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Getting used to seeing Wild so deep into his coping mechanism took a while for the team, some team members; like Twilight, Warriors and Wind, took to looking after the regressed boy easily, both having experience in taking care of younger children. They seemed to encourage the boy to regress even more, even Warriors ranting to him about how suppressing it for too long was extremely unhealthy.
Some of the team enjoyed spending time with the younger minded boy; these being Four, Legend and Hyrule respectively. They did not really understand the mechanism at first, but after being educated they took to it easily, helping keep the kid in check to make sure he never hurt himself. Just think about babysitters when the main caregivers needed a break.
The last of them; Sky and Time, seemed to be more confused still, Sky not really knowing how to act around Wild, still feeling guilty about causing him to regress in the first place, and Time seemed to become more standoffish as Wild grew more comfortable, as if harbouring some kind of jealousy to the younger boy. Sky didn't really want to delve into their appointed Leader's feelings towards the younger, just wanting to focus on how Wild still managed to find comfort in him after the problem he caused.
"Are you still beating yourself up over the Wild thing?" A snarky voice interrupted his thoughts, the blonde turning quickly to see Legend, the pink tipped veteran looking at him with raised eyebrows.
"How could you tell?" The skyloftian asked, turning to look at his companion.
"Well first of all, you haven't stopped watching Wild and Twilight since they got back. And second of all, you have that look on your face, the one you reserve for, and I quote, 'Sky feels guilty time'."
The blonde glared at the veteran, blushing slightly at being called out.
"Fine you caught me. I still feel guilty that I practically forced him to reveal something that he kept a secret." He sighed in defeat, not liking the feeling of being the reason the team's dynamic seemed to change.
Speaking of change, a shout of protest from Twilight had caught their attention, both turning to see the exchange that began to take place.
Wild was stubbornly sitting near the fire, arms crossed and a pout on his face. An exhausted Twilight stood next to him, hands on his hips like a Mother scolding their child.
"Wild it has been nearly a week and you haven't given yourself time to relax and regress! You're going to over-stress yourself again and end up crashing, exactly like the time Sky caused you to in the first place."
The words from Twilight were never intended to be harsh, but the guilt Sky had felt turned worse at the words. Turning away from the argument as Wild began to aggressively sign back, the knight focused on the ground.
Maybe there was a way to make it up to the Champion, to show that he accepts the boy and that he never meant to cause him to slip up in the first place. He knew Wild accepted his first apology, but he felt it wasn't enough.
A sudden idea popped up in his head, grabbing his rupee bag and bouncing to his feat. He felt eyes on him, feeling Fi chuckle through his bond at his eagerness.
"There's a town nearby right?" The question blurted from his mouth, several nods answering. "Okay good, I need to go get something. Be right back."
A tug on his sail cloth pulled him back as he turned to run. Turning around, he looked up into the face of his leader, the markings on his face highlighted against his pale skin. Sky was worried he wasn't getting enough sunlight.
"You're not going alone. The path here was dangerous and with the report of moblin activity spiking it would be best if we traveled in a small group." Time kept his voice neutral, his gaze hard as Sky nodded.
Watching as Time turned towards the rest of the Links, signalling for Four to come forward. Sky had no idea why Time chose the smallest member of the group, but the blacksmith could be practical if they ended up in a sticky situation.
Once packed the group set out, sticking close to the path Twilight had scouted out earlier. Sky kept glancing towards the older man, who insisted on taking up front, studying his movements to read his mood. It was becoming more difficult to tell.
"So," a soft voice caught his attention. "What made you want to go to town? Last I checked we had all the supplies we needed."
Blue eyes connected with the other, a panicked look on his face. Should he tell his companions about his plan? Four wouldn't mind, but Time had been so standoffish around Wild that he felt the armoured man would turn back at the mention of the regresser.
"I need to get some more blankets!" Yeah, a perfectly reasonable excuse.
"More blankets?" Time turned around, his one eye flicking up and down to take in the younger man's posture.
"Haha, yeah! It's been getting really cold down here. I'm still not used to the temperature change, with Skyloft being so close to the sun and all." He begged they would buy this, he was never good at thinking on the spot before, hence why Groose always got the best of him.
"Yeah I can see why." Four answered. "Must be difficult dealing with deranged temperatures when the bird boy here's to used to the sun. I swear you and Wind should be burnt from all those rays."
Time nodded, thankfully taking Four's words into account. He turned back towards the front, stopping the group short of the town gates.
"We must be quick, I don't think the others will last long enough without us."
Sky could tell the man was trying to make a joke, attempting to change the atmosphere to be a bit lighter, but Sky's nerves were still so high.
As they entered through the gates, the sound of soft hums of music strolled through the air, accompanied by children's laughter and the occasional animal noise. It seemed small and tight, a calm presence in a raging storm. It was like the monster problem wasn't affecting them at all.
Time led them towards a general store, ivy hanging from the wooden roof as the sign swung gently in the soft breeze. The window showed off sparkling jewelry, not as grand as the Gerudos talented craftsmanship in Wild's Hyrule, but close enough to warrant a pretty rupee.
A soft bell chimed as they entered, the shopkeeper looking up from a book, eyes slightly wide at the sight of three armed men in the middle of his store.
"Well hey there Lads! What can I get you today?" He startled, Sky noticing his eyes drift down to the wallet hanging from his belt.
"Afternoon. We are looking for blankets, the warmest ones you can provide." Time spoke up, getting right to the point.
The man nodded, turning around as he mumbled to himself. Sky took this opportunity to head further into the store, wanting to see if it had anything to offer to solve his dilemma. Just as he went to round a shelf, a hand grabbing onto his sail cloth pulled him back.
"You need to tell me what's going on! Legend mentioned that you still feel guilty about Wild, so has this got anything to do with him?" Four began as Sky turned around, interrupting the taller before he had a chance to speak. "And I'm not going to buy the blanket excuse, your blankets are warm enough!"
Sky knew he was caught, defeated in a battle he could never have won. He just had to come clean.
"Alright listen! I still feel bad about Wild. I made him drop when he didn't want to and I know I apologized but I still feel like I owe him something." Sky ranted, grabbing his sail cloth as he ran it through his fingers, calming down. "I thought there might be something here, he doesn't really have anything and I never really had much when I was a kid. I don't want Wild to have to go through the same."
Four watched him with sad eyes, Sky feeling no judgement towards him.
"Alright I'll help you, but what do we do about the old man? He's going to be angry you lied to him."
"I know but I don't think Time is in the right mindset to discuss anything about Wild. I know he was fine with it when he first regressed, but I'm pretty sure we've all noticed his change in behaviour."
Four nodded, turning as he expected Sky to follow. The dark blonde did, rounding another shelf before stopping in a section made for young children.
"Twilight said Wild regresses to about one to three." The blacksmith began, reaching out to grab a glass baby bottle from the shelf. "So we start there. I've noticed he loses motor skills when regressed, so a bottle will help Twilight a lot when trying to get him to drink out of something that's not a canteen."
Sky hummed in agreement, following the shorter's lead. He reached out to grab something that resembled a pacifier, but instead of the teat being made of animal bone, it was a soft linen coated in a sugary substance. It would suit the boy, as he had trouble sleeping and had a habit of sticking things in his mouth.
Happy with their choices, they rounded another corner, stopping in their tracks as they spotted their oldest in the group, blue eye focused on a stuffed wolf, calloused hand running through it's soft fur. It had seemed Time had not noticed their presence, hunched over as he chuckled lightly whilst continuing to pet the toy.
Sky had no idea what to do, a quick glance at Four confirming that the smithy had an equal reaction. They had never seen the other man so immersed in anything, well except Malon. But there was still something different, something the knight couldn't place, it reminded him of someone, it reminded him of…
"Ahem, you alright Time?" Four coughed out, the sound filling the deafening silence.
It was like a switch, the armoured man straightening up like he was just given an order. A wide eye landed on the two, and Sky could have sworn he saw a slight blush.
"Perfect. Fine. More than fine, was just looking for the both of you." Time's voice took a while to find it's deep octave, pushing a rough hand through his hair. "Have you found what you were looking for?" Can we leave, staying unspoken.
"We have. Come on Time, I'll take you outside, Sky can meet us out there after he makes his purchase." Bless Four and his ability to read people.
As the smithy walked the other hero out, Sky turned back towards the row of plushies lining the wall. They had many options, including the grey wolf that caught his leader's attention, but the sight of a certain shade of red caught his eye.
Turning around, he spotted a plush of a Loftwing, similar to his companion back home. It made a wave of sadness wash over him, wishing he could have brought the bird on his travels below the cloud barrier. He felt Fi hum slowly, reassurance surging through him. This one would be perfect for Wild, especially since he was so enamoured with his collection of feathers a few weeks ago.
Picking the item up, he accepted the soft feeling underneath his finger tips, perfectly imitating the feathers of his own steed. Wild was going to love this.
As he went to head to the desk again, his eyes caught sight of the plush on the shelf. It looked to be lonely, missing the man that only moments ago found joy in its presence. It wouldn't hurt to get Time a gift too. Maybe it would improve his mood.
Grabbing the other, he went ahead and paid for the items, picking up the soft blanket that Time had ordered before saying his goodbye. He made sure to hide the items he bought under the fabric, not wanting to spoil the surprise.
As he exited the store, he was greeted by the other two, Time seeming to have regained control over himself. They walk back in silence, on being interrupted by Four checking the perimeter.
Arriving at camp didn't take too long, the others waving at them as they entered. By the looks of it Wild was still refusing to regress, shaking off both Twilight and Warriors as he made his way towards the group. He stopped in front of Time first, signing something before the oldest moved on, turning back to Four and Sky. He raised a questioning eyebrow towards the blanket in Sky's arms, the knight mouthing don't ask in response.
Soon after they settled, Wild cooked a quick soup that was accepted with many happy shouts. Sky felt it would be a great time to give Wild the gifts, watching as the champion began to pack his equipment away into his slate.
Standing up, he fished what he needed from the pile, heading towards the feral boy. Tapping his shoulder, he sat in front of the boy as soon as he got his attention. He noticed Twilight perk up from his seat next to Wind, interested in what was going on.
"Okay so don't be upset, but I got you some things when I was in town." He began, watching Wild with cautious eyes. "I wanted to properly apologize for what I did a few weeks back, to make it up to you."
With that he pulled out his gifts, watching as the scarred heros eyes went wide. It was quick, his body relaxing as the childish glint returned. Sky's ear twitched at the sound of Twilight getting up.
Wild reached for the pacifier first, examining it with all the wonder of a toddler.
"It's to use instead of your fingers. Or you know, a stick." Wild nodded, placing the soother into his mouth.
The effect was instant, tension leaving as he slumped forward. Twilight rounded his back, pulling him into his lap. Wild stared at him with wonder before turning back.
Sky produced the bottle next, passing it to Warriors as the man promised to fill it for the regressed boy. Lastly, he placed the Loftwing into his arms, laughing as Wild gasped, pulling it towards his chest.
"Thank you." He whispered, tears brimming the corner of his eyes. Sky gently wiped them away.
"No problem. No kid deserves not to have any toys. And this one is special as it looks exactly like my Loftwing."
Wild hummed, it sounded slightly broken but was way too happy to care. Sky felt a lot lighter, his guilt evaporating with each passing moment.
Warriors soon returned, bottle in hand as he passed it to Twilight, the rancher placing it to Wild's lips as the boy latched on. Soon, the boy was asleep, plush tucked safely in his arms.
"Time told me to add honey to the milk and said it would help him sleep better." Warriors whispered, expression soft as he took in the sight of mentor and cub.
Sky looked at him, expression filled with surprise.
"I'm surprised he knew what to do. He doesn't have any children with Malon yet." Sky voiced, Warriors humming in agreement.
The night passed with no incident, the knight feeling giddy enough to take first watch. Each hero dropped off at different times, politely excusing themselves from the fire before passing out in their bedrolls.
Soon it just left Sky and Time, the older never really sleeping until early in the morning. They sat on opposite sides of the fire, a comfortable silence between them. But Sky was curious, he needed to know what happened in the store.
"So Time," he tried not to wince as Time focused on him. "What happened in the store earlier? You seemed very interested in the stuffed wolf."
Time glared, clearing his throat before answering.
"It reminded me of Wolfie. I was thinking of getting it as a gag gift." Came his reply.
Sky didn't buy it. Time was too engrossed with it, like a child to its favourite play thing. If it really was for a gag gift, his behaviour would have been different. He wouldn't have been embarrassed by acting childish.
Standing quickly, he headed to his bedroll. Hands reaching underneath, they grabbed the stuffed toy, jogging back to the fire. He sat next to Time, noticing how the man stiffened as he caught sight of what he held in his hands.
"I've never told anyone this, but when I was a child, after I lost my parents, I never had anything. The knight academy forbade it, with very strict gender roles. I only got to play when the headmaster let me spend time with Zelda, playing house with her dolls. We were careful after I was caught once." He watched as Time listened, the man relaxing slightly. "I began wood carving when I became too old and Zelda had to give her dolls to the other children. It replaced what I had, and gave me the feeling of being able to be creative again, to have a thing to enjoy that wasn't training. Don't be ashamed to want something."
As Sky finished his speech, he placed the wolf into Time's hands, choosing not to comment on the way the man's hands curled around the creature gently.
"I -" Time began, "Thank you."
With that, the man stood, heading to his bedroll. It left Sky alone now, the dwindling flames warming his frame. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out a small log and his carving knife, it always helped pass the time.