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Chapter Text

Three months ago, Link started this time travelling journey. Before he left through that portal, with eight heroes waiting behind him expectantly, he held onto Zelda’s hand and promised he’d tell her everything.

They were a good bunch, by Zelda’s judgement. She was relieved knowing that the Hero of Twilight was looking out for her former knight. And the Hero of Time and Hero of Warriors seemed to have good heads on their shoulders, so she certainly shouldn’t be worried there. And Link was even friendly with the others, like the Hero of Hyrule and the Hero of Winds! She was glad there were at least some people there to indulge him, once in a while.

One of their visits landed on a beautiful day, right on the edge of summer. As a bit of a treat, Zelda let the Hero of the Four Sword and Hero of Legend loose on what remains of her library. She idly watched as her Link—Wild, the others called him—disappeared into Castle Town with Wind in tow, both of them giggling.

“We should probably follow them,” Twilight grimaced.

Zelda startled, caught off guard by Twilight’s suggestion. They were sitting against the wall below the castle’s observation room, comparing and contrasting their respective monarchies when he’d abruptly changed the topic.

“What for?” she questioned. “There’s not much trouble for them to get into. Let them have their fun.”

He sighed. “Wild’s idea of fun usually involves explosives.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re exaggerating. He can be very responsible.”

“You were there when he launched himself halfway across Hyrule, right?”

Zelda paused for a moment, glancing back to the palace gates Wild had disappeared past. Their last visit, he had wanted to show off to Hyrule just how far he could launch himself with his bombs, and, somehow, he’d made it all the way to Hateno.

“Perhaps I’m a bit lenient with him,” she relented. “I suppose I just like seeing him happy.”

Twilight said nothing, but he arched an eyebrow at her. Something about his scrutiny made her heart drop, and for a split second, she wondered how much he knew about her and Wild’s shared past. What happened to him, how she couldn't save him before-

“I mean, he deserves as much, doesn’t he?” she hastily explained. “He’s got a second chance, now.”

Queen Zelda Sarya Hyrule awakens for the day, leaning her hands on the balcony as she looks over her kingdom’s sunrise. It’s a bright, fresh morning, the smell of last night’s rain still in the air. This morning marks three months, officially, since Link's last visit.

Zelda sighs. She supposes she ought to be used to this. She’s got a hundred years’ worth of experience waiting for Link, she can survive however long it takes him to finish this mission. She could spend her time worrying over her friend’s safety, but really, eight other heroes from eras past? He couldn’t be in safer hands.

It’s only a shame they had to halt their weapons training, for the time being. Zelda’s getting tired of sparring with dummies.

She steps away from the balcony, stretching her arms out. She’s been using the observation room as her temporary quarters. And it’s not that she wouldn’t rather stay in her old room, if it weren’t for the broken bridge and collapsed roof, it’s just…

Well, Link always referred to his life as a new beginning. Maybe this can be one for her, too.

First thing to do, get dressed. Yesterday was laundry day, so her clothes are nice and clean.

Second, get some breakfast. What she wouldn’t do for some coffee-

Splash!!

“Oh shit!”

“No! The pallets!”

Upon further analysis, it appears Zelda won’t have any time to get dressed before her day begins.

She shows up to the moat wearing an old, plain shirt and shorts, her pajamas since she’s woken up. Her hair is messy and tangled, and she’s still having trouble keeping her eyes open. But when Bolson and Karson notice Zelda, the latter bows to her as though she were the picture of beauty.

She has to resist rolling her eyes. What would her father think of this?

“What’s the issue?” she asks them as Karson rises. “I heard something about palettes?”

“Ah, well-” Karson stammers. “You see, your majesty-”

“Our horses,” Bolson explains, mercifully cutting Karson off. “They were carting pallets of material for our work today, when something spooked ‘em. Knocked the pallets into the water, ‘n Karson and me were trying to figure out how to fish ‘em up.”

Zelda raises an eyebrow, glancing at each side of the bridge. Aside from the rushing water and the slight breeze, all is still.

“What could have possibly scared your horses? There’s nothing up here, and-” She peeks down at the river. “The Zora aren’t supposed to arrive for a few more hours.”

Karson speaks. “I’m sorry, your majesty, I don’t know-”

She holds up a hand. “I’m not blaming you, Karson. I’m simply confused.” She sighs. “Don’t worry about your supplies. Do whatever else you can for now. When Prince Sidon and his guard report to the palace, I’m sure I can convince some of them to scavenge your belongings.”

“Thank you, Queen Zelda,” Bolson responds before Karson can make a fool of himself again. “Hudson went after the horses. Karson, we should see if he needs any help.”

Zelda watches as the two of them leave. Link had personally attested to the quality of work Bolson Construction could do, and truth be told, she’d hired them on his recommendation alone —though the fact that one of their members had built an entire town by hand had been particularly alluring. Her father would have thrown a fit at Bolson’s “manners”, or lack thereof, but that very trait was the reason she enjoyed working with him so much. He understood that she was in the same boat as the rest of them.

But that story about the horses had her worried. On such a calm morning, when most of the kingdom had yet to stir, she couldn’t help but fear that whatever had spooked them so bad had been malicious.

She looks back over the bridge, trying to peer down into the dark water. It wasn’t so long ago that the castle had been teeming with monsters, after all. Sure, they aren’t quiet, but is it possible some of them were missed?

Well, whatever it is, it could at least wait until she’s dressed.

“I’m worried about excavating the Great Hall.”

Zelda is enjoying her breakfast (buttered bread, Hylia, how she misses Link’s cooking), when Yunobo approaches her. He, along with several other young Gorons, volunteered to help clear the debris from Hyrule Castle and its adjoining town.

At first, Zelda had been a bit concerned about having not only Vah Rudania’s new pilot, but Daruk’s direct descendant working so closely with her. Daruk had been a dear friend of hers, after all, and she wasn’t sure she could bear having a reminder of him walking around her home.

But right away it had become apparent that Yunobo is nothing like his grandfather. He’s innocent where Daruk had been optimistic, hesitant where Daruk had been a leader. It was easy enough for Zelda to pretend that there was no relation at all.

Wordlessly, she motions for Yunobo to sit beside her, which he does.

“Link got your slate to you, correct?” she asks, pulling out her own.

Zelda had been quite shocked when Purah had presented her with a brand new slate, a replacement for the one she’d given to Link. Apparently one hundred years of research and a now-peaceful world meant technological advancements could happen fast. And with the correct payment, she was willing to make a few more for the rest of the new Champions.

Yunobo nods, shyly taking his slate out. His is much larger than the ones provided to the rest of the Champions, on account of his larger hands.

“Perfect.” Zelda pulls up a file, a diagram of the castle’s interior, and taps their slates together. “Did that transfer work? You should have a copy of the castle’s blueprints now.”

“Oh wow!” Yunobo holds his slate to his face, marvelling at his screen. “This is amazing, your majesty!”

Zelda can’t help but smile along with him. “I thought the same thing when I first started playing with the first one,” she admits. “You can use this to show me what’s troubling you.”

“Right.” He points to the main entryway to the Great Hall. “See, we’re focusing on this part here, because it’s easier for us Gorons to move around. But I’ve been noticing a lot of rocks in the rubble from further up the castle.” He sighs. “It’s unstable. If we keep going as we are now there’s going to be a hole in the rock right up to the Sanctum.”

Zelda frowns, eyes fixed on the blueprints. So far, they haven’t had any issues like this. Most of the ruins have been from the stone lining the hallways, not the mountain itself. And, despite being a researcher, she’s not exactly an engineer. Can something like this even be fixed?

“Well, first of all, we’re stopping construction on that area immediately,” she instructs. “Make sure the rest of the Gorons know that. Then, go to Bolson with your concerns. His work has been temporarily delayed, so I’m sure he’ll be happy to help you figure out this problem.” She tucks her slate at her side. “Does that work for you?”

“Thank you!” Yunobo beams, and isn’t that a sight? Link told her he used to be very anxious a while ago. “I’ll get on that right away, your majesty.”

What she wants to say is ‘No need for that. Call me Zelda.’ But something about it gets caught in her throat.

“If there are any other issues, let me know,” Queen Zelda says.

There have been talks, lately, of turning Castle Town into a trading hub for the rest of Hyrule, and Zelda thought it was a wonderful idea. It was, after all, how the capital had been established many years ago, and returning to its roots would be a good way to build it back up again. She’s already gotten the word from several villages that they’d be willing to send merchants. The only thing left to do is to strike up a deal with the Gerudo.

Lady Riju is wise beyond her years, and Zelda can’t help but see herself in the girl. Forced into a role of importance at such a young age, carrying the burdens of loss and leadership on her shoulders…

“Using Castle Town as an in-between for your trades with the Gorons would make for shorter journeys in the long run.” Zelda and Riju are seated at a table in the dining hall, which the Queen has converted into an office of sorts. Both are flanked by several guards, yet their attention is focused on the slates in their hands, displaying a map of the kingdom.

“We would get our gemstones faster,” Riju reasons.

“Exactly,” Zelda says. “Not to mention, this would also open up opportunities for you with Zora’s Domain. I’m not sure whether you would appreciate their fish, but one of their other major exports is Luminous Stones.”

Hearing this, Riju raises her eyebrows. “Now that is interesting.”

The Gerudo are lucky to have Riju, Zelda decides. She knows there’s only one jeweler in Gerudo Town—aside from a few hobbyists—and yet, the chieftain was clearly interested on her behalf. Now that the Calamity is gone, the Gerudo may as well expand their horizons a bit.

Urbosa would be proud.

Zelda immediately shakes that thought off like a dog out of the water. “Of course, you’ll have to work the details out with the Zora themselves, I’m just offering the venue. But Prince Sidon is supposed to come by later today.”

Riju hums to herself. “Buliara,” she says, turning to the guard by her side. “Make sure we get a meeting with him before either of us leave.”

“Yes, Lady Riju.”

With that assurance, Riju faces Zelda once again, standing. “Well, Queen Zelda, it looks like we have a deal, then.” She offers Zelda a hand.

“Thank you, Lady Riju.” Zelda takes her hand, and the two shake. And that’s where Zelda assumed it would end.

“Actually,” Riju clears her throat, and suddenly it isn’t Riju, Chieftain of the Gerudo standing in front of her. It’s Riju, the thirteen year-old child, eyes wide and pleading, awkwardly holding onto one of her arms. “I was wondering, if you’re not doing anything for a while…”

Zelda winces, and in that instant she sees Riju avert her gaze. “Oh, Riju,” she says. “I’d love to, but…”

Riju holds up her hand. “It’s no matter, your highness,” she claims, displaying strength as if Zelda didn’t just see her put a wall up. “I should discuss the changes to our trade routes with the Gorons, anyway.”

Some other time, Zelda promises herself. She’ll make time for Riju soon. But as Riju beckons her guards and leaves, she can’t find it within herself to say it out loud.

Zelda really thought she could do it this time.

Ever since she’d gone through the process of selecting new Champions, new pilots for the Divine Beasts, Zelda has spent quite a bit of time with them. Training, maintenance, everything to help them move along as smoothly as possible. And it’s been fine with all of them!

Well, with the exception of one.

Riju and Yunobo are both generations removed from their ancestors, and if Zelda doesn’t remind herself, she can almost pretend there’s no connection at all. And Teba isn’t even related to any of the former champions. But Sidon…

Zelda storms into the makeshift infirmary, a large tent just outside the castle, to find Sidon having a wound wrapped by a nurse. Noticing her arrival, the nurse offers a bow before sliding out of the tent past the Queen.

“Prince Sidon,” she fights to keep her tone diplomatic. “Please tell me Captain Bazz lied to me.”

Sidon is so Mipha.

“Queen Zelda-”

“Stop,” she commands, and some part of her mind recognizes it as one her father took often. “You-” She points a finger at him. “-the crown prince of the Zora, a race known for their weakness to electricity, decided to take on a Lynel, of all things. Is that correct?”

Somehow, in all her five-foot four-inches worth of glory, Zelda has successfully gotten Prince Sidon, a fish towering over ten feet, to cower under her glare.

“Yes, Queen Zelda.”

Of course, Mipha wouldn’t have been nearly as brash as her brother. She knew her limits, knew the risks of facing a Lynel head on, especially a Silver one. She knew she wasn’t the one to take on that task.

Sidon, for some reason, didn’t.

“Okay,” Zelda sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Why?”

“Why?” Sidon echoes back at her. He finally meets her eyes, matching her own harsh gaze. “Your highness, that Lynel was too close to Helmhead Bridge! If I hadn’t stopped it, it could have gone on a rampage throughout Castle Town!”

But he had her passion, that’s for sure. Where Mipha had been drawn to healing the injured, Sidon found himself drawn to battle away every danger that could befall the innocent. In that sense, the two of them were the same.

Sidon, like his sister, is a protector.

“You were under orders to clear out the Military Training Grounds! That’s it!” Zelda counters. “That Lynel was not your responsibility!”

“Hyrule is my responsibility! You made it my responsibility when you gave me Vah Ruta!”

Sidon is Mipha in every way that Mipha wasn’t. And how dare he come to her castle, acting the brasher, braver Mipha?

How dare he, Mipha’s most precious brother, risk himself for her?

“I’ve already led one set of Champions to their deaths, Sidon!” Zelda shouts, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. “I’m not going to let you die as well!”

Sidon reels back, looking at Zelda with wide eyes.

Zelda covers her mouth, and her spine goes rigid, like ice. She turns on her heel, making a beeline out of the tent.

“Your highness!” Sidon calls after her. “Zelda! Wait!”

But Zelda ignores him. She pushes the flap out of the way, and once she’s finally outside the tent, she runs.

Of course it’s her old room. Zelda hadn’t even realized it was her destination until she arrived there, eyes blurry with tears. She slams her door shut behind her and sinks to the floor, finally letting herself cry. Sobs rake through her body, and she’s reminded of the times a hundred years ago, when she would lock herself in this same room after yet another day of failing to unlock her powers.

It’s been a century since then, and she’s right back where she started.

The Champions, all of them, deserve this future much more than Zelda does. She failed them all.

She’s not sure how long she sits there, curled in on herself, crying like a toddler throwing a tantrum. Seriously, what’s wrong with her?

Suddenly, there’s the sound of wings flapping from the literal hole in the room, rattling Zelda out of her sorrow enough to look up.

It’s Teba, because of course it is. Who else would fly all the way up here? His expression is difficult to read, but he’s focused on her.

“There you are,” he says, landing on the ruins of her wall. He hops down. “You scared Sidon, back there.”

Zelda looks back to the floor, head turned away from Teba. Her face and chest burn with shame.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbles.

There’s warmth next to her, Teba sitting by her side. “Now, why are you saying that?” He drapes one of his wings over her shoulders.

It’s disgustingly casual, certainly not the image a distinguished queen should be projecting. But Teba is concerned for her, and Zelda can’t remember the last time she let someone do that. Even Link, her closest friend, she’s kept at a distance. He’s been struggling so much, how was she supposed to burden him with her own issues?

“I keep ruining everything,” she admits, choking back a sob. “His sister is gone because of me. I let Hyrule fall.”

“Zelda-” and how great it is to hear her name. Not your majesty, your highness, the great and wonderful queen who could do no wrong. Just Zelda, the person. “It’s not your fault. You couldn’t have known what would happen.”

If only it were that easy.

“I should have,” she retorts. “How stupid were we to believe that pig would fall for the same trick twice?”

“You’re a kid.”

Zelda can’t help but laugh at that, though it isn’t particularly funny. Some of her loose hairs fly away from her face as she does so.

Teba, unamused, sighs. “What are you doing here?”

She rolls her eyes. “I came to my room to cry, obviously.”

“No, I mean-” Teba tries again. “Why are you at the castle?”

“To rebuild Hyrule,” Zelda answers automatically. “To lead my people.”

“Who told you to do that?”

Zelda blinks, and she realizes she doesn’t have an answer for that. Rarely does she ever find herself in this situation.

“Well, no one, but…” she struggles. “It’s what my father would want.”

Teba points at her. “There’s your issue,” he says. “You’re putting yourself in this box, trying to be the person you think everyone wants you to be. And in the process, you’re ignoring yourself.”

“Teba-”

“The reconstruction effort doesn’t necessarily need you, Zelda,” he tells her. “We’re glad to have you, but if you need to go off somewhere on your own, we’d get along just fine.”

Zelda scoffs. “Where would I even go?”

“I don’t know.” Teba shrugs. “Maybe you could check out what Link’s been up to?”

Teba’s suggestion rings in Zelda’s mind. She tries to sleep, truly, she does. But she ends up kicking her way out of her bedroll in frustration.

So, just as her day began, Zelda finds herself standing on her balcony, staring out at Hyrule. The night is cloudless, the vast sky full of twinkling stars. Hyrule Field is still, save for the breeze that passes through it. It catches her hair, long and golden, bringing it to sway.

Maybe she should cut it.

Hyrule is large. She’s heard from Link of his journey and saw much of it herself. Their initial tour had been half a year ago, when the Calamity had finally been defeated. Sadly, they’d been limited to the main settlements, focusing on making peace with their leaders and spreading the news that, yes, it was over. They hadn’t had much time to divert from the path, to see the little wonders Link spoke so fondly of.

Zelda knows Link would want to show her these wonders himself, but perhaps she could find some of her own to show him? Do something nice for him, for once.

If he ever comes back, that is.

Once upon a time, Zelda told the Hero of Twilight that she was happy for Link, happy for his second chance. Oh, what she wouldn’t give for a second chance of her own.

Behind her, she hears it. The sound of reality tearing, ripping at its seams. It’s a sound she’s heard before, everytime Link and the other heroes dropped in unexpectedly. She turns around, and there it is, the oval portal glowing a soft, golden light.

She leans against her balcony and waits, patiently, for Link. It’s rude of them to show up so late, especially when she’s so underdressed, but she can make an exception for the heroes.

But nothing happens. Instead, Zelda feels a tug in her own chest, an instinctual pull that says ‘Hop in’. And she’s reminded of what Link told her about how the group finds their portals:

They’re drawn to them.

When Zelda doesn’t show her face the next morning, they go looking for her. They find the observation room scarce of most of Zelda’s belongings, her bedroll and clothes all missing. The queen herself is also gone, and in her place is a note.

Dear all,

I went to go see Link. Keep up the work without me. I will return sometime soon.

Your friend,
Zelda

Chapter Text

“I’m worried.”

Zelda looked up from her desk to see Time, standing in the doorway of her strategy room. His arms were crossed and his shoulders were tense, and he was notably avoiding her gaze. He looked straight down at the ground as he spoke to her.

“I see.” Zelda put her pen to the side. “You know, this reminds me of something.”

Time sighed. “Your majesty, I-”

Zelda interrupted him. “I’ve told you before. To you, little Link, it’s just Zelda.”

Finally, Time looked up at her, and he broke out into a smile that Zelda remembered fondly. Though he was no longer the child she knew, she could at least see a part of him stayed youthful.

“Sit,” she gestured to the chair across from her. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

When Time sat, it was like he was letting go of more weight than his own. “I’m… concerned. About the heroes.”

Zelda nodded understandingly. “You’ve become a sort of de facto leader, haven’t you?”

“They’re getting antsy,” he explained, but he spoke slowly, choosing his words. “I think they’re wondering when this journey is going to wrap up.”

“I’ve been wondering the same thing,” she commented.

Time grimaced. “I know. But truthfully, I have no idea how close we are.”

“So you want advice to keep them happy until then?”

“Something like that,” Time admitted.

Zelda considered this for a moment, idly tapping her desk with her finger. “Well, you could try taking more breaks.”

“We stop to rest every night.”

“Not that,” she corrected him. “I mean, take a few days off, every now and then. Try to visit their families and friends, if you can.” She grinned a little wider. “I’ve also heard quite a bit about your ranch.”

Time chuckled at that. “What can I say? My wife has taken a liking to them.”

“Oh?” Zelda perked up. “Let me guess! You married that redheaded girl you were always talking about, didn’t you?”

Time abruptly stood, almost knocking his chair over. “I should probably check on the boys, thank you for your suggestion your majesty-” he bowed hurriedly, already backing up towards the door. “-I’ll consider it.” He then full on sprinted out the door.

How rude! Zelda didn’t think she teased him THAT badly when he was younger.

“Little Link, wait!” she called out, running after him. “Tell me all about her!”

When one of the hero’s portals opens up in the hall leading to her throne room, Queen Zelda Artemis Hyrule is relieved. Sure, a mysterious, swirling portal appearing out of thin air just feet in front of her is both jarring and on the nose, but she can’t find herself complaining. It’s been far too long since Link has been home, and though they’re well-equipped to handle the oncoming horde of monsters by themselves, a few extra heroic hands certainly wouldn’t hurt.

But when the figure who stumbles through the portal is not Link, nor any of the eight other heroes travelling with him, well… it’s fair to say Zelda’s a bit confused.

“Oh, goodness,” the girl mutters, bracing herself with her hands on her knees. “That really is disorientating…” She holds up a hand to the two of them as the portal blinks to a close. “Just a… just a second.”

Zelda glances to her side and meets the eyes of her general, who appears to be just as put off as she is.

“Okay.” The girl stands straight, and finally getting a good look at her face, Zelda’s struck with an intense feeling of familiarity. “Alright,” she brushes herself off, extending a hand out to the queen. “I’m Queen Zelda Sarya Hyrule. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Oh!” Zelda brightens. “That explains it!” She takes her counterpart’s hand, and the two firmly shake. “Queen Zelda Artemis Hyrule.”

“Artemis…” she muses to herself. “The Hero of Warriors must be yours, then?” She gasps, moving on without even waiting for an answer. “That means you fought in the War Across the Ages! How fascinating! You must tell me-” She moves to take Zelda’s arm, but pauses when she notices the sword in her hand. Her head turns to General Impa, who’s similarly armed with her giant sword.

The other Zelda tilts her head. “Wait, is something happening here?”

Impa laughs, boisterous and loud. “Yes, young queen. I’d say something is.”

The more Zelda thinks about it, though, the more it makes sense. This kid is her relative, in some way, so she’s gotta be tough. She places a hand on her shoulders and spins her around, walking her down the hallway with them. “Let me guess. You’re the Hero of the Wild’s Zelda?”

She nods, though she’s still nervously glancing at their swords. “Flora.”

“I figured as much. Flora,” Zelda smiles, smirking back at Impa. “How about this? If you help us with this monster horde, I’ll answer any questions you have.”

Flora’s not sure what she expected when she set off through a mysterious time travelling portal. Maybe a glimpse into the lifestyles of ancient times, or even an ancestor who welcomed her warmly and had interesting insights about Hyrule’s history. By the dragons, she’d even take a forest, Wild said they land in forests a lot.

But no, apparently she gets to meet her battle-crazy ancestor whose first reaction to seeing her is ‘Let’s take her out in the field!’

Now, she’s trying desperately to avoid looking Artemis in the eye. Of course, Artemis, for her part, pushes her through a pair of large double doors, and for a moment Flora thinks she’s back in the guards’ barracks. The walls are lined to the ceiling with everything from swords to clubs, delicately and almost blindingly polished. The gleam of a rather terrifying battleaxe catches her eye, and she sweats at the sight of it.

“You need a sword, definitely,” Artemis proclaims, pulling a sword from its display. It’s modest, sure, but its intricate design reminds Flora of the Royal Broadswords Wild enjoys in their own time.

“Uh, Queen Artemis-” Flora tries.

She dismisses her protests with a wave of her hand, depositing the sword with Flora. “Please, just Artemis.”

“Okay.” Flora nervously glances down at the sword. “Artemis-”

With a gasp, Artemis rushes over to the shields, pulling Flora behind her. She picks up a kite-shaped shield, with golden detailing. “This is the type I used for my first battle!” she explains, eagerly shoving it into Flora’s hands. “Aw,” she coos. “You look just like I did.”

Flora’s face turns bright red and a shame burns its way into her chest. “Artemis, I… I can’t.”

“Of course you can!” Artemis insists. “Don’t worry about breaking them, I can always commission more.”

Wow, if that isn’t a thought so foreign to Flora. Her Hyrule’s currently running on weaponry made at least one hundred years ago, so needless to say, breaking one is a bit of a concern.

“No,” Flora tries again, “I mean, I physically can’t use these. I don’t know how.” She awkwardly holds the sword and shield in front of herself, accentuating her point.

Artemis’s face falls, her brimming happiness gone in a second. “Ah.”

And then, just like that, she’s back to how she was before. Gingerly, she takes the sword from Flora’s hand. “Then… don't worry about that,” Artemis says. “What about your powers?”

Flora winces. “They’re… gone.”

Once, she told Link that she was okay with that, and truthfully, Flora still felt like she was. But with Artemis, her ancestor, looking down at her, it's suddenly the worst failure of her life since the Calamity.

“Gone?” Artemis asks.

“Well, it’s more like they faded,” Flora amends. “I used them extensively against Ganon, but they haven’t been the same since then.”

“I see…” Artemis’s brow furrows. She turns away from Zelda, eyes scanning over the wide array of weapons, as if any of them can offer her a solution.

Some part of Flora is still a child, the same child who searched desperately for ways to meet her father’s hefty expectations. The child with a great sense of duty she could never fulfill, and so looked for alternatives. That child must still be with her, because Flora pulls out her Sheikah Slate and holds it out to Artemis.

“What about this?” she asks, hope seeping in at the edge of her voice. “It can summon bombs, and- and it freezes enemies, as well.” She takes a sharp breath. “I won’t be useless.”

Artemis inspects the slate for a moment, leaning down to Flora’s level to get a better view of it. When she reaches out to poke the Sheikah Eye, Flora has to resist yanking the slate away from her.

She hums to herself. “What a strange relic. And you’re certain it will be enough for you?”

“Yes,” Flora asserts, but she clutches onto the Sheikah Slate just the slightest bit harder.

Artemis claps her hands together, and her bright and beaming smile returns. “Well then, Queen Zelda-” her tone is almost joking. “-keep the shield. I clear you for active duty.”

Somehow, despite herself, Flora laughs, a light and friendly giggle. “Thank you, Queen Zelda.”

Artemis leads the defense, with all the grace and beauty a queen should have. With her rapier outstretched, she directs her troops across the field. The soldiers charge, and there’s the distinct sound of metal colliding as they meet the Bokoblin attackers.

For her part, Artemis defends herself well. With a flourish, she spins and slices through several Bokoblins with a golden light. Her movements are precise and elegant.

Flora, meanwhile, wants to run away from this all as fast as possible. All of Hyrule Field is chaos, the clamoring of weapons and the frantic shouting. A Bokoblin locks in on her, and Flora gets an up-close and personal showing of its ravenous eyes and monstrous breath as it grabs onto her wrist.

Fight or flight kicks in, and in Flora’s case, she chooses flight. She wrenches her arm away from the Bokoblin, just barely dodging a swing from its club. With a scream, she flees, jumping over a short, stone wall and sequestering herself behind it.

Everything about this, the fighting and the swords, it’s all so familiar. It’s almost like-

“Link, save yourself! Go!”

Flora squeezes her eyes shut, forcing that memory from her head.

With all the force she can muster, Flora throws one of the circular bombs over the wall, outstretching her Sheikah Slate and detonating it just as it reaches the Bokoblin. It goes flying, but as it does so, a giant, broad Moblin takes their place. At least, she thinks it’s a Moblin. It’s much larger than any of the ones in her time, but they do appear similar to the Bokoblins here. The ground shakes under the weight of its feet, and it carries a huge metal shield.

Oh fuck.

On pure instinct, Flora activates the Magnesis rune, latching onto the Moblin’s shield and lifting it as high as she can. The brute of a Moblin keeps its hold on its shield, though, so Flora starts shaking her Slate up and down frantically.

“Let go let go let go-!”

“I’ll be fine! Don’t worry about me!”

Bargaining.

Flora violently slams the Slate towards the ground, which finally loosens the Moblin’s grip. But she doesn’t stop, bringing the shield back down and smashing it onto the Moblin, again and again. And then, only when the Moblin finally stops moving, does she sigh in relief.

Naydra’s ice, that was terrifying.

“Ah!”

“Run!”

Artemis!

Flora’s head snaps towards the sound of her ancestor’s shout. The troops have moved ahead, likely at their queen’s orders, but now Hylia’s two daughters are left on their own, and the sight freezes her to the core.

A dark figure stands over Artemis. He’s small, the size of a child. While it’s hard for her to pick out many details through the darkness, she can see the outline of masks strapped to his head and waist, as well as a long hat. Artemis’s rapier is laying a few feet away, useless, but the shadow’s sword is huge, pointed right at Artemis’s throat.

“All of you are like this,” the figure says to her, a mocking edge to his tone. “All of you are the same.”

“Stop this,” Artemis commands breathlessly.

The figure chuckles, and the shadows that compose his body shift. He grows taller, but not by much. The masks disappear, and the sword gains an hourglass symbol on its hilt.

“You’re one of the worst of them all, you know,” he chides. “You took more than you needed. You couldn’t save the day by yourself.”

With his laugh turning sinister, the shadow changes shape one last time, growing to around Artemis’s height. And this form is one Flora recognizes.

The shadow takes on the appearance of the Hero of Warriors.

“One hero wasn’t enough for you,” the shadow cackles. “It was never enough!”

“That’s not what happened!” Artemis strikes back, only to have the sword jutted closer to her throat.

The shadow wipes a tear from his eye, before focusing back on Artemis. “Farewell, your grace.” He raises his sword, prepared to strike, when-

“No!”

“No!”

Before she realizes what she’s done, Flora uses Stasis on the figure. The yellow chains appear, and the figure is stopped in its tracks.

For a second, Artemis sits there, bewildered.

Flora cups her mouth and shouts, “Attack it now! Before the rune wears off!”

Her words snap Artemis from her confusion, and the queen is up in an instant. She raises her hands above her head as they begin to glow, and suddenly, a bow and arrow appears in her hands. Taking aim at the shadow, Artemis glowers at him before releasing the Light Arrow right into his chest.

The dark figure is sent flying back, and Flora cheers, jumping and shaking her arms in excitement. She runs up to Artemis practically beaming.

“Oh, you did it!” she exclaims, latching onto her ancestor’s arm. “I’m so happy that worked! You were amazing!”

“You think so?” Artemis dusts herself off with her free arm, lightly chuckling. “It was your quick thinking that saved me.”

Flora awkwardly rubs at the back of her neck. “Really, that was nothing-”

“Well, well, well…”

The two queens are interrupted by the dark figure, taking on the form of swirling shadows, picking himself back up. Artemis raises a hand in front of Flora defensively.

“I thought you might be here, young queen,” he remarks. “Though I admit, your little stunt took me by surprise.”

As his form begins to solidify once again, Flora’s eyes go wide and she clutches onto Artemis’s arm. She knows that battered tunic, that messy hair…

“You should know better than to go charging blindly into danger, after all.”

“No, no… Link! Get up!”

It’s Wild.

“They’re much better off without the two of you.” The shadow glares at them, his eyes, shaped just like Wild’s, pure red with hatred. When he glances back towards the rest of the battle, which has died down, his face drops even further. With a disgruntled sigh, he bows to the queens.

“This isn’t over, your majesties.”

The shadow sinks into the ground, and then, right before their eyes, he’s gone. But for a moment, the two queens don’t move. They stare at the spot he disappeared, frozen as their adrenaline fades away.

Finally, Flora manages to break out of her terror, turning towards Artemis. “Er, what was that?”

Artemis sighs, shoulders drooping as she allows herself to relax. She places her heads in her hand and, silently, walks back towards the castle, leaving Flora behind.

“You’re going to be just fine.”

Oh, Link. Where are you?

Artemis packs her bag. Anything she looks at that could be useful, she throws it into her satchel. Rupees, clothes, shoes, swords. After a brief consideration, she takes off her crown, leaving it on her bed. She figures that if she shows up to someone else’s palace wearing a crown, she may cause an incident.

When she finally figures she’s got everything she needs, Artemis throws the satchel over her shoulder and briskly leaves her room. She doesn’t spare it another glance.

She finds Flora and Impa together in the throne room, Flora sitting on the red carpeted steps below her throne with her chin in her hands. Impa’s by her side, awkwardly attempting to figure out emotional honesty.

“Did I do something wrong?” Flora asks Impa. “She seemed very upset when she left.”

“Well,” Impa tries, but emotions aren’t really her strong suit. “It was a rough situation.”

“Was there something I could have done better, though?” Flora gestures. “I just wish I knew how these things worked.”

Impa scoffs. “You and me both.”

“Flora,” Artemis calls out to her fellow queen, announcing her presence to the two.

“Your majesty,” General Impa stands to attention immediately. “Are you alright?”

“Oh, I’m fine, Impa,” Artemis states, before looking down at her descendant, moping on the stairs. “I’m coming with you.”

Flora perks up. “Really?” she asks, standing with the other two.

Artemis nods. “You heard that thing. It’s done something to our heroes. You wouldn’t have been brought here if Hylia didn’t intend for us to save them.”

Impa frowns. “Queen Zelda, what about the kingdom?”

“I’ve already thought of that, Impa,” Zelda tells her. “I’m leaving you in charge.”

“Wh- what? Me?!” Impa sputters out. “Your majesty, you can’t be-”

But Artemis holds up a hand, silencing her general. “You’re the only one who knows this kingdom as well as I do. There’s no one I’d trust with this role more than you.”

Impa’s breath catches on her throat and her eyes go wide. Perhaps realizes there’s no arguing her way out of this, she bows to the queen. “It’s an honor, your majesty.”

Just as she says so, a portal tears through reality, a thrum inviting the queens to step through. Artemis gives one last nod to Impa, before turning to Flora.

“Are you ready, Queen Zelda?” she asks, a smile stretched wide across her face.

“Of course, Queen Zelda,” Flora responds, raising a fist in triumph. “Our Links are counting on us!”

And so, side by side, two Hylian rulers step into the unknown.

Chapter Text

Link—her Link, Sky—had told Zelda that his fellow heroes seemed to have… issues, with voicing their problems. Which, truth be told, didn’t make much sense to her. Skyloft has always been a very open environment. Everyone knew each other, and so knew when their fellow citizen was struggling.

Would there really be a time where not all of Hyrule was like this?

Zelda didn’t think much of it, not for quite some time. Not until her visit to the formerly Sealed Grounds, where she found the Hero of Legend staring up at the Statue of the Goddess. In retrospect, the whole thing seemed incredibly tacky. Who needs a hundred foot statue in honor of their worship?

Still, she found herself drawn to it. Of course she did. Things had been confusing ever since everything ended and construction of the kingdom had begun. Zelda still wasn’t quite sure what to make of herself.

She startled when she noticed Legend, having expected to be alone. It was a fresh and early morning, but there he was, arms crossed tightly with head tilted up at the statue.

“Hello, there!” Zelda called out, and the hero turned to face her. This one is a bit older than her Link, thank goodness. She’d grown a bit concerned by Wind and Fours’ appearances, even Wild and Hyrule looked a bit too young for her nerves. They all made her worry.

“Princess Zelda.” Legend nodded at her as she stepped up beside him. His gaze returns to the statue, eyes emotionless.

“There aren’t any princesses in this time, Legend,” she said. “At least, not yet.”

“Hm. Apologies.”

“It’s still early. I don’t even think your wolf is up, yet.”

“Let them be,” Legend told her. “I just- I couldn’t get back to sleep.”

“Well, what’s wrong?” she asked. At Legend’s scowl, Zelda continued, “I won’t tell anyone, I promise.”

Legend’s eyes shifted to Zelda, scrutinizing her. He sighed, looking up at the statue once again.

“I’m just thinking,” he said. “I mean, there are patterns to all of this, right? Evil rises, and so a hero and a princess work together to save the day.”

“It’s a nice thought, isn’t it?” Zelda smiled at him. “No matter how bad it gets, there will always be an end to it.”

“That’s not what I’m saying,” Legend countered her. “What I’m saying is, the evil always comes back. The seals break, or something new comes around. So Hylia calls upon someone new to fight, again and again.”

Zelda reached out, placing a hand on Legend’s shoulder, but he shrugged her away.

“No matter what we do, it gets worse. What’s the point?”

For a moment, Zelda paused, gripping at the cloth of her skirt. With a sigh, she sat facing away from the statue, motioning for Legend to sit with her.

“Has my Link ever told you about me?” she asked as Legend sat by her side.

“Just that you’re the best ever.” Legend rolled his eyes. “And that he loves you so much, and he can’t wait to see you again.”

Despite herself, Zelda giggled. “He’s sweet.”

But, truthfully, she was relieved. Sky has enough sense, at least, to keep her secret from those who have a bit of disdain towards their Goddess.

Without thinking, she placed an arm around the Hero of Legend’s shoulders. He tensed at first, glancing at her hand warily, and Zelda was almost afraid that she’d done something wrong. But then he relaxed, and even leaned his head against her.

“I can’t speak to the future of Hyrule,” Zelda told him, tracing patterns on his arm. “But I do know that the Goddess is not infallible.” She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. “Do you know the story of the first hero?”

“Isn’t that Sky?” Legend asked.

“No,” Zelda said, looking up and back at Hylia’s statue. “Sky is only the second hero. There was one who bore the Hero’s Spirit before him.”

Legend looked up at Zelda, so with a smile, she began the story of Hylia’s Chosen Hero.

Flora and Artemis stumble out of the portal into a dense forest. The nausea sets in almost immediately as both queens double over, Artemis bracing herself with a hand on Flora’s shoulder. After a deep breath, Flora straightens herself out.

“You know, I think I’m getting used to it,” she remarks, offering a hand for her ancestor.

With a groan, Artemis accepts Flora’s hand. “I’m more used to standing on the other end of these things,” she admits.

“Don’t worry,” Flora assures her, gently guiding Artemis to sit below the closest tree. “How about…” She glances past the towering branches to the darkened sky above. “You rest here for a moment, and I’ll get started on our camp.”

Artemis lifts her weary head for a moment. “It’s later here than it was in my time.”

Certain that Artemis is fine on her own, Flora turns her attention to her preparations. The clearing they’re in can more accurately be described as a small gap between the trees, but since it’s just the two of them camping, that shouldn’t be much of a problem. She takes some wood out of her Sheikah Slate, the bundle materializing in her hand.

“What was that?” Artemis suddenly asks, bud eyed and staring at the wood. “Where did that come from?”

For a moment, Flora tilts her head in confusion, before the reality hits her. With a laugh she doesn’t mean to be mocking一though by Artemis’s face, she may have missed the mark on that一she holds out her Sheikah Slate once again.

“Storage,” Flora explains. To demonstrate, she pulls out a few pieces of flint as well, and Artemis gasps in shock. “Rather useful, isn’t it?”

“I know I’ve said it before, but that’s one strange relic.” Artemis notes.

“Oh believe me, I’m aware,” Flora jokes. She lays the wood out on the ground and strikes the flint together, igniting the fire. “Link insisted I stock up on supplies once we started travelling together again, so we’re lucky I haven’t been camping in a while.”

Artemis sighs wistfully, scooching closer to the fire. “The good old days. My Link and I must have run all over Hyrule back during the war.”

“I was a researcher, back in the day.” Flora brings her fingers to her chest as she speaks. “Link- Wild, he used to accompany me to all sorts of archeological sites.” Her hand shifts into a fist. “Of course, we’ve both been much too busy for that recently. But once reconstruction is done and he’s back home…”

A silence hangs over the two queens, both staring into the bright and searing fire. There’s a deep pit in both of their stomachs, twisting and cold. Flora draws her knees to her chest, resting her head on top of them. Artemis, however, places a hand on her descendant’s shoulder.

“They’re fine,” she insists, her eyes as hard as steel when Flora looks up at her. “Warriors, Wild, and all of the rest of them… They’ve come through so much worse than this. We will bring them back safe.”

Flora smiles. “Well, then I suppose we have a lot to do tomorrow. How about some dinner?”

Zelda’s always been an early-riser. Every morning, she rises as the first rays of dawn break. And then, once she’s ready to start her day, that’s when the business begins. After all, if Link’s to be believed, she’s got a kingdom to establish.

Usually, she’s one of only a few to be awake this early, which she’s fine with. But, on this particular morning, she’s shocked by the presence of someone standing right outside of her tent.

With a scream, Zelda falls back into her tent, but she doesn’t have a chance to reach for a weapon to defend herself with before she hears the person speaking.

“Ah! Zelda!” the figure shouts in panic.

“Pipit!” Zelda pushes her head out of the flaps. “What are you doing outside my tent?!”

“I just- I,” Pipit stumbles over his words, folding under Zelda’s harsh glare. “I saw something when I was patrolling last night! But I didn’t want to wake you! But it’s also important, so I thought I should wait here?”

Zelda sighs heavily. “Pipit… you know you can wake me if something important happens, right?”

“Ah, well-” Pipit’s face grows red, and he awkwardly scratches the back of his head. “You’re in charge here, so…”

With a groan, Zelda stands and brushes herself off. “We can deal with that later. Now, what’s so important that it could either wait or not wait?”

“Well,” Pipit clears his throat. “There appears to be some… Hylians, camping out in the woods.”

Zelda tilts her head. “Alright?”

“I mean, they aren’t from Skyloft,” Pipit quickly adds. “I’ve never seen them before in my life.”

Zelda frowns. “It’s not Link and his friends?”

Pipit shakes his head. “There were only two of them, and I haven’t seen either with Link before.”

That’s… disappointing, sure, but also extremely concerning. Sure, Ghirahim was the only demon they’d ever seen, but Demise could still have followers out there. If these travelers pose a threat, then Zelda owes it to her people that she sees to it. The Surface must be kept safe, at all costs.

“Take me to them,” she commands.

A breeze rustles past her, carrying the scent of blooming wildflowers. She takes it all in with a deep breath, sighing with relief. It’s a beautiful, crystal clear day. She and Link walk together, hand in hand, though Hyrule Field.

“This is it,” she says. “It’s finally over.”

A giddiness spreads throughout her whole chest, and she can’t help but laugh. Finally, finally! She’s free! Link is here, and he’s okay! They’ve done it!

“There’s so much for us to do!” she happily continues. “We have to visit Mipha, Daruk, Revali, and Urbosa! I’m sure Impa’s expecting us in Kakariko, not to mention the Ancient Tech Labs. Oh, and I’d love to see your home in Hateno, Link!”

Silently, Link’s hand slips from her own.

“Link?”

She turns around, expecting to find Link just a few steps behind her. But instead, the field behind her is barren. Her knight is gone.

“Link?!” she calls out. Desperately, she looks in every direction, trying to find the slightest clue of her friend. “Link, where did you go?!”

From somewhere beyond the castle, a darkness spreads over Hyrule Field like a blanket. She can’t see more than a few inches beyond her face, but still, she frantically yells out for Link.

Something cold grabs onto her wrist from behind, and she shivers.

Right at her back, she sees it. The monstrous, dark form of Link from the battle. He has a harsh grip on her hand, refusing to let go as she pulls away.

“Link is gone,” the shadow says. “Along with the rest of your precious Champions.

“No!” she shouts, trying with all her strength to escape the shadow. “No, not again!”

“You abandoned everyone you cared for!” he wheezes as he laughs. “It’s all your fault!”

The shadow leans right into her face, refusing to let her run away.

“You killed them all!”

Flora gasps awake, eyes snapping open. She barely has time to calm her thoughts before there’s something pointed at her face, and, with perhaps too much of a delay, she realizes it’s a gleaming silver sword.

“Don’t say a word!” the sword’s apparent wielder whispers loudly. Flora’s just barely able to see him out of the corner of her eye.

“Pipit!” another voice chastises him.

“Hey!” that voice is clearly Artemis, and in a second, she’s standing over Flora. She has her own rapier pointed at the threatening intruder. “Leave her alone!”

“State your business!”

Artemis abruptly drags Flora from her bedroll by her arm, keeping her rapier trained on the two strangers. Finally, she’s able to get a better understanding of who exactly disturbed their campsite. The one with the sword is dressed all in yellow, though the design of his uniform is vaguely familiar. He also has one of those long hats the heroes seem to favor.

The girl, though, is wearing a pink dress with a blue cloth attached to her side, and she seems to be trying her best to dissuade her companion.

“Pipit, stop!” She points at him as she yells, as if scolding a child.

“They’re clearly dangerous!” the man, Pipit apparently, argues. “That one has a sword!”

“You’re the one who threatened us!” Artemis shouts, her grip on Flora’s arm tightening slightly.

The girl suddenly shouts, “I said stop!” and reaches for his sword. When she does, two things happen.

One, her hand begins to glow a familiar, warm and holy light.

Two, a symbol appears on the back of Flora and Artemis’s hands.

It’s been a long time since anything has caused Flora’s power to stir. She hasn’t seen this symbol since she sealed Calamity Ganon away, all that time ago. And now, though she can still feel its weakness, it’s here.

With a gasp, the girl draws her arm back, clutching it with her other hand. With it, the Triforces fade away from the other two’s hands.

“You…” Flora turns her hand, looking for any trace of the golden light. “The power…”

Artemis starts, “Then you must be-”

“Oh, I see!” she claps her hands together, a slight nervous energy about her. “Pipit, would you please run ahead and let everyone know we have guests again?”

Pipit, blinking away his confusion, looks over at her with concern. “Zelda, are you sure?”

Ah, that explains it.

“Of course I’m sure,” Zelda explains, and she turns to the queens with an excited grin. “You two are also Zelda, correct?”

Flora and Artemis share a glance. “Well, yes-” Artemis says as Flora offers a nod.

Zelda’s smile grows even brighter. “That’s wonderful!” With a deep breath, she steps forward, hands crossed behind her back. “It’s an honor to meet my descendants.”

There’s a part of Sun that’s delighted to meet Flora and Artemis. In fact, it’s a very large part. She’s already heard so many great things about them from their heroes, even if Wild had been a bit withdrawn during their last visit. Oh, but the stories she’s heard about them both. From Flora’s incissent drive to Artemis’s reliability, she can hardly believe she’s been afforded the opportunity to meet them.

But, then again, there’s another part of Sun. It’s small, much smaller than the first. When she looks at her descendants, she thinks ‘Why are they here?’

The moment they step onto the construction site, Flora gasps in awe before sprinting ahead of her two predecessors. She looks upon the meager foundations of houses, with walls barely a foot high, as though she were a child being offered her favorite dessert.

“Is this truly the founding of Hyrule?” her fists shake up and down as she speaks.

“Well, it’s supposed to be, yes!” Sun calls ahead. “I know it’s not much now, but-”

“Not much?!” Flora’s taken aback, one hand clutching at her chest. “Sun, this is everything! These stones will mark this location for thousands of generations! You, right now, are building a land that will stand strong for hundreds of years!”

Wow! Great! No pressure or anything!

Feeling a bit hot around the collar, Sun decides to direct her next comment to Artemis, who’s remained by her side. “She’s really passionate, isn’t she?”

“I suppose so,” Artemis admits. Flora remains a few feet ahead, holding a strange tablet that makes a clicking noise. “She didn’t really get to go sightseeing when we were in my time, so she may be making up for that.”

As if proving her point, Flora scampers off out of sight with a joyful laugh.

“When did you two arrive?” Sun asks. “I hope you weren’t out there too long.”

Artemis waves a hand dismissively. “It was only a night. I think I learned a lot about ‘roughing it’. Not too bad.”

Sun can’t help but giggle at that. “Well, we can get you set up somewhere much nicer tonight.”

Just like that, she’s able to get a slight chuckle out of Artemis. “I’d appreciate that.”

There’s a brief pause before Artemis speaks up again. “You made our Triforce pieces glow.”

Sun clears her throat. “I did, didn’t I?”

“Well, it makes sense.”

Goddesses, Sun doesn’t like where this is going. None of the Skyloftians know about her, not really, not except for a few. And if Artemis were to figure it out, blab to someone that Hylia isn’t exactly immortal right now, then-

“If you’re founding Hyrule,” Artemis reasons, “then you must be a much closer descendant of Hylia than us. That is to say, you’re a bit more holy.”

Mentally, Sun breathes a sigh of relief. For now, at least, she’s still just Zelda.

“I never thought of that,” she professes.

“I’m only theorizing, of course,” Artemis elaborates. “But with the way things are going, it seems Flora and I may be seeing more of our relatives.”

Before Sun can ask about that, they come upon the Skyloftian’s campsite, just outside of the Sealed Temple. The first of the Hylians to migrate back down to the Surface situated themselves between the temple and the Goddess Statue not too long ago. It’s a good temporary first home, if a little outdoorsy. But it’s perfect, at least until the first buildings go up.

“Zelda!”

And there’s her father, a wide grin on his face as he notices her. Flora is right by his side, and she’s almost shocked to see them.

“I thought you two were right behind me,” she mutters to herself.

“Hello, father,” Sun greets him.

Gaepora finally catches sight of Artemis. “Oh, and there’s another one, too!” Without much discretion, he leans towards his daughter, though he cups his mouth with his hand as he wonders, “Is it true that they’re our descendants?”

Sun nods. “Yes, they’re the future queens of Hyrule.”

“Queens! How exciting!” Gaepora announces, suddenly pulling both girls into a hug, much to their surprise. “It’s wonderful to meet my granddaughters!”

“Ah, y-yes,” Flora stutters. “It’s an honor to meet you, as well.”

Artemis chimes in with a similar energy. “Likewise.”

“Father, please!” Sun laughs. “Give them some space. I need to talk to them now.”

“Oh, if you insist.” Gaepora releases his hold on the queens, who sigh in relief. “Though I want to hear more from you two, later.” He pats Sun’s shoulder, and when she meets his eyes, she finds that they’re full of pride. “For now, though, I’ll leave you to yourselves.”

Sun lets out a breath as her father leaves.

“Well,” she says sharply. “Come into the temple with me.”

Despite all the work happening outside, the Sealed Temple remains as untouched as it did for years. Link’s Life Fruit tree still grows nearby, swaying gently in the sunlight. For the most part, though, it’s quiet, and it’s the perfect place for this conversation.

Sun keeps a watchful eyes on the back of the temple, on the ancient doors she once slept behind. “So,” she says, back to her descendants. “Tell me, why have you both travelled to this time?”

Flora and Artemis are both silent, almost startled, for a moment. Sun can practically feel their hesitation.

“It’s the heroes,” Flora finally speaks up. “They’re in danger.”

“Link?” Sun whips around to face them. “What’s wrong with Link?”

Flora taps her fingers together nervously. “Well, you see-”

“It’s an entity by the name of Dark Link.”

In shock, both turn to look at Artemis. She continues with a stern demeanor. “We’ve encountered something like him in my own time, but he was more of a conjuration than whatever this form is.” She raises an eyebrow at her two counterparts. “I take it you have no equivalents?”

“None that I’ve heard of,” Flora taps at her chin. “But it does sound familiar…”

“I haven’t seen such a thing, either,” Sun admits. “Last time he was here, Link told me they were pursuing a shapeshifter.”

“Flora and I witnessed that firsthand yesterday,” Artemis explains. “He took the form of several of the heroes as he fought.”

“Sun,” Flora draws her attention. “Perhaps you could say, when was the last time you saw the Links?”

Sun frowns. “A little more than two months. You haven’t seen them, either?”

“I’m afraid not,” Artemis sighs.

Well, that isn’t good. Sun glances between her descendants, Flora anxiously playing with her fingers, while Artemis does her best to avoid catching anyone’s eyes. And then, there’s the anger. The anger so fiery, so righteous, that it drowns out both the excited and fearful parts of herself, because these are her girls, those are her heroes, and how dare anyone hurt them?

“Then it’s decided.” Sun straightens herself, standing tall and proud, all the goddess she might still be. “I’m coming with you.”

Chapter Text

“Are you sure this is alright?” The young Hero of the Four Sword trailed Zelda through the halls of her castle, their shoes clicking on the smooth tile below them. “I mean, I wouldn’t want to bother you…”

“I could never be bothered by a hero,” Zelda clarified. “Besides, I believe you of all people should appreciate our collection.”

The pair stopped at a grand set of doors, towering over them with the crest of the royal family, depicted in gold, right in the middle. Before Four could voice any more concerns, Zelda pushed the doors open, dividing the crest in two.

Forgetting his manners, Four rushed past the queen and into the armory. Zelda couldn’t help but chuckle as he admired the vast array of weaponry, hands hovering with a fear to touch. She was struck by how dorky the heroes she grew up hearing legends of actually were, but perhaps she should have guessed they’d be much like her own…

Zelda’s heart dropped at that thought. Oh, Link…

“This battle-axe…” Four marvelled, mouth agape. “I could only dream of making something so well-crafted…”

Forgetting her troubles for a moment, Zelda caught up to Four. “This one is a bit old, actually. I’ve been considering having it hung up somewhere, for posterity.”

“You can never go wrong with an axe on a wall,” Four added.

“Come,” she beckoned him further into the armory. “Let me show you my personal collection.”

Delighted at the notion, he followed her. Eventually, the two came to a wall more tastefully decorated, with several bows and swords hanging.

“I’ve used all of these, at some point,” her hand traced the wooden edges of a bow. With a fond smile on her face, she pulled her rapier from its display. “But I’ve always been fond of my swords.”

Zelda held the rapier out to Four. He hesitated for a moment, looking up to her as if to ask for permission. When she nodded, he took the sword from her with a child-like glee, inspecting it thoroughly.

“I’ve been training with it since I was young,” Zelda explained. “It’s been my favorite.”

And yet, it hadn’t been enough. When the time came, to either fight or die, Zelda had instead chosen to surrender. Her burden went to Link, almost carelessly so, and now…

Noticing her distress, Four placed the rapier back in its display. “Twilight will be fine,” he insisted. “If he’s not back by tomorrow, I think Time is planning on going after him.”

Twilight. The name always throws her for a loop when she hears it. How could Link be so fine with it?

“I’d like to apologize to him, if I can,” she revealed cautiously. “I owe him that much.”

“I think he’s just a bit stressed out,” Four frowned, looking off. “All of us are. Legend got a bit snappy yesterday, and Twilight had to physically stop Wild from pouncing on him.” He sighed wearily.

“I wish he didn’t feel as though everything were his responsibility,” Zelda admitted. But, truthfully, who was she to talk? After all, she was the one who gave him such ideas.

Maybe she deserved what he said to her.

“Stay safe, Zelda,” Gaepora instructs his daughter, doing his best to remain stoic as he holds her close. “The places you’ll travel will be unfamiliar, but I know that you’ll be able to find your way.”

“We’ll be home soon,” Sun promises, arms tight around her father. “Both Link and myself.”

Gaepora pulls away from Sun, glancing back at the portal. It appeared just after breakfast, right in front of the Sealed Temple. “Keep those granddaughters of mine safe.”

Sun laughs at that. “I will, father.”

Meanwhile, Artemis and Flora stand waiting by the portal. The glowing, golden light still has a draw on them, but they resist enough to allow Sun her goodbyes. It tugs at Flora’s heartstrings, digging that pit in her stomach a little bit deeper. Her only thought is, ‘Why?’

Karane, one of the knights of Skyloft, marches up to the two queens, dragging Pipit by his collar behind her. She releases him just as she reaches them, and Pipit struggles to right himself.

“Pipit,” Karane asks him. “Do you have anything you’d like to say to these two?”

“Er, yes,” Pipit clears his throat. “Your majesties-” he bows awkwardly. “I’m sorry I pointed my sword at you and called you demons.”

“Uh, well.” Flora shifts from one foot to the other, glancing up at Artemis.

Artemis places a hand on Flora’s shoulder, smiling sweetly down at the two knights. “Thank you for your apology, sir Pipit. It’s greatly appreciated.”

Pipit looks back at Karane, who nods in approval. The two bow for them before making their leave.

“That was very diplomatic,” Flora notes, watching as the knights bicker amongst themselves.

“He made a mistake, and he apologized for it,” Artemis explains coolly. “I don’t see a reason to keep being upset.”

The two are interrupted by Sun, who approaches as she waves back to her father. With one hand gripping her satchel’s straps, she asks, “Well, are you guys ready?”

“It’s been lovely staying here, but we need to get moving,” Artemis asserts.

“Then let’s go.” Flora offers a small wave before she steps backwards into the portal. With a bright flash of light, she disappears.

Artemis smirks. “Oh she’s getting sure of herself, isn’t she? Come one-” she waves Sun along to follow her. “We have to catch up before she gets herself lost.”

Side-by-side, Artemis and Sun walk through the portal. Travelling through time is always disorientating, even though both of them have done it before. Sun’s not very surprised to find that these portals aren’t much different than the Gates of Time, but still, she squeezes her eyes shut as they travel. The world warps around her, a chaotic mess until it stops very suddenly.

Sun peeks her eyes open, just as the portal sputters to a close. She finds herself in the middle of a field, Artemis recuperating for a moment with her hands on her knees. On the other hand, however, Sun feels alright, if a little tired. Flora stands a few feet away, using a hand to block the sun from her eyes as she looks off into the distance.

“That must be the castle, just ahead there,” Flora gestures out, and Sun can just see the silhouettes of a city against the daylight as she makes it to her side. “We can get there in no time.”

“Wow, a real, actual city!” Sun utters in awe. “I mean, Sky’s told me about the ones he’s been to, but seeing it now…”

Flora gasps. “I didn’t even realize-!” She eagerly takes Sun’s hand and guides her towards the city hurriedly. “You have so much to see! Come on, let’s-”

“Hold on.”

The pair barely make it a few steps before Artemis stops them, still hunched over nausea. Flora grits her teeth, breathing in sharply. “Artemis, are you okay?”

“Just…” Artemis plants herself on the ground, but it isn’t long before she lays back, staring up at the bright blue sky. “Just give me a second.”

“Castle Town is… a lot,” Sun comments, subtly shifting to hold onto the cloth of Flora’s cloak. “I’ve never seen so many people before in my life.”

The trio are making their way through the streets, weaving their way through the city’s crowds and passing exuberant vendors. A Goron shouts into the masses, advertising fresh spring water, and Sun covers one of her ears.

“Don’t worry, the castle’s right up there,” Flora points up above the buildings, where the spires of walls are visible. “I’m sure when we explain the situation to the Zelda of this time, she’ll give us a nice, quiet place to spend the night.”

“Hm,” Sun hums in response, noticing Artemis frown slightly at Flora’s words.

“Now that you’ve said it…” Artemis mutters to herself, but she doesn’t finish the thought.

The crowd seems to thin as they approach the castle, which makes sense since the gate is guarded by two heavily armored individuals, both wielding some rather sharp spears. Flora, however, is unfazed, and marches right up to the guards. While Sun tries to follow her, Artemis places a hand on her shoulder, holding her back a few feet. Her hand slips from Flora’s cloak.

“Wait,” Artemis commands.

“Hello,” Flora greets the guards, ignoring their scrutinizing glares. Her hands are folded gently in front of her, the picture of politeness. “We would like to see the queen.”

The soldiers both look towards each other, before both burst out laughing.

“You want to see the queen?” the one on the right, gangly and tall, jabs at her.

“Who are you to demand an audience with her majesty?” the one on the left, shorter than his partner, continues.

Flora scoffs indignantly. “Well I never-!”

“Hold on.” Artemis raises a hand, silencing both guards. “Flora, remain dignified,” she reminds her descendant. “We have information about Link that her royal highness must hear immediately.”

“Uh…” the tall guard idly scratches his face. “What’s link?”

Artemis blinks, taken aback. “Th-the hero.” She composes herself. “Link.”

The guards exchange another glance with each other. “The hero’s name is Link?” the tall one asks, only to receive a shrug from the short one.

“Oh for Hylia’s sake,” Flora sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“Yeah, listen ladies,” the short guard steps forward, flipping his spear so the blunt, wooden end is pointing out. “You’re not seeing the queen today, so scram.” He pokes Flora with the spear.

“Well I never-!” With rage in her eyes, Artemis grabs onto Flora’s arm, dragging both her and Sun away from the castle gates.

“Artemis, wait!” Sun protests. “I think this is still salvageable!”

Ignoring her, Artemis shouts back over her shoulder at the two guards. “Listen to this! You two are going to be in big trouble soon!”

Flora, with a book in hand, disappeared into the depths of Castle Town. After her display on the battlefield, Artemis doubted she’d be in too much danger in the city. Besides, exploring their surroundings seemed to be a good alternative to meeting this time’s Zelda, and that was way easier when they split up.

Of course, Sun came with her. Artemis didn’t necessarily trust Sun to be on her own in this kind of setting, not yet at least. Judging by the fact that she was currently latched onto her arm like a sloth, she may have made the right choice.

“I have an idea of when we are,” Artemis explains to her.

Sun’s head snaps to Artemis as though she’d been broken out of a trance. “Oh, you do?”

Artemis nods. “I think there’s a business around here where we may find some help.”

“Time war stuff?”

“Time war stuff.”

Sun perks up and begins scanning the buildings up and down the street. “I can help. What does it look like?”

“Well,” Artemis paused. She’d never actually seen the place, had she? She just heard about it late at night when her troops made camp, and she was always about five seconds from punting Little Link into the forest by that time. Which is to say, her attention hadn’t always been there.

“It has to do with bugs,” she finally settles on.

Sun tilts her head. “Bugs?”

“Bugs,” Artemis affirms. “Agitha, the owner, and she loves them. I think it’s a zoo of some kind?”

“A bug zoo in Castle Town,” Sun remarks. “I think I understand cities even less now.”

Artemis shrugs. “I don’t understand it either, to be honest.”

Sun hums to herself, before suddenly pointing to a building across the road. “Agitha’s Castle?” she reads the sign aloud, “Is that it?”

“Right, that’s what it was called!”

When Artemis pushes open Agitha’s wooden door, they’re both immediately hit by a wave of warm air. The chirping and buzzing of several insects greet them, a butterfly going so far as to flutter over and land on Sun’s head.

“Artemis there’s a tree in here,” Sun states, eyeing the bugs climbing all over it with concern.

“Agitha!” Artemis cups her mouth with a hand as she shouts. “Are you here?”

“Is that who I think it is?” a voice rings out from the second floor. A young girl appears, leaning over the railing to peer down at her guests. “The other Princess Zelda!” She races to the stairs with heavy footfalls.

“Well, it’s Queen Zelda now,” Artemis informs Agitha as she bounds down the stairs. Her smile is warm and pleasant, like a fire on a chilly day.

Agitha takes the queen’s hands, holding them in her own, buzzing with energy as an excited smile graces her face. “Then you’re the other Queen Zelda! I can’t believe you’re here! I thought the War Across the Ages was finished?”

“It did,” Artemis nods. “My friend Sun and I are here on separate business.”

Hearing this, Agitha’s eyes snap to Sun, as if noticing her for the first time. “Oh, hello there! I’m Agitha.”

“Uh, hi,” Sun awkwardly responds. “I’m Sun, I suppose.”

Though Agitha squints at her words with suspicion, she’s quickly drawn away by Artemis. “We need to see this era’s Zelda, but the guards haven’t let us into the castle,” she explains. “Do you know of a way we can arrange a meeting?”

“Those guards are tricky.” Agitha slowly draws her hands away, bringing a finger to her chin as she thinks. “There may be something,” she reveals. “Why don’t you come have some tea? I’ll tell you everything I know.”

While their visit to Agitha’s Castle was by no means short, the subsequent search for Flora ended up being way longer than anticipated. Eventually, they find her laying against one of the buildings bordering the castle wall,

“Breaking and entering is not an option, Flora,” Artemis reprimands, picking up her exhausted descendant off the city streets and slinging her over her shoulder.

“I… ran the whole… perimeter,” Flora pants out, book still clutched tightly in her hands. “We can climb it.”

Sun, standing behind Artemis, pats Flora’s head in consolation.

“We’re heading to dinner,” Artemis says. “Agitha recommended a nice little bar we could eat at.”

The bar, thankfully, isn’t too far from where Flora collapsed. Sun breathes a sigh of relief when she sees it’s mostly deserted, save for a couple of patrons sitting at a table past the bar. One is a redhead, a drink by his side as he converses with the girl next to him. She’s black-haired, and curiously enough, her ears are rounded. Both perk up when they see the trio enter.

“Telma!” the black-haired lady calls out towards the back. “You’ve got some customers!”

“Er, is she alright?” the redheaded man points with his pen towards Flora, who’s still being carried by Artemis.

“She’s fine, just tired,” Artemis clarifies. She unceremoniously deposits Flora at the nearest table. “My sisters and I were wondering if we could get a meal here?”

“Well you certainly came to the right place, I’ll tell you that!” He offers her a thumbs up, only to be jabbed in the side by his companion.

Just then, a woman pushes through the back door, leaving it swinging behind her. “Well hello there, girls. Can I get you something?”

Artemis places a hand on Sun’s shoulder. “Wait here with Flora, I’ll order for us.”

Sun nods, sliding into the seat next to Flora, who’s currently laying face down on the table. Quietly, she slips Flora’s notebook away from her.

“So what is this?” Sun asks, thumbing through a few of the pages. There’s a lot of writing, but she also notices some drawings of diagrams. “Is it your diary?”

“Of sorts,” Flora murmurs. “It’s a research journal.”

“Oh!” she realizes. “I remember you seemed very interested in some of the monuments of my time. I could tell you more about them, if you’d like.”

“Sun,” Flora pops her head up, resting her chin on the wooden table. “I would love that more than anything. But I currently don’t have the stamina to write a single sentence.”

With a frown, Sun pats her shoulder. “Don’t worry, we’ll have lots of time later.”

Her sympathy brings a small smile to Flora’s face. “How was your time with Artemis, today?”

“We met one of her Time War friends,” Sun explains. “She mentioned her before, Agitha? She told us about this place.”

“And I bet you like it much more than the rest of the city.”

Sun’s neck grows hot, as she awkwardly tries to refute that. “Well- I-”

Flora reaches to place her hand over Sun’s. For a brief moment, her heart races at the thought that the glow might return. When nothing happens after a few seconds, she relaxes again. Never has she been so happy about a lack of anything before.

“Don’t worry,” Flora says, oblivious to Sun’s panic. “I know it can be a bit of a jump, from so little to so much. It was the opposite for me, but I felt similarly when I returned to my Hyrule.”

“Where did you go?” Sun asks, as if it were the most innocent question in the world.

“It was-” Flora tries to explain, but she just sighs. “I sealed a great evil away for a long time. When Wild eventually came to my side, so much time had already passed.” She looks away. “I didn’t recognize anything, anymore.”

“You didn’t- you didn’t have to say that,” Sun says. “I mean, I also sealed away an evil, the Demon King, but at least I went to the past to do it-” She takes a deep breath, composing herself. “What I’m trying to say is, I’m sorry. It must have hurt.”

“Well-”

The pair are interrupted by Artemis, returning to the table with the barkeep, Telma. She places her own bowl of soup in front of her while Telma serves Sun and Flora.

“Hope you girls enjoy,” she smiles, glancing over at Flora. “I made this special, I hear it’s supposed to help after a long day.”

“Thank you,” Flora responds automatically. She sits up slightly, eagerly yet carefully bringing a spoonful of soup to her mouth. There’s a buzz of excitement in her chest as she recognizes the blend of flavors; it can only be cream of vegetable soup. In fact, it’s almost like-

Wait.

Flora’s eyes go wide, and she almost drops her spoon. “Carrots and honey.”

“What?” Sun tilts her head at her.

“This is a carrot and honey cream of vegetable soup, I-” She remembers the night she first tried it. After one hundred years of fighting, she was so tired, and that night, Wild brought her to a stable. He showed her how to make it, explaining where he got every ingredient. And the way it warmed her stomach after so long, especially when he followed it up with a fruitcake dessert…

“This is Wild’s recipe,” she reveals, looking up at Telma. “Did he- how did you get it?”

Before Telma can respond, the door to the bar opens, and in steps a figure in a long, black cloak.

Honestly, all Queen Zelda Elaine Hyrule wanted was to relax at Telma’s after a long day of courting nobles and other queenly business. She knew at least a few members of the Resistance would be there, and what better way to get her mind off things than to listen to Shad ramble on about the sky beings for hours?

What she didn’t expect, however, was a young girl looking like she was going to cry about her soup while grilling Telma about the recipe.

“Uh,” Artemis looks between Telma and the girl, befuddled.

Telma grimaces when she notices her. “Honey, why don’t you go sit with Shad and Ashei in the back? I’ll have this handled in a second.” The pair of them are standing just a few feet away, Ashei with a hand ready to draw her sword.

“How did you get Wild’s recipe?” the girl demands, standing as one of her companions tries to reach for her.

“I didn’t take it,” Telma counters. “He gave it to me-”

“Wild?” Zelda asks. “As in, Link’s friend, Wild?”

A silence passes over the girl, she and her friends staring at Zelda. One of the other patrons at the girl’s table, seemingly the oldest, speaks up. “You know Link.”

“He’s-” Zelda almost calls him her friend, but truthfully, she doesn’t know if he would call her such at the moment. “Yes. I know him. And how do you know Wild?” She raises a skeptical eyebrow.

“He’s my best friend,” the first girl says, crossing her arms.

“We’re friends of Link’s friends,” the older one says. “The ones he’s travelling with now.”

Very suddenly, it clicks in Zelda’s mind. These aren’t just any visitors, now are they?

“Ah, I see,” Zelda replies. “You all are quite far from home, are you not? Tell me, what is it that brings you to the Era of Twilight?” She slides up to their table, resting her hands on its wooden surface.

“Link and his friends may be in danger,” the last one, a girl with a feather on her belt, reveals. “We need to see this time period’s Zelda.”

“Well then, you’ve found her.” Zelda pulls down the hood of her cloak. She takes one of the empty seats at the table. With her hands folded in front of her, she narrows her gaze at her counterparts. “Telma, give us a moment. What’s wrong with Link?”

“Dusk, I presume?” the older one asks, receiving a nod in response. “I’m called Artemis, these are Sun and Flora.” She gestures to the other two. “We encountered a monster that could change shape, primarily taking the form of our heroes. He taunted us with their safety, and since we haven’t seen them in quite some time, we can only assume he’s done something to them.”

“That’s… concerning,” Dusk admits. “So why have you come to me, then?”

“We want your help,” Sun continues. “We’ve been going through the portals, and they’ve brought us… Zeldas? They’ve brought us all together.”

Flora plops back down in her chair. “The shadow creature is strong. We’ll need as many hands as we can get to defeat it.”

Dusk’s first instinct is to refuse them outright. Though she’s not sure about the rest of them, she has a kingdom to run! She can’t just leave on a journey across time on a whim, not when her people need her. She isn’t Link.

Oh.

But this is for Link, isn’t it? Link, who she let do everything while she was trapped in the twilight of Hyrule Castle. Link, who saved a land that wasn’t his without question. Link, who deserved more than she had given them.

“Ashei, Shad!” she calls out, beckoning the two Resistance members to her side. “Tomorrow, I’m going to make an announcement. As trusted advisors and saviors of Hyrule in your own right, I will leave you both, as well as Auru, in charge of all royal duties until further notice.” She turns her attention back to the other Zeldas. “I’m coming with you.”

“Thank you,” Sun smiles at her sweetly. “All of our Links mean a lot to us, I’m sure you understand.”

“Sorry you had to see me, er,” Flora gestures to her soup, which she stirs with her spoon. “It’s just… I haven’t had this soup in a while, you know?” She suddenly turns towards the bar, where Telma is cleaning some dishes. “And sorry for yelling at you, miss!”

“Don’t you worry, honey!” Telma calls back. “Tell Wild thanks for the recipe when you see him, alright? I think he could use the pick-me-up.”

“Pick-me-up?” Flora echoes quietly.

“Now.” Artemis slams her hands on the table lightly. “Dusk, I should tell you. We had the worst experience with a pair of guards outside the castle, earlier today.”

“Oh, did you?” Dusk leans in, resting her elbows on the table. “Well, we’ll have to handle that.”

Chapter Text

The first thing Dusk notices when she steps through the portal is the smell of salt, carried on a cool breeze. And then, almost immediately, her vision begins to swim and she doubles over in dizziness.

“You weren’t-” she swallows. “You weren’t lying…”

“I’m never getting used to this,” Artemis collapses on the sandy beach, draping an arm over her eyes. “Flora, where are we?”

“Well…” Flora exchanges a concerned glance with Sun, who shrugs in return. “We appear to be shipwrecked.”

“What?!” Dusk straightens herself out in an instant, finally getting a view of their surroundings. The island they’re on appears to have been ruined in some way, the ground torn apart as though wrecked by a great force. And, as far as the eye can see, there is only water.

“By Hylia, this can’t be happening!” Dusk brings a hand to her face in horror. “We’re stuck here?!”

“Hey, it’s not that bad,” Flora kneels down, scooping a handful of sand and letting it slip through her fingers. “We have our food supplies, and there doesn’t look to be any danger around here.”

“And we can sleep under the stars!” Sun chimes in. “Have you ever gone camping, Dusk?”

“No.” She crosses her arms grumpily. “I have not.”

“I’ve basically been camping since Link finished his quest…” Sun takes a moment to count on her fingers. “Almost two years ago, now. Trust me,” she places a comforting hand on Dusk’s shoulder. “You’ll catch on in no time.”

“So what are we thinking about for dinner tonight?” Flora holds up her slate as she asks, inspecting its contents. “Dusk, I must admit, your era was great for stocking up on supplies. We have the ingredients here to make quite the meal.”

“Shouldn’t we ration, though?” Sun asks, peering over her shoulder. “I mean, we don’t know how long we’ll be stuck here.”

“The Era of the Great Sea isn’t as desolate as it appears,” Artemis remarks, head poking up from where she’d been laying out her bedroll. “Sooner or later, someone is going to come by.”

“You know when we are, then?” Dusk pipes up from her seat at the fire, arms and legs both crossed.

Artemis nods. “It’s truly a beautiful time. A shame that we’re stuck here.”

“A shame indeed,” Dusk mutters under her breath.

“Ah, I remember hearing about it during my lessons,” Flora comments, but it’s all she says on the subject before turning her attention back to Sun. “How about some risotto? We can use pumpkin in it, if you’d like.”

“Really?” Sun’s eyes go wide,and she grips onto Flora’s shoulder just a bit tighter.

“Why not?” Flora flips to the page showing her supplies. “We’ve got everything we need for it.” She pauses for a moment, eying the scowl of their newest member. “Dusk,” she asks, causing her to perk up. “Would you like to help with dinner?”

“Oh,” Dusk almost seems a bit… confused, her head slightly tilted to the side. “Really?”

“Though Wild’s taught me a few things, I’m not the best chef,” Flora admits. “I’d appreciate the extra hands.”

With a bit of hesitation, Dusk slowly scooches over to Flora and Sun. “So,” she glances down at the Sheikah Slate. “What do I need to do?”

There have definitely been better pumpkin risottos, that’s for sure. The rice is a bit undercooked, adding an uncomfortable crunch to every bite. Not only that, the pumpkin is slightly goopy, almost spine-shiveringly so.

“Well, this is…” Artemis starts, but she doesn’t finish the thought.

“It’s made with love,” Flora grimaces.

“This sucks,” Dusk says out loud.

“I think!” Artemis deliberately speaks over her. “Because we’re out in the middle of nowhere, we need to start keeping watch at night.”

Oh. Oh no. Dusk’s stomach twists at the idea of that. Sitting around, basked in darkness, doing nothing but watching, waiting? You know what that sounds like?

“Oh, that’s an excellent idea!” Flora comments. “We can even separate into shifts, to minimize any issues that would come from staying up late.”

“We are in unfamiliar waters,” Sun jokes, earning a small laugh from Flora. “But seriously, it may be the best way to ensure our safety while we rest.”

So they agree, just like that?!

“Are-are you serious?” Dusk chokes out, the taste of pumpkin risotto growing even more sour in her mouth.

“Dusk, what’s wrong?” Flora reaches over to her companion, but Dusk jolts away as soon as her fingers brush her arm.

She stands abruptly, her cloak fluttering behind her. “Do as you wish, but I won’t be participating.” Without another word, she storms out of the camp.

Thankfully, at least in Dusk’s mind, her counterparts opted not to mention her outburst from the night before. The three of them seemed to have sorted the watch out amongst themselves, but just the thought of that causes a burning feeling of shame to ignite in her chest.

The next morning, the four set about trying to make their small fragment of an islet more comfortable. Artemis has been insistent on keeping a fire going, so they could catch the sight of any passing ships. Sun was more than happy to help her scavenge for kindling. But Flora…

“Malanya’s goddess-damned hooves,” Flora curses under her breath.

Perhaps a bit annoyed, Dusk pokes her head up from her rapier, which she’d been sharpening. Just a few feet away, Flora sits with her legs crossed, arduously attempting to drag a comb through her hair. And arduous is the right word, as no matter how hard she tries, she makes little headway in regard to the tangles.

Dusk places her sword to the side, deciding it will serve her well enough for now. “Do you need help?” she asks.

Flora startles at her words, but settles into a sweet smile when she realizes who’s speaking. “Oh, Dusk.” She holds out the comb. “If you’d like a try at this, go ahead.”

Taking the comb, Dusk silently takes a seat right behind Flora. She tenses slightly as Dusk gently grabs one of the locks, experimentally running her fingers through it.

“This isn’t so bad,” Dusk remarks. “It just needs a bit of maintenance.”

Flora relaxes with a deep breath. “It’s these ocean winds,” she explains, a huff of irritation in her voice. “It always gets bad when I travel, but especially with all the salt in the air…”

Dusk smoothly runs the comb through the top layer of Flora’s hair, removing some of the surface-level tangles. “I can only imagine. How have you been taking care of it before?”

“Typically I’d try to stay ahead of it, but…” Flora sighs. “I’ve fallen behind, lately. Everything has been non-stop since I arrived in Artemis’s time.”

“And how long has it been for you since then?”

Flora takes a moment, and peering around, Dusk can see her counting on her fingers. “Around five days, give or take. It’s just so hard to take care of, you know?”

It takes a great deal of effort for Dusk to swallow down her shock. “Well, if you don’t like it long…” She pinches Flora’s hair between her pointer and middle fingers, miming scissors, at a length just at the bottom of her neck. “Have you considered cutting it?”

“Cutting it?!” Flora brings a hand to her cheek, as if scandalized by the idea. “I- well, I’ve thought of it a few times, yes, but- I’ve never really...” With a strange focus, she twirls one of the strands by her face around her finger, before glancing back at Dusk. “Do you think it’d look good?”

“On you?” Dusk grins warmly. “I think it’d be great. Most of your tangles are in the lower half, so we could just cut them off.”

Suddenly, Flora frowns. “Oh, but we don’t have any scissors. I guess it was a nice thought.”

“I brought a dagger with me,” Dusk reveals, pulling said item from her boot. The handle is intricate and golden, yet not too flashy. “I could get the length down in no time.”

Flora chuckles. “You know, Artemis would kill you if you nicked me.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Dusk surveys Artemis and Sun’s work at the firepit. Sun is currently demonstrating to Artemis the proper way to fan a fire, using a palm leaf.

“How do you know this?” Artemis asks her ancestor with a glint of suspicion in her eye.

Sun straightens, realizing Artemis’s implication. “I didn’t start any fires, Artemis, it was for a Loftwing ceremony-” At that point, though, Dusk stops listening, turning back to Flora.

“Then I’ll have to be careful.”

The first cuts are the most dramatic, slicing away the largest chunks of hair. Flora fidgets with her hands the whole time, but she has the poise to keep her head still for Dusk. Once it’s down to length, though, all that’s left to do is to clean up the edges.

Finally, running the locks through her fingers one last time, Dusk announces, “It’s done.”

Flora gasps with elation, and before Dusk can even lament their lack of a mirror, she pulls out her tablet. Much to Dusk’s surprise, when she points it back at herself, both of their faces appear on its screen. Her own shock and Flora’s pure excitement are reflected back at them.

“Oh, it’s amazing!” Flora turns her head back and forth, her new bob cut twirling with her. “Dusk, thank you so much for this!” She wraps an arm around Dusk’s shoulders, pulling her forward. “Smile!” she says, just before her slate makes a clicking noise.

By the time Dusk processed those words, though, it was already over.

“Wh-what was that?” Dusk stammers out.

For a brief moment, Flora looks at her with confusion. Then her eyes go wide, her mouth forming into an ‘o’. “I took a photo of us on the Sheikah Slate.” She holds out the slate for Dusk. “Do you want to see?”

Hesitantly, Dusk takes the tablet from Flora. She doesn’t have to do much after that because there, right on the screen, is a photograph of Flora’s sweet, smiling face. And Dusk is right next to her, looking towards her descendant with the most bewildered look on her face.

“Woah,” Dusk says, politely ignoring her less-than stellar appearance. “This is amazing.”

“I know, right?” Flora takes her slate back.

Struck with an idea, Dusk grabs a few of the strands of hair left on the ground, holding them up and shouting, “Hey, Artemis!”

Artemis looks between the hair in Dusk’s hand and Flora’s new cut. “What did you do to her hair?!”

Dusk waves the hair back and forth. “I got you more kindling!”

Flora and Sun’s laughs are worth the shade of red Artemis’s face turns.

“Are you sure you don’t want to sit with me?” Flora calls over her shoulder. She’s lounging on one of the sharp edges of their little islet, her legs hanging over and dipping into the sea below. “It’s a great way to cool down!”

“No thank you!” Sun responds with a smile. Together, she and Dusk are happily sitting under their makeshift canopy, constructed from their spare blankets and tied together both with stakes and to the sole tree on their shard of an island. Dusk’s own cloak has been abandoned, now serving as a barrier between them and the itchy grass.

“We don’t have bathing suits like you and Artemis do,” Dusk explains, with Sun nodding along solemnly, “So we probably shouldn’t get wet.”

Flora shrugs, but her resignation turns to horror as, suddenly, a hand wraps around her ankle. With a shout, she disappears past the ridge, into the ocean.

Oh, Lanayru’s tears!

“Flora!” they both shout, leaping to their feet and sprinting to the edge of the islet. When they skid to a stop, though, they don’t find a horrible sea monster attempting to snap its jaws around their descendant.

Instead, they’re just in time to bear witness to Artemis, waist-deep in the shallows, hefting Flora upwards and, despite her kicks of protest, supplexing her into the water.

SPLASH!

And, just like that, Dusk and Sun are soaked.

Artemis springs out of the water, laughing in a way a cat would laugh if it caught its prey. If Dusk didn’t know any better, with her wet hair and all her grace, she might have thought she was a mermaid.

“Rude.” Flora surfaces just behind Artemis, though she doesn’t emerge past her neck.

“You needed to stop delaying,” Artemis insists, crossing her arms. “I was getting bored on my own in here.”

“I was just checking on Sun and Artemis-!”

“Uh, hello?!” Dusk shouts and gestures to her dress, which is currently dripping saltwater onto the grass below. “Two sopping wet queens, here!”

“I’m not a queen,” Sun murmurs, though she’s mostly focused on wringing the water from the edges of her own dress.

“Can it, Sun,” Dusk orders, pointing an accusatory hand at Artemis. “You splashed us!”

Artemis rolls her eyes. “A little water never hurt anyone.”

“A little water?!” Dusk almost shrieks. “Do you know how much I spent on this dress?!”

Flora stops blowing bubbles to poke her mouth above the water. “Why did you bring an expensive dress on your time travel adventure?”

“Because as a queen,” Dusk refers to herself with her fingers on her chest. “I need to present myself nicely. In fact, I’m surprised you three don’t have anything nicer.”

“Anything nice I own has been eaten by moths by now,” Flora mutters. “Or malice.”

“This is my nicest outfit?” Sun reveals.

“Stop saying nice,” Artemis groans. “It doesn’t sound real anymore. Dusk, if your dress is ruined now, do you want to join us?”

Dusk gasps with indignation. “I would never-!”

“Fine! Fine!” Artemis waves her off. “Forget I asked. Go back to your castle or whatever.”

She almost leaps into the water then and there, just to give Artemis a piece of her mind. In fact, Dusk takes one sharp, threatening step towards, her fists curled into balls, when-
“Come on,” Sun takes Dusk’s hand, and the contact grounds her in a way. “I know a lot of good laundry tricks. I could probably un-saltwater your dress.”

“You’d do that?” Dusk asks, almost confused as Sun guides her pack to their canopy.

“Of course,” Sun smiles at her. “Why wouldn’t I help?”

Artemis stands in the water, watching as Dusk and Sun retreat. Her lips are pressed together, eyes narrowed in, and Flora can’t figure out what she’s thinking for the life of her.

This kind of sucks.

Hylia, alright. She can figure this out.

For now, though, Artemis has made a grave tactical error, leaving her back to Flora while her attention is elsewhere.

As quietly as she can, Flora sneaks up behind Artemis. Then, when she’s close enough, she leaps at her back, pushing down with all of her might.

“I’ve got you!” Flora shouts, before realizing… Oh no. Even using all of her strength, she hasn’t pushed Artemis down an inch. And now, Artemis is looking right into her eyes, one eyebrow raised in amusement.

Wordlessly, Artemis flips Flora off of her back, and she lands in the water with a Smack!

“Ow,” Flora whimpers as she peeks back above the water.

With a sigh, Artemis dramatically brushes her hands off. “Now, that can’t be the best we can do.”

“Sun, this has got to end.”

That’s what Flora proclaims when she wakes Sun that night for her nightly shift.

“What’s gotta end?” Sun slurs, still half asleep.

“This fighting between Artemis and Dusk,” she crosses her arms. “I don’t like it.”

“You’ve noticed it too?” Sun asks as she rubs her eyes.

Flora shrugs, settling next to Sun’s bedroll. “I think just about anyone with eyes could notice that.” And then, without thinking, she adds, “It reminds me of Link and Revali.”

Just a little bit, Flora’s heart aches.

“Huh?” Sun tilts her head upon hearing this. “Who’s Revali?”

“Oh, Revali- uh,” Flora stammers awkwardly. “He’s a friend. Was a friend.”

Immediately, Sun breaks out those sad little eyes, as if she can guess exactly what happened to Revali. As if she knows anything about her Hyrule. “I’m sorry, I know it’s hard-”

“It’s fine!” Flora shouts, just a bit too loudly. Instinctively, she covers her mouth, though she’s relieved to see that Artemis and Dusk don’t stir within their own bedrolls.

“It’s fine,” she reiterates, quieter this time. “We need to focus on this, now.”

“Alright,” Sun pushes her blanket down, meeting Flora’s eye with a determined smirk. “How do you propose we do it?”

“See, this is the Cryonis Rune,” Flora demonstrates by summoning a pillar of ice in the shallow part of the water. “It can make ice.”

“Very interesting, Flora,” Dusk comments, eying the designs on the surface of the ice. “In fact, it’s kind of pretty, too.”

“Thank you,” Flora bows jokingly. “Obviously, it can be used to keep us cool during hot days. But also, they can be utilized as makeshift bridges across waterways.”

“Oh? Like from this island to another?” Sun’s acting leaves a bit to be desired, but she can at least keep the ball rolling.

Flora snaps her fingers at Sun. “Exactly! Now, I can’t be certain of where any proper islands are, but I can at least make my way over to one of the other land masses nearby. It could be good for foraging.”

Artemis raises her hand. “Are you sure this is safe?”

“Of course, Wild has done it plenty of times,” Flora assures her.

“I don’t know if anything that kid does can be construed as safe,” Dusk murmurs under her breath.

Artemis’s eye slightly twitches at that. “Dusk does bring up a good point.”

“Oh for Hylia’s sake,” Flora pinches the bridge of her nose. “Wild is fine! He’s accident prone! Not safety unconscious!”

“Oh, last time he visited, we played this fun flying game!” Sun reveals with a small clap. “He kept jumping off the side of Skyloft, and I had to try and catch him with my Loftwing while he avoided me!”

“Sun just disproved your point, Flora,” Dusk points out, smugly.

“We’re getting off-topic!” Flora suddenly shouts. “I can only have three pillars up at a time, so not everyone can come with. Any volunteers?”

“Yeah, Wild was really good at that game!” Sun continues on as if nobody else spoke. “He almost reached the Surface once.”

“I said, any volunteers?” Flora states once again, drawing out the words to catch Sun’s attention.

“Oh, I-!” Sun clears her throat. “I’ll come with you, Zelda!” she says in a tone that is not at all natural.

Flora sighs deeply before muttering to herself, “Why’d you call me Zelda?”

“What was that?” Sun asks innocently.

“I said let’s go now!” Flora jovially swings her fist. “We don’t know how long we’ll be there, so we should get there as fast as possible.”

Artemis looks between the two of them, narrowing her eyes. Flora almost buckles under her scrutiny. “Alright, you two. Be safe, Dusk and I will be keeping an eye on you.”

“Yeah sure,” Dusk says, more focused on her nails than whatever Artemis is saying.

The climb onto the ice pillars is a bit slippery, but Flora and Sun are able to find their footing once they’re squarely on top. Slowly yet surely, they make their way towards the tallest of the island shards. They’d decided on it ahead of time, since it seemed like the obvious choice.

Occasionally, Sun keeps glancing back, meeting Artemis’s gaze every time.

“I think she’s onto us,” Sun whispers, tugging lightly on Flora’s cloak.

“Keep with the plan,” Flora assures her, though her voice is shaky. “Everything will be fine.”

Once they’re at the halfway point between the islands, Flora suddenly stops. Finally, she turns back, facing Sun.

“Are you ready?” she asks, holding her Slate up slightly.

Unable to bring herself to speak, Sun nods.

Without any hesitation, Flora pulls up the Rune once again. But this time, instead of creating a new ice pillar, she breaks the three they’re standing on.

For a brief, helpless moment, they’re weightless. Then gravity rushes in, and the two girls plummet into the sea below.

“Flora! Sun!” Artemis shouts, her hands on either side of her head in horror.

“Oh no!” Flora shouts, purposefully keeping her head just above the water. She thrashes with her arms around wildly.

Sun kicks up to the surface as well. “Dusk! Artemis! Save us!” Dramatically, she raises a hand to the sky.

“Idiots! You can swim!” Dusk doesn’t bother to stand, just cups her mouth as she yells at them both. “You’re not hurt or anything!”

“Uh.” Flora and Sun exchange a glance, temporarily pausing their drowning.

“There’s a sea monster!” Flora tries.

Artemis’s shoulders sag, and just barely, the two of them can hear a groan. “Get back on land! Both of you!”

“Naydra’s fucking ice!”

“Language!” both Artemis and Dusk reprimand Flora.

“Oh no, I’m bleeding to death!” Flora theatrically collapses into Sun’s waiting arms. “I need both of you to donate blood!”

“Flora,” Dusk deadpans. “You literally aren’t bleeding.”

“I got stung by a bee,” Sun pouts, holding up her finger. “I need medical attention from two great queens of Hyrule, please.”

“Why can’t Flora help you?” Artemis asks, noticing that said queen is poorly hiding behind the tree.

“She died.”

“Dusk, Artemis,” Flora solemnly approaches the two queens, both of whom were previously busy tending to camp. “I have decided to grant upon both of you a great honor. One that, previously, I’ve only given to my dear knight Link. And, as you know, I am heartbroken over the fact that it’s been so long since I’ve seen him, and I mourn his presence everyday. Desperately, I wish for his safety and hope to reunite with him soon This is a task that I hope you will take up in his name, for he is no longer here to-”

“Spit it out already, Flora,” Dusk commands, her hands paused in the middle of sewing her blanket, because she did accidentally slash it when she was working on her dagger. “You’re giving me a headache.”

Flora presents the Sheikah Slate to the two of them. “I want you to make dinner tonight.”

“No.”

“I give up!” Sun throws her hands into the air in the middle of dinner. Having suddenly lost her appetite, she pushes her fried wild greens to the side.

“Oh thank goodness,” Dusk sighs in relief, leaning back against their lone tree. She takes another bite of her meal. “I thought you’d never stop.”

“What exactly were you two doing, today?” Artemis questions, pausing her own dinner. “Were you trying out acting?”

“No,” Flora grumbles, crossing her arms.

Gently, the moon rises into the sky. Tonight, its left half is missing, like an incomplete puzzle.

Something inside of Sun snaps. How dare they?! Whether she’s Hylia or not, she’s their ancestor! And here they are, treating her like a child?! She isn’t even that much younger than them!

“Do not speak to me in that tone,” Sun’s words are sharp, like a knife through wool, and directed towards Artemis and Dusk. “I am your grandmother several times over, and I don’t deserve to be treated with such disrespect! You reap the benefits of my kingdom to this day!”

“Oh, like I’ve enjoyed leading your kingdom!” Dusk snaps back. “Do you know what I’ve done, what I’ve sacrificed for Hyrule? Don’t hold it over my head!”

Squeezing her eyes shut, Flora covers her ears.

“Can it Dusk!” Sun throws her words right back at her. “All day, Flora and I have been trying to get you two-” she points between Artemis and Dusk. “-to get along! We’re family, this shouldn’t be so hard!”

Artemis gives Dusk a pointed look. “Well maybe if some people were a little more open to my ideas, we wouldn’t have issues in the first place!”

“Oh since we’re going there!” Dusk stands, directing an accusatory finger at Artemis. “Maybe if you didn’t try to control everything, I wouldn’t have a problem with you!”

“Both of you, stop!”

Flora peeks one eye open, hoping desperately she doesn’t find one of her ancestors choking the other. But, in reality, it’s not any of her counterparts that catch her attention. No, it’s something past them, past their small islet…

There’s something on the water.

“What in Hylia’s name is that?!” Flora points at it in horror.

Shocked out of their argument, the three Zeldas all turn to follow her finger. Floating on the water, there it is.

A ship, bathed in a ghostly blue light.

Chapter Text

There was just something about Outset Island.

Tetra hated pretty much everything about it. The people there were soft, even the fishermen who spent their days hunting down the monsters of the sea. Everyone was preoccupied with their simple lives. Rearing their children, washing their clothes and hanging them to dry, playing with wooden swords…

They all went on like this, day after day, as though a great and powerful kingdom did not lay in ruins, miles below the sea.

But still, some little part of Tetra couldn’t help but want it. She wanted that simple life, to live without a care in the world. The burden on her shoulders was heavy, but the time she’d spent on Link’s little island, where nobody needed anything from her, had lifted it.

So when she found Link on Outset, of all places, well… that just sweetened the deal, didn’t it?

Rats… Wind was his name, now, wasn’t it? At least for now it was.

The best part of Outset, though, had to be the woods. The Forest of Fairies was quiet these days, which perhaps made it all the more ideal in Tetra’s opinion. She never got a second alone on her ship, not truly, but she could here.

Gently, she placed a hand on one of the trees, tracing the grooves in its bark. She was familiar with this one. When the Helmaroc King dropped her, it was this tree that she fell into, the branches snagging on her clothes. And then she met Wind.

Goddesses, where would she be without Wind? If this one, special, stupid kid hadn’t found her that day. Part of her wanted to think she could have taken Ganondorf on her own, and that was the part of her she let control the narrative.

Still, the Forest of Fairies was beautiful. Tetra could only hope their new home would have places half as pretty. With its cool breeze rustling fallen leaves, the ever-present smell of fresh dew, and gentle harp strumming…

Wait. Who the hell was playing the harp up here?!

Her good mood thoroughly ruined, Tetra followed the sound of the harp. Eventually, she came upon one of the heroes, sitting at the forest’s cliff.

What was his name? Cloud? No, that’s close, but not right… What’s a Hero of the Clouds, anyway? That sounded stupid. Hero of the Sun? Hero of the… Wind? No wait-

Sky! It’s Sky!

Yikes, though. Sky didn’t look so good. He kept plucking at the strings of his harp, but each time he only made it a few notes in before wincing. There were dark circles under his eyes, which kept darting up towards his clear, blue namesake with desperation.

Tetra almost left right then and there.

But there was a voice in the back of her head, one that sounded a bit like Wind, a bit like an old king. A princess would try to help her people.

Ugh. Fine. This would be a good practice run, anyway.

“Hey, buddy,” Tetra awkwardly tried to put on her cheerful princess voice. “What’s- what’s up?”

Sky looked back at her, almost no emotion on his face. “Oh, Zelda.”

“It’s Tetra,” she responded instinctively, mentally cringing at her own bluntness. She’s trying to be nice now!

“Right, Tetra,” Sky nodded, as if reminding himself. “I have a question for you.”

“Alright, I can answer questions.” Tetra took a seat next to Sky, letting her legs dangle off the cliff’s edge. “What do you want to know?”

“Your Hyrule,” he gestured towards the Great Sea, expanding as far as the eye could see. “How did it come to be this way?”

Right, this guy’s the first one. “Well, Ganondorf was sealed in the Evil Realm,” she started.

“Then what happened?”

“He broke free. The people of Hyrule, they prayed to the Goddesses to save them from his wrath, and-” Tetra swallowed. “And they flooded the land.”

For a moment, Sky was silent. His grip on his harp was tight, and for a moment, Tetra was concerned he’d break it. It was such a nice piece of treasure, after all, and it’d be a shame if it were harmed.

Finally, he spoke again. “How many died?”

“What?” Tetra almost shouted, certain she’d misheard him.

“When the flood came, how many died?” Sky reiterated, his gaze focused on the waves lapping at Outset’s shore.

“I- I don’t…” she sputtered helplessly. “I don’t know.”

“This is the legacy I’ve left the world,” Sky said. “What did their blind faith bring them?”

Standing on the stern of her ship, Captain Tetra takes in a deep breath and sighs. There’s nothing like the open ocean, is there? Cutting through the waves, the smell of salt in the night air…

With Wind gone on his little hero quest, searching for new land has taken a backseat. He would kill her if she even thought about founding her kingdom without him there by her side. Well, at least try to. They both know who would really win that fight.

But it’s not so bad. New Hyrule can wait, Tetra has a chance to focus on some of her own passions.

“Captain!” It’s Gonzo, Tetra’s right-hand man. He stops a few feet behind her. “We’ve spotted the Ghost Ship at Greatfish Isle!”

Like hunting down and destroying every last Ghost Ship on the high fucking seas.

“Excellent.” Tetra smirks. “Alter course for Greatfish. We’re going to destroy some undead tonight.”

“Uh, that’s just it, Captain,” Gonzo says. “There’s people on the island, yeah? And they’re fighting the monsters!”

“What?!” Tetra snaps back towards her subordinate. “Who would be stupid enough to fight a Ghost Ship?!”

Of course, the second they noticed the ship, that’s when the undead started jumping onto their islet.

“Get it off get it off get it off get it off!” Flora desperately shouts as, using the Magnesis Rune, she slams the shield from Artemis down onto the Stalfos that has an iron-tight grip on her ankle.

“Flora, use the shield!” Dusk shouts over her shoulder, focused more on parrying off the sword of a Stalfos. In the same swift movement, she drives her rapier cleanly into its skull. As much as Artemis hates to admit it, Dusk is good. “Don’t make it a mallet!”

“She knows what she’s doing!” Artemis contends, just as her sword meets the lantern of a poe. “She doesn’t need you telling her what to do!”

“Now isn’t the time for arguing with each other!” Sun’s exasperation drips off her words. She’s just barely able to duck, dodging a swing from a Stalfos. On the ground, she kicks a leg out, knocking the walking skeleton off its feet.

Artemis’s eye twitches, and she snaps back around in anger. “I’m just saying-!”

But that moment of distraction was just a smidge too much. The Poe rises behind her, raising its glowing hand, preparing for the one, fatal strike. But before Flora can even gasp, or Sun can yell for her to watch out-

BANG!

The Poe’s lantern shatters, and with an agonizing shriek, it disappears.

There’s another ship in the water, bearing a red and white sail with two crossed swords. And there, gripping onto a rope as she leans off the bowsprit, is Tetra, the barrel of her gun smoking.

“Tetra!” Artemis could breathe a sigh of relief. “Thank the Goddess you’re here!”

Tetra blinks, taken aback for a moment. “Queenie?! I thought the Time War was over!”

“Fight now, talk later!” Sun shouts over the Stalfos she has in a headlock.

Tetra nods, tilting her head back towards her ship. “Boys! Lend them a hand!”

At her word, a crew of men lapel down from the ship and into the shallow waters. With their cutlasses drawn, they begin slicing away at the Poes and Stalfos attacking the stranded ladies.

Tetra sharply whistles, catching Artemis’s attention. “Queenie, take your best, leave the other two behind! We’re boarding that ship!”

Artemis bites her cheek. Her best, huh?

Well, there was no doubt about which of them had the most training.

“Dusk!” she cups her mouth as she yells.

And Dusk almost instantaneously freezes, her rapier dropping slightly as she looks at Artemis, her eyes wide.

“Come with me to the ship!” Artemis points towards the Ghost Ship. “We need you!”

For a moment, a very brief one, Dusk doesn’t react. Then, she smirks, a smugness only a queen could have.

“It’s about time,” she says.

The second they step into the Ghost Ship’s hull, Dusk’s nose wrinkles. “I can practically feel the dust in the air.”

The whole interior of the ship seems to be filled with smog, solidifying the undead ambience. Its wooden walls groan as it’s rocked by the sea, giving off the same eerie blue lighting it had on the outside. Below them, on the ship’s bottom, were monsters. Poes and ReDeads.

“We need to get back there,” Tetra gestures towards the back of the ship with her cutlass. “Once we take the treasure, the ship will disappear.”

“Right, because you’re pirates,” Dusk crosses her arms. “Remind me how you two know each other, again?”

Artemis and Tetra exchange a glance. “The War Across the Ages,” the former explains. “We recruited many individuals adrift from their own eras.”

“But pirates? Really?” Dusk gestures to Tetra with a hand.

“I’ll have you know, I’m the greatest pirate who ever sailed this sea,” Tetra jabs her thumb towards herself.

Artemis rolls her eyes. “Come on you two, behave. You’re cousins, after all.”

“Wh-what?!” Dusk sputters. “I thought you said her name was Tetra!”

Tetra snorts. “Yeah, but to some people, it’s Princess Zelda.” She holds out her hand, winking at Dusk. “Welcome to the family, cousin!”

Hesitantly, Dusk shakes her hand. Tetra responds with a shocking amount of vigor.

“Now that that’s settled,” Artemis claps her hands together. “How about we defeat some undead?”

As if answering her question, Tetra shoots right at the ReDead’s skull. While her bullet is enough to defeat the single ReDead, the sound also draws the attention of the other monsters on the ship. Slowly, they begin shambling towards the ledge the ladies stand on.

“Oh great,” Dusk mutters to herself. “There goes our element of surprise.”

“Dusk, we should stick together,” Artemis suggests, careful in her phrasing as she draws her rapier. “We can watch each other’s backs.”

With a nod, Dusk retrieves her own sword. “Let’s go,” is the only thing she says before she jumps off the ledge.

These new guys, Sun decides, are good. They’re decent with their swords, though she knows they’d be better if they’d attended the Knight’s Academy. At least they’re good enough to make up for both Artemis and Dusk’s absences.

One of the taller pirates slices clean through the neck of a Stalfos, its head landing just at Sun’s feet. Rearing her foot up, she crushes it under her boot. Of course, she’d never admit it, but that crunch! is such a sweet sound. Like music to her ears.

Sun’s ears twitch slightly as they pick up the faint sound of clanging metal. She’s just in time to duck again, missing a swing from an angry Poe.

“Hey, pirates!” she shouts, hoping to catch the attention of at least one of them. “Think one of you can take this for me?”

The tall one with the bandana nods, quickly moving himself between Sun and the Poe. She sighs. She just isn’t equipped to deal with that, today. Maybe if she’d remembered to bring a sword…

Sure, hand-to-hand combat isn’t usually her first choice, but Sun has grown to appreciate it over the past few minutes. Hylia, not just appreciate it. She loves it, more than she ever thought she would. Who would have guessed that punching things would be so fun?

“Well, well, look who’s decided to grace us with her presence.”

Oh, that sounds considerably less fun!

Turning behind her, Sun sees what must be the monster Artemis and Flora told her about. Because as her eyes lay on him, it’s almost as if his form is wobbling, before solidifying into a figure she knows well.

It’s a shadow of Sky. A representation of her Link, but if he was dunked in black paint and given terrifying red eyes.

“I’ve heard of you,” Sun’s eyes narrow at Dark Link.

“Ah, and I know you, your grace,” Dark Link laughs, and though it’s cruel and contemptuous, some part of her head thinks, ‘That’s familiar.’

“But tell me,” he continues. “What’s Hylia herself doing so far from home?”

Sun freezes, her blood running cold. “How did you…? Who are you?”

“What, you don’t recognize your own hero?” Dark Link frowns mockingly. “You know, I thought he’d take the longest to crack, but just a few whispers about the sea, and-” he abruptly snaps. “He was as good as gone. Now that fairy brat, on the other hand…”

“Stop it,” Sun snaps at him. “Just tell me where they are.”

“Oh? And why would you care?” The shadow tilts his head, and for a moment, his confusion almost seems genuine. “You goddesses have never cared for the fates of your heroes.”

And then, there’s a spark inside of Sun, and it sets her whole mind on fire. “I am not Hylia,” she asserts, grabbing onto his arm. “I. Am. ZELDA!”

It’s a moment of pure focus, the first time she’s ever said anything like that aloud, let alone screamed it. Unfortunately, it’s also a moment of distraction, just as Dark Link wanted. He draws his shadowy Master Sword, raises it above his head, and-

“SUN!”

Suddenly, Flora pushes Sun out of the way. The sword’s hilt strikes her head with a loud, sickening CRACK! She ends up collapsing right on top of her ancestor.

“Flora!” Sun gasps, tilting the scholar’s chin up to get a better look at her. After such a nasty blow, it makes sense that she’s out cold. But there’s blood, a lot of it, practically running down her face from above her left eye.

“You hurt her!” Sun exclaims, drawing Flora as close as she can bring her. “You son of a-!”

But, just then, they’re interrupted by two more shouts. In all the hassle, Sun hadn’t even noticed the Ghost Ship’s disappearance. Dusk, Artemis, and Tetra stand on the shore, staring right at the mess in front of them.

In an almost simultaneous burst of light, Artemis and Dusk summon their Bows of Light. Tetra draws her pistol, all three taking aim at Dark Link.

“Not another move, asshat,” Tetra warns him. “Attacking a princess is rude, you know.”

“She’s a queen,” Artemis informs her.

“Attacking a queen is rude, you know,” Tetra amends.

“Well,” Dark Link raises his hands above his head. “It seems we’re at an impasse.” He catches Sun’s eye one last time. “Farewell for now, your grace.”

Before any shots can be fired, Dark Link’s shadowy mass collapses in on itself. Like a splash of water, he sinks into the ground and disappears.

As the adrenaline fades from her body, Sun suddenly looks down at the bleeding body in her arms. She tightens her grip around her descendant, instinctively covering Flora’s wound with her hands.

“Oh no,” she mutters to herself as her fingers turn red. “Guys! We need help!”

It’s just a head wound, Tetra told them. And a head wound means it looks worse than it is, and it’ll bleed more than usual. Flora’s fine, she insists, she’ll wake up soon. All they have to do is keep an eye on her bandages and wait.

“I mean, you’ve seen my Link,” Tetra explains, leaning against her ship’s railing. “He gets a concussion every other week. He’s bounced back from worse than what Flora has.”

There really was no reason to stay on Greatfish any longer, now that they had Tetra and her crew. She’d been so generous as to waive the transport fee, something about a family discount that Artemis didn’t really hear. They’re heading to Windfall Island, so that they can restock their supplies before the next portal appears.

Flora was set up in one of the bedrooms below deck, tucked safely into one of the beds. Artemis has taken it upon herself to remain by her side, at least until she wakes up. She’s just so pale, and she hasn’t moved an inch…

As the first rays of light touch the sea, there’s a light knock on the door.

“Come in,” Artemis calls out, rising from her chair at Flora’s bedside.

The door creaks open, and Dusk pops her head in. “How’s she doing?” she asks, tilting her head towards Flora.

“No change,” Artemis crosses her arms and sighs. “I know Tetra said this is normal, but still…”

Dusk steps into the cabin, closing the door behind her with a sigh. “Sun’s a bit of a wreck. I told her I’d check in on Flora if she ate something.”

“She doesn’t blame herself, does she?” Artemis questions, wringing her hands together.

“The hit was intended for her, from what I can gather,” Dusk reveals. She gently places a hand at the top of Flora’s head. “You’re quite brave.”

Artemis smiles weakly, sitting back in her chair. “How are you holding up, Dusk?”

“I’ll admit, pirate ships aren’t as bad as I thought,” Dusk chuckles lightly. “It’s quite cozy here.”

“Dusk, I’m-” Artemis starts, but she swallows and starts again. “I’m sorry. You haven’t really spent that much time travelling before, and it was irresponsible of me to assume you’d feel comfortable with it immediately.”

“Artemis,” Dusk sighs. She kneels next to her, taking her hands into her own. “I should be the one apologizing. You were trying your best, but… I’m sorry, I was rude about your night watch, and I really ruined the whole thing, didn’t I?”

“Oh come on,” Artemis scoffs, but for once, there’s no malice behind her words. Her hands return Dusk’s grip with a tight squeeze. “You clearly weren’t okay with it, and I took that personally instead of making sure you were alright.”

“I just…” Dusk purses her lips together. “I’m scared of being alone in the dark.”

“Then you won’t have to cover any watches,” Artemis asserts. “But, you know, I spent a lot of time in a warped version of your era. I even met the most peculiar woman, a princess of the Twilight Realm…”

Dusk gasps. “You met Midna.”

“I did,” she nods. “So if you ever need someone to talk to, please consider me.”

Wordlessly, Dusk leans forward and pulls Artemis into what might be the warmest hug she’s felt in years. And instinctually, Artemis hugs her back.

For a long time, they stay like that.

“You know, I never figured it out,” Dusk suddenly speaks. “Flora’s down the family tree, and Sun’s up it. When exactly does the War Across the Ages take place?”

“From your perspective? You have about two-hundred years to go,” Artemis reveals. “You’re my grandmother a few times over, by the way.”

“What?!” Dusk suddenly draws back. “Why didn’t you lead with that?!”

Waking up is quite the process. When Flora opens her eyes for the first time, her vision is blurry. Like the world’s been spun around. Just barely, she’s able to lift her head, though her neck protests such movements.

There, sitting at the edge of her bed, though. That has to be Mipha. Who else would wait for her like that, within arm’s reach should she need an extra bit of healing?

Out of the corner of her eye, she can see Daruk and Urbosa just a few feet away. They’re talking to each other, maybe about her. Their tones are quiet and subdued, though. And Revali! Revali is waiting, just by the door. That's just like him to hover, even if he pretends not to.

‘Did I pass out in the spring again?’ she wonders.

“Flora?”

But then, she blinks, and it’s almost as though the scene shifts. It’s Sun sitting on her bed, a look of hope clear on her face. Artemis and Dusk freeze, gaping at Flora’s awakening. Tetra is the one who’s by the door, though she’s clearly keeping her distance.

Right. Of course.

“Flora!” Sun springs to her feet. “You’re okay!”

And then, before Flora’s sluggish mind can catch up with her, Sun wraps her up into a tight hug. Flora’s head throbs at the sudden, jerky movement.

“Ow…” Flora groans.

Sun gasps in shock, dropping Flora back onto her pillow. “Sorry!”

“Hylia’s fucking tits-” Tetra curses, missing Sun covering her chest with an arm at those words. She pushes herself between Sun and Flora. “Do none of you know how to handle head injuries? Stop moving her around!”

“I’m sorry, it’s just-” Sun awkwardly fidgets with her fingers. “She got hurt because of me! I need to make sure she’s okay!”

“And I want to make sure my travels with you four start off on the right foot,” Tetra insists. “Without anyone dying.”

“I’m fine,” Flora croaks out.

Dusk gestures a hand to the young queen. “See? She’s fine.”

“You’ve decided you’re coming with, then?” Artemis suddenly appears at Flora’s side, lightly patting her head. “You didn’t need much convincing.”

Tetra shrugs. “I figure I owe Link this much. He’d do the same for me.”

“Woo,” Flora weakly cheers, lamely raising a fist in celebration.

Artemis gently pushes her hand down. “We’ve still got a few days left on the Great Sea, Flora, don’t get your hopes up. We’re not going anywhere until that head wound of yours closes.”

“Aw…” Flora pouts, crossing her arms.

“Get some rest, kid,” Dusk instructs her. “You look like you need it.”

“You,” Flora points to Tetra, though there’s already a drowsiness to her words. “You’re going to tell me more about your time.”

Tetra nods mockingly, taking Flora’s hand into her own. “When you wake up, your majesty.”

Chapter Text

“Is the peppermint tea alright?” Zelda asked her companion sitting across from her on the picnic blanket. “I thought we’d try something a bit more herbal this time.”

“It’s lovely, thank you,” Hyrule smiled at her past his cup. “In fact, I’m tempted to start growing peppermint myself.”

Ever since she found out the Hero of Hyrule liked tea, Zelda had begun setting aside certain flavors for him to taste whenever he visited. Though he was older than the two of them, he reminded her a bit of Link just a year or so ago. A bit brash, always buzzing back and forth… they both needed to be reminded when to relax.

“I’m glad to hear it,” Zelda responded. She sips at her own tea, deeply sighing as its warmth settles in her stomach.

What a beautiful day…

“Excuse me, Princess Zelda?”

Looking up from her drink, Zelda was a bit surprised to see the Hero of Warriors. He stood above the two picnickers, ignoring how Hyrule’s gaze narrowed on him.

“Why, hello hero!” Zelda happily lifted her teapot to show to the captain. “Would you like to join us? Today’s choice is peppermint.”

“Maybe some other time,” Warriors waved the pot away. “I had some questions about the castle’s security.”

Subtly, Zelda met eyes with Hyrule. His lips were pressed together tightly, and his grip on his teacup seemed almost desperate. But the moment he saw her, she swore he forced himself to act natural.

“Go ahead, Princess,” he hesitantly nodded. He brushed himself off before he started to head towards the castle gate. “I need to stock up on potions in town, anyway. We can talk more later.”

“If you’re sure,” Zelda stood, taking Warriors’ nervous hand into her own. “Come with me, brave knight.”

Wordlessly, Warriors allowed himself to be guided into the castle. Zelda looked back towards the gate one last time. Despite his words, Hyrule was still there, leaning against the stone.

Then the door closed.

One step at a time, Zelda walked Warriors through the castle’s defenses. The armory, the barracks, even the throne room. But wherever they went, it seemed the hero grew even more nervous. He eyed the knights with suspicion as they passed by, and every time Zelda looked at him, he was even more fidgety than before.

But there was no reason to suspect Warriors of any ill intent. He’d been nice on all of the Links’ previous visits. Better than nice, really. Always courteous, opening doors ahead of her, even joining in with ribbing Four a bit. So if he was a bit nervous about her safety, Zelda would do anything to assuage those fears.

“You’re kind for your concern,” Zelda told Warriors, leading him into one of the empty banquet halls. “But we’re safe here. With Vaati sealed, there’s no longer any threat to Hyrule.”

“What about threats from within Hyrule?” Warriors asked the second they were alone.

Zelda couldn’t but gasp at the accusation. “Are you speaking of traitors?”

“Soldiers can be… easily manipulated,” Warriors explained warily. “It’s happened before, hasn’t it?”

“Yes, we… we did have an issue with mind control,” Zelda admitted with a frown. “But again, Vaati is gone for good. None of our soldiers will harm us.”

“What if… what if it wasn’t just any soldier?” There was a paranoid gleam to his eyes. “What if it was someone you know?”

Warriors was taller than Zelda, that was true. But the wrath of a princess is not feared just for her height. Zelda’s hands tightened into fists, and Warriors almost seemed to cower from her rage. “Just what are you suggesting, hero?”

His shock wore off, and Warriors righted himself again with the rigid composure of a knight. “If Four turned his blade against you, what would you do?”

“Stop!” Zelda commanded, silencing him with a single pointed finger. “Don’t speak of my four that way. He… none of them would ever do that!”

“But what if he did?!” Warriors suddenly grabbed onto her arm with a vice-like grip. “Can you honestly say that you would fight against him?!”

Zelda yanked against his hand. “Let go! Let go of me!”

“Stop it!”

There, silhouetted by the hallway’s light, was Hyrule. He rushed past the doorway, shoving Warriors away from the princess.

“Wars, you need to control yourself!” Hyrule shouted. “What’s wrong with you?! Why are you all acting like this!?!”

Warriors blinked is confusion, as if waking up from a dream. He spotted Zelda, helplessly clutching to her aching arm behind Hyrule.

“I didn’t mean…” he started, but his words drifted away.

“Just go,” Hyrule sighed as he dropped his head into his hands.

Stunned into silence, Warriors left before Zelda could stop him, scattering as quickly as he could and leaving the door open.

“I’m so sorry, Princess,” Hyrule turned to her. “I knew he was acting off, but I didn’t think… Anyway, are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” she said breathlessly. The light spilling in from the door only twisted her stomach further. “I’m fine.”

With her head held high and her steps confident, Princess Zelda Lucille Hyrule passes through the town gates.

“Princess!” one of the guards shouts after her. “It’s dangerous to go alone! Let us come with you!”

“I’m just going to visit Smith!” Zelda calls back, keeping up her quick pace. “I’ll be back before you know it!”

The soldier says something, probably about her father or the minister. But to be honest, Zelda couldn’t care less. A little time out of the city could never hurt, after all, and someone has to check in on the old man.

Once she’s out of hearing range of the guards, Zelda takes in a deep breath. The morning air is still fresh, a bit of a chill hanging onto it. It’s the perfect day to spend out in the world, not cooped up in the castle.

The walk to Link and Smith’s house is rather short. Zelda lightly knocks on the door, pushing it open as she does so.

“Smith? Are you home?”

But when she peeks inside, Zelda’s surprised to find she’s not Smith’s only visitor today. There are five girls seated around the room, Smith delicately balancing glasses of water as he delivers them to his guests.

“Princess!” Smith grins when he sees her at the door. All eyes turn towards Zelda, embarrassingly enough. “Come in! You’re right on time.”

“Uh, who are all these people?” Zelda asks, slowly stepping into the humble home.

“Friends of Link! They just stopped by asking about him, so I thought I’d offer the poor things some hospitality,” Smith moves behind her, guiding her to one of the chairs by her shoulders. “How’s your arm feeling, by the way?”

“I’m fine, not even sore anymore!” Zelda waves her arm up and down to demonstrate. She eyes the two ladies across from her, one in a simple pink dress and the other in a long black cloak. “So, you all know Link.”

“Well, we know the Links!” one of the girls sitting against the wall, wearing bright blue, amends, putting emphasis on the ‘s’.

“Plural,” her short friend with the bandana clarifies.

“And you,” the cloaked one leans forward, folding her hands on the table. “You’re Princess Zelda.”

“Yes, I am,” Zelda’s eyes narrow at the strangers around her. This has got to be the most suspicious way she’s ever been approached by potential crooks, that’s for sure.

“Well then,” the tallest one, wearing light pink, pushes herself up from the floor. “Welcome to the club.”

Of course, once they explain the situation to Dot, she sweetens right up. Her suspicious glares and crossed arms melt away, and by the time they’ve stayed their welcome at Smith’s home, she’s walking in tandem with Tetra along that path back to town, all while Flora takes notes in her journal.

“So, you and your Link have known each other for quite a while,” Flora remarks as Dot finishes a story about the time Four lost his first tooth. He’d cried so hard that day, the whole town was complaining. But in hindsight, it’s incredibly funny.

“We’ve been friends since we were kids,” Dot explains, a fond smile on her face. “His grandfather is friends with my father, and his dad is one of the kingdom’s best knight’s. We’ve always known each other.”

“That must be nice,” Flora comments, speaking as she writes. “I didn’t meet Wild until we were twelve, and it was a bit of a rough start.”

“Yeah, well, Wind I met two years ago,” Tetra chimes in. “But unlike Four, I don’t think he grew up out of his crybaby phase.” She snickers to herself. “Still my best friend, though.”

“Oh, same here,” Flora twirls her pen.

Dot giggles. “Ditto.”

“When was the last time you saw them?” Dusk suddenly asks from the back of the group.

When Dot turns back, Dusk has stopped in her tracks. There’s something about the way she looks at her, desperation mixed with something else. Regret? Guilt?

“It’s been about two months,” Dot reveals. She looks to the one of them standing next to Dusk, Artemis, concern clear on her face. “Your hero is Warriors, right?”

Artemis startles, perhaps a bit shocked by the shift of conversation. “Y-yes,” she confirms.

“Well, he was-” Dot suddenly glances down, fidgeting with her hands. “He- Did you see him after me? Because he seemed very upset, so I was wondering if-”

“Woah, hold on,” Artemis interrupts. “He was upset?”

“Paranoid, more like,” she amends. “He wanted to know about the castle’s security, he was convinced that… that Four would turn on me.”

Artemis gasps, covering her mouth with a hand. “His paranoia came back?”

Flora gently closes her book, moving to place a hand on her fellow queen’s shoulder. “Artemis, are you alright?”

But before Artemis can respond, someone else speaks.

“Sky was also acting strange, when I saw him,” Tetra says.

Suddenly, all of the group’s attention is focused squarely on the pirate, particularly Sun, whose eyes are wide.

“What?” Sun questions. “Something’s wrong with my Link?”

Tetra snaps suddenly. “Oh, he’s yours! I’m not the best at keeping track of all these guys.”

“Tetra, now isn’t the time,” Flora reminds her.

“Right, right,” Tetra leans back on her left foot. “Well, I found him all alone, and he asked me about the flooding… About who died when it happened.” She sighs. “Called it the legacy he’d left the world, shamed the faith the people had in the Goddesses.”

“He… what?” Sun brings a hand to her forehead. “He said that?”

“Twilight was also angry, when I last saw him,” Dusk reveals abruptly. “He… he snapped at me, said that protecting Hyrule had always fallen to him when I should have… But we-we’ve talked about it before, I don’t know why he…”

A deafening silence hangs over all of them. After so long, so much work to get close to normal again, Warriors was somehow convinced once again that there was a traitor around every corner. Sky, always so brave, so dedicated, now believed that faith in the Goddesses could only bring sorrow. And Twilight, the loyal farmer, who’d always listened to his friends, used words spoken in confidence against Dusk.

What had happened to their boys?

After so long on the road, being welcomed to Hyrule Castle feels like a dream. Nice soft beds, clean clothes, and the first bath Flora’s had in a week at this point. The grime of seawater and city filth washed away like nothing. Afterwards, she sat on her bed in one of the castle’s guest rooms. It’s much smaller than she expected, in fact, she and Artemis would be sharing a room. It reminds her a bit of their first night together, back in the Era of the Sky.

Idly, Flora doodles in her journal. Silent Princesses have always been her favorite, and their curled leaves and five petals are practically engrained in her mind with how much she draws them. One hundred years ago, whenever she was stressed, it was always these small sketches that helped calm her.

Flora’s stomach twists, the deep dread from before their arrival to the castle returning. So far, none of them had mentioned Wild, but if something had happened to her dear hero again…

So she writes it in her journal. Everything she knows, from what Dusk, Tetra, and Dot have shared. She may not know what’s wrong, but for Hylia’s sake, she’s a researcher. If anyone’s equipped for putting mysteries together, it’s her.

Luckily, just as she finishes her writing, the door creaks open. Artemis steps in, her hair damp from her own bath. She’s wearing a robe the castle staff so nicely provided.

“Artemis,” Flora smiles. “Thank goodness you’re here. I’m going to figure this out.”

“Oh, are you?” Artemis quips, though she’s missing some of her spark.

“I’ve just finished writing my own account of the last time I saw the Links,” she taps her journal. “And we know that you saw them next. So-” she pats the spot on the bed next to her. “Tell me everything that happened. Leave out no details.”

Artemis’s smile is weak, maybe even a bit forced. But she sits down by Flora’s side anyway.

“Alright,” she says. “Their portal appeared in the courtyard, early in the morning…”

By dinnertime, Flora has managed to collect a statement from everyone she has available.

Flora (me)
-Last saw the Links 3 months ago.
-The Links spent an afternoon at Hyrule Castle.
-Four and Legend were allowed to investigate the library, but to be careful.
-Wild and Wind took a trip into town.
-Twilight was concerned Wild would get into trouble, but I told him they’d be fine. I got some drinks for us, and I asked him about his time period (refer to prior notes). Same questions were asked of Warriors later.
-I’m not sure where Time, Sky, and Hyrule were.
-Everyone left before the evening. Wild said goodbye, promised to let me know as soon as he returned.

Artemis (Era of Warriors)
-Last saw the Links 2.5 months ago.
-Heroes went through a portal right into the castle courtyard. Artemis let them know they were welcome to explore Hyrule Castle and the town.
-Wild wandered off with Sky and Legend, though Artemis noted he was leading that pack.
-Warriors brought Wind to visit some of his fellow soldiers he hadn’t seen in a while.
-Time came to her with concerns about group morale, so she suggested spending time with some of their loved ones (including the Zeldas! This bodes well for future statements).
-They left the next morning. Other than Time, nothing seemed off.
-Artemis wants it known that their army has had troubles with traitors in the past. This caused much paranoia for Warriors for quite some time, but she was sure he’d worked past it by the time he began travelling with the heroes.

Sun (Era of the Skies)
-Last saw the Links a little more than 2 months ago.
-Arrived at the Sealed Temple late in the day. Sun and others helped make them feel comfortable (classic Skyloft hospitality), they let most of them sleep in the temple that night. Sky slept in Sun’s tent.
-They were all very tired from traveling, so she didn’t see a lot of them.
-Sun found Legend staring up at the Goddess Statue. He was wondering what the point was of defeating evil if it always rose again. Sun told him a story about the First Hero (reminder: ask for THAT later), which seemed to calm his nerves. (Is this strange for him?)

Dusk (Era of Twilight)
-Last saw the Links less than 2 months ago.
-Four told her at some point before arriving, Legend said something rude and Twilight had to tackle Wild to stop him from pouncing on his fellow hero.
-At the castle, Four made a comment about the armaments available to the guards. Something about this made Twilight explode, saying how they couldn’t even protect the castle. He turned on Dusk, asking why she couldn’t have stopped the Twili invasion on her own. She tried to reason with him, but he stormed off.
-Dusk took Four to the armory to try and calm him down. He noted that all of them seemed to be tense.
-The next day, Time went to Ordon Village (Twilight’s hometown) to look for him. The rest of the Links followed in the afternoon.

Tetra (Era of the Great Sea)
-Last saw the Links 1.5 months ago.
-They were staying on Outset Island (Wind’s hometown), so Tetra decided to drop anchor and spend some time with Wind. They were there for several days.
-Wind was excited to see Tetra. He babbled on and on about his adventures with the heroes. She asked if he’s done any exploring, and he said he had in Wild’s time. Got very quiet.
-One the second morning, she found Sky alone in the woods of the island. He asked her about the flooding that created the Great Sea and wanted to know how many lives were lost. He was dismayed by the “legacy [he] left the world”, wondering what faith brought the people.

Dot (Era of Force)
-Last saw the Links about a month ago.
-They were only passing through the area. Four and some of the others had stayed back at his house to talk to Smith.
-Over time, Dot has made friends with Hyrule. Apparently they both like tea a lot.
-While she and Hyrule were having a picnic, Warriors approached with questions about the castle’s security. Hyrule said he’d go get supplies and catch up with her later.
-After Dot showed how secure the castle was, Warriors began questioning the procedures for traitors (see Artemis’s statement). He then asked what she would do if Four betrayed her.
-This part, Dot has asked me not to share with Artemis: Warriors grabbed onto her arm with enough force to hurt her. The bruise lasted for quite some time.
-Hyrule suddenly appeared and stopped Warriors, asking what was wrong with him. Dot thinks he implied there was something wrong with the others, too. Warriors left, seeming confused.
-Four came to visit with Wind, later, to say goodbye. She didn’t mention the incident to him.

Several red flags stand out to Flora. The first being Time noticing tension amongst the group. If their issues started small and built their way up, then perhaps what he saw were the beginnings of whatever happened to him. He’s not specific, though, about where their problems were originating from, much to Flora’s dismay, but whatever happened must have been not long after they left her castle.

Sky was definitely acting strangely, but truthfully, Flora has no idea if Legend’s actions were out of character. She can only hope they’ll make it to his time soon, so she can ask his Zelda herself.

By the time they visited Dusk, though, there was clearly something wrong. Wild apparently almost physically attacked Legend at some point, which Flora can barely believe. Wild would never hurt his fellow Hylian, let alone another hero. And Twilight’s respect for his queen apparently going out the window? What was up with that?

If what Artemis says is to be believed, though, Warriors has regressed. He’s lost a lot of the progress he made towards himself after the War Across the Ages. If he’s so out of line, Flora can only imagine what’s happening to the rest of them.

Flora’s stomach grumbles loudly. Right, dinner is soon. A full stomach will definitely help her thinking, and Dot already made the rounds to let everyone know her father will be attending. Whether he knows anything or not, she has about a million questions to ask him anyway.

Closing her book, Flora carries it with her to the dining hall.

The whole world, all of it, is coated in shadows. They hang from the sky like drapes, and never before has Zelda felt more alone.

“Link?” she calls out to the darkness, raising her torch just a bit higher. “Link, are you there?”

WIth her limited light, she almost runs right into a small statue. It comes up to Zelda’s hip, depicting a bird with its wings outstretched. But the top of its head is caved in, revealing a pile of kindling.

Right, it’s a torch.

Zelda lights the bird torch, which does nothing but provide a little more light. Perhaps on a whim, she decides to follow its directions, walking where its beak points.

“Link?” she shouts again. “Please, answer me!”

Again, Zelda comes upon another bird torch. And another, and another. Each time she finds one, she lights it, and she changes her path to follow its point. In the back of her mind, she remembers an old fairytale about finding your way back home.

As she travels more and more through this darkness, Zelda can see other things as well. Just on the edges of her torchlight, there are ruins. Buildings, torn apart or decayed, suffocated by the pervasive shadows. But she can’t stray from her path, not now.

Then, her light finds someone.

“Link?” Zelda asks. “Link, is that you?”

When he turns to her, Zelda is relieved. It’s Link, it really is! They can go home now, together, and-

The torch’s light gleams against the Master Sword. Blood drips from its hilt.

“Link, what did you do?” Zelda demands.

He says nothing, just takes a step closer. In fear and betrayal, Zelda steps back.

“Stop it,” Zelda says shakily. “Link, I’m warning you.”

Link still doesn’t respond. He darts towards her, raising the sword in a swift motion, and Zelda-

And Artemis wakes up in bed, gasping for air.

There’s one last thing Dot wants to do before she leaves with her fellow queens and princesses. A job that’s all hers, as Princess of Hyrule, and one she wants to make sure is done before she’s away for who knows how long.

“You’ve all met my Link,” Dot explains to the group as they make their way through the woods. Her pack is already full, “And you’ve seen his sword, the Four Sword.”

“It’s a remarkable blade,” Dusk comments. “From the legends I’ve heard, it could give the Master Sword a run for its money.”

Sun humphs at that, crossing her arms and sticking her chin up.

“Not as you’ve seen it,” Dot reveals. Just then, they come across an old stone sanctuary, with pillars standing proud. Everything is covered in moss and vines, except for one item. At the center of it all is a sword, its hilt gleaming a pure white.

“The Four Sword that my Four carries is a fake,” Dot continues. “A recreation, with the power Four needed after his journey. This is the real Four Sword.”

“Oh, wow!” Flora marvels at the blade. “I can’t believe it! To see such a historical artifact up close like this…”

Dot tugs on her cloak, stopping her from running. “I’m only here to check on the seal,” she states with exasperation. “We don’t want to disturb Vaati, now, do we?”

“Oh, don’t we?”

As the Zeldas were distracted, none of them noticed the shadows behind the Four Sword twisting and gaining shape. The being behind the sword was a perfect facsimile of Link, but with pure red eyes and darkness all over his body.

“Shadow?” Dot can’t help herself but reach out. “Is that-?”

Tetra suddenly grabs onto her shoulder, pulling her back. “Whoever you think that is, Princess, you’re mistaken. He’s no friend.”

Of course, Tetra’s right. Shadow never had such malice in his eyes, and he would certainly never hover over Vaati’s seal like that.

“I’m hurt, Princess,” Dark Link fakes a pout. “I’ve always been a friend to her grace.”

He turns to Sun, a wicked grin suddenly on his face.

“Isn’t that right, Hylia?”

All eyes turn to Sun. The progenitor of their bloodline, the founder of their kingdom. The first Queen of Hyrule.

The… Goddess Hylia?

Flora is finally the first one to speak. “What?”

Chapter Text

Hyrule Castle at night was creepy, there was no debating that. When she was a small child, Zelda used to cling to Impa’s leg, begging her to stay in her room, to ward away the monsters from the shadows. Impa would hold her close, running a hand through her hair and reminding her that whenever she was with her, Zelda would have no need to worry about the darkness.

That fear turned to an uneasiness in her adulthood, when her childhood faded and her ability to protect herself grew. Now, Zelda could wander the halls at night as she pleased, with only a small voice of paranoia in the back of her head, reminding her to stay alert.

Hours earlier, just as the afternoon was beginning, two heroes had arrived at the castle. Unannounced, yes, but though their feats weren’t recognized in her time, Zelda couldn’t help but allow the Heroes of Hyrule and the Wind to stay as long as they pleased.

The Hero of Hyrule had thanked her profusely. He was so young, so eager to get away from the Hero of Time’s ranch, but for what reason he wouldn’t say.

The truly concerning part was Wind. He stood behind Hyrule quietly, trying to look anywhere but at the queen. On his past visits, Wind had always been so talkative and forthcoming. Hearing only his silence, Zelda couldn’t help but frown.

So that night, with the unsettling encounter weighing heavy on her chest, Zelda decided to take a walk through the halls of Hyrule Castle.

At first, getting her legs moving did a lot to soothe her nerves. Stopping at an old painting or a darkened window did wonders to keep her mind on whatever Hyrule and Wind were trying to escape, if just for a night. In fact, Zelda was just getting ready to head back to her bed when she saw him.

The Hero of the Wind was also restless. He was staring up at a painting that Zelda herself had commissioned, some time after her own Link returned to Hyrule. It displayed herself and her hero, wide beaming smiles that her father had scolded her for, unbecoming of a princess. But Zelda hadn’t cared back then, the reckless teenager she was, and truthfully she still didn’t. She may not be the same Zelda he met in the future, but by the Goddesses, she would still be his friend.

And Wind seemed to need a friend of his own, right then.

“Hello, young hero,” Zelda greeted him.

Wind startled at her voice, but his face turned to shock when he realized who had approached him. “Your majesty!” he bowed abruptly. “I’m sorry, I-”

“There’s no need for that,” Zelda interrupted. She leaned next to the kid. “You appear troubled.”

It’s a statement, simple as that, but Wind still squirms under her gaze. “I guess…” his eyes wander back up to the portrait. “Things have just been weird, lately.”

Zelda nods. “And are those weird things the reason you and Hyrule have come to stay with us?”

“Well, yeah. It’s just… everyone seems crazy, and I don’t get it! Whenever we fight those black-blooded monsters, Wild practically disappears! And Legend won’t even watch anyone’s back in battle anymore!” Now that he’d started, Wind couldn’t stop, counting off on his fingers.

“And I was sparring with Wars the other day, and if I didn’t duck when I did…” He rubs his neck awkwardly. “He didn’t even care! And when I went to Twilight about it, he yelled at me to stop bothering him! Twilight’s NEVER talked to us that way…” He crosses his arms, tears welling up in his eyes. “And Sky’s just been so… quiet lately! He barely talks to any of us!”

On pure instinct, Zelda pulled the young hero into a hug. And just like that, Wind’s dam breaks. He clutches onto her night robe, crying into the queen’s arms.

“Time and Malon fought today!” he continues between sobs. “Time and Malon! Of all people! And this is all my fault!”

“It’s not your fault, Link,” Zelda reminds him, just the same as she reminded Time many, many years ago. “None of this is your fault.”

“But it is!” Wind insists. “I should have told them what happened in the ruins! We could have… we could have gotten help! But everything seemed fine, so I didn’t- we didn’t fix it!”

As Zelda holds Wind close, whispering assurances to him gently, she can’t help but wonder…

What the hell happened?

“What?”

Flora’s eyes are wide, begging as she looks to Sun, who shrinks under her gaze. It’s the only word she can utter, because Dark Link’s words make no sense. Sun, sweet as fruitcake, who’s followed schemes of hers even Wild wouldn’t, is…?

In her confusion, she doesn’t notice the shockwave of shadow sent right at the group, even as Artemis clutches onto Flora’s arm and yanks her to her side. What she does see, though, is Dot, raising a hand to block the shadows with a barrier of light.

It’s just salt rubbed in her wound.

“Flora! You need to move!” Artemis shouts, but it registers in her mind as barely more than a whisper, uttered miles away. “Flora! Zelda!”

How could this have happened? How could Flora have allowed this to happen? Is this all some kind of joke?

“Stay away from the seal!” Dot points at Dark Link. “Vaati doesn’t work with shadows, you know! He just tries to control them!”

Dark Link sighs, disappointment clear on his recreation of Four’s face. “You really think I’m but a mere shadow?” He chuckles to himself. “My power surpasses those like him.”

Dot grits her teeth, trying to force her fear back down into her stomach. A second hand joins the first one, and she gathers all the light she can in front of her.

“Leave… us… alone!” she shouts, firing her divine light straight at Dark Link. Its brightness devours the whole sanctuary, blinding all of its occupants with its glory.

When they can finally see again, blinking through the pain, their opponent is gone.

“Well, that was-”

Before Dusk can finish her sentence, though, a portal appears under the Zeldas’ feet, and they all plummet through.

The sun sets on Hyrule Field as five girls tumble out of a glowing, flickering portal. It closes quickly behind them, leaving them to the diminishing light of this time period, just below a small plateau.

Flora is the first one to regain her senses. She pushes herself up off the grass, her heart going a mile a minute. Her thoughts don’t solidify, not really, until her frantic eyes land on Sun.

Sun holds her head in one of her hands, trying to quell her dizziness. Usually, she’s good with portals, but she’s never really been thrown around by one like this.

“Ugh,” Tetra winces as she offers a hand to Dot. “That was a rough landing.”

“You’re telling me,” Sun mutters, rubbing at her temples.

Suddenly, all of Flora’s sense goes out the window.

“You’re Hylia?” Flora’s hands dig into the grass, as if the blades could ground her now. “As in, the Goddess Hylia? Progenitor of the royal bloodline? Source of our holy powers that we’ve used in the fight against darkness for millennia? That Hylia?”

“W-well,” Sun stammers out awkwardly. “Technically yes? But-”

“You…” Flora’s voice is weak, and for a moment, it looks as though she’s going to crumble in on herself. Then her head snaps up, and she looks at Sun with a rage deep in her eyes. “YOU!”

Before anyone can hold her back, Flora pounces on Sun, pinning her to the dirt below.

Dot shouts in surprise, covering her mouth with her hands.

“Flora, stop!” Artemis orders her, still shaky on her legs as she leans against the nearby cliff face.

But Flora doesn’t hear her. All she can see are Sun’s blue eyes, staring straight at her.

“Do you know what I’ve done… How many times I begged Hylia to awaken my powers?” Flora questions, venom on her tongue. “And it never worked! My powers didn’t show themselves until it was too late!”

Dusk yanks Flora back by her cloak, wrapping her arms around the young queen. Sun sits back up, almost robotically. It hurts, but she can’t look away from Flora.

“Calm down!” Dusk commands the scholar as she struggles against her.

“I couldn’t save anyone!” Tears begin running down Flora’s cheeks as she chokes out her words between sobs. “Not Urbosa or Mipha, not Revali or Daruk, not my father… not even Link!” She collapses in Dusk’s arms, who sympathetically pats her back as she continues to cry.

“I…” Sun tries to say. “I’m sorry…”

“What in the blazes?!”

From up above, at the top of the cliff, an older man with a thick mustache leans over his fence, staring right down at the girls below.

“Ah… awkward,” Dot notes, and Tetra nods in agreement.

“Malon!” the man suddenly shouts. “There are some kids out here?!”

“What?!” a red haired woman suddenly appears at the fence, her eyes going wide at the sight she sees. “Goodness! Pa, go help them up!” she orders the man. “I’ll get the house ready!”

Artemis watches as Malon flits around her home, stopping at each of her guests to ask if they’re alright, do they need anything, how are they feeling? She’s commendable, in a way, taking in six strange girls just because they were alone in the dark.

Malon took one look at Flora’s tear-stained face and asked if she needed some time to think. And so, as much as it hurt Artemis’s heart to leave her by herself like this, a blanket was wrapped around Flora’s shoulders and she was sat down on the back porch of the house.

She keeps reminding herself that she didn’t know. Artemis has never been to the Era of the Wilds, and since it’s down the timeline from her, it was never a part of her history classes.

How could Artemis have known about Flora’s own fight against Ganon? So much of what she said doesn’t make sense. She didn’t lose her Link, Artemis saw him just under three months ago. And who were those people she mentioned? Why hasn’t she ever talked about them before?

It’s shock, in a sense. All Artemis can do is stare and wonder, sitting at the kitchen table with her hands folded in her lap.

Finally convinced her newly acquired guests are secure, Malon practically falls into one of the chairs next to her. It’s enough to drag Artemis back to the present.

“You’re the oldest one, right?” Malon asks, and Artemis nods. “So… what brings a gaggle of princesses to Lon Lon Ranch?”

“What?” Artemis asks, blinking her surprise away. “How did you-?”

“The boys have been here plenty of times,” Malon replies with a wave of her hand. “It’s always a pleasure when my Link brings them around.”

Then, it clicks in Artemis’s head.

“Oh! You’re Time’s wife!” she realizes. “I’ve heard so much about you!”

Malon giggles. “I’m sure you have.” She leans over, taking one of Artemis’s hands. “Look, I want to help you girls. The boys were all snippy and moody like that when they last came, and-” she pinches the bridge of her nose and sighs. “And I didn’t help them like I should have. I’d hate to have it happen here again.”

“I should have done more for her,” Artemis rests her chin in the palm of her hand. “I should have known something like this would happen.”

“But you didn’t,” Malon assures her. She stands abruptly, beckoning her into the kitchen. “Come on. I’ve found baking is a great way to work out your issues.”

“This is all my fault,” Sun mopes, draped out across Dusk’s lap. The two are seated on one of the beds in the ranch’s spare bedroom.

“You didn’t know she’d react that way,” Dusk traces patterns on her shoulder.

“No one could have predicted that,” Tetra pipes up from the other bed, upon which she and Dot are perched.

Dusk shoots a glare at the pirate.

“I should have told you all before it came out like that!” Sun wails. “I just- It was so nice, being seen as Zelda and not Hylia. I was me again.”

“Well, why don’t you try telling us now?” Dot suggests, playing with the fingertips of her gloves. “I know the secret is out already, but… maybe it’ll help to talk about it?”

Sun pushes herself up, though she still leans her shoulder against Dusk’s. “Alright,” Sun agrees. “I can try.”

She clears her throat. “It started after the Demon King Demise was first sealed. Hylia, as a Goddess, was unable to use the power of the Triforce to completely banish him, so she devised a plan.”

Dusk takes one of Sun’s clenched fists into her hand. With a deep breath, she continues, “So she came up with a plan. Her chosen hero would come back, living amongst the Hylians once again, and Hylia… Hylia shed her divinity, and chose to be born as a mortal.” She forces a weak smile onto her face. “That mortal is me.”

A beat of silence fills the room. Tetra is the first to speak up. “That’s… that’s it?”

“What do you mean that’s it?!” Sun jumps to her feet, face red and eyes tearing up. “Learning all that was the most stressful time of my life!”

“Relax, sunlight,” Tetra waves off her anger. “I’m just saying, you really hyped that up for nothing.”

“Tetra!” Dusk scolds her. “Be nice!”

Dot places a hand on Tetra’s shoulder. “I think what our dear friend is trying to say-” She gives the pirate a pointed look. “-is that, while your story may have sounded bad to Flora, now that you’ve had the chance to explain it, it all makes sense.”

“It… it does?” Sun stammers, practically collapsing back onto the bed. “You really think so?”

“Of course!” Dusk wraps an arm around her shoulders. “You’ve met our heroes, haven’t you? They all bear the Hero’s Spirit, and yet, they’re all so different! That’s just the same as you and Hylia.”

Sun almost chokes on her breath.

The Hero’s Spirit.

The spirit of the Hero Link, born time and time again, into different circumstances and lives. It’s so different than Hylia’s plan—less purposeful in its choosing—so she’d never really thought about it that way. It was always You’re Hylia, Zelda, the Goddess in a mortal body, never a distinction between the two. And yet…

It makes perfect sense.

Sun blinks, and suddenly something warm and wet is running down her cheeks. She’s crying. Dusk is holding her even closer, and Dot is wiping her tears away, and Tetra’s in her face now, saying something about how she didn’t mean it.

And all Sun can say is, “Oh.”

Flora sits alone on the back steps to Lon Lon Ranch, gazing out at the night sky. Her tears have long dried up, though her eyes still sting. A gentle breeze tussles her hair, and she’s reminded of a night not too long ago. Before she cut her hair, before she met any of her ancestors...

“What are you doing here?”

Once again, Flora finds herself at a loss to answer that question.

With a sigh, she leans against the porch’s wooden post. What was she thinking coming all the way out here? She could never save Wild, not as she is now. Not as the broken little princess who couldn’t save a single soul in her kingdom.

“Well, what’s with all this moping?”

Flora pokes her head up at the voice, but she doesn’t find the cruel and mocking shadow she was expecting to see. Instead, there’s a woman standing in front of her, with golden blonde locks just like her own.

For a moment, she thinks it’s her mother.

“Uh, who are you?” Flora asks, gripping a bit tightly onto the wooden boards below her.

“I’m a friend of Malon’s,” the woman explains, sitting down on the step next to her. Something about her presence puts the young queen at ease. “You seem upset.”

“I’m a bit more than upset,” Flora admits.

The woman is silent, and yet, Flora doesn’t feel put off by that. “I… was unable to stop some terrible things from happening,” her shoulders sag as she says it. “And I didn’t tell my companions.”

“Oh?”

“But then I found out that…” Flora bites her cheek, trying to figure out how to put it gently. “It doesn’t matter. I started screaming about what happened, and now they know. My friends are dead, and they know about it.”

The woman leans back on the stairs. “Alright.”

Flora blinks . “Alright?”

“Yeah, that’s alright,” she shrugs. “Now they know more about you.”

“Did you not hear the part where I could have stopped it?” Flora reminds her. “It’s my fault they died, you know.”

“You said you weren’t able to stop it,” the woman amends. “Therefore, it isn’t your fault.”

“It’s not that simple,” Flora swallows, folding her hands over one another to keep from shaking. “I should have been able to save them.”

“But you weren’t.”

Just when Flora thought she had no more tears left to cry, this woman comes around and proves her wrong. She sobs into her hands, the woman patting her back comfortingly. The words keep ringing in her head, over and over.

It isn’t your fault.

It isn’t your fault.

It isn’t your fault.

“Zelda?!”

Both ladies turn around at their name, finding Malon and Artemis standing at the ranch’s backdoor. Artemis keeps worriedly glancing between all three other women.

“Queen Zelda, I didn’t know you were coming!” Malon beams at the woman, offering her a hand to stand with. “I would’ve gotten the place ready.”

“It’s fine, Malon, I know I’m unexpected,” the Zelda of this time, apparently, assures her. “You know how my dreams work, I knew I’d be needed here.”

“Oh, that makes sense,” Malon nods. “I haven’t gotten around to interrogating these girls as to why they’re here, yet. Artemis and I have just swapped a few stories about my Link while baking.”

“Uh,” Artemis raises a finger as she interrupts. “You’re Zelda?”

“Oh! Yes!” Zelda suddenly remembers, extending a hand for her descendant to shake. “Queen Zelda Fye Hyrule, but the boys call me Lullaby.”

Artemis takes her hand. “Queen Zelda Artemis Hyrule. My Link wasn’t as creative.”

“I’m sorry for crying in front of you,” Flora pushes herself off the stairs to join the rest of her companions.

“People tend to do that,” Lullaby pats her head sympathetically. “It’s alright.”

“You’re lucky you missed the first half of their visit, your majesty,” Malon teases the queen. “Much more of a mess.”

The two women had left Artemis and Flora on the back porch with some of their freshly baked muffins. Their conversation is muffled by the ranch’s walls, as Lullaby sits at the table while Malon wipes down her counters.

“I can only imagine,” Lullaby frowns. “They’ve been through so much, not to mention the fact that they’re teenagers, for Hylia’s sake.”

Malon tosses her kitchen rag to the side, sliding into the chair next to Lullaby. “Alright, what’s eating you?”

“I’m just thinking,” Lullaby glances out the window. “They’re so young, and yet…”

“And yet, Link was younger,” Malon finishes for her. “I get it. I think the same thing, too.”

Lullaby is quiet for a moment, drumming her gloved fingers on the edge of the table. Her teeth grind together without her realizing, not until she feels the dull ache when she finally speaks up.

“Malon,” Lullaby says. “What happened with Link when he was here last?”

“Go on,” Artemis urges her descendant, nudging her towards the spare bedroom door. “You can do it.”

“I-” Flora starts, but her voice breaks on her. She takes a deep breath and sighs. “Okay.”

Knock knock knock!

With each knock on the door, Flora hears her own heart thumping in her ears. The silence that follows burns away at her resolve, and for a second, she almost darts past Artemis and down the hall.

And then the door opens.

Of course it’s Sun who peeks her head through the door. It may be fate, perhaps, but some guilt-ridden part of Flora wants to believe that she was so hurt, so wounded by her words that she couldn’t find a peaceful sleep. She swallows, forcing that guilt down.

“Flora,” Sun says, looking at her as though she were some fragile, priceless glass ornament, just inches away from shattering.

“Sun, we…” She glances back at Artemis, who gives her an encouraging thumbs up. “We should talk.”

“Yes,” Sun agrees, stepping into the hall and gently closing the door behind her. “What that dark monster said, it’s only part of the truth. Please, believe me-” She takes the young queen’s hands into her own. “-whatever it is that hurt you, I did not intend it.”

Despite herself, Flora can’t help but smile, as little and weak as it is. “Then tell me the real story.”

“Alright,” she nods. “It starts at the beginning of Hyrule.”

The next morning, when Malon comes to wake her guests for breakfast, she’s pleasantly surprised to find six girls piled into just one of her beds. They’re all tangled amongst each other, going every which way like puzzle pieces.

And in the center, Flora is laying on Sun’s torso, a slight smile on her sleeping face. One of Sun’s hands is extended down to her companion, resting atop her shoulder, keeping her close amidst all the tossing and turning.

Oh, five more minutes couldn’t hurt.

Malon (Era of the Hero of Time)

-Last saw the Links a little under a month ago.
-The whole group was irritable. Refused to help when they came to the ranch, Time ended up ordering them all to help her (not stern, but angry, out of character)
-She confronted him about this. He accused her of not understanding the life of a hero, and the hardships they face. She didn’t see what this had to do with ranch work.
-Hyrule let her know that he was taking Wind to the castle to spend the night.
-Wild, Legend, and Twilight also did not spend the night at the ranch. Unknown where they were.
-Time left with the others first thing in the morning. He didn’t say goodbye.

Lullaby (Era of the Hero of Time)
-Last saw the Links a little under a month ago.
-Hyrule and Wind came to spend a night at the castle. Hyrule didn’t say why. Wind was quiet.
-That night, she found Wind crying about Malon and Time fighting.
-He mentioned something occurring in a set of ruins with Wild. It caused their problems. He thought it was his fault.

Link, wherever you are, please be safe.

Chapter Text

“Something’s wrong, Queen Zelda.”

It took a lot for the Hero of Hyrule to come to her, and she wasn’t thinking about his apparent nerves. It was early in the morning, and Zelda didn’t even know her brother and his fellow heroes were around until Hyrule asked for an audience with her. But from the moment he stepped into her throne room, there was confusion written all over the hero’s face, as though he wasn’t quite sure how he ended up there.

“Is Link alright?” Zelda asked automatically, assuming the worst. Between all of Link’s adventures and his desire to live a quieter life than her, she didn’t get to see much of her little brother. If something had happened to him, if he was hurt…

“I don’t…” Hyrule said. “I don’t know.”

“Hyrule.” She looked him dead in the eye from her seat on her throne. “Where is my brother?”

“He’s-” Hyrule shook his head, as if his mind was plagued by a fog. “He’s still at his house, I think. All of them are. Sleeping.”

Zelda sighed in relief. “So he’s fine?”

“Physically, but-” He winced suddenly, bringing his hands to his temple as though he were in pain. “I don’t understand, I don’t understand, I don’t-”

“Hey, it’s alright!” Zelda reached for his wrists, holding them between herself and him. “It’s okay, Link. You’re okay.”

“I-” Hyrule blinked a few times, and just barely, Zelda saw that veil begin to lift. “I’m okay.”

She smiled at him. “You’re perfectly okay.” She guided him to sit beside her on the throne, but despite how cramped it was, it felt safe. Not once did she let go of his hands. “Now, tell me what has you so concerned for my brother?”

“It’s not just Legend,” Hyrule mumbled at first. “It’s all of them.”

Okay. A bit of a wider scope than Zelda expected.

“They’ve been… weird,” Hyrule continued. “Not normal.”

“Hyrule, I mean this in the most kind way possible,” Zelda said. “I don’t think any bearer of the Hero’s Spirit could be normal.”

“I don’t mean it like that,” Hyrule groaned, wriggling one of his hands free to rest on his forehead. “They’re… different. Than they were before.”

“Different how?”

Hyrule’s brow furrowed at the question, and Zelda was concerned by how much mental processing he seemed to be putting into his answer. Was he hit on the head? Could he be sick? Legend would surely come looking for him, so she would tell him then.

“Crankier,” Hyrule finally settled upon. “Like they can’t stand each other. Or me.”

“Is that all?” Zelda tried to hold in her laugh, but it came out as more of a repressed smile. “Hyrule, I’m sure they’re just homesick. You’ve all been constantly traveling for almost half a year.”

“It’s not.” Hyrule flexed his free hand. “It doesn’t FEEL like homesickness. It’s… worse.”

“Your majesty,” a guard poked his head into the throne room. “The hero and his companions are here to see you.”

Ah, right on time. “Send Link up, please.” Zelda pet Hyrule’s head to offer him a bit more comfort. “I’ll talk to Legend right now, and we’ll sort everything out. Okay?”

“It isn’t going to work,” Hyrule muttered.

But before Zelda could dissect that morose piece of dialogue, the grand double doors to her throne room opened once again. And there stood Legend, quite the sight for sore eyes. His hair was just a bit longer than she remembered it being, not to mention a bit more pink around the edges. There were dark circles under her eyes, and she couldn’t help but worry for him.

Legend’s attention drifted from her to Hyrule, who had gone pale at his friend’s appearance. “Oh,” he glares at the hero, a type of rage Zelda had only seen when he fought Ganon. “That’s where you went.”

It’s a rainy day in Hyrule when six queens and princesses land in this timeline. Dusk fights back her dizziness to catch Artemis, who almost collapses onto the muddy ground below them. As funny as that would be, Artemis is arguably one of the best dressed among them. Well, her competition is a knight-in-training, a pirate queen, and what can only be described as Flora. Still, it would be a shame for her pretty pink battle gear to be ruined just a few days into their journey.

Lullaby, however, seems to be having a hard time for her first journey through a portal. While she doesn’t collapse like Artemis almost did, she does end up leaning on Dot for support. The sight of the tallest queen clinging onto their smallest princess for dear life does bring a bit of laughter to Dusk.

Of course, Artemis sees this and promptly elbows her in the ribs.

“Fuck!” Dusk shouts on reflex. “Not cool, Arty!”

“Arty?” she raises an eyebrow. “That sounds like someone’s old uncle.”

“Then it fits,” Dusk smirks as her fellow queen stabilizes herself. “Anyway, Ms. Time-Traveler, got any idea where we are?”

“Hmm…” Artemis shields her eyes with a hand as she looks around. The group has landed in a wooded area, it seems. Not ideal for finding your way when you’ve been dumped in the middle of nowhere. But from what she can see…

“I can’t be sure, but judging from past trends and our current group numbers-” Artemis counts on her fingers. “I think there are only two eras we could be in, right now.”

“And those are?”

“Well separated from your own time, that’s for sure,” Artemis patronizingly pats Dusk on the shoulder. “We’re definitely in a different timeline than the one you were born in.”

Artemis tries to step away, but she’s stopped by Dusk grabbing onto her sleeve and yanking her back.

“Wait, wait, hold on!” Dusk frantically shouts. “A different timeline?! There are multiple!?”

Artemis sighs, resigning herself to a few more moments with Dusk. “Well, yes, in my era, it is a well-known fact that the timeline split during the Era of the Hero of Time.” She suddenly blinks, posture straightening. “That reminds me, we’ve been purposefully keeping that a secret from him, so don’t say anything.”

“Wh- I…” Dusk fumbles with her words. “You think ANY of us are in contact with the heroes right now?! How am I-”

“Okay everyone!” Artemis puts on her leader voice, effectively shutting Dusk up. All eyes turn to her. “If we’re all feeling better from the portal, then I suggest we get out of this rain.”

“Hoppy also wants to get out of the rain,” Flora says, holding up a frog. Her hood is already drawn over her head. Sun is already shooting a suspicious glare at the poor amphibian, while Tetra seems to be suppressing a giggle.

Artemis takes a deep breath, closing her eyes and mentally weighing her choices. “Alright. Hoppy can come with.”

“I told you she would say yes,” Flora gloats to Tetra, who crosses her arms and grumpily avoids her gaze.

“Soooo… can I ask you something?”

Lullaby glances down at Dot, who is walking beside her at the tail end of the group. While the tree cover is working well to stop most of the rain from reaching them, she still has her cape draped over her head to protect her from any errant drops. While Tetra is supposedly younger than her, the image of Dot sheepishly hiding from the rain doesn’t do much to solidify this fact in Lullaby’s head.

Lullaby nods. “Go ahead.”

“You’re the oldest here, now,” Dot says. “So why are you listening to Artemis too? Shouldn’t you be in charge?”

“Interesting question,” Lullaby remarks. “I suppose it is quite funny that the heroes fell into an age-based hierarchy. Isn’t it?”

“Now that you mention it…” Dot scratches at her chin. “I never noticed that before.”

“To answer your question, Princess,” Lullaby leans over to whisper in Dot’s ear. “I’m doing this because I want to.”

Dot tilts her head in confusion, so Lullaby continues. “Truthfully, it’s boring when you’ve been in charge as long as I have. If Artemis wants to lead us, then I’ll let her. It’s much more interesting to observe you all.”

Dot blinks a few times. “Oooookay then. You’re not leading because you want to… watch us?”

“Maybe you’re too young to see it the way I do,” Lullaby sighs solemnly. As if a switch was flicked, however, she suddenly perks up. “You’re actually my ancestor. Did you know that?”

“That’s weird,” Dot grimaces as she looks up at the queen. She’s barely sixteen, for crying out loud! And this… twenty-thirty-forty-something year old woman is her grandchild? That’s just wrong. She immediately wants to crumple the thought up like a piece of paper and throw it away. Or burn it, even.

“You were in my history lessons,” Lullaby smiles. “Queen Zelda Lucille Hyrule. You’re going to do many great things in your time.”

Dot pauses, halting in her tracks as Lullaby continues on with their group. For a brief moment she is still, left behind as the others trudge forward.

She’s going to do great things.

She’s going to be great.

And then, of course, Dot realizes that her friends—her family, distant as they may be—are already several paces ahead of her. And, well, it wouldn’t do to get lost in the future, wouldn’t it? What with the unfamiliar terrain, and all…

“Wait up!” Dot shouts, scurrying towards them as fast as her smaller legs can take her.

Eventually, the forest clears, and the adrift royal family finds a well-maintained dirt road. It’s certainly better than pushing through the dense foliage, and it’s infinitely more likely to lead them to some form of civilization. Though the rain had stopped sometime on their journey, the air is still humid and muggy.

They almost go the wrong way, signs of life and light coming from the left. It has to be a village, it must be. But then…

“Wait! Your highness, Ms. Queen! Please-!”

Thud!

Artemis sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Of course.” Exasperation clear on her face, she beckons for the group to follow her to the right, instead.

To think that they almost missed the entire castle.

They arrive just in time to see the grand gates ceremoniously Slam! shut. In front of them, a figure in a purple robe with a bunny hood picks himself up, brushing off as much of the mud sticking to his clothes as he can.

“Of all the mistreatment!” he mutters to himself. Despite the harshness of his words, however, his voice cracks as he utters them. “Queen Hilda would… would never…”

Despite herself, Artemis can’t help but smile. “Hello there, Ravio.”

Ravio startles, his head turning towards her not unlike a wild rabbit’s would. The ears of his hood flop with him. “Oh! Ms. Princess!” he shouts, rushing to her side and excitedly shaking her hand. “Finally, some royal assistance!”

“Hey, she isn’t the only royal here, you know,” Dusk snaps from behind her.

Ravio blankly looks among the rest of the queens and princesses in front of him. “Goodness, you’re right!” He smiles and waves at Tetra. “Hello Ms. Pirate!”

Dusk grits her teeth together, looking about a second away from exploding. Lullaby yanks the hood of her cloak over her head, successfully distracting the young queen.

“Ravio, all of these people are other Zeldas,” Artemis gestures to the rest of the group. “Just like your Link is traveling with the other heroes.”

“Ah, I was wondering how you got here.” Ravio shakes the hand of the nearest Zelda, which just so happens to be Dot. Her small stature is no match for the power of a merchant’s handshake, and she ends up practically dragged along by the strength of his arm. “Hello, Ms. Zeldas! It’s a pleasure to meet you all!”

“No swindling them,” Artemis glares, yanking Ravio’s hand away from Dot. “Besides, we don’t have much time for bartering. We need to see the queen of this era.”

“Oh,” Ravio’s rabbit ears droop. “That isn’t going to work, Ms. Princess. Ms. Queen is very upset right now. It would probably be better if you let her cool off for a while.”

Artemis frowns. “Ravio, what did you-”

“I didn’t do anything!” Ravio raises his hands defensively. “I am but a poor, humble merchant! I only wanted to talk to her about…” He suddenly looks away, awkwardly tugging at his own sleeves. “About a few things.”

“Well, even if she’s as irate as you say,” Lullaby chimes in. “We still need a place to rest tonight.”

“Well, I can certainly help you in that regard!” Ravio perks up, proudly gesturing to himself. “Mr. Hero brings his family over to stay the night quite often. He wouldn’t-” Ravio clears his throat. “Er, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if a few princesses stayed over. And since we’re such good friends, I won’t even charge you this time!”

“That sounds like a plan,” Tetra smiles, crossing her arms behind her head. “Lead the way, rabbit man!”

The state of Legend’s house is… certainly something.

At first glance, it’s pretty obvious he’s done some additions over the years. The wood on the first floor clearly does not match the second, the coloring just slightly off. And the patchwork on the roof just screams Legend, because of course he would put his roof back together so carelessly.

But the focal point, truly, is the door blown clean off its hinges.

“Please, uh…” Ravio awkwardly steps over what remains of the smoldering door. “Please excuse the mess. I promise it’s not normally like this.”

“Sure…” Dusk says, sharing a concerned look with Dot.

“Well, as long as its a suitable shelter for Hoppy, then I won’t complain,” Flora holds her frog close to her chest.

“Flora, for the love of Hylia, release that frog,” Artemis sighs.

Flora smirks. “You’re just jealous that Hoppy loves me.”

“Anyway, right this way, your majesties!” Ravio kicks some of the charred wood out of the way. “I hope you’ll find the facilities to your liking.”

The interior of Legend’s house is, thankfully, in pretty good condition. Aside from the general clutter that seems to follow Legend like a specter, it’s dry and warm inside. It carries that same coziness that is innate to a hero’s home, like being in a house that’s also a hug.

“You all must be quite chilly,” Ravio realizes. “Luckily, I’ve been working on my hospitality! Make yourselves comfortable, please.” He gestures to the table and couch. “I will prepare something warm for all of you!”

The second Ravio is in the kitchen, Tetra points at the entrance. “Guys, the door-”

Lullaby swats her hand down. “It’s rude to point.”

“Okay, but his door is gone!” Tetra whisper-shouts, mindful of the fact that the only thing between her and the tenant of this house is a wall.

Artemis fidgets with her hands, sliding into one of the chairs at the table. Sun pokes Tetra’s forehead. “It’s obvious something happened before we got here. We should try to be respectful…”

Sun takes a seat on the couch next to Dusk, and Tetra immediately squeezes between the two of them. She receives an annoyed glare from her distant cousin, but their ancestor doesn’t seem too bothered, happily patting the pirate’s head as though she were a puppy.

“It looks like it was blown up, though,” Flora sits down next to Artemis, idly petting her frog. “He’s your friend, isn’t he? Aren’t you worried?”

Artemis is, unfortunately, distracted by the frog her descendant is carrying. “You aren’t actually thinking of keeping that, right?”

Flora shrugs. “It’s an option.”

Before conversation can resume, however, Ravio suddenly bursts out of the kitchen, balancing a teapot and a towering stack of cups. He precariously places them on the table and begins to pour, one by one.

“That was quick,” Dot notes, watching Ravio fill each cup.

“Ah, that’s the power of magic!” Ravio winks. “I keep my Fire Rod in the kitchen just for these scenarios.”

Ravio passes the first cup to Artemis, who has to suppress a gag at its pungent odor. She’s not entirely sure what kind of tea Ravio is serving them, but at the very least, she knows he wouldn’t purposefully poison them. The smell doesn’t do much to assuage that fear, though.

Flora takes one sip from her own cup, but she immediately regrets it once the tea touches her tongue. She can barely force herself to swallow the drink, before she quickly asks, “Ravio, right? You wouldn’t happen to have any, uh… sugar? Or cream, maybe?”

“I’m sorry, Ms. Flower, but I ran out last week,” Ravio apologizes. “I was planning to get some more soon, but…” He grimaces. “That’s actually what I wanted to speak with you all about.”

Dusk smartly holds a hand up and shakes her head when Ravio tries to offer her a cup of tea. Of course, this means her cup gets passed onto Tetra, who shoots the deadliest glare at her companion that she can muster.

Once every Zelda has been served their terrible tea, Ravio clears his throat. “Princesses, Queens…” he looks out among them, tugging at the hems of his sleeves. “When you last saw the heroes, did they seem different?”

For a brief moment, all of his guests are silent.

“Forces, what did they do to you?” Dot finally says.

“It wasn’t-!” Ravio frantically starts, but then he sighs. “Mr. Hero and his friends were here a few weeks ago, and they spent the night here like they usually do. But the Hero of Hyrule snuck out during the night, and Lin- uh, Legend. He uh…” Ravio clears his throat. “He locked the door before he left.”

Artemis’s eyes go wide. “He LOCKED YOU inside the house?!”

“No! Well, yes, but… Lolia, I didn’t think it would go like this…” Ravio mutters that last part to himself. “He- he wasn’t acting right! Something was wrong with all of them! None of them were right!”

“And there it is,” Tetra gestures to Ravio.

“You know already?” Ravio practically collapses into the last empty chair at the table. “Oh, where were you all when I needed you! You could have made my meeting this morning much easier.”

“That’s another thing, Ravio,” Artemis leans across the table. “Why exactly did the queen throw you out of the castle?”

Queen Zelda Saina Hyrule is starting to think that, maybe, she overreacted.

Just maybe.

Her brother doesn’t make many friends, which was why she was quite surprised at how well he fit into the group of nine heroes. For a long time, however, she was Link’s only companion. He never cared much for others; perhaps it was some latent shyness from his childhood, or maybe it was just everything else.

But ever since that boating incident, whatever it may have been, he’s gotten way worse. So the fact that he let Ravio, of all people, in…

Well, Zelda probably should have been nicer to her brother’s friend. Even if he was demanding the impossible.

Link’s always been a difficult person, but this…

“Are you insane?! Who are you to decide where I can and can’t go?!”

“Who am I?! You’re putting yourself in danger!”

“You don’t need to protect me, Link!”

Zelda sighs, leaning her head against the window in her throne room. Just once, she would like to know what was happening in that mind of his, what secrets or worries Link was keeping under lock and key in there.

He looked so hurt.

“Your majesty,” a guard pushes open the chamber door. “You have a visitor.”

Zelda considers sending them away for a moment. After Ravio, she’s really not up for playing the role of the diplomatic queen. She’s had enough frustration for the day, and she doesn’t want to risk lashing out at someone who really doesn’t deserve it. Again.

But something says to listen. That same little voice in her ear that told her all those years ago to put her trust in Link.

“Let them in,” Zelda says.

It’s just one girl who comes in, perhaps a few years younger than her. Her dress is a deep pink color, and there are feathers tied to her belt. And Zelda knows that she’s never seen her before, because she thinks she would remember seeing someone like that. But she looks familiar, in the same way Link looked familiar, like meeting a long lost relative you never knew about.

Zelda knows that feeling.

“Greetings, your majesty,” the girl bows, just a bit clumsily. As if she’s never learned how to greet royalty before. “Thank you for taking the time to meet with me.”

“Of course,” Zelda nods. “Tell me, what brings you to the castle today?”

Standing back upright, the girl smiles. “I’m here on behalf of my friends. We figured it would be best to send only one of us to meet with you, and they decided I was the least confrontational. You can call me Sun.”

“Sun,” Zelda repeats. “I can call you that. But it’s not your name?”

Sun chuckles. “You’re quick. No, my name is actually Zelda.”

Zelda is, of course, less than amused. “You know that’s heresy, right?”

“It’s funny how that happens,” Sun muses, almost absentmindedly. “Where I’m from, Zelda is just a name like any other.”

“Where did you say you were from, again?”

“That’s what I’m here to talk about, actually.” Sun takes Zelda’s hand, and while she would usually be offended by such a brazen act, something about it is warm and familiar. “My friends and I are like you. We all have a hero who has joined the journey through time, and now…” Sun’s grip on her hand tightens. “Now they’re in danger. They need our help.”

At that moment, it suddenly all makes sense.

Link was sick. Not in the traditional, viral sense, but in the sense that something was deeply wrong with him. Hyrule came to her, weary as a traveler who’s gone days without water, and begged her for help.

And she turned them both away.

“I’ve been awful,” Zelda’s voice cracks. “I could have helped them.”

Sun instinctively pulls her into a hug, this distant ancestor she’s only heard in myth and legend. And it’s warm and safe, just like her mother would hold her when she was small.

“It’s okay,” Sun says, forcing her voice to stay as calm as possible. “We’re helping them now. That’s what matters.”

They stay like that for a while.

Fable has one place she would like to visit before they leave. Most of them are happy to entertain her, after all, it’s a bit awkward to say no to someone you’ve just met. The only dissenting opinion comes from Dusk, who complains about how much they’ve been trekking back and forth today.

“Be nice to your cousin,” is all Lullaby says to her, and suddenly, Dusk shuts up.

Link’s house almost seems lonelier now. The rest of the group gives Fable her distance, waiting at the bottom of the hill as she pokes her head in the doorway.

“Ravio?” she calls out, hesitantly. “Are you home?”

“Your majesty!” Ravio shouts, and after a bit of clanging, he appears on the other side of the broken door. “You came back.”

“Yes, I…” Fable takes a breath. “Ravio. You were right, I just didn’t see it.”

“Ms. Queen, you don’t have to-” Ravio reaches out, but Fable stops him.

“Link’s always been stubborn, for as long as I can remember,” Fable says. “It always had to be his way, he couldn’t see how else things could go.”

She breathes out a shaky sigh. “The last time he visited, I thought he was just doing it again. He was ordering my guards around, he told me I wasn’t… I wasn’t supposed to leave the castle. When I refused to listen to him, he left.”

“I didn’t know,” Ravio says.

“I didn’t know he locked you up, either,” Fable says. “Next time, don’t wait so long to bust yourself out, okay?”

Ravio scoffs. “Pfft. I don’t think Mr. Hero will be able to lock me up a second time. That is, if he even wants to in the first place.”

Fable smiles. “Ravio.” She takes his hands, gingerly guiding him over the rubble in the entryway. Really, the only difficult part about it is the tears welling up in her eyes. “I’m going to bring him home. I promise.”

“Well, good!” Ravio sniffs, very clearly trying to hold back his own tears. “What would I do without my- my best customer!”

When Fable laughs, she snorts like a pig. Which is ironic, considering the great evil that has vowed to destroy her bloodline, but it’s still perfect.

“What?” Ravio pouts. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing, it’s just…” Fable looks back up at the house. “I can see why he keeps you around.”

Ravio (Era of Light and Dark)

-Last saw the Links about three and a half weeks ago.
-Majority stayed at Link’s house. Wind was unaccounted for during the night.
-Early in the morning, while everyone was still asleep, Hyrule left.
-When Legend discovered this, he went into a tirade about people leaving him.
-Everyone else left.
-Before Legend left, he locked Ravio in the house. He said it was so he wouldn’t get hurt.
-Legend said he was going to see Fable.

Fable (Era of Light and Dark)
-Last saw the Links about three and a half weeks ago.
-Hyrule came and visited her early in the morning. He tried to tell her something was wrong, but he wasn’t able to communicate clearly.
-Fable assured him everything was fine.
-Legend came. He seemed displeased that Hyrule was at the castle.
-Fable and Legend got into an argument. Legend tried to convince her that she should scale back public appearances.
-Fable found out that Legend tried ordering her guards to lock the palace down. They did not listen to him, which only angered him.
-Fable told Legend she doesn’t need him to protect her. He seemed hurt and left in a hurry.