Chapter Text
The Hero of Spirits was, quite frankly, a bit of a dick.
Not that he was outwardly mean or disrespectful—he was a hero, after all—but there was something about him that chafed against the others. Maybe it was the constant pessimism, so unlike his ancestor, Wind; or maybe it was the startled look he gave when someone questioned him, like he expected them to heed his every word: or maybe, it was just how eerily quiet he was.
Whatever it was, Legend liked it.
To be fair, it was partially because Legend had been designated the ‘team grump’ for a while now, and it was kind of nice to be lumped in with the others instead. Now Spirit was the outlier, the one people muttered half-hearted excuses for. Though, Legend could also argue that he liked Spirit because he was a realist—there was no sugarcoating with the engineer, and he followed the same kind of practical, utilitarian philosophy that Legend did.
Spirit also liked Legend’s jokes.
So, Legend felt kind of bad when Spirit and Wind had so obviously not clicked. Wind was so excited to meet someone who claimed to be his descendant, and Spirit… wasn’t. Sure, he was polite, and feigned some interest (though the kid barely seemed to emote, or even smile, for that matter) but there had been the slightest bit of panic in the twitch of his eyes when he’d encountered Wind’s loud, upbeat personality. He’d quickly changed the subject, leaving Wind grumbling afterwards.
The others took it as rude, even dismissive. Legend took it as perfectly valid; this kid was so clearly introverted, after all, with his soft, low voice, his constant fidgeting when the group was large, the way he was quick to do things alone. Even though he was only going to be with them for a short time, it was clear that he already wished to say goodbye. Who could blame him for trying to get out of an uncomfortable situation?
When Spirit dutifully took watch, out on the plains of this strange, new Hyrule, Legend decided to linger a bit. The others went to sleep, but the veteran continued to observe the young engineer as he settled in along the train tracks, staring off into the distance as if waiting for a ride.
After a few minutes, Legend decided he might as well talk to the kid.
Purposely shuffling with his bedroll, to alert Spirit of his presence, he got up and stood just next to the mechanic.
“Hey,” he murmured as quietly as he could, and waited for an invitation to sit.
Spirit didn’t quite give it, looking up at Legend in the low light with bemusement. “Hey,” he echoed back, and then tacked on: “What do you want?”
Maybe the words were blunt, but his expression didn’t quite match that sentiment: worried, eyebrows raised, as if afraid that he’d done something wrong.
“Nothing,” Legend answered, and decided it was best to be candid. “Can I sit?”
Spirit opened his mouth but seemed unsure what to say. After a bit of a tense moment, he scooched over on the big, flat rock he’d been sitting on. “Sure.”
They sat together in silence for a while. The wind blew hard on the flat plains, and Legend found himself rubbing his arms, trying to warm up a bit. Spirit seemed unaffected; he just watched the tracks, like he was expecting something.
“... What are you waiting for?” Legend asked finally, peering down the same way. The rails just disappeared into the darkness. “Do these train things run at night?”
“No.” Spirit looked a bit tired; Legend could admire his patience, though, after having been forced to explain the machinery and transport systems of his era. Most of them, even Wild, were a bit confounded by this so-called ‘coal power’ thing, though Spirit seemed to find the railroad ultimately mundane.
“It’s habit, really,” he answered rather tentatively. “There used to be possessed trains running the lines. Kind of like my great-gran—er, Wind’s ghost ship.”
“Huh.” It was as crazy of a story as any of his own. “Fair enough.”
Spirit gave Legend an odd look, something much harder to decipher. Then, he asked, “Are you all really heroes?”
It wasn’t a question Legend expected him to ask. He thought they’d been pretty upfront and convincing about the whole situation.
“Yes,” he huffed, a bit annoyed, despite his mission to befriend the engineer. “What, am I not impressive enough for you?”
As usual, Spirit seemed amused by his sense of humor. He didn’t quite smile, but he did raise his eyebrows cheekily, like issuing a challenge. “No, I don’t doubt your heroics,” he assured, a teasing note in his voice.
“Then why ask?” Legend accepted the challenge easily.
The boy hummed thoughtfully. He tapped his fingers along the stone, eyes sliding from east to west, where one direction of track disappeared into the night, to the other.
“I’m not like any of you,” he answered finally, and Legend saw how his stony face softened just a bit, showing a hint of something sad and much too relatable.
Legend had had his fair share of questioning his own status as a Hero of Courage. He’d also made a habit of countering Hyrule and Wild’s doubts. Which is to say, this wasn't his first rodeo.
“None of us are like each other,” Legend said simply, with a shrug of his shoulders. “And we’re also all a lot like each other. You saved your kingdom, yeah?”
“Yeah,” Spirit answered in a soft voice, the sound almost lost in the wind.
“Then you’re a hero. That’s all there is to it.” Maybe an oversimplification, and he doubted just a couple gruff sentences were enough to quell the kid’s insecurities, but it was a place to start. Legend wouldn’t allow any of his younger friends to feel any kind of shitty way if he could help it.
(Damn, when had he gotten so soft?)
“No, I…” Spirit’s voice, which had been so deadpan the entire week they'd known him, grew softer, more vulnerable. “... I know all of you don’t really like me,” he confessed, rubbing his face with a gloved hand. He looked ashamed, and devastated. “I know I can be a bit of a jerk. I… don’t mean to be. I really don’t.”
Legend’s heart broke. He knew that kind of insecurity; the kind that came from years of people telling him that something about him was wrong. He’d seen it in himself, and he’d seen it in his friends on his past adventures, and he’d most definitely seen it in his current companions.
“C’mon,” he coaxed, chasing that sense of humor again. “Look who you’re talking to. Biggest asshole on the team.”
Spirit’s eyebrows raised again, getting lost beneath his bangs and hat. “No,” he replied, his worries melting a bit, “it’s easy to see right through you.” The ghost of a smile, almost there, rested on Spirit’s lips. “... You big teddy bear.”
Legend huffed again and rolled his eyes. This was a battle he’d already lost a long time ago to the others, he wasn't going to waste energy trying to convince Spirit.
“Whatever. Just…” He gave the kid a pat on the head, tamping down the conductor cap. “Just ‘cause you’re not part of this quest, doesn’t mean you’re not as big of a hero as I am. Or as Wind.”
Spirit’s almost-smile dropped into a look of distaste. “I can’t believe that’s my great-grandpa,” he sighed openly, and Legend let out a snort of laughter, covering his mouth to not wake the others.
“Yeah, well, we all share a soul, so get used to the feeling.” He smiled fondly as he remembered his first encounters with Warriors and Time—so different from him, but had still shown him the good they’d shared in their hearts, nonetheless.
They fell into silence; Legend got the feeling that Spirit liked it this way, peaceful, with the wind whistling through their hair, the soft hoot of owls in the distance, stars twinkling overheard. Even if their current dynamic was rocky, it was a shame that they’d have to say goodbye when the next portal came; the veteran could get used to this companionable calm.
Spirit’s thoughts seemed to run in the same direction. “When you leave,” he inquired without preamble, “you’ll be traveling through time?”
“Yep,” Legend affirmed with a single nod.
“To other versions of Hyrule?” Spirit continued, clearly getting at something.
“Mm-hm.”
The young engineer perked up, and his large eyes settled unblinkingly on Legend, like a child restraining his excitement. “... Can you… tell me about them?”
Legend almost laughed. Deep down, it seemed, this kid was more like Wind than he first appeared, itching for stories of grand adventure.
“Alright, sure, but only until it’s time for Twilight’s shift.”
“C’mon,” Spirit protested, “I can handle an extra hour or two awake.”
“You’re still growing, you need a good night’s rest.” He flicked the brim of Spirit’s hat.
“Come on.” He scrunched his nose in annoyance, and, this time, Legend couldn’t hold back a chuckle.
“Alright, alright, shut up so I can tell you.” They both shifted into more comfortable positions, Spirit criss-crossing his legs like an obedient schoolchild.
“My Hyrule sits within a large valley, flanked by steep mountains inhabited by monsters. It might seem small at first, but that’s only if you don’t keep in mind our neighboring kingdoms—then, you can really appreciate how vast the world is, and what makes Hyrule special…”
Yes, Legend decided, as he observed the engineer’s perfect patience and enraptured gaze, he liked the Hero of Spirits just the way he was.