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Warriors kept a notebook.
This wasn't all that interesting. Most of them kept some sort of note or log to keep track of what they were doing during a quest.
Wild wrote notes in their slate, Four kept a journal that they refused to let anyone see, Time kept detailed notebooks that he filled out every day, and Legend themself kept a bullet journal.
Warriors having a notebook wasn't the odd part. The odd part was that it was written in code.
Legend was chronically snoopy and had gotten at least one look into all of the other Hero's notebooks.
Wild kept notes about the things they say, detailed descriptions of every member of the chain, and food recipes. Time kept a detailed description of everything thing that's happened in a day. Four journal was the most puzzling. It was mostly things other members of the chain had said to them with little notes next to it like they were going to suddenly forget it all later.
Though it was pretty safe to assume they just had memory problems like Wild did.
Which just left Warriors' notebook.
He didn't write in his anywhere near as much as any of the others, only after a battle or spar.
It was probably just notes about fighting technique and such.
Legend still wanted to get a peek.
Especially because it was written in code.
"You're an asshole Legend," Hyrule said, not even bothering to look up at them. "Don't steal the poor man's notebook."
"Well aware, and I do have a reason!" Legend said back.
"That is?" Hyrule asked dryly, and since when was Rule the sarcastic one in this friendship?
"Safety concerns." Legend said with a smug smile. "If an enemy got ahold of his notebook, they could use it against us."
Hyrule frowned, probably thinking of Aches, the Yiga clan, the Knights in Legend's Hyrule, the traitors in Warriors' world, Dark Link; the list went on forever.
"Fine." Hyrule conceited. "But only a couple of pages, and don't make a scene out of it."
"Hyrule!" Legend said offended. "I don't make scenes."
"Wild once got hit in the head and you screamed He's dead! " Hyrule responded with a teasing smile.
Legend turned pink.
"Shut up." Was their very elegant response.
Hyrule laughed at them.
--
Wind was mildly annoyed.
Hyrule and Wild just came out of nowhere and dragged Warriors out exploring with them for absolutely no reason right in the middle of his story.
Dick move, assholes.
Dick move.
He was so gonna prank the shit out of them later for this slight.
Pirates honor.
Curiosity enough as soon as three left earshot Legend instantly got up and began rummaging through Warriors' bag.
"Just what are you doing Vet?" Time asked both eyes close and Wind was convinced that the man could sense mischief or something.
"Safety concerns." Legend answered like that explained anything. "You can't stop me."
Time opened his eye, Legend turned around.
Wind held his breath.
Legend grabbed something out of Warriors' bag, and Time stood up.
"I'm betting on Legend." Four said next to him.
"I'll bet on Time then." Wind wasn't sure what they betting on but that didn't really matter.
Time sprinted much faster than a grown man in full armor should be able to, unfortunately for him, Legend pulled out a feather and jumped over the elder Hero.
Landing perfectly in a tree.
Then Legend put the feather in their hair like a prized accessory because Legend was nothing but dramatic.
"Legend." Time warned. "Whatever you took put it back."
"Buzz off old man," Legend responded with absolutely no fear. "Like I said I have a safety concern. I'll give it back once I get a good look."
Time frowned and slowly walked closer to the tree. "Can't you just ask Warriors about it instead of stealing it?"
"Since when did any of us answer straight questions?" Legend asked, mockingly.
"I do!" Wind called over their argument. "Don't group me in with the rest of you emotionally constipated idiots!"
Legend snorted and Time used this to slice down the tree they were in.
Wind would have cheered if he wasn't rubbing the spot where Four punched him in the arm.
Legend took out a cape and suddenly they were gone.
There were several gasps around camp.
A spot of leaves tussled and Time grabbed that spot.
The leaves shot up, and with several shakes of trees, Legend was gone.
Time sighed with his face in his hands.
"Does this mean I win the bet?" Four asked, and Wind frowned.
"I guess." Wind begrudgingly admitted.
It was still cool to see Time surprise Legend like that.
Ugh! Legend and all their stupid stuff!
"You'll take the fall for my next prank." Four decided and Wind did not pout.
"It better be a cool prank." Wind grumbled under his breath.
--
Warriors knew that there was something wrong with him.
Really he was well aware.
He owns a cute little paper saying he had PTSD and a severe anxiety disorder.
Apparently, it wasn't paranoia if people were really out to get you.
Who knew.
Impa had forced him to go to a shrink when he started developing his more interesting habits.
Habits like keeping a journal with strategies for dealing with all of his friends if they decided to turn on him.
A journal that was missing.
"Where's my journal?" Warriors asked panic already beginning to mount in his chest.
"Oh, so that's what Legend stole." Wind said absentmindedly next to Four who was destroying evidence of a diagram in the dirt.
It made Warriors' hair stand up on end.
"Where did he go?" Warriors really hopped that the sheer terror he was going through wasn't obvious in his voice.
"That way," Twilight said, pointing past a tree that was sliced in half.
Warriors muttered a thank you as he started walking in the direction that Legend left in.
There were many things Warriors wanted to do.
Blow up at Legend for taking his things, if Legend hasn't already translated the notebook.
Beg for forgiveness if Legend has.
Warriors chest had gone cold, and his heart was pounding so hard it was physically painful. His hand shook and his legs felt wobbly.
He just needed his notebook, once he got his notebook he could handle everything after.
Assess the damage first, then start doing damage control.
Warriors started walking faster because why was Legend so far away, and was that smoke?
Looking up, yes there was a small spindle of smoke coming from far in front of him.
Warriors started sprinting.
The trees were blurry as he sprinted through them, and his therapist would be very unhappy to find out that he was making the adrenaline spike worse by running.
Warrior broke through into a small clearing to see Legend burning his notebook with their fire rod.
Fuck!
Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, Legend read it! Legend read his notebook and—
"Wars, dude." Legend said looking up from the small fire. "Sit down, you look like your having a panic attack."
"Anxiety attack." Warriors responded, slowly sitting down like Legend asked.
It's not like Warriors can do damage control anymore, Legend already saw what was inside.
Begging for forgiveness it was.
Warriors' thoughts raced at incomprehensible speeds as he watched Legend burn the notebook then stomp out the fire.
Was Legend even going to accept his apology?
"Ok, so." Legend began and Warriors heartbeat picked up instantly.
"You need therapy." Legend said, and Warriors cringed back. "But we all need therapy so what else is new."
Legend walked over and offered their hand to Warriors and—
"Aren't you mad?" Warriors blurted out, far too wound up to accept Legend's offering.
"Yeah? Sorta?" Legend said frowning. "Mostly at whatever made you this paranoid that your friends were gonna kill you."
"I betrayed you." Warriors choked out, tears now spilling down his face.
"I'm a traitor!" Warriors exclaimed, hysterical. " Oh goddess, oh fuck, I'm a traitor— "
Before Warriors could really process the gravity of his statement, Legend was hugging him.
Legend was hugging him and not attacking him.
"I don't get it." Warriors muttered. "You're supposed to hate me. You are all supposed to hate me. This wasn't supposed to last this long. We're not supposed to be brothers."
"We're not gonna hurt you Wars." Legend said soothingly. "You don't have to be scared of us."
" I'm always scared! " Warriors said trying to push Legend's thin arms off him. " No one can be trusted! They'll all turn on you eventually! "
Impa, Linkle, and Zelda were the only exceptions.
And they could always be impersonated.
"I'm sorry that happened to you." Legend said, using their stupid strength rings because they were far too skinny to be this strong. "But we're your brothers Warriors, we're not going to hurt you."
" How am I supposed to believe you? " Warriors said, unsure if it was out of fear or rage. "No one I've turned my back on could ever be trusted."
"Warriors if we wanted to hurt you we would of done it by now." Legend said bluntly and Warriors hated to admit it but they had a point.
Legend stood up and dragged Warriors off the ground with them.
Legend awkwardly patted Warriors shoulder and Warriors couldn't contain his laughter.
"Don't laugh at me, dick." Legend hissed. "I fucking suck at emotions. We both know this."
"'m sorry." Warriors said still laughing. "I'm all over the place."
Legend's face suddenly went somber again.
"We'll prove to you that we're to be trusted." Legend said, throwing an arm over Warriors' shoulder. "We already have and we'll do it again."
"Thanks, Legend." Warriors said, leaning into the shorter hero.
"But seriously don't make another of those." Legend said. "You're lucky I decoded that instead of Dark Link or something."
Warriors turned pink. "Yeah sorry... Old habit from the war."
"What caused you to develop that?" Legend asked incredulously.
"Cia could make Darks that looked and fought exactly like anyone she wanted." Warriors explained. "Completely indistinguishable from the actual person. Knowing how to defeat your allies was a pretty important skill if you wanted to stay alive."
Legend froze.
"What the fuck dude." Legend said. "By the seven, no wonder you're so fucking paranoid."
Warriors shrugged.
"Also your talking to someone about this." Legend decided. "Bottling up your emotions isn't good for you."
"Are you going to talk to someone about your—" Warriors started before he was cut off.
" This is about you! " Legend snapped. "Talk to Twilight or something. Twilight does emotions and stuff."
Warriors snorted.
"M'kay then, sorry all my emotions were too much for you." Warriors teased.
"Fuck off." Legend responded with no heat behind their words.