem out of place, don’t they?” 

And that was all that was said about them that day.

Chapter Text

Wild, Legend, and Twilight arrived back on the shores of Outset in the afternoon, just in time to witness Time and Four being led out of the forest by the small pirate captain and the same man they saw in the outlook. The shorter two of the group appeared to be engaged in a heated debate. Once docked, Wild flew out of the boat and ran his way towards the group of four, presumably to tell them Wind was alright, or to ask if they missed lunch, either one was equally plausible. Twilight, once off the boat, offered his hand to Legend to help him disembark. Legend, overly focused on his own hands, spoke.

“Was it like that for you, too? Did you,” he took a deep breath, fighting tears and losing, “Did you see things, people, that weren’t there before?” Twilight contemplated his response, shifting his weight from one leg to another on the creaky dock. 

“Yeah, was it...unpleasant for you or something?”

“No, not at all. I didn’t expect it. I guess I didn’t expect to be so...okay about it, either,” Legend paused, raising his head to look Twilight in the eyes, gaze steeled, “Answer me honestly, farmhand. Do you really think we can have happy endings?” 

“I don’t know,” he looked back at Legend, determination slowly filling his heart, “but what I do know that there are people that believe we will. So, we just have to trust that they’re right.” Legend nodded and rose, boat swaying beneath him as he took Twilight’s hand for stability. 

“Thanks.”

…

Wind watched the blue of the waves lick the rocky ground around him. Once his brothers left, he had nothing to distract him from the growing drowsiness weighing down on him. The singing took more out of him than he thought. No matter, he was happy that his friends could fill at least a little better than before. The boy saw it in the way they walked, talked, and the way their souls seemed to sing brighter. Their songs he heard whenever they were around, that made them who they were, no longer seemed slow and dreary. Instead, they seemed reinvigorated. Wind was satisfied that he did what he could and wished he could have done it sooner. As he continued to watch the light of the lantern gifted to him jump off the waves, he sleepily flicked his fins and thought of what to do. He could either stay awake and watch out for unwanted company, or he could nap now and stay awake throughout the night. With the waves lapping steadily around him, he really only had one choice. As his eyes grew heavier, he extinguished the lantern and splashed down into a more shallow part of the stone shore. With only enough water to ensure he was fully submerged, he fell into a peaceful slumber as minnows and dartfish skittered around him. 

He slept longer than he intended. The mermaid was still sleeping as the sun set and the moon rose high into the sky. He slept through the sound of two dinghies splashing its way into the mermaid’s domain, even as it roughly scraped against the eroded shore. He slept through torches being lit and rupees clinking together as hurried hands gathered the riches. He slept through burly men trudging through heartfelt gifts not deemed valuable enough to collect. Instead of awaking to the sound of frogs and lonesome owls like he imagined, he awoke to a hand violently grabbing fistfuls of his hair and dragging his head above the water and an exclamation that rattled around his once safe haven. 

“Ah-ha! Found ya, little missy!” The voice was similar to the grinding of rocks and seasick toad. His soul sung of tri-tones and misery, only slightly more pleasant to hear than his voice. Before Wind could shriek, tough leather-gloved hands wrapped around his mouth, effectively turning his cries into muffled nothings. As he clawed and thrashed, the man shouted to another.

“Quick, get the rope! We don’t want this thing to get loose.” Then, Wind saw it. His one hope of freedom. His gossip stone sitting on the shoreline, just out of arm’s reach. With his goal in sight, Wind shoved all of his weight into the man holding him. The man fell back with a splash and gave Wind just enough space to nudge the stone. When the stone glowed faintly, the sailor felt hope blossom in his chest. The only thing left to do was buy time until Wild answered his call. 

“Shit, hurry up morons! I don’t pay you to stand around!”

“Actually, sir,” another voice spoke up, meek and flighty like a small rabbit talking to a hungry fox, “you don’t pay us anything.” The man tightened his grip around Wind’s mouth and wrapped an arm around his chest as he sat back up. A low growl escaped his throat as he wrestled Wind into a lying position. All too fast, rope was tight around his wrists and his tail as the men hogtied him. The hand covering his mouth was also replaced with an improvised rope gag, tugging painfully at the corners of his mouth and tied snugly behind his head. 

“Get a barrel, fill it with the water here.” Wind’s eyes widened. He can’t fit in a barrel like this! He needed space to stretch out! How was he going to swim? Eat? Clean his tail? Breathe? Newfound panic set in and he flailed harder, trying anything to break his bonds. The sloshing of water in his new prison crept closer and closer, only fueling his will to fight despite the rope burning his scales and wrists. 

“It’s not going to go in willingly. We should probably put it to sleep so it doesn’t knock the barrel over.” A new voice joined in, snarky, nasally, and full-of-himself. How many of these people were there?

“We shouldn’t hurt it!” the meek voice returned, Wind decided he liked that voice the most, but that wasn’t saying much.

“It’s going to hurt itself if it keeps struggling,” the group’s supposed ‘voice of reason’ stated oh-so helpfully. 

The same hand he wrestled with before yanked his hair up once more. Wind gasped as well as he could when his mouth was blocked by rope. The last thing he saw before his head collided solidly into the rock beneath him was the glow of the gossip stone dimming and bits of broken seashells flying up into the air like the fireworks from Time’s stories.

…

Everyone was sleeping comfortably in Grandma’s homey hut. Everyone but Wild that is. Wild was flicking through old pictures on his Sheikah Slate, ones of the champions and his Zelda. Ones he hasn’t yet shared with the group. Everything was quiet. That is, until, the pictures were replaced by a very large man cloaked in red with gold accents fighting with a tailed teen and muffled screams could be heard. Wild shot up, blankets rustled around him. Twilight’s light sleep disturbed by the sound. The country hero moved quickly and quietly to Wild’s side as the slate’s light illuminated his wide eyes. They watched in silent horror as the man slammed the hogtied boy into his sister’s preciously made crown, shattering it beyond recognition. Wild bolted towards the window, uncaring if he woke anyone else up. If he was right, they might be able to stop the kidnappers before they got to their boat. Twilight shook Sky awake, the only hero that wasn’t naturally awakened by Wild’s stampeding. While they were gathering their supplies, gentle shuffling of feet approached.

“What’s the hurry, boys?” Grandma asked, concern heavy in her voice. Wild gathered all the courage he could muster.

“Link’s been taken, ma’am. We’re going after him.” Shock rippled throughout the members of the home. Wind’s grandma steadied her gaze, looking at Wild with more ferocity than Wild thought possible for an elderly lady.

“Let me write a note to Aryll. Abe can look after her if we’re gone for a while.” The chain of Links looked between themselves, unsure if they heard her correctly, as she grabbed a nearby piece of paper and a pencil, scribbling away.

“Um, miss, not to sound rude or anything, but we can handle this on our own. We promise he’ll come back safe,” Warriors attempted to talk her out of whatever plan she devised as she gathered a pouch from a box under the table. 

“Nonsense. I let him fight alone two times too many. I’m coming with you boys, whether you want me to or not.” 

“Okay, just don’t slow us down,” Legend remarked as he flung the door open, embarking into the once resting island.

If the sound of nine people running through the sand upset the island inhabitants, they didn’t care. They ran towards the dock as fast as they could, desperate to intercept the men. However, just as they reached it, a grand ship was departing into the otherwise silent night. 

“Damn it!” Legend wasn’t the only one to voice his anger, as the normally cool-headed Warriors exclaimed words of a similar vein. They were so caught up on trying to come up with a plan or cursing the Goddesses that they didn’t notice their newest member rush to an intimidating ship with crossed cutlasses on it’s crow’s nest flag. Nor did they notice her scaling the side with more dexterity than her age deemed permissible. They only took notice of an ear-piercing “HEY!”.

The heroes stopped their discussion and looked up to see Tetra leaning over the edge of the railing, hands cupped around her mouth, as Linebeck threw down a rope ladder.

“Hurry up and get on before we lose them!” After a few confused, but grateful glances at each other, the eight heroes boarded the ship as the pirate captain shouted orders at her half-asleep crew. The moment everyone was boarded, they set sail in the direction of Wind’s captors, the merchant’s ship they were on already dipped fading into the horizon. With the chase engaged, Tetra turned towards the newcomers on her ship. 

“Now, give me the full story.” Wild glanced at Twilight, hoping he would start to save himself from accidentally giving Wind’s secret away. When he received nothing but a shrug, he began.

“Wind was hiding out away from the festival. Some guys found him, knocked him out, and took him.”

“And you know this how?” Tetra raised an eyebrow, gaze scrutinizing. Wild sputtered.

“He has a stone that we can talk through at long distances. He must’ve hit it and called me when he was fighting them off.”

“Yeah, the gossip stone. I gave him that and only me and…” she trailed off, pausing before shaking her head, “You know what? It doesn’t matter. Gonzo, show them where they’ll be sleeping.” A looming man dressed in green, assumingly Gonzo, looked up from his spot next to the anchor and nodded. 

“What about Wi-Link?” Sky asked, looking off into the distance where the merchant’s ship that held their youngest disappeared. 

“They can’t teleport or control the winds. All we have to do now is wait and hope they don’t figure out how,” Tetra sighed with a shrug, “Better rest now, I won’t have freeloaders on my ship.” 

“Thank you for helping us,” Time said before Gonzo could take them below deck. Tetra only met his gaze.

“I’m just repaying a favor. If you weren’t buddy-buddy with Link you would have been disemboweled and had your twitching body thrown overboard for waking my crew.” Linebeck paled, hands paused from winding back up the ladder as if frozen in time as he stared incredulously at her. Time merely nodded, unfazed.

“I would expect nothing less.” As Time turned to follow his boys to where they will be spending the night, he heard Linebeck sputter in disbelief at Tetra’s statement.

“You aren’t serious are you? I can’t believe…” His voice faded behind the weather-worn door as Time turned in for the night. Time wasn’t a religious man. How could he be when the supposed Goddesses played with his life like selfish children. Despite this, as he overheard Sky and Hyrule praying together for Wind’s safety, Time, too, prayed to whoever might have been listening to let them find the too-young adventurer before it was too late.