Archive of Our Own

It took Wild approximately ten seconds to realise where they were as he and the other heroes stumbled unceremoniously out of the black gate – six seconds of grounding himself and four seconds to look up and immediately recognise the enormous, crumbling stone wall he was facing.

He would recognise that architecture anywhere.

“This is my Hyrule,” he declared proudly, turning to the others with a wide grin. There was a heavy silence as the others gazed around, drinking in the imposing form of the Great Plateau before them, the ruins and rocks dotted around them, and the eerie stillness of the air that Wild had come to love.

“…Wow.” Wind was the first to break the quiet, staring out at the field behind them in awe. “It’s…”

“Empty,” Legend finished, looking around with an unreadable expression etched into his face. 

Wild felt his grin slip slightly at the dark edge to the veteran’s tone. He pushed down a prickle of pride for his home that stabbed at him. His emotions calmed as a familiar, comforting hand came down on his shoulder.

“We are in the middle of a road, Vet,” Twilight said, throwing his protégé a smile. Wild returned it gratefully, stifling a laugh at Legend’s scowl. 

“I think it’s kind of beautiful,” Sky chipped in, his eyes roaming the area, a soft smile on his face.

“Yeah, it is…” Hyrule added quietly, an oddly wistful look on his face. “It reminds me of my home.”

“So uh, where are we anyway?”

Wild let his smile widen once more, turning back to the crumbling wall with widespread arms. “This is the Great Plateau.”

“What’s up there?” Four asked, craning his neck to try and see all the way up.

“Oh…” Wild trailed off as he suddenly realized what exactly was up there. “Ah… not much. It’s all ruins and stuff now so…”

He tried to ignore Twilight’s gaze burning into the back of his head, turning back to them, still grinning brightly.

Legend scoffed, crossing his arms. “Is there anywhere here that isn’t ruins?”

This time Wild let his smile fall completely, shooting an icy glare at the other hero.

“Yes,” he said shortly, feeling a rush of anger at his callousness. Fortunately for everyone, Legend’s shoulders sagged as he averted his eyes.

“Well, sor-ry,” he muttered, scuffing at the dirt with his toe. “At least it’s quiet.”

“It’s really quiet,” Warriors joined in, looking around impassively. “Are there no towns near here, champion?”

Wild shrugged. “No. There’s a stable down the road but… the nearest town is a good two days walk at least.” He cleared his throat awkwardly, letting silence hang over them before, thankfully, Time decided to break it.

“So, where should we head then?” he asked him, flashing him a small, supportive glance.

Grateful, Wild removed his Sheikah slate from his hip, studying the map with a furrowed brow. “I don’t know… Like I said, there is a stable nearby but maybe it would be best to start heading towards one of the towns. Though if there has been an increase of monsters around here, the stable might be-”

“Back off!”

Wild’s head shot up about the sound of a familiar shout. Almost instantly, just past the other heroes, he spotted the form of a woman darting away from a clumsy swing from a stumbling blue bokoblin.

Before the others could say anything, the champion shot off, seamlessly hooking his slate back onto his hip while unhooking his bow and releasing a wicked fast arrow. His aim, as always, was true as the arrow pierced the monster right in the back of the head. The creature turned, snarling as it raised its sword. But Wild was quicker; letting loose another arrow that struck it right in the chest.

The bokoblin fell back, twitching as it hit the ground, and finally falling still.

Wild silently thanked Hylia that the monster hadn’t been infected as he turned to the woman, who was sheathing her blade with an extremely irritated look on her face.

“You always show up to save us,” she muttered, glancing curiously behind him. “Though usually not with an entourage.”

Wild shrugged, stowing his bow away as the woman turned away for him, shrilly calling a name. Another familiar face, this time a man, came into view, a far more grateful look on his face. But before he could say anything, the woman spoke up once more.

“Well, guess I should pay you back for saving us. Again, ” she added under her breath. As she reached into the bag by her hip, a thought suddenly dawned on the hero.

“Wait. Could I just ask you something instead?”

The woman raised her eyebrow questioningly.

“I was just wondering… have you guys heard of… uh… there being more monsters than usual?”

Instantly, the expression on her face twisted into one of contempt. “Oh, you bet. I’m surprised you don’t know since you’re everywhere. ”

Wild ignored her jibe, patiently waiting for her to continue. Eventually, she sighed.

“Yeah. Closer to the castle. There are way more monsters there than usual. And… well. Don’t laugh. But there’s something wrong with them.”

Warning bells started to ring in the hero’s head. “Wrong how?”

The woman sighed heavily. “I don’t know. They’re just… stronger. It’s like they’ve been-”

“Empowered,” Wild finished, feeling a little sense of satisfaction as the woman’s gaze sharpened.

“So you do know.” She scoffed, brushing down her clothes. “Well, I’d warn you not to go, but we all know you will do so… MILS! Let’s go. Treasure’s not going to find itself!”

Without another word, she strode off, not waiting for the man who stumbled after her, quietly mumbling to himself.

Satisfied, Wild turned back to the others who were staring at him with varying levels of confusion.

“Well. We know where we need to go.”

“So…”

Wild glanced over at Wind who was leading the charge with him. The young hero was watching him cautiously, nervously gnawing on his lip. 

“Something wrong?” Wild asked lightly, even though he was fairly sure of what was on the sailor’s mind.

Wind shook his head frantically. “No, no! Nothing’s wrong. Just…” He cut himself off, staring around the deserted road they were trudging down with a frown. “There’s not a lot of people.”

Forcing down a flicker of irritation, the champion shrugged. “Most people are happy staying in their towns. Not many people travel anymore.”

“Huh…” Wind replied thoughtfully, fiddling with his sleeve. “What about those people from back there? It sounded like that lady knows you.”

Wild chuckled quietly. “You usually run into the same people on the road. I’ve bumped into them a few times. They’re always looking for treasure.”

Wind perked up. “There’s treasure?” he asked, eyes lighting up with hope. Wild grinned at him conspiratorially.

“Only if you know where to look.”

Wind looked ready to run off on a scavenger hunt when Twilight’s voice cut in.

“Hey, Cub. What’s that?”

Wild halted and turned, following the ranch hand’s finger, which was pointing at a familiar stone ruin, which was just visible from its perch atop the rocky hill they were passing by.

“Oh. That’s the Colosseum.”

“What’s a Colosseum?” Wind asked, staring up at it curiously. Wild opened his mouth to answer but was beaten to it by Warriors.

“It’s an arena. Usually, they’re used for battles.” He glanced questioningly at Wild who shrugged.

“Don’t ask me what used to happen there. I don’t remember,” he said with a small laugh. “But nowadays, it’s filled with monsters. Good place to find weapons though.”

Four audibly groaned at that, burying his head in his hands. “You are a lost cause,” he said disparagingly. Wild huffed as the others laughed, folding his arms.

“They’re better than most of the ones I use,” he muttered, cringing away as Four stared pure daggers into his soul. “What?”

“Whatever works for you, Wild,” Twilight laughed, clapping him cheerfully on the shoulder. He kept his hand there as he fixed Wild with a knowing look. “But don’t you go sneaking off there on your own.”

Wild rolled his eyes. “Whatever you say, sir,” he replied mockingly, shrugging off his hand with a smirk. Twilight shook his head fondly as the champion strode off again, shaking the heroes out of their awe and curiosity.

“Should we worry about the monsters in there?” Warriors asked suddenly, matching Wild pace for pace. Wild shook his head.

“They don’t leave that spot. I don’t know why but they don’t.”

The captain glanced back up at the imposing building thoughtfully, before shrugging and dropping the topic.

Wild welcomed the calm silence that fell back over their group. As much as he enjoyed traveling with them and the exciting and enlightening conversations that came with it, being back in his world had him yearning a little for the quiet and solidarity he was so used to.

“Geez champion. How big is your Hyrule?” Legend’s voice said irritably, grating in his ears. Wild bristled at words.

He definitely craved silence.

“I don’t know,” he replied shortly, not even bothering to look back at him. “But if I can survive it, so can you.”

He could practically see Legend rolling his eyes as laughter rippled around the others.

Laughter that was quickly cut short.

As the champion was parrying back the veteran’s insult, he hadn’t noticed a sudden shadow hovering on the rocky outcrop above them, nor had he noticed the way shadow dropped down, sharp claws eager to tear through his flesh. The only thing Wild felt was the press of a hand that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere between his shoulder blades as it shoved him roughly forward. 

With a yelp of surprise and confusion, he stumbled forward and tripped to the dusty ground. A cacophony of sounds filled his ears: loud shouts along with the sound of swords being drawn, the scuffing of feet as they pounded against the earth, the inhuman shrieks of a monster. But one sound was far clearer than the rest: a horribly familiar cry of pain.

A rush of adrenaline jolted through his body as his instinct screamed for him to move. Wild jumped to his feet and whipped around just in time to see Twilight as his body slammed into the ground, the hulking form of a bokoblin bearing down on top of him. Belatedly, Wild realized the creature's claws were sunk deep into his mentor’s shoulder.

White-hot anger burst forth through his being, causing Wild to spring forward, his hand automatically reaching back to unsheathe his sword. A voice rang after him, yelling something that sounded like a warning, but it fell on deaf ears as Wild continued to swing his blade down with a ferocious battle cry. 

The bokoblin howled as the metal sliced open a lethal wound, forcing it to fall back. As it did so, black and red blood oozed from the wound and sprayed through the air. Blinded by his fury, Wild pounced on the monster as it tried to stumble upright, effectively pinning it down. And with one more cry of rage, he drove his sword right into its throat. 

The bokoblin twitched slightly before falling limp, allowing Wild to properly examine it. His eyes grew wide as he noticed something that sent a chill shooting down his spine. The creature was covered in a disturbing mess of black, red, and pink.

Malice.

Shaken, the hero glanced down at his blade and, sure enough, it was slick with the all too familiar black blood. Panic began to rise in his throat, threatening to break his composure, but he quickly shoved it down in a desperate attempt to regain rationality. Then, as he started to turn to the others to warn them, another cry echoed through the air.

“There’s more!”

Wild’s head shot up, his gaze locking onto several more monsters of various species as they lurked over the rocky hill, each filled with anticipation and ready to pounce. But there were two things they had in common. They were all coated in malice and-

“They’re coming from the Colosseum!” Warriors yelled, positioning himself in front of Twilight’s crumpled form, sword and shield readied.

But the monsters in the Colosseum, they shouldn’t- they can’t… 

“Wild said they don’t leave!” Sky shouted, voicing the champion’s thoughts perfectly.

“Well, clearly they do!” Legend shot back, cursing as a hulking moblin landed right in front of him, missing the hero by mere inches and causing the ground to tremble under its weight.

Wild scowled at the harshness of his words, but he pushed it aside as he rushed to join the fray, keeping as close to Twilight as he could. The ranch hand began to struggle to his feet, ignoring the protests of the others, and clumsily drew his own blade.

“Twilight you’re too wounded-”

“I’m fine,” he interrupted as he wobbled slightly before firmly planting his feet. “Just stay focused on the battle.”

Warriors looked as if he wanted to protest but evidently decided against it as he turned back to the fight. “Fine. Don’t do anything stupid, ranch hand.”

Twilight responded with a pained smirk. “No promises.”

To say that they were overwhelmed was an understatement. There were roughly eight or so enemies, all equipped with powerful weapons, allowing them to quickly gain an advantage. Normally it would be manageable, but the infection that coursed through their veins made the situation grave.

Dread gripped his body as a collision of swirling thoughts filled his mind, and Wild struggled to think clearly and strategically as he battled a new bokoblin that made its way towards him, a claymore swinging violently in its way.

“Wild! What’s going on?” Wind yelled over the noise.

“I- I don’t know!” he stuttered, wincing at how his voice came out uneven and higher than he expected. “This has never happened before!”

Hyrule grunted  as he pushed back a monster with his shield and cried out, “What should we do?”

As wild parried the incoming attack, he gritted his teeth and willed his mind to calculate a strategy. His breaths were sharp and shallow and burned his throat raw, his body ached and sweat ran down his face and into his eyes, but he remained determined. Think, Wild, Think! The champion desperately looked around, scanning the area for something- anything that would give them the advantage.

He was nearly consumed by hopelessness when a flash of light caught his attention. He turned his head to see that the source of the light came from Sky. Or rather, the master sword clutched in his hand. Wild watched Sky as he gracefully swung the sword with sharp precision and noticed the sacred blade admitting a bright glow. Glow… glow… That’s it!

Finding an opportunity to evade the bokoblin and escape its barrage of attacks, Wild quickly scrambled up the rocky hill to obtain a vantage point where he could clearly see all of the other heroes. “Guys! I know what to do, but you have to trust me!” he called out.

“We’re listening, Wild!” Time responded, confirming to Wild they could hear his instructions.

Legend growled as he struggled against an enemy whilst locked in a stalemate “Hurry up and spit it out!”

“Hyrule, Time, I need you two up here with me!” The traveler nodded and slipped away from the chaos, dodging attacks as he made his way to Wild with Time following close behind. “Listen, all of the monsters are holding metal weapons, but so are you all. When I give the signal, put your weapons away!”

“WHAT? ARE YOU CRAZY?” Wind exclaimed.

“Let me finish! When I give the second signal, Hyrule will cast his thunder spell to shock all the enemies!”

Hyrule turned to Wild, his face etched with concern and doubt. “Wild, the amount of power I’ll need to use to pull this off-”

Wild cut him off. “I know, but I only need you to do it once. The spell will gravitate to their weapons and shock them just enough that they’ll be paralyzed, but only for a short moment! Sky!” The hero grunted in acknowledgment as he continued swinging his sword. “In that moment, use the master sword’s abilities to slay them! The sword is extra effective against malice! Then if they aren’t dead after that, it will be easy to finish them off! Time, defend me and Hyrule! Warriors! Help fight with and protect Twilight. You two stay out of this. Everyone ready?”

There was a chorus of affirming cries and the plan was set in motion. Wild signaled for Hyrule at just the perfect moment, leading to a unison of monster cries as the shock penetrated deep into their bodies and left them incapacitated. As soon as Wild sounded again, Sky rushed forward gracefully and while moving the blade in a wide, horizontal arch, sent a blinding beam of divine light that nearly incinerated the monsters. 

There were three monsters left standing, however. A Moblin made its way far across the field to the other band of boys while two lizalfos charged forward, one at Time and the other aiming for Hyrule.

Wild Looked over to the traveler to see him holding his head and rocking slightly in place, clearly still recovering from the powerful spell cast. The monster was closing in fast but Wild was quicker, his lightning-fast reflexes allowed him to parry the attack at the last possible moment. Time seemed to slow around him and a familiar and calming sensation washed over him. Then, with all his might, Wild countered with a barrage of flurry attacks, the last one piercing the stomach of the creature. Time returned to normal and with a fading squeal, the lizalfo went limp.

Wild wrenched his sword back, sweat pouring down his face. Frantically he ran his eye over the battlefield, forcing out a huge breath when he found no more live monsters, Time and the others evidently finishing off the other two. He could hear the distant cheers of the others and slowly, a small smile graced his face.

Unfortunately, his relief was short-lived.

The sound of metal clattering to the ground filled his ears, shortly followed by a loud thump . He whipped around, his heart plummeting as his gaze fell on Twilight, laying on the grass, unmoving.

Wild’s legs were moving before he could realize it, running and stumbling over to the fallen form of his mentor.

“Twilight!”

At his fearful cry, the figure twitched, rolling over with a pained groan as Wild dropped to his knees beside him. Wild winced at the sight of the large bloody gashes slicing through the ranch hand’s shoulder, cutting cleanly through his tunic and chainmail. Twilight gripped the wound, his face pale and twisted in agony.

“I’m fine…” he mumbled, trying and failing to muffle a whine as he struggled into a sitting position, swatting away Wild’s hands as he tried to help.

“No way,” Warriors cut in, striding towards the two with Time and Hyrule in tow. “You are not pulling that shit again. Lie back down.”

Twilight glared at him, stubbornly pushing himself into a sitting position. 

“I’m fine. It’s just a-”

“Do not finish that sentence,” Time interrupted, shooting him a warning glance. Twilight stiffened letting out a weary sigh. He offered Wild a small smile.

“I’m really fine,” he said softly. “Don’t worry, Cub.”

Wild eyed his wound doubtfully. “Doesn’t look fine.”

“Yeah, listen to your protégé if you won’t listen to anyone else,” the captain scolded, dropping down beside the champion and reaching out to carefully inspect the wound.

“Ow!” Twilight growled as his fingers prodded his injured flesh. “ Watch it. ”

Warriors rolled his eyes, still gently peeling back the layers of his clothing. “Don’t be a drama queen.” He glanced up, gesturing to Hyrule to join him – a motion that the ranch hand noticed. 

“Don’t waste your magic, traveler. I just need a potion. I’ll be fine.”

“Famous last words,” Hyrule muttered under his breath, but he obeyed, digging around in his bag and producing a bottle of red potion, uncorking it and handing it to him with a suspicious gaze. Wild had to stifle a laugh at the dirty look Twilight threw at him before he downed the potion in one quick motion, gracelessly chucking the bottle to the side and moving to get to his feet.

“No way, Twi,” Wild argued firmly, pushing down his good shoulder.

“He’s right. We can sit here for a bit,” Time backed him up. Twilight snorted.

“Can’t believe you’re ganging up on me,” he said, feigning a hurt look. Time rolled his eye, sitting down pointedly beside him. Wild grinned as Twilight groaned morosely, falling back onto the grass with a sigh.

“Guess I'll go and let the others know we’re stopping for a bit,” Warriors chipped in, looking thoroughly amused. Wild watched as he and Hyrule wandered off, leaving him and Time sat with a grumbling Twilight.

“It’s for your own good, Pup,” the eldest hero said conversationally, the tiniest hint of a smug smile on his face. Twilight scoffed, rubbing his shoulder absentmindedly, his face slowly twisting into discomfort. Time clearly noticed, concern taking over his smugness.

“Are you sure we shouldn’t get Hyrule?”

Twilight slowly sat back up, keeping his hand clasped over the tear in his tunic. “No, I'm fine… I just…” he trailed off, his brow furrowed.

Wild felt a seed of worry take root inside him. “Twi, maybe you should-”

He started as Twilight suddenly turned on him, his eyes alight with anger. “Oh, would you stop panicking?” he snapped. “For the last time. I. Am. Fine. ”

Wild froze, unable to move under his fierce glare. “I-I…” he stuttered, unable to think. Why was he angry? What had he said?

“Hey, come on,” Time interjected, his tone his signature blend of soft and stern. “We’re just looking out for you.”

The ranch hand’s face suddenly fell, and he let his head drop into his hand, screwing his eyes shut. “Sorry, Cub. I don’t…” He groaned frustratedly. “Just tired I guess.”

“That’s… that’s okay,” Wild said carefully. He hesitated for a second, ultimately deciding to push it to the back of his mind. “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to press. I’m just… just a little worried.”

Twilight sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I know.”

There was a moment that passed between the heroes, filling the air with an uncomfortable silence before a loud shout was heard in the distance.

“HEY! You guys!”

Wild looked over to see the sailor rushing over, waving his hand, with the rest of the group following suit.

“Wind,” Time acknowledged. “How are you and the others faring?”

The youngest hero stood stock straight as though he were imitating a soldier. “Nothing to report, Time! Honestly, we didn’t have too tough of a time considering they were infected. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say we’re getting really good at this!” he beamed.

Time smiled warmly. “I’m glad. But remember not to get overconfident. We know not what is yet to come.”

“Yeah. Let's not get cocky, unlike you, wolf boy.”  Legend walked over, gesturing to Twilight as he spoke, earning him a rotten glare from said hero.

Four joined in with a light chuckle. “What happened to you, rancher?”

Wild watched the ranch hand look away, clenching his fist until his knuckles turned white. “Can we please drop it? The sooner we move on the better. I don’t like the idea of everyone being stuck here because of me.”

The light and airy banter ceased, leaving a stale silence hanging over them. Unsure of what to do, Wild stole a glance towards Time to see him lost in thought, his expression contemplative.

“You’re right. Let’s just take another few moments to rest, then we should get moving.”

There was a beat before the others slowly sat themselves down around the three of them, letting out relieved sighs. 

“What was with those guys?” Wind spoke up suddenly, his face twisted in confusion. “They looked different, right?”

“Malice,” Wild said without thinking, tearing up the grass with his hands. The hairs on the back of his neck pricked and he glanced up to find everyone staring at him. “I mean… I think they were also infected by malice.”

“You’ve mentioned malice before haven’t you?” Time asked, watching him carefully. Wild shrugged, staring down at his lap.

“It’s an extension of Ganon’s magic I guess. There’s not much of it around anymore…” he added quietly.

Silence settled back over them, broken only when Twilight let out a huffed laugh.

“And the monsters in the Colosseum? The ones that “never leave”?”

Wild started at his brash tone, quickly fixing him with a fierce gaze. “They don’t . This wasn't normal.”

Twilight hummed, glancing away with a somewhat infuriating flippancy. Wild glared at the back of his head. What was with him?

“O… kay…” Sky interjected, ever the mediator. “So… should we keep going?”

Time sheathed his sword and motioned towards Wild. “Lead the way, Champion.”

After another hour or two of travel, the sun was beginning to sink below the snow-capped mountains and the warm-green grass of Hyrule Field’s horizon. 

“We should stop here for now. I think I’ve mentioned, but continuing at night will only complicate our travels.”

“You heard the champion,” Time called out to the others. “Let’s stop here.” The others let out various sounds of relief as they set down their belongings, ready to begin preparing camp for the night. All bar Twilight, who Time forced to sit down. And, for the first time since they had met him, he didn’t argue; much to everyone’s relief.

Wild ran through his typical routine, setting up a fire and pot to cook with, all why glaring at Hyrule to keep him away.

Finally, a moment to relax and collect his thoughts. As the bizarre events of the day played on repeat through his mind, the corner of Wild’s lips tilted downwards into a frown as he absentmindedly began to chop up the host of mushrooms in front of him; an act that was thankfully second nature to him at this point.

He found himself unable to stop thinking about the other heroes’ reaction to his Hyrule. He supposed he should be thankful for Wind’s curiosity and Sky’s kindness, but it was Legend’s brashness that was front and center in his mind. At this point, he should’ve been used to the fairly rude mannerisms of the vet but he couldn’t shake the hurt he felt at his mindless comments. Yes, deep down he knew that he didn’t truly mean anything malicious by it, but each jibe felt like nothing more than a reminder that his home was in ruin. Because of him .

He clenched his knife tighter, gritting his teeth as that familiar feeling of failure settled into him.

And then there was Twilight. Wild was honestly pretty fed up with him at this point. The ranch hand had been in a sour mood ever since the monster attack - muttering under his breath constantly, joining Legend in making the odd snide comment about the vastness of his home, and Wild hadn’t missed how he constantly reached up to itch his arm where the wound had been. 

Even when Wild attempted to lighten the mood with casual conversation, Twilight was oddly bitter. Distant, almost. Had he been too pushy? Maybe he just needed space, right? Hylia, he probably only made things worse. He didn’t know for sure, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.

Thankfully, a voice was able to snap his attention away from his spiraling thoughts. “Wow, Wild. I thought my Hyrule was big… yours is just enormous .” Sky sighed as he settled on a nearby log. “Do you travel like this all the time?”

Wild shrugged, feeling his eyebrow twitch. “Mostly, yeah.”

Another voice joined in as Four sat himself to the left of Sky. “There’s not much to do here. At least, not at first glance,” he mused, running a cloth over the hilt of his sword.

Wild forced himself to take a breath. It was just a matter of fact. There was no malice to his words. He knew that. He knew-

“I think,” Twilight suddenly chipped in, his gaze fixed on the darkening sky. “There would be far more to do if this place wasn’t just sticks and stones.”

Wild froze, his fingers losing their hold on his knife. 

His mentor blinked as everyone stared at him, the air growing cold.

“What?”

“Thanks for pointing out the obvious, rancher,” Legend snarked from where he was leaning against a fallen tree. “But maybe you shouldn’t say it out loud.”

Twilight simply smirked. “Why? Don’t want me to take the job of asshole from you?”

Silence.

Surprise flashed over Legend’s face for a split second, before it was replaced with a steely mask.

“Want to say that again?”

The rancher shrugged, hand rubbing at his shoulder once more. “Just ‘ pointing out the obvious .”

“Alright, that’s enough,” Warriors cut in as Legend made to stand, his anger now clear. The captain threw a disapproving glance at Twilight before settling back in his spot. “Just let it go.”

Legend huffed irritably as Twilight flashed him a smile and nodded at the captain, turning his eyes back to the sky. 

Wild stared at him. There was something deeply unsettling about all of this. 

Swallowing hard, he picked his knife back up, using it to scrape the chopped mushrooms into his pot.

“Twi are you… okay?” he asked tentatively. He flinched as Twilight looked over at him, his eyes oddly cold.

“As good as I can be since someone almost had us killed.”

“Wha-” Wild couldn’t even get the word out properly. Something snapped inside him and he abruptly dropped his knife again, jumping to his feet. “I told you-”

“Yeah, yeah. “They stay in the Colosseum”,” Twilight continued lazily. “But obviously you were wrong.” He regarded him with a strange smile. “Then again… it wouldn’t be the first time you messed up an important battle, huh?”

All the fight that had been building up in the wild hero’s chest suddenly vanished, replaced with pure ice.

“Wh...what?” he gasped weakly. Twilight chuckled.

“First the calamity, now this… not a great track record, Cub.”

The nickname rolled off his tongue as casually as usual, but this time it was laced with a venom that stabbed Wild right in the heart. He stared silently at him, unable to speak. Luckily, Wind saved him the trouble.

“Twilight, cut it out! What the hell is wrong with you?!”

Twilight rolled his eyes. “Hush, sailor. The grown-ups are talking.”

That was enough to shut him up, leaving Wind to stare dumbly at the ranch hand as he turned his cool gaze back to Wild.

“What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?”

“I… you…” Wild stuttered, unable to find the words he wanted to throw back at him. All he could say was: “Twi, what’s wrong with you?”

At that, the other hero barked out a harsh laugh, getting to his own feet. “ Me? Oh, come on, Wild. There’s nothing wrong with me. I actually managed to save my Hyrule.”

Wild couldn’t speak. There was no way… Twilight couldn’t actually be saying these things to him… could he?

“Alright, that’s it!” Legend yelled, leaping to his feet. “Cut this crap out. It’s not funny anymore.”

Twilight's lips curled into a cruel smile. 

"Oh, come on. We all think it. I know you do, Vet," he added off-handedly, throwing a look at the red-clad hero. Legend glared back at him, looking half-ready to punch him right between the eyes. The ranch hand ignored him, returning his frosty gaze to his protégé.

"Face it, Champion . You're the only one who failed. At least the traveler’s wasteland of a kingdom still has people living in it." Wild flinched at the way he spat the title of champion. 

Numbly, he found himself searching for Hyrule, finding him sat beside Sky, his eyes wide and filled with pure hurt. The traveler opened his mouth as if he were to say something, but no words escaped, he simply choked on his fear.

Legend stepped between the two defensively, his anger practically radiating from him at this point. “Twilight, I don’t know what the hell is wrong with you, but you’ve crossed a line.”

“So you’re gonna tell me you didn’t mean all those things you said about this world, Vet?” he challenged.

“Twilight-“ Time tried to warn, a fierce glare in his eye, but he was cut off by a chilling laugh that turned Wild’s blood to ice.

“It’s the truth! You can’t deny it! This Hyrule practically faced a massacre by your hands, Wild! And it took you a hundred years to finish the deed.” He paused. “Not that there’s anything left worth saving.”

Wild’s hand flew to his mouth to stop himself from crying out. His entire body was quivering, causing him to stagger backward. Please, no ! he begged in his mind. Please, Hylia, no! a tidal wave of conflicting emotions flooded his mind and clouded his thoughts.

Twilight laughed again, the sardonic sound ringing loudly in his ears. “What’s wrong, Champ?” 

“W-why... ?” was all Wild could stutter out. Twilight grinned darkly, taking a threatening step towards him. He put his finger to his chin in mock thought.

“Why? Hmm… maybe because I am ashamed to be associated with someone like you ,” he growled

“THAT’S ENOUGH!” Time’s violent shout cut through the air like a cold blade, ringing loudly through their camp. Twilight whipped around to face him, still smiling.

“What’s the matter, old man?” he asked coldly. “Don’t want me telling the kiddies the truth?”

Time didn’t even flinch. Instead, he fixed his own protege with a dangerous gaze.

“I don’t know what has gotten into you,” he said, his tone deadly calm. “But you are going to cut it out. Right now.”

All he received by way of a reply was a scoff, followed by more quiet laughter. “What’re you gonna do? Make me?”

Something flickered in Time’s eye, but he remained calm. “If I have to.”

Twilight hummed. “Yeah… You know what? I’ll pass,” he said cheerfully, patting the elder hero on the arm. “In fact, I think I’ve had enough of all of you at this point.”

The camp was silent as the heroes watched in anger, shock, and horror as Twilight strode over to his belongings and plucked up his sword. He didn’t say a word as he strapped it to his back before quickly donning his pelt.

Still, no one said a word as he walked off towards the path, pausing only to throw one last glare back at Wild.

“See you later, Cub, ”

Wild couldn’t move. He couldn’t speak. He was just… frozen. He stared as Twilight’s form vanished into the night, rooted to the spot.

“Wild…” Time’s voice said softly, trying to break him out of his stupor. Wild could only turn to face him numbly, unable to do anything more than fight to keep the tears burning in his eyes at bay.

“Guys…” Sky said weakly, his voice laced with misery. “The mushrooms are burning…”

He still couldn’t move. Wild stared into the flames of the campfire, no longer able to stop the tears from falling. Twilight’s words stuck to him like glue, seeping into his skin and stinging him where it really hurt.

How? How could Twilight of all people say such things? And not just to him. Wild glanced up at Hyrule who was seated by a still-fuming Legend, leaning numbly on Sky, who looked about as shell-shocked as everyone felt.

“Wild?”

The champion didn’t even bother to look up as Time said his name for the third time in ten minutes. He couldn’t.

“Wild,” Time said again, slightly more forcefully. Swallowing thickly, Wild slowly looked up at him, his emotions threatening to run free again as he saw the hurt and pity on his face.

“Are you okay?” Time asked softly.

No, he wasn’t. He knew that Time knew that too. But instead of saying as much, he nodded. Time hummed quietly, clearly not convinced, though he didn’t say anything. Instead, he simply placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“It will be okay, though,” he added quietly. Though, not quiet enough that Legend didn’t hear.

The veteran scoffed from across the way. “How can you say that, Time? Did you see what happened?”

His tone was as harsh as ever, but there was a hint of a darker emotion lurking beneath the surface that made Wild shiver. Twilight had really managed to piss him off.

It was Warriors who spoke up. “Vet, just… leave it.”

The captain was clenching his jaw tightly, clearly trying to keep himself from snapping too. Wild watched as he glanced questioningly at Time. But their elected leader looked at a loss.

“What… why did he say those things?” Wind asked in a harsh whisper; the first words he had said in several minutes. He looked incredibly shaken by the whole ordeal if his position by Warriors’ side with said hero’s scarf draped over his shoulders was any indication.

“Something’s not right,” Time murmured, more to himself Wild thought. But everyone had heard him.

“It wasn’t him.”

Wild, along with everyone else, turned to stare at Four. The smithy wilted under the weight of everyone’s gazes, fiddling with the end of his tunic.

“I mean… that wasn’t… Twilight would never talk that way. Especially not to Wild,” he added softly. Wild glanced away, unable to handle the pity in his eyes.

“Unless you’re suggesting that he’s been replaced by his evil twin, I don’t think that helps us,” Legend responded swiftly, the bite in his words replaced with pure weariness.

Evil…

Something niggled at the back of Wild’s mind. Why was the word making him feel this way? Like… it explained something?

“There has to be an explanation, Legend,” Time said, claiming back his attention.

“Well…” Sky started hesitantly. “He seemed just fine before the fight…”

The fight.

Suddenly, it clicked. 

Wild leaped to his feet, startling everyone.

“ Malice! ”

The other heroes stared at him, perplexed.

“You’re gonna need to explain yourself, champion,” Warriors asked, looking utterly confused.

Wild started pacing the grass, a theory rapidly taking form in his mind. 

“The monsters… they weren’t just infected. They were covered in malice. And the one that got Twi had it on its claws. I saw it.” He stopped short, wringing his hands. “I… I can’t be sure. But if malice got… into him…” He trailed off as one by one, realization dawned on the faces of the other heroes.

“Oh Hylia…” Sky gasped, looking pale.

Time was the first to join Wild on his feet. “Everyone get ready. We have to find him. Now .”

Hurry, hurry, hurry…

This was the mantra Wild played in his head over and over as he and the other remaining heroes hurried desperately in the direction that Twilight had stalked off in earlier.

The grass was slick with the rain that had decided to start falling the second they took off. It threatened to trip them up at any moment.

Wild didn’t care.

We have to find him. We have to…

Horrible images of what could happen to his mentor flashed in his mind, threatening to break the dam he had stubbornly put in place to keep his emotions at bay. 

Stop it. We’re going to find him. We WILL.

“Damn it!”

Wild forced himself not to halt as Legend’s voice cut angrily through the air.

“Wild!” he yelled over the intensifying downpour. “Where are we even headed?”

“The castle!” Wild yelled back. “This is the way he went!”

And it was where there was the most malice, he added silently. He stared firmly at the threatening silhouette of the castle in the near distance.

Hurry.

Slabs of stone began to appear underneath the heroes’ feet as they rapidly neared the remains of Castle Town. Wild grit his teeth, pushing past the chill of the rain, the fear in his chest, past anything that threatened to slow him down.

Hurry.

“Wait!” 

That was Time’s voice. Frustrated at being stopped, Wild skidded to a halt, whipping around to see said hero veering off course towards a lump nestled in the grass.

“Time, we need to-!”

The words died in Wild’s throat as Time lifted the lump up, revealing none other than Twilight’s black pelt, dripping from the rain and…

“I-is that… malice?” Sky asked fearfully. Time slowly made his way back to the others, carefully turning the pelt over in his hands. Sure enough, a clump of glowing malice slipped off the fur, plopping into the grass below.

“...We have to hurry,” Wild rasped, his throat tightening with worry. No one replied, instead simply continuing towards the ruins, the air around them growing more and more frantic by the second.

Wild was panicking. He didn’t want to admit to himself, but Hylia, he was panicking. If there was malice on his clothes then…

The champion violently shook the thoughts from his head.

No.  

The rain continued, the intensity only increasing, drenching Wild to the bone, but he hardly noticed it. Not even when the wet mud slid away and brought him to his knees did he notice. No, he simply scrambled to his feet once more and continued, driven by desperation.

He was in the Castle Town ruins now, and with no sign of the ranch hand, Wild’s heart seemed to grow faint as he cried out. Letting instinct take over, he sprinted through the rubble and debris, searching for anything, any sign of his mentor, all else in his surroundings lost to his subconscious.

Wild pivoted on his heel as he turned a corner, stumbling to a halt as a familiar glow caught his eye. Or rather, two familiar glows.

Before him were the remains of a crumbling wall; though it was hard to tell that’s what it was as ominously bright malice dripped from every nook and cranny. But that’s not what Wild couldn’t tear his eyes away from.

No, the champion’s gaze was fixed to the second glow, a gentle glow of sunset orange nestled among the purple and pink.

Wild found himself numbly walking towards it, hand outstretched. He could hear the faint sounds of the other heroes behind him, but he ignored them.

It can’t be .

But there was no denying. Wild reached out, gently scooping up the painfully familiar chain with one finger. Once it was safe from the surrounding malice, he wrapped the chain tight around his hand, staring at the shadow crystal that hung from it, swinging gently from side to side as a result of his trembling hands.

Twilight would never take his pendant off willingly. They all knew that. So why-

“...ild! Wild! MOVE!”

Time’s voice slammed into him out of nowhere, forcing him to raise his head.

One second too late. 

The malice-infested hand shot into his vision before he even had the chance to react, clamping around his throat and yanking him upwards. A painful gasp was torn from his lungs as the hand tightened around his neck, lifting him off the ground. His hands grabbed desperately at the other’s, trying to tear it away. Wild frantically tried to heave in a breath through his tightening windpipe, clawing at the hand with all his strength, but it was useless.

What kind of monster was this?

Through his rapidly darkening vision, Wild followed the path of the arm keeping him aloft, attempting to identify the foe it belonged to. Just like the monsters from before, it was twisted with malice and-

Wait.

There was a sleeve. Why was there a sleeve? The monsters he knew wore next to nothing. Slowly, his eyes continued up the creature’s arm, past the tears and patches of malice, finally spotting gold. Gold chainmail .

No.

No . There was no way.

But Wild couldn’t stop himself from finally tilting his head up as much the hand would allow.

NO .

“...T-Twi…?”

Everything around him fell away. All he could see was the face of his mentor, his brother , twisted in agony, horrifically morphed with…

Wild choked on a sob, unable to take his fading gaze off of the yellow eye that stared back at him from its place among the malice that clung to Twilight’s face.

“...C… C-cuh…”

Tears streamed endlessly down Twilight’s face as his hand tightened further, forcing Wild to let out a strangled, broken cry.

“T-twi…” he gasped. “P… ple…ase…”

“Cub… I…”

Twilight’s words were lost as he let out a horrific sound that cut through the air, his nails piercing deep into Wild’s flesh. The champion clasped his hands around his wrist, trying to plead, to beg him to come back, but the words wouldn’t come. All that escaped was a pitiful, defeated whine. 

“I-I…”

Wild tried to focus on the choked sounds that Twilight made. He tried so hard. He tried to focus on anything around him, just something that would keep him there long enough to get him back , but all he could feel was… cold.

The cold needles of rain that sliced through his skin. The cold grip of the hand of his brother who he had to save. He had to.

His focus latched onto something.

It was faint, almost non-existent, but he heard a whisper.

“I’m….. sorry-”

Maybe he imagined it.

But… it no longer mattered.

...it was all fading away. He couldn’t… 

He failed.

Again.