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Link grew up in isolation. It was the nature of growing up amongst fairies. As soon as fairies could fly, they wandered. As soon as Hyrule could walk, he did too. It wasn’t as if they didn’t care for each other. If he stumbled upon a fairy fountain or encountered one of his sisters on his travels, it was always treated as a happy reunion. It was just that fairies were rare, powerful, and valuable in the eyes of many. Keeping separated kept them all safe.
Link’s dealings with the royal family of Hyrule encouraged this. Being favored by them did not come with as many benefits as one might think. In fact, Link had a harder time finding lodging and friendly faces on his royal quest than before it. He was regarded with esteem, but the people all knew what Ganon and his followers would do to a friend of the sacred hero. Aid was exchanged in secret, conversations were kept light and short, and Link traveled alone. He didn’t know anything different, so it didn’t bother him.
Then he slew Ganon, and the innocuous scar on the back of his left hand that had been there since birth began to glow. It drew monsters to him like moths to a beacon shining in the darkest night. All of them thirsted for his blood. He was told it would revive Ganon. The Golden Power he then carried must not fall into the hands of evil. Even after the princess from a time long passed awoke, the Golden Power did not fade, and the monsters did not abate. Link drew further and further away from people. He did not seek them or his sisters out for aid. He was alone.
He didn’t feel an absence. His home was the roads crossing Hyrule from east to west and north to south. He carried his bed on his back, and his secrets close to his chest. He did not long for the warmth of a hearth or a companion, at least not more than a poor man dreams of riches. It wasn’t for him. He wasn't built for anything different.
That fact becomes much more concrete when he has companionship thrust upon him. By the will of the Goddess, he meets eight more established heroes of Hyrule. They all have tales of heroic feats and wild adventures, grand battles and accomplishments adorning their reputations like precious jewels. Link, now dubbed Hyrule, feels small in more than just stature standing in their ranks. His stories just don’t compare; perhaps he killed Ganon and saved a princess, but what did he have to show for it? A kingdom still in ruins, and himself on the run. What a weak seal he had placed on Ganon that it would only last until his inevitable death.
To avoid the disappointment and shame, Hyrule chooses to distance himself. He is good at it, short enough to avoid notice, but not to attract it, quiet and unassuming. At least he thought he would be.
The first of the eight to attach themselves to his side is the Hero of Legend. The only of the eight that Hyrule has heard of, and the surliest of them. He buzzes with strange, foreign magic emanating from every artifact he carries. He picks fights with everyone aside from Hyrule, and even starts some altercations in his name.
This time, one starts because Warriors is looking to shirk his watch the night after a hard battle. When Hyrule had shaken him and gotten only a grumpy groan in response, Legend was up and dragging Warriors from his bedroll before the demand to be left alone could leave the Captain’s lips.
“He didn’t even fight that much,” Warriors hisses. It isn’t quiet enough, because most of the camp rouses from their slumber.
Hyrule finds himself agreeing with Warriors. While the others fought hard, he had only run around the battlefield fulfilling his unofficial role as team medic. Though it left him feeling shaky and a little teary after stitching a life-threatening wound on Wild, Warriors wasn’t wrong. Even if he was, Hyrule didn't see much point in arguing over it. He says as much, and Legend looks about ready to hit him, or kill Warriors.
Time’s voice from the other side of the camp saves them all. “There is more to battle than fighting,” he says, regarding them calmly with one eye, “The traveler’s fight was different than yours, but a battle all the same. We all deserve our rest.”
Under Time's disapproving gaze, Warriors begrudgingly takes his watch. Legend glares at him all the way to the edge of camp. Hyrule remains frozen, guilt making him sick to his stomach.
“Come on,” Legend says grumpily, pulling Hyrule to his feet roughly, “Don’t let pretty boy boss you around.”
“He isn’t wrong, though,” Hyrule insists.
“All Wild does in most fights is climb a tree and shoot arrows. You don’t see him taking other people’s watch. Follow his example,” Legend growls at him.
“Climbing a tree is hard work-”
“You’re impossible,” Legend scoffs, practically tossing him into his bedroll, “You think just anyone can stay that collected while they stitch a wound? Did you see anyone else running to another's aid?” Without waiting for an answer, he flops down next to him on his own blanket and rolls so that his face is turned away from him. That is that.
It doesn’t help Hyrule sleep at all. It doesn’t help ease the guilt he feels at being so passive in battle. However, there is the smallest bit of warmth from someone finding some value in his efforts.
He should have taken that as a warning sign.
Later, Warriors apologizes. It isn’t a hesitant apology, but full and sincere, delivered with a blushing face and a sheepish scratch of the head. “I’m really sorry,” Warriors says, “I should know better than anyone what goes into getting everyone patched up.”
Hyrule shakes his head, ready to push the apology away as unnecessary, but Warriors insists. “I’ll do better,” he says, “Give me a pint and I’ll take the cask. Don’t let me push you around.”
As he gets up to leave, he turns a kind smile on Hyrule. “And don’t let the vet push you around either,” he adds, "That brat is too bossy, even if he means well."
It makes Hyrule feel even warmer. Warriors keeps his promise, and with every forest explored, mountain climbed, and battle won, he begins to feel closer and closer to this little band of heroes.
Time is kind and supportive. Even when he is stern, he isn’t unfriendly, and Hyrule hangs onto his snippets of advice like they were treasures. He appreciates his firm, guiding hand.
Twilight is strong and affectionate, and much more touchy than anyone Hyrule has ever encountered. He finds himself growing used to the casual hugs and bracing grips on his shoulders. More than that, he learns to take comfort in a warm body next to him.
Sky is strong, too. Deceptively so. He is as equally physically affectionate as Twilight, but pairs it with words too. He is supportive and encouraging. His presence alone is enough to lighten Hyrule’s more melancholy days.
Wild is quiet, but unexpectedly funny and exciting. He shares Hyrule’s love of exploring and need for solitude. Sometimes they wander out into the woods and just sit in each others’ space. It is nice to have someone to simply exist near, rather than interact with.
Four is quiet too, but more attentive. He seems to always know when one of them is lost in thought or bad memories. He has a gentle, but crisp attitude. A simple word from him is enough to pull Hyrule out of his thoughts and back into reality.
Wind is the kind of person who is impressed by water boiling over a fire. Still, his praise feels like a treat. He thinks Hyrule’s mending skills are superb. He likes his spells and his footwork during combat. It is enough to make Hyrule start feeling confident, even around this band of heroes and their mountains of accomplishments
Hyrule fits with them. Like a literal link in a chain, he feels connected and strengthened by their presence. For the first time in his life, he understands the purpose of hugs and handshakes. He knows why people huddle around fires together. He gets why they whisper secrets between each other, why they bare their souls and take vows. Being a member of a team makes him feel indispensable. He feels cherished.
It all disappears and backfires inevitably. He should have known better. He wasn't built for anything other than to be alone.
In the midst of one of their battles, Legend is knocked from a high cliff. The team opts to split up to search for him soon after the last monster is vanquished. Legend is likely injured, from the battle and the fall, so time is of the essence. This is why, when Hyrule stumbles upon Legend, he is alone and wholly unprepared.
Legend is collapsed on his back, hands limp at his sides, a puddle of crimson slowly soaking the grass on his left side. Hyrule can hear his breathing from several paces away. Legend’s hoarse and wheezy pulls of breath shudder through his damaged chest, slow and far too shallow.
Hyrule slides part of the way to Legend on his knees. Eyes assessing before he has truly come to a stop. There is a ragged tear in the chest of Legend’s tunic, blood liberally soaking the fabric around it. Crimson wets the grass around him, making the area smell pungently of copper and damp soil. It leaks from his nose and bubbles at his lips with every weak breath too. His skin is deathly pale in comparison to the shocking amount of red that surrounds and soaks him.
Immediately, it is clear to Hyrule. These are the types of wounds that kill, and quickly.
Unbidden, tears flood Hyrule’s eyes, and bile rises in his throat. His heart pounds. The sound of Legend’s labored breathing cuts at his ears like knives across stone. His hands rise on their own, power flooding into his fingertips when Legend’s eyes snap open, finding him immediately despite the foggy quality of his gaze.
“Hi-” Legend starts to say, then chokes on a gasp. “Hy… rule.” His voice gurgles, and more blood leaks from his mouth down his cheek. Dread shoots through Hyrule, like ice injected straight into his spine.
With Legend awake, he will know. Legend isn’t stupid. He knows of only one creature possessed with magic enough to pull someone from the brink of death. How would he react? Would he accept a lie? Politely look the other way? Could he keep a secret?
If Hyrule waits much longer, it won't matter. Even his unique magic won’t save him.
Legend's eyebrows tilt up at Hyrule's expression, the horror and guilt no doubt warring visibly on his face. “S’kay,” Legend chokes. He reaches up with a wavering hand, clumsily patting Hyrule’s cheek where tears flow freely now. “‘Kay… ‘Rule.” He gives him a comforting smile. Hyrule’s heart breaks.
Hyrule lets loose a sob as he pushes every ounce of his magic forward. He slams both his hands over the wound on Legend’s chest. Legend gasps in pain at the pressure, but slowly the agony begins to ebb. The flow of blood slows, and his breathing comes easier. Hyrule keeps pushing. He can’t afford to lose someone like Legend. He refuses to.
He keeps healing until the skin has closed. He keeps dumping his energy into the body beneath him until he begins to feel light-headed and his vision tunnels. He finds his own breathing growing labored as black spots dance before his eyes.
At the last moment before collapse, warm hands close over his own. “Rule, stop,” a voice says. Magic still swirls around his hands, floating in the air before settling over his injured teammate, even as another pair tries to pry them away. “Rule, I’m okay!”
The body wiggles out from under him. Hyrule lunges for it with a desperate cry, but a pair of arms close around his chest and hold him still. Yet another two hands close around his own outstretched ones, folding them into fists.
He blinks through the haze of pink magic and the ghost of Legend’s pale, blood-soaked skin to see Time there, holding his hands and halting the flow of magic by pressing his fingers into his palms. Hyrule flinches and tries to jerk away, only to be held fast.
“It’s alright,” Sky breathes into his ear, “Legend’s alright now.” Hyrule realizes it is his arms wrapped around his chest.
“More than alright,” Twilight intones. Over Time’s shoulder, Hyrule can see him peering under a squirming Legend’s tunic. “I don’t think he’ll even scar,” he adds as he squints at the drying blood flaking off of flawless skin.
Hyrule blinks at them. Two heroes hold him hostage and six more stare at him with wide eyes. Suddenly, Hyrule can’t breathe. His body goes cold.
“That was awesome!” Wind says, but he sounds extremely far away. The forest around him spins, and Hyrule lurches. The arms around him tighten.
He jolts, squirming, clawing at the sturdy leather protecting Sky's hands. “Let me go!” he yells when Sky’s grip only grows tighter. He has to get out. He has to leave, escape right now. He throws himself against the cage of Sky’s arms, already out of breath at such a small movement.
“Just let him go. You’re making him panic,” Legend says. Hyrule’s heart swells with hope. His voice sounds strong and regular. It calms the frightened patter of his pulse somewhat. Maybe Legend will help him escape. “I doubt he could even stand right now, let alone run off anyways.”
Hyrule’s heart plummets into his stomach. Legend isn’t wrong, and it looks like he has no intention of helping Hyrule. Hopelessness overtakes him.
He says nothing as they surround him. Time kneeling in front of him, Sky keeping him caged from behind. Wind stands at Time’s shoulder, nearly vibrating. Twilight and Warriors are crouched near Legend, checking him over for other injuries. Wild and Four stand even further back. Wild still has his bow out, one arrow suspended between his fingers and the bowstring. Legend is right. Even if he could stand, he can’t run, and even if he could run, Wild would have an arrow in his back in a second.
He has nothing to bargain with. Words are his only tools, and he has never been very good with them. He tests Sky’s grasp once more, finding it just as tight as before.
“Nice going, Legend,” Warriors says, “He looks like he definitely doesn't feel panicked now.”
Legend blanches. “Cut me some slack, I almost died.”
It all feels so nonchalant like they aren’t surrounding the rarest commodity in any era. Hyrule remembers what he heard, young and inexperienced, halfway up a tree and rightfully terrified out of his mind by anything that wasn’t a fairy. There is a Hylian with fairy blood somewhere. They are almost as powerful as a great fairy, but easier to subdue. If you can catch it, you’ll be set for life. That was before the triforce. Now ...
He feels that same terror, the same helplessness. Cornered and fighting tooth and nail for his freedom. Don’t let them catch you. He had been told again and again.
But he had already been caught.
He accepted this the moment he laid his hands on Legend’s wound. In that respect, at least it is a little easier to swallow. He slumps as exhaustion floods him at the first sign of defeat.
“You okay?” Time’s voice cuts through the dissipating panic. He releases Hyrule’s hands in favor of gently cupping his face. “That was a lot of magic you used.”
“Hang on, I think I have an elixir that might help,” Wild says. When he moves his bow, Hyrule flinches, heart rate rising so quickly he sees stars.
Time’s gaze narrows. “Hyrule,” he says, somehow both soft and firm.
Hyrule looks at him, and it’s like trying to stare directly at the sun. His eyes refuse to focus on his face. His heart threatens to pound out of his chest. Time’s face crumples into something perplexed and even more painful to look at. “What’s wrong?” he asks.
It pushes a hysterical laugh from Hyrule. “I just used healing magic,” he says, voice high and small.
“Yeah, and it was awesome!” Wind says, oblivious and delighted.
“Did it take too much out of you?” Wild asks, voice full of nothing but concern, “Are you hurt?”
“What can we do to help?” Sky asks from behind him, making him flinch again.
Four’s sharp eyes catch it, and his mouth thins. “Maybe we should give him some space,” he suggests, already taking a pointed step back.
Everyone follows suit, even Sky, though reluctantly. He unwinds his arms from around Hyrule, leaving him slumped in the grass. Time still kneels nearby, but he rests his hands neutrally in his lap. He and Legend exchange a look.
“You don’t- Don’t you know what this means?” Hyrule asks as they all look at him with clear concern. They are giving him space? Letting him go? There are no rasping, smothering hands, or raised weapons, no threats or bargains. Hyrule feels so woozy. His hands tremble.
“Does it mean that you’re, like, a thousand times more cool?” Wind asks with a grin.
“I think it means you’ve been holding out on us,” Warriors says, only to receive an elbow in the ribs from Twilight
Hyrule swallows dryly, unable to quite grasp their ignorance. Time and Legend finish whatever silent conversation they are having, returning their gazes to him. He shrinks under it. The others might be oblivious, but Legend and Time certainly know. Hyrule braces for them to rat him out.
“Why don’t you all go set up camp?” Time says, “I think Hyrule could use a little time to decompress.”
They all grumble, but the look he gives them leaves no room for argument. Four is the first to lead the way followed by Wind leaping over a fallen log to catch up.
“If you need anything, just yell, okay?” Sky says, giving Hyrule a fleeting pat on his shoulder. Wild lingers nearby for a moment, holding a little vial of green liquid.
Legend has mercy on him. “Give it here, Champ,” he says, “I’ll hold onto it for our idiot.” The vial is handed over gratefully, and Wild runs after an obediently retreating Twilight.
Warriors is the last to leave, staring down at Legend. “You need help standing?” he asks.
“I’m good here, thanks,” Legend says shortly. Warriors looks at Time, and whatever he sees on his face sends him jogging after the others.
Left alone with Time and Legend, Hyrule doesn’t feel any better. He can’t stop shaking.
Time reaches forward, then hesitates, returning his hands to his lap. Hyrule can only stare. Time sighs.
“Well, I guess first, I should say thanks,” Legend interrupts their awkward exchange, “You saved my life.” He fixes Hyrule with a serious look. Hyrule returns it blankly. “Second, you should drink this.” He hands the vial to Hyrule when he doesn’t respond.
Hyrule accepts the vial of liquid with quaking hands. “I don’t understand,” he says, “I… I used a... a lot of healing magic.”
“Thanks for that,” Legend says carelessly.
Time shoots him a look, which might as well have slid right off of him for all he seems to care about it. Time rolls his eyes and returns his attention to Hyrule. “What don’t you understand?” he asks.
“I used a lot of healing magic,” Hyrule repeats. The bottle clatters in his hands as he nearly drops it. Legend shakes his head and mutters something under his breath. It earns him a glare from Time.
“You used healing magic, yes. We're lucky you knew how,” Time confirms, “You should drink that elixir to get some of your strength back.”
“You don’t want to… to catch me?” Hyrule asks and then winces. Way to go, giving them ideas.
“As much as I would love to shove your dumbass in a bottle to keep you from doing stupid shit like nearly killing yourself over trying to heal scars ,” Legend says, “I don’t think they make a bottle big enough.”
“Not helping,” Time bites out, his expression morphing into one of worry when Hyrule wavers slightly. He clutches the bottle to his chest.
“Hyrule, none of us want to hurt you, catch you, imprison you, anything,” Time says patiently, “We don’t care if you can use healing magic or any other kind of magic. We are just worried about you.”
“Oh?” Hyrule says distantly, staring at the emerald green liquid in the vial in his hands. It is jittering so much along with him that a bubbly foam has formed on top of the liquid.
“Yeah,” Legend says, “Drink your potion.”
Hyrule nods distractedly. He struggles with the little cork on the bottle, his fingers shaking too much to even grasp it until Time gently takes it from him and pulls it out. Handing it back, he watches worriedly as Hyrule brings the vial to his lips. “Go slow,” Time says, “Don’t make yourself sick.”
The potion is bitter, but warm as it moves down his throat. It hits his stomach and spreads outwards, flooding through his limbs and into his fingers and toes. When he looks back at Time, the man is smiling warmly at him. Hyrule ducks his head.
“There you go,” he says, “Now you have some color back in you.”
“Why?” Hyrule asks, still befuddled.
Standing, Legend makes his way over to him, offering him a hand to stand. “I can’t believe you’re asking this question,” he says sourly, “You think we’re that bad? That we’d capture just because you got some fancy spells up your sleeves? Honestly.”
Hyrule flushes, hunching his shoulders and tucking his chin. Time rests a hand between his shoulder blades, warm and firm. “Give him a break, Legend. He was stressed,” Time says. They begin to pick through the forest floor in the direction everyone left in.
“I’m sorry,” Hyrule says, “I’m just… I’m not used to it.”
Time nods with understanding. Legend still looks a bit steamed, but huffs and crosses his arms rather than yelling. “Then get used to it,” Legend advises sagely, “We don't even need to capture you. You’re stuck with us, remember? Luckily, we’re not a bunch of asses… Well, except for the captain.”
“Funny, I think he’d say the same thing about you,” Time says thoughtfully.
“Takes one to know one,” Legend responds like a reflex.
“That isn’t… a very good defense,” Hyrule points out hesitantly.
Time laughs and gently slaps his back. Legend looks betrayed. Together they make their way back to camp, and Hyrule is welcomed back with joy and worry. Like a missing piece, he fits snugly back into the group as if nothing had happened.