Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Link.”

“Open your eyes.”

“Open your eyes.”

“Open your eyes.”

“Wake up, Link.”

He felt a cold liquid draining away from him. His eyes cracked open. He moved his fingers. He slowly sat up and looked around. He was in a small, circular vat with a metallic structure above him. The vat, overhanging structure, and the massive round chamber were made of a blue and brown stone consisting of abstract patterns. He walked over to a small altar in the corner of the room. Atop the altar was a rectangular slab of glossy black metal, with a stone border and handle of a similar composition. As soon as he picked up the stone, the black metal changed to a bright blue, while a nearby section of wall, a different shade of brown from the rest, descended into the floor to create an opening out of the chamber. His eyes widened in surprise as he walked into the tunnel. His legs felt slow and heavy from disuse. In the short tunnel were two chests, from which he obtained a torn off-white shirt and a pair of old threadbare trousers. Despite their apparent age, they felt surprisingly comfortable. He climbed the rocks at the end of the tunnel and ran out of the cave. He found himself at the edge of a cliff, the entire unfathomable expanse of the landscape spread out before him. He stepped back, jaw hanging open. After a few minutes of mindless staring, he looked over to the side. At the bottom of a nearby hill was an old man sitting by a fire. He ran over to the old man, dodging the few trees in his way. If the old man were surprised at his presence, he didn’t show it. “Hello there, young man. Care to tell me your name?” He stared at the old man, surprised at the lack of preamble. For the first time since waking up, he spoke. The movement of his tongue against his mouth felt strange and unfamiliar, the sound of his own voice surprising him that he had made it. “L… Li… Lin… Link. Link. My name is Link. Link is my name.” The old man chuckled to himself. “Well then, Link, why don’t you sit down? Here, have an apple.” “Thanks.” Link accepted the baked apple from the old man’s outstretched hand. “What are you doing here?” “This plateau is my home. Now then, what are you doing here?” Link thought to himself. “I have no idea. I can’t remember anything. Just this voice.” “A voice? From where?” “Dunno.” “Well. Perhaps you could look around and find something.” “Yeah. Thanks.” Link stood up and walked off.

As soon as Link was out of earshot from the old man, he heard the voice of a girl, “Link.” He looked around. “Who are you?!” “Link, go to the point marked on your sheikah slate.” “Who are you?” Link waited several seconds for an answer that never came. He looked down at the slate, which now showed a bright yellow arrow pointing towards a pulsating yellow dot. Whenever Link walked or turned around, the arrow moved on the screen in correspondence. “Huh.” Link continued walking forward, until the arrow and dot were touching. Looking around, he found a metallic structure tucked inside a natural rock cave. Inside the structure was a similar altar to the one where Link had first discovered the slate. He placed the object atop the altar, where it fit seamlessly. The small chamber shook, throwing Link to the floor while drowning out his screaming. The floor burst upwards, the spike on the roof ramming through the rock as the ground erupted open from the sheer force of the metal brown tower breaking through it. Once the earth had ceased shaking to its core, Link stood up and looked around. From his vantage point a hundred feet off the ground, he could see the entire plateau. The sheikah slate now showed what seemed to be a map of the plateau, which could be zoomed in or out by bringing his fingertips closer or further from each other. Zooming out as far as he could, Link could see that the great plateau was little more than a tiny stain of brown surrounded by a sea of unmapped blue. “Oh! Link, down here, young man!” He looked down to find the old man waving at him. “Uh, sure! Just give me a minute!” Link looked around until he saw a hole at the back of the floor, leading to a sort of landing some ten feet below. Link gradually climbed the tower down to the landing. A series of landings jutted out of the sides of the tower, rotating around at vertical intervals of about 10 feet. Link climbed down using the landings until he reached the old man. “Do you have any idea what just happened? Because I’m completely lost.” “Look around.” The old man gestured to the landscape. Tiny orange lights could be seen in the distance, the same color as the nearby tower. “Those towers have appeared throughout the land. I believe they’re connected to that slate you’re holding.” “Okay, so what do I do next?” The old man shrugged. “That’s up to you. I’m guessing you’d want to leave this plateau?” “Yeah. I kind of want to see what’s out there; maybe investigate those other towers.” “Well, the only way off this plateau is with a paraglider like this one.” The old man took a cloth off of his back, with curved handles on either end. “Cool. So, uh, can I have it?” The old man started laughing, strapping the paraglider on his back. “Now, hold on there boy. Just because I have no use for this paraglider doesn’t mean I can just give it away for free. You see that shrine over there?” He pointed several hundred feet behind Link, where a somewhat dome-shaped structure tapered off into a pole shape at the top. The structure was mostly brown and blue, with glowing orange lines in abstract patterns. “Yeah, I see it.” “Good. In there, you’ll find a treasure. Bring it to me, and I’ll give you this paraglider in exchange.” “Really? Are you sure?” “Only if you want this paraglider. Otherwise, do whatever you’d like.” Link rolled his eyes, “Fine. I’ll go get that treasure.”

Link walked over to the ancient shrine. At the front was a circular pedestal decorated with an eye symbol. Link inserted the sheikah slate into the top of an altar at the back of the pedestal, changing the glow on the bottom half of the shrine from orange to blue. The entrance to the shrine opened, revealing a seemingly empty chamber. Link glanced down at the slate. The map showed the tower and the shrine as bright blue dots. As soon as Link stepped behind the entrance, a circle around him lit up a radiant blue as the section of floor descended belowground. At the bottom of the chamber were two massive slabs of metal lying on the floor, with another section hidden behind a set of bars. A raspy male voice echoed into Link’s ear, “To you who sets foot in this shrine, I am Oman Au. In the name of the goddess Hylia, I offer this trial.” “Who said that?” Link yelled to no response, “I’m getting really tired of all these voices! First that girl, and now you!” After half a minute of silence, Link walked over to another altar, placing his sheikah slate in the slot. A robotic, vaguely female voice spoke, “Sheikah slate authenticated.” The stalactite-shaped machinery above the altar glowed blue, lines of runic text descending through it until a drop of blue liquid fell onto the slate. The screen glowed a bright blue, with a red magnet shape and the word “Magnesis” at the top of the screen. A description was below the picture, instructing him on how to use what was apparently one of a set of runes. “Okay.” Link picked up the slate. “Let’s see how this works.” The second Link tapped the on-screen rune, an ethereal blue magnet appeared hovering over the slate. Link double-checked the instructions a few times before aiming the magnet at one of the slabs. Yellow lights extended from the ends of the magnet into one of the metal slabs. Link raised the sheikah slate up, dragging the metal into the air and revealing a hole in the floor with a ladder. “Oh. I think I’m going to like this.” He jumped off the ledge and into the water. The right half of the hall was a slowly-flowing shallow river, while the left half was a dry hall. At the end of the hall was a short staircase leading to a landing, with a wall blocked by cubes made of stone. One of the cubes was made of metal, allowing Link to use the magnesis rune to manipulate it to push the stones out of the way. On the other side of the wall was a small automaton with three clawed spider-like legs. Its main body was shaped like upside-down stylized pottery, with lines of orange lights and a single glowing blue eye. “Hey there, little guy.” Link slowly walked towards the machine, his arms outstretched. “You’re kinda cute, actu-” The eye glowed a bright blue. It fired a beam of light. The laser struck Link in the shoulder, burning a hole in his shirt and throwing him backwards. Link struck the hard ground, gasping and sputtering in pain, “Oh man! Ow!” Through hazy eyes he could see the robot charging another laser. Ignoring the agony in his shoulder, Link ducked behind a stone block away from the laser. “Okay. Okay. Gotta think.” The automaton walked forward until Link was in its line of sight. He ducked forward, dodging another burst of energy. Another laser sent him jumping onto the stone block. Link turned on the magnesis rune, using it to slam the metal block into the automaton. It sparked for a few seconds before exploding, leaving only a few screws and gears on the floor. Link slowly lowered himself to the floor, collapsing against the stone block and groaning, “And to think, it was going so well.” Apprehensive, he checked his shoulder. He had to resist the urge to vomit. The skin was burnt and blackened, a small stream of smoke was coming out of it, and a few spots of skin were bubbling numbly. Link tapped the wound, gasping and wheezing in pain. He squinted his eyes at the underground river. “Oh. Just great.” He struggled to stand up, his shoulder aching and burning, blindly stumbling across the floor. His foot slipped off the edge, causing him to fall ten feet into the water. He spat out the water that he didn’t swallow, while his shoulder stopped smoking and turned entirely numb. “Okay, that’s… slightly better.” He swam over to climb a ladder that led back up to where he’d fought the automaton. Link walked across a metal slab that acted as a bridge to another section of the floor. The next section was blocked off by a gap leading to the water below. “Okay, no way am I jumping that. Not with this shoulder; not happening.” He used magnesis to drag the metal slab over, maneuvering it to act as a bridge to a set of massive glistening metal double-doors. “Oh, wow, I wonder what- hey what’s that?” He noticed a metal box on a far-out of reach ledge on the wall, using magnesis to drag it over. “This had better be worth it.” He opened the chest, finding a wooden bow inside. “Oh, now this I can use.” He strapped the bow onto his back, turning the magnesis rune back on to push the doors open. Link climbed two small flights of stairs to the top of a pedestal. On the corners of the first landing were four torches twice Link’s height, while the second flight led up to a withered human figure contained within a glowing blue cube. Their gender was indistinguishable, and they sat atop an ornate box with an eye symbol visible on their forehead. Link tapped the blue box, causing it to ripple and shatter into nonexistence. “You have proven to possess the resolve of a true hero. I am Oman Au, the creator of this trial. I am a humble monk, blessed with the sight of goddess Hylia and dedicated to helping those who seek to defeat Ganon. With your arrival, my duty is now fulfilled. In the name of goddess Hylia, allow me to bestow this gift upon you. Please accept this spirit orb.” A flash of light burst out from the monk’s folded hands, coalescing into a purple sphere decorated with a wing design. The spirit orb floated towards Link, disappearing upon touching his chest. “Uh… thank you.” The monk nodded. “May the goddess smile upon you.” They dissolved into a flash of light that absorbed everything in sight.

Link shook his head, looking around. The shrine was directly behind him, now glowing blue instead of orange. A shadow appeared overhead before the old man landed in front of him, his paraglider folding onto his back. “Ah, Link, I knew you could find that treasure.” “Yeah.” Link touched his numb shoulder. “Sorry, the treasure sort of disappeared. I think it went inside me. The monk in there called it a spirit orb.” “Oh, I know that. Believe me, I can see for myself that you earned the prize inside.” “Good. Now, about that paraglider.” The old man winced. “Now, hold on there, young man. While you were in there, I was looking around from the top of the tower when I saw another three shrines on the plateau.” Link’s arms dropped by his sides. “I don’t like where this is going.” “Oh, don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll get through them all in no time. If you want, you can just use your sheikah slate to teleport to the top of the tower, and then pin where you see the other shrines.” “Oh, okay.” Link paused for a second. “How?” “All you have to do is tap the tower on the map.” “Seriously?” Link tapped the image of the tower on the map, causing a selection to appear over it to travel to the selected destination. “Woah.” Link confirmed the selection. His entire body transformed into strings of immaterial blue light, instantly coalescing at the top of the sheikah tower. “Okay, now how does this thing work?” Link glanced between the slate and the surroundings of the tower. He could barely see three orange dots on the plateau. “I take it you need help?” Link practically jumped from the old man behind him. “What?! What?! How- how’d you- what?!” The old man chuckled, “We all have our secrets. Now, do you understand how to pin a location on your sheikah slate?” “Not in the slightest.” “It’s actually quite easy. Just turn on the camera, aim it at your location, and press the screen.” “Okay.” Link apprehensively agreed. He pressed a few buttons until the sheikah slate’s screen became an image of the surroundings, as though it’d become a window. “Oh.” He turned the slate, occasionally using the touch screen to zoom in on the shrines and tapping them on the screen. Three squares appeared on the map, each a different color. “Oh, that’s actually really useful. Thanks, old guy.” “You can thank me once you’ve found the rest of the spirit orbs.” “Yeah.” Link deadpanned, “I figured.”

Link teleported back to the Oman Au shrine to avoid descending the tower manually, before double-checking the pins on his map. “Alright, looks like the closest one is directly south of here.” He gradually zoomed in on the pin. “Doesn’t look too far- oh my goodness!” He strapped the sheikah slate to his waist, hanging his head in his hands. “Yup.” He whispered to himself, “This is how I’m spending my day.” He started walking across the great plateau. The area was a mostly flat, grassy plain, with the occasional stretch of stone covered in vines. After a few minutes of walking, he came across what seemed to be an encampment. A group of around 5 impish humanoid creatures, with reddish-brown skin, wild eyes, and sharp fangs, were gathered around a simple campfire, their wooden clubs and bows leaning against hollowed-out logs. Another of the creatures was standing atop a watchtower, holding a bow in one hand and a horn in the other, a quiver strapped to its back. The one on the watchtower blew into its horn as soon as it saw Link. The deep, low sound droned across the plain. The rest of the imps grabbed their weapons and charged at Link. “Oh, uh, hey guys.” Link stepped backwards nervously, “You wanna talk about something?” One of the things screeched, swinging a club that Link barely managed to dodge. “Okay, not in a talking mood! I see!” Link picked up a tree branch from the ground, sidestepping another club swing and bashing the wood into the back of its head. The demon stumbled forward, dropping its club on the ground. Link picked up the club and slammed it into the thing’s face in a single fluid motion. It gave an agonizing screech, disappearing in a cloud of purple smoke. “Yeah!” Link grinned, widening his stance and twirling the club one-handedly. “See what happens-” He almost lost his grip, causing the club to strike his head bluntly. “Ow.” He struck one of the demon’s clubs with his own, leaning forward to push his opponent’s weapon out of the way so he could strike at it unimpeded. A few more swings brought the demon to its end. The three remaining goblins slowly circled Link, maintaining a moderate distance around him. He turned repeatedly, holding out his club in front of himself. Link noticed that one of them was holding a wooden shield with the opposite arm from its club, and therefore singled it out as the biggest threat. He ran at it, sliding on the ground under a swing of its club. The shield slammed into Link’s face, sending him sprawling backwards. His nose was swollen, and his lips tasted vaguely metallic. “Okay.” He stood up, holding out his bow with no ammunition. “New plan.” He charged at the shielded demon, jumping backwards as soon as it swung its club. He jumped at the entity, kicking off its outstretched shield before maneuvering directly behind it. He swung his bow over the monster’s head, using the bowstring as a wire to choke it. The imp dropped its club and shield, gasping for breath. Link threw the bow off, jumping in front of the monster and kicking it in the stomach. He picked up the shield to bash it into the demon, killing it. In less than a minute, he finished off the remaining monsters. He heard the sound of something flying through the air and instinctively held up his shield. An arrow lodged in it, while the watchtower imp shrieked in frustration. “Oh, so that’s how you wanna do it, huh?” Link ripped the arrow out of the shield and nocked it in his bow, firing it into the demon’s forehead. While it was pulling the arrow out of its skin, Link placed the tree branch into the bow, pulled the string with every ounce of strength in his fingers, and launched it. The branch audibly rocketed through the air, striking the imp and killing it. “Woah. I can’t believe that actually worked.” He walked over to a gray stone chest, decorated with a skull shape, next to the campfire. Inside were a few apples and cooked slabs of meat. “Oh, nice.” He sat by the campfire, spending a few minutes eating a steak.

Link continued walking until he came across a series of stone walls arranged in a vaguely maze-like structure. Glancing at the map confirmed the closest shrine was in the middle of the maze. Link took a closer look at one of the walls, analyzing the nooks and crannies. He grabbed onto a crack, using the dents in the rock to climb to the top of the maze. Next to the shrine, at the top of the rock structure, was a massive structure made of a similar metal to the sheikah slate, tower, and shrines. It was shaped like a piece of upside-down stylized pottery, vaguely similar to the robot from the Oman Au shrine, except far larger. The narrow cylindrical top of the thing turned in a circle, a dot glowing blue while bright red lines covered its entire main body. A red dot appeared on Link’s forehead as a rapid beeping sound filled the air. “Oh crud!” Link jumped out of the way just as the automaton fired a beam of explosive blue light. The laser exploded in an infernal blaze inches away from Link, launching him into the ground. He groaned and spat dirt, struggling to stand up while his shoulder screamed in protest. Another aiming dot appeared on his back, just before Link managed to stand up and run away. An explosion went off behind Link while he inserted the sheikah slate into the shrine’s altar. “Sorry, but I am not fighting you!” He yelled at the robot, entering the depths of the shrine.

“To you who sets foot in this shrine, I am Ja Baij. In the name of the goddess Hylia, I offer this trial.” “Yeah, that checks out.” Link walked over to the altar near the corner of the chamber, sliding the slate into it. Glowing blue liquid dripped from the metal structure hanging overhead, causing another two runes to appear on the screen. They were both blue, and labeled as “Remote Bombs”. The only apparent difference was that one was a cube, where the other was a sphere. “Must be some sort of explosives.” He tapped on the square bomb, causing a glowing blue cube to materialize in front of him. “Man, this thing’s gotta be some serious high tech.” He threw the bomb at a cracked rock wall at the bottom of a ramp. “And now to wait for it to go off.” He sat on the ground, waiting several minutes for an explosion that never came. “Man, what a ripoff.” While Link was standing up, he inadvertently brushed his thumb against the remote bomb on the screen. An explosion echoed throughout the chamber, vaporizing the rock wall. “Wait…” Link realized he’d failed to read the on-screen instructions for the remote bombs. “Well. I’m dumb.” He slid down the ramp and into the next room. To the right side of the tunnel was another cracked stone section of the wall. Link used a spherical remote bomb to demolish the blockage, revealing a metal chest. Inside was a two-handed claymore. “Alright, score!” He took the club off his back. “Sorry, little guy, but I can’t take both of you with me.” As he placed the club in the chest, he realized, “I am incredibly lonely.” He ran to the other end of the tunnel with the claymore strapped to his back. Blowing up another section of cracked wall revealed a ladder, which led to a small landing. A small platform floated between the landing and a breakable wall of rock, with a 12-foot drop below it. “Too easy.” Link generated a cubic bomb and placed it on the mobile platform. The second it was close enough, he activated the bomb and annihilated the barrier. “Yes! I could get used to this slate thingy.” He waited for the platform to return to his side of the gap, using it to advance through the shrine. The next section was a massive room, with the sheikah monk too high up to reach by normal means, and diagonal pillars of light brown stone jutting in and out of sections of the floor every few seconds. “Alright. Let me see here.” Link walked around, analyzing the puzzle. One of the pillars was leaning in the direction of two rows of fragile stone cubes, one just above and behind the other in a staircase shape. There was a narrow tube with one end on the platform Link was standing on, stretching downwards to the lowest point of the pillar. "I see where this is going." Link generated a spherical remote bomb and lobbed it into the tube, watching it descend through the metal interspersed with wide gaps until it landed in the middle of the pillar. The pillar jutted out, launching the bomb across the room, where Link activated it to blow up the rocks. “Alright!” Link jumped onto the pillar while it was lowered. It launched him into the air, screaming in terror as the floor rushed up at him, “Son of a b-!” He was interrupted by slamming into the ground. “Ow. My everything.” He stood up, dusted himself off, and ran over to the monk in the blue cube. “Your resourcefulness in overcoming this trial speaks to the promise of a hero. In the name of goddess Hylia, I bestow upon you this spirit orb.” The spirit orb floated into Link’s chest, before the interior of the shrine disappeared.

Chapter Text

An endless darkness. Oppressive silence. The instinctive feeling of being watched. He balled his fists, looking around the void. A cloud of dark smoke rose in front of him, turning into a massive, eldritch horror. A glowing blue orb rose behind the horror. An ethereal voice spoke from it, carrying an aura of reassurance and hope, “The time has come for you to awaken. You will have a hand in a great destiny.” The abomination roared and the orb disappeared, filling the void with black mist. A shrill screech echoed throughout the space, causing it to disappear.

Link fell off his bed, landing hard on the floor. “Ow.” He rubbed his head, looking up at the massive bird sticking its head in its window. “Hey, Cloudsailor.” The bird opened its mouth, dropping an enclosed envelope onto Link’s face. “Alright, let’s see…” Link opened the envelope and read the letter inside. “Oh crud, I forgot about that! Thanks!” Link hurriedly ran out of the house.

Link sprinted towards a 100-foot tall statue of a winged woman, waving over to the girl standing in front of it. “Link!” They met in front of the statue, in a stone circle engraved with elaborate patterns. "Sorry I'm late. I was just busy, uh…" Her blue eyes looked over his unkempt brown hair and scrunched-up brown and white clothes. "You overslept again, didn’t you?" "Nothing gets past you, does it, Zelda?" She chuckled quietly, jostling the strands of her blonde hair that were hanging by multicolored braids. "Yeah, well, it's a good thing Cloudsailor got you up." A shadow appeared over the stone circle before the massive bird perched next to Zelda. Its plumage was the same bright blue as her eyes, with a curved tail and slightly longer upper beak. "That's a good loftwing." Zelda threw a handful of seeds from her pocket into its bill, "Maybe one of these days, he'll get up by himself." "Anyway, about that letter your loftwing spat onto my face-" “Link, I see you’re finally up.” A man wearing a bright orange robe and white shoulder pads approached them. “Hi dad.” Zelda smiled at him, “Yeah, we finally managed to get him up.” “Well, I just hope you’re ready for the race.” “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure he’s ready. Come on, let’s go practice!” Zelda dragged Link over to a wooden platform overlooking an endless expanse of clouds “Wait, Zelda, I can’t sense Crimson!” “Oh, like I’m going to fall for that one again. And down ya go!” She pushed Link off the platform, causing him to scream as he fell through the sky. Zelda’s father walked up to her. “Are you sure he wasn’t telling the truth?” “Of course. His loftwing’s gonna come in and pick him up any second now.” Link fell past the cloud barrier, his scream trailing off. “Any second now.” Zelda blinked, while Link stayed below the clouds. After a few seconds, she realized, “Oh, crud, he was telling the truth! Cloudsailor! We’ve gotta go save Link, now!” She backflipped off the platform, freefalling upside down through the endless sky. The clouds engulfed her, forcing her to close her eyes as condensed mist covered her. Her descent was abruptly stopped by her loftwing, his hollow and flexible bones painlessly bending under her weight. They dove below the cloud layer, towards Link as he fell into the nothing below. Cloudsailor opened his talons, closing them around Link’s shoulders. “Good boy. Now come on, let’s get back up to Skyloft.” They ascended through the sky, while Zelda helped Link onto Cloudsailor’s back with her. “You okay?” “Yeah. Just… almost died. No big deal.” He tried to catch his breath until they returned to Skyloft. “Link, are you okay?” Zelda’s father asked, helping them to their feet. “Yeah. I’m okay, headmaster Gaepora.” “Link, I’m so sorry.” Zelda apologized, “I… I thought you were trying to get out of practice, and you could’ve gotten killed.” “It’s alright. That was actually kind of cool.” “Oh, uh, thanks. We’ve been practicing.” “You remember you won’t be participating in the race, correct?” “Yes, dad, but I still want to be a skilled flyer. Besides, you know Cloudsailor gets restless.” “Fair enough. Link, good luck finding your loftwing. I have to go back to the academy to finish the preparations.” “Alright.” Link accepted as the headmaster walked away. “Okay, I need to find Crimson, now.” Link started looking around, until he was back at the goddess statue with Zelda. “Hylia help me.” He whispered to himself, unable to see the head of the statue for its sheer height. “Hey, Link! Zelda!” A young man around their age walked up to them. He had a stocky build and hair that curved atop his head. He was flanked by two other boys, one taller and skinnier than the other. “Oh, great.” Zelda rolled her eyes, “Hi, Groose.” “Hey, Zelda. Having a bit of loftwing trouble, Link?” “Yeah, actually. You wouldn’t happen to have anything to do with that, would you?” Link asked, glaring at Groose. “What, me?” His tone was over-the-top, theatrically insulted, “Surely you can’t be serious.” “Come on, Groose.” Zelda told him, “Just tell us if you’ve seen anything, okay?” “Oh, come on.” Groose looked over at Link. “Look bud, you can’t just expect Zelda to come to your defense every time, or anyone to just help you out when you need it. Now, are you going to grow up and be realistic? Or are you just gonna wander around with your head in the clouds?” Link glanced down over the edge, grinning. “Well, I mean, we are in the sky. Our everything is in the clouds.” “I… I… you know what I mean! Cawlin, Strich, c’mon!” The three walked away, Cawlin and Strich snickering behind Groose’s back. “Man, those three. Do you think they had something to do with Crimson disappearing?” “Oh, who can say? It might just be a possibility.” Zelda deadpanned. “Anyway, I have to get ready for my part in the wing ceremony. Good luck.” “Yeah, thanks.” They walked in separate directions.

“Hey, Cawlin! Strich!” Link waved over to the two boys, conversing next to a building. “You two know where Groose is?” “Oh, uh, sorry, no.” Strich, the taller of the two, scratched the back of his neck. “But maybe you could check the edge of Skyloft. And bring one of the practice swords from the academy. Y’know, just in case.” “Come on, Strich!” Cawlin pouted, “Why are you giving him handouts?” “Well, thanks guys. I should get looking.” “Good luck in the wing ceremony!” Cawlin yelled after him, struggling to hold back his laughter, “Especially without a loftwing!” “Yeah, that’s not at all suspicious!” Link yelled back over his shoulder.

Link picked his way through the cliffs and rocks at the edge of Skyloft, carefully avoiding falling into the sky. “Crimson! Crimson!” As soon as he walked around the corner, he heard a loud, shrill avian screech. “What th- Crimson!” He sprinted across the rock ledge towards his loftwing, a massive bird with red plumage inside a small natural alcove, confined by a row of wooden stakes. “What happened to you, buddy?” He attempted to pull the stakes out of the ground, only to find they were wedged between the dirt and the rock atop the alcove entrance. “Hold on; just stay back.” Crimson moved a few inches back, folding his wings in the cramped space. Link unsheathed the dull practice sword from its gray sheath, slicing it through the half-dozen stakes in one fluid motion. Crimson walked out of the alcove, spreading his full 12-foot wingspan while nestling his head against Link. “Okay, it’s okay, I love you too.” He embraced his loftwing before holding out a handful of seeds, stroking Crimson’s plumage while he ate. “Alright, are you okay to fly now?” Crimson floated a foot off the ground, flapping his wings hard enough to create a small gust of wind. “Glad to hear it. Now come on, we don’t want to be late for the wing ceremony.” Crimson lowered himself, allowing Link to climb atop his back.

Crimson sped towards the Knight Academy, a massive multi-story building with a grass-covered roof and a colossal bell hanging on the front. “Over there!” Link pointed from his back to a couple dozen students, each accompanied by a loftwing, standing in a long row before the headmaster. Crimson folded his wings back, slowing down towards the end of the row. “Oh no, not him!” Link muttered as Crimson landed next to Groose and his loftwing. “Hey, Link.” Groose smirked, “Good to see you found your loftwing. Skylord here could use the extra competition.” Link ignored him, getting off Crimson and facing towards the headmaster. “Sorry for being late, sir. I had to find my loftwing.” “Understood, Link. And don’t worry, you’re just on time.” He faced forward, standing across from the center of the row of students and loftwings, addressing all of them at once, “Students of the Skyloft Knight Academy, you are about to partake in the 25th annual wing ceremony. This is the most prestigious tradition of our society; where one of you will be chosen to advance to the next stage in the ceremony, and the next level of your studies.” He walked over to a golden loftwing standing next to a stone bird statuette. “Goldskyer here will carry this bird statuette away from Skyloft. You will race on your loftwings, and whoever retrieves the statuette first will win the race.” He let out a shrill whistle, signalling Goldskyer to fly off with the statuette in his talons. “Now, begin.” The students all got on their loftwings, taking off into the blue expanse.

Link leaned forward, the wind snapping at his face and ruffling his clothing as Crimson sliced through the sky like a sword. “Hey, Link!” He looked up, eyes scrunched in the force of the wind, to see Groose riding atop Skylord. He yelled to be heard, “Don’t get your hopes up! I’ve been practicing for this moment all week, and you’ve barely done anything! I’m going to win this race, and it’s gonna be me on the goddess statue with Zelda, the way it should be!” “Oh, how original!” Link yelled, his voice lost in the sheer speed. “Wh…what?” Groose cupped his hand to his ear. “Oh, yeah, of course.” Link muttered, guiding Crimson upwards and closer to Groose. “I said, how original! You’re just a high school rival, trying to compete with me for Zelda’s affections or whatever! What’s next, is the whole academy going to spontaneously burst into song?” “Only if they’re celebrating my victory!” Groose spurred Skylord downwards in the direction of Goldskyer. “Oh crud! Crimson, now, down boy!” Crimson folded his wings to his back, while Link leaned forwards as they sped through the air fast enough to outpace groose. By the time Link had almost reached the goal, he felt something hard and wet hit the back of his head, covering him in a milky yellow liquid. “Gah! What the-?!” He looked behind him to see Cawlin and Strich laughing, each holding an egg in one hand. “Of course. Couldn’t be that easy, could it? Alright Crim, I’ll keep an eye on them and yell out directions, got it?” Crimson squawked in reply. “I’ll take that as a yes.” Link turned his head back to see Cawlin throwing another egg. “Left!” He continued directing, “Right! Up! Down!” Crimson dodged every egg, allowing the ammunition to drop through the void until the bird statuette was less than a foot away. “Yes!” Link stretched his arm out, facing forward. He grabbed the statuette, effortlessly pulling it off of Goldskyer. The headmaster’s loftwing screeched, allowing the sound to carry through the air to signal the race was over.

Crimson flew Link up to the outstretched hands of the goddess statue, where Zelda was awaiting him. He nodded for his loftwing to depart them. “I present an offering to the goddess Hylia.” He handed the bird statuette to Zelda, allowing her to place it in a small hole in the statue. “The goddess thanks you, hero.” She took a harp strapped to her back, and began strumming it. The melody was ethereal, rhythmically changing tempo from slow to fast at an even pace. After half a minute, she placed the harp leaning against the body of the statue, while Link tried to close his mouth from surprise. Link placed his hand on Zelda’s outstretched palm, kneeling in front of her as she spoke, “Goddess Hylia, grace of Skyloft, allow me to act in your stead in this ceremony.” Link continued, “And allow me to act in the stead of your legendary hero.” Zelda took a folded cloth from the statue’s palm and handed it to Link. "Then prove your courage, hero of legend, by jumping to the ground below with this sailcloth." Link nodded, walking over to the edge of Hylia's hands. He looked down at the circle of pattern-engraved stone some 70 feet below him. "Alright." He muttered, unfolding the sailcloth, "I've got this. I've been practicing this with Crimson all week." He took a sharp inhale before jumping off.

The ground came at him fast, forcing him to open the sailcloth in seconds while a scream caught in his throat. By the time he reached the center of the circle, sailcloth on the ground behind him, he was out of breath and grinning madly. "I won! How'd I do?!" "You did great, Link! Hold on, I'll be right down!" Zelda whistled for Cloudsailor to fly over, carrying her down to Link. "So. That was your last year at the academy. How’s it feel to be a knight of skyloft?” Link bit his lip awkwardly, “It’s… um… wow. I guess I didn’t really think about it.” They’d been walking until they sat at the edge of Skyloft. Looking out over the infinite expanse of sky and clouds made the floating isle feel small and cramped. “It’s really, I dunno, existential is the best I can describe it.” Zelda put a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry. You’ll do great.” “That’s what everyone’s been saying! You, your dad, my parents sending letters from the other side of Skyloft. They’ve all been saying the same things with nothing to back it up. Name one thing I’ve done that makes you honestly think I’d be a halfway decent knight.” “Well, you managed to graduate. That’s gotta count for something.” She turned away, muttering, “Plus, you’re definitely handsome enough.” “What was that?” “Oh, I mean, um, I didn’t, ah, don’t worry!” She slapped him on the back, laughing forcefully, “It’s not like anything even happens up here. All you’ll have to do is hang around, patrol the perimeter with Crimson, and save the occasional poor sap who falls off.” She looked straight down at the clouds for a different topic, deciding on, “So, anyway, whaddaya think is down there?” Link shrugged, following her gaze, “I’ve never really thought about it.” “Come on, Link. We live in the sky with a void below us, and you’ve never thought about what’s beyond our sight? Personally, I think there’s another world down there, completely separate from Skyloft.” “Maybe.” Link shrugged, looking straight ahead. “You wanna go for a loftwing ride?” “Sure!” Zelda stood up excitedly, whistling for Cloudsailor while Link summoned Crimson. They flew around Skyloft, allowing themselves the illusions of weightlessness and freedom. Link thought about the potential repercussions of his graduation, including how he’d be able to spend more time with Zelda following her own recent graduation. She called down to him, “Hey, Link! I think Cloudsailor’s getting tired! Mind if I join you?” He turned to Crimson, “”What do you think, bud? Do we have room for one more?” The loftwing screeched, flying upwards towards Zelda and Cloudsailor. “I’ll take that as a yes!” He yelled up to her. “Alright. Go take a break, now.” She told her loftwing before jumping off his back. She entered a freefall, her braided strands of hair straightening above her head, until she landed on Crimson’s back behind Link. She stroked his feathers, asking, “You okay, Crimson? Not too heavy for you, are we?” A squawk, followed by Crimson diving straight downwards. Zelda screamed, wrapping her arms around Link while he laughed, leaning backwards. Crimson straightened out horizontally, ascending back towards the floating island. “I guess there’s your answer.” Link chuckled. Zelda continued leaning against him, panting heavily. “Do… do you two.. Do that often?” “Yeah, all the time! It’s really fun once you get used to it.” “If you say so. Y’know, that’s actually a pretty impressive move. You’d probably make a great knight with this kind of flying.” “Wow. Thanks. So, um, you gonna let go or…” Zelda squeaked, hastily removing her arms from around Link. “Hey, so, um, now that we’ve both graduated, would you like to-” A surge of wind knocked Crimson off-balance, causing Link and Zelda to nearly fall off his back. A tornado of pitch-black wind appeared in front of them, drawing them toward itself. “Crimson! Turn back, now!” Link screamed, his voice lost in the buffeting winds. The last thing he saw was Zelda falling into the tornado, before he lost consciousness.

Link’s eyes slowly opened, despite his splitting headache. “Ow. What happened? Zelda?” He shot up, gasping in horror, “Zelda!” The second Link jumped out of his bed, the headmaster opened the door and walked into his dorm room. “Mr. Gaepora, I- I’m so sorry! We were flying, and there was this wind, and the tornado, and I don’t know what happened; it was all so fast-” The headmaster put his hand on Link’s shoulder. “It wasn’t your fault.” Link stopped talking, still struggling to catch his breath. “What’re we going to do? We have to find Zelda. She- she can’t just- she has to be somewhere down there! We need to find her!” “Of course we’re going to find her. I’ve already sent every available knight out to search for my daughter. Unfortunately, no one in the history of Skyloft has seen what lies below the clouds. There’s no telling what awaits.” “Well, I’m a knight!” Link took a step forward, only for his leg to give out from under him. “Ow, ow, ow.” Gaepora dragged Link over to his bed. “Please, Link, rest your leg and then you can help look for Zelda. Believe me, I wish more than anything that I could help look for her myself. Unfortunately, someone needs to stay to keep the students in line.” “Okay.” Link hung his head down. “Don’t worry. You did everything you could.” Link nodded silently, while the headmaster walked out of the dorm and closed the door behind himself. Link thought to himself. He remembered when he and Zelda first met as children, the day they first met their loftwing companions, and every day they’d spent together whenever they could find the time. After what might’ve been a minute or an hour, he stood up and lowered his sock to examine the dark purple bruise on his ankle. “Doesn’t matter.” He pushed past the pain to open the door. As soon as he did so, he questioned if he’d hit his head harder than he’d initially thought. A humanoid figure floated off to the side, wearing a cloak-like garment in lieu of arms. Her head and the left half of her cloak were a bright blue, while her garment and torso were a dark purple. Gold lines ran parallel down her torso, a large blue diamond with gold borders adorning her chest. Her black leggings doubled as socks, with crossing patterns of green lines. “Do not be alarmed.” Her voice was a monotone echo, simultaneously unknown and slightly familiar. “Who are you? What are you?” “My name is Fi. I am a sword spirit, servant to the goddess Hylia.” She floated closer to him, until he could see that her eyes were permanently closed. “Follow me, and I will assist you in finding your friend.” Before Link could question her, Fi hovered away. He barely hesitated to follow her.

A few minutes later, Fi had led Link to the base of the Goddess statue. “Thanks, but I think it might take a little more than prayer to find Zelda. I guess it couldn’t hurt, but-” “We are not here for the purposes of prayer. Follow me.” Fi nonchalantly floated through the gray wall as though it were nonexistent “What- how- but- why-?! Oh, forget it.” He shook his head and stretched his arm out where Fi had disappeared. It disappeared in the wall, cut off at the elbow. He steeled himself, and walked through the wall. He followed Fi through a hallway of smooth brown stone and into a chamber. “Please, take the goddess sword from its pedestal.” At the center of the chamber was a raised pedestal holding a sword by the tip. “Are you sure?” Fi nodded silently. “Well, if it’ll help me find Zelda…” Link took the hilt in his hands. “...then I’ll take it!” The sound of stone on metal carried through the chamber, while Link raised the sword skyward. He felt a sort of electricity running down his arm, energizing him. “I see you’ve taken the sword for yourself, Link.” The headmaster walked out of the shadows in the corner of the chamber. “Gaepora? How long have you been standing there?” “More than long enough. Link, do you know the significance of that sword?” “I’m guessing it has something to do with the goddess Hylia?” “Correct. The goddess sword was forged by the goddess Hylia and wielded by her chosen hero against the demon armies. If you can wield that sword, then you might be the only one capable of rescuing Zelda.” “Trust me, sir, I’ll find her. No matter what.” “I anticipated that you would say something to that effect, master.” Fi floated over to Link, while he stared at her apprehensively. “Why did you call me master? Are you into some stuff I should know about?” “I do not understand the query, master. I am the spirit of the goddess sword. Therefore, as its chosen wielder, you are also my master.” “Uh… sure.” “Do you see that crest?” Fi lifted her cloak, using it to point at a crystal with a pair of simplistic wings floating slightly off the ground. “Yeah. I was just going to ask about that.” “That is a goddess crest, master. Please, raise the goddess sword skyward to deliver a skyward strike.” “Okay…”Link pointed the tip of the blade straight upwards. It immediately glowed a blinding white, sending a rush of energy coursing through him. Almost instinctively, he swung the blade straight down, sending out a discus of blue light that struck the goddess crest. It glowed a warm blue, while a rotating stone with a green gemstone in it appeared in midair. “Take the emerald tablet, master, and place it on the altar.” “Can you just call me Link, please?” “Of course, master Link.” “Eh, we’ll work on it.” Link took the emerald tablet over to the altar. The inset rectangle had cracks that split it into multiple sections, only one of which corresponded to the curves on the emerald tablet. “Okay, now what?” Link looked down at the tablet. “Now, you will be able to journey to the surface.” “The surface is real?! Is that we’re Zelda is?” “There is a 100% chance that Zelda is on the surface. You will be required to utilize your loftwing in order to find the way to the surface.” “Right.” Link turned to Gaepora. “Headmaster, I promise I’ll find Zelda, no matter what.” “I know you will, Link. I trust that Zelda’s fate is in safe hands now.” “Thanks.” Link ran out of the chamber and into Skyloft. “If you wish, Master Link, I can hide myself inside the goddess sword.” “Really? How can you do that?” “I am the spirit of the goddess sword.” Fi explained succinctly. “Okay.” Link held out his sword. Fi transformed into a flash of blue light, gravitating into the goddess sword. “Woah. Neat trick.” Link whistled, calling his loftwing to him. “Hey, Crimson, you okay?” Crimson screeched, spreading his wings. “Alright!” Link jumped on Crimson’s back. Hundreds of feet away from Skyloft, a pillar of green light pierced through the cloud layer. “You see that light, bud? You’re going to drop me off there, and we’re going to find Zelda.” Crimson squawked in response, flying towards the emerald light.

Chapter Text

Link found himself standing in front of the shrine, now glowing blue instead of orange. “Okay. On to the next shrine.” He glanced at the slate’s map, finding that the closest shrine was directly southwest to his current location. “Cool. Seems close enough. This should be a nice, relaxing walk.”

“Son of a rat!” Link screamed at a canyon in front of him, blocking his path to the third shrine. “Okay. Okay. I’ve gotta think. There must be some way to get across. Probably. Hopefully.” He walked several hundred feet behind the canyon. A small shack made of thick wooden logs, with a stone foundation and cloth roof, stood in the middle of the grassy plain. In front of the hut was a log with an axe and torch leaning on it and a metal pot over a wooden fire pit in front. Link turned his gaze between the thin trees at the edge of the canyon, and the axe directly in front of him. “Eh, I’ll probably bring it back eventually.” He walked over to the tree in the middle of the row, turning the axe in his hand. Two swings of the blade separated the tree from its stump, bringing it down and creating an impromptu bridge across the canyon. “Yes! Once again, my genius saves the day!” He started walking across the tree. A group of four bokoblins screeched on the other side of the canyon, running across Link’s bridge in single file. Hey! No! No! Off!“ Link swung his axe into the front bokoblin, strapping it to his back in favor of his two-handed claymore. A single strike of the claymore turned the bokoblin in the front of the line into a puff of purple smoke, while the other two started striking at the tree. “Nope nope nope!” Link swung his claymore, striking down the remaining bokoblins. The tree snapped down the middle, both sides leaning slightly downwards. “Oh. Of course.” Link sprinted across the tree, jumping to the other side of the canyon seconds before the tree collapsed, audibly landing on the ground a hundred feet below. “Okay, what’s next?” Link searched around the area, occasionally glancing down at his map, until he looked up. The shrine was at the top of a cliff, with a few outcroppings of rocks jutting out. “I figured.” Link rolled his eyes. He started climbing the rock, until his arms and legs had become numb. He barely managed to clamber onto the lowest of the outcroppings, gasping in exhaustion, some hundred feet off the ground. “Oh… oh man.” He took a moment to regain his stamina before looking up at the remaining two outcroppings before the top of the cliff. “I… hate… my… life.”

Nearly ten minutes later, Link slowly climbed to the top of the cliff. His limbs were sore to the point of feeling like they were on fire, and he’d nearly run out of breath. He stumbled to the shrine and placed his sheikah slate on the altar. Several minutes later, after he’d regained his breath, Link descended to the inner chambers of the shrine. A voice manifested, “To you who sets foot in this shrine, I am Owa Daim. In the name of the goddess Hylia, I offer this trial.” “Okay, cool. Let’s see what I get this time.” He inserted the sheikah slate into the altar, causing the digital liquid to descend from the structure overhead. The onscreen graphic resembled a yellow, closed lock. Link read the description, his eyes widening, “Stasis: stop the flow of time for an object? Wow, this thing is amazing!” He looked at the trial that lay in front of him. A wheel made of the same technological stone as the rest of the sheikah tech rotated in midair, attached to a platform that rotated in turn. “Oh, wow.” Link deadpanned, “I wonder what I have to do next.” He tapped the stasis logo, causing the wheel to glow yellow. Pointing at the wheel turned it green, and tapping the stasis logo again caused holographic chains to appear on the wheel and stop its motions entirely, rendering the platform motionless. Link sprinted across the bridge, jumping to the other side just before the rune’s effects wore off, and the wheel resumed its motions. Link walked up to a smooth stone ramp, consisting of small boulders descending from a hole in the ceiling, and rolling down a half-cylinder at 30-second intervals. “Okay.” Link walked up the ramp with the stasis rune on standby, using it to freeze a boulder in its path, so that he could run onto the walkway between the two sections of the ramp. At the corner of the perpendicular walkway, Link found a solid iron sledgehammer. In the middle of the walkway in the direction of the monk’s cube was a larger, stationary boulder. “Okay.” Link paced in front of the sledgehammer. “I probably won’t be able to just push it. So if this shrine is giving me a sledgehammer and a time-stop rune…” Link smacked his own forehead, “I’ve got it! I’m a genius!” He performed stasis on the boulder, repeatedly striking it with his new hammer. As soon as the stasis wore off, the boulder flew through the air into a seemingly bottomless pit, opening the path to the cube. “Your resourcefulness in overcoming this trial speaks to the promise of a hero. In the name of goddess Hylia, I bestow upon you this spirit orb.” As soon as the mystic artifact was absorbed into Link, the shrine disappeared in a flash of light.

“Okay, on to the next shrine.” Link analyzed his map, before looking up and far to the northwest. “Oh, wow, that place looks cold as hell.” He looked down at his worn shirt and trousers. “Yeah, this ain’t gonna cut it up there. There’s gotta be some way I can resist the cold… maybe at that old shack.” He teleported to the Ja Baij shrine in the middle of the eastern abbey, sprinting away from the stationary automaton until he arrived back at the shack. “Hey! Old man!” He ran over to the old man as he was cooking a slab of meat on the pot. “Ah, Link. I was just engaged in a bit of culinary activity. It’s a great way to stave off the cold.” “Yeah, staving off the cold. That’s what I need right now.” “Well, I do have some peppers in the shack. Once I’m done here, you may be able to cook something up that could help you withstand the cold.” “Really? Thanks, man.” Link ran inside the shack, finding a cluster of peppers in a bowl on the table. By the time he walked outside, the old man was nowhere to be found, with not even his cooking remaining as a sign he’d been there. “Weird.” Link threw the peppers into the pot, poking them with a stick until they congealed together. “Nice. Sauteed peppers.” He kicked dirt under the pot until the fire went out, at which point he waited a few minutes for it to cool. “Okay, it should be safe by now.” He talked to himself, “Also, I’m bored and lonely. Never a fun combo.” He pulled the sauteed peppers out with his stick, eating two peppers that’d mixed together in the pot. As soon as he swallowed, his throat burned. “Hot! Hot hot hot hot!” He continued shoveling the concoction into his mouth, even as his eyes turned red and he lost all feeling in his upper body. The pain was unlike anything he could remember henceforth, causing his earlier shoulder wound to flare up once more. After some time, Link had finished the peppers, and his entire body radiated heat. “Okay, okay, better get to that shrine before this wears off.” He teleported back to the Owa Daim shrine, where he immediately climbed the slope. He abruptly felt his temperature return to normal, indicating that he’d reached the colder region of the plateau. As Link sprinted through the snow, he could feel himself becoming gradually colder as the peppers’ effects wore off on him. Eventually, he saw the shrine in the mid-distance. “Yes!” On the slope just below it, he saw a small group of bokoblins around a fire. “No!” He shook his head and continued in the direction of the shrine. By the time the bokoblins were charging down the snow-covered incline, primitive wooden spears drawn, the peppers had almost completely worn off. Link shuddered in the cold, blocking a spear with his shield and lunging forth to slam his claymore through the bokoblin’s skull. He noticed two bright red barrels behind the encampment. “Wait. What’re those?” A bokoblin screeched, running over to pick up one of the barrels and throw it at Link. “No thanks!” Link jumped off the ledge just as the barrel exploded inches above him, creating a massive fireball that propelled him into the snowbank 40 feet below. “Man. Guess that’s one way to warm up.” He ran back up to the bokoblins just as one of them tossed the remaining bomb barrel. “Time to test this out.” Link activated the stasis rune, carefully aiming it and freezing the explosive, less than a foot away from his head. He grinned despite his teeth chattering loudly, “My turn.” He activated another rune to generate a spherical bomb, tossing it at the three bokoblins before activating it again, launching them off the cliff with a single explosion. “I won! And I’m still freezing!” He sprinted to the shrine and activated it with his slate, immediately running inside and descending into the inner chamber.

“To you who sets foot in this shrine, I am Keh Namut. In the name of the goddess Hylia, I offer this trial.” “Right, just gimme a minute.” Link leaned against the wall, spending a few minutes letting the cold wear off. “Okay. This should be the last one.” Link placed the sheikah slate into the altar, standing back while the final rune was installed. The logo resembled a blue-white snowflake. “Cryonis: create a pillar of ice from a water surface. Huh. Seems kinda underwhelming after literal time manipulation, but okay.” Link walked into a small, inch-deep square of water in front of a wall. “Right. Looks easy enough.” He tapped the cryonis icon, causing a glowing white square to appear just in front of the shorter section of the wall. Tapping the icon again caused a rectangular prism of ice to ascend from the water. “Okay, that’s actually kinda neat.” He climbed up the ice pillar before jumping onto the next platform of the shrine. “Huh. That is surprisingly warm for a block of magic ice.” Link walked across the platform and down a short staircase into a floor of ankle-deep water. His path was blocked by a row of vertical metal bars. “Okay. I think I see what this is.” Link used cryonis to create a block of ice under the bars, pushing them up into the ceiling and opening the path. In a wide, long hallway, a small automaton similar to the one from the Oman Au shrine walked towards Link, the water rippling minutely with every step. “Oh great, that’s all I need!” Link backflipped over a shot of blue light, charging forward. He threw his axe into the robot, causing a miniature storm of electrical sparks that reduced the blade of the axe to liquid. The machine shot out dozens of lasers rapid-fire, forcing Link to duck and weave past them, occasionally deflecting shots with his claymore into the walls, until he finally got close enough to drive the blade into the metal and circuitry to finish off the diminutive warden. “Well, that definitely went better than last time.” He looked up at a section of the wall that stopped short of the ceiling, leaving a ledge some ten feet overhead. Link activated the cryonis rune to climb up an artificial ice pillar, allowing himself onto the ledge that contained a chest. Inside the chest was a spear consisting of a stone point tied to a wooden staff with vines. “Oh, you. I’m keeping you.” Link jumped off the ledge, landing with the spear pointed down. He walked over to a massive plank of stone, held above the water by a pyramidal fulcrum in the center. Link grinned, yelling up past the obstacle, “Looks like someone’s losing their touch, huh?” He constructed an ice pillar below one side of the platform, pushing it up onto the ledge above him. Link ran up the ramp and past a barely-notable staircase onto the next section of the shrine. A long walkway and dozen-foot staircase were the only remaining obstacles between Link and the monk. “Your resourcefulness in overcoming this trial speaks to the promise of a hero. In the name of goddess Hylia, I bestow upon you this spirit orb.” The fourth spirit orb floated towards Link. After a second, the shrine disappeared in a flash of light.

Link found himself standing in front of the Keh Namut shrine, its orange glow now converted to blue, the cold biting once more at his exposed skin. The second he turned around, he saw the old man standing directly behind him. If the cold was affecting him, he didn’t show it, and Link subconsciously noted the distinct lack of footprints behind him. “Well? I got all four spirit thingies. Can I have the paraglider now?” “Of course, but first, I’m sure you’ll want to get out of this cold. Meet me at the ruins at the center of the four shrines.” “What?” A small cloud of snow flew in front of the old man, obscuring Link’s vision until the old man had disappeared without a trace. Link shook his head, pulling out the sheikah slate, “I’m starting to think he’s not an ordinary old man.” He teleported to the tower, breathing a relieved sigh from the sudden influx of warmth. “Alright, let’s see here.” He sat down at the edge of the tower, turning on the sheikah slate map. He traced the routes between the four shrines, analyzing the pathways. “Okay, center, center… there!” He zoomed in on the spot, placing a red beacon on the map. “That should be it.” He teleported down to the Oman Au shrine, starting towards the temple of time. He spent nearly a half hour walking through the grassy plains of the great plateau, occasionally looking down at the map until he found the temple. It was made of crumbling gray-black stone, with one side partially open to the elements, and a massive hole in the ceiling. Through the hole, Link could see a massive statue of some 50 feet in height, of a woman with her arms folded in front of her chest. A screech caused him to turn to the side, where a red bokoblin was charging at him. “C’mon, let’s go!” Link drove the point of his spear into the ground, letting go and vaulting over the bokoblin. He fell short, inadvertently kicking the bokoblin in the face before falling onto his back. The bokoblin shook its head while Link stood up, slicing through the bokoblin with his axe. “I, uh, yeah, that’s what you… I meant to do that. Yeah.” Something compelled him to walk over to the statue, as though drawn by an unseen divine force. The four spirit orbs manifested from his chest and floated away until they disappeared into the statue. In exchange, Link felt a sudden reinvigoration, as though his stamina had increased slightly. “Uh… thanks. I think.” He looked around. “I could’ve sworn this was the place. Maybe there’s something on the roof.” He walked around the outside perimeter of the ruins until he found a ladder that provided him access to the roof. Carefully sidestepping the gaping hole in the chipped-painted structure, he saw a hollow tower where the old man stood waiting. “Old man!” He sprinted over and jumped into the bell tower. “How’d you get up here?” “Link, it seems I owe you an explanation. I suppose you’ve figured out by now that I am no ordinary old man. The time has come to show you who I truly am.” The old man stamped his cane on the stone floor, causing a dull echo. “I was king Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule. I was the last leader of Hyrule, a kingdom which no longer exists.” A blinding blue light expanded from the old man until it filled the room. The light dissipated after a few seconds, revealing that the old man had disappeared. In his place was a man with a massive white beard and regal blue-gold garb, floating a few inches off the floor and surrounded by small green-white flames. “You… you’re a ghost.” Link bowed. “Your majesty.” “Stand tall, Link. You’ve proven yourself, and I am no longer a king.” Link straightened his posture. “What happened to hyrule?” “The great calamity was merciless. It devastated everything in its path a century ago. It was then that my life was taken away from me, and since that time, here I have remained in spirit form. I did not think it wise to overwhelm you while your memory was still fragile, so rather than that, I thought it best to assume a temporary form. Forgive me. I think you are now ready to hear what happened 100 years ago.” The former king looked out over the land beyond the plateau. “To know Calamity Ganon’s true form, one must know the story from an age long past. The demon king was born into this kingdom, but his transformation into malice created the horror you see now.” Link gazed outside, at a ruined castle in the distance. Surrounding the spires was a black and red cloud, rotating at a continuous pace. “Stories of Ganon were passed from generation to generation in the form of legends and fairy tales. But there was also a prophecy: ‘The signs of a resurrection of Calamity Ganon are clear. And the power to oppose it lies dormant beneath the ground.’ We decided to heed the prophecy and began excavating large areas of land. It wasn’t long before we discovered several ancient relics made by the hands of our distant ancestors. These relics, the Divine Beasts, were giant machines piloted by warriors. We also found the guardians, an army of mechanical soldiers who fought autonomously. This coincided with ancient legends, oft repeated throughout our land. We also learned of a princess with a sacred power and her appointed knight, chosen by the sword that seals the darkness. It was they who sealed Ganon away using the power of these ancient relics. One hundred years ago, there was a princess set to inherit a sacred power and a skilled knight at her side. It was clear that we must follow our ancestors’ path. We selected four skilled individuals from across Hyrule and tasked them with the duty of piloting the Divine Beasts. With the princess as their commander, we dubbed these pilots champions- a name that would solidify their unique bond. The princess, her appointed knight, and the rest of the champions were on the brink of sealing away Ganon, but nay. Ganon was cunning, and he responded with a plan beyond our imagining. He appeared from deep below Hyrule castle, seized control of the guardians and the Divine Beasts, and turned them against us. The champions lost their lives. Those residing in the castle as well. The appointed knight, gravely wounded, collapsed while defending the princess. And thus, the kingdom of Hyrule was devastated absolutely by Calamity Ganon. However, the princess survived to face Ganon alone.” Rhoam paused, giving Link a minute to let the revelations truly sink in. “That princess was my own daughter. My dear Zelda. And the courageous knight who protected her right up to the very end…” He turned away from the window to look directly at Link. “That knight was none other than you, Link. You fought valiantly when your fate took an unfortunate turn. And then, you were taken to the shrine of resurrection. Here you now stand revitalized, 100 years later. The words of guidance you have been hearing since your awakening are from princess Zelda herself. Even now, as she works to restrain Ganon from within Hyrule castle, she calls out for your help. However, my daughter’s power will soon be exhausted. Once that happens, Ganon will freely regenerate himself and nothing will stop him from consuming our land. Considering that I could not save my own kingdom, I have no right to ask this of you, Link, but I am powerless here. You must save her… my daughter. And do whatever it takes to annihilate Ganon. Somehow, Ganon has maintained control over all four Divine Beasts, as well as those guardians swarming around Hyrule castle. I believe it would be quite reckless for you to head directly to the castle at this point. I suggest that you make your way east, out to one of the villages in the wilderness. Follow the road out to Kakariko village. There you will find the elder, Impa. She will tell you more about the path that lies ahead. Consult the map on your sheikah slate for the precise location of Kakariko village. Make your way past the twin summits of the dueling peaks. From there, follow the road as it proceeds north.” “I understand.” Link nodded solemnly. “But are you sure I can stop that thing? I can see it from all the way over here, and I just don’t think this stuff’s going to cut it.” “Do not worry, Link. I saw you in action during the great calamity. If you follow my guidance, and listen to Impa, I know you will find some way to vanquish Calamity Ganon. Otherwise, Hyrule will be reduced from mere ruins to complete nonexistence. Please, Link, you are the only one capable of saving what remains of the world.” Link gazed out over the fields of hyrule, at the Castle housing an ancient abomination. “Okay. If I’m the only one who can do this, then I’ll do as you say.” “Thank you, Link. Now, take this.” Rhoam held out the folded paraglider, letting it drop to the floor as he disappeared. “I promise, sir.” Link picked up the paraglider and unfolded it on his back. “I won’t fail again.” He jumped out of the window, gliding to the edge of the plateau.

Link continued to descend through the midday air, past the border of the great plateau. The grassy plains stretched out before him, with a small forest in the mid-distance. Some hundred feet in the sky, Link’s arms started to grow tired. “Oh, great.” He slipped from the paraglider, screaming as he fell through the air, “No no no come back!” He waved his exhausted arms through the air, turning around to grab onto the handles of the paraglider. Seconds before slamming into the ground, he held up the paraglider. His descent slowed until he landed on the ground. “Man…” He gasped, trying to catch his breath, “Off to a great start.” He looked around the area, taking stock of his surroundings. “Okay, so over there’s gotta be the dueling peaks.” He examined the map on his sheikah slate. Only the great plateau was mapped, leaving the rest of Hyrule a blank blue screen. “Oh, yeah, that’s real helpful.” He rolled his eyes, attaching the slate to his trousers. “Guess there’s nothing for it.” Behind him, a pile of rocks started moving. They arranged themselves into a humanoid form, with a massive boulder for a torso and smaller stones as the limbs. The boulder monster was around 20 feet tall, with a cluster of hardened amber on its shoulder. “Oh, great.” Link drew his claymore, requiring both hands and preventing him from using his shield. “I, uh, wouldn’t suppose you don’t want to kill me?” The living boulder slammed its fist onto the ground, creating a shockwave that sent Link flying. He landed hard on the ground, while his sword embedded itself in the dirt nearby. “Ow. Guess that answers my question.” He stood up, took back his sword, and charged at the monster.

Chapter Text

Crimson flew around a pillar of green light. “Okay, I’m gonna go down with the sailcloth. You go back to Skyloft, okay, boy?” Crimson squawked in protest. “Relax, I’ll be fine. I got a sword, and we went back to get a shield from the store, remember?” Another screech. “Good boy.” Link patted Crimson’s head before jumping off his back. His scream caught in his throat as he fell through the air at terminal velocity, the condensation of the clouds adhering his clothes to his skin. After half a minute, he burst through the bottom of the cloud layer. A solid sea of greenery rocketed upwards towards him. “Shoot shoot shoot!” He frantically unfolded the sailcloth strapped onto his back, gradually slowing his descent until he touched down on the ground. “Okay.” He looked around before waving the goddess sword in the air. “Hey, Fi, I need some help.” A blue light emerged from the tip, coalescing into Fi. “What do you require assistance with, master Link?” “Where’s Zelda?” “I currently have no knowledge on the whereabouts of the individual known as Zelda. However, I am sensing an inordinately large concentration of holy energy around us.” They were in the middle of a flat plain of dirt, surrounded by a circular cliff with natural outcroppings providing a sort of spiral staircase. In the center of the pit was a black spike made of an unidentifiable metal, with a small cloud of pitch-black smoke rising from the ground around it. “Hey, Fi, what’s that?” Fi backed away from the stake. “It appears to be a powerful concentration of dark magic. I would advise caution, master Link.” “Yeah, I thought it was giving off some bad vibes.” Towards the top of the cliff was a moderately-sized stone building with elaborate decorations, blocked off by short stone walls. “Okay, where do we go first?” “I believe we should enter the faron region to the southeast.” Fi gestured in the direction she was referring to. “Welp, you’re the magic sword spirit. I’ll take your word for it.” They walked out of the grounds, while Fi returned to the goddess sword.

Link walked into a clearing in a forest, occasionally catching himself staring at the bright green trees. “Wow. This place is amazing. If I wasn’t so worried about Zelda, it’d probably be beautiful.” He climbed up a slope, finding himself at the edge of a 20-foot cliff. Nearby was a massive lump of fur, slowly expanding and contracting. “Holy… is it asleep?” He took a nearby stick off the ground and poked the thing with it. It slowly rose upright to its full 10-foot height. “What?” Link asked, “Who are you?” “Who are you?” The creature asked. It resembled a combination of a plant and a bird, with a small beak, white feathers on its stomach and black feathers everywhere else, and a small tuft of something that resembled grass atop its head. He had two strings of brown fur running down his face, resembling a foot-long mustache. “I’m Link. I’m from Skyloft.” He pointed at the sky. “Oh, you must be the chosen hero from the skies!” The plant-bird realized excitedly. “I’m Bucha, the elder of the kikwis.” “Nice to meet you, but I can’t stick around. I’m looking for a friend of mine; she got lost down here. Hey, you haven’t seen anything, have you?” “No. Sorry, but all I’ve seen lately was someone who kind of looked like you with long yellow hair in braids.” Link threw his hands up, “That’s her! Did you see where she went?” “Oh, right.” Bucha gestured somewhere to the south. “She went off that way.” “Thank you so much.” Before Link could run off, the kikwi elder yelled, “Wait! I need your help!” “Yeah? What is it?” “The other kikwis got lost in hiding after some monsters invaded our forest. If you could find them for me, I promise I’ll give you something that can help you.” “You got it, sir.” Link jumped off the cliff, landing on the sof grass below. “Ow! Why did I think that was a good idea?!” He waved the master sword in the air until Fi manifested. “What do you require assistance with, master Link?” “The kikwi elder asked me to find the other kikwis. Any ideas where they could be?” Fi looked around the area. “Using my dowsing abilities cross-referenced with scanning the kikwi elder, I believe that the kikwis are in that direction.” She pointed with her armless cloak. “I have no idea what most of that meant, but thanks.” “It’s really quite simple, master Link. The goddess sword, and by extension myself, have the ability to analyze-” “That’s great, Fi, but we’re kind of in a hurry right now.” “Of course, master Link.” Fi reabsorbed herself into the goddess sword, while Link walked in the direction of the kikwis.

While Link stalked through the undergrowth of the forest, he heard the sound of something growling just out of sight. “What the…?” He looked in the direction of the sound. A bright red, imp-sized humanoid carried a short, spiked club in its hands. Link frantically waved the goddess sword to summon its spirit. “Fi.” He hissed, “What is that thing?” Fi looked over at the demon. “That would be a red bokoblin, master Link. These monsters have plagued the land since ancient times. They each play different roles, and their weaponry varies. They prefer to act in groups. None of them are intelligent by any definition of the word. Curiously, they seem to have a mysterious obsession with fashionable undergarments.” Link took a second glance at the bokoblin’s sharp fangs and fur loincloth. “Neat. So, I should be able to kill it pretty easy, right?” “I would estimate a 99.9% chance of victory in single combat, master.” “Good enough for me.” Link charged at the bokoblin, while Fi reabsorbed herself into the outstretched goddess sword. The bokoblin screeched in surprise and swung its club at Link. He effortlessly blocked it with his shield, stabbing the bokoblin through the heart. It dissipated into purple smoke. “Hey, any kikwis around here?!” The nearby cluster of bushes rose upright, revealing dozens of creatures that resembled smaller versions of Bucha, each barely coming up to Link’s knees. “You there!” The one in front jumped around excitedly, “Have you come to save us from the monsters?” Link shrugged, “Yeah, apparently.” He summoned Fi. “Hey, Fi, can you sense any more of those boko-guys?” “Using my dowsing abilities, I am unable to detect any additional bokoblins within the immediate vicinity.” “Alright, you guys heard the sword-lady.” Link sheathed his goddess sword while Fi returned to it. The kikwis ran past Link, chirping happily. Link smiled as he watched them.

Link walked up to the kikwi elder. He was standing over the short cliff, watching the smaller kikwis. Link sat next to him with his legs hanging over the edge. “You really just want to protect them, don’t you?” “Oh! Sky-hero. Sorry, I didn’t see you.” “No worries. Also, it’s just Link. So, about that thing you promised would help me…” “Oh, of course.” A bud-like structure on Bucha’s back unfolded, releasing a small slingshot. “This should help you protect yourself from a distance if the need arises.” “Wow. Thanks, sir. You said Zelda went that way, right?” “Yes, straight to the temple.” “Got it. Thanks for your help.” Before Link could walk away, the elder interrupted him, “Link, wait.” “Sorry, I’m kind of in a hurry-” “I promise, this won’t take long. Just a question.” “Okay. Shoot.” The kikwi elder’s eyes narrowed, “Would you have helped me if I hadn’t promised you a reward?” Link’s eyes widened. “No. Sorry, but I really can’t waste any time looking for my friend. She could be anywhere, and we really need to get back to Skyloft. Besides, that bokoblin probably would’ve left after a while.” “Very well.” The elder nodded in disappointment. “Thank you for your honesty.” He turned around, watching his fellow kikwis. “Uh… right.” Link walked towards the skyview temple, his pace far slower than he’d initially planned on.

After a few minutes of walking, Link came up to the entrance of the skyview temple. It was a towering, light gray building, with a stone carving of what vaguely resembled a flower over the solid wooden doorway. Massive statues of leaves flanked the long, wide staircase up to the temple. The entire structure was made from a smooth stone, partially covered in overgrown vines. Near the temple was a small stone, carved with the words, “He who descended from above: look to the star that the bird rising heavenward gazes upon, and aim your shot there.” Link analyzed the terrain, resisting the urge to summon Fi in favor of figuring out the solution himself. The golden and white door, inlaid with the wing-like symbol of the goddess Hylia, floral carvings of leaves on the edges, and gems on the wings. “Look to the star… look to the star…” Link turned his head upwards. Hanging from the roof over the door was a bright red crystal. “Look to the star, something something something, and aim your shot there.” Link took the slingshot out of his satchel. Tied to it was a small pouch, filled with well over a dozen hard seeds. “Yeah, this should work.” He loaded a seed into the slingshot and fired it at the crystal. Its color instantly changed from red to blue, and the door rose into the wall, revealing a massive staircase that descended into the dark underground. “Zelda had better be in here.”

At the bottom of the staircase was a small stone chamber, dimly lit by glowing blue-green mushrooms, and the walls and roof covered in overgrown branches. Off to the side was another staircase, which curved downwards. Link sliced his sword through a bat that tried to attack him, before cutting down a massive spider web blocking his path. After cutting through multiple spider webs and small trees, Link came up to a wall partially covered in leaves. The young knight climbed the leaves. The plant at the ledge above him snapped to life. Link screamed, his vision filling with the botanical monster’s teeth. The bite knocked him to the floor, his back striking the stone floor. His face was numb, and he could barely stand up. When he put his hand to his face, it came back red. “Bleeding… bleeding… red… red potion!” He frantically dug through his satchel, grabbing a bottle of red liquid. Lightheaded, Link yanked the cork off the bottle and drank its contents. Over the course of a few seconds, his scars disappeared. “Okay. Round 2.” Link shot another seed from his slingshot, stunning the plant. He summoned the sword spirit. “Fi, do you know what that thing is?” “That is a deku baba, master Link. It is a violent plant, widespread in wooded areas. It will attempt to bite anything that approaches it.” “Yeah, I kinda figured that part out myself. Now, what about the part where I kill it?” Fi briefly glanced towards the deku baba. “Though it is covered in a tough outer husk, the inside of its mouth is soft. There are two varieties: those that open their mouths vertically and those that open their mouths horizontally.” Link had already tuned her out. “Thanks, Fi. That’s all I needed to know.” Fi nodded, wordlessly returning to the blade. Link climbed up to the ledge, rolling behind the deku baba just before it woke up from being stunned. He jumped back as it lunged, missing his stomach by inches. Link unsheathed his sword and sliced it horizontally through the deku baba’s mouth, killing it instantly. At the back of the alcove was a red crystal, similar to the one at the temple’s entrance. As soon as Link stabbed it, the crystal split into six smaller, identical crystals. Link could hear the sound of metal scraping against stone. Jumping below, he saw a brown stone door. “Huh. Can’t believe I missed that.” He looked up. The door was in a small indent in the wall, with iron bars having risen into the ceiling of the indent. Link grasped the bottom of the door, lifting it into the ceiling to open it. He walked into the circular room, lit by the glowing mushrooms that were common in the underground temple, and overgrown with unnaturally curling tree branches. In the middle of the chamber was a small staircase, with a platform decorated with a sun pattern at the top. Directly across from the top of the staircase was an eye inlaid in the wall, above a stone door blocked by iron bars. “Well, that’s just freaky. Now what?” Link spoke to himself. He turned his sword, the eye in the wall following its movements. Link walked down the staircase, analyzing the edge of the chamber for any leads. Behind a cluster of oddly-colored bushes was a stone plaque reading, “He who descended from the sky: lend your ear to the wise voice of the servant who brought you to the firm soil.” Link waved his sword in the air. “Do you require my assistance, master Link?” “Yeah. Fi, you’re a servant of the goddess Hylia, right?” “That is correct, master Link.” “Okay, do you have any advice on what to do about this?” He gestured at the wall-eye. “It is a mechanism which follows the tip of sharp, sacred artifacts. I cannot tell you precisely how to overcome this obstacle. However, there is an 85% chance that you can use its connection to the goddess sword to your advantage.” Apparently satisfied, Fi returned to the goddess sword. “Thanks. I think I can actually use that.” Link climbed to the top of the staircase. “Okay, I know just how to deal with you.” He stretched his arms towards the eye, passing the sword between his hands and turning it in rapid circles. The eye rolled in the walls, getting steadily faster in parallel with Link’s movements. He turned the sword until it became a vaguely audible blur. The eye’s color changed from a bright blue to a deep red, causing the iron bars to rise into the wall and leave the door fully accessible. The hallway it led to was narrow, with two glowing mushrooms and a few tufts of brown grass on the floor, and two deku babas hanging from the ceiling. “Oh, great, just great!” The deku baba closest to Link lunged at him, forcing him to lean backwards. He drove his sword straight forward into the deku baba’s mouth, reducing it to a dissipating cloud of purple smoke. The second deku baba moved out of the way of his initial jab. Before it could attack him, Link sliced the goddess sword horizontally through the opening of its mouth, instantly killing it. The hallway opened up into a massive chamber, with curled branches in the middle of the chamber, and a green bokoblin wearing a skull for a helmet. Link summoned Fi, whispering to her, “Fi, should I be worried about that guy? He looks tougher than the red ones.” “That is a green bokoblin, master Link.” “No kidding.” “This variety of bokoblin enjoys dark places, such as caves. Its sunlight-deficient lifestyle has turned its skin a stomach-churning shade of green. However, like its red brethren, it exhibits a fascination with festive undergarments.” “That’s all very interesting, but is it stronger than the red bokoblins?” “I calculate a 90% chance that if you could defeat a red bokoblin, you should have minimal difficulty with a green bokoblin.” Fi returned to the goddess sword, while Link charged at the bokoblin. They met in the middle of a stone bridge over a ten-foot drop onto rocks and water, Link rolling under the swing of a hammer decorated with a skull. The horizontal swing of the goddess sword was blocked by the hammer. “Okay, let’s try this instead.” He lunged back, slicing his blade down through the bokoblin. It screeched in pain, swinging its hammer at Link. He jumped backwards, unable to keep track of its movements, until he sidestepped behind the bokoblin and sliced it horizontally, killing it. “Okay. Now what?” Over a stone door, blocked by iron bars, was another red crystal. “I think I know where this is going.” Shooting the crystal with a deku seed caused it to split into six smaller crystals, opening the iron bars. Beyond the door was a narrow hallway, illuminated by bioluminescent fungi and partially covered in spiderwebs and underground grasses. The hall opened into a chamber, with the stone pathway narrowing until Link could barely walk on it. He tried to analyze the stone plaque at the end of the path, only for a massive spider to descend from the ceiling, knocking Link back with a startled scream. “I… I meant to do that.” He stood up, summoning Fi. “Hey, Fi, what’s that spider-thing?” “That is a skulltula, master Link. This giant species of spider inhabits the deepest areas of forests. It attacks with highly adhesive webbing in order to prevent its prey from escaping.” “Well, that explains all those webs.” “It has a tough outer carapace, but its stomach may be vulnerable to attack. I am currently conducting additional analysis into its movement patterns.” “Okay, you do that. I’m gonna analyze how to off this arachnid freak.” “Understood, master Link.” Link jabbed the skulltula, only for the goddess sword to deflect off of it. “Okay, let me try something else.” He pointed the sword straight up until it glowed blue, slicing horizontally at the skulltula. It hissed as it swung towards Link on its web, forcing him to jump backwards and slice at the skulltula repeatedly. After a dozen swings over the course of two seconds, the skulltula turned around. Its back was a lighter gray than the black of its carapace, with a purple glow in the middle. “Master Link, I have analyzed the skulltula’s movement patterns.” Fi spoke up, “I have observed that it has a tendency to move with its back toward its prey to prevent its weak point from being exposed. Therefore, you must find a way to flip the beast over to access its weak point.” “Okay.” He recharged the goddess sword’s skyward strike, using the extra power to slice horizontally at the skulltula. It swung through the air on its web, the force of the strike causing it to turn around. Link fired a seed at its exposed back, stunning the spider. Before he could slice through its crystal, it turned back around and knocked him on his back. Link made several more attempts, only for the skulltula to outmaneuver him each time. “Great, this isn’t working. C’mon, Fi, I think I saw another door back in the other room.” Understood, master Link.” Fi returned to the goddess sword, while Link sprinted into the room where he’d fought the green bokoblin. Across from him was another door, blocked by iron bars. “Alright…” Link scanned the room, finding nothing that seemed useful. “...If there’s nothing up here, then maybe there’s something down there.” He jumped down, landing with a loud splash in the lukewarm ankle-deep water below. The bottom of the floor was partially covered in water, with unnaturally thick logs, tufts of grass, and bioluminescent mushrooms. Directly under the bridge was an alcove in the wall, with a red crystal a few feet above the ground. “Oh, there it is.” Link casually shot the crystal with a seed, splitting it in six and consequently opening the iron bars. “There we go.” He climbed a section of wall covered in vines to return to the bridge, running up to and opening the door he’d just unlocked. At the top of a short staircase was a floor with another green bokoblin. The only path forward was a bridge with two massive cobwebs, and a skulltula hanging from a web in front of each one. “Oh, you have got to be kidding me.” Link jumped onto the lower floor some twenty feet below, grimacing at the ache that shot through his legs. He ran to the back of the room, aiming his slingshot at the skulltula closest to him. “Let’s see how this works, you unholy freak.” He fired his seed into the crystal in the skulltula’s back, knocking it off its string with a loud hiss. The arachnid fell to the bottom of the room where Link was, instantly crawling toward him. It spat a web at him, forcing Link to slice through it. “Sorry buddy, but you’re on my level now.” He pointed the goddess sword vertically, firing a skyward strike that knocked the skulltula onto its back. It struggled to right itself, its legs writhing in the air, while Link jumped over it. He thrust his sword downwards, driving it through the crystal and killing the skulltula. “Alright!” He looked around the room, eventually deciding, “Well, I guess I might as well continue down this path.” He returned to walking across the bridge, where he found a creature that resembled a deku baba. Its bulbous head was orange, and split in four, allowing it to open its mouth either vertically or horizontally. Link backflipped out of the way as it lunged, slicing through the plant with a skyward strike. He looked around the platform before reading a stone carving in the corner, “In a room with two glittering gemstones, you shall find a temple map. Gaze upon that map until your eye finds the ❌, for it is there that you must strike another gemstone to reveal a path.” “Huh.” Link walked up the short staircase onto a narrow platform with a railing on two sides and walls on the other two sides. In the wall on the other side of the room was a narrow hallway leading to an unbarricaded stone door. “So far, so much better than the last one I tried.” The next room consisted of a hallway that opened into a chamber, with railings at the edge of a platform, looking out over the room where Link’s path had first branched. “Well. I was not expecting that.” Link walked onto an unnaturally thick tree branch jutting out of the wall, opening a chest that contained a brown piece of paper with tattered edges. “What the…?” He unfolded the paper, looking over what was on it. “Wait a second, this is a map!” He held up the map excitedly, “This is great! Now I can’t get lost!” The map revealed the locations of a few treasure chests, as well as the fact that Link had explored less than half of the massive temple. “Alright, guess I’d better get back to…” Link groaned to himself, realizing he’d have to go back to the room with the first skulltula he’d encountered. Reluctantly, Link jumped down off the tree branch, using his sailcloth to glide to the platform with the two parallel doors. After a minute, he’d returned to the skulltula hanging over the stone walkway. “Okay. Let’s see how the rematch goes.” He charged up a skyward strike. The skulltula hissed. The goddess sword glowed a radiant blue. Link turned the blade sideways. He walked towards the arachnid. Link yelled, slicing the skulltula sideways and knocking it away from the walkway. He used the 5 extra seconds to sprint to the other end and read the stone plaque at the end, “Two doors lead to rooms left and right, but they will only open when the gemstones are struck. One is above, one below.” Link muttered the words to himself, looking over them repeatedly. “What does that even mean?!” The skulltula hissed, biting into the shield on Link’s back and knocking him to the ground 20 feet below. “Ow… Yikes. That… that hurt.” He stood up, his limbs and back aching from the sheer impact of the fall. He looked upwards, at the walkway and the skulltula over it. “Alright.” Link snarled, narrowing his eyes, “You’re on.”

Chapter Text

Link jumped with the claymore in his hands, slicing at the rock giant. The metal harmlessly sparked against the stone, while Link fell to the ground. “Come on, you’ve gotta have some sort of weak spot.” The stone giant raised its boulder of a fist. Link sheathed his claymore, taking up his shield a millisecond before the boulder slammed into it. The impact shattered the shield, and launched Link dozens of feet backwards. He struck the ground three times before his back slammed into a tree at the border of a small forest. Link struggled to get up, gasping in pain as the stone monster gradually approached him. His vision was distorted. The ground shook with every step the abomination took. Link slowly, painfully, took the sheikah slate off his waist. “Maybe… maybe a rune? Yeah, that one.” Link tapped the round bomb rune, causing one to manifest in front of him. He tapped it with the slate, causing it to roll on the ground. After a few seconds, when the bomb was directly under the stone giant, Link activated it. The blue explosion caused the giant to stumble backwards, yet didn’t cause any apparent damage. It immediately resumed walking towards Link. He managed to stand up on shaking legs, watching the stone beast. He noticed the mound of hardened amber on the stone entity’s shoulder. “Maybe…” He manifested another round bomb and tossed it at the thing, his arm feeling as though it was on fire. He activated the bomb next to the amber, partially shattering it. The stone giant staggered back, with a deep, loud scream of pain. Link smiled. “So that’s your weak spot, huh? Good to know.” He ran towards the stone giant. He screamed at the excruciating pain that flared in his legs. He jumped onto the abomination’s back, and unsheathed his claymore. He screamed in agonizing pain, and repeatedly slammed the claymore into the amber. After a few seconds, the amber shattered. The living cluster of boulders paused, shuddered, and collapsed. Link stood up, looking around at the inert stones. “Glad… glad that’s over.” He stumbled forward, into the forest.

Link continued wandering through the forest, occasionally stopping to rest in a cave. After a few hours, once his entire body was no longer sore, he sat up against a tree and looked around. He was in the middle of a small cluster of trees that could generously be called a forest, with the sun just past its zenith overhead. He checked the map on his sheikah slate. “Okay…” The area he was in was still represented by a blank blue screen. “That didn’t help.” He stood up, and made his way to the top of a small hill. “Oh. Oh that might help.” In the distance, he saw a massive tower with a harsh orange glow, and started sprinting towards it. The tower was in the middle of a small lake, surrounded by large diagonal rock spires on two other sides. “Maybe if I activate this tower…” Link activated the cryonis rune in order to generate a block of ice within the small lake. He repeated the process, jumping from ice block to ice block, until he reached the tower. On the right side of the tower, a massive piece of rock rose from the ground. “Well, might as well go with the path of least resistance.” He maneuvered over to the stone slab, standing just a few feet in front of a sheer cliff, and walked up the natural ramp. At the top, he jumped a few inches onto a platform about a third up the tower. “Yeah. Good start.”

After just under a minute, Link was at the top of the tower, placing his sheikah slate in the altar. The orange glow was replaced with a warm blue that spread downwards, while another section of map appeared onscreen. “Okay, let’s see here…” Link ran his finger across the screen, until he found the location of Kakariko village. “Perfect!” He looked out past the edge of the tower, in the apparent direction of his destination. “Okay.” He adjusted the paraglider on his back, “Yeah, that should… yeah, don’t want a repeat of last time.” He walked near the middle of the tower, and briefly ran in place. “Okay. Okay. I can do this. Just gotta…” He ran to the edge, “...jump!” He jumped off the tower, arms flailing for a few seconds before unfolding the paraglider. With his descent slowed to a crawl, he had time to look at the scenery below him. The air had turned misty and humid, with a river on either side of the tower. The river branched off to the south of the tower, leaving a small peninsula of dry land in between two separate lines of water. Link glided over the miniature peninsula, past an encampment with multiple bokoblins, and towards the top of a cliff that led to another cliff. Behind him, he heard a screech, followed by the sound of an arrow being nocked in string. “What the-? Oh shoot! He’s gonna shoot me!” Link released his grip on the paraglider, allowing the arrow to sail overhead just before he grabbed the handles back in midair. A red bokoblin stood on a short, wooden watchtower with a square of cloth on top, aiming its bow at Link with a quiver on its back. Link maneuvered the paraglider towards the bokoblin, continually dodging its shots. Once he was close enough, he kicked the bokoblin in the face and released the paraglider, landing on the tower. The bokoblin reached into its quiver and attempted to jab Link in the eyeball with one of its arrows. He caught the arrow with two fingers, inches in front of its destination, and kicked the bokoblin to the other side of the tower. He took his claymore out of the sheath, effortlessly impaling the bokoblin. It screeched, turning into a puff of purple smoke and letting the quiver fall to the top of the tower. Half a dozen bokoblins, most red and one blue, picked up their weapons and ran towards him. Link picked up the arrows, and stocked them in his quiver. He jumped off the tower, ten feet above the ground. He took the bow off his back and loaded an arrow. Time itself felt as though it slowed around him. The bokoblins looked as though they’d stopped in their tracks. The ambient noises all but disappeared. Link released his arrow. It shot through the air. It pierced through the blue bokoblin’s heart, causing it to drop its sword. Link swung his claymore out of the sheath, striking the ground with enough force to knock the bokoblins over a foot away, sending up a cloud of debris. The ground shook, and the rusted blade shattered from the impact. Link overcame his alarm seconds before the bokoblins stood up, and grabbed the sword from the ground, slicing up through the blue bokoblin’s stomach as he did so. With the strongest of the enemy party dead, Link charged into the rest of them. He stabbed through a wooden shield, using it as leverage to dropkick the bokoblin. He stabbed the demon through the heart, and turned to intercept the swing of a club. He shoved his shield into the bokoblin’s chest, and sliced through its torso. He manifested a round remote bomb to throw it at the remaining bokoblins, activating it in the middle of the small cluster and killing all but one. Link pointed at the bokoblin with his sword. “Fight or flight. Your choice.” The unarmed bokoblin ran towards him with claws outstretched and teeth bared. “Wrong choice.” Link ran past the bokoblin. His blade sliced through the rubbery skin. He turned around. Metal tore through the flesh of the bokoblin’s back, killing it. “Man. After the rock guy, that was almost too easy.” He walked over to sit in front of a nearby campfire, surrounded by three large roasted fish impaled on spears stuck in the ground. Link reached up and bit into a fish. It was warm, and pleasantly moist. “Huh. Not bad for a bunch of mindless demons.” Link spent a few seconds eating the fish before resuming his trek.

At the top of a cliff, Link started walking across a plain. He occasionally came across a wandering bokoblin, which he near-effortlessly killed. He was wandering through a forest when he heard the snapping of leaves and branches, followed by a loud hiss. “That… wasn’t a bokoblin.” He heard a scream. Link sprinted in the direction of the sound, until he emerged in a small round clearing. An unarmored man was being attacked by a monster that resembled an enormous humanoid lizard. It was the same height as Link, with bright green scales and small, sharp teeth. Its tongue lashed out at the man from three feet away, knocking him onto his back in a second. The lizard jumped at the wanderer, claws glistening in the sunlight. The second before it could disembowel him, the claws were interrupted by a wooden shield. “What the…” The wanderer glanced up, and noticed the sheikah slate attached to Link’s waist. “It can’t be.” Link turned the shield upwards to disorient the lizard, using the opening to swipe his dagger across its stomach. The lizard screeched in pain, jumping 8 feet backwards. “Guy! What’s that thing called?” “Y-you should know! That slate- you’re the knight from a century ago! But wait, didn’t you die?” Link held up his shield to block the reptile’s tongue. “I got better, but I also got amnesia. Now, what’s it called?” “A lizalfos.” “Got it!” Link intercepted the lizard mid-jump with a single slash across its chest, launching it onto its back. He jumped at the lizalfos, stabbing it in its long snout to finish it off. “Thank you. You’re a legend, you know that?” “Really? Thanks, but I’m just passing through. You know if Kakariko village is nearby?” “Yeah. It’s less than a mile that way.” “Thanks. Take care out here.” “I plan to.” Link nodded, and walked away.

After less than an hour, Link came across a grass pathway between two sheer cliff faces. Every few feet in the path was a pair of ten-foot high stakes, attached by a rope with bright orange decorations. At the end of the path was a large wooden arch, with flags hanging from the side, decorated with symbols of stylized eyes and triangles. “Woah.” Link walked into the village. There was a dirt pathway flanked by houses and shops on either side. The buildings were all fairly large, with wood and stone walls and sloped, cloth roofs that sloped down near the ground. After a few minutes of staring, Link checked his slate. “Yup. This is Kakariko alright.” He walked over to a staircase, flanked by an arch with two armored guards in front, each carrying a spear. “Excuse me, sir, do you know where… um…” He remembered the name the king had given him, “...Impa lives?” “Yeah. You’re looking at her house right there.” One of the guards pointed up at the staircase, a couple dozen feet in length. The staircase went up a hill, leading up to a house that was slightly larger than the others, with a cliff and a few thin waterfalls directly behind it. The guard continued, “The village elder won’t accept just any visitor- wait.” He pointed at the slate on Link’s waist, “Is that…?” “Yeah. The sheikah slate.” Link held it up, “I don’t remember much, but I think this is important.” “Important’s an understatement. You’re the legendary knight, aren’t you? One of Hyrule’s champions.” Link shrugged, “So I’ve been told. I’ve also been told to seek out Impa’s advice for what to do next.” The other guard nodded, “Good idea. If anyone knows what to do, it’ll be her. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind seeing you again.” “Thanks.” Link started walking up the stairs, “Have a nice day.” “You too, sir.” Link looked down at his trousers and shirt, clothes unbefitting an ancient knight. “Yeah…” He muttered to himself, “...sir.” Before he realized it, he’d arrived at the landing surrounding the house. He knocked on the double doors in front. After a few seconds, a young woman opened the doors. Her white hair was tied in a bun on top of her head, with the rest of it widening behind the bottom of her neck. Her face immediately flushed a bright red. “Oh! Link! I… I didn’t… I wasn’t… I have to go now!” She sprinted up the stairs at the back of the room, leaving Link standing in the doorway. “Some elder.” “You’re looking for me, I presume?” A raspy voice came from the back of the room. Link walked inside, letting the door close behind him. The first floor of the house was a single wooden room, with a slightly raised soiree platform at the back. On the platform was a stack of orange throw pillows, a small old woman sitting atop them wearing a wide-brimmed hat that narrowed at the top with a small metal spire sticking out, decorated with the eye symbol on the front of the brim. Directly behind her was a decorative stylized painting depicting something Link couldn’t see. “Excuse me, are you Impa?” The old woman nodded, her expression unreadable for the oversized brim of her hat. “So you’re finally awake. It has been quite a long time, Link.” She looked up, showing her brown eyes and multiple gaps in her teeth. “I am much older now, but you remember me, don’t you?” “Yeah. I was told you’d know something about the Divine Beasts, and Calamity Ganon. Maybe something about their history?” Impa nodded. “The history of the royal family of Hyrule is also the history of Calamity Ganon. A primal evil that has endured over the ages. This evil has been turned back time and time again by a warrior wielding the soul of a hero, and a princess who carries the blood of the goddess. With the passage of time, each conflict with Ganon faded into legend. So listen closely as I tell you of this ‘legend’ that occurred 10,000 years ago. Hyrule was then blossoming as a highly advanced civilization. Even the most powerful monsters posed little threat to the denizens of the realm. The people thought it wise to utilize their technological prowess to ensure the safety of the land, should Calamity Ganon ever return. They constructed four mechanical wonders that came to be known as the Divine Beasts. They also built a legion of autonomous weapons called guardians. The Divine Beasts were piloted by four individuals of exceptional skill from across the land. And thus, the plan to neutralize Ganon was forged. Upon Ganon’s inevitable return to Hyrule, the princess and the hero fought alongside these four champions against this ancient evil. The guardians were tasked with protecting the hero as the divine beasts unleashed a furious attack upon their terrible foe. And when the hero wielding the sword that seals the darkness delivered his final blow, the princess used her sacred power to seal away Calamity Ganon.” Link sat across from the old woman. “Seems like it didn’t last.” “No, it never does. But the last time Calamity Ganon returned, it corrupted the divine beasts and guardians, killing the four champions.” “Yeah, I already know that part. I was hoping you could tell me how to destroy Calamity Ganon. I saw that thing from outside the castle, and I don’t even know where to start.” “You must free the Divine Beasts from their corruption. That is the only way you can crush Calamity Ganon.” “Got it, but how do I do that? I don’t even know where they are.” “Unfortunately, that is not my purview. You’ll need to go southeast, behind Hateno village, to find Purah. She will assist you in regards to your sheikah slate, and finding the Divine Beasts.” “Thanks.” “Don’t thank me until you’ve destroyed the calamity. Now, go down into the village and see if you can’t purchase some better armor or weapons.” “Will do.”

Link spent the better part of a few hours using his remote bombs on ore deposits outside the village, until he had enough rupees to pay for a spare sword. He wore a leather red, green, and brown garment with a dark blue hood and cape, simple trousers and knee-high cloth boots, and two blades sheathed in a cross pattern on his back. The sun was setting past the horizon, bathing the village in a warm orange-red glow while Link sat near an outdoor campfire. He examined his map, accompanied by the sounds of the crackling fire, the nearby pond surrounding a small statue, and the crickets in the forest. “Okay… too bad I can barely see anything here. Guess I’ve gotta find another tower.” He stood up, and looked in the direction of the castle. He couldn't see anything past the sheer cliff faces surrounding the front of the village. He looked back at the peaceful village where everyone now slept. "I slept for 100 years while the world needed me." He decided, walking towards the arch at the entrance, "I'm not keeping them waiting any longer."

Link walked for a few miles through the grassy plains of Hyrule, occasionally fighting bokoblins and other monsters. A few times, he battled 10-foot tall monsters with sharp teeth and claws, long snouts, and long limbs. One of them lobbed a bokoblin at him. At some point, Link found an orange sheikah tower on a massive slope, with thorny brambles partially wrapped around it. “Alright. Looks like I’ll have to climb around those.” Link climbed the tower, stopping at one of the landings in the middle before arriving at the summit. “That was easier than I expected.” He loaded the sheikah slate into the altar, mapping out the region around him while the tower converted from orange to blue. He looked out over the edge, and saw a medium-sized village less than a mile to the west. “That’s gotta be it.” He jumped off and started to glide towards Hateno village. The place was similar to Kakariko, albeit with somewhat simpler architecture. On a hill to the north of the village was a large building, of a similar material to those in the villages. It was a rectangle, with a tall cylinder at the left end, a telescope at the right side accessible via the sloped roof, and some bulbous unlit sheikah structure in front of the corner, with an empty furnace at the bottom. “Must be the place.” Link knocked on the hardwood door, and was answered by a man in a white cloth outfit. “Excuse me, are you… um… Purah?” Link remembered the name Impa had given him. “Oh, no, Purah’s out right now. But you’re welcome to come inside.” “Thanks.” Link walked inside, the door closed behind him. The interior was a cramped space with a few workbenches, and a little girl sitting at a table in the middle. “Hey, kid.” Link asked her hesitantly, “Have you seen Purah anywhere?” “Purah, Purah…” The girl muttered to herself before turning to Link, “Oh, right. You mean me. I’m Purah.” Link crossed his arms. “Listen, kid, I don’t have time to play games right now. Do you know where Purah is or not?” The little girl pouted, “I just told you, I am Purah. There was a mishap with a machine I created to decelerate aging, and well, here we are. Just ask my assistant Symin if you don’t believe me.” “It’s true.” Symin confirmed from the corner of the room. “Okay, well, Impa told me you’d be able to help me with the sheikah slate.” Link held up the device. “Wow.” Purah stared at it wide-eyed, “Remarkable. An entire century without a crack.” Symin, having apparently walked over to them, snapped his fingers in front of her face to jolt her back to reality. “Oh, yes, well, unfortunately, I won’t be able to help you until the guidance stone is recharged.” She gestured to the middle of the ceiling, where an artificial stalactite, similar to the ones that had granted Link his runes, hung over an altar similar to those at the towers. “Oh. So that’s what they’re called. How does it charge, exactly?” “It requires a special blue fire.” Purah explained, “You should be able to find some in a furnace south of the village. You saw the stone torches leading up to the lab, right?” “Yeah, I thought those looked kinda weird.” “Weird, but functional. Grab a torch in the back corner, and use it to carry a flame from the furnace to the big round thing out front, using the stone torches as path markers.” “Understood.”

A few minutes later, the furnace had been lit with a cold blue flame, activating the guidance stone with blue lines running down it. “Perfect!” Purah celebrated, “Oh, it’s so beautiful! Did you know those runes on there are actually ancient sheikah text? Oh, right, the sheikah slate. Just give it here and I’ll fix it right up for you.” “Thanks.” Link handed over his tool. He walked over to Symin in the back of the room. “So… I was recovering in the shrine of resurrection for 100 years, and now I’ve got amnesia. Do I know you?” “Nah, I only started working with Purah recently, when she started working on the anti-aging technology. As you can see, it worked all too well.” Symin chuckled to himself, “You should’ve seen the day she turned into a teenager.” “I can imagine.” After a few minutes of talking, Purah called over, “Okay, I'm done!” Link walked over to get his sheikah slate back. "Thanks. So, what did you do exactly?" "I fixed the camera rune for one, so now you can take pictures of things you see. I also repaired the album function. There’s a few photos in there already; maybe you can go to those places to jog your memory. Just a thought. Oh, and I also took the liberty of labeling the locations of the four Divine Beasts. Unfortunately, the only way to actually map out the areas themselves is to activate the sheikah towers.” “Got it. Thanks for the help, Purah.” “No problem, Linky.” The elderly child grinned, “And try not to die again, alright?” “I’ll do my best. And please, never call me that again.” “I make no promises.”

Link walked over to a hill behind the ancient tech lab, and examined his slate. “Okay, looks like the closest one is Divine Beast Vah Ruta.” He started sprinting in the direction of the first Beast. Hours later, he found himself at the coast of a torrential river. The full moon glowed in the night sky, while cold rain poured onto Link and gave the rocks on the shore a reflective sheen. “You there! Traveler!” A male voice called down to Link. He looked for the source. Perched atop the 20-foot cliff on the other side of the river was a dark-blue humanoid, his entire body covered in scales and carrying a spear as long as himself. Something in Link’s mind told him that the man was called a zora. “Hey!” Link waved over, “You need something?!” “You’re headed to Zora’s domain, right?!” “Yeah! I think so, at least!” “Well, you’re headed in the right direction! But there’s this weird orange tower that sprouted out of the ground west of Zora's domain! Just thought you might want to know!” “Alright, thanks!” The zora simply nodded in reply before diving into the water dozens of feet away from Link.

After hours of traveling, Link approached Zora’s domain the next morning. The first sign was a fork in the road, with a sign denoting the direction to the domain. The next sign was a series of silver-blue metal bridges, flanked on one end by translucent blue watchtowers, with cerulean torches perched every few feet on either side. After a brief skirmish with a lizalfos, Link came across a massive blue stone carved into a cliff face, with writing in a language Link barely understood. “This must be a zora carving. Which means I’m getting close.” He sprinted past the carving, until he came across a small tunnel of rock, open to the sky, with two lizalfos perched on rocks jutting out of either wall. Each wielded a wooden bow, with arrows with jagged yellow tips. Before Link could load an arrow into his bow, one of the lizalfos fired an arrow into a puddle of water at his feet. The arrow burst into a small dome of electricity that engulfed Link. He screamed and convulsed in agony, as his blood was set on fire. The shock only lasted for a few seconds, but it felt like a few hours. Link barely managed to duck out of the other lizalfos’s arrow’s path. “Okay. Okay. Ow.” He sat down with his back against the rocks to catch his breath. After a few minutes, he climbed to the top of the small rock wall. He used the new height to strike at the lizalfos from behind, killing each with a single midair shot of an arrow. “Welp. Hopefully that’ll be the most painful experience of my adventure.” After some time, Link came across a bridge, dozens of feet long and made of a strange blue metal, directly in front of the single grand structure that comprised the entirety of Zora’s domain.

When Link entered the central plaza of Zora's domain, the first thing he saw was an elegant 30-foot statue of a zora woman, holding a trident. "Mipha…" Link clutched his head, remembering the last princess of the zoras, the healer of the champions, and the chosen pilot of the Divine elephant Vah Ruta. He made his way to the throne room and conferred with king dorephan, a massive zora some 20 feet tall, who told Link that entrance into Vah Ruta's inner chambers would require the use of electric ammunition called shock arrows. The zoras' physiology barred them safely using the shock arrows, so Dorephan tasked Link with scaling the summit of Ploymus mountain to obtain a score of shock arrows from an ancient and deadly beast called a lynel. From the young zora prince Sidon, Link received the zora armor, forged by Mipha. The armor was meant to be worn by the creator’s chosen partner, fit Link perfectly, and allowed him to swim directly up waterfalls at breakneck speeds. Link was able to scale the mountain and obtain the shock arrows while avoiding the massive Lynel, which would have easily killed him as he was then, before returning to Zora's domain and learning what had become of Vah Ruta. It had been corrupted by a piece of Calamity Ganon, and had spent the past century causing perpetual rain in the region that threatened to one day destroy Zora’s domain and flood Hyrule for its sheer volume. Link was able to work with the zora prince Sidon to dodge Vah Ruta’s cryokinetic attacks and enter the Divine Beast. There, he found an eldritch entity known as Waterblight Ganon, made of a viscous red and black substance called Malice. Despite Waterblight Ganon’s sheer overwhelming power, Link was able to barely edge out a victory against the unholy beast. In doing so, he freed Mipha’s spirit, and she granted him a supernatural ability called Mipha’s grace, to revive him at even greater strength should he fall in battle. Mipha’s ghost then piloted Vah Ruta to a vantage point from which to prepare its next attack on Calamity Ganon.

Chapter Text

Link walked around the water-covered floor of the temple room, until he found a small hole in the wall behind a few tufts of grass. “Okay, this looks kinda promising.” He crawled through the cramped hole into a small room with a miniature staircase leading up to a platform with three glowing mushrooms, and a statue of a ten-foot bird with folded wings looking sideways. On the wall over the statue’s head was a red crystal. “Oh, finally.” Link shot a seed at the crystal, causing it to split into 6 smaller, gray crystals. Link heard an influx of water falling into the room with the skulltulas, partially filling the chamber he was in. After a few seconds, the bottom third of the chamber was filled with water. “Wow. This is surprisingly refreshing. Oh, hey, vines!” Link climbed up the vines covering the wall, starting at a previously unattainable height, until he entered a miniscule hallway. Standing up straight, the ceiling was inches above his head, and the space was barely wide enough for him to fit. He walked up a short slope until turning the corner into a claustrophobic crawlspace. After less than a minute, he fell out into the skulltula room, in front of the walkway with the stone plaque. The room was now partially filled with water, up to just below the walkway. Link analyzed the room. Despite the altitude of the water, Link still couldn’t hope to reach the platform on the other side of the room. “Okay, it doesn’t look like there’s anything else I can do here.” He backtracked to the central room, and walked across the bridge.

“Alright, let’s see here… maybe those vines could help.” Link aimed his slingshot at two curled vines hanging from the ceiling to the right of the walkway. Striking each with a seed caused it to unfurl to its full length. Link jumped and grabbed onto the nearest vine in midair, using his momentum to swing onto the next vine. He released the vine at the zenith of its arc, landing on the next platform over. “Okay, so that was fun, but kinda useless.” Link walked through the door and into the central chamber. From his newfound vantage point, he could see more clearly that the water had significantly risen. He jumped into the cold water, swimming over to a vine-covered wall and climbing onto the bridge. “What next, what next?” He noticed the vines covering the wall where he’d originally entered the room, leading up to a small square hole in the wall. “Oh, that looks interesting.” Three spider-like creatures, with bulbous cephalothoraxes and pin-sharp mandibles, stalked across the vines. “Yep, not taking any chances with you three.” Link fired his slingshot three times, killing three spiders. He climbed up the wall by the vines, finding wooden bars blocking his way. He effortlessly sliced his way through the miniscule hallway. Link found himself in the middle of a curving stairwell, lit by bioluminescent mushrooms. “Wait a second…” Link looked around, eyes narrowing in frustration, “I’ve already been here! I just made a shortcut and wasted my own time!”

Link backtracked to the central chamber, mumbling to himself the entire two-minute trip. “Okay. I think I need a new plan.” Link examined the chamber. Eventually, he noticed a wall partially covered in vines, still inaccessible despite the risen water. “Alright, so there’s gotta be some way to get more water in here. I’ve just gotta find it. Maybe there’s something I missed before.” Link backtracked to the room with the swinging vines. Halfway across the bridge, he saw a gap in the wall with a red crystal in front of a bird statue. “Wow. I cannot believe I missed that.” Link casually fired a seed into the crystal, causing it to split while more water filled the room. It now reached to just below the vines. “That oughta do it.” Link walked back to the central room and used the newfound water level to jump onto a wooden log, climbing onto the newly accessible wall vines. He climbed onto a walkway hanging on the wall, climbing a staircase. A short hallway off to the side led to a stone door. Past that, Link found himself at the other side of the room with the skulltulas and the stone plaque. He was on a sizable platform, with a skulltula hanging over the middle of the stone floor. In the back wall was a set of iron bars, blocking an indent containing an ornately decorated chest, with a stone fake eye on either side of the bars. “Okay, okay, I think I should off you first.” Link spoke quietly, sidestepping around the skulltula. It rotated on its string, keeping its armored carapace in front of Link. He unsheathed his sword and struck the skulltula in a single motion, knocking it back and causing it to turn. He fired a seed into the crystal on its back, killing it. “Okay, let’s see what’s in there.” Link raised the goddess sword skyward. The blue pseudo-eyes opened. They rotated in turn with the blade, accelerating steadily until they turned red and fell off the wall. They dissolved on the floor while the bars rose into the wall. Inside the chest, Link found a small key. “Wait a second.” He thought to himself, “This must be for that door in the other room!”

Link made his way back to the central chamber, where one door was blocked by a set of iron chains with a lock in the center. Link turned the key in the hole. Both the key and the chains dissolved into rust. “Well. That’s not at all ominous.” Link muttered, lifting the stone door open. He entered a hallway, which led into a massive chamber. “Sweet Hylia.” Link whispered, “Okay, this has got to be the center of the temple.” Below a massive skylight showing the glare of the sun was a statue, some 50 feet tall, shaped like a pot that tapered at the top. Curled vines were on either side of the pot, flanked by enormous bird statues with folded wings and a green crystal on the head of the statue on the left side. The central statue had a ledge, with a red crystal on it. Link fired a seed into the crystal. At the bottom of the central statue was a door, blocked by a set of iron bars that rose into the ceiling. Link walked into the short hallway indented in the statue before entering through the door. Inside was a round chamber, with a single hole in the wall filled in by a massive skulltula web. At the center of the floor was a pile of bones flanked by two massive swords. “Yeah, I’m just gonna…” Just as Link turned around, a set of iron bars descended between him and the door. Behind him, the bones rattled. “Oh no.” Link drew the goddess sword out of its sheath. The bones levitated over the floor, assembling into a humanoid form. Its jaw rattled, standing a head taller than Link and dual-wielding swords twice as long and wide as the goddess sword. “Okay. That’s just freaky.” Link walked toward the skeleton. It held its blades perpendicular to one another, preemptively blocking his strikes from two angles at once. Link struck where the skeleton seemed to be open, only for it to move its arm unnaturally fast and effortlessly block him. Link barely managed to unstrap his shield in time to block the undead warrior's counter strike. The world went black for a second, and Link was on his back with a gash in his shield. The goddess sword lay on the ground a few feet away. He scrambled away from the approaching skeleton to grab the sword off the ground. "Fi! Fi, I need your help!" The blue-and-purple spirit emerged from the blade, her demeanor calm as ever. "Do you require assistance, master Link?" "Yes!" Link pointed at his opponent, "How do I kill that guy?" "That is a stalfos, master Link. This skeleton soldier is born of the dead. In its previous life, it was an ordinary knight, but undeath has improved its combat abilities." "This is all very interesting…" Link blocked the stalfos’s attacks with his sword. “...but how do I kill it?” Fi examined the stalfos. “It is possible to overpower it with a well-timed shield bash during the creature’s attack.” “Now that I can work with!” Link stepped to the side of the stalfos. “You really should’ve led with that!” He jumped up, slammed his shield into the stalfos’s skull with one arm, and used his other arm to slice it in the torso. The stalfos stepped back, immediately lunging forward with its swords outstretched. Link dodge-rolled under the sword and behind the stalfos, slicing into its back. The stalfos stumbled forward, turning around with its swords held in a blocking position. Link held up his shield and sword, the two circling each other. After a full minute, Link charged forward with his shield outstretched. The stalfos gouged a crack in it with a sword, while Link continued to push forward. The stalfos fell onto its back, the blade stuck inside the ruined shield. Link threw the shield and sword off to the side, before cutting off the arm holding its other sword. “Sorry. I just had to disarm you real quick.” He plunged the goddess sword into the stalfos’s chest. After an undead screech of pain, it was reduced to a quickly-dissipating puff of purple smoke. “Fi, how’d I do?” “Given your victory and continued survival, master Link, I believe your performance was satisfactory.” A hole opened in the center of the chamber, a section of floor rising into view with a chest on top of it. It was a bright blue, decorated with gold trimmings. “Oh, something weird.” Link opened the chest, “I wanna see what’s in it.” He pulled out a golden object, shaped like a beetle, with sharp pincers in the front. “I have no idea what this is.” “Master Link, that is a beetle. I presume it was left here by this temple’s original architects, possibly as a sacred-'' "Yeah, sorry Fi, but I really don’t have time for a history lesson right now. Can you just tell me what it does, or how I’m supposed to use it?” "Certainly, master Link. The beetle is a flying mechanism, piloted remotely through telepathy, which can be used to access otherwise impossible-to-reach areas." “Telepathy, huh? So, you’re saying I can control it with my mind?” “That is correct, master Link. Do you require further assistance?” “No, I’m good.” Fi reabsorbed herself into the goddess sword. “Alright, little guy.” Link whispered to the beetle, “Let’s see what you’ve got.” He tossed the beetle into the air, where it hovered in place while Link held his arm out. Moving his arm caused the beetle to move in tandem. “Okay. Now, how do I make it move?” Link raised his arm, causing the beetle to ascend while moving forward. Link nodded, using his arm to pilot the machine. The second it was out of sight, Link’s vision changed to the beetle’s perspective. “Woah. Okay. Gonna take some getting used to.” The beetle flew through the hole in the wall, severing a nearby skulltula web hanging from the ceiling, before flying into a red crystal hanging on the front of the chamber. Link abruptly returned to his own perspective, falling over from the whiplash. “Ow.” The beetle returned to Link’s hand, while the iron bars rose from in front of the door they’d been blocking. “Alright, let’s see what this has to do with the rest of the temple.” Link walked around the chamber, ignoring the skulltulas hanging far above him. At the first stone door, blocked by bars of iron, Link threw the beetle out again. He piloted it into a small corridor on the wall, entirely inaccessible otherwise. “Oh, yeah, I am never going to get used to this.” He piloted the beetle, slicing through the vines of a deku baba hanging from the ceiling, and struck a red crystal on the ceiling. The impact knocked Link back into his own perspective, with the beetle automatically returning to his arm. The iron bars rose into the wall away from the door. Link entered into a small hallway, made of intricately decorated stone. The ceiling lowered a foot past the entrance, with a hole in the middle of the section. “Okay. Let’s see what’s in there.” Link flew the beetle into the tiny crevice. It slammed into the floor of the chamber, ricocheting off the walls and ceiling until Link was knocked back into his own perspective. He rubbed his head in vague pain while the beetle returned. “Alright. New plan.” He walked down the stairs into a chamber, with the ceiling far above him, the floor covered in a thin layer of water and scattered patches of discolored grass. Link walked up a staircase onto a platform, turned around, and saw a glowing red crystal on a ledge above him, past a skulltula hanging in front of its web. “Go for it, little guy.” He launched the beetle into the air. He flew it above the broken staircase and the wider ledge past it, between the gaps in the massive spider web, and into the crystal. Water poured through a grate in the wall, covering Link up to his chest. He walked off the ledge, and swam over to the other staircase that cut off halfway down. He walked up the staircase, keeping his gaze on the skulltula as he sliced through its web. The skulltula hissed before dropping down inches behind Link, the floor shaking from its sheer weight. It bit Link’s knee with its sharp mandibles, drawing blood as he screamed in pain. He swung his sword straight up in his panic, flipping the skulltula onto its back and temporarily incapacitating it. He scrambled over to the back wall, leaning against it as he pulled out a bottle of red potion. He poured it over his knee, allowing it to mix with the red of his blood until the wound closed. “Man. Good thing I bought those potions from the bazaar.” He looked down into his pouch. “And I’m out. Of course I’m out.” He stood up, looked back at the skulltula still trying to right itself, and sliced through a row of small malnourished trees blocking his path. “Okay, I know this is a forest temple and all, but how are there trees underground, and with no dirt?” He shook his head before crawling into the small space in the wall. He fell in front of a stone door, looked back, looked up, and blinked. “Wait a second. I just backtracked! This was a complete waste of time! I used my last red potion for nothing! What a ripoff!” He launched into a string of swears before walking down the staircase. With the entire bottom half of the room underwater, he was forced to swim its entire length for a quarter of a minute. He walked up a small set of stairs, past the waterline, and opened a stone door. He walked out into a square chamber, with a floor made of stone and dirt, pillars on the walls, and an ornately-carved gate at the back wall between Link and a blue chest. “Oh boy. If last time was any indication, this is going to be about as much fun as that time I had to work off my debt at the pumpkin landing.” Link walked into the middle of the room. He heard a hiss, followed by a skulltula falling onto the ground behind him. “Oh great, another one. Just what I need.” The skulltula spat a string of webbing at Link, causing it to wrap around him and restrain his arms to his sides. “Oh great!” The skulltula jumped at him. Link managed to break the strings, backflipping away from the skulltula. “My turn.” He swung his sword upwards, flipping the skulltula onto its back and exposing the crystal on its stomach. He jumped up, turned his sword downwards, and plunged it into the crystal, killing the skulltula with a pained hiss. “Okay, now what?” He looked around the room. The gate had a fake eye on either side and at the top. There were two boxes hanging by strings from the ceiling. “I’m guessing those two are involved somehow.” Link launched his beetle, steering it to slice through the strings. The first box was made of cardboard and shattered upon impact, whereas the second was metallic and landed on a section of the room above Link. He climbed up a vine-covered wall onto a small landing, where he pushed the metal box. His arms grew sore, until the box fell to the ground. Link yelped in surprise, barely managing to catch himself before he fell off. “Right. Let’s try that again.” Link jumped off the ledge, using the sailcloth at the last second to glide down. “Okay. Now what does this…” He gestured to the metal box, “...have to do with these?” He pointed at the fake eyes. Whenever he walked past one, it briefly opened before closing once he was out of view. “Okay. I probably need some way to catch the top eye’s attention. I’ve got it!” Link pushed the metal box for nearly a minute. By the time he was finished, his arms felt as though they were on fire, and the box was directly in front of the gate. “Alright, eyes.” He pointed the goddess sword straight up, causing the pseudo-eyes to open all at once. Link turned the blade in rapid circles, screaming in pain at his exhausted arms. After a few seconds, the eyes turned red and fell off, opening the gate while Link collapsed. The goddess sword clattered onto the ground. “Man. Okay. Finding Zelda is important. But… I can’t find her… if I’m dead.” After a minute on top of the box, Link jumped back down onto the floor. “Alright, break time’s over!” He opened the chest, finding a small key inside. “This had better be useful like the last one.” Link went back into the flooded room. He swam across it, to the other side of the room. He crawled through the small corridor in the back, until he was in front of the stone door. He walked through it into the massive chamber. “Right. I just need to find a locked door. Shouldn’t be too hard.” He walked around the perimeter of the chamber, ignoring the skulltulas hanging from the ceiling as they failed to notice him, until he came across a rope bridge across a gap. The rope led to another locked door. It was suspended over a 20-foot drop into a small section with two orange deku babas, with four green deku babas hanging from the ceiling over it. “Alright, plant freaks. Let’s see how you deal with a beetle.” Link tossed the beetle at the carnivorous plants. He steered it past their snapping maws, scissoring through their vines. The deku babas fell to the ground, dying instantly by the impact. Link steered the beetle back to his arm. “They didn’t stand a chance.” Link walked across the thin rope. Despite being less than ten feet long, it took almost a minute to cross, with Link constantly having to balance himself. Eventually, he found himself in front of the locked door. “Moment of truth.” He inserted the key, turned it, and watched as the chains fell to the floor.

Iron bars fell in front of the door as soon as Link walked through it. He found himself in a narrow hallway, which curved to the left. At the end of the hall, interspersed with tufts of colorless grass, was a set of wooden bars. Link startled at what he saw through the bars. “What… what is that thing?!” The thing resembled a massive serpent, with spikes radiating at the end of its tail. It had three skulls for heads, each with a glowing blue eye, sharp teeth, and a lower jaw that split in the middle. Link stepped backwards so he wouldn’t break the bars as he summoned Fi. “Do you require my assistance, master Link?” “Yeah.” He pointed at the abomination. “What is that thing and how do I kill it?” “That is a staldra, master Link. This is a snake monster from before the dawn of time. Three bone-plated heads and a thirst to cause pain keep it writhing even beyond death. My analysis shows that to defeat this cursed snake, all three of its heads must be simultaneously destroyed.” “Right. of course. Thanks, Fi.” Fi nodded, reabsorbing herself into the goddess sword. Link stabbed his way through the wooden bars, instantly catching the staldra’s attention. Its eyes glowed red, and it slithered towards Link surprisingly fast. He swung his sword, slicing through the two necks on the left before harmlessly striking the skull protecting the third head. The staldra hissed, forcing Link to roll behind it as it bit at him. “Oh sh-” The staldra’s tail swung into Link’s face, knocking him onto his back. He groaned in pain, struggling to stand up, with three lines of blood on his face. The two severed necks on the staldra turned pitch black, elongated, and fully regenerated their heads. Their eyes glowed a deep red, and they snapped their undead jaws at Link. “Oh. So I guess that’s why I need to kill all three at once.” Link circled the staldra as it constantly turned to look at him. Its heads rose and fell rhythmically and deliberately, so that only two necks were vulnerable at a time. Link observed the staldra as it approached him. He realized there was a 1-second opening where all 3 necks were simultaneously vulnerable. He waited. He dodged a bite. He waited. He swung the goddess sword. All three heads detached from their necks. The heads and body blackened and decayed into nonexistence. Nearby, the iron bars rose from a door on another side of the room. Link walked through it and into a halfway with pale grass, bioluminescent mushrooms, and a short staircase. At the top of the staircase was a green bokoblin. It attempted to block a strike from the goddess sword, only for Link to turn it mid-swing, slicing through the bokoblin’s midsection. He walked onto a stone pathway, with a skulltula hanging several dozens of feet away. On one side was a wall that curved into a ceiling. The ceiling and floor abruptly stopped at Link’s right, giving way to an apparently bottomless gorge. Trees with curling branches and green leaves stretched down into the void, with a blinding white wall on the other side some 20 feet away. Link stared at the chamber. “I…I… how…?” He tore himself away from the view, and tossed his beetle to sever the skulltula’s web. It fell into a bottomless gap in the bridge, whereas the beetle continued flying. It struck a red crystal, causing the gold bars to rise into the ceiling directly under it. Link walked up to the gap where the skulltula had fallen. “Alright. Guess I’ll just have to jump for it.” He walked backwards up to a tree branch in the bridge, before sprinting forwards and jumping across the bottomless gap. He gripped onto the edge of the other side, his arms burning from supporting his entire weight. He kicked the wall, moved his arms, and slowly climbed back onto the bridge. “Zelda… had better… be here.” He touched his face, noting that his blood had dried. “Convenient. Okay, let’s see what I’ve got to work with.” Link walked further onto the bridge and looked around. On his left was an ornately carved gateway, leading into a short hallway. On his right was a 5-step staircase leading up to a square platform, attached by a thin rope to another platform. The second platform had what resembled a door, with a massive golden circle, and an oddly-shaped keyhole at the center. Link walked across the tightrope to the other side, using the vines to maneuver into an alcove with a chest. The elaborately-decorated container held a golden artifact of a strange shape. “What the…? Some sort of key?” He brought the artifact over to the door, inserting it into the hole. The door cracked open, allowing Link access to the massive circular room on the other side, with elaborate shapes carved into the golden walls. A blast of pure light temporarily blinded Link. In front of him was a gray humanoid, wearing a skintight white suit with diamond holes on the torso and down the legs, white gloves, a golden cloth around his waist with a red diamond on his hip, a red cloak split in three below his shoulders, and his unnaturally wite hair covering one of his bright purple eyes and triangular ears. He held a thin, curved sword of black metal. “Look who it is.” His voice was cold and smooth, traveling down Link’s spine like ice. “I thought that tornado I stirred up would have tossed and torn you apart. Yet here you are. Not in pieces. Not that your life of death has any consequence. It’s just the girl that matters now. And I can sense her here. Just beyond this door.” “Zelda!” Link yelled. The stranger grinned, “Yes, we plucked her majesty from her perch in the clouds, and now she’s ours. Oh, but listen to me. I’m being positively uncivil. Allow me to introduce myself. I am the demon lord who presides over this land you look down upon, this world you call the surface. You may call me Ghirahim. In truth, I very much prefer to be indulged with my full title: Lord Ghirahim. But I’m not fussy.” Link glared at the self-proclaimed demon lord, drawing his blade even as he shook with rage. Ghirahim turned his back to Link. "Did you really just draw your sword? Foolish boy." He turned around, arms spread wide. "By all rights the girl should have fallen into our hands already. She was nearly ours when that loathsome servant of the goddess snatched her away." Ghirahim's voice lowered in pitch into an animalistic growl. His head lowered into his hands and his entire body trembled with inhuman fury as the entire room darkened. "Do you have any idea how that made me feel inside?!" Ghirahim screamed, his arms flailing, "furious! Outraged! Sick with anger!" He disappeared in a flash of light. His voice surrounded Link, as though he had become one with the walls, "This turn of events has left me with a strong appetite for bloodshed." Link felt a presence behind him. The demon lord leaned forward, his face less than an inch next to Link’s. His cold voice drawled, "Still… it hardly seems fair, being of my position, to take all of my anger out on you. Which is why I promise up front not to murder you." He all but whispered in Link's ear, "no, I'll just beat you within an inch of your life!" His unnaturally long tongue jolted out of his mouth, writhing like a serpent. Link immediately backed away from Ghirahim, holding the goddess sword in front of him. Ghirahim spread his arms wide, his cloak billowing from a nonexistent gust of wind before disappearing with his sword, low chuckle giving way to a deafening laugh.

Ghirahim stood in the middle of the room with his arm outstretched, hand glowing red in front of him. Link attempted to slice Ghirahim in the side, only for him to catch the blade in his red hand. He pulled it out of Link’s grip, chuckling, “Quite the sword you have here. But so long as you telegraph your attacks like the novice you are, you’ll never land a blow.” “No! Fi!” “What? You named your sword? You’re a strange little human, aren’t you?” Link barely managed to dodge Ghirahim slicing at him with his own sword. Ghirahim threw the sword, allowing it to clatter on the floor at the edge of the chamber. Link sprinted towards his blade, Ghirahim following him at a calm pace with red hand outstretched. He dove to grab his sword off the ground, turning around and slicing Ghirahim’s legs in a single fluid motion. Ghirahim gasped in pain, staggering backwards, “You… little… ” He grinned, licked his lips, and snapped his fingers. His blade reappeared in his hand. The demon lord charged at Link. Link dodged to the side of Ghirahim’s blade as he sliced with it, leaving a small trail of absolute darkness in the air that only lasted a second. Link slashed at Ghirahim with the goddess sword. Ghirahim blocked the strike with his own blade. The two swordsmen struck at each other, continually dodging and blocking each other’s attacks. Eventually, Link sidestepped a jab from Ghirahim’s blade, using the opening to slice into his side. Ghirahim yelled in a mix of shock, pain, and rage, stepping backwards and lowering his blade. “Well, you put up more of a fight than I would have thought possible out of such a soft boy. But don’t clap for yourself quite yet. That sword of yours is the only reason you still live. I fear I spent far too long teasing and toying with you. The girl’s presence has all but faded from this place, which means there’s no reason to linger here. Good-bye, sky child. Run and play this time. Get in my way again, though, and you’re dead.” He turned his blade in a circle, disappearing in a flash of darkness. The room instantly brightened. At the back of the chamber, a golden arch emblazoned with the bird crest glowed a bright yellow and disappeared. “Zelda…” Link glanced backwards, and sprinted through the doorway.

Chapter Text

Over time, Link successfully freed the three remaining Divine Beasts. First, he traveled north, to the scorching rock of death mountain. The air was so inconceivably hot that the only way he could survive without armor created by the native gorons was by consuming an elixir made from the skin of lizards found at the bottom of the mountain. The Divine salamander, Vah Rudania, crawled around the summit of the volcano, sending flying guardian scouts and causing volcanic eruptions whenever anyone got too close. Link allied himself with Yunobo, the descendant of the goron champion Daruk, who’d inherited Rudania’s former pilot’s ability to create a forcefield around herself. He successfully infiltrated Vah Rudania’s inner chambers and conquered the pyrokinetic Fireblight Ganon, freeing Daruk’s spirit, and inheriting his force field ability known as Daruk’s protection.

Link traveled westward across Hyrule to Rito village, a mountainous settlement inhabited by the avian humanoids. With the aid of the rito champion Revali’s successor Teba, Link was able to make his way to the flying Divine eagle Vah Medoh, which had been creating dangerous windstorms threatening to tear the village apart. Link traversed the mechanisms of the divine beast until he battled the source of its corruption, Windblight Ganon. Despite the abomination’s mastery of the air and ability to create small tornadoes, Link was able to destroy it, free Revali’s spirit, and acquire an ability known as Revali’s gale that would allow him to ascend on a supernatural updraft.

Link journeyed southward to gerudo town, a settlement inhabited by a tribe of female warriors known as the gerudo, within a massive expanse of sand and arid air called the gerudo desert. The chief, a young woman named Riju descended from the champion Urbosa, enlisted Link’s assistance. More than a century ago, a subset of the sheikah had started to worship Ganon and called themselves the yiga clan. Recently, the yiga had stolen the thunder helm, a priceless heirloom passed down between gerudo chiefs. Link successfully infiltrated the hideout, killed the yiga master Kohga, and returned the thunder helm to Riju. Using the helmet’s electricity-repelling properties, Riju was able to assist Link in entering the inner chambers of the Divine camel Vah Naboris. Inside, Link faced Urbosa’s murderer: the electric Thunderblight Ganon. Despite its overwhelming speed and ferocity, Link was able to conquer the aberration, free Urbosa’s spirit, and acquire the ability to generate a dome of lightning around himself. The ability was known as urbosa’s fury.

With the Blight Ganons killed and the champions’ spirits freed from their torment, the Divine Beasts moved elsewhere to take aim at Calamity Ganon. Link spent some time journeying back and forth across what was left of Hyrule, solving the puzzles within the shrines left by the ancient sheikahs in order to earn greater strength. With all the shrine trials behind him, Link journeyed into the lost woods, where he obtained the legendary master sword. He could almost hear a faint voice chiming from within the blade. Over time, he recovered more and more of his lost memories, until he fully recalled his companionship with Zelda and the four champions. At the behest of a mysterious, elderly voice from somewhere unseen, Link journeyed to the four corners of Hyrule to pass another series of impossible trials. Doing so revealed a massive chamber hidden beneath the shrine of resurrection. Eventually, Link reached the deepest area of the final trial of monk Maz Koshia. In the center of an elaborate altar at the end of two parallel rows of blue-flamed torches was a sheikah monk in a blue mystical cube, similar to the 120 shrines. Link tapped the cube to create a ripple, shattering the barrier between him and the monk. “You have proven to possess the power of a true hero.” His hand closed into a fist. “In the name of the goddess Hylia…” The monk stood up, far taller than Link, and clasped his hands together. “...I offer this final trial!” Link and the sheikah monk teleported to a circular platform, hundreds of feet in the sky, with three pillars around the perimeter with glowing orange lines on them. The monk performed complex motion with his hands, trailing blue fire from them as his eye glowed with a harsh orange light. “Let us begin.”

Monk Maz Koshia charged at Link, saber outstretched. Link barely managed to sidestep, countering by slicing at Koshia with the master sword. The elder teleported away in a small cloud of smoke. “Huh?” Link turned his head left and right, “Where’d he-” Maz reappeared in midair, raining three arrows at Link simultaneously. Link backflipped, grabbed the arrows, and shot them at his opponent. Maz Koshia nonchalantly floated away, sitting in midair with his legs crossed. He dove from the sky, forcing Link to jump out of his way. Link sliced into him repeatedly, until he teleported away and reappeared in the sky, over the center of the arena. His hands glowed blue once more. Maz Koshia split himself, creating 8 clones that dove at Link alongside the original. “Oh balls there’s more!” Link sprinted around the arena, trying to avoid the phantoms teleporting and shooting arrows at him. He held his sword to the side. “Urbosa’s fury!” A dome of green lightning covered a small portion of the arena, destroying half of the clones and paralyzing their progenitor. Link shot a bomb arrow, covering him in smoke. He jumped into the black cloud, only for his sword to clang against the metal of the floor. “Oh geez.” Maz Koshia ran through the cloud of smoke. Link barely managed to slice him in time, causing him to disappear. Another group of clones rushed through the smoke cloud from all sides, forcing Link to constantly turn and switch his blade between both hands until he struck the real Maz koshia in the shoulder. Without hesitation, he stabbed the monk in the torso multiple times until he teleported above the center. Maz Koshia grew to a height of twenty feet, floating in the air with his legs crossed. He shot a laser similar to a guardian’s from the paper over his face decorated with the sheikah eye symbol. “Daruk’s protection!” Link crossed his arms in front of himself, generating an orange force field that deflected the sheikah’s laser back onto himself. He created eight spiked metal spheres around himself with a glowing blue sheikah symbol. Link dodged them as they were launched in rapid succession. Just as the final sphere was falling onto him, Link activated his magnesis rune. The orb glowed yellow as Link used the rune to slam it into Maz Koshia, causing him to fall to the ground. Link jumped and slashed at the sheikah monk that was a dozen times his own size. Maz Koshia stood up, his roar echoing across the skies of Hyrule. He glowed blue and shrunk to the size of Link, sitting cross-legged in midair. “You faced that challenge with great courage. You have erased all doubt from my mind. You are a true hero. As such, you were destined to take hold of this ancient masterpiece.” Pillars of metal stone emerged from the edges of the arena. Different portions rose to different levels. Horizontal structures rose into view, with pillars of the same material attached by them to the structures around the perimeter. The gray indent in the center of the floor split in three and retracted out of view. The metal bridges shifted downwards, pushing a massive pillar out of the bottom of the arena, with a circular structure around it. An altar, similar to the ones where Link had gained each of the four runes, rose from the hole in the floor. On the roof was a strange device, unlike anything Link had ever seen. It was well and truly unlike anything Hyrule had ever seen, a device without true brethren.

A long, sleek body. Two strong, sturdy wheels. A pair of handlebars where a rider could hold onto them. The front was modeled after a horse’s head, with the “neck” curving downwards and inwards after the handlebars, and the “mane” jutting out of the front like a spear. Link stared up, dumbfounded, at the only motorcycle Hyrule had ever seen. “What is that?” “That is your reward. Go ahead, don’t be shy.” “Uh… oh, right!” Link placed the sheikah slate on the altar. The motorcycle turned into strings of blue metal liquid, dripping down through the guidance stone and into the slate. “That which you have obtained…” Maz Koshia explained, “...is a masterpiece of innovation, created for the one true hero. The master cycle zero. Hero of Hyrule, may the goddess smile upon you.” Link found himself teleporting back down to the edge of the great plateau. “Alright.” He looked over Hyrule field at the castle itself, surrounded in the cloud of evil that was Calamity Ganon. Red beams of light pointed at the castle, each leading back to one of the four divine beasts taking aim alongside the four champions of hyrule. “Let’s end this, once and for all.”

The master cycle zero sped across Hyrule field, Link leaning forward as he speared through the wind. His surroundings blurred around him as he shot arrows into any demons that approached him. After some time, he reached the road leading up to Hyrule castle. The cobblestone pavement was cracked and burnt black and gray, with an empty fountain in the decimated courtyard out front. A guardian rushed at him on its three spider-like legs, its red eye glowing blue with a laser charge. Link jumped off the master cycle zero. He pulled an ancient arrow, its tip a glowing blue spear of sheikah technology, out of his quiver and loaded it into the bow. Time slowed down as Link aimed at the guardian’s eye. A single strike in the corrupted automaton’s weak point caused it to spark and erupt in a massive explosion while Link fell directly onto the master cycle zero’s seat. “Sweet Hylia, I can’t believe that worked!” He rode up to the closed metal doors of the castle interior, using magnesis to pull them open. Link traversed the ruins of Hyrule castle, using his newest rune to keep the master cycle zero inside the sheikah slate as strings of blue metal liquid. He conquered dozens of guardians, lynels, and others of the strongest monsters Hyrule had to offer, until he made his way to the sanctum that had once served as the royal family’s throne room. The master sword pulsed and glowed a blinding white in response to the unfathomable evil before it. Link walked inside. A massive sphere of solid red and black malice hung from the ceiling by metal rods, pulsating like a great and terrible heart. Zelda’s voice echoed from somewhere unseen, “Link… Link… I’m sorry, but my power isn’t strong enough. I can’t hold him.” A blue laser burst from the capsule, racing across the floor in random directions that Link could scarcely keep track of. Dozens of identical lasers emerged, causing the malice to burst open and free the abomination within. The sheer weight of the massive abomination caused the floor to cave in on itself, dropping itself and Link into a hemispherical chamber, the arena for the battle to decide Hyrule’s fate.

Link glided on his paraglider, looking down at the eldritch monstrosity. Its skin was a roiling red and black, as though it were made of living malice. It walked on eight metallic legs, like some horrible combination of a spider and a guardian. Its face was vaguely humanoid, with glowing yellow eyes and a bloodred mane. It had a massive flaming broadsword for a front right arm, with a glowing blue spear and axe on the left. Link touched down in front of the beast, the master sword emanating an almost audible hum. The entity’s roar filled the arena and threatened to burst Link’s eardrums. The air became hotter, and a blue glow descended from the ceiling. Calamity Ganon screeched in pain as it suffered the simultaneous strikes of all four Divine Beasts, allowing the champions to fulfill their ancient duties at long last. Once the barrage was over, Calamity Ganon got back to its feet and roared at Link. “My turn.” He dodged a swing of the flaming sword, using the updraft in conjunction with his paraglider to shoot a barrage of ancient arrows. His use of rito champion Revali’s great eagle bow, gifted to him by the village’s chieftain upon the restoration of Vah Medoh, allowed him to fire all the faster. Daruk’s protection guarded him from a laser strike, instead deflecting it onto its caster. The knight and the demon engaged in a dance of death, one having risen from near-death to a formidable warrior, whereas the other had been weakened, but was still an imposing foe by any mortal standard. At some point, after Daruk’s protection had been exhausted, Calamity Ganon was able to kill Link with a laser shot. Mipha’s grace revived him instantly to full strength and then some. Ancient arrows and lasers flew across the battlefield. Eventually, Calamity Ganon glowed a sickly orange, and Link found to his dismay that neither master sword nor ancient arrow could pierce him then. Only by using his shield to parry Calamity Ganon’s attacks back onto himself could Link hope to damage the monster, though this required nanosecond-perfect timing. Link’s shield disintegrated, though Daruk’s protection recharged a second after just as another beam of light was racing towards Link. He activated the goron champion’s gift less than a second before the beam reached him. Calamity Ganon lay immobilized on the floor, having lost his orange sheen. Link activated Urbosa’s fury while swinging the master sword into Calamity Ganon’s head, combining the demon-slaying prowess of the ancient blade with the gerudo champion’s lightning. Calamity Ganon screeched, reaching out to strike Link once more. Purple beams of light escaped from its body, until it was engulfed in a violet explosion. Calamity Ganon was reduced to black smoke, escaping through the tunnel it had created in the ceiling at the start of the battle. Link found himself transforming into blue light before he was teleported out of the castle.

Link reappeared in Hyrule field, looking over at the castle. The stormcloud of malice that had once been Calamity Ganon no longer surrounded its spires, leaving its full magnificent height open for view. Instead, Link turned around as his gaze followed the strands of black and red smoke coalescing into a single massive shape in front of him. “Ganon…” Zelda’s voice echoed through the air, “Ganon… Ganon was born out of a dark past. He is a pure embodiment of the ancient evil that is reborn time and time again. He has given up on reincarnation and assumed his pure, enraged form.” Ganon emerged from the smoke to reveal its true form. It now resembled a massive boar with pulsating red-and-black malice for skin, jet black tusks twenty feet in length, purple flames racing across the right and left sides of its back, and a body fifty feet tall and a hundred feet long. “If set free upon our world, the destruction will be unlike anything ever seen before.” Ganon locked its burning gaze onto Link. “I entrust you with the bow of light- a powerful weapon in the face of evil.” A radiant golden bow descended from the sky. “Link, you may not yet be at a point where you have fully recovered your power or all of your memories…” Link activated the master cycle zero. “...but courage need not be remembered, for it is never forgotten.” Link nodded. “Don’t worry, princess. I won’t let you down a second time.” The hero drove his mechanical steed forward, towards the incarnation of hatred and malice, and caught the bow of light from where it was suspended in midair. He glared at the kaiju that had caused so much strife since time immemorial. “Come on Ganon! Let’s ride!”

A pillar of purple flame emerged from Ganon’s mouth, forcing Link to veer to the side. The attack missed him by less than an inch, the residual heat nearly burning his back. “That energy covering Ganon’s body is called malice.” Zelda explained, “None of your attacks will get through as he now is. I will hold the malice back as much as I can, but my power is waning. Attack any glowing points that you see!” Massive circles, glowing gold with triangles in them, appeared on Ganon’s side. Link rode the master cycle zero along Ganon’s side, shooting three radiant light arrows into the newly-created weak points. Ganon roared in pain. “Ganon’s power is weakening! I’m holding back the malice!” “Yes!” Link rode in front of Ganon, barely avoiding a jet of purple fire to make it to the other side. He shot the next set of three weak spots that appeared. “It’s working! Hurry, Link!” Link saw a glowing area on the bottom of Ganon’s stomach. He drove the master cycle zero under calamity ganon, the sound of roiling malice filling his ears. He fired a light arrow into the dark beast. Ganon roared in pain. The sky turned a viscous blood red. “We’re so close!” Link rode out in front of Ganon. Its forehead split open, revealing a massive slitted golden eye, surrounded by thirteen smaller eyes. “Link! Look up there!” The extra eye created a massive, blinding glow contrasted against the stark red sky. “That’s the very core of Ganon’s being! Do what you must, Link!” “Understood!” Link jumped off the master cycle zero, directly in front of Calamity Ganon, surrounded by purple flames and ruined ground. He placed one hand on the ground. “Revali’s gale!” A mystical updraft pushed Link into the sky until he was at the same altitude as the central eye. “Finish him!” Time slowed down. Link nocked a glowing arrow into the bow of light. Ganon screeched. Link fired into the giant eye. He glided down to the ground. A golden light ascended from Ganon’s forehead, descending back to the ground. The light solidified into a young woman in a white gown, with the crest of Hyrule’s royal family clasped around her neck. “Zelda!” Ganon fell to the ground, knocking Link off his feet. Zelda’s entire body emanated a golden light. A wave of golden light struck Ganon in the face. Beams of pure light emanated from Zelda like sunbeams. Ganon was reduced to an incomprehensibly massive cloud of viscous red and black smoke attempting to fly through the air. It descended upon Zelda, only for her to hold out her hand as it glowed with the true power of the complete triforce. An orb of pure sacred light expanded outwards, until it completely eclipsed the size of Ganon. In an instant, the light shrunk and disappeared, leaving nothing of the Calamity. The sky turned back to normal, the sun shining bright upon the land. “I’ve been keeping watch over you all this time. I’ve witnessed your struggles to return to us as well as your trials in battle.” Link walked towards Zelda, sheathing his weaponry. “Yeah, sorry to keep you waiting. For a hundred years.” Zelda nodded. “I always thought- no, I always believed- that you would find a way to defeat Ganon. I never lost faith in you over these many years. Thank you, Link…” Zelda smiled at him, “...The hero of Hyrule. May I ask, do you really remember me?” “Yeah, I think I do. I remember most of our time together.” “Good. I’m glad you recovered your memories.” Zelda took a long look at the castle. Despite still being in ruins, the death of Calamity Ganon left it with a look more of bittersweet hope than pure decimation. “I suppose I won’t be living there again anytime soon.” “Yeah… maybe we could get something set up in Hateno?” “That sounds nice.” They started walking away from Hyrule castle, unaware of the king’s and champions’ ghosts watching over them from the castle, until they disappeared into the ether.

Link and Zelda stood on a hill, overlooking the castle from miles away. “We’ll make our way to zora’s domain.” Zelda explained, holding the sheikah slate, “Divine Beast Vah Ruta looks like it’s stopped working. Let’s investigate the situation.” She looked up from the device, “Mipha’s father… I believe he would like to hear more about her. The least we can do is visit him and offer him some closure.” Link nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I think we owe him that much at least. I don’t have many memories of him, but he seemed like a good dad. I think he’ll be relieved when he finds out we killed Ganon.” Zelda smiled. “Although Ganon is gone for now, there is still so much more for us to do, and so many painful memories that we must bear. I believe in my heart, that if all of us work together, we can restore Hyrule to its former glory. Perhaps even beyond. But it all must start with us.” “Hey, it’s worth a shot. And if anyone can pull it off, it’s you.” “Let’s be off.” Zelda started walking in the direction of Zora’s domain. A few feet away from her horse, she paused. “I can no longer hear the voice inside the sword. I suppose it would make sense if my power had dwindled over the past 100 years.” She turned around, and smiled genuinely. “I’m surprised to admit it, but I can accept that.” “That’s good to hear.” Link walked towards Zelda, and took her hands in his own. “Now that Ganon’s gone, it doesn’t matter if you have your goddess powers or not. Now come on, I want you to meet Sidon.” Zelda got on her horse’s back. “Link, I’ve already met Sidon.” “Yeah, when he was a little kid. He’s actually taller than me now.” “Really?” Zelda’s eyes widened, “Now that I’ve gotta see.” The air abruptly changed. The wind picked up, and the sky darkened slightly. Zelda’s horse stood on its hind legs. “Hey! What’s going on?!” She yelled, trying to calm him down. “Uh, Zelda? Who’s that?” Link pointed a dozen feet away, where a young man had appeared from out of nowhere. He wore a green tunic. He had blue eyes and pointed ears. Everything about his facial structure perfectly resembled Link’s.

Chapter Text

Link failed to find Zelda at the skyview temple. After some investigation, he journeyed to the eldin volcano, home of the burrowing mogmas, and traversed the lava-filled earth temple. Before Link could reach Zelda at the earth spring, Ghirahim impeded his progress by transforming a rock into the pyroclastic fiend, Scaldera. Link used the bombs he’d acquired elsewhere to annihilate the beast, and emerged at last into the earth spring. There, he encountered Zelda and an older woman who called herself Impa, a servant of hylia. Impa decided that Link had taken far too long, and Zelda needed to finish cleansing herself at the Lanayru province.

At Lanayru province, Link found artifacts known as timeshift stones, capable of restoring the nearby land to the lush greenery it had been prior to the demonic invasion centuries ago. With the aid of the timeshift-restored ancient robots, Link was able to explore the Lanayru mining facility where timeshift stones had once been created by the ancient inhabitants. There, he battled the millennium-old scorpion Moldarach and gained access to the temple of time. He found Zelda and Impa at the gate of time, shortly before their reunion was interrupted by Ghirahim. Impa held off the demon lord, Zelda gave Link a sacred instrument known as the goddess harp, and Link was able to buy enough time for them to escape through the gate of time. Before departing, Impa told Link to confer with the mysterious old woman at the sealed grounds, where he had first descended to the surface realm.

Over the course of his journey, Link was joined by his rival Groose, who learned from the old woman at the sealed grounds that Link was the one fated to rescue Zelda, rather than himself. Link had to fend off a massive demon known as The Imprisoned, the bestial form that the demon king Demise had been reduced to after Hylia gave her life to imprison him in ancient times. In order to awaken the second gate of time at the sealed grounds and reunite with Zelda and Impa, the old woman sent Link out to strengthen the goddess sword with the sacred flames at faron woods, eldin volcano, and lanayru desert. Link was able to pass the guardian dragon Faron’s trial, allowing him access to the ancient cistern. After conquering the obstacles within, Link battled the ancient automaton Koloktos, brought to life by Ghirahim’s dark magic. Despite its overwhelming strength and swordsmanship, Link was able to take one of its massive blades for himself and destroy the robot with its own weapon. In doing so, he proved himself worthy of bathing the goddess sword in the sacred flames of farore, the goddess of courage.

At Lanayru, Link used the timeshift stones to board a long-ruined boat manned by robots, traversing the Lanayru sand sea until he reached the sandship. Link vanquished the ship’s undead captain in a sword duel, allowing him to take a bow and quiver of arrows. He shot an arrow into a timeshift stone within the central mast, restoring the ship to its former glory and changing the sand below into water. After Link freed the robots inside the ship from its brig, the vessel was attacked by the abyssal leviathan tentalus. Using his bow and natural marksmanship, Link was able to annihilate the cyclopean cephalopod menace, thus proving himself worthy to access the flame of Nayru, goddess of wisdom.

With the aid of Faron and a robot from the Lanayru region, Link was able to access the fire sanctuary within eldin volcano. There, he was forced to battle Ghirahim a second time. Despite the eccentric demon lord’s promise to be merciless, the young hero was able to fend him off with the goddess sword’s, as well as his own, newfound strength. With the fire sanctuary truly conquered, Link was at last deemed worthy to temper the goddess sword in the flame of Din, goddess of power. The goddess sword thus revealed its true form: the master sword, blade of evil’s bane. After driving The Imprisoned back underground a second time, Link opened the gate of time with a skyward strike from the master sword, finally reuniting with Zelda. He learned that after falling to the surface, Zelda had discovered that she was the goddess Hylia’s mortal reincarnation. She blessed the master sword with Hylia’s power, granting it mystical strength against demons as well as making Link the only one capable of wielding it, as the chosen hero of the goddess. In order to maintain the seal on Demise, and prevent the demon king from returning to annihilate the world, Zelda had no choice but to seal herself in a crystal, where she would slumber until Link could attain an all-powerful artifact known as the triforce, and use it to kill Demise once and for all. Link trudged back to his own time, fully resolved to fulfill his destiny and awaken Zelda.

Levias, a massive flying whale and guardian spirit of the skies, had been corrupted by an eldritch ocular parasite, known only as Bilocyte. With the aid of his loftwing Crimson, Link was able to vanquish the entity in an aerial duel, thus freeing Levias from its hold. The sky spirit informed Link that in order to prove himself worthy of the triforce, he would need to pass another set of trials at each of the three regions in order to learn the Song of the Hero. Despite having to collaborate with Groose to prevent a third attempt by The Imprisoned to destroy the temple of the sealed grounds and Zelda with it, Link was eventually able to learn the Song of the Hero from Farore, Eldin, Lanayru, and Levias. In doing so, he earned the true infinite might of the triforce, returned to skyloft, and wished for the goddess statue to fall directly onto the head of The Imprisoned, killing it once and for all. Link returned to the surface and reunited at last with Zelda, Groose, and the old woman, who revealed herself to be Impa, while the woman who’d been guiding Zelda was herself from the distant past.

While Groose was saying his goodbyes to the old woman he’d spent time with at the sealed grounds during Link’s adventures, the green-clad knight put his hand on Zelda’s shoulder. “So. Now that I’ve killed the progenitor of all evil-you’re welcome, by the way-do you think we should go back to Skyloft and discuss this whole you-actually-being-Hylia-reborn thing?” “Yeah, I think we should-” A pillar of golden light burst from the ground between Link and Zelda, knocking them onto the ground. A shrill laugh echoed throughout the temple before Ghirahim walked out from behind a nearby pillar. “This is all very touching, really, but I’m afraid I have to cut this emotional moment short.” He teleported a few feet next to Zelda in a cloud of multicolored diamonds. “It’s best for everyone if you forget about your friend. The little goddess is mine now!” He lifted his arm, Zelda’s unconscious body floating in tandem with it. “Ghirahim… what are you doing? I already killed Demise! You’ve lost! Just go back to hell where you came from!” Ghirahim gave him a fanged grin. “My master may have perished in this age, but in the past he lives yet! I’m taking the girl back through that gate to help me revive the demon king!” He telekinetically placed Zelda on his shoulder. “You’ve been so adorably dogged in your quest to get in my way, and as much as it has delighted me, I can no longer tolerate you nipping at my heels.” Zelda’s eyes opened, looking around in confusion, “Link…” Link got up to his hands and knees, eyes burning. “Ghirahim… I’m going to kill you!” “You know, boy, you’ve really pushed me too far. The moment I sweated and bled for is at hand. I don’t even have the time to grind my heel into a worm like you. Not now.” Ghirahim teleported himself and Zelda directly in front of Groose, the elderly Impa, and the gate of time. Link attempted to stand up, only to collapse back to the ground. Groose stood up, arms spread out in front of Impa despite the fact that he was blatantly trembling in fear. Ghirahim narrowed his eyes, voice deadpan. “Stand down. You’re in my way, and the sight of your appalling hair makes my gorge rise.” He swiftly kicked Groose off to the side. The gate of time opened into a black void. A tunnel of massive blue gears appeared behind the portal, rotating in two alternating directions as they twisted through time. Ghirahim turned around to grin at the group. “You’ve done a fine job of spoiling my plans to revive the demon king in this age, so I see no point in dawdling here. But the past… oh, the past… so full of possibilities. I shall resurrect him there with the divine soul of this golden-haired girl!” He completely ignored the elder as he walked through the gate with Zelda. “No!” Groose yelled, shooting up, “Link! What- what’re we going to do?!” Link stood up, rolling his shoulder. “Isn’t it obvious?” He walked up to the gate, sword sheathed and fists clenched. “If Ghirahim’s going to the past, then I’m going to follow him. You two, stay here. This is way too dangerous for you.” He disappeared as he sprinted back in time. Impa turned to Groose as he stared at the gate. “I’m guessing you won’t be staying behind?”

Link ran out into the ancient version of the sealed grounds. Ghirahim snapped his fingers, back turned to the goddess’s champion. Spikes rained down onto the ground, forming a glowing yellow fence around the spiraling hill. Link looked down onto the center of the sealed grounds, where Ghirahim was teleporting around an unconscious Zelda while performing elaborate movements. He looked up at Link, licking his lips. His hands hovered over Zelda. Golden light burst out from within her, and coalesced around her and Ghirahim. Zelda levitated a foot above the ground. “Hear me, my hordes! The spell is nearly complete! The demon king returns! Until then, you will keep that whelp from interfering with my ritual.” An army of bokoblins appeared from nowhere. “I don’t care if the whole lot of you get lodged on the end of his blade. You will buy me the time I need! Do not fear him… fear my wrath if you fail me!” The seemingly infinite hordes of bokoblins ran uphill. The sky darkened. Ghirahim continued his ritual. Link unsheathed the master sword, and ran downhill to meet the demon army. Hundreds of screeches and screams filled the air. They were all drowned out by Link’s scream of rage as he sliced into them. With every turn of the blade of evil’s bane, multiple bokoblins were killed instantly. Link charged through the horde, effortlessly and vengefully cutting down all in his path. Eventually, he came across a glowing barrier guarded by five slightly larger red bokoblins. A single skyward strike killed three of them. Link dodged a spear and sliced both of the others at the same time, causing the barrier to shatter. The second wave of bokoblins, rather than using their claws and teeth, held weapons while some carried bombs. Link stabbed and sliced through Ghirahim’s legions. He noticed a bomb flying through the air in his peripheral vision. He sheathed his sword and jumped off a bokoblin’s head, catching the bomb in midair. The spherical explosive flashed red as Link rotated in midair. He threw it into the crowd, creating a small explosion as he dove to the ground with the master sword unsheathed. Link turned his blade through the smoke, unseen by his opponents. At the second barrier were three larger monsters wielding wooden square shields. “Moblins!” Link used three skyward strikes in rapid succession, breaking all three shields. He stabbed a moblin in the chest while backflipping off its stomach, firing two arrows from midair in rapid succession into the other two moblins’ skulls. The third portion of the horde carried a mixture of swords, bombs, and bows and arrows. The archers’ weapons deflected off of Link’s shield while he dodged the melee weapons and cut through their wielders in rapid succession, occasionally throwing the bombs back at their owners or using their explosions to propel himself forward. The third gate guardians consisted of a single blue bokoblin that fell to a few strikes of the master sword. The next group of red bokoblins were slightly larger than their brethren, carrying weapons and bombs with archers in their midst. Link dodged the arrows and bombs with practiced ease, striking down a cluster of bokoblins with each deliberate, purposed swing of the blade of evil’s bane. Guarding the fourth barrier were two skeletons a head taller than Link, dual-wielding blades. Link feigned a strike to the left, only to spin around and strike one of the stalfos to the right, where it was unable to block him and fell to his blade. He jabbed the second stalfos through its chest, killing it and opening the gate to the final wave. Bokoblins and moblins of all types Link had encountered across his journey charged at him, only to be felled with negligibly less ease than their brethren. The final gate closed behind Link, locking him in the center of the sealed grounds with Ghirahim and Zelda. A smaller circle of yellow crystals generated around the demon lord and the mortal goddess. One last cluster of bokoblins, a few dozen strong, appeared in front of Link. He sliced and stabbed until every one of them had fallen to the master sword. “You’re far too quick, boy!” Ghirahim snarled. Link held up his blade and walked forward, glaring at the lord of demons. “I realize a simple child like you knows nothing of magic, but spells like this take time and a steady hand! Can’t you wait quietly like a good boy? HMM?” “Sorry, but no. I’ve never been patient.” Ghirahim clutched his face in his hands, shaking with poorly-concealed rage. “You petulant brat… You’ve pushed me too far. I’ve waited my whole existence for this! This is my moment! You know what? Fine!” Ghirahim threw Zelda a dozen feet in the air, where she levitated and gasped in pain despite being unconscious. “If you’re so intent on hurrying to your grave, I’ll be happy to show you the way!” Ghirahim’s voice changed from cold and soft to demonic, as though barbed wire were being slid down Link’s spine, “This time there will be no heroic escape. I was a fool to toy with you and let you walk away with your life before, but I won’t make that mistake again.” Orange crystals rose like fire around Ghirahim’s legs, instantly turning black. “That, I promise!” The tornado of magic rose around Ghirahim to form a massive pillar. A completely flat circle rose from the ground, carrying Link and Ghirahim a hundred feet into the air. “Ghirahim! What’re you playing at?” The dark magic slowly disappeared from around Ghirahim, revealing his final transformation. His eyes glowed a harsh, merciless white. A black diamond was embedded in his chest. His entire body was a solid jet-black crisscrossed with lines of white. “If only I’d put you in your place from the very beginning. Show a human a little mercy and next thing you know, he thinks himself your equal! Given my station, I had to maintain some semblance of dignity, so I let you run with your life… twice, even. Such a guilty pleasure…But instead of scurrying away like any creature with a basic instinct to survive, you just kept coming back. Again… and again… and again.” Ghirahim crossed his arms over his chest, “I’ve let a mere boy make a fool of me for the last time. You stand before a demon… or should I say, a weapon without mercy!” Link narrowed his eyes, taking a stance with his sword and shield. Ghirahim’s voice became metallic as it echoed across the sealed grounds, “For you, boy, I’ve prepared a most appropriate and humiliating death. I even have a pet name for it– I call it the endless plunge! First, I will take my time bludgeoning you, and when I grow bored of it, I will drive you to the edge and deliver a last strike to send you falling to your doom! I’ll delight in casting your body into this pit and snuffing out the flame of your life! Your broken body will serve as fine sustenance for the demon king!” Ghirahim charged at Link, hands sparking purple with electricity. Link held up his shield to block the strike, giving himself an opening to slash ghirahim’s stomach. The master sword knocked off the demon lord’s body, pushing him back without harming him. He continued striking ghirahim, pushing him off the arena. Ghirahim fell until another layer of flat crystals appeared under him. Link jumped with the master sword held downwards, driving it into the crystal on Ghirahim’s chest as he lay on his back. Ghirahim screeched in pain, instantly backflipping onto his feet. “Worthless boy! I’ll drown you in your own blood!” Ghirahim jumped at Link with electric hands. He rolled behind Ghirahim, using the master sword to knock him onto a third platform and stab him in the crystal a second time. Eventually, Link was able to force Ghirahim back onto solid ground. The demon lord stood up. The skin around his crystal was cracked like broken metal. He snapped his fingers, summoning a jet-black rapier. Link leaned backwards to dodge a strike from the weapon, thrusting his own into Ghirahim’s chest. He interrupted a rapier thrust with his shield before slicing his crystal half a dozen times in rapid succession. “You wretched brat!” Ghirahim snapped his fingers once more, summoning a massive black and white broadsword. He swung it at Link, forcing the young hero to block it with his shield. Before Ghirahim could move the broadsword, Link sliced it in the same spot again and again and again, until eventually it broke. Ghirahim summoned the broadsword again, forcing Link to repeat the process twice over. Ghirahim collapsed to the ground, clutching his crystal and gasping in pain and confusion. “This… this is preposterous. Driven to my knees by a simple child of man. Laughable! No matter how many times we clash, I can’t prevail! You think I can’t defeat you? You think I can’t win? Boy… what are you?” Link glared at the demon lord. “I’m a knight of skyloft. And you can’t win. I’m going to kill you, save Zelda, and stop your king from ever coming back.” A cold, quiet laughter emanated from Ghirahim. The ground turned blood red. “Ah… but never mind that. Victory is still mine to savor. While we fought, the ritual I started continued…” “What?!” “At last, it’s complete! The demon king shall devour the soul of the goddess and resurrect in his full glory!” Zelda convulsed and screamed in unconscious pain as red light emerged from the ground. A black void manifested in the exact center of the sealed grounds, gradually expanding and opening the barrier between layers of reality. The entire area was covered in a black smoke, completely obscuring Link’s vision. “Zelda! Zelda, where are you?! Ghirahim, what did you do?!” Ghirahim’s cold laughter filled the air as Link coughed and collapsed to his knees. Eventually, the smoke cleared. The Imprisoned emerged from the void, its mouth turned skyward toward Zelda as she screamed in agony. A solid beam of golden light shot downwards into The Imprisoned’s mouth. A field of purple energy expanded outwards from The Imprisoned. “Don’t you see?” Ghirahim screamed, laughing in pure ecstasy, “It’s all over! You and your kind have lost! This world and everything in it now belong to darkness! They belong to my master!” A humanoid emerged from where The Imprisoned had once stood. He towered over Link, his entire body covered in black scales and his head wreathed in red and orange flames. He wore a black garment with golden trims that split in half at the legs. His eyes burned with hatred at everything around him, and he bore a glowing white X-shaped scar on his forehead. The sky darkened until it resembled midnight, filled with an air of unparalleled dread and menace. The being gave a low chuckle that seemed to lower the air temperature around himself. Ghirahim bowed to his king. “Welcome back to us, master.” Demise clenched his fist, before stretching his open palm out towards ghirahim. He gasped in pain before falling backwards. Demise telekinetically levitated Ghirahim, covering his body in a red aura, his arms outstretched to either side as his head hung limp. A glowing point emerged from the crystal in Ghirahim’s cracked chest, an ebony-black blade stabbing through. Ghirahim simultaneously screamed and laughed as the sword grew out of him. A jagged black sword the size of Link’s entire body, with a red gemstone in the spiked hilt, spun through the air into Demise’s hand. Ghirahim and the sword both glowed orange. Ghirahim’s entire body was reduced to a beam of light that shot into the blade, filling it with an unholy energy. Demise turned his gaze to Link, as he raised the master sword against the demon king. “So you are the chosen knight of the goddess. Intriguing… the goddess lowered herself to a mortal existence to keep me imprisoned. How pathetic.” He gestured to Zelda’s unconscious body, still levitating horizontally in midair. “This bag of flesh pales in comparison to the magnificence of her previous form.” He swung his sword through the air, creating a small tornado that launched Zelda further skyward. “No!” Link screamed, watching as Zelda fell to the ground. Groose sprinted down the hill towards her, having emerged from the temple earlier. “Don’t worry, Link! Groose has got this!” He dove to the ground, successfully catching Zelda. “Link, I… I caught her! She’s okay!” “Groose, I thought I told you to stay behind!” “Oh please. When have I ever listened to you?” Groose argued jokingly. “So you and that other human would stand before obliteration to aid the goddess, would you? How curious. The humans I’ve known were weak things. Hardly more than insects, shivering under rocks and ready to flee at a mere glimpse of me. When last I walked this world, they did little more than scream and cling to their goddess, mewling and praying, counting on her to protect them. How amusing to think those cowards begot someone like you.” “Yeah.” Link stood to his full height, despite being utterly dwarfed, “I’m just full of surprises.” Demise laughed, “You grow more fascinating by the second, human. I never imagined I’d meet one of your kind who wished to stand against me in battle. Very well, then. I shall prepare a place for us where we will not be bothered by distractions. If you still have the courage to face me, seek me there.” “Link, it’s all on you!” Groose called down, “Oh, and listen up! Grannie had some info for you! The old girl says it’ll take time for that grease wad to absorb Zelda’s soul completely! If you can take him down before her soul gets all sucked up into that… thing, you might still have a chance! I… I know you can do it! So… yeah! You’ve gotta do this! You’re all Zelda’s got! You’ve got to make this happen!” Link walked forward, as Demise sliced through the air with his sword. He rose it into the sky, causing a tornado of black and purple smoke to ascend from the ground. “If you fear for your life, do not follow me. You can spend what little time your world has left cowering and crying, as befits your kind. But if you truly desire to raise your blade against the world I would build, come for me. I’ve waited eons to return. I can spare a few more moments to let you decide.” Demise vanished into a dark vortex in the center of the sealed grounds. Groose yelled down, “It’s up to you now, Link!” “Go take Zelda back to the temple! Tell Impa what happened! And, Groose, if I don’t come back…” Link hesitated, his grip tightening on the master sword, “...tell everyone I’m sorry.” “Got it, Link! And don’t talk like that. You’re the chosen one! You’re Zelda’s hero! That overgrown bokoblin doesn’t stand a chance against you!” “Thanks. That means a lot coming from you.” Groose nodded, carrying Zelda uphill. Link walked towards the portal in the ground. He looked at the master sword, and summoned Fi from it. “Master Link, I have important information for you. Once you enter this portal, my analysis indicates a 0% chance that you will be able to return, unless you are able to vanquish your foe. Are you ready to proceed?” Link clenched his unarmed fist. “I’m ready! Understood, master Link. Know that even in the place that lies beyond this portal, I will be with you. And, master… good luck.” “Please, Fi, just call me Link.” “Understood.” Fi reentered the blade of evil’s bane. Link stepped over the swirl of black and purple energy, entering the portal into Demise’s realm.

Beyond the portal, there was nothing more than an infinite expanse of blue sky with white clouds and a bright sun, and a paper-thin layer of water underfoot. Demise stood tall with his back turned to Link. “Ah, so you’ve decided to meet your end in battle after all. It pleases me greatly to see such misplaced valor, human.” Demise turned to his opponent. “Take a moment to appreciate your surroundings, for where we stand shall serve as your tomb for eternity.” Demise started walking across the plain of water. “The hate for the gods that has boiled in my veins… you will taste all of it in the bite of my blade. The only question left is how long you will manage to remain standing before I take your life. Try to keep it interesting for me, would you? And when you do fall, know that your world and everything in it is mine to dominate… mine to subjugate… mine to rule! When I finish with you, you can take solace in knowing your friends and kin will soon follow, as I wipe all who oppose me from the face of this world!” The sky darkened, as Link took a stance with his shield on one hand and the master sword in the other. “It won’t be long now. At last, the almighty power I’ve sought for millennia… I will take the triforce for my own, and the world shall be under my foot for eternity!” He jabbed at Link with his sword, as the hero sidestepped to slice Demise in the side. Demise held up the blade to block Link’s next few strikes. Link backflipped away from the demon king to summon Fi. “Fi, can you give me some info on this guy?” “Certainly, master Link. This eternal being has conquered time itself. He is the source of all monsters. According to tales passed down through generations, he appears differently in each epoch and to each person who lays eyes upon him.” “Well, that’s not at all terrifying.” Link raised his sword skyward, only for nothing to happen while Demise walked toward them. “Uh, Fi? Why isn’t it doing anything?!” “It is clear that skyward strikes cannot be called down to your sword because this place is under the magical influence of Demise.” “Oh, now you tell me!” Link ran towards Demise, sliding under his blade to slice through his knee. Demise turned around just as Link jumped up, slicing into the ground where Link’s stomach had been a second before. “Fi! Anything else?!” “It is highly probable that the only weapon capable of wounding Demise is the master sword itself. No other weapon can affect him. The probability that a single, standard attack of yours will injure Demise, Master, is exactly 0%. A series of attacks that can overwhelm Demise's guard is required, such as repeated slashing from various angles. Results from my analysis confirm that the time to strike Demise is when he holds his sword aloft.” “Now that I can use!” Link held up his shield to block Demise’s next slash, followed up by striking the jagged demon blade from six different angles in as many seconds, ignoring his arm growing tired and pained. He jabbed his sword diagonally upwards into Demise’s chest, causing him to stumble forward. “How dare you?!” Demise swung the flat of his blade into Link’s chest, knocking him onto his back, struggling and gasping for breath. “However, vigilance is required. Any attack falling near Demise's sword has a 100% chance of being blocked.” Link coughed, standing up, “No kidding. I didn’t notice.” “I need more time to complete my analysis of Demise. In a few moments, I will report my findings.” Fi reentered the master sword, just as Link swung it into Demise’s blade. “Good to hear.” He turned backwards, causing Demise to take an involuntary step forward from his own momentum, allowing Link to jab his sword into the demon king’s forehead. He followed up with a flurry of furious sword strikes, until Demise fell to his back. He jumped back to his feet, lightning descending from the sky. He held his sword aloft to catch a lightning strike. “Unbelievable. The king of demons, brought to the ground by a mere child. What are you, boy?” Link spun the master sword in his hand. “I’m human. And that’s exactly why you don’t stand a chance, monster!” Link charged forward. Demise swung his blade, firing a disc of lightning similar to a corrupted skyward strike. Link held up his shield to block the strike. Lightning struck the ground mere feet behind him as he sprinted forward. Nothing impeded his charge towards the source of all strife. Their blades clashed with the deafening clang of metal on metal. The lightning traveled from Demise’s sword into Link’s body, causing him to convulse and scream in pain. He barely managed to hold his shield up in time to counter the jab of Demise’s blade, knocking him onto his back. “Now do you see how futile your efforts are?” Link struggled to stand up, his arm still twitching slightly. “Futile or not, I’ve come too far to stop now. Kill me or die!” Demise laughed, holding his sword to the sky. “I knew you were interesting when you challenged me. But I never imagined a mere human would actually battle me, let alone strike me. Even I can recognize that courage, if nothing else.” Fi manifested from the master sword. “Master Link, I have additional information regarding Demise.” “That’s great! Let’s hear it!” “I can confirm it is possible for Demise to store the electrical energy of a lightning strike in his sword and use it to his advantage. Master Link, should your sword come into contact with Demise's sword once it has electrified, you will receive a painful shock. It is essential that you time your attacks carefully. Very carefully.” “Yeah, I kinda figured that part out from experience. Anything else?” “Master Link, I see no reason why you cannot make use of the lightning strikes the same way Demise does.” “What? What’re you talking about?” “It is possible to store lightning in the master sword by raising your sword in the air as if you were readying a Skyward Strike. When lightning strikes in the distance and the sky lights up, quickly raise your sword skyward to call down the lightning. However, be aware that while you are attempting to be struck by lightning, you will be leaving yourself open to Demise's attacks.” “What, so all I have to do is get struck by lightning while leaving myself wide open? Great plan, Fi!” Link barely managed to lunge to the side before Demise could throw a bolt of electricity at him. “But if it’s the only way…” Link stood to his feet, and raised the blade of evil’s bane to the heavens of the demon king’s corrupt realm. “...then let’s do it!” A bolt of lightning descended upon the master sword, allowing Link to throw it at Demise. He stumbled backwards, eyes widening. “Impressive. Truly, you are the champion of Hylia herself.” “Thanks. I try.” Link jumped through the air, his blade clashing against Demise’s sword. He backflipped off Demise’s chest, landing a dozen feet away. “I’m going to kill you, Demise.” He dodged a corrupted skyward strike. “I’m going to kill you, and save everyone.” He raised the master sword. “I won’t let you destroy the world!” A bolt of lightning charged the sacred blade. “I’ll protect Skyloft, and everyone I care about, no matter what!” He shot an electric strike into Demise’s chest, briefly paralyzing him. Link sprinted, ignoring the lightning striking the ground nearby. He jumped, jabbing the sword into Demise’s torso. The demon king fell onto his back. “And now…” Link jumped, spinning through the air, holding his sword skyward to catch a lightning strike. “...fatal blow!” The master sword embedded itself into Demise’s chest. The demon king’s agonized scream filled the area, his limbs convulsing before falling limp. Link backflipped onto the ground. Demise struggled to his feet, stabbing his dark sword into the ground. The blade dissolved into nonexistence. “Game over, Demise. You’ve lost.” “Extraordinary. You stand as a paragon of your kind, human. You fight like no man or demon I have ever known. Though this is not the end. My hate… never perishes. It is born anew in a cycle with no end! I will rise again!” Demise raised his arm at Link. “Those like you… those who share the blood of the goddess and the spirit of the hero… they are eternally bound to this curse. An incarnation of my hatred shall ever follow your kind, dooming them to wander a blood-soaked sea of darkness for all time!” Demise’s laughter echoed deeply, even as he disappeared. The master sword glowed white, as Link held it aloft to absorb the dark smoke that had once been the lord of evil. Fi emerged from the blade. “I have confirmed the eradication of the demon king. His residual consciousness has been absorbed into the master sword, and is now sealed away.” “Good. It’s… it’s about time.” Link allowed himself a moment to rest, while everything around him faded to white.

Sometime after the battle against Demise, Link found himself back at the sealed temple with Zelda, Groose, and the younger Impa from the distant past. “You have done well, Link.” Impa told him. Zelda nodded in agreement. “Link, thank you. I think it’s over. Finally, it’s all over.” She held her hands up to her face, and started crying from sheer joy and relief. Link walked up to her. “Hey, come on. We’re all fine now.” Groose walked past them. “Nice going, you two. You guys were totally amazing in this little adventure I like to call the legend of Groose.” “Yeah… we’re not calling it that.” Link deadpanned. “Eh, that’s a little joke.” “Joke or not, your contributions to our efforts were heroic.” Impa decided, “You have my thanks.” “Ah, well, you know… just glad I could make myself useful. I’m happy things turned out okay.” He turned back to Link and Zelda. “Hey, so things look pretty sewn up here. What do you say, guys? Ready to head back to our own time? Grannie was really worried about you two. We don’t want to keep the old girl in suspense too long.” “Yeah.” Link agreed, “Let’s get go-” Fi jumped out of the master sword. “Hylia, your grace, or perhaps you prefer ‘Zelda’. It pleases me to know you are safe. Master Link, I must speak with you.” “Um, okay, sure. Go ahead.” Fi led Link up the small staircase to the master sword’s empty pedestal. “Master Link, you have successfully protected the goddess reborn and defeated Demise, fulfilling your role as the hero of legend. My purpose here is complete. Therefore, I ask you to dissolve our arrangement as master and servant.” “What? Fi, you were never my servant. You’re my friend.” “I see no benefit from engaging in semantic arguments. Drive the sword into the pedestal before you, and I will return to the sword to enter a sleep without end.” “Sleep without end? You mean you’ll die?!” “Master Link, you have achieved the purpose you were chosen to fulfill. Please, set the sword in the pedestal and bring the goddess’s mission to an end. Now, master Link, it is time to conclude our necessary companionship.” Before Link could argue, Fi jumped back into the master sword. “Guys, are you sure…” Zelda nodded. “I’m sure Fi will be okay. She’s a sword spirit. I’m sure she’ll still be in the sword.” “Okay.” Link hesitated before plunging the master sword into the pedestal. The blade emitted a deep blue and purple glow, until it retracted after a few seconds. “Have a good sleep, Fi.” Link started walking towards the gate of time. Fi spoke from within the master sword, behind him. “Link…Link, hear me. My purpose was to obey the command of the goddess and lead you, the chosen hero of this land, on your quest. When I first awoke and began this task, I perceived it as merely serving my function as a servant to her grace. However, I have come to consider the information corresponding to our time together among the most precious data I have on record.” Fi partially emerged from the master sword, as Link walked up to her. “I do not have the capability to fully understand the human spirit, Link. But now, at the end of my journey with you, as I prepare to sleep within the master sword forever, I experience a feeling I am unable to identify. I lack sufficient data to be sure of my conclusion, but I believe this feeling correlates closest to what your people call happiness. Our partnership is at an end, and even as we speak, I feel my consciousness fading away. Before I enter the sleep that calls me to the sword, I wish to relay to you words that I recorded many times over the course of our journey. Many have said them to you thus far, but I now wish to say them for myself. Thank you, Link. May we meet again in another life.” “Yeah. I’m sure we’ll meet again. Someday.” Fi returned to the master sword. It pulsated with a white glow a few times before going silent. He turned around to witness Groose arguing, “What? Impa, why? Come with us!” “Zelda, your grace, you possess the memories of the goddess. You must understand why that is not possible. I am a being of this age. My place is here.” “I… I know that, but-” Impa interrupted Zelda, “You must return to your own time. I will take care of the gate once you have passed through.” Zelda ran up to Impa. “I can’t do that. You and I have been through so much together. I don’t want to leave you alone. Please, Impa. Come back with us.” Impa placed a gentle hand on Zelda’s shoulder. “Zelda, at the command of the goddess, I passed through the gate of time. I did so to protect you and aid the fight to prevent the world’s destruction. The last remnants of Demise are decaying slowly within the sword. Someone must stay behind to watch over this blade. His spirit must not reawaken. He must never be allowed to threaten the world again. This is the nature of the task given to my tribe. As a member of the sheikah, the goddess’s chosen guardians, I gladly welcome this duty.” Zelda hung her head. “Zelda, I shall watch over the triforce. Its power is too great to leave in the grasp of man. Dependence on its might is an invitation to disaster. When it has served its purpose, it must be secreted away to lie dormant once again, the knowledge of its existence hidden from mortal history. These are the words the goddess spoke to me long ago. I remember them well. As do you, I’m sure.” Wordlessly, Zelda took off one of the two large purple bracelets she’d been wearing, and gave it to Impa. “Do not despair, Zelda. You and I will surely meet again someday.” Impa gestured to the active gate of time. “Come on, guys.” Link walked forwards, placing a hand on Zelda’s shoulder. “Let’s go back to our own time.” “Yeah. I can’t deprive Skyloft of my presence much longer.” “Oh, yeah, that’d be awful.” Zelda smiled, as the three walked through time.

The aged Impa destroyed the gate of time, reuniting with Link, Zelda, and Groose before passing on. The three returned to Skyloft after some time, greeted by Zelda’s father and Groose’s friends. They said their goodbyes, Groose returning to Skyloft while Zelda chose to stay on the surface. She explained, “I always want to feel solid ground beneath my feet, see the clouds above my head, and watch over the triforce. What about you, Link? What will you do now?” Before Link could answer, there was a subtle change in the atmosphere. The sky darkened from noon to dusk, clouds raced across the sky, and the sun and moon alternated at blinding speeds. “Hey! What is this?!” Link screamed. He tried to reach out to Zelda, only for her to disappear. “No! No, please, no! I can’t lose you again!” The world flickered in and out of existence. Something else appeared, as though two worlds were being superimposed on one another. After a few seconds, Link found himself in an open grassy plain. A dozen feet in front of him was a young woman in elegant blue garb, trying to calm a large white horse. Next to her, pointing at Link, was a young man wearing a blue shirt, whose facial features perfectly resembled his own.

Chapter Text

Link woke up with a splitting headache, looking around. “Where am I?” He was in the middle of a forest, with sunlight breaking through the treetops. He looked down at his young adult body. “Yes! It worked! Yes yes yes! Ok, but I’ve gotta see how I got here.” He started walking through the forest, branches snapping underfoot. Eventually, he arrived at the edge of the forest, where he saw three people and a horse a hundred feet away. “What the…?” He concealed himself behind a nearby bush to observe the scene. The three were having a conversation that he couldn’t hear. Link couldn’t ignore the feeling that there was something inherently familiar about two of them.

The hero of Hyrule stood there, pointing at his doppelganger. After a few seconds, the other Link started pointing as well. For a few seconds, the two heroes stood pointing at each other. Zelda eventually broke the silence, “I’m sorry, but who are you?” “I’m Link.” “No, no, no. I’m Link.” “Well, so am I. I’m sorry, but I have no idea how I got here. I need to get back to Skyloft.” “What’s a skyloft?” Link asked. Link ran forward, startling Link by grabbing his shoulders. “What do you mean, ‘what’s a Skyloft’?!” “Wait!” Zelda pushed the two apart. “Link!” They both turned to her, simultaneously asking, “Yeah?” “Ah boy. I should’ve expected that. Okay. My Link, I’ll call you Blue. New Link, I’ll call you Green.” “Yeah, sure.” Green shrugged, “Feels weird being named after a color, but I guess I can work with that.” “Okay, good.” Zelda stepped back, looking at both Links. “Incredible. Your faces are the exact same.” She snapped her fingers. “I just remembered something. I think I saw a few mentions of an island in the sky during my research. But from what I found, it was only ever a legend. Nothing concrete.” Blue asked, “Are you from the distant past?” “Maybe, but then why does he look the exact same as you? And why do you both have the same name?” Blue shrugged, “Maybe he’s my ancestor?” Zelda shook her head, “If that were the case, then there’d be some differences, especially given how many generations there must be between you two.” Green remembered the first demon king’s last words. “Wait. I think I know what this is.” They heard a loud rustle of leaves a hundred feet away, and all turned to the noise. A young man ran up to them. “Hey, do you guys know- whoa.” He stopped in his tracks. The blonde-haired girl stared between the three men. “Oh, great, there’s another one.” “Another… what?” Link pointed between Blue and Green. “Why do you two look the same?” “Uh…” Green looked between Link and Blue. “I hate to tell you this, but you look the same as us.” “What?” Link felt his face. “Oh, shoot, you’re right.” “Well, that’s a monkey wrench in my naming scheme.” Zelda complained, “Now we’ve got two Greens.” “Wait, wait, wait, don’t tell me you guys are named Link too?” Blue shrugged, “Honestly, I was just thinking we should let you figure it out on your own. So, you’re another Link?” “Well, apparently. Y’know, when I got back to Hyrule, this is not what I was planning on.” “Okay. Okay. First things first, we need to figure out your names. If we have three guys named Link, we’ll never get anything done.” Green shrugged, “We could name ourselves after stuff we’ve done, or something like that. Let’s see.” he started pacing around, “I’m from an island in the sky, and we-” “A flying island?!” Link interrupted, “You guys have a flying island?!” “Uhh… yeah, Skyloft. And we… ride around… on… giant birds…” His eyes widened in realization, “Avian!” “Okay, I guess it’s my turn then.” Blue thought to himself, “Okay, so, my Hyrule is all wilderness since Calamity Ganon messed everything up, so-” “There’s a Calamity Ganon now?!” Link blurted out. “What’s a Hyrule?” Avian asked. Link, Blue, and Zelda all stared at him slack-jawed. “How do you not know what Hyrule is? It’s the kingdom where we all live.” Blue told him. “You guys have a kingdom?” Zelda walked slightly closer to him. “Wait. Avian, I think you might be from before the founding of Hyrule.” “Well, you actually look familiar. Wait a minute. Zelda?” “Um, yeah, I’m the princess of Hyrule. Or, well, what’s left of it. Do you have a Zelda where you’re from?” “Yeah, but you’re-I mean, she’s the daughter of the knight academy’s headmaster.” “Hold up.” Link asked, “What’s a Calamity Ganon? I thought I sealed Ganon in the sacred realm with help from the six sages and my timeline’s princess Zelda.” “Yeah, well, he came back.” Blue explained, “Repeatedly, until he deteriorated into a giant monster bigger than a house. Side note, what do you mean by ‘timeline’?” Link shrugged, “Well, I figure the only explanation for what’s going on is that we’re all from different timelines.” “Maybe…” Zelda gestured to Blue, “But I think this timeline’s Link was trying to figure out his new name.” “Oh, right, Hyrule is mostly all wilderness now, right? So, how about Wild?” “Sounds good. How about you, other guy?” Avian pointed at the third Link. “Oh, well, I used the ocarina of time, but I’ve also used these things called transformation masks, plus I’ve been to some other timelines…” “Maybe we could call you Ocarina?” Avian suggested. “I dunno. Somehow, nicknaming myself after a sacred heirloom of the royal family doesn’t seem like the best idea.” “Mask?” Wild recommended. “I dunno. I’m not sure I want to be named after an article of clothing.” “Well, how about Instrument?” Zelda shrugged. “Really? Instrument? Oh, hey, I think I’ve got something. I’ve got multiple different forms because of the transformation masks, so maybe I could be named Multi.” “Alright.” Zelda clasped her hands together, “So we’ve got Wild, Avian, and Multi. Glad we got that settled. Now we just need to figure out how to start investigating this.” “Hey, Multi, you mentioned that you’ve been to other timelines, right?” “Oh, uh, yeah, but I’ve got no idea how this all started. Maybe we should find somewhere to stay first.” “I have a house in Hateno village.” Wild pointed out. “When, exactly, did you get a house?” Zelda asked, arms crossed. “Oh, it was just, y’know, a little pet project in between freeing the Divine Beasts. It didn’t take that long, I swear.” “What’s a Divine Beast?” Avian asked. “They’re giant animal-shaped machines piloted by a group of heroes called champions to help fight Calamity Ganon by shooting these massive lasers of holiness into his ugly face.” Avian grinned, “Cool.” “Well, in any case, Link’s-I mean Wild’s- house should be a good enough base of operations for the time being. Especially considering… well…” She gestured to the dilapidated castle in the distance. “Yikes. Calamity Ganon really did a number on this place, didn’t he?” Multi acknowledged. “That’s one way to put it. Now come on.” Zelda climbed on her horse’s back. “It’ll probably take us a day to get to Hateno village, but we shouldn’t have to worry about monsters now that Calamity Ganon’s been killed.” “You’re welcome.” Wild interjected. “Hey, so are the three of us just gonna walk behind you?” Avian asked. “Two.” Wild corrected him, pulling his sheikah slate off his belt, “I’m traveling in style.” He tapped the screen a few times, until it ejected strands of blue energy that coalesced into a device that vaguely resembled a motorized horse. “That’s amazing.” Avian gaped, “What is it?” “This is the master cycle zero. A one of a kind masterpiece of sheikah tech.” “I think Storm can take two people. Wild, is there any way you can fit someone else on there with you?” Wild glanced behind himself as he mounted the cycle. “I don’t think so. Unless… Multi, you mentioned you’re a shapeshifter, right? Is there any way you can make yourself smaller?” “Actually, yeah.” He pulled a brown, wooden mask out of his satchel and attached it to his face. He instantly shrank to a quarter his original size, resembling a wooden child. “Woah. What is that thing?” Avian gasped. “It’s a deku scrub.” Zelda explained, “They went extinct a long time ago.” “Wait, extinct? I’m extinct?” “Congrats, you’re a living fossil. Now hop on; the sun’s setting and Hateno won’t travel to itself.” Avian sat behind Zelda on the white horse’s back, while Link helped the much shorter Multi onto the master cycle zero. “How fast are you used to going?” He asked, revving the cycle’s engines. “Pretty fast! Like, standard horse speed! But I’ve never ridden a horse in deku form before!” He had to yell to be heard over the engine. “Yeah, you might wanna hold on!” “Wait, why-” Multi screamed as the master cycle zero lurched forward, taking the air out of him. “That’s why!” Wild laughed. Multi closed his eyes, the landscape blazing past in a blur. Storm sprinted parallel to the master cycle zero, Zelda and Avian leaning on his back. Avian moved his arms awkwardly as he held onto Zelda. “What’re you doing back there?” “Sorry, I’m just… y’know.” “Relax, and just try not to fall off.” “Got it.”

After some time, the three Links and Zelda had entered the forest, where the trees forced them to slow down considerably. “You okay back there, little guy?” Wild asked, glancing back at Multi. “I-I’m fine.” Multi’s head hung limp. “That’s the spirit.” Zelda looked up at the darkening sky. “It’s getting late. We should probably stop to rest.” “Yeah, I think the cycle’s starting to run out of fuel anyway.” Wild stopped the master cycle zero, leaned it on the kickstand, and got off. Multi took off the deku mask to transform back into a hylian. His face green, he stumbled into a nearby bush and wretched. “Some people just can’t handle real speed.” Avian got off of Storm, grinning. “I love this thing! It’s kinda like a loftwing, except it can’t fly and it’s a lot slower.” “Are loftwings those giant birds you mentioned?” “Yeah. Everyone on Skyloft has one, but mine’s the only one with red feathers. That’s why I named him Crimson.” His face fell. “I hope he’s doing alright without me. Zelda- I mean, Groose is probably taking good care of him.” “Is Groose a friend of yours?” The three turned to the voice. Multi had sat on the grass nearby, holding his forehead. “It’s… complicated.” Avian explained, “Groose and I used to be rivals at the knight academy, the school where we train with our loftwings to learn how to be knights of Skyloft. It’s nothing that impressive, honestly. The knights mostly just fly around the island and pick up anyone who wanders too close to the edge without their loftwing nearby. Anyway, Zelda-well, the Zelda of my time period, or timeline, or whichever-got kidnapped by this guy named Ghirahim, who called himself the demon lord.” Avian shuddered. “So, yeah, one thing led to another, and Groose and I had to team up to stop Ghirahim’s master, the demon king Demise, from destroying the world.” “I thought Ganon was the king of demons.” Multi interjected, having apparently recovered. Avian shrugged, “Maybe in your timeline.” “Actually, we have this place in central Hyrule called the breach of Demise.” Wild corrected him, “I’ve been there, and something about it just feels, I dunno, wrong somehow.” “There’s rumors about that place.” Zelda nodded, “But from what I found, it was ancient even 10,000 years ago, when Calamity Ganon first appeared.” “So, I’ve got Demise, Multi’s got Ganon, and you two have Calamity Ganon. That about sum it up?” “Well, Ganon was originally a gerudo man named Ganondorf.” “I thought the gerudo were all women.” Wild pointed out. “Nabooru told me their tribe has one man born into it every century, and I guess they just got really unlucky.” Wild’s eyes widened. “Naboris?” “No, Nabooru. The gerudo sage of spirits.” “Huh. That’s weird. It kinda sounds like Vah Naboris, the Divine Beast of the gerudo desert.” “I think the Divine Beasts are all named after different sages or historical figures.” Zelda listed them off, “There’s Vah Ruta, Vah Rudania, Vah Medoh, and Vah Naboris.” “Well, Ruta is definitely the zora princess Ruto, the water sage. That one’s obvious; it’s just a letter off. Rudania’s an anagram of Darunia, the goron chief and sage of fire. And the only one I can think of for Medoh is Mido, the boss of the kokiri. But how he managed to get one of these ‘Divine Beasts’ named after him is anyone’s guess.” “Kokiri?” Wild raised an eyebrow, “Are they anything like koroks?” “That’s a tough question, considering I have no idea what a korok is. Kokiris are forest people who never grow past a certain age. I used to think I was one of them, until I grew up and found out I was a hylian. Sorry, I don’t really like talking about it.” “Well, the only thing the koroks have in common are that they live in the forest, and I guess they kind of act like children. Still, even if there is a connection between the kokiris and the koroks, that doesn’t explain how the ritos’ divine beast is named after one.” “Just another mystery we’ll have to solve.” Zelda acknowledged, “But our top priority should be figuring out where you two came from, and how you got here. Still…” She looked up at the stars visible through the leaves. “We should probably rest.” Her horse lay down behind her. “See? Storm’s got the right idea.” She stroked the horse’s mane. “Wild, can you keep watch? You’re the most familiar with our surroundings, and Calamity Ganon or no Calamity Ganon, we’re still outside with no cover.” “Got it. Not like I need to rest, anyway.” “You can take shifts with us, if you want.” Multi offered, laying on the ground and closing his eyes. “Yeah. We may not be from around here, but we know our way around swords.” Avian added, laying on his back. “Thanks, guys.” Wild stood up, and started pacing around the forest.

After some time, Wild leaned against a tree, and looked up at the sky. The sun was just starting to appear over the horizon, and the stars had begun to fade. He smiled to himself, feeling rested after letting Multi and Avian each take a shift between him. After staring at the dusk sky for a few minutes, Wild walked a hundred feet back to his companions. “Guys!” He called, “Time to wake up!” Zelda stirred, leaning against her sleeping horse’s side. She looked at Multi and Avian, still sleeping, and smiled to herself. “I wonder if Links being heavy sleepers is a universal constant.” She shook Multi by the shoulders. “Guys, come on. We’ve still got a ways to go before we reach Hateno.” Multi woke up at the same time as Avian. “Oh, wow.” Avian looked around, “So that wasn’t a dream.” “Afraid not.” Multi got to his feet, rolling his shoulders. “Alright, princess Zelda. Let’s get to that village.” “Actually, can you guys just call me Zelda? I can’t really be a princess if my kingdom and castle are in ruins.” “You got it.” Avian shrugged, “Zelda wasn’t a princess where I’m from anyway, so yeah. I can manage.” “Thank you. Now come on.” Zelda and Avian mounted the white horse. “Hateno village should be less than an hour from here.” “Right.” Wild turned on the master cycle zero, while Multi climbed behind him in deku form. “I already refueled it while you guys were sleeping.” He explained, “It’s advanced tech, so it takes raw materials from nearby like apples, leaves, dirt, that sort of thing.” “Oh, well that’s conveni-” Multi screamed as Wild propelled the master cycle zero forward, kicking up dust and snapping sticks under its wheels at a moderate pace. “Warn me next time!” “Oh come on! Where’s the fun in that?!” Wild laughed, while Multi rolled his eyes. “Besides, we’re not even going that fast.” Storm ran next to them with Zelda and Avian. “So, Multi, what sort of dimensions have you been to?” Zelda asked, looking down from atop her steed. Multi thought to himself for a brief moment, before answering, “Okay, so first, I went to a parallel universe called Termina. It was weird; almost everyone there looked exactly like someone from Hyrule. This demon called Majora possessed a friend of mine, the Skull Kid, and made him bring the moon down to cause the apocalypse.” “How’d you stop him?” Wild asked. “It’s a long story. Technically, I only had 3 days before the moon crashed, but I figured out how to use the ocarina of time to create a time loop, so it was more like a month or two. I managed to summon these four giants from the corners of Termina, and they held the moon in the sky while I fought Majora.” “Wow.” Avian remarked, “Guess I’m not the only one here who’s dabbled in time manipulation.” Wild shrugged, “Well, I’ve got a rune on the sheikah slate that lets me freeze things in time. So I guess we’ve all got some level of time powers.” “Where’d you even get the slate anyway?” Avian asked. “I found it in the shrine of resurrection, after I spent a hundred years recovering from Calamity Ganon blasting me to kingdom come.” “Yeah…” Zelda looked down. “Oh, hey, Zelda, it’s not your fault. You did everything you could back then.” “Thanks. I just can’t help but feel responsible for what happened.” “Well, you’re not. It wasn’t your fault the goddess powers came to you later than they were supposed to.” “Wait wait wait hold up, goddess powers?!” Avian yelled, nearly falling off of Storm’s back. “Yes.” Zelda explained, “The royal family of Hyrule is said to be descended from the goddess Hylia.” “Huh. That’s…weird.” Avian repeated, “That’s weird. Where I’m from, Zelda is the reincarnation of the goddess Hylia. Hey, you don’t think… no. No, that can’t be right.” “What can’t be right? I’m not following.” Multi asked. “Okay, what if we’ve been looking at this all wrong?” Avian clarified, “What if we’re not from different timelines, but actually different time periods?” “That… what’re you getting at?” Wild questioned him, “If we’re all from the same universe, or timeline, or whatever, then how do we all look identical?” “Okay, so I forgot to tell you that after I beat demise, he told me something about how those with the blood of the goddess and the spirit of the hero would be plagued by an incarnation of his hatred, something something blood-soaked eternity.” “Wow. So, you think Ganondorf and Calamity Ganon were just, what, incarnations of Demise's hatred?” Multi clarified. “Yeah, something like that. And maybe you guys are just reincarnations of me and the Zelda I know.” “Well, it’s certainly a viable theory.” Zelda considered, “We’ll have to think about it once we get to Hateno village.” They continued in silence for a few more minutes. Eventually, Multi asked, “Hey, uh, Wild? Are you sure your house is going to be big enough for the four of us? I mean, you only bought it for yourself, right?” “Yeah, but we should all be able to stay there. Probably. Hopefully.” “Well, that’s reassuring. And why were you even buying a house while you were supposed to be stopping Calamity Ganon anyway?” “Hey, I needed somewhere to stay. Saving the world takes more than one day, after all. Besides, I figured we’d both need somewhere to stay after everything was said and done.” “Oh. Well, thanks for that.” “You’re welcome. I mean, it is my job to protect you. And I take my job seriously.” “I know. And you’ve gone above and beyond.” Zelda and Link smiled warmly at each other, as they left the forest and accelerated. “You two are so cute together.” Avian remarked, “Almost reminds me of me and my Zelda.” “What’re you implying?” Wild asked. “I’m not implying anything. I’m just saying-” “Hey look I see Hateno!” Zelda yelled, almost nervously, “Race you guys there!” Storm broke into a full sprint, leaving the master cycle zero behind while Avian yelped in surprise. “Oh, you’re on!” Wild accelerated the cycle. “Wait, wha-!” Multi yelped, his breath sucked out of him.

After less than half an hour, the group of four had nearly reached Hateno village. “Thank the goddesses.” Multi half-whispered to himself. “I forgot how small this town was.” Zelda remarked. The second they walked into the town borders, the sky turned darker, as though in twilight. “Guys, what just happened?” Avian wondered aloud. “No clue. I killed Calamity Ganon, so it can’t have anything to do with him.” They heard a loud, shrill laughter, followed by the familiar sound of clanging swords. “That way!” Multi pointed into town, where a black smoke was rising into the sky. “Let’s go!” Wild jumped off the master cycle zero before reabsorbing it into the sheikah slate, while Multi removed the deku mask. Zelda and Avian dismounted Storm. “Stay here and don’t move, okay?” Zelda told the horse. They started running in the direction of the smoke.

A man in a green tunic swung his blade. His opponent was slightly taller than him, and wore a black cloak with off-green lines, eldritch patterns on the sleeves that extended far past his arms with tassels on the ends, and ceremonial decorations extending from his neck down his torso. From the waist down, his clothing became pitch black with harsh red outlines, above his gold-plated shoes. He wore a silver helmet designed to resemble a chameleon’s head, with a mouth guard and an orange gemstone in the center of his shoulder guards. The blade clashed off of the shoulder guards. The man in the cloak swung his arm with deceptive force, knocking the man into a nearby wall. The residents of Hateno village watched from inside their homes as the familiar-looking swordsman stood up. “I don’t know how you came back, or what this place is, but I won’t let you hurt anyone else!” Before the swordsman could charge, the tip of a sword emerged from the cloaked man’s stomach. “W-what?” The young man stepped back, startled. The cloaked man looked down, his expression unreadable through his helmet. “Well now. This is certainly an unexpected turn of events.” He disappeared into a cloud of blue-green runes that dissipated after less than a second. The teenager dropped his sword in surprise. Holding the blade that had impaled his opponent was a small child, no older than 12. He wore a green tunic and cap that resembled his own, except far more vibrant. “What the…” Before he could ask the child anything, three men and a woman ran over to them from behind a nearby building. Both groups stepped back. They spent a few seconds looking each other over. After some time, the girl with blonde hair broke the silence. “Ah, nuts.”

Wild, Multi, Avian, and Zelda turned the corner, where they found two green-clothed strangers, one half their own size. After a few seconds of silence, Zelda groaned, “Ah, nuts.” Wild looked at her with wide eyes. Avian took a step forward. “Uh, hi. Who are you two?” The taller of the two pointed at himself, “I’m Link.” “Hey wait a minute; I’m Link!” The child protested indignantly. “Yeah, funny story about that.” Wild gestured to his own group, “I’m Link, and these are Link, Link, and Zelda.” “What?!” The Link who’d impaled the dark-cloaked man yelled. “Okay, it’s a really long story. And something tells me it’s going to get even longer. Come on, I think we should get to my house.” “Okay, okay, but just one question.” The child held up his hand. “Really? Just one?” Multi elbowed Wild in the side. “If you three all have the same name, how do you, y’know, do anything?” “We all have different nicknames. This place is my version of Hyrule, and it’s all wilderness, so I’m Wild. Multi has multiple different forms because of some magic masks and because he’s been to multiple dimensions, and Avian’s from this island in the sky where they ride around on giant birds.” “Wait, a flying island?” The adult Link muttered to himself, “Could that… no, no, couldn’t be.” “So, if you two did anything memorable, now’s the time to share.” Multi invited. “Okay, that should be easy. I grew up in Ordon village, but then some of my friends got kidnapped by these freaky demon things and taken to another dimension called the twilight realm. I followed them, but there was some sort of magic there that turned me into a wolf, and I had to team up with the local princess to take her kingdom back from this guy named Zant.” He gestured to their younger counterpart, “That was the guy you impaled.” “Okay, that’s a lot to work with. If you saved the twilight realm, then maybe we could call you Twilight, or Dusk.” “I don’t know. I shapeshifted into a wolf, so maybe Wolf?” Avian shrugged, “Hey man, it’s your name. Alright, little buddy, what’s your story?” The kid Link rolled his eyes. “Okay. I grew up on outset island with my grandma and my little sister Aryll. On my 12th birthday, Aryll got kidnapped by a giant bird, so I had to team up with a pirate crew to save her. It just sort of snowballed from there, and next thing I knew the pirate captain was actually princess Zelda and there was this talking boat who was actually the king of Hyrule, which was flooded by the golden goddesses to stop Ganondorf centuries ago, but apparently he came back and he was behind everything, so I had to get this magic artifact called the master sword to kill him.” The rest of the group stared at the young boy with blank expressions. “What? You guys didn’t join pirate crews when you were 12?” “No. And, wow, that is… a lot to work with. How about… Sail?” “I guess that works.” Sail looked around. “So, can we go inside now?” “Yeah, sure. Come on, there should be enough room for all of us. Hopefully.”

The five Links and Zelda walked across a bridge to a small house with a sign out front identifying Wild as the owner. He opened the hardwood door, under a solid wooden awning, to let the group inside. “Uh…” Sail glanced around the living space. “...Are you sure there’s enough space for us?” There was minimal furniture in the square room. The sacred weapons of the four champions-Mipha’s lightscale trident, Daruk’s boulder breaker, Revali’s great eagle bow, and Urbosa’s scimitar of the seven and daybreaker shield-hung framed on the walls. In the corner of the room, directly next to the front door, was a staircase next to an alcove, leading to a small landing with railings at the edge and a bed in the corner. A few lamps hung from a plank of wood, suspended from four ropes under the ceiling. Zelda yawned loudly. She walked up the stairs, her legs moving automatically, and her eyes opening and closing at random. She fell over, her head on the edge of the bed. “Hang on, guys.” Wild walked up the stairs to help Zelda onto the bed. Wild put the covers over her, while she muttered something incomprehensible in her sleep. “She must be tired after everything she’s been through.” He looked out the window at the darkening sky. “Come on. Let’s get some rest, and then we can talk in the morning.”

Chapter Text

Link walked down the stairs into the dining room of Hyrule Castle. “Link!” Zelda yelled, “Why are you up so late?!” “Well, excuse me, princess! It’s not my fault it’s so boring around here!” The door burst in as the king of Hyrule stepped through in all his regal glory. “Link, my boy. This peace is what all true warriors strive for.” “If you say so. I just wonder what ganon’s up to.” Zelda shrugged. “I don’t think he’s up to anything. This is just going to be another boring day in Hyrule.” The stained glass window exploded as a bearded man in a cloak flew in on a flying carpet. “Sweet holy rice balls why?!” The king screamed, dropping his wine goblet. “Why wouldn’t you just knock?!” “There is no time for knocking. I am the great Koridian wizard Squadala. Link, you are needed to save Koridi from the evil demon king Ganon.” “Yeah, that makes sense.” Link shrugged. “I’ll go grab my stuff.” “There is no time for stuff-grabbing. Hop on my magic carpet.” “Last time someone told me to jump on their magic carpet, I found a weird moving bomb thingy.” Link jumped next to the wizard. “Squadala! We’re off!” They flew through a second window into the sky. “Oh come on! Seriously?” The king gestured to the door, exasperated, “I mean, the window- he had- oh forget it. I’m going to bed.” The king walked out of the room, leaving Zelda by herself. “So… okay, I guess I’ll get someone to clean this up.”

Link and Squadala flew above the clouds of Hyrule, the sky going past in a blur. "So, where are we going?" "We're going to the land of Koridai, where Ganon has launched his attack.” “Cool. So, how long until we’re there?” “This long!” They descended through the clouds. Hundreds of feet below them was a massive island, with a row of mountains. Each mountain had a face carved into it. “What are those?” “Those are the faces of evil. Ganon placed them there when he began his attack. Before you can face him, you must conquer each one.” They continued downwards, while Squadala took a map out of his cloak. “Wait, where were you keeping that?” “That is none of your concern.” “I feel like it is-” “This is a map of Koridai.” “If I’m gonna be touching it-” “It will guide you on your quest.” “I want to know where it’s been.” “Well, off you go.” “Wait, wha-” Squadala pushed Link off the carpet. He cheerfully waved down at him while he screamed in terror.

Link fell ten feet onto the solid rock of a mountain summit. “Oh… man… that smarts. Oh well. At least it can’t get worse.” He realized his arm was hanging off the edge. “Oh sh-”

Link fell another ten feet. And then another. A third ten feet. Falling twenty feet was especially painful. When he fell thirty feet, he was convinced nothing could be more painful. Falling forty feet quickly dispelled that notion. After several hours of falling, Link stood up at the base of the mountain. “Ow.” He stated plainly, as he walked inside a nearby shop. “Hi. I’m in excruciating pain. Can I buy something from you?” “Hello, In Excruciating Pain. Welcome to Morshu’s Miscellaneous Merchandise. Whatever you need, you can find it here. Lamp oil, rope, bombs… you want it, it’s yours, my friend. As long as you have enough rubies.” “Don’t you mean rupees?” “No, In Excruciating Pain, I mean rubies. The currency of Koridai. You can find them by slaying the demons that have infested the kingdom.” “Wait, why do demons have money?” “How should I know?” Morshu shrugged, “I’m but a humble merchant.” There was a series of knocks on the door that quickly grew louder and louder until a hole was torn into the wood. A demonic bipedal creature, with a snout like a lizard, triple-clawed hands, and a pair of wings screeched into the shop. “Oh, great, I don’t have a sword.” The demon clawed down the door, and spread its wings inside the shop. “Stay back! Sword or no sword, this monster’s going down!” Without hesitating, Link jumped at the monster. It barely flinched when he punched it in the snout. He effortlessly dodged when it swung its claws, before holding its jaws open, gritting his teeth at the effort required of such a feat. He shifted his leg back, adjusting his own leverage, until, screaming, he flipped the demon onto its back. A few red rubies fell out of a pouch of skin on its thigh. “Thanks for the cash.” He slammed the currency onto the counter. “What’s your cheapest sword?” “Here.” Morshu grabbed a sword from under the counter and handed it to Link. The blade had a few rust spots on it, and the handle was awkwardly short. “Thanks.” The demon stood up and clawed at Link. He casually turned the sword to offhandedly stab the demon in the chest. “Thanks, In Excruciating Pain.” “Don’t mention it.” Link sheathed the blade onto his back. “Well, the world’s not going to save itself.” He walked out of the shop. “Oh, wait, In Excruciating Pain!” “Yeah?” “If you want to heed my advice, go visit the fisherman and give him the shell of a giant crab.” “Uh, right. Sure.”

Link walked to the west, along the base of the mountain. He encountered dozens of unholy, poorly-designed demons, and sliced them all with his rusty terrible sword. After several hours of painfully grinding rubies, he encountered a giant enemy crab. It was ten times his own size, with massive pincers and a single eye. “That’s a gohma!” The gohma swung its open pincer at him. Link jumped straight up, just as the pincer closed where he’d been a second earlier, and used it to jump further into the air. On his descent, he aimed the sword in front of himself, jamming it into the eye of the gohma. The crab hissed, spraying an acidic foam that Link jumped to avoid. His sword dissolved in the acid. “Hey cool! I got its shell! Now how the hell am I supposed to carry this thing?”

Link found out that the gohma’s carapace was surprisingly light without the demonic crab inside it. After some time of dragging it, carving shallow trenches into the rock, Link walked into a hut with fishing gear leaning by the door. “Hey, are you a fisherman?” At the center of the room sat an old man, with a wrinkly face and a white beard that extended to the floor. “Why, yes I am! And what’s that you’re carrying?” Link tossed the carcass at the old man. “It’s a gohma!” The old man flashed a toothy grin. “Hey, you’re pretty good!” “Cool; now gimme a sword!” “Hey, why not?” The old man tossed a sword with deceptive strength, the hilt slamming into Link’s forehead. “Ow. Hey, thanks.” The sword had a longer hilt, making it easier to carry, and had a longer, sharper, and cleaner blade. “No problem. Now, good luck defeating Ganon.” “How’d you know I’m trying to defeat Ganon?” The old man shrugged. “Just a lucky guess, I suppose.” “Fair enough.” Link walked out of the kooky old fisherman’s house, to continue his kooky old adventure.

Link continued his journey across Koridai and the mountainous faces of evil. At several places, he found pointless extra characters who were all too eager to tell him how they’d evaded capture by the demons. The Fish Lady lived in a raised house in Crater Cove, where she was busy butchering a fish. “Dairas kaym strate from the krater til ah boreded the vent. Used a skull fer a latch an’ nawt one daira’s figyored it out.” “Oh, yeah, I noticed the skull-latch thing. Those dairas must be real stupid.” “Noh kiddin’.”

Atop the summit of nortinka, Link found a library infested with winged and terrestrial demons alike. He charged into battle, striking an abomination with each swing of his sword. The blade was capable of firing beams of pure mystic energy, allowing him to attack the demons in the air. Three of the flying demons dove down at him, only for Link to decimate them with a single spin attack. He took some rope, acquired from Morshu hours ago, and tossed one end around the railing of the library’s second floor. Despite being at least 20 feet above him, Link was able to climb to the next floor in around a minute. There, he found an old man reading a book. “Ah, thank you for taking care of those demons. I’ve been trying to avoid them for hours now.” “You don’t seem all that stressed.” “Eh, I’m past my prime anyway. I’m a bit old for those demons to have much use with me at this point.” “Woah. That’s deep.” “Anyway, I am the reader, Aypo. If you bring me the book of Koridai, I will gladly read the secret verse.” “Thanks, but I can read for myself.” Aypo laughed, “Oh, no, you misunderstand. The book of Koridai is said to be the only thing that can save our kingdom from the lord of darkness. But only after a qualified reader, namely myself, has read aloud the secret verse.” “Okay. But what exactly makes you of all people the only one who can read this sacred verse?” There was a moment’s pause, where all that could be heard was the flapping of demonic wings in nearby rooms. “Shut up.” “That’s fair.” Link exited the library, taking the time to cut down any monsters that stood in his way.

Near Toyku lighthouse, Link found a house that’d been well and truly infested with Ganon’s monsters. While exterminating the unholy pests, Link found a woman hiding beneath a flight of stairs in the basement. “You’re not afraid of dragons, are you?” She asked, her face entirely too close to Link’s. “Of course not! If anything, dragons are afraid of me.” “Then get my necklace back from Gleeok, okay?” “Really? A necklace?” “I’ll give you a canteen of water in exchange.” “Now we’re talking!”

Eventually, after hours of traveling, Link managed to find a gleeok at spearfish falls. It was a draconian monster with three heads at the ends of long necks, each breathing fire at Link the moment they saw him. “Woah!” He dove behind a boulder to shield himself from the flaming onslaught. “Man, that thing’s not messing around.” He fired a beam from his sword into the center neck, momentarily interrupting the attack. He tossed a half dozen bombs, decapitating all three heads. “Yes!” The heads flew through the air, breathing fire, while the Gleeok’s main body walked towards Link with its necks writhing and undulating. “No!” Link held up his shield to block a stream of fire, only for the other two to force him to run away. He jumped backwards to avoid the main body’s claws. He fired dozens of sword beams before the three heads fell to the ground, killing the Gleeok’s main body with them. “Man, some dragon.” Inside a nearby cave, he found an ornate necklace. “That’d better be some canteen.”

Link returned to the woman’s house. “How sweet. My husband gave me this.” “Well, if I’d known that, I would’ve been a lot more invested in killing that Gleeok.” “Yes, well, unfortunately he’s an abominom now. Here.” she took out a small canteen of water, her face reflected in the glass. “It’s not much, but it’ll still carry water.” “Well, I guess that’s all it has to do.” Link remarked, accepting the canteen.

Inside the lighthouse, Link found its presumed caretaker Horgum. “It’s mighty dark with all the evil about.” He rasped, “Keep this lantern full. It will light your way.” “Thanks.” “Not many left, Link. There’s Droolik, round the side of Glutko.” “Oh, um, thanks.” Link turned around, trying to understand what the old man was saying.

After arriving at firestone lake, Link came across the wizard Squadala. “Hey, you pushed me off the carpet!” “No time for pleasantries, Link. Look what has happened!” The wizard spread out his arms, until Link found himself engulfed in a vision of Zelda sleeping in her bed. “Dude, why are you showing me this? Are you some kind of perv?” Ganon appeared in a flash of blue light. “In the darkest nightmare hour, when not moon nor sun has risen, I take Zelda with my power. I shall keep her in my prison.” The vision disappeared, and Link was back on Koridai in front of the wizard. “Ganon took Zelda?! Again?!” “I’m afraid so. I regret being unable to inform you earlier.” “Well, thanks anyway. Guess I’d better defeat those faces of evil, huh?” “Ya think, boy? Now, be on your way already!”

At some point, Link found himself at spearfish falls, where he encountered an old crone. “I may be old and ugly, but I still know a few tricks.” She told him, completely unprompted, while solidifying a strand of smoke from her cauldron, “Bring some grappleberries. I’ll show you a good one.” “Uh… you got it.”

After a short while, Link brought a cluster of bright-red grappleberries to the old crone. She placed them in a bowl and poured them into her cauldron with a glove while incantating, “Stir the berries in the tub, let the juices soak the glove. Let Link fight and never cower, for his glove’s a glove of power.” The glove, now imbued with mystic energy, levitated onto Link’s hand. “Thanks.” “Now go, Link, and save Koridai.” “Understood.”

In serigon caves, Link encountered the sorceress Suprena, the self-proclaimed ice queen. “Before you face the foul fiend Ganon, you must conquer fortress centrum, where the treasure of death is hidden. Bring it to me. Begone.” “I’ll be right back.” Link nodded, and made his way to the fortress.

Eventually, Link found a tower holding a prison cell, where Zelda slept on a bed. “Okay, let’s see here. Zelda was kidnapped by Ganon, who said he’d keep her in his prison. She’s right here, but Ganon’s nowhere to be found, and she’s barely being guarded.” Link scratched his chin, looking at the sleeping princess. “Yep, nothing suspicious here! Hey Zelda, wake up!” “What? Link? You’ve saved me!” Zelda transformed into a pale-green old necromancer holding a green scepter. “You! I never could’ve seen that coming!” “I am the necromancer Goronu, faithful servant of the dark lord Ganon! Die!” He fired orbs of green magic from his scepter, forcing Link to backflip out of the way. “Not today, or any other!” Link jumped at the necromancer, his sword blocked by the scepter, only to fire a beam at the same time that struck Goronu between the eyes. “Ow! You little child!” Goronu stumbled backwards, dropping his staff. Link sliced the necromancer in the chest with the magic sword. “You can’t kill me!” He lamented, turning into dust, “No! No! No!” Link watched the dust spontaneously combust. “Well, that was easy. Almost… disappointingly easy.” He picked up the reflective crystal left behind. “Guess I’d better get this to the ice lady.”

“This shield both sword and spear deflects, but cannot stop the vilest curse. This crystal makes the shield reflect, cursing the curser with twice the curse.” Suprena created a shield with her magic, placed the crystal in the center, and granted it to Link. “Thanks. Now I can get to conquering the faces of evil.”

The first of the faces of evil that Link encountered was Goronu. Located near the southern coasts of Koridai, it was a mountainous river valley filled with the armies of the undead. Using the power glove, Link punched a boulder blocking the entrance to a cave. It was reduced to dust with a single strike, granting Link access to the dungeon. “Oh, that felt good.” Link grinned, curling and uncurling his fingers. He walked into the depths of Goronu. The enormous crypt was haunted by legions of stalfos and cycloptic ghosts, forcing Link to kill each of them while using his lantern to see in the dark. After some time, he encountered the wizard Squadala. “Look, and see Goronu.” “Wake up, sleepybones.” The necromancer animated a skeleton and granted it a suit of armor. “Find the living, and cut their vile throats.” Link charged at the dark sorcerer, cutting down the group of stalfos guarding him. “Goronu! How did you come back?” “I am a necromancer under the service of the lord of darkness.” “Whatever! I’ll just kill you again before I let you control the dead, you hideous monster!” Goronu grinned, taking off the hood of his cloak. “I may be hideous, but after a year of being frozen, you will beg to join me.” He fired dark magic from his scepter. “I’ll never beg, or join you!” Link jumped towards Goronu, the sorcery flying under him and destroying the rock that Squadala was hiding behind. “Welp. That’s my cue. You can handle this one, Link!” Squadala flew out on his carpet. At the same time, Goronu teleported away from Link’s sword before it could strike him in the head. “I won’t fall to the same trick twice, hero.” Goronu alternated between teleporting around the arena and firing bursts of accursed magic from every direction, forcing Link to shoot them out of the air with his sword beams. He stabbed the air, where Goronu appeared a split second later. “What… how is this possible?!” “Honestly, I think I just lucked out.” Link pulled the sword out of Goronu’s stomach, jumping and spinning straight up to slice straight through the necromancer’s neck. “You can’t kill me! No! No! No!” He shriveled into dust, and combusted into flame, while Link sheathed his blade. “I just did. Again.”

After conquering the first of the five faces of evil, Link journeyed to Harlequin bazaar, an over-the-top and gaudy casino in northeast Koridai. Koridians were lured to the casino to gamble, only to be turned into Harlequin’s monstrous warriors when they inevitably lost the rigged games. Eventually, Link encountered the humanoid pig jester Harlequin. “So you’re the hero going around trying to stop Ganon? Well, I’d say your chances are a million-to-none! But let’s have fun anyway.” He fired magic projectiles at Link, forcing him to block them with his shield. He ran across the room, and drove his sword into Harlequin’s stomach. Harlequin flew around the room erratically, his entire body deflating as he screamed, “Lucky shot!” “Golly!” Link picked up the deflated corpse, finding a small key in its folds. He used the key to enter an observatory where an elderly astronomer had been imprisoned by Harlequin. “The stars are made of ice. Thus, the night is cold.” “Yeah, no, I don’t think that’s right. Also, dude, I just walked in.” “Bring the crystal from serigon, and I will prove the light of ice penetrates more than fire.” “Uh… right. You got it. Weirdo.” Link traveled to the frozen serigon caves, where he obtained the ice crystal. He brought it back to the astronomer. “Okay you little kook. Show me what you’ve got.” “Very well.” The old man took the crystal and Link’s lantern, attaching a device to the lantern. “Now, if we make a simple vacuum and spin the ice just so…there!” He gave the lamp back to Link. “This is the magic lantern, which burns longer and brighter than ever before.” “Holy shoot, it actually worked.” Link droned in pure shock, numbly taking the lantern. “Thanks, Odranoel.” “Don’t mention it. Well then, I’d best get out of the way until this whole Ganon thing blows over.”

At the northeast of Koridai, Link entered the Militron fortress under Ganon’s control. A group of sword-wielding armored darknut engaged Link before he could face their master. Link blocked their blades with his shield and rolled behind them, where he sliced their backs in a single motion. The darknuts stumbled forward. Link drove his sword into one’s back, up to the hilt, causing it to seize up. In the second it took for the first darknut to crumble into a pile of inert metal, the second was already swinging its sword at Link. He sheathed his sword to jump backwards while rotating in the air, grabbing the rope from his bag at the same time as he landed on the ground. He tossed one end of the rope around the wrist that held the darknut’s sword, yanking its weapon away from it. The iron knuckle grabbed the rope in its other hand, and pulled hard, sending Link flying towards it. He managed to right himself in midair, so that he dropkicked the darknut in the chest, backflipping off of it. His shield blocked the darknut’s punches, granting him the opening he needed to grab its shoulder, using the leverage needed to vault over the darknut’s side. Link stabbed the darknut in the vulnerable back of its otherwise indestructible armor, killing it near-instantly. In the next room, Link encountered a man in a blue suit of armor, with sharp horns on his helmet. His eyes glowed a bright orange, a plume of fire erupted from his mouth and he spoke in a deep, echoing voice, “Feel the fire of war!” Link barely managed to block the fire with his shield. He slowly walked towards Militron. The warrior slammed his sword into Link’s shield, the collision of metal-on-metal reverberating through the chamber and pushing Link back. “I will not allow you to halt lord Ganon’s machinations!” Link jumped above the swing of Militron’s sword, stabbing him in the eye. Militron stepped back, grabbing the eye Link had stabbed. Link and Militron’s swords clashed against each other, until Link pushed his sword to the hilt of Militron’s. He pushed upwards, launching the blade spinning into the air. “No!” “Yes!” Link sliced and slashed at the joints in Militron’s armor, causing him to shake and stumble back. The armor fell off in pieces, revealing Militron’s true form. A frail old man, slightly shorter than Link and wearing only a pair of shorts, stuttered, “Oh my goodness, this is awful!” He ran away, leaving Link alone with his mouth hanging open. “You said it.” Link shuddered.

In the southwestern area of Koridai, Link journeyed into the Glutko face of evil. In a cave, he found a man drinking a frothy mug of actual full-on alcoholic beer with a golden false tooth. “Hey, you’re that Droolik guy, right? The lighthouse owner mentioned you a while ago.” “Yeah, that’s me. Say, where’re ya heading, partner?” “I’m going to fight Glutko!” Link unsheathed his sword for no apparent reason. “Don’t fight him, feed him!” Droolik recommended, biting into a piece of meat. “I… don’t follow. You want me to, what, bribe him or something?” “No, no, something spicy. Know what I mean?” “What?” Link’s eyes narrowed. “Oh.” His eyes widened in realization. “Oh! I get it!” Link ran out of the cave. “I’m gonna bomb Glutko!”

“I’m simply famished.” Link watched, concealed behind a boulder, as a massive green cyclops picked up a generic koridian and dropped him into his mouth. “Tastes like a daira. Perhaps just one more.” Before Glutko could devour a second Koridian, Link jumped out from behind the boulder. “Oh, goody. Mashed Link for the main course!” Link sliced his hand as he reached to grab him. As Glutko yelled in pain, Link took a bomb out of his bag. “Sorry, Glutko. This is your last meal!” He lobbed the bomb into Glutko’s mouth. “Uh oh.” He stated profoundly before exploding into oblivion. “Well. That was traumatizing.” Link walked past the cavern into a chamber, where he found a book. “This must be the book of Koridai. I’d better bring it to that guy at the library.”

Link brought the book of Koridai back to Aypo at the library. “Listen.” He read aloud from the secret verse, “Such is the power of the prince of darkness, that he can kill with a single look.” “Really? Man, I knew Ganon was ugly, but I didn’t realize he was deadly ugly.” Aypo gave Link a look before returning to his reading, “Attacks against Ganon will prove fruitless, unless Link attacks with the sacred book.” Aypo closed the book of Koridai, and handed it back to Link. “So, what, I’m just supposed to chuck this book at Ganon, and that- that’s going to- to k-kill him?!” Link stuttered through his laughter, barely able to hold onto the book. “Oh, oh wait you’re serious.” After a solid half a minute, Link’s laughter gave way to horrified realization. “Oh, wait, you’re serious. Well, there’s only one face of evil left before Ganon. I hope you know what you’re talking about, Aypo.”

After defeating the humanoid wolf Lupay, Link made his way to Ganon’s lair after defeating Lupay, Ganon’s most dangerous minion. The path to Ganon proved harsh and treacherous, easily the greatest challenge Link had faced in Koridai. After easily conquering Ganon’s forces, including Militron with repaired armor, Link made his way to the prince of darkness himself. Ganon towered over Link, his entire body glowing with a deep red outline in the darkness of his chamber. He spoke in an echoing, commanding voice, “Joyn meh, Linc, an ah wil mayk ur fayse da grrraetest in Korrridai. Er elce u wil Dye!” Link casually tossed the book of Koridai into Ganon’s face while he was talking. “No! Not into the pit! It burns!” Ganon was absorbed into the book.

Multi woke up in Wild’s house, looking around at the other 4 Links and Zelda. “What the actual sh-?!”

Chapter Text

Six people woke up in a small house. “Hey, what’s going on? Did someone swear?” Sail asked, looking around curiously. “Um. No.” Multi shrugged, “But also, whatever you heard, don’t repeat it.” “That makes no sense, but okay.” “Link?” Zelda groaned, sitting up in bed. She looked around the one-room house, at the five swordsmen who’d been sleeping on the floor. “Oh. So that wasn’t a dream. Okay, I’m going back to bed.” She lay back down, pulling the covers over her head. “Alright, so, how’d everyone sleep?” Wild asked, standing up. “On the floor.” Avian responded, pressing his hands to his back. “Oh, get over yourself.” Sail derided, “You ever sleep on a boat?” “Honestly, aside from that weird dream, I slept pretty well.” Multi supplied “Good. I’m going to go to the shop and get us some breakfast. Eggs sound good?” The other four links spoke their approval. “Right. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He left the house. “So…” Wolf crossed his arms. “...You guys wanna talk about ourselves? Maybe get to know each other a little?” “Sure.” Multi agreed, “I’ll start. Okay, so, you guys all know Ganondorf, right?” Wolf and Sail both nodded, while Avian shook his head. “He’s your king of evil, right?” “Yeah.” Sail confirmed, “He’s the monster who kidnapped my little sister.” “Yeah, that sounds like him. Anyway, when I was 12, I was living in a place called the Kokiri forest. Ganondorf put this giant spider-monster inside the great deku tree, our guardian deity, because he refused to surrender our spiritual stone.” He looked down at the floor, eyes closed for a brief moment. “I killed the monster, but I was too late. The great deku tree died. He was like a father to me. To all of us. He was counting on me, and I failed him.” “I know what that’s like.” The Links looked up at the upper layer, where Zelda was walking over to the stairs. “For your father to trust you with his life, only to fail…” Zelda put her hand on Multi’s shoulder. “Trust me, I can relate.” “You said you were 12, right?” Wolf added, “You did the best you could.” “Yeah, but it wasn’t enough. The great deku tree gave me the forest emerald, our spiritual stone, and told me to take it to Hyrule castle.” Multi smiled slightly. “Even if I couldn’t save him, at least I managed to fulfill his last request. Too bad it all went to deku nuts.” Wild entered his house, carrying a pot full of boiled eggs. “What’s this about deku nuts?” “We’re talking about our pasts.” “Sounds interesting.” Wild set down the pot in the middle of the room. “Sorry there’s no table. Or plates. Or utensils. In my defense, I wasn’t really expecting to have guests over.” “And just what were you planning to do after you freed me from the castle?” Zelda sat across from him. “Honestly, our living situation wasn’t exactly my first concern in the moment.” The other Links sat around the pot. “Good enough for now.” Sail grabbed one of the unpeeled eggs and bit into it. “So, princess, are you gonna be alright eating with your hands?” Wolf grinned at her. Zelda rolled her eyes, grabbing another egg. “I fought Calamity Ganon for a hundred years. I think I can handle eating eggs without a spoon.” She took a bite out of the egg, exposing the solid hard-boiled yolk inside. “What?!” Sail yelled, choking on his breakfast. Wolf slapped his back until he spat the egg out. “Thanks, man.” Sail turned to Zelda as though nothing had happened, “So, what’s Calamity Ganon, and how and why were you fighting it for a century?” "Calamity Ganon was an abomination born of an ancient evil.” Zelda explained the near-destruction of Hyrule and Link’s century-long recovery. “Wow. And I thought Ganon was bad where I came from.” Sail remarked. Nearby, Multi noticed Wolf looking at him intently. “What is it?” He raised his hand to his chin, “Do I have something on my face?” “What? Oh, sorry, was I staring? It’s just that something about you seems strangely familiar.” “Weird. Anyone else think I look familiar?” “Are you kidding? We all look the same.” Avian reminded him. “No, wait. Where I’m from, we have legends about someone called the hero of time.” Sail explained, “He sealed Ganondorf with help from the six sages, but then he disappeared. No one knows where he went, but when Ganondorf came back a few centuries later, there was no one to stop him since he could only be killed by the master sword, which could only be held by the chosen hero.” “And since you were fresh out of chosen heroes, it was a catch-22.” Avian surmised. “Exactly. Since no mortal could stop Ganon, the golden goddesses flooded the world. That’s why my Hyrule is a bunch of scattered islands.” “Yeah, you mentioned that yesterday.” Zelda acknowledged, “I’m not one to question the goddesses, but was flooding the world really the smartest course of action?” “Hey, I’m no deity. Maybe they just panicked.” “Panicked. Right.” Multi rolled his eyes. “Still, it’s weird how you have legends that match up with my fight with Ganon.” “Yeah. So maybe we’re all reincarnations or whatever, and not from alternate timelines.” Wild guessed aloud. “In that case, why don’t any of us have flooded Hyrules?” Wolf asked, “Is Sail the last Link? I feel like we’re missing something here.” “You’re right.” Multi agreed, “Maybe it’s some sort of branch…ing… timeline… Oh. Oh. Oh!” “What is it? Did you figure something out?” Zelda asked. “Yeah!” Multi started looking around frantically. “Does anyone have a stick?” “Here.” Wild passed him a piece of wood. “Thanks.” Multi started drawing a line on the wooden floor. “Hey, hey, that’s my floor!” “Relax, you won’t even notice. See? Here’s my theory.” He sat back up, gesturing at the floor. He’d drawn a single line that split in two at the halfway point. “You think you know how the timeline branched?” Wolf asked. “Yeah, maybe. See, during my first adventure to stop Ganon, I used this thing called the ocarina of time to access the master sword. It thought I was too young, so it sealed me in this place called the sacred realm for seven years while Ganondorf had free reign of Hyrule.” “That’s weird. I was able to use the master sword when I was 12.” Sail added. “Maybe Fi decided it wasn’t worth the risk to wait.” Avian suggested. “Who?” Wolf questioned him. “The spirit of the master sword.” “So that was the voice I heard.” Zelda muttered to herself, before looking back up. “Okay, Multi, keep going.” “Right, so after me, Zelda, and the six sages sealed Ganon in the sacred realm, Zelda used the ocarina of time to send me seven years back in time.” “So that’s why the hero of time disappeared!” Sail realized. “Exactly. We can call the timeline that I left the adult timeline…” Multi gestured to Sail. “...and the timeline where I came back can be called the child timeline. I’m guessing Wolf might be from that timeline.” “Yeah, that sounds right. If it helps any, I got my master sword from a place called the temple of time.” Multi snapped his fingers, “Yeah, that’s where I left it after Zelda returned me to the past!” “Okay, good, so we’ve got some connections.” Zelda approved, “Avian came first, then Multi, and then the timeline split with Sail on one path and Wolf on the other. But what I want to know is which timeline we’re in.” Wild shrugged, “Who knows? Calamity ganon first appeared over 10,000 years ago, and we’re the only two here familiar with it, so there’s probably nothing left either way.” “Possibly. I guess there might also be other Links that could help us put together this puzzle.” Zelda stood up, pacing and muttering to herself. “Oh boy.” Wild stood up, “Sorry guys, looks like Zelda’s gone into research mode again. We should probably leave her alone for a bit.” The five Links walked out of the house.

“Wait, research mode?” Sail questioned as they walked across the bridge in front of Wild’s house. “Yeah. I don’t know about you guys, but my Zelda’s obsessed with ancient Hyrule. The history, technology, all of it.” He smiled as he reminisced, “Back before the great calamity, she used to get so excited when she found something out about the guardians and the divine beasts, and she’d start pacing around and talking to herself, and she was just so cute when she was running around looking for her notes.” Sail looked over at Multi and Avian. “Are they…” Multi shrugged, while Avian waved his palm neutrally, “No, but let’s give it some time.” “Give what some time? What are you guys talking about?” The four Links all exchanged glances at each other before Wolf asked, hesitantly, “Wild, do you have a crush on Zelda?” “What? No, I don’t-no. Zelda’s the princess of Hyrule, and I’m her knight. That’s it. It’s just my job to protect her.” “Seriously? You just called her cute.” Avian pointed out. “That… that doesn’t mean anything. We’re just good friends. I’d do anything to keep her safe and happy, and I’d annihilate anyone who hurts her, but that doesn’t mean I’m in love with her or anything. Besides, like I said, I’m just a knight and she’s the princess. It wouldn’t work out.” “Yeah, okay. You keep telling yourself that.” Wolf rolled his eyes. “Come on.” Wild pointed over to two mountainous slopes with a crevice between them, “Let’s go over to dueling peaks. I want to show you guys the view.”

A few hours later, the five Links had climbed to the top of one of the dueling peaks. The other stood parallel, with Hyrule field stretching for miles in every direction. The ruins of the castle could be seen in the distance, with a few scattered settlements at the outskirts of the field. The volcanic death mountain towered overhead in the north, and the wintry spires of the rito settlement could be seen miles away to the west. “Holy…” Multi stared out into the distance, “This is… this has gotta be a hundred times bigger than my Hyrule.” “Yeah, I guess we sort of expanded our territory in the last few dozen millenia.” Sail stood there, silent, mouth hanging open, until he dropped to his knees. “There’s just… so much land.” Wolf put his hands on Sail’s shoulders. “You grew up on an island, right? This must be pretty overwhelming for you, huh?” “Yeah.” Sail tried to breathe, “Where’s… all the water?” Wild pointed into the distance, “The ocean’s that way. Plus there’s Zora’s domain.” “Zoras? You mean those fish guys who evolved into the rito?” “No, I’m pretty sure the rito are a different species entirely.” Wild considered, “So I must be from Wolf’s timeline.” “Yeah, I guess so.” Wolf nodded, “Hey, Sail, you alright now?” “Yeah.” Sail stood up, his legs shaking slightly. “It’s all, y’know, a lot. Come on, let’s get back to your place.” “Alright, kid.” Wild put a hand on top of his younger counterpart’s head. “Let’s head back.” The Links started climbing back down the dueling peaks.

Partway down the mountain, on a grassy natural landing, the Links heard a loud, shrill laughter from everywhere and nowhere simultaneously. They all drew their swords. Wolf identified the source of the laughter, “Zant!” The robed wizard teleported into the sky overhead. “Ah, there you are Link.” He gestured to the group with his sleeve-covered arm. “And also… Link, Link, Link, and Link? Just what is going on here?” “Honestly, man, we’re still trying to figure that out ourselves.” Avian explained, “We think it has something to do with reincarnation and parallel timelines, but we still have no idea how we all got here.” Multi briefly glanced to the side. “Now isn’t that interesting?” Zant dove towards them, spinning erratically with blades outstretched in both hands. The Links dodged the strike as Zant glided less than a foot above the ground towards Wolf. Wolf held up his shield to block a flurry of sword blows, before striking Zant with his sword. Zant yelled in pain before laughing, jumping backwards multiple times while spinning and somersaulting through the air. “Guys, be careful! Zant’s completely insane; there’s no telling what he’ll do!” “How about this, for example!” Zant grew to 20 feet in height overhead, bringing his foot down on the Links. They dove off the piece of land they were on, struggling to find their footing while avoiding the rockslide. “Now this is fun!” Zant disappeared and instantly reappeared in his normal size on the mountainside. “Kid, behind you!” Multi yelled. Sail held up his shield to block a downward slash from both of Zant’s swords, sending him falling down the mountain. Wolf dove feet-first at Zant, kicking him in the face and sending them both into a free-fall. Multi used a transformation mask to turn into a deku scrub. “Someone throw me at them!” “On it!” Wild grabbed Multi with one hand, holding the mountain with the other, and lobbed him at the midair fistfight. “Wolf! Get him in front!” “What?” Multi transformed into a goron, fist outstretched. “Oh, I get it!” Wolf realized. He sheathed his sword, grabbing Zant by both arms to throw him into position. “Oh cucco eggs!” Multi’s goron fist slammed into Zant’s stomach, launching him through the air. “Nice one!” Wolf grinned as they both landed on the side of the mountain, where Multi left a dent in the rock. “Not nice enough!” Zant appeared in a flash of green light, slashing at Multi from behind. The rocks covering his back protected him from the strike, at the cost of his goron form being too slow to land a hit on the teleporting sorcerer. “I can’t aim!” Avian complained, holding an arrow in his bow, struggling to fire while keeping his precarious footing. The rocks under him crumbled to dust, causing him to fall down the mountain while the arrow launched out of his bow errantly. After a brief moment’s free-fall, he grabbed a ledge of stone jutting out of the mountain’s side. “I’m okay!” He watched as Multi attempted to strike Zant to no avail. “This is fun! You just don’t know when I’ll go in front and stab that soft, vulnerable underbelly of yours.” Multi shapeshifted into a zora just as Zant teleported in front of him, catching his blade between his hands, less than an inch from his stomach. “Then maybe I should change things up.” He forced Zant upwards, jumping backwards to avoid the swing of his other blade. Multi kicked off the mountain face, somersaulting in midair to slice at zant with his elbow-blades. They fell onto a small grassy ledge, facing each other. “So, another shapeshifter, huh? Just like wolf-boy.” Zant lunged at Multi, faster than he could register, his blades outstretched. Wolf jumped between them, his master sword descending onto Zant’s head. The dark sorcerer stepped backwards, howling in pain and holding his head, his swords dropping to the ground. “Thanks for the save. I mean, I could’ve blocked him no problem, but thanks.” “Don’t mention it.” Wolf kept his sword trained on Zant. “Twili usurper, explain how you came back to life. Now.” “Well, see, that’s a funny story. I don’t actually know. One minute I’m dead, the next I’m here.” He raised his arms. His swords glowed a sickly green-blue and levitated in front of him. “Let’s see if you can do the same!” The swords dove at Wolf and Multi, forcing them to roll forwards under them and towards Zant. Multi took off his zora mask mid-roll before unfolding himself in his hylian form, jumping off of Wolf’s back to swing his master sword into Zant’s shoulder. “I’ve got tall, dark, and ugly! You deal with the swords!” “Right.” Wolf pulled two devices out of his satchel. He launched two separate chains, each with three claws on the end, from the devices that latched onto the hilts of Zant’s swords. “Got ’em!” The swords pulled Wolf closer to the edge. “Never mind!” Nearby, Zant punched Multi in the stomach with a robe-concealed fist, sending him flying onto his back. Before Multi could stand up, Zant started jumping on his stomach, causing him to scream in pain, “Little… help… here!” “Sorry! I’ve got my own thing here!” Wolf called back. Zant’s swords pulled him off the ledge, his breath catching in his throat as he kicked the mountain face in a vain attempt to right himself. “Guysweneedhelpnow!” “On it.” Avian jumped down onto the ledge, stabbing Zant’s chest with his master sword before helping Multi to his feet. “Thanks.” Sail and Wild jumped behind Zant to slice his back in an X-pattern. Multi and Avian nodded at each other. While Multi charged at Zant alongside Sail and Wild, Avian jumped off the ledge. He pulled out two devices similar to Wolf’s, using them to grab the tips of Zant’s swords. He and Wolf dangled across from each other, some ten feet below the swords. “You have clawshots too?” Wolf asked. “They have their uses.” “So…” Wolf looked up, “Now what?” Avian followed his gaze. “I don’t know. I didn’t really think this through.”

Zant spun himself in a line across the ledge, his swords outstretched to either side, forcing Multi, Sail, and Wind to dodge him to the other end of the ledge. He continued around the perimeter of the ledge, his shrill laughter echoing off the mountain. “I can’t tell what he’ll do first, slice us to ribbons or burst our eardrums open.” Sail complained. Wild activated a spherical remote bomb, throwing it at Zant. The second before Zant would’ve knocked it back at him, Wild activated the bomb. The blue explosion knocked Zant off the ledge. The three Links ran over to the edge of the outcropping, watching as Zant repeatedly fell on the side of the mountain, his descent constantly interrupted by smaller outcroppings. “That works.” Sail remarked. “I knew it would.” Multi pointed over to where Avian and Wolf were hanging from Zant’s swords. “We should probably-” The glow disappeared from the blades, causing them and the two Links to fall through the air. “We should definitely help them!” Multi corrected himself, running over to the edge of the outcropping.

Avian and Wolf retracted their clawshots, allowing the twilight usurper’s swords to fall between them. Avian whistled, looking around in a panic. “What was that?!” “Sorry. Force of habit.” “That explains nothing! C’mere!” Wolf grabbed Avian by the torso using one of his clawshots. Avian yelped as Wolf dragged him away from the mountain face. He fired the opposite clawshot upwards, grasping onto a fist-sized rock jutting out of the natural wall. “Okay. Now it’s my turn.” Avian grabbed onto another rock, some 10 feet above him. “Let me go.” “Got it.” Wolf retracted the clawshot from Avian, allowing the former to drag himself upwards by his own device. "C'mon!" He used the other clawshot to drag himself upwards. "Not a bad idea." Wolf remarked, doing the same.

Multi watched as his brethren ascended the dueling peaks. “Nevermind, guys. They’ve got it.” “Hold on.” Wild turned on the magnesis rune. “You two, try aiming those things at the magnesis beams! They’re metal, so I should be able to draw you guys in!” The two Links each fired a clawshot into one of the beams, allowing Wild to drag them onto the ledge with the rest of them with no small amount of effort. “Man, that thing’s incredible.” Avian remarked, tapping the back of the sheikah slate. “Whaddaya call these things?” “Runes. They’re pieces of sheikah tech from over a century ago. So’s that tower over there.” Link pointed at an enormous structure in the distance, like a spear aiming at the sky itself. Multi gestured to the tower, “Guess the sheikah got a lot more powerful over time. We’re I’m from, there’s only a few of them, and they didn’t have anything close to this level of tech. Not much tech at all, really.” “The only sheikah I know was an old woman named Impa.” Avian explained, “I don’t think she used any tech, but I saw some ancient robots and remnants of technology from thousands of years before my time.” “Wait, wait, wait, Impa? I knew a sheikah named Impa!” Multi realized. “Seriously? Small timeline. But no seriously, that is… really weird. Any ideas? Anyone else know any Impas?” “I met a lady named Impaz.” Wolf supplied. “Impa helped start me on my quest in the first place.” Wild added, “Maybe it’s a name that was passed down through the sheikahs for whatever reason. Avian, you knew an Impa. So if you’re the original Link, then she must’ve been the original Impa.” “That checks out. She was sent by the goddess Hylia to protect her mortal form, Zelda.” Multi nodded, “In my time, the sheikah are dedicated to protecting the royal family of Hyrule. I guess they were doing it before Hyrule even existed, let alone had a royal family. That’s some serious dedication.” “Yeah, about that.” Wild corrected him, “More than 10,000 years ago, after the first time Calamity Ganon showed up, the sheikah started getting a lot more powerful. Especially…” He held up his sheikah slate with one hand and pointed at the distant sheikah tower with the other, “...with their tech. People started getting paranoid about them, and eventually the king had to exile them. Some of the sheikah gave up their technology, but others started using dark magic. They renamed themselves the Yiga clan, and started worshiping Calamity Ganon. So in a way, it was kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy.” “There’s no ‘in a way’ about it.” Sail deadpanned, “That’s exactly what it was.” “Okay, well, true.” Wild looked down where Zant could no longer be seen. "So, everyone enjoy the tour?" Avian nodded. "For a post-apocalyptic wasteland, your Hyrule's not half bad." "Uh, yeah, thanks. Come on, let's go back to my place and see if Zelda's made any progress."

The five Links walked into Wild’s house. Zelda was lying on the floor, surrounded by papers strewn around the single room. “Hey, uh, Zelda? What are you doing?” Sail asked nervously. She shot up, eyes wide, hands shaking while holding two pencils. “I’m trying to figure this out. How there can be different timelines. How you guys!” She gestured wildly at the group, “Came here from parallel timelines! Just what happened to cause this?!” “Oh, well, we just ran into Zant. I fought him back in my timeline.” Wolf supplied. “Oh. Okay then.” Zelda tore one of the papers in half, before starting to write on two at once. “Okay, Zelda.” Wild took a few steps closer to her. “Maybe you should get some sleep. This can’t be healthy.” He glanced at the notes she’d scrawled, some having missed the paper entirely and etched into his floor. “No seriously. Please stop.” “Sleep? You want me to sleep when I might be on the verge of cracking a multiversal code?!” Zelda stood up, yelling, “I don’t need sleep! I need answers!” “I know how this happened.” Zelda turned to Multi. “What? How?” “Yeah, funny story about that. It was me. I did it.” Zelda blinked. She fell to the ground unconscious. The five Links turned their gazes down at her. “Great!” Avian slapped Multi on the back of the head, “You killed Zelda!” “Relax, she’s fine.” Wild picked Zelda up and carried her over to the only bed in the house. “She just needs to stop overworking herself so much.” He set Zelda down, and turned around. He looked down over the railing. “So, Multi, you wanna tell us how you broke the timelines?”

Chapter Text

Zant crawled across the grassy plains of Hyrule, his entire body aching. “Please, my lord!” He cried out to the sky, “I was loyal up to my demise and beyond! Please, I just need more power to annihilate our green-clad foes!” “More power, you say?” A deep, booming voice interrupted him. “What?! Who said that?!” Zant looked to the side at the source of the voice. He yelled in surprise, standing up unnaturally fast. The man in front of him was inhumanly tall and muscular, wearing elaborate armor, with a mane of bright red hair. “Who are you?” The man narrowed his eyes at Zant. His entire body radiated power. “Surely you must recognize me, my god. It’s me, Zant. The once and future ruler of the twilight realm, and your greatest servant.” Zant bowed, his entire body folding in half as though he had no bones. “Zant… I suppose that name is… somewhat familiar. There is something there, at the back of my mind. And you seem strong, yet not nearly strong enough to be a threat should you challenge me. Very well then. I will allow you to serve under me.” “Excellent, my lord!” Zant stood upright, his arms spread skyward, “And together, this world will be ours! All worlds will be ours!” The man with fiery red hair grinned wide enough to show his teeth. “Exactly.”

The five Links spent a few hours waiting for Zelda to wake up, at Multi’s suggestion that Zelda listen to his explanation alongside the others. “Oh.” Zelda groaned, rubbing her eyes as she sat up, “My head. Wuh… what happened?” “Zelda, you’re up!” Wild acknowledged, “Multi’s got something to explain to all of us.” “Um, okay, then.” She walked downstairs, sitting in a circle on the floor with the other inhabitants. “So, Multi, what’s your story?” “Okay, so, I told you guys about Termina, right? Evil mask demon trying to drop the moon?” “Yeah, I heard.” Zelda confirmed. “Good. Well, after I saved Termina and returned to Hyrule, I fell through a portal into another alternate dimension.” “How many alternate dimensions have you been too, exactly?” Wild asked incredulously. “Well, there’s Termina, and the squid world, and if this is an alternate Hyrule-” “Hold up, squid world? What the hell is a squid world?” “Language!” Wolf slapped Sail on the back of the head. “But also yeah, what the hell?” “Seriously?” Sail narrowed his eyes. “Hey, I’m an adult. I can swear all I want.” “Guys, focus.” Avian insisted. Multi looked between the group, making sure they were finished. “Thank you. Anyway, the squid world had these people who looked like hylians, but their hair was tentacles and they could shapeshift into cephalopods and they bled ink. They called themselves ‘inklings’ and ‘octolings’. I spent an entire year teaming up with them and these other guys from a bunch of other parallel universes. We fought a bunch of monsters and interdimensional threats together, including Majora when it returned and possessed one of the inklings’ crazy ex.” “That raises a few questions.” Wolf acknowledged, eyebrows raised. “Alright. Give me some.”

Multi explained everything he’d experienced in Inkopolis, from when he fell through a portal into a cave until the death of Typhoeus. “Okay, so after all that was done, we all got warped back to our universes by a group of deities from Pit and Dark Pit’s dimension. I had already decided that I was tired of being two different ages simultaneously. I was sick of being a 19-year old stuck in the body of a 12-year old. I figured that if I just pulled the master sword out of its pedestal again, well, that would be it. I’d be back to my normal age, and everything would be fine.” “I’m guessing it didn’t work out?” Avian surmised. “Apparently not. Next thing I knew, I woke up in a forest, in this Hyrule.” “So, you’re the reason why this happened?” Wild pointed at Multi, eyes narrowed. “Yeah. So, what, are you going to kick me out of the group?” “Of course not.” Zelda interjected, “Sure, you may have caused who knows how much damage to the universe, but that clearly wasn’t your intention and besides, you could well be instrumental to fixing your mistake.” “That’s my plan. To fix my mistake.” “Okay, okay, but there’s just one thing I don’t get. Well, a few things, actually, but first…” Wolf questioned, “If you’re ground zero for whatever’s going on here, then why are we all getting warped here and not to your Hyrule? Plus, how’d Zant come back to life in the first place?” “Those are all excellent questions.” Multi admitted, “Unfortunately, I don’t have any answers.” “That’s unfortunate.” Zelda thought for a moment, “Okay, so clearly there’s something that drew you all to this time period, in this timeline. We just need some way of figuring out what. Unfortunately, I’ve got no idea what that could be.” “Maybe there’s someone we could visit? Someone who might know more about what’s going on here than we do?” Sail piped up. Zelda shrugged, “Possibly. But the only two people I can think of who might have that kind of knowledge are Purah and Robbie. And even then, that’s a hard maybe, plus the fact that Link- sorry, Wild’s the only one with a sheikah slate means we’ll have to travel on foot.” “Yeah, tr- wait, I’m sorry, we?” Wild asked. “Well, yeah. I haven’t seen most of Hyrule since before the great calamity, so I figure I should go with you guys.” “That’s a terrible idea.” Wild insisted, “We just fought that Zant guy earlier, and with everything going on, who knows what other psychos might show up?” Zelda nodded, “Okay, I hear you. Counterpoint: where do you think I’ll be safer? Here, in a wooden house in a small village, or staying with you guys?” Avian nudged Wild in the shoulder. “She’s got you there, man.” “Okay, Zelda, you can come with us.” “Yes!” Zelda jumped up excitedly, “I’m going on an adventure! Plus, I’ve got the full power of the triforce, so I can take care of myself just fine.” “Well why didn’t you lead with that, then?” Wolf questioned her. Zelda blinked. “Oh. I didn’t think of that at first.” “Putting that triforce of wisdom to great use, aren’t you?” Multi snarked. “Yeah, I guess I’m just out of practice using that one. More importantly, we should try visiting Purah first. Robbie technically knows more about ancient sheikah tech, but Purah lives much closer. It shouldn’t take more than an hour to get there.”

“Wow.” Zelda stood in front of the Hateno ancient tech lab with the five Links, barely a few minutes after leaving Wild’s house. “I forgot how close this was to the town. Guess I’ve forgotten a lot after 100 years of fighting Ganon.” “Well, then it’s probably a good thing you’re coming with us.” Multi decided, “And besides, maybe Wild could show you around. Y’know, have some one-on-one time-” “Heythatdoor’snotgonnaknockitself!” Wild ran the hundred feet to the front door of the lab, knocking on it frantically. “Purah! Open up, now! Please!” The door opened. Wild looked down at the small girl in the entrance. “You need something… Link…?” “Oh!” Zelda practically squealed, running over and kneeling so she was at eye level with Purah, “You’re so cute! Are you Purah’s daughter? Who’d she hook up with? Where’s your mom, sweetie?” Purah’s mouth hung open, her eyes wide in shock. “Zelda? You’re actually back? I am Purah!” “Wait, really?” Purah opened the door wider, letting the group inside. “So, your age-manipulation experiment actually worked?” “Yep!” Purah jumped onto a stool in front of a table. “Some might even say it worked too well, myself included. Anyway-” Her eyes widened. “Link. Why are there five of you?” “It’s a long story.” Multi admitted, “And also sort of my fault.” He explained their names and what he’d done with the master sword in his own time. “Wow.” Purah stared down. “That’s… a lot to process. I hate to tell you this, but I have no idea what’s going on. I’m just a sheikah scientist. A genius sheikah scientist, of course, but I don’t know the first thing about time travel or the timelines. And Symin’s out today, but I doubt he’d understand any more than I do.” “Yeah, I kinda figured. Do you think Robbie might be able to help?” Wild asked. “I sincerely doubt it. Us sheikahs are generally tech geniuses. This is way outside our area of expertise. Still, I guess it couldn’t hurt to at least try.” “Right.” Wild looked over his map. “Okay, it should take us about half a day to get to the Akkala ancient tech lab, give or take a few hours.” “We should head out right now.” Zelda decided, “Sail can ride behind me on Storm, Wild and Multi can take the master cycle zero, and the rest of you…” She looked between the group. “I’m sure we can find you some horses at a stable.” A man burst through the doors, screaming, “Purah! Zelda! Link! Something’s wrong! It’s night!” “Symin, you’re back? Wait, what about night?” “Zelda, you’re back!” Symin exclaimed, “And Link! You’ve…” His eyes narrowed. “You’ve… what, have you procreated?” “Not in the slightest.” Multi shrugged, “I just accidentally broke time. Sorry, my bad.” “Guys, I think I might know what’s going on here.” Wolf sprinted outside. The entirety of Hateno village was covered in the dense fog of twilight, including the tech lab and Wild’s house on the outskirts. “I should’ve known he wouldn’t go down that easy.” Wolf muttered, before looking back and calling, “Guys, come on! Zant’s back!” “They never do go down easy, do they?” Avian walked towards the door, hand on the hilt of the sword sheathed on his back. Zelda wrung her hands together, grinning. “Looks like I’ll get to unleash the full power of the triforce again.” Wild slowly backed away from her. “I’m not used to seeing you this bloodthirsty.” “What can I say? I guess these things just bring out another side of me.”

While Purah and Symin stayed inside their lab, the Links and Zelda made their way into the middle of Hateno village. Multiple civilians ran past them, screaming, away from a dozen eldritch horrors. Each stood six feet tall, hunched over and walking on all fours. Their fingers were uncannily long. Their entire bodies were as black as a midnight sky, with occult red symbols on their chests and backs. They wore oversized masks constructed of a black metal, with vaguely solar patterns engraved on them, and dozens of tentacles above and below each mask. “Wolf.” Avian presumed, “You know these guys?” “Yeah, they’re called shadow beasts. Zant must’ve summoned them somehow.” “Then let’s kill them already!” Sail charged forward, master sword unsheathed, slicing at one of the shadow beast’s masks. Instead of the expected clang of metal-on-metal, there was the sound of a blade cleaving through raw meat. “That’s no mask!” Sail jumped back a few times, “That’s their face! Their ugly ugly faces!” “Yeah, that too.” Wolf grabbed his sword’s hilt, watching as a shadow beast lept towards him. At the right distance, he unsheathed his blade, slicing the demon in half. Avian jumped off one of the shadow beast’s faces, flipping in midair while unsheathing his sword in order to thrust it straight downward into the monster’s head. Wild ducked under a shadow beast’s arm, turning around and impaling it through the chest. The shadow beast screeched in pain, Wild throwing it into one of its brethren. “Time for you two to go out with a bang!” He manifested a spherical remote bomb and threw it into the tangle of limbs, activating it to kill both demons simultaneously. Sail backflipped away from a shadow beast, jabbing his sword into its blank face. He bent his entire body while the sword was embedded, kicking the shadow beast in the chest, before swinging the master sword up and out of it. The blade launched out of his hands, spinning through the air until it stabbed through the head of a shadow beast attempting to strike him from behind. Multi held up his shield to block a shadow beast’s hand, jabbing his sword out into its face. He shapeshifted into a goron in order to throw a shadow beast into another, killing them both instantly. He put on the zora mask, throwing out the elbow blades to decapitate two of the demons simultaneously. Wild faced a shadow beast, surrounded by corpses. “You’re the only one left!” The shadow beast raised its face and arms skyward, tentacles writhing. It screamed, an animalistic howl that radiated outwards. The entire group of six clutched their heads, collapsing to their knees while screaming silently in agony. The pieces of each shadow demon moved closer to each other by their own volition. The demons reattached their body parts, standing up and snarling. “What…” Multi stood up, groaning, “What was that? It feels like my head is gonna ex- woah!” He instinctively held up his shield to block the shadow beast that jumped at him. “Yeah, I probably should’ve told you.” Wolf turned a few times while slicing 4 different shadow beasts, “Once there’s only one left, it’ll revive all the other shadow beasts in the area.” “Seriously?!” Zelda yelled, punching one of the shadow beasts in its face. She winced, her entire forearm numb from the impact. “You should’ve led with that!” She ran away from the shadow beast. “Okay.” She held up her limp arm. “Just gotta call on the power of the triforce.” She stepped back from the shadow beast. “Come on, triforce.” One of the shadow beasts wrapped its tentacles around her head from behind. “Hylia help me!” She tried to wrest the tendrils off one side of her face, her other arm still hanging limp at her side. The tendrils dropped off her face abruptly. “Did I-” Zelda turned around. Wild had impaled the shadow beast on his sword. “Oh. That makes more sense.” She watched as he ran past her to jump-slash at the other shadow beast. “You okay?” “I’m fine. Mostly. But why can’t I call on the triforce?” “Don’t worry about that right now.” Wolf reassured her, fighting another shadow beast, “These guys are pushovers. Just make sure to take out the last two at the same time.” “Understood!” Multi charged at a shadow beast. He put on the goron mask, throwing the shadow beast into its last brethren, killing them both. “Done.” He transformed back into a hylian. “Alright team, that oughta do it.” Wolf decided, as the group sheathed their blades. “Then why is it still dusk?” Multi pointed up at the twilit sky. “I’ll be happy to take credit for that!” They looked up to find Zant, standing atop a house with his arms outstretched. “Zant!” Wolf yelled, “Come down here and face us, you coward!” Zant’s shrill laughter filled the air. “But I don’t need to face you, now that my god has returned!” Wolf’s face paled. “Oh no. Not him. He can’t be back! I watched him die! But I also watched you die. Guys!” He unsheathed the master sword. “Get ready for a fight!” A laughter, low and gravelly, manifested from seemingly nowhere. “It’s… him.” Multi recognized. A man walked around the corner. He wore an ornate set of armor. His hair, oversized eyebrows, sideburns, and beard were a fiery red. He wore a golden circlet atop his head, with 7 spikes. The five inner spikes gave way to lines of gold, leading to a red hexagonal oblong gemstone on his forehead. “Ganondorf?” Multi cocked his head to the side, “Guys, careful. He looks different.” “You’re right. He looks stronger somehow, and he wasn’t exactly a pushover last time.” “Who cares?! He’s going down!” Sail charged at Ganondorf. The man took a trident off his back, swinging it at Sail. He barely managed to hold up his shield in time to prevent his own disembowelment, yelling as he flew backwards into a wall, hard enough to leave a dent in the wood. “Ow.” He stood up, sword and shield on the ground. “Okay, he might be a bit stronger than last time.” “So, this guy’s the second demon king, huh?” Avian held his sword straight up, “Let’s see how he matches up! Skyward strike!” He shot out a disc of blue light at Ganondorf. He sliced it in half with barely a flick of the wrist. “Oh. I guess he matches up pretty well.” “Second demon king?” Ganondorf snarled, the first words he’d spoken in the encounter, “Are you suggesting that I have a predecessor?” “Tell him nothing!” Zelda ran at Ganondorf, placing her recovered palm on his chest. “Come on, triforce!” Ganondorf looked down at the much smaller girl. “Come on! This is the part where something magic happens!” Ganondorf laughed. Zelda stepped back, eyes widened in fear and shock. “What? Why isn’t the triforce working?!” Ganondorf slowly walked toward her. “I can’t sense the triforce!” “You’re right.” Ganondorf confirmed, “I can’t sense the triforce in you, child.” “What happened? I know I had it!” Ganondorf lunged forward, hand outstretched, and pinned her to the ground. “If you don’t have the triforce, then I have no need for you.” “Get away from her!” Wild screamed, jumping at Ganondorf, embedding his sword up to the hilt in his shoulder. The armor around the sword collapsed and cracked, green blood dripping down Ganondorf’s arm. He screamed in pain, swiping his arm to knock Wild off of him. “My lord!” Zant jumped down, kicking Wild in the face. “How dare you strike my god?!” “Just watch me!” Wild manifested two remote bombs, one cubic and the other spherical, and threw them both at Zant. He activated the bombs in midair, knocking Zant onto his back. Ganondorf stood up, the master sword gradually falling out of his skin with wet, visceral sounds. He held his shoulder. His breaths were sharp and labored. His eyes glossed over. “I leave them to you now, Zant. Do not disappoint me.” He disappeared in a short-lived cloud of darkness. “Well, you heard the god. Allow yourselves to die by my blades, and surrender yourselves unto the twilight realm.” “How’s this for a deal?” Wolf held out his master sword. “You run back home, and we don’t slice you into ribbons for what you did to Midna.” “What, that upstart princess of twilight? You’re really going to avenge her?” “Yeah, pretty much!” Wolf ran at Zant. The usurper held out his blade, arm still concealed under his baggy sleeve. A deathly green glow appeared around Wolf’s entire body. Zant angled his arm upwards, lifting Wolf into the air from ten feet away as he gasped and sputtered for breath. His arms twitched as he tried to claw at his own throat, only for his entire body to remain paralyzed into rigidity. “My god has made me more powerful than ever! You don’t stand a chance!” “Oh, really?” Sail whispered, running off to the side, “Then let’s see how you deal with-” “I hear you, little boy.” Zant turned around, throwing Wolf into Sail and knocking them both over. He glided over to them with his swords raised. “Stay away from them!” Wild shot a fire arrow at Zant, causing him to pause in his tracks. “Now really, what was that supposed to-” He looked down at the fire partially covering his robes. “Oh.” Zant abruptly started screaming, jumping around between the two houses. Multi tried to aim at him, an ice arrow nocked in his bow. “Maybe this’ll cool you off!” He fired the arrow at a precise trajectory, covering Zant in a cold fog. Zant jumped out of the fog with blinding speed, slashing Multi across the chest with both swords. Multi yelled in pain, falling to the ground. Zant had been far enough away that while his tunic had a diagonal cross pattern torn out of it, Multi’s skin was only grazed. “My turn!” He jumped back to his feet, attempting to drive his blade into Zant’s stomach. Zant caught the master sword in between his own weapons. Wolf loaded a bomb arrow into his bow, aiming a few feet behind Zant. “Okay, just gotta make sure Multi’s out of range-” Zant pushed Multi’s arms up, preparing to slice through his skin. “Nevermind!” He fired the bomb arrow. It exploded directly behind Zant, sending him flying over Multi onto the nearest roof, screaming in pain. Multi looked around, briefly confused. “Uh, thanks. And where do I get one of those?” “Maybe I’ll let you borrow one sometime.” “Guys, look!” Zelda pointed at Zant. He’d levitated in the air, arms outstretched to the dusk-tainted sky. Circles of twilight magic radiated out from his torso. The clouds overhead merged together into a vortex. “Wolf, he’s your nemesis! What’s he doing?!” “No clue, but it’s Zant. Don’t let your guard down for a second.” Someone behind him screamed in agony. A hylian woman fell to her knees, clutching her head and screaming. Her limbs elongated. Her clothes merged with her body and turned pitch-black. Runes engraved themselves into her chest and back like red burn marks. Her agonized screaming went silent as her face was covered in an expressionless mask, dozens of tentacles growing out of the top and bottom of her head. “No. No no no this can’t be happening.” Wolf muttered, horrified. Hateno village was filled with dozens of deafening screams, each abruptly cut off as another hylian was transformed by Zant’s magic. “We need to do something!” Wild placed three bomb arrows into a single bowstring. He fired them simultaneously at three different angles, all aimed at Zant. Less than an inch from their target, all three bomb arrows were intercepted by a wave of twilight magic. Knocked off course, they exploded harmlessly in midair. “Did you really think that would stop me?” The hylian woman who’d transformed in front of the Links and Zelda lunged at the latter. Wild jumped in front of Zelda, turning his sword in his hands to strike the shadow beast with the hilt. “Guys, we can’t hurt them! We need to retreat, now!” “He’s right. We need to regroup and replan.” Zelda ran away from Zant. “I just hope Storm’s alrigh-.” A shadow beast jumped on her from the side, pinning her to the ground. Wild instinctively pulled out a fire arrow, hesitated, and exchanged it for an ice arrow. He froze the shadow beast’s torso and arms, allowing Zelda to free herself. “Thanks.” She told the others, “Anyone who has ice arrows, now’s the time to use them.” Multi, Sail, and Wild shot dozens of corrupted hylians with freezing projectiles, harmlessly incapacitating them. “Storm, come on!” Zelda jumped on her fairly large horse, helping Sail and Avian climb on behind her. The horse whinnied in protest. “Sorry about the extra weight, but we’re desperate.” Wild summoned the master cycle zero. “Multi, turn into that scrub thing. Wolf, get on behind me and hold onto both of us. Think you can manage?” “50/50, but it’s our best option.” “Good enough for now.” Multi put on the deku mask. Wolf picked him up, climbing onto the vehicle behind Wild. The group retreated from the village, leaving the snarling shadow beasts behind. “Can they follow us?” Avian yelled over the rev of the cycle’s engine. “Last I checked, they shouldn’t be able to leave the area!” Wolf explained, “But if Zant really is stronger than last time, no doubt he’ll be expanding the area of twilight. Any idea where we can hide?” Wild thought for a moment, “You guys can’t teleport, so the great plateau’s right out. Besides, Kakariko village is much closer.” “Kakariko? Hey, I know that place!” Multi realized, Wolf still holding him. “Yeah, I’ve been there.” Wolf agreed. “Hey, Avian, you’re the original Link, right? Kakariko ring a bell to you?” “Nope, must be after my time. I’m technically older than Hyrule itself, remember?” “You look pretty good for your age.” Sail interjected, “But Hyrule doesn’t really exist anymore where I’m from, so I don’t have a Kakariko either.” “Let’s focus, guys. It shouldn’t take us more than a day to reach Kakariko.” She stroked Storm’s mane. “Sorry about this. I promise, I’ll let you rest when we’re done.” They continued to Kakariko village, leaving Hateno behind.

Chapter Text

The sun descended upon Hyrule. The group walked into a small village. “Impa lives here.” Wild gestured to a house with a 24-foot staircase, “Maybe we can ask if she knows anything?” “I doubt it.” Zelda thought aloud, “But it’s not like we have a lot of options. Let’s stop here.” Multi took off the deku mask. Wild retracted the master cycle zero into the sheikah slate. Zelda left Storm to lie down in the grass out of the way. “Get some rest. You’ve earned it.” She stood up, and nodded. “Let’s go see her.”

The five Links and the former princess reached Impa’s porch. “Okay, team.” Wild decided, “Let me go first. I don’t think Impa knows Zelda is free yet, and you guys… well, y’know. What I’m trying to say here is, we don’t want to overwhelm her.” “He’s right.” Wolf agreed, “Let’s stand back for now.” The others walked over to the corner of the porch. Wild knocked on the door. “Impa, it’s me, Link. I’ve got something to talk about with you.” “Come in, child.” Wild opened the door. “I have a bad feeling.” Impa stated, “Something went wrong, didn’t it?” “Yeah. Good news, I saved Zelda and we destroyed Calamity Ganon.” Impa smiled. “That is good news. I never lost faith in you.” “Thanks. Anyway, the bad news is that the timeline kind of sort of broke.” Impa blinked in response. “What?”

Wild spent some time explaining to Impa the circumstances regarding his fellow Links, Ganondorf’s return, and Zant corrupting Hateno village. “This is troubling indeed. Where are these other versions of yourself?” “Oh, they’re right outside.” Wild knocked on the inside of the door. “Guys, you can come in now.” Zelda walked inside, followed by the remaining four Links. Impa’s eyes widened. “I almost didn’t believe you. So, Hateno village truly has fallen.” “I’m afraid so.” Zelda confirmed, “I know it’s a long shot, but is there anything you know of that might be able to help us? Perhaps some ancient treasure or artifact that could give us an edge?” Impa looked off to the side, lost in thought. “Paya! We have some visitors you might want to see!” “Coming, grand… ma…” A young sheikah woman paused at the bottom of the stairs, staring slack-jawed at the group. “L-Link- I- you- five- wha-how-?” Impa chuckled despite herself, while Zelda, Multi, Avian, Wolf, and Sail stared at her apparent granddaughter in confusion. “Sorry, guys.” Wild explained, “She’s always like this. It’s kinda cute, but I honestly have no idea how she gets anything done.” Sail slapped his own forehead, muttering, “I’m 12 and even I can see it.” Paya slowly raised a hand to her face, slapping herself multiple times until she stopped stuttering. “Okay. Okay, Paya, focus. Link is here. It’s just Link. Except there’s five of him. But one of them is a child. And there’s a girl with them. Wait. A girl…” She pointed at the group with a shaking finger, “Are- are you princess Zelda?” Zelda shrugged, “Well, yes, but actually no. I’m Zelda, but I don’t think I can call myself a princess if there isn’t much of a kingdom anymore. Who’re you, though?” “Oh, I’m Paya. Impa’s granddaughter. I’ve heard so much about you, and how you held off Calamity Ganon for a hundred years. Oh! If you’re here, then does that mean Calamity Ganon…” “Dead.” Wild confirmed, “Unfortunately, we think something even worse might be going on.” He explained the incident at Hateno village. “Oh. Oh no.” Paya addressed Impa, trying to look confident, “Grandma, what do you need me to do?” “Do some research.” Impa pointed at a bookshelf on the far wall, “See if you can find anything about Zant.” “Of course.” While Paya went to search through the books, Impa explained, “From what you told me, Zant is our most immediate threat. However, Ganondorf will no doubt prove a far more formidable adversary.” Zelda clenched and unclenched her fist a few times, scowling at her own hand. “He wouldn’t be a problem if I still had the triforce.” "It's not your fault." Wild tried to assure her, "We had no idea this would happen. Besides, maybe the triforce was only a one-time thing for Calamity Ganon." “That’s not exactly reassuring.” Zelda started pacing back and forth. “Why did it only appear once? Why didn’t it help us stop Ganondorf? Did I do something wrong? Did Hylia reject me? Why can’t I do anything right?” Wild grabbed the back of her shirt collar. “Don’t talk like that. I don’t know what’s going on, but it’s not your fault.” “Guys, I found something!” Paya interrupted. “What is it? Something that can help us stop Zant?” Zelda inquired eagerly. “Hopefully.” Paya held open a book. “I’m not sure, but it looks like there might be some connection between Zant and a place called the Arbiter’s Grounds. It’s in the Gerudo desert.” “I’ve heard of that place.” Wolf realized, “That’s where the mirror of twilight is. Maybe we can use it to go to the twilight realm and find something that can stop Zant once and for all. Wild, do you know that place?” “Not exactly. I’ve been to the gerudo region plenty, but I don’t remember coming across an Arbiter’s anything. Or maybe I did, but it’s so old and ruined that I just didn’t think anything of it.” “That’s possible. Come on, let’s search the desert.” “I think I should stay here.” Zelda told them, “Without the triforce, I won’t be much use in a fight.” “Yeah, that’s probably for the best.” Wild agreed, “Maybe you three can discuss some way to restore Zelda’s triforce powers.” “Not a bad idea, child.” Impa approved. “We’d better start walking right now if we want to get to Gerudo anytime this week.” Wild examined his map, “We should also stop at a stable so you guys can get horses of your own. You all know how to ride horses, right?” “Yep.” Wolf nodded. “Of course!” Multi confirmed. “I’ve ridden loftwings. Does that count?” “I’ve never even seen a horse in person before now.” Sail explained, “They’re extinct in my time.” “In that case, you can share with one of the others. Unless you want to ride behind me on the master cycle zero.” “Trust me, you don’t.” Multi argued. Wild rolled his eyes. "It's settled then. C'mon, there should be a stable not too far from here."

By dawn, the Links were leaving one of the several stables dotting Hyrule. Wild kept the master cycle zero, now accompanied by three horses. "You okay back there, kid?" Wolf glanced back at Sail, the younger boy's arms wrapped around him. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Just not used to this, that's all." "Don't worry. You're a Link, so you'll probably get the hang of it in no time." Multi assured him. "What exactly does being a Link have to do with horse riding?" Wild let go of the vehicle's handlebar, quickly grabbing it back. "I don't know. I'm trying to motivate the kid, alright?" "I'm not a kid." "You're 12. Just because you fought Ganondorf doesn't mean you're not a kid." Avian countered. "I didn't just fight Ganondorf. I killed him. He kidnapped my little sister, so I killed him. Also, he nearly got the triforce and the powers of a god, but more importantly he hurt Aryll." "Wow." Wolf added, "Sounds like me when the children from my village got taken to the twilight realm. They weren't related to me or anything, but I still felt like I had to protect them. It was the right thing to do, and I figured out that I was the only one who could, so really it was the only option. Avian, do you have someone like that back home? Someone you'd do anything to protect?" "Hey, Wild, how far away is Gerudo desert?" Avian changed the subject. "Pretty far. We'll probably have to go through part of the necluda region, and the desert itself is massive. It could take us anywhere from a few hours to a day to find the arbiter's grounds. Plus, we'll probably have to leave our horses somewhere so they don't get dehydrated. I think I saw it on my map though. Anyway, what about Wolf’s question?" “Oh, well, I guess my Zelda. I wasn’t sure I should say anything because of how you are with your Zelda.” “What are you talking about?” “I- you- oh, nevermind.” “No, seriously, what is it? Are you guys still convinced I have a crush on Zelda or something?” “There’s no ‘or something’ about it.” Avian clarified, “Face it, you and Zelda are in love with each other.” “Nah, I’m, um, I’m not seeing it.” “Right.”

The sun was hanging in the skies far above Hyrule, heating up the sands of the vast Gerudo desert. “Is there anywhere we can stop?” Sail complained, leaning forward into Wolf’s back, “I’m not used to anything this hot.” “The kid’s got a point.” Avian wiped his forehead. “We need to get the horses somewhere they can cool off. And ourselves, too.” “I know the perfect place.” Wild gestured in the direction they were already moving. "Kara Kara Bazaar. It's an oasis, so it won't be too hot, and we might be able to buy something there." "Sounds good." Multi decided. Several minutes later, they approached a moderate-sized body of water, surrounded by small trees with sparse leaves and a few outdoor shops. "Found it." Wild gestured to the oasis. "Oh, thank goodness." Sail groaned. The Links dismounted their horses, allowing them to drink from the water. Sail ran over next to them, kneeling so he could splash cold water on his face, gasping for breath. "Sorry… for being so useless. It's just… I barely even know what a desert is." "Relax, you're fine. I'm sure you'll be able to contribute more if we have to do something at Zora's domain." Wild assured him. "Thanks." "Okay, let's pool our rupees together and see how much cooling fruit we can buy."

Less than an hour later, the five Links walked away from the Bazaar without their horses, each carrying a few fruits in their bags that were cold enough to make them temporarily heat-resistant. Sail had already eaten half his own supply by the time they were in the middle of the desert with no obvious landmarks in sight. Wild examined his sheikah slate. "Good news, team. We shouldn't be too far from the arbiter's grounds. Or what's left of them, at least." "Good." Wolf nodded, taking a bite of one of his rations. "Hey, Wolf, what's the twilight realm like?" Sail inquired. Wolf shrugged, "It's kinda creepy at first, but you get used to it. The sky looks like it's always dusk, but it also looks kind of cool in certain areas. Plus, the people are usually a lot nicer than you'd think. And yeah, it's a lot cooler than this place." Sail took another bite from his fruit, and smiled. "Thanks. I'm looking forward to it." "Guys!" Wild called their attention. He pointed to a small cluster of ruins, the stone turned brown and cracked by time. In the middle of the ruins was a stone circle, part of the top crumbled off and leaving it open. "This… this is the arbiter's grounds?" Wolf all but whispered, barely able to look at the ruins. Wild examined his sheikah slate. "Apparently. Were you expecting it to be bigger?" "I-b-w-Yes!" Wolf sputtered, "Where I'm from, the arbiter's grounds are this massive dungeon, where the royal family executed only the worst criminals. I heard they tried to kill Ganondorf, but he escaped and went through the mirror into the twilight realm. “Sounds like him.” Multi agreed. “So, is this the mirror then?” Avian pointed at the weather-worn circle. “Probably.” Wolf looked around. “I’m not seeing anything else that could be it.” “Gimme a sec.” Wild climbed up one of the stone pillars, squinting to look around. “Big rock circle, right? Doesn’t look like there’s any others.” He backflipped onto the ground. “Now, how do we get to the twilight realm? Is there supposed to be…” He gestured at the structure, “...something? Anything there?” “Yeah.” Wolf looked around. “Oh! Right there! That portal… stone… thingy.” He pointed at a rectangular slab of rock, standing parallel to the circular structure. “Okay, how do we use it?” Sail asked. “I’m, uh, I’m not sure. Honestly, I really don’t know. Midna’s the ruler of the twilight realm, or at least she was where I came from. If anyone could help us get there, it’s her, but we can’t get to her because this was the only gateway between realms and I just remembered that after I killed Ganondorf in my time she destroyed the mirror so it probably won’t even work anymore!” He collapsed to his knees, clutching his head in both hands and practically hyperventilating. “Hey. Hey! Come on.” Multi leaned over to him, lifting his head up so they were looking at each other. “That’s not going to help us. We just need to figure out a new plan.” Avian added, “You know, when the gate of time was destroyed on my first adventure, I managed to find another one. Maybe there’s another twilight realm portal somewhere out there.” “I doubt it.” Wolf stood up, arms stiff at his sides. “But you’re right. Even if we can’t reach the twilight realm, we still have to stop Zant.” “And what about me?” “That voice-” Avian glared up at the humanoid perched on the mirror ruins, master sword outstretched. “Ghirahim!” The demon lord grinned, jumping off the portal and landing silently in the sand. “Please, Link. And also Link, Link, Link, and of course, Link.” He walked forwards, arms outstretched at his sides, “My name is Ghirahim. Demon lord ghirahim. And I must say, this is quite the interesting turn of events.” “Save it! Last I saw you, Demise turned you into his sword. How did you come back?” “Oh, Link. I know I can tell you anything. All five of you, in fact. There’s no secrets between us, after all the time we’ve spent together.” “Yeah, trying to kill each other!” Ghirahim laughed, disappearing from view. The Links stood in a circle, swords outstretched. Ghirahim reappeared sitting on a pillar, one leg dangling off the edge. “Oh, really now, why must you be so dramatic? I tried to kill you, you tried to kill me, time and again in an endless cycle. So routine. So boring!” He jumped off the pillar, his tattered cape spreading and slowing his fall. “Let’s mix it up a little, shall we?” Avian walked towards Ghirahim, eyes narrowed and sword held in a vice grip. “What’re you playing at?” “Why, I’m here to help you, of course! You may be powerless to open that portal, but I’m sure it would be easy for one such as I.” “Like we’d ever trust you!” Avian yelled, “After everything you did!” “Really, now, think about it. If I lost to you, even at my full power, then what chance would I stand against all five of you at once?” The Links glanced at each other. “He’s got a point.” Sail muttered nervously. “So, what, you’ve given up?” Avian rolled his eyes skeptically. “That doesn’t sound like you, Ghirahim.” “Indeed it doesn’t.” Ghirahim raised his arm to the sky. The top of a nearby pillar levitated through the air, merging with the ruined mirror to effectively repair it. “Careful, guys. He’s obviously planning something.” Multi warned. Ghirahim performed a series of complex, fluid motions with his arms, muttering under his breath. Light shot out from the mirror onto the stone. The sand fell away from the stone, revealing a solid reflective black structure. Runes appeared in a circle on the structure, glowing an unnatural shade of gold. Another circle of runes appeared behind the first. More and more runic circles appeared, until a tunnel appeared within the stone. "Wow." Avian remarked, "It kinda reminds me of the gate of time." "Now see? What'd I tell you?" Avian narrowed his eyes. "How do we know this isn't part of some bigger scheme to take us out?" "Oh, but of course it is! You know me so well, Link. Unfortunately for you, I'm not sure what other choice you have." Ghirahim teleported away, laughter echoing through the ruins of the arbiter's grounds. "I hate to say this, but he's right." Wolf admitted, "That's our only way into the twilight realm." "Can we trust him? I don't think we can trust him. " Sail pointed out. "Of course not, but we can't exactly pick and choose right now." Avian decided. "Whatever happens in there, team, it won't stop us from saving Hyrule. Understood?" The other Links nodded. "Then let's go in there already!" They jumped through the gateway.

Time and space warped and bent within the border between realms. After what was simultaneously a second and an eternity, an inch and a thousand miles, the five Links were deposited on the other side of the dimensional barrier. They lay on the ground for a short while, gasping for air. “Warn us next time, will you?!” Multi yelled, sitting up. “Or was that just that guy trying to kill us?” “No, that’s kinda what moving between worlds feels like.” “Yeah, and besides…” Avian groaned, standing up, “That’s not Ghirahim’s style. He’d want to kill us himself, with that sword of his. I just didn’t trust him because, y’know, he’s Ghirahim.” “Makes sense.” Sail shrugged, “Okay, Wolf, where do we go now?” “We should probably go to the palace of twilight. I wonder if they’ve managed to rebuild it yet.” “You mean you had to deal with a destroyed castle too?” Multi asked. “Yeah. Midna, the ruler of this realm, used an artifact called the fused shadow to try and fight Ganondorf, and their fighting destroyed the castle and the fused shadow. I’m hoping that maybe we can find Midna, or whoever’s ruling the place right now, and convince them to help us stop Zant.” “Uh-huh. And how long do you think it’ll be until we get there?” Multi crossed his arms. “Probably a few hours, at least. It’s always dusk here, since it’s the twilight realm, so we can’t really talk about time in terms of day or night.” “Alright then.” Avian shrugged, walking forward. “You know this place better than the rest of us. Lead the way.”

Without any horses, it took the Links several hours to reach their destination. Just as Wolf had promised, the sky remained unchanged the whole time. The palace of twilight stood in the middle of a few platforms, connected by land bridges of varying widths, floating over an endless void of apparent nothingness. Only the central spire stood over the main structure of the castle. “It must've been a few years if they've rebuilt it this much.” Wolf examined, “Or maybe a decade or two, depending on the staff. Ganondorf really did a number on the place.” “Then do you think your old friend is still in charge?” Wild asked. Wolf shrugged, “Probably not, but at this point, what other options do we have?” “Fair enough.” They walked across a land bridge that sloped upwards. Two white-and-black humanoids with glowing green runes on their chests and glowing red eyes guarded the enormously tall and narrow door. They were the same height as the older links, with roughly oblong torsos, and crossed their spears together to block the door. “Halt! In the name of the twilight princess, state your business!” “Stand back guys.” Wolf ordered, “I’ve got this.” He took a few steps towards the guards, and cleared his throat, “Hi, we were hoping for an audience with the ruler of the twilight realm. Hyrule’s under attack from Zant as we speak, and we need help.” “Zant? The usurper king has returned?” The guard’s voice and hands shook. “Unfortunately, yes. And that’s not all. Ganondorf is also back, and they’re working together again.” The other guard spoke up, “The last time those two were on the same side, it nearly destroyed both our realms. I’m sure our ruler would be glad to see you five.” “Thanks.” The guards tapped two specific spots on the door with each of their spears, causing it to swing inwards. They walked inside, allowing two other guards to lead them to the throne room.

“Man, they really spruced this place up since the last time I was here.” Wolf observed, “Probably because they’re not under threat from dark magic anymore.” “Must be nice.” Wild scoffed. “Oh, yeah, sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. And look on the bright side. I managed to kill Ganondorf on my own, and Avian killed Ghirahim on his own, so they won’t stand a chance against all five of us. Six if you count Zelda; can your Zelda fight?” “Not without the triforce, she can’t. She’s really more of a strategist.” Wolf shrugged, “Okay, five of us then. Of course, I needed Zelda’s help to fight Ganondorf, plus Midna with the fused shadow, which now that I think about it, I’m pretty sure Ganondorf destroyed last time I fought him, but why sweat the details?” “For the record, I also didn’t actually kill Ghirahim. I just incapacitated him, and then Demise turned him into a sword, and I just assumed he died when I killed Demise.” “Okay, okay, maybe they stand a bit more of a chance than I gave them credit for. But that’s why we’re here, isn’t it?” “We have arrived at our destination.” One of the guides interrupted their conversation. They opened the doors with another tap of their spears, parting to let the Links through. “Thanks.” Wolf nodded, walking though with the others. At the opposite end of the long, dark chamber was the twilight throne. It was tall and narrow, made of a dark blue stone with ornate decorations on the sides. A tall woman, similarly colored to the guards, sat upon the throne with her legs crossed and arms on the armrests. “Princess Midna.” Wolf bowed to the ruler of twilight, with his brethren following his lead. Midna rolled her crimson eyes. “Please, Link, we saved our worlds together. We’re past the whole bowing thing.” She leaned forward, grinning. “More importantly, how come you never told me you were a quintuplet?” The Links stood up. Wolf hesitated, “Yeah, that’s kind of a long story. Basically-” “This idiot broke the timelines.” Sail pointed at Multi. All five Links were standing up. Midna raised an eyebrow. “Oh now this just got interesting.” She stood up from her throne, and seemed to float over to the Links, who were all at least a head shorter than her. “Now, maybe you should all tell me-” “Zant’s back.” Multi blurted. Wolf slapped his own forehead, while Midna’s jaw dropped. “Zant? That upstart! I thought I killed him!” “Wait, I thought you killed Zant.” Multi pointed out. “Really? Trying to steal my credit, little wolf?” “Okay, so I may have changed up some details to keep the story short. I swear, I gave you guys the gist though.” “More importantly, we need to stop Zant.” Midna asserted, “What was he doing last time you saw him?” “He was turning everyone in my home village into those shadow beasts, and we’re pretty sure he was trying to expand his sphere of influence.” “Yeah, that sounds like him. Wait, don’t tell me. Is Ganondorf back too?” “Unfortunately, yes.” Wolf answered. “Great, just great.” “Well, if you killed Zant last time, can’t you help us kill him again?” Avian asked. “I’m afraid not. As a twili, I can’t exist in your world unless I hide in someone else’s literal shadow. Plus, I was only able to kill Zant with the fused shadow. The first time I fought him, even at my full strength, I didn’t stand a chance.” Wolf nodded, “And the fused shadow was destroyed when you fought Ganondorf.” “Yeah, that too. Look, I wish I could help you, I really do. But without the fused shadow, and with Zant not in the twilight realm, I’m really not sure what I can do.” “So you mean this whole thing was pointless?!” Sail complained. “Hardly. You got to meet me, didn’t you? And besides, if I think of some way to help out, I’ll be sure to do so.” “Thanks. I guess.” Avian shrugged. “Your gratitude is overwhelming.” Midna deadpanned. She turned around, startled at the demon lord lounging on her throne. “Oh by all means, don’t mind me.” Ghirahim ate a small snack from a bag on one of the armrests. “Your desperation is so delicious.”

Chapter Text

“Ghirahim!” Avian drew his sword, running forward so he was between Midna and her throne. “This was your plan all along, wasn’t it?!” “You catch on quick, little bird boy. You see, my demon magic is complimented quite nicely by this realm’s twilight magic, just as I suspected it might be.” “How did you even find out about this place? I don’t remember seeing anything about the twilight realm back in our time!” Ghirahim laughed, “Oh, I would love to tell you. And I know what I said earlier about there being no secrets between us, but regrettably, certain things have come up and, shall we say, complicated matters. I’m afraid I can’t tell you the details-” “You teamed up with Ganondorf, didn’t you?” Sail presumed. Ghirahim made a grin too wide for comfort, and teleported into the middle of the group. Startled, the Links and Midna stepped back. “Impressive, little one. Especially for such a small child.” Ghirahim put his hands on Sail’s shoulders. He pointed his sword at Ghirahim’s chest, leaving him thoroughly unfazed. "How exactly do you plan on using my magic for yourself, monster?" Midna's voice layered on top of itself, as the room darkened and purple clouds billowed around her. Midna floated into the air, her entire body surrounded by twilight magic. "Impressive. Let me show you what I've got." Ghirahim transformed his entire body into the same form he'd used to battle Avian at the sealed grounds, before summoning the one-handed sword he'd used prior. "Looks like he's going all-out for this one." Avian took a step forward, hand on his sword's hilt in its sheath. "Wait." Wolf put a hand on his arm to stop him. "Why-" "Just watch." Midna outstretched her arm, launching a stream of pure twilight at Ghirahim. He sliced through the darkness, teleporting into midair and slicing Midna in the back. She yelled in pain, teleporting across the room. “Looks like I won’t need to be merciful now.” Midna swiped off the hood of her cloak, revealing her long fire-orange hair, and launched it at Ghirahim in the shape of a massive hand. Ghirahim held out his empty hand, causing the prehensile hair to strike a wall of crystals. “Impressive.” Ghirahim sliced across the massive palm with his blade. Midna winced in pain, slapping Ghirahim across the room with her hair. “Impossible! I am the lord of all demons! Second only to Demise himself!” Midna floated into midair, a hand the size of herself stretching out from her scalp. “Demon lord Ghirahim.” She snarled, “Your machinations have threatened the balance of two worlds at once, and you’ve apparently allied yourself with someone who’s already tried to destroy my kingdom. I will not hold back against the likes of you.” Her hair shot out at blinding speeds, Ghirahim slicing through it each time. Despite the pain, Midna kept going until she finally clenched her artificial fist around Ghirahim’s entire body, and threw him across the throne room. Ghirahim righted himself in midair an inch before he would’ve struck the twilight throne. He sprinted across the air, leaving flat circles of transparent crystals at every footstep, dodging and slicing at every strike of Midna’s hair, until he jumped down while slicing at her. Midna and Ghirahim teleported around the room every second, constantly slashing and striking each other, occasionally appearing in midair. Eventually, after dozens of teleportations and less than half a minute, Ghirahim managed to slice off Midna’s hair at the scalp while they were a dozen feet above the floor, before kicking her back into the wall and the ground. “Looks like I win this little game.” Midna grinned, despite laying ostensibly prone on her own floor. “You think my hair is the source of my power? Really? You’re even stupider than you look.” She shot up, a pitch-black sword manifesting in her hand. Ghirahim effortlessly sidestepped the blade, grabbing Midna’s sword arm with one hand and her side with the other arm, throwing her onto her back, and pinning her by the stomach with his foot. She attempted to reach the sword that’d fallen out of her grasp, only to find that it was less than an inch out of reach. Ghirahim laughed overhead, “Do you see now, Link? Oh, sorry. I mean Links. This realm will soon belong to me and my new master!” Midna’s fingertips reached the hilt of her sword. She tried to ignore the screaming pain in her arm, attempting to move the blade towards herself. “None of that now.” Ghirahim calmly slammed his foot onto Midna’s hand, causing her to scream in pain. “Mind if I borrow some of your power?” “You… will… never-” Ghirahim stabbed Midna through the chest with her own sword. “Hear you refuse? Thank you so much for your kind surrender.” Midna screamed in incomprehensible agony, while Ghirahim walked towards the Links. Twilight magic leached out of Midna’s body through the sword, and floated through the air into Ghirahim’s body. “Monster!” Wolf charged at Ghirahim, followed by Avian and the other Links. Ghirahim caught Avian and Wolf’s blades with his own. He launched them into their counterparts with a single flick of his wrist. Sail was the first to jump out of the pile, slicing Ghirahim’s torso a few dozen times. “Oh, now isn’t that cute?” He sliced his sword across Sail’s chest, forcing him to hold up his shield, throwing him to the ground. Ghirahim manifested a second blade in his other hand, while the Links stood up in a loose semicircle in front of him. “Just give up already. I might not’ve stood a chance against all five of you with just my own power, but with the power so generously donated by the princess of twilight herself…” He paused to listen to Midna’s agonized screams. “...it’s an entirely different story. So surrender your lives, and allow me to conquer Hyrule and the twilight realm unopposed as is my right.” “Never!” Avian yelled, “We’re the heroes of Hyrule! We’ll protect our world, all worlds, from the likes of you! No matter what, we’ll never surrender! Come on team! Let’s finish this, once and for all!” The five Links charged at ghirahim from five different angles. He warped through a few feet of space to match blades with Avian first. They exchanged a few sword blows before Ghirahim teleported away, causing Avian to stumble forward by his own momentum. “Hey, watch out!” Multi heard the sound of Ghirahim teleporting directly behind him. He put on the deku mask, causing the sword to slash overhead. “What the-?” He looked down at the shrunken hero. “Looks like you fell a little short.” Multi grinned. He put on the goron mask, punching Ghirahim upwards in mid-transformation. He flew upwards before righting himself halfway between the floor and ceiling, descending upon Multi with his sword pointing downwards. He put on the zora mask, dodging the strike and slicing Ghirahim’s back with his elbow-blades. “You really think shapeshifting will help you?” Ghirahim matched blades with him. “Hey, I figure it’s worth a shot.” Multi jumped backwards, leaping at Ghirahim. They blocked each other’s strikes for a few seconds, until Ghirahim teleported away. “Oh nuts.” Sail spun his sword in a circle around himself, successfully slashing Ghirahim in the knee just after he teleported. “Why you little-!” Ghirahim struck Sail in the shoulder with the flat of his blade, knocking the boy to the ground. “I promise you, I will drown all five of you in your own blood!” He sliced through the air, forcing Sail to hold up his sword. Ghirahim pushed it down, until Sail’s master sword was nearly slicing his chest. Wild fired an ice arrow into Ghirahim’s shoulder, causing him to stumble backwards, pulling it out. Sail used the opening to stab Ghirahim through the chest. “Get off of me!” Ghirahim attempted to slice through Sail. He pulled the sword out, jumping to the side to avoid the demon lord’s blade. “Thanks for the save.” “Don’t thank me yet. Wolf, Sail! Let’s blow him sky-high!” Wild, Sail, and Wolf fired three simultaneous bomb arrows at Ghirahim, enveloping him in a hellish blaze. The entire throne room was shaken by the deafening blast. “Did we win?” Sail asked hesitantly. “No way. The magic’s still being drained.” Wolf pointed out. Ghirahim jumped out of the fire, sword drawn, yelling, “Correct!” With a single slash, he knocked the three Links onto the ground. “I am the demon lord, and now, the twilight king as well! You don’t stand a chance against me!” The point of a sword emerged from his chest. He looked behind him at Avian. “Doesn’t matter.” The original Link drove his sword further through Ghirahim, forcing him to drop his own weapon. “No matter how strong you get, or how much power you steal, you’ll never be able to keep us down! Now guys!” Multi rolled towards Ghirahim in goron form, taking off the mask to slice ghirahim through the torso with his master sword, all in a single motion. Wolf sliced him across the waist. Sail thrust his blade into his knee. Wild jumped up, stabbing Ghirahim in the head. Avian pulled his sword out, turning around to slice him in the arm while joining his counterparts. “No. This… this shouldn’t be possible.” “Hey, you said it yourself. You don’t stand a chance against all five of us.” Midna screamed again. “Midna!” Wolf sprinted over, yanking the sword out of her. “No! You green little insect, do you have any idea what you’ve done?!” Ghirahim snarled. The twilight magic reversed course, collapsing Ghirahim to his knees. “Yeah.” Avian deadpanned, “We’ve stopped you.” All eyes turned to Midna. Her magic gradually returned to her. “So it seems you have. For now, at least.” Ghirahim stood up, arms spread wide, grinning, “Until we meet again!” he disappeared in a cloud of orange crystals. “Midna?” Wolf knelt beside his former companion. “Are you okay? Please be okay.” His voice broke, “I can’t lose you. Not again.” Midna’s arm limply reached over to grab Link’s. “I’ll be fine. You know nothing can keep me down for long.” She finished reabsorbing her magic, and stood up. “So, I guess I should thank you all.” She walked back over to her throne. “I really wish I could help you more, but there’s only one thing I can think of.” She raised one finger, and waved it in a circle. A piece of dark gray metal flew into her open palm. “Here.” She held it out for Wolf to take. He turned it in his hands, examining it from all possible angles. “This is a piece of the fused shadow, isn’t it? How’s this supposed to help?” Midna laughed, “Don’t knock it till you try it, little wolf. Obviously, it’s not nearly as powerful as it used to be, but I’ve been working my magic. I mean that literally, in case you couldn’t tell.” “No, I got that. So, you mean I can use this thing to shapeshift without your help?” “Yep! Just hold it tight, and concentrate on going wolf.” Wolf nodded. He closed his eyes, clenched his fist around the shard of the fused shadow, and concentrated. Less than half a minute later, he opened his eyes as a wolf. “It’s so cute!” Sail ran over to Wolf. “I don’t think we have anything like this on Outset island.” “I’ve seen some wolves.” Wild remarked, “But they’re usually a lot more, well, bitey. And delicious.” Wolf cocked his head at Wild, ears perked in alarm. “Relax, you’re fine. Can you shift back?” Wolf nodded, closing his eyes. He transformed back into a hylian. “Wow. Thanks, Midna. Do you think this’ll still work outside the twilight realm?” “It should. Even in pieces, the fused shadow is some powerful magic created by my ancestors. It predates the twilight realm itself. Plus, it’s worth a shot, right?” “Yeah. Thanks, Midna. With any luck, this’ll be just what we need to stop Zant again.” “Don’t mention it, little wolf. The twilight realm will always be an ally to Hyrule.” Wolf nodded. “Time to go back, team.”

The Links entered Impa’s house in Kakariko village. “Okay, we’ve got good news and bad news.” Wild explained, “The bad news is, we won’t be getting an army from the twilight realm to help us. Good news, though-” “I can shapeshift again!” Wolf held up the fused shadow shard. He explained the nature of his wolf form. “That’s good, I guess. But how do you think it’ll turn the tides against Zant?” Zelda asked. “Dunno. But we need everything we’ve got, right?” “He has a point.” Sail acknowledged. Zelda opened the door. Zant’s twilight magic had expanded to fill nearly the entire visible skyline, gradually encroaching on the border of Kakariko. “Can you guys make it to Hateno village and stop Zant?” “Well, yeah, that’s kind of what we’ve been trying to do this whole time.” Wolf shrugged. Zelda nodded, “Right. And that’ll reverse everyone’s transformations?” “It did last time. Did you guys think of anything you can do?” “Well, I can’t exactly fight. Until I regain the triforce, we agreed that I should take on a more hands-off role.” Impa nodded in the back of the room. “Perhaps once Hateno village is restored, you can work with my sister to create new weapons.” Multi leaned over to Wild. “Sister?” “Yeah, Purah and Impa are related. Is that really the biggest revelation we’ve had lately?” “Fair.” “Now come on.” Wild decided, “It’s time to take the fight to Zant.”

The five Links entered Hateno village on four horses and the master cycle zero. The sky had turned a sickening brown and green. Wild shot ice arrows at every shadow beast that approached. “Keep an eye out for Zant.” Wolf ordered. Wild retracted the master cycle zero into the sheikah slate, while his counterparts dismounted their horses. “Right. Stay together.” The group of five walked through the streets, immobilizing every shadow beast in sight, until they heard a shrill laughter above them. “Found him!” Wolf fired a series of bomb arrows at Zant. The usurper king of twilight teleported onto the ground, directly below a cloud of fire. “Well, I just wasted all my bomb arrows. Sorry, my bad, guys.” Multi slapped his own forehead. “I suppose you wouldn’t have come to surrender to me, now would you?” “You should know by now!” Wolf gripped the master sword and fused shard in both hands, and sprinted at Zant. His items and clothing were absorbed into him as he shifted into a wolf. “Hey what the-?” Wolf pounced on Zant, pinning him to the ground and biting at his face. He kicked Wolf off of him, slicing at his side with one of his twin scimitars, sending him rolling on the ground and forcing him back into Hylian form. He stood up, holding his side and shaking. “Don’t you get it, Zant?! You’ll never stop us!” Wild launched a shock, fire, and ice arrow simultaneously at Zant. He sliced all three pieces of ammunition in midair, inadvertently setting off the bomb arrow and launching himself into the wall behind him, hard enough to crack the wooden logs. “You’re open!” Multi jumped in the air in zora form, slicing through Zant’s shoulders with his elbow blades in parallel. He turned in a full circle, slicing Zant’s stomach with one arm and placing the goron mask on his face with the other. He grabbed Zant by the leg, throwing him overhead and slamming him onto the ground. “That’s enough!” Zant slashed at Multi’s stomach. He stumbled backwards, bleeding, and tore off his goron mask. The bleeding stopped once he reverted to hylian form. “You know what?” Zant yelled, “Time for a change of scenery!” Their surroundings warped, as though being viewed through a tank of water. By the time the world had stopped changing, the Links and Zant were in a closed arena. The walls were made of wood, half the ground was a pool of poisonous violet water, and the other half was covered in sickly dark-green grass. A mangrove tree was in the middle of the water. “We teleported?!” Sail yelled, his slash blocked by Zant’s scimitar. He kicked off Zant’s stomach, backflipping through the air and onto the ground. “I’m pretty sure it’s just an illusion.” Wolf clarified. He pounced on Zant, transforming into a wolf in midair, pinning Zant to the ground. He bit into Zant’s arm, holding it in a vice grip while Zant screamed in pain. He raised his scimitar. Before he could slice into Wolf’s side, Avian and Multi intercepted it with their own blades. Zant kicked Wolf in the stomach, sending him flying with a high-pitched yelp. “You okay?” Sail asked, helping him up while they were both hylians. “Oh please, I’m fine. But honestly, thanks, kid. Guys!” He tried to warn Avian and Multi. Zant used the opening to swing his other sword at them. “No thank you!” Avian turned around, leaving himself and Multi each holding off one scimitar. Avian backflipped away, leaving Multi vulnerable to be pushed backwards by both of Zant’s scimitars. He jumped out of Zant’s reach. “Warn me next time! I almost got cut to pieces!” “Sorry. Guess I’m more used to working solo.” “Yeah, well, try and remember for next time.” “You know what? Maybe we should heat things up a little!” Their surroundings warped once more. The links found themselves standing atop a precariously balanced disc of rock, inside a dormant volcano, while Zant floated above them. “We need to keep it balanced!” Avian yelled. The five Links jumped over to the center of the structure, standing in a circle to deflect the orbs of dark red magic that Zant tossed at them. He continuously teleported around them. The rock shifted and ground against the walls of the volcano. “Keep going! Don’t let him break the circle!” Multi commanded. Eventually, Zant made a single wrong move, and one of his own attacks struck him out of the air. The additional weight on one side of the platform caused it to turn, dropping the entire group of six into the lava a hundred feet below. Zant screamed with the Links, altering the battlefield a third time. Crimson stone and lava gave way to a massive body of water, with the surface unseen far above them. Multi transformed into a zora, landing on the seafloor. “If you’ve got underwater gear, now’s the time to use it!” Wolf placed a dark green zora-scale tunic over his torso, with a helmet that stretched behind him and a pair of flippers. “I’ve got zora armor. Anyone else?” “I have a zora scale from Mercay island. That should cover me.” Sail tapped his satchel. Avian placed a blue scale with a string through it around his neck, muttering, “Thank you, Faron.” Wild clamped a hand over his mouth and nose, frantically trying to ascend through the water. “Multi, you get him out!” Wolf commanded, “The rest of us will fight Zant!” “Got it.” Multi grabbed Wild by the torso with one arm, using his zora legs to swim through the water. “Where do you think you’re going?” Zant pursued them, moving unnaturally fast. “I could ask you the same!” Wolf launched his clawshots to grab Zant’s arms, dragging the twili towards himself to dropkick him underwater. Avian grabbed Zant’s legs with his own clawshots, throwing him into the sand-covered seafloor. Sail dove downwards, jabbing his sword into Zant’s chest. He screamed in pain, loud enough to launch Sail off of himself, before the landscape shifted once again. They were in a circular room with wooden walls, tree roots hanging from the ceiling, and a circle of stone in the center. Multiple stone pillars with wing-like decorations near the top surrounded the edges of the stone floor, with another at the center. Wild and Multi fell to the ground nearby. Wild gasped for breath, “Th… thanks man.” Multi took off the zora mask. “I don’t think that thing had a surface.” Zant jumped up and down atop the central pillar. Wild tossed a cubic remote bomb at the base of the structure. “So, we just have to knock him off, right?” He activated the remote bomb, causing the pillar to shake and throw Zant onto the ground. “Now it’s my turn!” He levitated the pillars into the air, throwing them at the Links like a cluster of great spears. Avian, Wolf, and Sail managed to dodge the strikes, Wild activated his magnesis rune to stop one of them in midair, and Multi transformed into a goron to catch one of them in both hands. It drove him a few inches backwards by its sheer weight. He turned it in a full circle, and threw it back at Zant, knocking him into the wall. “Okay… maybe I need something else.” He changed the arena into a massive ice-encased circular room, with barred windows near the ceiling a hundred feet overhead. “I’m finally ready to hit the big time!” He grew to fifty feet in height, still levitating above the reflective ice floor. “Wolf, now what?!” Sail yelped. “Now, scatter!” They retreated while Zant stomped on the ground, shaking the entire arena. “We need to cut him down to size!” Wolf jumped up and slashed Zant’s ankle with his sword. He howled in pain, jumping around the arena on one foot while holding his ankle. Wild shot him in the knee with three bomb arrows simultaneously, causing Zant to fall while shrinking to his normal size, leaving him sliding on the ice on his stomach. “Wow. That was way easier than I was expecting.” “Easy?!” Zant jumped on his feet, ranting and ignoring the fact he was still sliding, “You think this is easy?! Well then, let’s try something else!” The battleground changed into Hyrule field, with the castle in the background. “No more mercy! My blades shall taste your blood and innards! My god will devour your souls, and together, we will drown the worlds of light and twilight alike in blood and despair!” He spun across the battlefield, swords outstretched in both arms, moving in erratic patterns. Wild activated his magnesis rune. He pulled one of Zant’s swords towards himself, causing him to lose his balance and stumble. “Hey what the-” Wild levitated the sword into Zant, slicing into him before deactivating the rune. “You insufferable, malignant little nothings! How dare you use magic against my magic?” “Come on, guys! Let’s demonstrate for him!” Avian decided, throwing his beetle at Zant. “Hey! Hey what’s that!” Zant whacked the beetle out of the air with a sword. “Did you honestly think that would work?” “Nope. That was a distraction.” Avian fired an arrow into Zan’t shoulder. Multi transformed into a zora, dropkicking him in the chest. Zant shrieked in alarm. “Let’s finish this!” Sail jumped up, spinning to slice into Zant’s chest. Wild and Wolf simultaneously slashed across Zant diagonally, knocking him back. “No… no more… please, no more.” The illusionary battleground shattered like a pane of glass, revealing Hateno village. “You worthless little specks of green dust! Believe me, I will return. My god and I will burn this world-all worlds-to the ground!” He teleported away. The twilight magic disappeared from the sky, allowing the villagers to return to normal. “We won!” Sail cheered. “Don’t celebrate yet.” Wolf scolded, “If Zant and Ghirahim are both working for Ganondorf, then we need to start taking this way more seriously.” Avian nodded, “He’s absolutely right. We need to get Zelda.” Wild held up his slate. “I’ll teleport over to her. You guys go back to the ancient lab.” The other Links nodded, and separated.

Zant materialized in an alcove, carved deep into the bone-white ravine known as the breach of demise. Ghirahim and Ganondorf stood at the back of their unlit base of operations. “So, you failed.” Ganondorf surmised, “And now, you too come running back with your tail between your legs, like the worthless dog you are.” “I’m sorry, my god!” Zant kneeled, and bowed so his stomach was practically scraping the floor. “I have failed you! I am unworthy of your divine mercy! Punish me however you wish! I deserve it!” Ghirahim chuckled, stealing an errant lick from his blade. “I suppose we won’t have to question his loyalty, at least.” “You!” Zant shot up, stood ramrod straight, and stared at Ghirahim. “What makes you worthy to serve alongside me as my god’s right hand?!” Ghirahim’s chuckles gave way to outright laughter. “Oh, you silly little… What do you call yourself? The twilight king? Well, I am the demon lord! I served as the right hand of the original demon king Demise, long before our new master even walked the earth! I sense something familiar about him, some unmistakable tether to my old master. No doubt he is Demise’s hatred reincarnated, for the sole purpose of leading us to victory against the humans!” “Yes! Yes! Together, we shall annihilate the humans! This world, and all worlds, will be covered in magnificent darkness!”

Chapter Text

Zelda, the five Links, Purah, and Symin stood in the Hateno ancient tech lab. “So…” Zelda started, wearing a hooded cloak Wild had given her “...Zant, Ghirahim, and Ganondorf are all working together now.” She looked around the lab, “Any ideas?” “I think we can all agree at this point that Zant and Ghirahim are both dangerous individually.” Wild responded, “If we have to fight them both together, they could definitely give us a run for our money. As for Ganondorf, I’m guessing he’s dangerous? I only fought him as Calamity Ganon.” Multi nodded. “Yeah, you’d better believe he’s dangerous. He took over Hyrule for seven years while the master sword had me sealed in the sacred realm, and he nearly destroyed the entire kingdom. Even with the master sword, I could barely stop him.” "Same." Wolf added, "When I fought him, he possessed princess Zelda, turned into a giant monster, and destroyed the castle before I finally managed to stop him." "Where I'm from, he was trying to bring back Hyrule from being flooded thousands of years ago. Tetra and I had to fight him together to stop him from getting the triforce." The group looked at Sail. "Who's Tetra?" Zelda asked. "Oh, she's you. Well, she's a you. Except she's also a pirate captain. Remember when I told you guys I teamed up with a pirate crew to save Aryll?" "I don't remember that." Purah supplied. "That's because you weren't there." Zelda whispered to herself, "I'm a pirate captain…" She shook her head to refocus herself. "Okay, first things first, we need to step up our game with some new tech. Purah, Symin, we should get you two to the ancient tech lab at Akkala so you can collaborate with Robbie to develop new weapons for the Links to use." "Agreed." Symin nodded, "I've been wanting to see what the only other ancient tech lab in Hyrule's been up to." "Good thinking." Wild decided, "You guys should stay here, get some rest, and wait while I buy our supplies. Once I'm done, we're leaving immediately."

At the edge of Hateno village, the group prepared to leave. Wild engaged the master cycle zero, before turning to the others. “Okay, here’s the plan: Multi, you’ll turn into a scrub boy and ride with me. Avian can go with Zelda, Wolf can take Sail, and Purah and Symin can take their own horse. Any objections?” Multi raised his hand. “Yes, Multi, you do need to ride the cycle.” “Nuts.” He lowered his hand. “Okay.” He got on the master cycle zero, and had to yell as he revved the magitech engine, “Everyone ready?! Akkala’s straight north, but it’s all the way at the northeast corner of Hyrule! It could take us a day or two to get there!” “We’re ready.” Zelda and Avian mounted her horse. “Or, well, I’m ready. Everyone else good?” The others got on their steeds. “Yeah, let’s go already.” Sail insisted. “That’s what I like to hear!” Wild leaned forward, gripping the handlebars. Multi’s eyes widened. “Wait, how long did you say- OHSWEETMERCIFULCR- ”

The group was traveling near the edge of a lake near Zora’s domain, with a few docks around the edges. “Hey, Zelda, what’re the zora like around here?” Wolf asked. “Oh, they’re great! The zora kings have been allied with the kings of Hyrule for thousands of years, ever since the original calamity. I knew the royal family personally a hundred years ago, before…” She blinked back tears. “Sorry. You know what happened.” “It’s okay.” Avian assured her, “You don’t have to talk about it.” “Thanks. But, yeah, Mipha was a great friend.”After a second, she elaborated, “She was the zora princess.” “Hey, Zelda, can I ask you something? It’s not about what happened a hundred years ago.” Avian inquired. “Shoot.” “Okay, so how does this work exactly? How can there be a zora royal family and a hylian royal family if Zora’s domain is inside the borders of Hyrule? Are the zoras a separate kingdom or what?” “Actually, it’s some fascinating history. I only skimmed the details because I was mostly focusing on preparations for the great calamity, but thousands of millenia ago, there was a civil war in Hyrule. The king at the time, my ancestor, unified the kingdom, but he allowed the other races to govern themselves as long as they stayed peaceful.” “So, kingdoms within kingdoms.” “Precisely!” Purah yelled over. Multi nearly vomited on the master cycle zero, “My mom died in the civil war.” Wild glanced behind himself. “Hey, guys, I think we should take a break.” He pushed the brakes, skidding to a stop over a few feet. Multi tore the deku mask off himself, stumbled to the ground, and collapsed. He shuddered in the grass, trying not to vomit. “Hey, Multi.” Wild knelt behind him, putting both hands on his side. “What did you say about your mom?” Multi groaned, eyes clenched shut. “It’s okay. Do you want me to let go?” Multi nodded. “Okay. Sorry.” He took his hands off Multi, placing them on his knees. “So, uh, we’re just going to take a break?” Wolf looked around. “Alright, I could use the time.” After a few seconds, Multi gradually sat up with his hand on his head. “Next horse… is mine.” “Yeah, that’s probably for the best. You are looking pretty green, and not just your clothes.” He jokingly punched Multi in the shoulder. Multi grinned. “Thanks.” “So, is it okay if I ask what you said earlier? It was about your mom, right?” Multi’s gaze darted to the ground. “Look man, if you don’t want to talk about it, that’s-” “She died in the civil war.” Wild paused. “Oh. I’m so sorry; that’s terrible.” “No, it… it’s okay. I was a baby when she died, so I shouldn’t be that upset about it. It’s just, I never knew her, and I was raised in the forest as a kokiri, and the closest thing I had to a parent was the Great Deku Tree, but then he got killed by Ganondorf, and I was sealed in the sacred realm for seven years and I found out I wasn’t even a kokiri and then everything else happened and now this is all my fault!” He screamed, leaning forward. “Oh.” Wild lifted up his hand so it was a few inches in front of Multi. “Do you mind if I touch you?” “I…I… I don’t know! I’m sorry!” Wild put his hands on Multi’s shoulders, yelling, “Calm down!” Multi abruptly stopped talking, still breathing heavily, his eyes wide and chest heaving. Wild rubbed his thumbs in circles on Multi’s shoulder bones. “Just take a minute, and calm down, okay? No one blames you. You had no way of knowing this would happen. We’ve been over this, right?” Multi nodded slowly. “Yeah. Hey, is it alright if we go slower on the cycle? I know we have to hurry, but it can’t take much longer and I don’t know how much longer I can handle going that fast.” “I hear you.” Zelda looked up at the sky. “It’s starting to get late, anyway. I think we should find a stable to leave our horses, and if they don’t have enough room to board us, we should be able to rest in zora’s domain.” “Good call.” Wild agreed, “The stables are usually pretty small, so they can only board a half dozen people anyway. Besides, we really don’t want to deal with the smell.” Purah shuddered. “He’s right. Don't ask me how I know; it's a long story, but he's right.” "Um. Okay. Zora's domain shouldn't be too far. Multi, you wanna come with me and tell them we need somewhere to stay while the others take care of the horses?" "Yeah, sure. Thanks." Multi spoke quietly, as Wild dragged him up by the arms. "Don't mention it." Zelda interjected, "If it means anything, I know what it's like to lose your mother as a child, and your father to Ganondorf. If you ever need to talk, I'm here." Multi spoke slightly louder, "Thanks." "Happy to help." The two Links split up from the rest of their party, and headed westwards in the direction of Zora's domain.

Multi and Wild traveled across the grand silver bridge towards Zora's domain. Atop the settlement was a silver-blue sculpture of a massive fish, while the domain itself resembled an octopus, large enough to be noticeable on Wild's map.. “Holy Farore.” Multi gasped, his jaw hanging open. “I take it this place is bigger than you remember?” Wild couldn’t help but grin at his counterpart’s dumbfounded reaction. “Dude, are you kidding?! Where I’m from, Zora’s domain is in a cave, and the whole thing probably isn’t even as long as this bridge!” “Yeah, I guess the zoras have done pretty well for themselves.” “You guess!” Multi rolled his eyes, muttering, “He guesses. He-” “Oh, hey, we’re here.” Wild gestured at the majestic crystalline city in front of them. “Welcome to Zora's domain!” The domain was open-air, with zora civilians walking around a central plaza. A 30-foot statue of the late zora champion Mipha stood in the center of the plaza, holding a trident, curved staircases on either side leading to a second layer of the domain and a third staircase leading up to the throne of king Dorephan. At the third layer were staircases leading outside of the domain. In the back of the plaza layer were a few shops, an inn, and an alcove containing a sheikah shrine. “This is incredible!” Multi sprinted away from Wild, looking at everything around him. “I can’t believe the zoras are this successful! How far in the future is this?” “Hey! Link!” A zora man jumped down from the second layer. “Nice to see you again! Who’s your twin over there?” “Oh, hey, Sidon.” Link greeted the zora prince, gesturing over to Multi, “He’s not actually my twin brother. He’s, uh, well, it’s complicated.” Sidon’s eyes widened. “No way. Is that a previous version of you?!” Multi paused. “How did you even guess that?” “Oh, sorry, other Link. You see, in the zora legends, there are stories of how the hero of time saved zora’s domain from the king of evil. Some say that he saved the princess at the time, Ruto, from the stomach of the guardian deity Jabu-Jabu, and she gave him the zora sapphire as a token of engagement.” “Huh.” Wild looked over at Multi. “I don’t remember any of that from your stories.” “I might’ve skimmed a little.” Multi barely opened his mouth, staring at the ground. “And besides, Ruto became the water sage, so I couldn’t marry her even if I wanted to.” “Yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s why my ancestors named our patron Divine Beast after her. So, Link 2. Can I call you Link 2?” Multi shrugged before telling Sidon his alias. “Right, Multi. Got it. So, can you tell me what the princess was like in your time?” Multi narrowed his eyes. “She was a brat.” “Wait, really?” “Yeah, man, don’t meet your idols. Except she was never my idol, so I guess that doesn’t apply here. But yeah, she made me carry her through this giant fish’s stomach and it was disgusting, and I had to fight this giant electric monster so that was fun. And considering that giant fish is nowhere to be found now, I guess we can forget about it being any sort of deity. Not to mention she did the bare minimum to help as the water sage.” “So, in other words, completely different from my sister.” Multi looked up at the light blue statue. “Well, I don’t remember her having a statue, so probably. What was she like?” Before Multi could open his mouth, Sidon excitedly answered, “Oh, she was amazing! She was just nice, all the time, but she didn’t take anything from anyone. This one time, she taught me how to swim up waterfalls while reminding me about my responsibilities as the zora prince. Plus…” He grinned, leaning closer to the two, “...she tried to hide it, but she had a thing for your other self.” “Really, Wild? Sounds like I’m not the only one withholding information.” Wild slapped his forehead. “She never had a crush on me. I don’t know where you’re getting that from.” Sidon laughed, “Are you kidding? She made that zora armor for you specifically. You know, the armor that zora princesses traditionally make for whoever they want to marry in the future? The one that fits you perfectly?” “What?” Wild’s eyes dilated, and his knees started to shake. “I need a minute.” He sat on the ground with his back to the statue. “I can’t believe I never noticed. How did I never notice! It’s so obvious now! How could I be so oblivious?!” “I know, right?” Multi interjected. Sidon cleared his throat. “Oh. Yeah. Time and place. Sorry.” “So, so wait, does that mean Zelda…” “Yes.” “Oh. Oh man.” Multi walked over to put a hand on top of Wild’s head. “It’s gonna be fine. Once we get to the lab we’re going to, you can ask her out.” “Ask her out! I’m teaming up with other versions of me from other timelines, and you want me to ask out the princess of Hyrule?! Do you realize how insane this is?!” “Yeah. Trust me, I saw way crazier stuff in the squid world. There were these two girls, Lauren and Katherine, who managed to date each other while we were all constantly fighting monsters that were coming in from other dimensions. If a couple of teenagers could figure out how to balance dating and fighting to protect their world, then you and Zelda should have no problem.” Wild raised his head. “Thanks man. That’s actually reassuring.” “Don’t mention it.” The other Links, Zelda, Purah, and Symin walked into the plaza. “You guys alright?” Zelda asked. “Yeah, we’re, um, we’re fine.” Wild scratched his head. “Wow. You have a lot of twin brothers.” Sidon remarked. “Yeah, the timeline’s probably seen better days.” Multi admitted. Symin walked forward. “I take it you’re the zora prince?” “You got that right!” “Okay then, in that case, could you get us an audience with your father?” Sidon looked behind himself. “I don’t see why not. Come on, I don’t think he’s busy right now.” “Thank you, prince Sidon.” “Don’t mention it.” Sidon led the other eight upstairs. After a short walk, they entered a large circular chamber with semi-open walls, a floor covered in blue stone with water on some sections of the floor. At the back of the room was a vaguely flower-shaped throne made of the blue stone, with cerulean torches on either side and the massive zora king sitting upon it. Sidon walked onto the pedestal in front of the throne. “Father, these hylians and sheikah have requested an audience with you.” Dorephan’s eyes widened. “I can see that. Princess Zelda, I presume?” Zelda took off her hood, and bowed. “King Dorephan, with all due respect sir, I’d humbly request that you not call me a princess.” The zora leader raised his arm. “Let’s cut the formalities, shall we? After all, we’re both royalty here.” “Well, that’s the thing. I can’t really call myself the princess of Hyrule, with the state Hyrule is in right now. So it’s just Zelda for now, please.” “Very well then. I don’t like seeing a young woman like you degrading yourself like this, but I suppose that’s none of my concern. I’m not your father, after all.” “Yeah…” Zelda briefly glanced downwards. “Stand up now, Zelda.” “Yes, sir.” She stood up. “Now, Link, I must ask you something.” Dorephan gestured to the other Links, “Who the hell are these?” “Oh.” Wild looked around, “Yeah that’s kind of a long story. They’re basically all other versions of me from the past, reincarnated over thousands of years by some sort of primordial curse.” “Really now? So the tales of a hylian swordsman rescuing a zora princess who became the sage of water are true?” “Yep. That was me.” Multi confirmed. “Well then, I suppose I should thank you. Retroactively speaking, of course.” “In that case, you’re retroactively welcome.” The aquatic ruler chuckled. “Well, know this: no matter what you might need, whatever assistance zora’s domain might render to you, we will be happy to do so.” “Thank you, sir.” “Please, Link, you were nearly my son-in-law. Call me Dorephan.” “Oh, okay then. Dorephan.” Zelda walked forward to speak, “We don’t need any assistance in particular right now. Just a place to stay for the night.” “Well, I’m sure the inn would be happy to board you guys.” Sidon assured them, “And if you don’t have enough rupees, I could-” “No, I’ve got enough.” Wild interrupted. “Got it.” He leaned forward, whispering into Wild’s ear, “Thanks. Dad hasn’t given me my allowance yet.” “You still get an allowance?” Sidon shrugged nervously. “Well, I’m sure you know how to get to the inn from here.” He started pushing Wild out of the throne room, while Zelda and Multi stifled their laughter. “Oh, okay then.”

“Why the hell are there only two beds?” “Purah! Language!” “Symin, I’m older than you.” “Well, the king said they’d be happy to board us.” Zelda acknowledged, “Not necessarily able.” The innkeeper raised his arm, “If it’s any help, you could just use the second room in the back.” “Yeah, thanks, that’d be perfect.” Wild agreed. “Alright then.” The innkeeper walked over to the back wall, partially covered in small brown rectangles. He pushed them into the wall, causing the section to split in half and retract into the rest of the wall. “Thanks.” Wild rummaged around in his pocket, “So, there’s eight of us and it’s 20 rupees each, so a hundred and sixty rupees.” He held out a silver, purple, and two blue rupees. “We pooled our money before leaving.” “Perfect. Want me to get you up in the morning, noon, or night?” “How’s morning sound to everyone?” The others confirmed. "Right. If you need anything, just let me know." "Got it." Wild agreed.

In the middle of the night, Wild stood on one of the bridges lining the outside of Zora’s domain. The cool night air permeated his skin, as he looked out over the sheer walls of rock that surrounded the zora’s territory on three sides. The thin, cold layer of water that covered the entire domain started quietly splashing nearby. “Hey, Link.” Zelda stood next to him, leaning against the railing. “Can I call you Link?” “Yeah.” Wild shrugged, “It’s just me.” “Good. That was honestly getting confusing.” “Uh huh.” Wild nodded, focusing on the way the torches illuminated Zelda’s face in a warm cerulean glow, complimenting her sea-green eyes. “Link, why are you staring at me like that?” “Sorry, I was just thinking.” “Do you want to talk about it?” Wild looked away. He closed his eyes, and bit his lip. “I’m not sure. It’s about Mipha.” “The zora champion. You know, she got along with you best out of all the champions.” She gave a short, harsh laugh. “Especially compared to Revali.” Wild gave a slight smile. “Yeah. I think I finally figured out why. Multi and Sidon helped.” Zelda gripped the railing slightly tighter. “Why?” “Turns out, Mipha had a crush on me. It was kind of obvious in hindsight. I mean, she made a suit of armor for me that zora princesses traditionally use as engagement presents and I still couldn’t get the hint.” Zelda giggled, “Yeah, you are pretty oblivious.” Her eyes widened, “Not that I’d know by experience, of course.” “Yeah, of course not.” “So, um…” Zelda tugged at the clasp of her hood, “...if you’d known back then, would you have, y’know..?” Wild shrugged, “I’m not sure. Don’t get me wrong, Mipha was great. I loved spending time with her. It’s just that I’m not sure how we would’ve worked out together, especially since, y’know, I’m just a knight and she’s royalty.” “I think any princess would be lucky to have you.” Zelda’s eyes widened. “Oh Nayru, did I say that out loud?” “Yeah.” Wild looked outside at Ploymus mountain, where he’d encountered the lynel on his way to liberate Divine Beast Vah Ruta. “Thanks. That’s, ah, that’s nice to hear. Kind of reassuring, y’know?” Zelda nodded. “Link, I’m sorry. If I could just… if I wasn’t so worthless-” “Stop that.” Wild grabbed Zelda’s shoulders and turned her so they were facing each other, hard enough to be assertive without actually hurting her. “Zelda, I never want to hear you talking like that, understand? I don’t care if you have the triforce or Hylia’s blessing, or whatever. I may not remember much about a century ago, but I do remember that no matter what, you never gave up on trying to stop Ganon. Every time you found a lead, you kept pursuing it until you couldn’t anymore, and you never stopped praying at the goddess springs. And then, even though you lost everything, you still kept fighting Ganon for a hundred years until I could make it there and finish the job. You’re worth everything to me.” Zelda’s pupils dilated. She lunged forward, embracing Wild. “Thank you.” “I’m just telling you the truth.” Wild held Zelda close, stroking her hair. He glanced over the side of the bridge. “Hey, you want to go back to sleep?” Zelda nodded. “Yeah, we probably should.” “Okay.” They walked back to the inn.

The next day, the group rode through the akkala region in the northeastern corner of Hyrule. Multi had managed to find a horse of his own at the stable where the rest had previously been left. While the group temporarily rested at the east akkala stable, Wild tapped Multi on the shoulder. “Hey man, can I talk to you?” He looked behind himself at the others, “Outside.” “Um, yeah, sure.” They walked outside of the stable, a giant wiry horse’s head adorning the leather roof. “So, what did you want to talk about?” “Well, first off, how are you liking the new horse?” Multi’s face lit up. “I love it! So much better than that thing you’ve got!” “Hey, it’s not so bad once you get used to it. But, there’s something else.” Wild hesitated for a second before leaning in closer to Multi. “Last night, I talked to Zelda. I think she’s definitely into me, and I’m definitely into her.” Multi rolled his eyes, “Well it’s about time you figured it out!” “Dude!” Wild clasped his hand over Multi’s mouth, hissing, “Not so loud!” “Sorry, sorry. But does this mean you guys are dating now?” “No. Mipha also had a thing for me, even though I never found out, and I don’t know. It just felt kind of weird to ask Zelda out in the home of someone else who had a crush on me. Does that make any sense?” “Kind of. I see where you’re coming from, at least. So, when are you going to tell her?” “I’m thinking tonight, at the cliff behind the akkala ancient tech lab.” “Sounds romantic. But what if she asks you first?” Wild’s pupils dilated. “I… guess I’ll just cross that bridge if I get to it.” “Right, right. Well, I’m just glad we won’t have to go through any tedious will-they-won’t-they nonsense.” “I know, right?” Wild looked around, wiping sweat from his brow. “Is it just me, or did it get really hot all of a sudden?” “Yeah. Woah!” Multi pointed at a cluster of flaming trees with multi-colored leaves. “That explains it!” He sprinted towards the blaze, followed closely by Wild. “What just happened? It was fine!” Wild yelled. “That’s what I wanna know!” They stopped in their tracks, watching as a man walked through the flames. He wore a suit of red and orange armor shaped like dragon scales. He had clawed hands, a red gemstone attached to a chain curved around his chest, and a high collar. His eyes were shadowed under a helmet shaped like a dragon’s skull, with two horns curved to the front of his face and glowing green horizontal slits shaped like eyes. Long, thick tassels of red trailed behind his head like a crimson rope. “Where am I? You!” He took a spear as long as he was tall off his back, and pointed it at the two Links. “Fight me now!” “What?” Multi stepped back. “If I cannot return to the eldin caves, then I will at least seek out a worthy battle!” The armored man ran towards the two, spear outstretched. They backflipped over a swipe of the weapon. “I don’t suppose you have any idea who this is?” Multi shook his head, “No clue. But something about his skull-thing looks kind of familiar.” “Guys!” Sail called, running outside with the others. Wild sprinted back, grabbing Zelda by the shoulders. “Zelda, I need you to take Purah and Symin to the tech lab. We’ll deal with the fire guy.” “Are you sure?” “Yes! Please, Zelda, I just want you safe.” The former heir nodded. “Okay. Good luck.” Without thinking, she leaned in, and kissed him on the forehead. Her entire face turned bright red. “Wellokaybyenow!” She ran away, squeaking, “Purah! Symin! We’re leaving!” The three ran north, in the direction of the akkala ancient tech lab. “Anyone know who this is?” Wolf asked. The other five Links denied any knowledge. A jet of fire emerged from the warrior’s mouth, swiping to the side and setting the ground ablaze. “Everyone behind me!” The other Links stood behind Wild. He crossed his arms in front of his chest, yelling, “Daruk’s protection!” A translucent orange sphere manifested around Wild. It acted as a shield against the fire, the ghost of Daruk briefly appearing and yelling in front of Wild, as the sphere shattered from the impact. “How-? No matter.” The warrior transformed into a massive red and orange dragon, with leathery clawed wings and a skull for a head. Multi’s eyes widened in recognition. “Volvagia!” The dragon spat out a massive fireball. The Links scattered, thrown into the air by the explosion. While they stood up, the dragon transformed back into a man. “I am Volga, the dragon knight. All I seek is a worthy battle from a true warrior.” “Yeah, well, here we are!” Avian held out his master sword. “Wait.” Wolf interrupted, “Sorry man, but our main priority right now is stopping Ganondorf. Unless you’re with him, we’ll have to put any fights on hold until he’s taken care of.” Volga grunted in surprise, “So the self-proclaimed king of evil is here as well? That doesn’t matter to me. Either face me in battle, or I will burn this place to the ground with every worthless human in it! Just one of you pathetic warriors couldn’t hope to defeat me without trickery, but perhaps all five of you might be able to sate my battle-thirst.” Avian gripped his blade. “Fine. If we need to fight you, we will. Just keep everyone else out of this.” “I promise nothing.” Volga set his spear on fire, swinging it to throw the flames at the Links. They lunged forward to dodge the blaze. Avian and Wolf swung their blades to either side of Volga. He held up his spear horizontally to block their strikes, pushing upwards and throwing them off-balance. He swung the blunt end of his spear across their chests, knocking them to the ground. Multi blocked Volga’s spear with his shield before he could gore Avian. Sail ran past Volga, slicing his knee. He grunted in pain, giving Multi an opening to stab him in the chest. “How’s that for a fight?!” Volga collapsed to the ground. “Not bad. I will retreat for now, and return later.” A cloud of dark smoke appeared in the air nearby. “What the…? No! It can’t be him!” “Ah nuts.” Multi complained. Ganondorf appeared in the dark cloud, levitating ten feet over the ground. “Leave now, demon!” Volga demanded, standing up, “You have no place in this!” “You call yourself a dragon knight? What a pathetic showing against a few children.” A sphere of dark orange magic slowly grew within the open palm of his hand. “Allow me to grant you power the likes of which you have never known.” “No! I will not be controlled again!” Volga transformed into a dragon once more, easily dwarfing Ganondorf. “Impressive.” The king of evil smiled. “Now, let’s see if you can handle this much raw power, or if your soul will turn inside out.” He tossed the orb of magic at Volga, knocking him to the ground and forcing him back into his knight form. Volga roared in pain. His entire body was enveloped in pure black magic. His eyes glowed orange, shining brighter by the second. “I…AM…VOLGA!” He swiped his spear forward, generating a gust of wind that tossed the Links away. His armor and spear caught fire. His eyes shone like twin suns below his helmet. “Now, Volga, what is your purpose?” Ganondorf asked. “To serve you, my master.” “Good. Then I leave this to you.” Ganondorf disappeared in a cloud of black smoke. The five links stood up. “He’s fire, right? Maybe this’ll work.” Wolf shot an ice arrow, only for it to evaporate less than a foot away from Volga. “Yeah, ice isn’t nearly as effective against fire as you’d think.” Multi acknowledged. Volga jumped dozens of feet into the air, stabbing his spear into the ground hard enough to cause a localized earthquake. “I am the ultimate warrior! I will burn this world to the ground, in the name of lord Ganondorf!”

Chapter Text

Zelda, Purah, and Symin made it to the Akkala ancient tech lab, the ground shaking underfoot. “What’s going on?” Symin yelled, “Who was that guy?!” “No clue.” Zelda threw open the door to the tech lab. “Robbie! We need your help, now!” “Huh? Oh, princess Zelda! I knew Link could-” “Yeah, it’s great being back, but we don’t have time to catch up. We need your help to make us a new weapon. I don’t care what kind; we just need to advance our arsenal.” “Understood. But first, I’m going to need the sheikah slate. You have it, right?”

Zelda looked around the room. The walls were covered in bookshelves, a staircase stood in the back, Robbie’s wife Jerrin watched from the side, and a blue machine vaguely shaped like a clay pot stood in the middle of the room. “Um… no.” She started walking to the door. “Link has it. I’ll go tell-” “Are you crazy?!” Purah attempted to block her path. “They’re fighting some crazy dragon guy right now! You can’t get in the middle of that!”

“And if I don’t? We have no idea what he’s capable of! For all we know, they might not be able to beat him right now. I’m sorry, Purah, but we don’t have a choice right now. Besides, you physically can’t stop me.” She pushed Purah out of the way, running out of the door. “Symin! Come on, we need to stop her before she gets herself killed!” “Wait. Maybe she’s got a point.” “Are you serious?” Symin held up his hands defensively. “Well, I don’t like it. I’m just pointing out that she might be onto something.” “Come on! Robbie, what do you have to say?” “Well, I mean, I don’t really have any idea what’s going on. Still, if Zelda thinks retrieving the sheikah slate is necessary, then I trust her judgment. Besides, I assure you it’ll be high-risk high-reward.” “Unbelievable.”

Zelda sprinted downhill from the akkala ancient tech lab. The air around her grew hotter by the second, until she was gasping for air. Wild tossed bottles of liquid at the other Links, hurriedly explaining, “Elixirs! They’ll help with the heat!” “Link! Guys!” Zelda stumbled closer to them, while Multi transformed into a goron to grab Volga’s spear, only to be tossed aside without a second thought. Wild turned to see her staggering downhill, sweating and barely able to stand. “Zelda!” He ran over to her, yelling in concerned anger, “What were you thinking?! Why are you here?!”

She collapsed into his arms, gasping, “Robbie…slate…upgrade…” “Robbie needs the slate for an upgrade?” Zelda nodded. “Okay, here.” He passed her the sheikah slate and a bottle of fire resistance elixir. Zelda immediately downed the bottle. “Thanks.” “Yeah, now get out of here!” She nodded, running away. Sail yelled, “Wild, behind you!” Wild turned around in time to see Volga jumping at him, spear wreathed in flame. He held out his sword to one side, spinning while yelling, “Urbosa’s fury!” A dome of green lightning manifested around him, striking Volga and forcing him to the ground.

“You will die! Everyone you love will die! The world will burn in the name of lord Ganondorf!” Volga transformed into a dragon, breathing fire at Wild. He ran from the blaze, while Avian and Wolf grabbed the end of Volga’s tail with their clawshots. “Pull left!” Wolf ordered, “Just like Argorok!” “Who?” “Dragon. Long story.” “Got it.” They pulled on their clawshots simultaneously, bringing Volga down and causing the ground to shake beneath his weight. He turned back into his humanoid form, holding his spear out at them. A wreath of flame shot out from his wrist, up the spear, and at Wolf and Avian. They barely managed to backflip out of the way, the sheer force of the explosion launching them back.

“Go to hell!” Volga lunged at them, spear outstretched. Wolf shot up, holding his shield to block the spear, driving him back as he leaned forward, heels digging into the grass. Volga turned partially to the side, kicking Wolf in the knee. He screamed in pain, dropping to the ground. Volga held his spear over Wolf. “Now die.” He spoke quietly and coldly. “Stop!” Sail jumped on Volga’s shoulders from behind, grabbing his spear with both hands while his legs were wrapped around Volga’s armored neck. “Get off of me, you annoying little speck of nothing!” He swung his spear in front of him, throwing Sail off to the side. Wolf used the opportunity to bend his legs, kicking Volga in the knee. The dragon knight barely flinched. Wolf scrambled back on his hands, trying to stand up while his legs screamed in agony.

Volga gradually approached him, the point of his spear digging a trail into the ground. Avian launched his clawshots to grab Volga by both arms. “What?” Avian dug his feet into the ground, attempting to pull Volga back. “Pathetic.” Volga pulled his arms forward, throwing Avian skyward and overhead, until he struck the ground next to Wolf on his back. “I tire of this.” The dragon knight jumped into the air, his spear covered in red-hot fire. “Now you die!” His face was abruptly covered in an explosion. Volga roared in surprise, falling to the ground on his feet. “Who dares?!”

He glared at a figure standing a few dozen feet downhill, dual-wielding small crossbows. She wore an open green tunic with a hood concealing her face, revealing a white undershirt, leather gloves and thigh-high boots, a brown skirt, black shorts, and a compass around her neck. He growled in surprise, “You!” “Remember me, Volga? The one who defeated you at the water temple!” “Who…?” Multi narrowed his eyes at the young woman. “Wait… her?!” The stranger leapt through the air, rapid-firing bomb arrows at Volga until she dive-kicked him through the smoke. A mechanism in her boots activated upon impact, causing a burst of fire that launched the dragon knight back.

“Are you going to stay and fight, or run from the legendary hero?” “The knight of the eldin caves never runs!” Volga breathed a jet of red-hot fire out of his mouth at the newcomer. Wild jumped in front of her, activating Daruk’s protection. “Who are you?!” “I could ask you the same thing. But thanks for the assist, guy who looks weirdly familiar.” She jumped off his shoulders, somersaulting through the air while firing a bomb arrow at Volga. He shifted his arm into a draconic forelimb to knock it out of the air. He turned his arm to slam the archer into the ground, pinning her under a massive red-scaled hand, with a curved silver talon at her throat. The girl’s hood was knocked off, revealing her face with blue eyes, and blonde hair braided into pigtails.

Wolf tossed a bomb at Volga’s transformed wrist, knocking the claw an inch away from the girl’s throat. “Thanks!” She ran from Volga, firing bomb arrows behind her until she regrouped with the Links. Sail examined her face closely. “Wait a minute.” The archer felt the back of her head, reaching around to the edges of her hood. “Oh, man, that was supposed to be a big dramatic reveal. You know, I destroy Volga, and then I slowly pull off the hood and show you my face. Great. Now it’s ruined.” “You’re a girl Link?” Avian squinted, turning his gaze between the newcomer and the other Links, “Is that a thing? Can that be a thing?”

“Don’t look at us.” Wolf argued, “You’re the original.” “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I know how it works.” “Woah!” The girl pointed wildly at the five, “You… you guys are my fellow legendary heroes!” She lowered herself to one knee, shaking in ecstasy. “It’s such an honor.” “What the?” Avian asked. “Who are you?” Wolf inquired. Multi looked around, “Where’s Volga?” The ground trembled, before exploding below them, tossing the six Links into the air. Wild and Avian used their respective paraglider and sailcloth, while the others fell onto their backs. “Found him.” Wild pointed at the dragon that had burst through the ground.

Multi bitterly spat out some dirt and the word, “Congratulations.” Avian grabbed Volga’s tail with both clawshots simultaneously. “If you’re such a powerful knight, Volga, then why don’t you come down here and face us as a man?” Volga roared, blasting fire into the sky, before reverting back into a knight. Avian retracted his limp clawshots. “Now, team! Surround and rush him!” The group of six scattered to run at Volga from six directions simultaneously. He turned his spear to block Avian and Multi, only for Wolf, Sail, and Wild to slash him from behind. The archer vaulted off of Volga’s spear to jump over him, firing bomb arrows at his head. “Do you really think you stand a chance against six legendary heroes?”

Volga held his head in his hands. “What… what is going on?” He looked up, glaring daggers at the six. “Enough. I leave you for now, to wallow in your despair. We will fight again.” He transformed into a dragon to fly away from them. “Guess we slashed Ganondorf’s mind control out of him.” Multi turned to the archer. “So, what brings you here?”

“Dunno. One minute, I was taking care of my precious cuckoos in my village, and the next, there was this weird flash of light and I was here. Guess I showed up just in time to help you guys out, huh?” “Uh, right. So, is your name Link too, or…” She answered Wolf, “Nah, name’s Linkle. Hey, wait, are you telling me you guys are all named Link? Doesn’t that get confusing? Or do you all have nicknames? How does this work?” “Yeah, we just use nicknames.” Avian explained, listing them all to her.

“Oh, hey hey hey, didn’t the other guy mention you were the original? Are we all reincarnations of each other?” “Uh, yeah, that’s what we’re going with at least.” Wild confirmed. “So, how did this all happen anyway?” “Yeah, funny story about that.” Multi gestured uphill, “Let’s talk on the way.” “Right. Got it.” Linkle holstered her crossbows to her boots, as the group started walking in the direction of the akkala ancient tech lab.

“So, first off, I’ve seen you before.” Multi started. “Really? When? And how come I don’t remember this?” “I’m not exactly sure when, but I saw you talking with the Skull Kid- something about a compass?” “Oh, yeah, I remember that!” Linkle tapped the closed, golden compass hanging around her neck. “He tried to steal my compass, but I managed to get it back. I think he was just bored and wanted someone to play with.”

“That tracks with what I know about him.” Multi added, “And after I saw you move on, I talked to him myself because I thought he was wearing this evil mask I fought in another dimension-long story-and it turned out he just made a fake out of painted wood because he thought it looked cool. “Oh. Wait, you were watching me? And what’s that about an evil mask?” “First, I only saw you talking with the Skull Kid after the fighting was over, and second, like I said, long story.”

Wild gestured at the tech lab, a small cylinder of stone with a cluttered roof consisting of a windmill and a telescope. “It’ll have to wait.” He knocked on the hardwood door, before walking in. “Really? Why bother knocking if you’re just gonna-” Robbie paused abruptly, his hair sticking out wildly on either side of his head. “Amazing. And here I thought Purah was pulling my leg. There really are six of you.” “Six? I thought I said- wait, who’s the girl?”

“Name’s Linkle. I’m one of the heroes of legend.” She walked over to Zelda, bowing on one knee with her arm folded at her chest. “And you must be princess Zelda. Or, well, a princess Zelda, I guess. It’s my pleasure to-” “Please, don’t do that.” Zelda lifted her to her feet. “I’m just going by Zelda right now. Since the castle and more importantly, the kingdom, are in shambles, I don’t think I’m worth being treated like any sort of royalty or authority figure.” “Oh. Okay.” Linkle’s eyes widened, “Woah, wait, I’m sorry, did you say the kingdom is in shambles?!” “Yeah, you’d better sit down. Sounds to me like we’ve got a lot of catching up to do.” “Um, right, right.” Linkle looked around the room. “Sit where?”

By the next sunrise, the group was sitting around the edges of the cluttered room, with Sail’s and Wolf’s legs dangling over the edge of the staircase, and Wild leaning against the upgrade machine. The Links and Zelda had explained their stories to Linkle, Robbie, and Jerrin, including what had led to them meeting each other in the first place. “Woah.” Linkle stared at the ground. “That’s incredible. All of your stories… I guess I never realized what I was getting myself into. I could never live up to such a legacy.” “Don’t sell yourself short.” Sail assured her, asking, “What sort of stuff did you get up to?”

Linkle thought for a moment. “Okay, so it all started when word got around to my village that the castle was under siege from monsters. My grandmother had always told me that I was the legendary hero reborn. I grew up on stories of the hero of the skies…” Her gaze turned to Avian. “...the hero of time…” She looked at Multi. “...and the hero of twilight.” Her eyes drifted over to Wolf. “I journeyed from my village to the castle with nothing but my crossbows, my map, and my compass.” She fiddled with the compass around her neck.

“My grandma told me that this compass was proof positive that I was the next legendary hero, and I think it might have some sort of magical powers. Granted, I don’t really understand how it works, and I don’t know the first thing about reading a map, but I eventually made it to the castle just in time to save everyone from a giant fire-breathing lizard. At first, I couldn’t even touch it, but then the compass glowed in its face and I was able to beat it. Except before I got there, something happened and, well, it’s complicated. Multiple worlds and time periods started, I dunno, crashing into each other. Sort of like this, but entire worlds. I fought alongside Darunia at the water temple. I battled side-by-side with princess Midna of the twilight realm. I helped Fi protect Skyloft.” She wiped her eyes with her arm. “It was like I was living through history; living out the stories of the previous heroes. It was incredible.”

“So, there was a multiversal event before I took out the master sword and caused all of this?” Linkle shrugged, “Guess so. I don’t actually have all the details, since I was more focused on getting to the castle and helping whoever needed it along the way, but it seems like it had something to do with a dark sorceress breaking time and space for some reason. I guess that part just sort of resolved itself on its own, which is good cause, y’know, I’m just a cucco farmer. I don’t know much about fixing dimensional problems.”

“Okay, well, that’s definitely something.” Zelda nodded. “Do you have any idea where this sorceress might be? Maybe she can provide a lead for us.” Linkle shrugged, “No clue. I don’t even know her name or what she looks like. I only heard bits and pieces; nothing that could really help us track her down.” “Too bad. But then again, she probably wouldn’t want to help us in the first place.” “True.” “Hey…” Wild looked over at the door. “Is it just me, or is it getting really hot all of a sudden.” “Oh no.” Linkle stood up, readying her crossbows. “Don’t tell me Volga’s back already.”

“We’ll go out and hold him off.” Avian decided, “The rest of you, stay in here and keep working on those upgrades.” “Understood.” Robbie walked over to Wild, handing him the sheikah slate. “Don’t you need this to-” “Don’t be ridiculous. While the rest of you were fighting, I took the liberty of uploading your slate’s rune data onto Cherry here.” He slapped the upgrade machine. “Yep, this bad girl can fit so much ancient tech in her. Anyway, that means you can take the sheikah slate, and once the first upgrade is ready, I’ll be able to download it to you remotely from anywhere in Hyrule. I’m thinking we should start with an upgrade to the master cycle zero. Something Zelda suggested.” “Really? Robbie, that’s incredible! Zelda, what is it?” Zelda grinned to herself. “It’s a surprise. But I think you’ll really like it.” “I’m sure I will. C’mon, guys, let’s leave them to it.” The six Links opened the door. After Sail took one step outside, their surroundings disappeared.

They fell screaming through a black void, stopping after a few seconds. “What’s going on here?” Wild stood up and looked around the empty space. All he could see were his counterparts, standing out against the darkness surrounding them. “Get in a circle, now. We have no idea what could be waiting for us in here.” They stood next to each other to collectively survey the entire void simultaneously. “So, um, any idea what’s going on here?” Linkle asked hesitantly. “No clue.” Wild admitted. “Could be an illusion.” Multi suggested. The entire void was filled with a horrific sound, raspy and inhuman. It took a few seconds to register as laughter.

“What a clever little man!” a glowing red eye appeared in the darkness in front of Multi. More eyes appeared in front of the other Links. “Who are you?!” Wolf yelled. “I am the greatest wizard who ever lived! The undead master of illusions!” Six voices layered atop each other as the eyes rotated around the circle of Links, growing faster and faster, until they disappeared. Something materialized in the center of the group, clawing at their backs and throwing them to what passed for the ground. An entity, consisting of a red eye under a purple hood with unnaturally thin, rotten arms emerging from the sleeves, floated in midair. It smelled like death and rot, with oversized three-clawed hands.

“Who are you?!” Linkle yelled. “I am Wizzro!” The wizard disappeared from view. “Okay.” Multi looked around. “Everyone stay on your- there!” He ran at Wizzro, jumping and slicing down with his sword. As soon as he struck Wizzro, his arm was replaced with Avian’s sword blocking his strike. “Dude, what are you doing?” “Sorry! I thought you were-” “Found you!” Multi held up his shield to block Wolf from stabbing him through the stomach. “What the-?!” “Illusions.” Multi explained, pulling something out of his bag. It resembled a purple magnifying glass, with a vaguely cat-like eye in the center. “Fortunately, I have just the thing for this.” He held the lens up to one eye.

Multi’s vision was tinted light purple by the supernatural lens. The void was replaced with the bottom of the hill leading to the Akkala ancient tech lab, with the stable a few dozen feet away. Nearby, the undead wizard was floating in midair with dark magic surrounding his hands. “What is that thing?” Sail pointed at the eyewear. “The lens of truth.” Multi tapped the object, “I found it in a mountain in termina. It sees past illusions.” He ran towards Wizzro, holding the master sword in one hand and the lens of truth up to his eye with the other. “You’re open!” He sliced the master sword across the opening of the cloak, sending the wizard flying. “What?!”

The illusion disappeared, revealing the groups’ true surroundings and allowing Multi to pocket the lens of truth. “How? Nothing should be able to penetrate my sorcery!” “Then I guess you’ll have to upgrade your technique!” He fired an ice arrow at Wizzro. He teleported out of the way directly behind Multi. A massive, inhumanly thin and gangrenous arm extended from beneath his cloak, grabbing Multi and throwing him aside with sharp claws. Linkle jumped at Wizzro, a mechanism in her boots generating an explosion of flames when she roundhouse kicked him, knocking him back. “Oh, hey, my turn!” Wolf shot an arrow at the wizard’s eye, eliciting a howl of agony as he clawed at what passed for his face.

“You… this… I will remember!” He disappeared in a cloud of pitch-black smoke. “Okay, so, at least it wasn’t Volga this time.” Linkle holstered her crossbows on her boots. “Hey, Linkle, what’s with your boots? Why do they explode all the time?” Sail asked, “Also, what’re the chances they might accidentally blow up and kill us all?” Linkle stifled a laugh. “Relax. They’ve got a special chemical in the soles that only activate when I kick with enough pressure, so they won’t accidentally go off. Probably.” “Did you make them yourself?” Wolf asked.

“Nope. They’re a family heirloom passed down by my grandfather, a chemist who worked for the royal family. My parents died when I was a baby, so my grandmother raised me. When I turned 18 last year, she gave me these boots and taught me how to maintain them.” She bent over to rub the sides of the leather boots while blinking rapidly. “Hey, are you okay telling us all of this?” Avian put a hand on her shoulder. “It’s some pretty personal stuff.” “Yeah, it’s- it’s fine. We’re all the same person, right?” Her voice cracked, and she gave an almost broken smile. “Right.” Avian lifted her to her feet by her shoulders, thoroughly unconvinced.

“Okay, we should stay nearby while the others are working on the new gear, since most of us can’t teleport.” A fiery explosion launched the six of them skyward, yelling in pain and surprise, until they landed in a small pile on the ground. They watched through blurred vision, as Volga walked through the smoke. “Oh, great.” Avian lamented, standing alongside his other selves, “Back already?” “Did you think you were rid of me, boy?” Volga took the spear off his back, spinning it through the air fast enough to create a gust of hot wind. “The self-proclaimed demon king may not have been able to control me as he so wished, but I will still have my battle.”

He charged at the Links, yelling gutturally, his spear outstretched. “Then come on, let’s go!” Linkle jumped over the spear, turning sideways to deliver a flaming kick to the side of Volga’s head. The dragon knight barely flinched from the impact, instead grabbing her leg and throwing her to the ground. “Now I remember you.” He raised his spear over her. “You will be the first!” He was interrupted by Wild activating a remote bomb directly behind him, causing him to stumble forward. Linkle took the opportunity to grab his spear and lift herself to her feet while using Volga’s own momentum to throw him to the ground.

“Face it, Volga, you might’ve been some big shot where you’re from, but against all six of us?” Multi gestured to his group, “You’re just another wannabe trying to take over the world.” “You worthless greenhorns. I’ll end all of you! I will burn your souls to embers in the fire of my rage!” He swung his spear in front of him, launching a swath of flames that the Links barely managed to dodge. Only when Avian glanced back did he realize they’d accidentally come to the outskirts of a small forest. “Oh, that’s just wonderful. I guess I can think of worse places to fight a pyrokinetic. Granted, none come to mind.”

“An active volcano?” Wolf supplied helpfully. “Yeah, that’ll work- oh sweet Hylia he’s right on top of us!” Volga jumped through the air, rocketing back down with his spear outstretched. “I got this!” Linkle fired a rapid succession of bomb arrows, each blocked by Volga’s spear, until he landed on the ground. Multi pushed her out of the way, leaving the dragon knight’s spear to embed itself in the ground where her head had been a second earlier. “Thanks. Not my proudest moment, huh? Behind you!” Multi turned around, holding up his hylian shield to block a strike from Volga’s spear.

He dug his heels into the ground and leaned forward, pushing Volga backwards using the shield. After a few seconds, he took the shield as Volga was pushing back against it, causing him to lose his footing from the sudden lack of resistance, allowing Multi to turn in a full circle with the shield in both hands to slam the side of it into Volga’s head. Despite the lack of any serration, the sheer impact combined with his own lack of balance sent the dragon knight flying onto his back. “You don’t stand a chance, Volga!” “Multi! Let me jump off your shield!” Linkle yelled behind him.

“You got it!” Multi knelt and held his shield out in front of himself so that the bird crest faced the sky. Linkle ran forward and jumped onto the shield, Multi standing up to further enhance her jump. Linkle dove through the air legs-first while spinning at near-blinding speeds towards Volga. Before she could land a strike, something appeared in front of Volga and sliced her out of the air, disappearing faster than she could register. Linkle fell onto the ground, clutching at the slice of blood across her stomach as she breathed heavily and rapidly. “Linkle!” Avian ran over to her, uncorking a bottle of red potion. “Hold still.” “Th… thank you.”

While Avian poured red potion on the wound, Multi looked up at the demon lord in a nearby tree. “Ghirahim! What are you doing here?” Volga stood up. “Leave us now! This is not your fight!” Ghirahim laughed, “Lord Ganondorf told me about you. Don’t you worry, I’ll just fight one of these children. You can have the other five.” “No! I will have all of them!” Volga threw his flaming spear at ghirahim. The demon lord teleported directly down to the ground, leaving the tree to catch on fire. He looked up nonchalantly at the spear. “I suppose you’ll want that back?” He flicked his finger, telekinetically launching Volga’s spear for him to effortlessly catch out of the air. He lunged at Ghirahim, spear clashing against sword.

“Why can’t you get it through your thick skull?! I’m here to help you, you overgrown lizard!” “If I accept help from the likes of you, I will be sacrificing my pride as the dragon of the Eldin caves!” Volga transformed his arm into a draconic form to swipe Ghirahim away. “Only by conquering me in single combat will you earn my servitude, and I will never allow that to happen again! Now leave me to my battle!” Wolf and Sail charged at Volga, his spear blocking their swords. He spun his spear to deflect their swords while attempting to stab Wild behind him. Wild barely managed to step back in time to dodge, only for Volga to slam the handle of the spear into his stomach.

"Whether there's 6 or 600 of you, it'll all end the same!" "Yeah. Just not the way you'd like." Wild stood up to jump-kick the spear out of Volga's hands. The draconic warrior grabbed him by the leg, turning his arm into a massive clawed limb to slam Wild into the ground. “You think I can’t fight without my spear? My spear is merely a weapon, a tool to quench my thirst for combat!” He breathed a plume of fire to scatter the Links, setting a swath of forest aflame. Ghirahim attempted to stab Sail from behind, only for Avian to slash him out of the air. “I’m your opponent!” Ghirahim licked his sword. “As you wish.”

The lord of the demons and the hero of the skies danced through the flames with clashing blades. Ghirahim repeatedly teleported, forcing Avian to repeatedly look behind himself to block his strikes. Eventually, Avian felt a sharp, all-encompassing pain in his chest, so great as to be numb. He looked down at the sword point emerging from his torso. Ghirahim leaned forward until his mouth was practically touching Avian’s ear. He whispered, “I win.” Avian desperately attempted to pull the sword out, cutting his palms and making them slick with blood as his vision blurred. He could barely make out the shapes of the other Links getting thrown into the air from a blast of flame.

Wild fell to the ground, ears ringing deafeningly. He looked around to see Sail, Wolf, Multi, and Linkle struggling to stand up, while Avian looked like he was tugging at something sharp in his sternum. Avian heard a robotic, vaguely female voice, sounding as though it were under an ocean. It took him a second to realize it was coming from the sheikah slate. "Master cycle zero upgrades successfully downloaded. Master armor zero now available."

"Huh." Wild stood up on shaky legs. "Now that sounds promising." He took a split-second to read the updated description before he activated the rune to manifest the master cycle zero. "And just what is that thing?" Ghirahim pulled his sword out of Avian's back. "You're about to find out!" Wild mounted and revved the ancient machine, rocketing towards Ghirahim at an angle. He pressed down on the ends of the handlebars, opening small circular holes in the front of both sides. Blue lasers similar to those used by the sheikah guardians fired out of the handlebars, sending Ghirahim flying.

Wild made a full circle until he was riding head-on towards Volga. The flaming warrior created a fireball in the palm of his hand. "Go to hell!" He tossed the fireball at Wild. Wild punched the master cycle zero between the handlebars. The fireball engulfed him and his vehicle.

Chapter Text

A figure burst out of the flames. It was metallic, the same color as the master cycle zero, as though rider and vehicle alike had merged into a single warrior. Wild’s voice carried through the air.

“Master armor zero! Engage!” He fired a beam of light out of the handlebar in his hand, throwing Volga backwards. He landed on his feet, almost losing his balance from the wheels on his soles, before rolling along the ground towards Volga. A blue laser-blade emerged from the repurposed handlebar, Wild holding it in one hand and the master sword in the other. Volga threw fireballs, only for every single one to be effortlessly deflected by Wild’s dual blades. He moved fast enough for the trees and flames to blur around him. He spun in a circle, blades outstretched on either side of himself, until he struck Volga.

Volga could do nothing except watch as Wild barreled towards him, until he was holding his blades out parallel to simultaneously strike him with both. Volga felt a surge of blinding pain, throwing him out of the forest and onto the fields of Akkala. Despite his best attempts, he couldn’t stand up even as Wild retracted the wheels onto the sides of his ankles, walking towards Volga. “This is not over.” He jabbed his spear into the ground, and disappeared in a pillar of red and orange fire.

“Wild!” Multi called past the outskirts of the forest. Just behind him, Wolf was pouring red potion onto Avian’s wound, while Linkle covered Sail’s eyes. “Hey, come on! I can handle it!”

“Yeah, I’m not so sure about that.” Linkle winced, “It looks pretty bad.” Wolf stood up.

“Sorry guys. This red potion just isn’t doing as much as it should. There must be some dark magic with that sword negating the potion’s effects.” Wild returned to the group, retracting the master armor zero into the sheikah slate. “Guys, what happened?” Avian’s voice croaked, “Ghirahim… ran me through.” Wild looked down, taken aback at Avian’s condition.

Wolf’s red potion had taken some effect on Avian’s wound, but he was still in excruciating pain. He could feel the stab wound in both his back and his chest. Looking down through blurred vision, he could see an ugly red-and-black hole in his torso. The other Links could scarcely be heard over the seemingly perpetual ringing in his ears. The ground disappeared from under him. It took Avian a few seconds to realize he was being carried, before he fell asleep.

Wild carried Avian as he slept, keeping his arm under the hole in his back so he wouldn’t bleed out. “We need to get him to the lab, now. Hopefully there’s something there that can stop the bleeding.” He tried to ignore the warm, wet blood pouring onto his arm. He placed Avian’s hands over his chest wound. Wolf had already applied red potion to where he’d cut himself trying to pull the sword out, with far more lucrative results. After a few minutes that felt more like countless hours, they finally approached the Akkala ancient tech lab.

Zelda paced around the perimeter of the lab. “Something’s wrong. I just know it is. What if the download didn’t work? What if it wasn’t enough? What if it came too late? What if Link got hurt?” “Which one?” Purah asked conversationally.

“Any of them!” Zelda was interrupted by Wolf pushing the door open. “Okay, good news: The new upgrade worked perfectly. Bad news.” He winced, turning back, “Guys, let’s just bring him in.” The group walked inside. Zelda paled when she saw Avian’s condition.

“What happened to him?” Avian struggled to talk and keep his eyes open, his face unnaturally pale. “Oh, it’s nothing. Just… just a little… impalement…that’s all.” Zelda looked Wild in the eyes. “Get him somewhere to rest. I’ll find something to bandage him. Did anyone use any potions?” Wolf answered, “I tried, but he got stabbed with a demon lord’s blade. There’s only so much a red potion can do against that.” “Great, just great.”

Avian spent some time drifting in and out of consciousness. He only became aware of anything that happened shortly after the fact, as though it were a dream already being forgotten as he woke up. He vaguely registered being laid down in the corner of the lab, his back leaning against the wall so his wounds wouldn't touch any surfaces. He was subconsciously aware that something was being wrapped around him.

Zelda looked down at Avian. He was staring ahead vacantly, his face pale and his breaths labored and ragged. "There has to be something else we can do. You're sure the red potions won't work anymore?"

"Afraid so." Wolf reluctantly confirmed. "Fortunately, it doesn't seem to be getting any worse. Hopefully, it'll heal on its own given enough time." "We'd better hope so." Multi walked over to Wild. "So, about that new armor…"

"Pretty cool, isn't it? Hey, Zelda, thanks!" Zelda smiled. "You're welcome. I thought you might like it." Purah looked around the room, rolling her eyes at Wild and Zelda. "Oh sure. It's not like us sheikahs did anything. Aside from, y'know, inventing this tech in the first place and helping you actually make the upgrade." "Right, right, sorry. You guys deserve credit too." Zelda admitted. She tapped Linkle on the shoulder. "Yeah, princess- I mean, Zelda. Need something, Zelda?" She berated herself, "Zelda, Zelda, just Zelda. Gotta remember that." "Hey, it's fine. Do you mind if we go out back? I want to talk to you about something. Y'know, just two girls." "I'm a girl." Purah interjected. "Sorry, but this isn't exactly something I'd talk about with you."

"Oh so that's how it is." "Yes, that's precisely how it is! Jerrin?" Zelda offered, "You wanna talk?" Jerrin shrugged while starting upstairs. "Honestly, I think I was less confused when I didn't know what was going on. Good luck, you guys." "Fair enough. So, Linkle, you wanna talk?" "Of course!"

Linkle and Zelda sat together at the edge of a cliff, a short distance behind the Akkala ancient tech lab. "So, what do you want to talk about?" Zelda took a sharp inhale. "Linkle, have you ever had a crush on someone?"

It took a short moment for Zelda's words to register to Linkle. "Oh. Oh, wow, this is so sudden." "What?" "Sorry, Zelda, you're pretty and all, but I don't swing that way." Zelda's eyes widened. "Not me! I meant a guy! Have you ever asked a guy out?!" "Oh! Well in that case, you should've been more specific. And also no."

Linkle stared down, past the cliff and into the ocean that stretched far beyond the borders of Hyrule. "Back in my village, no one believed me when I told them I was the legendary hero. No guy wanted to go out with the girl everyone thought had delusions of grandeur, so eventually I just stopped trying. Besides, I had my cucco farming and archery practice to keep myself busy." "Oh. Sorry." "It's fine." Linkle kept staring down. "You can only be rejected so many times before it starts to lose impact and you give in to indifference." Uh. Right."

Zelda nervously stood up. "Well, good talk." She lied, slowly walking back to the lab. "Hey, wait!" Zelda stopped to look back at Linkle as she stood up. "Sorry if I gave you the wrong idea. Just because I constantly got rejected, and gave up in the end to pursue a life of cucco farming and heroism, doesn't mean that you can't try. Just ask him out, and I don't know. I guess all you can do is hope for the best." She shrugged. "Plus, look on the bright side: if he breaks your figurative heart, Wild'll probably break his literal heart." Zelda started laughing. "Yeah, he… I'm sure he would. Thanks, Linkle. I needed that."

"Happy to help." Linkle waved as the former heir to Hyrule's throne walked back to the lab, unable to tell what she'd found so amusing. It took her a minute's worth of thought to realize, "Wait a second! Zelda wants to see Wild's master sword!"

As Zelda was walking back to the lab, the five Links exited through the front door. Wolf and Multi carried Avian between themselves, a cloth still wrapped around him. “And just what are you guys doing?” “Oh, hey Zelda. We figured that we should take Avian to a great fairy fountain. If a red potion isn’t doing much, maybe a fairy will, right? The nearest one shouldn’t be too far; just a bit south.” Wild explained. “Hey, do you and Linkle want to come with us?” “Yeah, sure. Hey, Linkle, we’re going to find something to help Avian! You wanna come with?” Linkle ran up to them. “How is that even a question? Let’s go already.” “Well, I can definitely appreciate your enthusiasm. Now, Link- sorry, Wild- how far is the closest fairy fountain?” “Zelda, it’s fine if you can’t immediately remember all our nicknames. And the closest one is probably a few thousand feet south. Still in the Akkala region, but we might have to pass Avian between us.” “Thanks, guys.” Avian rasped, eyes closed. “No problem.” Wolf assured him. “Come on, let’s go.”

Almost half a day later, the group entered a small circular forest in the southern Akkala region. The trees seemed a lighter shade of brown than most, with the leaves more vibrant. The difference only grew more pronounced as they pressed inward, until they entered a clearing. “So that’s a great fairy fountain.” Wild gasped, supporting Avian between himself and Zelda.

The majority of the clearing consisted of a shallow pond with a few fairies, living pink orbs of concentrated sentient magic. At the center was a massive orange pod made of plant matter, with a short ramp made of unnaturally large and solid yellow-orange flower petals. “Guess so. I don’t know if it’s my connection to the goddess Hylia or what, but I can sense a powerful magic in this place.” “Right, well, sounds like a good sign to me. C’mon, Avian.” He dragged Avian into the water surrounding the pod, where the sound of fairies grew louder until it resembled the ringing of windchimes. “How’re you feeling?” “A lot better, all things considered.” “Good. Just let me see… there!” His hand darted to catch a fairy out of the air. “Not bad.” “Yeah, I’ve had to build up my hand-eye coordination over the years. Now hold still. Multi, can you help me out here?” “Yeah, sure.” Multi approached them, the water audibly splashing around his feet. “Okay, we just need to sit him down, and then you undo the bandages while I apply the fairy. Got it?” “Got it.” “You guys do realize I can still hear you, right?” Avian pointed out as Wild and Multi lowered him into the fountain. “Yes, and we’re very proud of you for that. Now hold still.” Multi unwrapped the bandage to expose Avian’s wounds. “Got it.” Wild placed the fairy on the hole in Avian’s front, causing it to instantly close up. Multi watched as the same happened to the hole in his back. “Hey it worked!” Avian jumped to his feet, drenching Multi and Wild in the fountain water. “Hey, dude, come on!” Wild yelled, covering his face with his arms. “Sorry. But seriously, thanks guys. That worked perfectly.” He helped them up by the arms. “Good to hear.” Multi briefly transformed into a zora before taking the mask back off to dry himself. Avian pointed blankly. “Neat trick.” “What can I say?” Multi shrugged, “I have my moments.” Wild reached out lightly, “Can I…?” Multi rolled his eyes. “Sure. Knock yourself out.” He passed the zora mask to Wild. “Oh, wait, actually try not to knock yourself out with that. I’ve built up an immunity over time, but a while ago I let this girl from another dimension borrow that same mask and let’s just say, it did not end well.”

“Uh, right. I’ll keep that in mind.” Wild hesitated, albeit only briefly, before placing the zora mask on his face. As soon as he did so, his entire body was engulfed in immense, searing pain. His anatomy was fundamentally altered, with his bones elongating and turning hollow, gills tearing into his head, and sharp fins emerging from his elbows. Wild was only aware of agony, feeling as though his organs were on fire. He was vaguely aware of a sound. Some part of his subconscious recognized it as his own blood curdling scream. Time lost all meaning. Sound and sight lost all meaning. Wild no longer felt pain, only a vague sense of nonexistence as he only saw a blank white space.

“What… what is this? Where am I? Am I dead?!” He would’ve lost his breath if he was still breathing.

“Not quite. Think of it more like an out-of-body experience.” Wild turned around, not that he could feel himself doing so. Two women appeared in the nothingness. One had stark white hair, the other had bright blue hair and was a head shorter. The white-haired woman was dressed all in black, with armor that barely covered her torso or chest, and a dress that split in half at the legs, revealing a red dragon tattoo running down one of them. The blue-haired woman wore a white dress with a few ornamental designs for decoration, leaving her torso and shoulders exposed, and her hair in a long ponytail. They both had the same purple-eyed face. "Who are you?" Wild demanded, "What is this place? Are you twin sisters or something?" "Not exactly." The shorter woman explained, "I'm Lana. She's Cia. We're two halves of the same whole." "What?" Cia elaborated, "I was tasked with watching over every timeline where the golden goddesses resided after the great split. I was unable to intervene as I watched events unfold in simultaneity, until an evil spirit split my soul in half. That's how Lana was created." "I trust you're familiar with the one responsible." Lana presumed. "Ganondorf, right?" "Who else?" Cia scoffed, "He ripped the good out of my soul and corrupted me to his dark ambitions. I attempted to break away from being his puppet, and reunited with Lana in the process." Lana finished, "After that whole ordeal, we returned to guarding the triforce of power, or at least the version of it from our timeline. Until, that is, something happened that threw everything out of whack."

“I’m guessing it was when Multi brought us all together into one era, right?” “Not exactly.” Lana corrected, “It actually happened a while before that. It all started with the great calamity.” Wild’s eyes widened. “Are you telling me that Calamity Ganon broke the timelines?” “For lack of a better term, yes.” Cia dragged her finger downwards, creating a trail of light that split in two down the middle. The second line split in two again, creating 3 separate branches. “How do you think Calamity Ganon was born?” “Um… a concentration of pure evil built up over countless millennia ever since before the founding of Hyrule?” “Something like that. But it wasn’t just concentrated evil from a single timeline.” Lana elaborated, “It was concentrated evil from all three timelines.” “Right, right.” Wild nodded faux-thoughtfully, “And that works because, because, how does that work?” “It’s pretty hard to explain.” “Let me try.” Cia gestured to a few specific points on the timeline. “While Lana and I were, well let’s just say we were ‘otherwise occupied’-” “You waged war on Hyrule for the hero’s affections because you were jealous of the princess, and I had to team up with them to stop you.” “Yes, I made a great deal of severe mistakes that put all of reality in jeopardy because of my selfish and self-destructive urges, but now’s not the time to get hung up on details and regrets.” 

“I have several questions.”

“Put them on hold for right now.” Cia continued, “Getting back on track, while Lana and I were distracted with the war- which in hindsight probably could’ve been avoided with some better life choices- Ganondorf’s pure malicious essence used the opportunity to converge. Since we weren’t actually watching, we can only speculate, but somehow Ganon was able to build up his dark magic from all three timelines.”

The illusionary timeline Cia had drawn turned pitch-black and blood-red. A malice-like liquid poured out of all three branches, pooling below and coalescing into a miniature replica of Calamity Ganon. “So, let me see if I’ve got this right: while you two were fighting each other even though you’re literally the same person, Ganondorf or Ganon, or whatever he’s called, somehow absorbed his own powers from across three different timelines, turning into Calamity Ganon in the process and also merging the three timelines into one?” “Exactly.” Lana confirmed, “And as you can probably imagine, combining three different timelines is infinitely messier than splitting one timeline in two. That’s why your era of Hyrule’s history is the convergence point for your various reincarnations, even though the hero of time- the one you apparently call Multi- was the one who pulled out the master sword in his era.” “That’s, um, that’s, wow. What do we need to do to stop this?” “Don’t worry.” Cia flashed him a toothy grin. “We’ll send you a signal after you wake up.” Cia and Lana disappeared.

“Link!”

“Link!”

“Link!”

Wild opened his eyes. Zelda was gripping his shoulders tight, her face a mere few inches from his. The other Links were nearby. Wild raised his hands to his face, finding that he was no longer wearing the zora mask. “I was so worried about you.” Zelda hugged Wild, burying her face in his chest. “Hey, Zelda, it’s alright.” Wild closed his eyes, gently stroking her hair. “I was only out for a few minutes, right?” “Uh, Wild?” Multi nervously interjected, “You were out for hours.” “What?!” Wild opened his eyes, finally realizing they were inside his house. He barely noticed that he’d tightened his grip on Zelda. “What happened?” “You put on the zora mask, and then you started screaming.” Sail recalled, “I swear, I’d never heard anything like it.” Zelda raised her head. “Link, are you alright?” “I think so. It just hurt like hell. Worse than hell. Thanks for bringing me here.” “Well, we decided it was the best we could do.” “Hey, I need to tell you guys something.”

Wild conveyed what Cia and Lana had told him in the nonexistence between life and death. “I don’t believe it.” Avian gasped, “That must be why none of our red potions worked; those two were keeping you there for expositional purposes.” “That’s what you got from all that?” Wolf questioned. “What? It’s a lot to process.” “Well, I always thought Hyrule’s history seemed inconsistent at points.” Zelda acknowledged, “At least now we know why.” “More importantly…” Wolf attempted to steer the conversation, “They mentioned they’d be sending you some sort of signal, right? Maybe we should go outside and look.” “Yeah, maybe.” Wild reluctantly extricated himself from Zelda’s grip. “Oh, sorry, Link. Or Wild, or whichever.” “It’s fine.” He helped her up, and walked over to his front door. “I’d bet my left arm we won't find anything.” Upon opening the door, he was greeted by a swirling purple and blue vortex filling the entire doorway.

“Woah.” Wolf stepped closer to the portal. “This must be that sign those time-guardians told you about. Wild, what do you think?” “I think it’s a good thing I’m right handed. And, more importantly, that we should go in there and investigate.” “You think we’ll find something in there?” Linkle suggested. “Yeah, why else would it be here now?” Wild confirmed, “Hey, Zelda, you, uh, want to come with us? I mean, it- it’s probably going to be dangerous if we’re not here with Ganon and Volga and everything else here.” Zelda rubbed at her face, trying and failing to hide the fact that it’d turned beet red. “I think that’d be for the best.” “Okay.” Avian gestured to the other six, then to the portal. “If we’re done here, then let’s go.”

Avian, Multi, Wolf, Sail, Wild, Linkle, and Zelda found themselves in what appeared to be a swamp, with discolored trees growing out of the water and the moist ground. "Okay, where-" Sail abruptly cried out in pain. His form warped and shifted, until standing in his place was a seagull. Wild screamed, "Not again!" He was forcefully shape shifted into a large brown horse. Linkle transformed into a cucco, and Zelda into a white horse the same size as Wild's new form. "Whoah! Whoah! Okay! What the hell?!" Avian backed away from the transformed. "We must be in some sort of cursed realm." Wolf surmised, "Like when I first entered the twilight realm, and I transformed into a wolf."

"Okay, guys, we need to figure something out first." Multi stepped forward, arms outstretched. "Can you guys still understand me? Sail, flap your wings if you can still understand me." Sail jumped in the air and flapped his wings in Multi's face. "Okay okay I get it!" He pushed Sail out of his face. "Good news: they're still themselves. Now, Wolf, what were you saying about the twilight realm?"

Wolf snapped his fingers, "Right! Okay, so normally when a hylian enters the twilight realm, they turn into a spirit. But the triforce of courage protected me, so I turned into a wolf instead. I'm thinking since it was just us Links that went to the twilight realm last time, our master swords made it so we stayed as hylians." "So, there's something about this place that turned them into animals? Why didn't it affect us?" Avian wondered aloud.

"Hey!" A voice called through the swamp. Someone audibly approached them through the misshapen trees. "On your guard." Avian whispered, unsheathing his sword. Multi and Wolf followed his example. A young man emerged from the undergrowth. He was wearing a green tunic, and a conical green hat. His blue eyes widened at what he saw. 

Multi slammed his sword hilt into his own forehead. "Are you kidding me?! There's another one?!" "Who are you?" The new Link drew his sword, waving it between the other three. "Some kind of dark world duplicates?" "Hey, relax. It's okay. We're not here to fight you." Wolf sheathed his blade, holding out his empty hands. “It’s kind of a long story… okay well actually there’s no ‘kind of’ about it; it’s just straight-up a long story. See, we’re all reincarnations of each other.” He gestured to Avian, “He’s the original.” “And you expect me to believe that? Where’s your proof?” “Uh…” “Here.” Avian showed the new Link the back of his hand. Three golden triangles glowed on his skin.

“What?” the young man nearly dropped his sword. “How did you get the triforce? I’ve been looking for it for ages! Wars have been fought for that thing!” “Yeah, about that.” Wolf and Multi showed the backs of their own hands, each shining with only one triangle. “I think the two of us just have the triforce of courage.” Multi explained. “Incredible. So that’s why you didn’t turn into animals.” He pointed at the others, “Friends of yours?” “Yeah.” Multi elaborated, “Two other Links, a girl we’re pretty sure is another Link, and the princess Zelda of a different time period.” “No way. You guys are all Link? Do you use nicknames?” “Yep. I’m Multi, and they’re Avian and Wolf. The seagull is Sail, the cucco is Linkle-the girl Link- the brown horse is Wild, and the white horse is the Zelda of his era.” “Okay, okay.” The native Link sat down on a boulder partially covered in brown moss. “I feel like this is going to take a while.”

By the time Avian, Multi, and Wolf had finished recounting their stories, the sky had turned darker and the transformed group was close to falling asleep. “Man. This is a lot to process. Okay, so is this the part where I tell you my backstory?” “It’d be nice if you could.” Multi recommended, “That way, we can give you a nickname.” Avian elaborated, “More importantly, it’ll help us get to know each other better.” “Oh, that makes way more sense. Alright. Hoo boy, where to start?”

“Okay, so one night, I got woken up by this crazy dream where I heard a girl’s voice. She told me that her father was killed by a wizard, she was the princess of Hyrule, and she needed help. My uncle told me that he had to go to the castle, and I was supposed to stay at home. Naturally, I didn’t listen. I broke into the castle, and I found my uncle. He was dying. I can… I can still remember his last words. Sorry, it’s still kind of hard. After, after that, I saved princess Zelda. Well, y’know, a different princess Zelda. We made it to the sanctuary, where the sage protected her while I collected the pendants of courage, wisdom, and power. After that, I went to the lost woods and pulled the master sword out of its pedestal. I…um…I went back to the sanctuary. The sage had tried to protect Zelda, but the wizard had kidnapped her and left him to die. So I took the master sword and stormed the castle, where the wizard had already corrupted the guards. Long story short, I found out that he’d taken Zelda and the six maidens to this place, the dark world, so that the dark world could take over the light world. Naturally, I tried to fight the wizard, Agahnim, but just when I was about to win, the coward tossed me into the dark world. If you’re wondering what happened to your friends over there, well, the dark world transforms you into a beast that reflects your true nature. I, just for example, turned into a cute pink rabbit. Not exactly the best form for saving the world, but lucky for me I got this magic mirror from an old man that lets me travel between realms, and in the light world I found a moon pearl that lets me stay human in here. And then I found out that I had to conquer seven particularly nasty monsters in seven dungeons to save the seven maidens, and then I’ll be able to rescue princess Zelda and save the light world. So, any questions?”

“Uh, yeah, actually.” Multi piped up, “You mentioned the sage and seven maidens. In my time, there were seven sages and no maidens. Also, the Zelda of my time was the seventh sage. Is there any chance there might be some sort of connection?”

“It’s possible. I’m pretty sure the seven maidens and the sage, Sahasrahla, are- or in Sahsrahla’s case, I guess were- descended from the seven sages from the hero of time’s era.” He glanced at Multi. “So, that’s you, huh?” “Yep. So, do you have any legends about me? How I stopped Ganon and saved the world, before disappearing to save another?” Link avoided Multi’s gaze. “So, uh, how about that nickname? Just in case there’s any other Links we don’t know about?”

Multi narrowed his eyes. “I know you’re just trying to change the subject, but okay. How about… well, it can’t be about how you’ve been to two worlds; that also applies to me and Wolf.” “How about Rabbit?” The group looked at Wolf, including the transformed. “What? We named me after what I turned into in the twilight realm.” Avian shrugged, “Maybe you could be Seven? Y’know, seven dungeons, seven maidens, seven monsters. Your whole adventure seems kind of seven-based.” “So, what, my options are to be named after an animal or a number? And what about Multi? He also had to rescue seven sages!” “Yeah, but the light sage was already fine when I woke up, and Zelda was doing her own thing, so there were only five temples plus Ganon’s castle. Besides, Wolf’s named after an animal and you don’t see him complaining.” “Yeah, because wolves are cool!” Avian gestured to the seagull. “One of us is named Sail, if that makes you feel any better.” Sail squawked. “See? He agrees.” “Yeah, I’m pretty sure that’s not what he meant. But I’ll take Seven.”

“Awesome! So, Seven, what do you know about the hero of time defeating Ganon?” “Yeah, about that. You mentioned three timelines, right?” “Yeah, after I defeated Ganon, there were three timelines split off from that. Or, well, two timelines, and then one split into two because of time travel.”

“Right, okay so in your timeline you defeated Ganon, clearly. But in my timeline, you lost. You were killed, and Ganon took over Hyrule with the full power of the triforce at his beck and call.”

Chapter Text

“What?!” Multi screamed, “How did I lose?!”

“Well, don’t ask me. I wasn’t there. But according to our history, Ganon took the triforces of courage and wisdom from you and Zelda, but the sages managed to trap him in the sacred realm before he could use its full power.” “Well, that’s good.” Wolf remarked.

“Yeah, except it turns out the sacred realm changes to reflect its inhabitants. This place?” Seven rapped his knuckle against the boulder he was sitting on. “This used to be the sacred realm.” “Oh.” Avian winced, “That’s bad.”

Seven narrowed his eyes. “How insightful. But, yeah, Ganon had the entire triforce and he turned his own prison into a new base of operations, so then he gathered an army of demons to attack Hyrule, but the sages and the knights managed to seal Ganon and his armies in this realm. We call that whole incident the imprisoning war for obvious reasons.” “Knowing Ganon, I’m guessing it didn’t stick.” Wolf presumed. “Probably not. I don’t know for sure, but I’m willing to bet that Agahnim’s actually working for Ganon.”

“Great. Just what we need.” Avian remarked, “So, you wouldn’t want to join us in our quest, would you?” Seven winced, awkwardly shrugging. “Sorry, but I think we’ve established I’ve got my own thing going right now. But if you need anything, I’d be happy to help somehow else.” Avian nodded, “I guess that’s the best we can hope for. Maybe there’s something we could do for you?” Seven smiled. “Thanks for the offer. I guess I could use some help.”

Seven jumped off the boulder and started pacing in front of the group. “Okay, I’m pretty sure the next dungeon is in the skeleton forest. I have a map of this place, so all you guys have to do is help me fight anything that gets in our way and we should be alright. We’ve got four of us, plus maybe another four, so I can’t see anything-” He was interrupted by a series of explosions.

The four Links were thrown aside by dozens of explosions, generating small bursts of flaming energy. Linkle and Sail flew away from the blasts, while Zelda and Wild retreated much faster than the others. Seven turned to watch the blue and red orbs of energy crash into the trees, instantly burning them to ash. “He’s here!” A man appeared in front of them. He wore an open red robe with yellow accents, a shirt emblazoned with the symbol of the sheikah, pointed shoes, and a hat connected to his robes, leaving only his eyes and nose visible. The only part of his light blue that could be seen was his forearms, with bestial clawed hands. “Agahnim!” Seven drew his sword. Avian, Multi, and Wolf followed suit. “You’re facing four chosen heroes of legend! Surrender now, or you will be killed!” Agahnim laughed. It was the sound of death and cold made manifest.

“So, you found more of yourself? How interesting. But hardly unique. Allow me to demonstrate.” Two copies of agahnim appeared on either side of him. They separated, floating inches above the ground on three sides of the group. Each Agahnim split further, resulting in nine wizards surrounding the entire group. All of their voices echoed simultaneously, “Now you die!” A swarm of magic spheres, each flashing red and blue, rocketed towards the group of eight.

Avian, Multi, Wolf, and Seven desperately ran around, using their individual master swords to deflect the Agahnims’ strikes. They kept the attacks away from Sail, Wild, Linkle, and Zelda, for their inability to use similar weaponry. "Multi!" Wolf yelled, "Can't you use that lens to find the real one?!"

Multi sliced an orb out of the air, turning his blade to knock back another. "Got it!" He held the lens of truth up to his eye with one hand and deflected a third attack with the other. He scanned the battlefield until he found the one Agahnim who didn't disappear under the lens's gaze. "That one!" He jabbed an energy strike, causing it to rocket back into the true Agahnim's chest. Multi used the distraction to charge forward, jumping forward to slice diagonally across Agahnim's chest.

Wolf sliced him horizontally across the stomach.

"Skyward strike!" Avian's sword glowed blue as he jumped, bringing it straight down across Agahnim's entire body. The wizard screamed as he was knocked back onto the ground. “Hate to break it to you, Agahnim.” Seven taunted, “But if you thought I was bad solo, just wait and see what happens when there’s four of me!” Agahnim slowly got up to his knees. “Damn you, Link. Why must you make this so difficult for both of us? It would be so much easier to just lay down your life in the name of lord Ganon!” He stood up, robes billowing from the sudden movement. “Come here!” Sail abruptly flew into his outstretched hand. Agahnim tightened his grip on the seagull’s throat. “Give me your sword, child. Surrender the blade of evil’s bane, or I promise you I will end your companion’s miserable life.”

“Monster!” Avian leveled his sword at Agahnim’s chest. “Let him go now, or I’ll-” “No.” Seven stepped directly in front of Avian. “Even if I give him my master sword, he’s still got three others to contend with.” Behind his back, out of Agahnim’s sight that was wholly focused on the sword in his hands, he held up his index finger to Avian. “Give me the sword, boy. Give it to me, now!” Seven grinned, holding his master sword in one hand and fishing through his pocket with the other. “I’d be happy to give it to you!” He  tossed the master sword at Agahnim while rolling a small object on the ground. A puff of smoke covered Seven for a brief second, before dissipating to reveal a small pink rabbit in his place.

Agahnim could only watch, for less than a second, as the master sword stabbed him in his chest. He cried out in pain, falling to his hands and knees while releasing Sail in the process. A small blue pearl rolled in front of him, allowing Sail to pick it up in his beak. After a burst of smoke, Sail was left as a hylian with a sacred artifact between his teeth. “Oh, gross.” He spat it out into one hand while unsheathing his blade with the other, immediately bringing it down into Agahnim’s foot. “You!” He screamed in apoplectic rage and agony, swinging his arm to throw Sail back. He released the moon pearl, transforming into a Sail and flying out of the way before he could slam into a nearby tree.

Linkle flapped the wings of her cucco form, gradually gaining altitude. She rose through the air to catch the moon pearl as it fell to the ground. In the cucco’s place, Linkle appeared in her hylian form with the moon pearl between her teeth. She unholstered the crossbows on her boots to fire them in midair before dive-kicking Agahnim with an explosion of fire. He was completely unflinched by the impact, forcing Linkle to backflip away from the blazing shockwave. “Ineffectual little girl! I am invulnerable to mortal weaponry!” He threw out another burst of magic. “Good to know!” She dodge-rolled to the side, while throwing the moon pearl in the horses’ direction. “Wild, ca-” She was cut off by her own transformation back into a cucco, resulting in several frustrated clucks.

Wild managed to catch the moon pearl, allowing him to turn back into a hylian, pocket it, and draw his sword. “You want a master sword, Agahnim? Let’s see if you can handle it!” He ran forward, jumping next to Agahnim with his sword arm outstretched, slicing across Agahnim’s midsection before immediately turning around to slice his back. “Go to hell!” “Daruk’s protection!” Wild put up a forcefield against the lightning Agahnim tossed at him. He ran over to the pink rabbit. “Seven, you know how to stop this guy, right? Here; you need this more than I do.” He placed the moon pearl between Seven’s paws, turning him into a hylian and Wild into a horse. “Thanks. Okay, is everyone good now?” “Yeah. Let’s finish this, now!” Avian decided. “Fine! You may delude yourselves into thinking you have won, but I promise you, our fight has scarcely begun!” Agahnim transformed into a bat, his wingspan dwarfing the entire group, and flew through the misshapen trees of the swamp. “Yeah, you’d better run! Coward!” Multi yelled after him.

“Hey, you guys aren’t half bad.” Seven remarked, “Good to know I’ve got worthy successors. And predecessors. And alternate… timeline… guys. But, yeah, anyway…” Seven took a small handheld mirror out of the satchel hanging from his waist. He pointed it at the sun, until a circular vortex of blue and white energy was projected from it. “This’ll get you guys back to the light world.” “Wait, don’t you need our help with rescuing the maidens?” Multi inquired. Seven shook his head, “Nah, I should be fine on my own. Besides, only you three would stand a chance in the dungeons, and I’d rather not separate your group. You’ve got your world-saving quest to go on, and I’ve got mine.”

“Actually, I’ve got another idea.” Multi interjected, “What if you send Sail, Linkle, Wild, and Zelda to the light realm so they can go back to being hylians, and the four of us can take care of things here?” Seven paced, thinking to himself.

“Huh. Y’know what? That’s not a bad idea. You guys!” Seven pointed at the seagull, the cucco, and the horses, “Nod if you agree to this plan!” After a few seconds, he turned to the remaining hylians. “Okay, looks like we’re ready.” Sail, Linkle, Wild, and Zelda exited the portal, at which point Seven pocketed the mirror, closing the gateway between the realms. “Alright. Let’s review our strategy.”

Seven laid out a parchment map on the boulder, after finding a position where any moisture wouldn’t compromise it. “Okay, I’ve freed two maidens out of seven, leaving only five to go.” “Congrats; you can do basic subtraction.” Multi remarked, “But in all seriousness, I’m guessing you want us to do one dungeon each?” “Yep, and then we’ll all save the final maiden together.” Seven confirmed. “Right.” Wild photographed the map with his sheikah slate. “Now we’ll only have to go somewhere to get two more maps, and then we can split up.” “no need.” Seven extricated two folded maps from his satchel, and handed them to Avian and Multi. “I figured I might need a spare or two.” “Thanks.” Multi looked over his copy. “Wait, if everyone here gets turned into a beast, then how are there any maps in the first place?”

Seven shrugged, “Well, they still keep their minds. Maybe some people turned into monkeys or whatever and made maps that way? I just found these lying around an abandoned house a little while after I got them. Anyway, the sooner we get going, the better.” “Right.” Avian confirmed, “Let’s go, team. Now!”

After several hours and missteps, Multi had managed to infiltrate the skull woods within the skeleton forest. He dropped down a square hole into a square room, where the floor moved like a conveyor belt towards a wall that was almost entirely covered in spikes. “Whoah whoah whoah okay! Guess I’ve gotta defeat that thing, right?” He sliced at a giant butterfly-like monster, its wings folded. The abomination screeched, flapping its wings and generating gusts of wind that nearly threw Multi into the air. The giant moth’s wingspan covered half the room, while the floor alternated between moving horizontally and vertically. “Let’s try this!” Multi fired his hookshot to impale the moth’s wing, using it to drag himself through the air with the master sword drawn in his other hand.

Eventually, Seven made his way into thieves’ town within the village of outcasts. He navigated the myriad traps until he managed to find a small key. He heard the voice of a young woman yelling, “Hey! Over here!” “What?” “Over here!” He turned to find a jail cell, containing a girl wearing orange ceremonial robes. “Hey, wait a… you’re not one of the maidens, are you? Why aren’t you in a crystal like the others?” “Oh, uh, I don’t really know. I think what’s-his-face figured that this place had better security than the other prisons, so he didn’t bother wasting his magic on it.”

“Now that you mention it, this place does seem better guarded compared to the last two dungeons. I guess it checks out…” He pointed his sword at the maiden. “...but if you’re some monster in disguise, I won’t hesitate to kill you and save the real maiden myself. Understood?”

The maiden stepped backwards, eyes widened, before clearing her throat. “Yes, well, you don’t have to worry about that, I can assure you.” Seven sheathed his blade. “Good to know.” He used the key to open the door. “C’mon, let’s get you out of here.”

Seven and the maiden traversed the dungeon, Seven battling any of Agahnim’s demons that approached while the Maiden assisted him in navigating the traps that littered the place, until they reached an octagonal room with smaller corner sides and the sun shining down from above the open ceiling. The maiden released a blood curdling screech, “Too bright!” Her voice changed, sounding like a raspy old man. In a puff of smoke, she transformed into a humanoid figure with orange skin, large white eyes, vampiric fangs, and blazing fires for arms, wearing white robes and floating above the floor. “You’re no maiden!” “You finally figured it out! I am the greatest thief who ever lived! Blind!” The demon shot three fireballs at Seven, forcing the swordsman to jump out of the way.

Wolf made his way into the ice palace located in the ice lake. He used his iron boots to prevent himself from sliding on the floor. With the bomb arrows he’d bought from the Kakariko village general shop, he was able to melt the ice in his way, until he made it to the bottom of the dungeon.

In the square room was a mass of ice, with a spherical entity sealed inside. “Okay.” Wolf nocked an explosive in his bow. “Let’s get this over with.” He decimated the ice, freeing the creature imprisoned within.

Within the swamp of evil, Avian made it to the misery mire dungeon. There, he found an enigmatic item known only as the cane of Somaria, capable of creating solid green blocks from pure magic. He used it in tandem with his paraglider to traverse the dungeon and eventually reach the monster guarding the maiden. It was a mass consisting of dozens of eyes, floating inside a living green viscous substance. “Oh, that is just wrong.”

Multi sliced through the moth creature with his sword, before falling back to the ground on his feet. It shot three rings of fire, forcing Link to put on the goron mask and turn around so the rocks on his back could block the attacks. He took the mask off while turning around, launching fire arrows into the demon. It screeched in pain, its wings burning as the rest of its body shriveled into dust.

“Well, that was easy.” Multi remarked, sheathing his blade. A blue crystal appeared in front of him, containing a young woman.

“Link, because of you, I can escape from the clutches of the evil monster Mothula. Thank you!” “No problem.” “Do you know the prophecy of the great cataclysm? This is the way I heard it: if a person who has an evil heart gets the triforce, a hero is destined to appear, and he alone must face the person who began the great cataclysm. If the evil one destroys the hero, nothing can save the world from his wicked reign.”

“Well.” Multi remarked, “No pressure, I guess.” He whispered to himself, “Better hope that doesn’t happen again.”

“Only a person of the knights of Hyrule, who protected the royalty of Hylia, can become the hero. You are of their bloodline, aren’t you?” “Yeah, sure.” “Then you must rescue Zelda without fail.”

“I promise you, I will save Zelda. No matter what.”

The maiden nodded, “May the way of the hero lead to the triforce.”

Seven deflected Blind’s fireballs into his robes, incinerating them. Blind screeched inhumanly as his entire body disappeared in a blaze. “What in the-?” Seven wondered aloud, as Blind’s head floated in the air. “Oh, of course. I should’ve expected that.”

Blind’s disembodied head spun through the air, launching fireballs at random while Seven shot arrows into it. He registered a drastic increase in temperature, jumping and flipping to the side barely in time for a fireball to rocket under him. He turned to see Blind, having completely regenerated alongside its original head. “Oh, that’s just great.” Seven swung his master sword at blinding speeds, deflecting the fireballs as they came at him, faster by the second, until he managed to annihilate Blind’s main body a second time. The two disembodied heads flew around the room, while Blind’s main body recreated itself, all of them tossing simultaneous fireballs at Seven.

“Oh come on! Another one?!” Seven was forced to jump and dodge some of the fireballs, while attempting to deflect as many as he could. After several moments, he jabbed his sword into a fireball, jumping forward at the same time to avoid two more. The spherical blaze he'd stabbed flew back into Blind one last time, completely destroying him and all three of his heads. A crystal appeared before him, the maiden within speaking, “Link, because of you, I can escape from the clutches of the evil monster Blind. Thank you!”

Seven nodded, sheathing his sword. “Hey, what kind of chosen hero would I be otherwise? Hey, you got anything interesting to tell me like the first two maidens?”

The maiden explained, “As the wise men sealed the way to the dark world, the knights of Hyrule defended them from the attacks of evil monsters. I heard that the knights of Hyrule were nearly wiped out in that battle. You are perhaps the last one to carry on the bloodline of the knights. It is ironic that the last one in the line has the potential to become the hero of legend. Surely you can destroy Ganon! May the way of the hero lead to the triforce.” The crystal shattered, and the maiden disappeared, leaving Seven alone.

“I promise you, uncle Alfon, I won’t fail you. I’ll stop Ganon, and I’ll avenge you, and the king, and everyone else he and Agahnim have forced to suffer!”

Wolf took off the iron boots so he could dodge the blasts of ice shot out by the amorphous creature, just as it split itself into three copies. “Oh come on! Unfair!” He backflipped over a shot of cold energy, flipping forward off his hands and back onto his feet. Wolf transformed into a canine as he ran forward, his claws digging into the ice to provide friction, until he pounced on one of the Kholdstares. He turned back into a hylian in midair, stabbing the Kholdstare in its expressionless black eye. He kicked off the dead monster, fired a bomb arrow at the second Kholdstare, turned around in midair, and launched another explosive to kill the final enemy. A crystal and maiden appeared in the middle of the arena.

“Link, because of you, I can escape from the clutches of the evil monster Kholdstare. Thank you! They say the Hylian people controlled mysterious powers, as did the seven wise men. But the blood of Hylia has become thin over time. We who carry the blood of the seven wise men do not possess strong power anymore, either. Our powers will increase if we mix the courage of the knights with the wisdom of the wise men. Only a short time remains until the gate at the castle linking the worlds opens completely. If you defeat Ganon, this world will vanish and the triforce will wait for a new holder. I believe in you. Good luck!” She disappeared in a flash of light. “Thanks.” Wolf muttered, “I beat Ganon once; I can sure as hell do it again. No matter how many times it takes.”

Avian used his clawshot to drag the horror’s eyes towards himself, slicing them in half one-by-one. The thing occasionally launched an eyeball as a projectile, ejecting it from its own body with a stomach-churning squelch, only for Avian to cut them out of the air. The massive eye in the back of the beast shot out a two-pronged bolt of lightning, forcing Avian to dodge between the bolts as they illuminated the room. Link sprinted around the room, slicing the thing’s eyes and dodging, jumping over, and sliding under its 3-pronged lightning bolts. Once there were only four of the smaller eyes left, the largest one, twice the size of Avian, started bouncing erratically around the room. Avian dodge-rolled before the eye could crush him, shooting an arrow into its pupils. When the eye was directly over him, Avian raised his sword skyward. It glowed with a sacred blue light as the monster fell upon it, eradicating itself entirely.

A crystal containing a maiden appeared before Avian. “Link, because of you, I can escape from the clutches of the evil monster Vitreous. Thank you!” The maiden explained, “Ganon captured us because he couldn’t break the seal of the wise men with his power alone. And then, using the wizard Agahnim as his pawn, he drew us to the dark world. After cracking the seal with our powers, he sealed us inside of these crystals. He then gave us to his loyal monsters. But Ganon didn’t plan on your getting this far. Now, princess Zelda is waiting for you inside of turtle rock. Please hurry!” The crystal disappeared. “You don’t have to tell me twice.”

The four Links regrouped at the swamp in the middle of the day. “Everyone save the maidens?” Seven asked. The others confirmed. “Good. Now let’s go over everything we’ve learned.”

The four Links conveyed what the four maidens had told them. “Right.” Seven added, “So that confirms that Ganon’s behind everything, and all we have to do is save Zelda.” “I thought you said there were seven maidens, though. Looks like we’ve only freed six, though.” Multi pointed out. “Well, I think the princess is also a maiden, or at least connected to them so much she might as well be one of them.” Seven clarified. “Got it. So, we just have to go to this turtle rock place and free Zelda.” “Yep. Thanks, guys.” “Don’t mention it.” Avian punched him on the shoulder. “Come on; no time to waste.”

The four Links entered turtle rock within the dark world version of death mountain. They traversed the caverns until they reached the final arena. “Okay, team.” Seven drew his blade, the other Links copying him. “This is it.”

The monster resembled a massive turtle with a boulder for a shell, horns on its central head, a tail consisting of spherical rocks attached to each other like a medieval weapon, and two additional heads. The red and blue heads, each resembling a monstrous skull, emerged from the thing’s back at the ends of unnaturally long necks. The blue skull breathed out frost that froze the ground, whereas the red one breathed a column of fire. The Links split into two groups to avoid the twin blasts, Seven dodging in the same direction as Multi. “We need something to freeze the red head, and something to heat up the blue head.” “Think this might work?” Multi handed him a rod with a red orb on top. “I found it in the skull woods. It can create fire.” “Perfect. Use that.”

Multi nodded, standing up and waving the fire rod towards the blue cranium. Flames trailed behind it as it moved, collecting within the orb and firing into the blue neck. The monster screeched, causing the Links to cover their ears. “Anyone got something to deal with the red one?” “No.” Wolf shook his head, “You’d think there would’ve been something in the ice place, but nope.”

“Okay.” Multi tossed the fire rod to Wolf. He ran and jumped over a plume of flame in wolf form, turning back and catching the rod in midair to turn around and launch flames at the blue head, before landing and skidding backwards a few inches. Multi clapped him on the shoulder, “Nice, Wolf. Okay, you do fire…” He loaded an ice arrow into his bow, “...and I’ll ice the other one.” Avian raised his sword to charge a skyward strike. “In that case, we’ll deal with the main head.” He shot out a disc of blue light that struck the central head between its beady eyes. Seven tossed multiple bombs at it, until the thing lashed out on a long gray neck. Seven rolled to the side, while Avian backflipped multiple times. Multi shot ice arrows, occasionally turning into a goron to shield himself from the flames. Wolf used the fire rod to attack the blue head while melting the ice it left on the ground. Striking the extra heads weakened them to the point where the six Links were able to strike them with their blades.

Once the Links had successfully slain the red and blue heads, the one in the middle retreated into its shell. "Yes! We did- wait, why is it exploding?" Multi wondered aloud, as the living boulder was covered in flames. The smoke cleared to reveal the monster's final head, attached to a line of what looked like rocks, three in the middle much larger than all the others. "Oh come on!" Seven yelled, as the monster slithered erratically across the arena. The sound of rock moving against rock became deafening, and the cavern started shaking. “We need to kill that thing, before this place collapses!” Avian yelled, swinging his blade just as the beast passed next to him. Striking the largest boulders in its body elicited a deep, guttural roar of pain. The thing changed its directory, lashing out with its mouth open at Avian. He gasped in shock as he instinctively held up his sword to pry the horror’s mouth apart. The sheer force of it drove him backwards with his heels digging into the ground, his arms screaming as sweat beaded on his face. He felt the pressure lighten somewhat, startling him. Avian looked over to see Wolf standing directly behind him, using his clawshots to pull the monster’s bottom jaw down from either side. Avian gave him a shaky grin. “Th… thanks.” Wolf simply nodded to save his strength. “Seven! We’ll finish it!” Multi decided. “Right!” Seven and Multi sprinted over to the thing’s weak spot. They jumped over its tail as it swung towards them, drawing their swords and bringing them down. The twin blades of evil’s bane cut through the living rock in a diagonal cross pattern, causing a series of small explosions that left the monster dead. Avian and Wolf collapsed immediately, the latter’s clawshots retracting themselves, and the other waving his empty-handed arm weakly. “Woo yay we did it.”

A crystal appeared in the center of the battlefield, illuminating the entire chamber. Inside, princess Zelda could be seen with her eyes closed. “I appreciate your coming so far to rescue me.” She opened her eyes as she continued, “As I thought, you are the legendary he…ro…es?” She pointed at the Links in shock. “Why are there four of you?” “Yeah, that’s kind of a long story.” Seven explained, “See, they’re all me, but from, like, different timelines. Or something. It’s complicated.” “Oh, just what we need. More complications. But I can feel something from all of you. You’re definitely all the legendary heroes of Hyrule, in equal measure. Now, Ganon is waiting inside of his tower to pass through the gate linking the two worlds. Once Ganon enters the light world, it is unlikely that anyone can stop him.” Wolf sheathed his blade, “Just watch us.”

“Right, well, if he stays in the closed space of this world, you can find him wherever he runs. Now go to the tower of Ganon! We will use our combined powers to break the barrier. Let’s return peace to the country without fail!” The crystal shattered, and the princess disappeared.

“Okay, guys, time to make the choice.” Seven took out the magic mirror. “Do you want to help me stop Ganon, or do you want to reunite with the others?”

Multi thought to himself for a bit. “I think we should go back. We don’t want to mess with history any more than we already have, right?” “Good point.” Avian agreed.

“Wait, are you guys sure?” Wolf turned from Multi and Avian to Seven. “Are you sure you don’t need our help to stop Ganon?” “Positive. You guys get back to your friends; I’m sure they want to hear what we’ve all been up to here in this neck of time-space.” He held up the mirror, activating another portal. “This’ll take us back to the entrance, and once we’re outside, it’ll take you to the light world.”

A minute later, on the mountain outside the dungeon, Seven activated the mirror again. “Hey, Seven.” Avian gripped his successor’s shoulder. “If you ever need help, try and contact us, okay?” “Pretty sure that’ll be impossible, but I appreciate the offer at least. Now you guys need to find a way back to your own times.”

“Got it. Okay, guys, let’s go!” Avian, Wolf, and Multi jumped through the portal, letting it close behind them.

Sail, Linkle, Wild, and Zelda fell through the portal onto a field of grass. Zelda stood up to find that she’d reverted to a hylian. “Yes! Yes! Guy’s we’re- oh.” She paused, staring dead ahead. Directly in front of her were four young boys around Sail’s age. Their outfits were all identical save for the colors, with green, red, blue, and violet. The four stared at Zelda.

“Are you princess Zelda?” The four spoke in flawless unison. Upon closer inspection, they also cocked their heads to the side in absolute sync.

“Um… yes. Well, a princess Zelda, anyway. How are you doing that?”

“Doing what?” “That!” Linkle yelled, “Talking all at once! How?! Who are you?! Why are there four of you?!”

“We’re Link. ” The four shrugged, “ It’s kind of a long story, but we took this sword and it split us into four different people.”

“Of course!” Zelda realized, “I saw legends about this in my studies, but I never thought it was real.” “What’s real?” Sail asked. Linkle gasped, “You mean the four sword, right?! I knew it was real!”

“Yeah, that thing. The wind mage Vaati escaped from being sealed inside it, and then he kidnapped Zelda to be his bride, so we’re trying to rescue her. But we didn’t know the four sword could do that. ” They pointed at the other Links and Zelda. “ Also, why is one of you a girl?”

“Yeah, that’s a long story.” Linkle replied, “You kids might want to sit down for this one.”

Chapter Text

The group of eight was sitting in a loose circle while Sail, Linkle, Zelda, and Wild explained their respective and collective stories to the four sword wielders. Wild finished, "And then we went through the mirror portal and, well, here we are." "Wow. that’s, um, yeah sorry. That’s just a lot to take in." "Tell us about it." Wild agreed, "The others are helping out that era’s Link right now, but hopefully we’ll be able to meet up again." "So, how exactly do you think you got to this era? We don’t remember there being any Links other than ourselves right now." "That’s true." Linkle acknowledged, "Hey, Wild, do you think it might have something to do with the ones who started us on this whole thing?"

"Cia and Lana? Yeah, now that you mention it, they probably turned the mirror portal into a time-thing to send us here. They must’ve wanted us to team up with you four while the others helped out the Link in that era." "This is getting confusing. Can’t we get a nickname like you guys?" "Yeah, of course." Sail gestured to the four, "How about One, Two, Three, and Four?" "How original. But we guess that’ll work." "Hey, wait, since you guys are like a hivemind, do you want to share a nickname?" Wild asked. "No thanks. We know we do everything together, but we still feel like we’re separate." "Alright, just making sure." "It’s fine. So, we’re guessing you want to hear our story?" "Yeah, that’d be appreciated." Zelda agreed.

"Okay, so a few hundred years ago, a legendary hero trapped Vaati in the four sword. He escaped while we were just one person, and kidnapped Zelda to be his bride. Obviously, we took the four sword and then…" they gestured to themselves, "...this happened." "Wait a minute." Sail realized, "You guys are my age. How old is Zelda?" "Oh, she’s our age. But let’s not worry about that!"

"Well, horrifying implications aside, you guys need any help? That’s probably why we were sent here." Wild offered. "Not exactly. The three fairies told us that they’d send us to Vaati’s palace if we proved our courage by defeating three guardian monsters at the sea of trees, talus caves, and death mountain. If anything, you guys helping us would probably be a bad thing. We need to do this ourselves."

"Alright, fair enough." Wild conceded. He glanced around awkwardly. "So, uh… what exactly are we supposed to do here?" The four shrugged, "No clue. We guess you guys can just hang out while we go off and do our thing?" "I guess… but it feels kinda weird, not actually helping out while we’re here." "Oh well, can't be helped." One, Two, Three, and Four stood up as a single unit. "We’ve only got one guardian left to beat, anyway." "Okay. We’ll just stay here and, uh, stand guard. I guess." Zelda agreed hesitantly. The four nodded, and left in the direction of a dormant volcano.
"Hey, I think I saw something over there!" Linkle pointed to a forest, in the opposite direction the four sword wielder’s had gone. "Really?" Sail squinted in the same direction, "I don’t see-" Linkle slapped him on the back of the head, leant down, and whispered in his ear, "Just play along." She shot back up. "Okay, Sail and I will go investigate… whatever that was. You two can just stay here."

"And why are we splitting up?" Zelda asked, "Wouldn’t it make more sense for all four of us to go? Or at least you three." "Uh, no, because…" Sail blurted, "Vague semi-believable excuse!" "Terrible, but good enough for now!" Linkle dragged him away by the arm.

"That felt weird. Did that seem weird to you?" Zelda asked. "Yeah, that’s one word for it." Wild started pacing nearby. "So, why do you think they wanted the two of us alone so bad-hey wait a minute." He turned to Zelda, "I think they think we have a crush on each other." "Oh, yeah, funny story about that." Wild narrowed his eyes. "Don’t tell me. You have a crush on me, don’t you?" Zelda’s eyes shifted to the side. "Um… yeah, actually." Her face turned bright red. "So, um, you… wouldn’t…" "Yes!" Wild yelped. He cleared his throat. "So, I guess we don’t have an excuse to keep delaying anymore."

"Yeah. So do you think we should, y’know-" "Zelda!" Wild yelled, "We just confessed to each other less than half a minute ago! It’s way too soon for that!"

Zelda blinked. "Wow. I never knew you felt that way about kissing." "Wait, kissing?" "Yeah. What did you think I was talking about?" "Uh…" Wild hesitated, "Yes." Zelda’s eyes narrowed. "Right. So, about kissing-" "Oh sweet Farore yes!"

Linkle and Sail hunched over 20 feet into the sea of trees, listening in on Wild and Zelda. "Linkle." Sail tugged on her shirt, "Are you sure we should be doing this?" "Don’t be ridiculous. We need to watch them to make sure everything goes right."

"You’re just bored and want to watch them kiss, don’t you?"

"Okay, fine, yes. Now shut up and let me have this."

"Fine."

Wild and Zelda stepped closer to each other. Put their hands on each others’ sides. "So…" Wild asked, "Are you sure about this? I don’t want to make you uncomf-" "It’s okay, Link. I’m not sure how long I’ve felt this way, but I do." "Alright. Just making sure." They both closed their eyes, and brought their lips together.

Zelda’s mouth was comfortably warm, with a flavor comparable to a mix of flowers and unfermented honey. She leaned her body closer to Wild’s, allowing him to put his arm around her back.

Wild was gentle. His lips were coarse and scarred, tasting like something Zelda couldn’t describe yet enjoyed. He kept one arm around her back and the other hand on the back of her head, holding her close.

After less than a quarter minute, Zelda and Wild pulled away from each other. "Wow." Zelda breathed, grinning, "That was great." She leaned her head on Wild’s shoulder. "Yeah. Took us long enough, huh?" He agreed. "So, uh, what are we supposed to do now?" "Dunno. I honestly never thought I’d make it this far." Zelda giggled at that, causing Link to smile.

"Well, we didn’t find anything." Linkle walked out of the forest with Sail, "Must’ve been a false alarm; an animal or something." "Yeah, definitely something alright." Sail deadpanned. "You two weren’t watching us, were you?" "Um… no." Wild shrugged, "Okay, I believe you. More importantly, we need to figure out something to do, or maybe some way to regroup with the other Links."

The air began to increase in temperature. "What-? Zelda! Watch out!" Link jumped between Zelda and a fiery spear, activating the stasis rune to pause it in midair inches from her. "Volga?" The dragon knight appeared from nowhere, a hundred feet behind the spear. He appeared elsewhere, again and again, until dozens of copies of Volga had them surrounded. "That wizard guy!" Sail concluded, "He must be making fake Volgas!" "Ya think?" Wild asked. "Well, either that, or he’s got a lot of identical brothers." Linkle unholstered the crossbows on her boots. "Either way, we’d better take them all down so we can find the original. Don’t worry, Zelda. You’ve got three legendary heroes to protect you." "Thanks." "Don’t mention it!" The three Links scattered.

Wild charged into the small army of Volga. Each one went down in a single strike, disappearing into the nothingness from whence it’d come. He dodged and grabbed a spear with one arm, bending his other arm to jab the master sword into the illusory Volga’s face. He brought out the master cycle zero and started riding it, leaning forward while firing lasers into the crowd of dragon knights.

Sail ran while swinging his master sword, stabbing Volga after Volga by the second. He jumped onto one’s spear as it was being swung, stabbing it in the face while simultaneously turning and jumping off the weapon, sheathing his blade in favor of shooting a bow and arrow into another Volga from midair. He shielded himself from two spears at once, before unsheathing his sword to cut them both down at once.

Linkle fired wildly into the Volga army, killing between two and six with every explosive shot. She roundhouse-kicked one Volga hard enough to ignite the chemicals in her boot, causing a fiery explosion. She turned to find Sail nearby, constantly turning to kill Volga in every direction. "Hey, Sail!" She ran over to him, spinning while shooting. "How many of these things do you think there are?" "No clue. If these guys aren’t even real, that wizard guy might be able to make more of them infinitely." Linkle used Sail’s blade as a springboard to jump overhead, dive-kicking hard enough to burn seven illusions at once. "Nice one!" "Thanks; you too!" They heard the master cycle zero firing lasers while driving in a circle around them.

One Volga, instead of disappearing like all the rest, was knocked into the air. Every other Volga, scores of dozens of them, were absorbed into him as he fell to the ground. "That must be the real one." Wild returned the cycle to the sheikah slate. "Real? When I’m involved, you can never tell what’s real!" His voice changed mid-sentence, from deep and guttural to high-pitched and raspy, "I can be anyone." He turned his arm in a circle, rapidly shifting forms between Wild, Zelda, Linkle, and Sail, before returning to his true form. "I am the master of deceptive magic, Wizzro!"

Sail snapped his fingers, "Wizzro! Right, that’s your name." He chuckled, "Sorry, I forgot since you're so pathetic." "Pathetic? Obstinate little… you're pathetic, and I'll show you!" A massive undead hand emerged from his robes, closing into a fist to punch Sail onto the ground some distance away.

"Ow…" Sail groaned, holding his nose. His hand came back bloody. "Oh, that's just great." He sprinted back over to the other three. "I’m, uh, I’m okay." "No the hell you’re not." Linkle argued, "But we’ll worry about that later." "Got it." Sail brought his shirt up to his nose to wipe the blood off it. "Let’s go for a rematch!" The three Links charged at the twisted wizard.

"Uh… okay, I guess I’ll… just, uh, stand back-" Zelda attempted to step backwards, only for a red arm to wrap around her from behind. "Hey! Let me go!" She kicked out as Volga lifted her off the ground. His eyes glowed a blinding orange. "Guys!" She yelled to the Links, "Volga’s here!"

Wild and Sail sliced at Wizzro’s arm, forcing him to release Linkle. They heard Zelda calling them from a few hundred feet away. "You two stay here!" Wild summoned the master cycle zero while running towards Zelda. "Master armor zero, engage!" As it was moving, the master cycle zero transformed into armor. The wheels moved to Wild’s soles, allowing him to maintain speed. At the last second, he turned to the side, moving behind Volga before he could react, and driving the master sword into his back. Volga yelled in pain, releasing Zelda. Wild used the secondary sword to block his hand as he turned around. He kicked off of Volga’s stomach, driving the solid metal wheels into him, until Volga fell to the ground.

Volga threw a fireball from the ground. It struck Wild at point-blank range, throwing him into the air while the master armor zero protected his skin. Volga transformed into a dragon, catching Wild in midair and biting down on his midsection. The armor audibly bent and started to crack around the dragon’s teeth. Wild attempted to strike him with his blades, only to be able to only scratch his snout. The dragon bit harder, causing part of the metal to audibly snap.

Four arrows abruptly sprouted out of Volga’s eye, causing him to release Wild as he bellowed in pain. With the dented armor causing pressure on his sides, Wild reverted it back into the sheikah slate. He took out his paraglider at the last second, stumbling onto the ground near One, Two, Three, and Four. "Thanks for the save, kids."

"Don’t mention it." they holstered their bows in unison. Volga launched a pillar of fire at them. "Daruk’s protection!" Wild created a forcefield to protect the five of them. "Urbosa’s fury!" The resulting localized storm of green lightning surrounded them for a distance. One bolt struck Volga in the back, followed by another, then another, and finally several more, forcing him back into knight form. He fell to the ground hard enough to create a miniscule crater.

"That was awesome! You could do that this whole time?!" "Yeah, but I’ve only got two more left before I’ll have to wait for a recharge." Wild explained, "Same with the protection." "Still more than we’ve got." They heard Sail screaming a distance away. "You kids think you can deal with Volga while I help those two?" They unsheathed their four swords. "Worth a shot." "That’s the spirit."

Wild rode forward on the master cycle zero, having repaired itself in the wiring of the sheikah slate. The distance between himself and Wizzro grew, as though the world itself were stretching and dilating. Everything around him darkened, until it looked as though Wild was riding through a pitch-black tunnel without ever growing closer to Wizzro. He constantly swerved, barely able to dodge the stalagmites that burst from the ground every second.

A circle of pure radiant light appeared near where Sail and Linkle were battling Wizzro. "What? What infernal light magic is that?" Four hylians jumped out of the portal through time, landing on their feet next to the other two. The gateway closed behind them "Wizzro's back?" Multi asked. "Yeah, and he's not the only one?" Sail gestured to Volga, fighting the four sword's welders. "Are those…" "let's ask about them later!" Avian decided, "For now, he's our priority!"

With Wizzro distracted, the illusion shattered and Wild was able to move forward. He unsheathed the master sword and sliced Wizzro with one arm while holding the handlebar with the other, causing the vehicle to lean to the side. Wild drew it back into the slate, skidding on the ground as a result. "It's time to end this!" He ran forward. Wizzro disappeared before the master sword could slice into him. The seven Links arranged themselves in a circle with no room behind any of them. "So, those other guys…" Avian started. Wild explained, "The local Link. He pulled out a magic sword that split him into four." "Got it. Wait, hold on, it did what?"

Wizzro spontaneously appeared directly in front of Wild, forcing him to stab the oversized palm emerging from his cloak. "Now, team! Let’s finish him!" Avian and Multi jumped over his shoulders, slicing down at Wizzro. Sail and Wolf performed two spin attacks on either side of him. Linkle dropkicked him in the eye, causing an explosion that sent him flying backwards.

Volga swiped his spear to the side, knocking One, Two, Three, and Four back. The glow in his eyes disappeared. "What?" He glanced back at the unconscious Wizzro. "That damn wizard…" He jumped back, turning into a dragon in midair and flying away. He landed on the ground a hundred feet away, giving all ten Links time to regroup near Zelda. "Retreat now, whoever you are. Even you can’t possibly think you stand a chance against all of us.."

The air darkened above them. Streaks of purple lightning appeared in a loose circle. From the intersection of the lightning bolts, a hole opened in the fabric of time. A figure dropped to the ground. A crater and dust cloud were caused by the impact. Ganondorf walked out of the dust cloud, standing head and shoulders above Volga.

"You! I won’t let you control me again!" Volga charged at Ganondorf, spear outstretched. Without so much as glancing, the demon king held up his arm in the dragon knight’s direction. A dark purple glow appeared on both his hand and around Volga’s neck. Ganondorf gradually raised his hand, levitating Volga and effectively hanging him in the process. "You are trying my patience, Volga." He closed his fist, and opened it, throwing Volga away from him. He landed on the ground, gasping. "You respect strength." Ganondorf walked towards Volga while he tried to stand up. "Allow me to demonstrate my own."

"Stop him!" Multi yelled, transforming into a goron and rolling towards Ganondorf. The king of demons almost smiled. "How amusing." A jagged sword materialized in his hands for him to slice into the ground. A foot-deep trench spread out from the point of impact, throwing Multi to the side onto his back. He took off the mask to revert back to a hylian, while Wolf transformed into his namesake and sprinted, before lunging at Ganondorf. He turned back in midair, bringing his sword down to clash against the demon king's much larger blade. Wolf pressed down on the sword while bending his legs upwards, allowing him to flip himself over Ganondorf’s head and behind him. Wolf utilized his opponent’s surprise to turn around and slice through his back horizontally.

Ganondorf snarled, turning around and slicing at Wolf. He held up his shield, barely managing to block the strike from vertically bisecting him. Despite being forced back, he gritted his teeth into a smile. "Why are you smiling, boy? Have you finally realized the inevitability of my victory?"

"Not…quite…" Wolf’s eyes struggled to slowly look up, where Avian was jumping to slice Ganondorf’s back with a skyward strike. Ganondorf yelled out in pain, allowing Wolf to slam his shield into his chest. Multi and Wild stabbed him in the sides. They jumped back when Ganondorf attempted to slice them, turning around in the process.

Sail jumped off of Linkle’s shoulders, rotating as ascending rapidly through the air, until he dropped ten feet, with the master sword pointed down to the top of Ganondorf’s head.

Ganondorf held his sword straight up, forcing Sail to maneuver in midair. Instead of being impaled, he was therefore sliced across the leg. He fell to the ground, screaming in agony, blood staining the grass. Ganondorf stalked towards him, sword slicing into the ground, while Sail held his leg and screamed in blinding agony.

"I am your end, child. I will be the death of you, and everything you hold most dear. I will pursue you and your others throughout all time, and you will never be rid of me, for even death knows better than to test my patience." Before he could take another step, something cold and metal and sharp grabbed him by the arms. He turned around to find Avian and Wolf holding him back, each with both of their clawshots on one arm. "Just what are you children trying to accomplish?" He clenched his fists. Electricity traveled from his arms and down the clawshots, shocking the two Links and forcing them to release him, screaming in pain.

Wolf rode around Ganondorf on the master cycle zero, until he was between him and Sail. "You’re not gonna touch him!" He fired lasers at Ganondorf, each deflected by the demon king’s accursed blade. "Master armor zero, engage!" The motorcycle transformed into its alternate mode, allowing Wild to fire another laser from the handlebar blade. "Come on, kid!" He turned around to pick Sail up, running with him from Ganondorf. "You two okay?" He asked, helping Wolf and Avian up.

"We’re fine." Avian assured him, "Just a little shaken. But we need to retreat so we can get Sail some medical attention." "I sincerely doubt he’ll give us that sort of time." Zelda remarked.

"Guys, don’t worry!" Linkle held out her golden compass, "This always helps me!"

Ganondorf pointed his sword at Linkle. "Just what do you think that-" The hylian crest on the closed lid of the compass glowed with a bright golden light, instantly blinding Ganondorf. He cried out in pain, "What is that?!" The light took the shape of a golden portal, with runic patterns rotating clockwise around the perimeter. "Huh." Linkle remarked, "It's never done that before."

"Who cares? Let's go!" Multi grabbed her by the arms and dragged her to the golden vortex. "You guys got sail?"

"Yeah, I got him! You four coming?" Wild called over, still carrying Sail and wearing the master armor zero.

One, Two, Three, and Four shook their heads. "No, we need to stay here to stop Vaati. You guys go; we’ll hold him off." "Right!" Avian, Multi, Wolf, Sail, Wild, Linkle, and Zelda departed through the portal.

The seven landed in a courtyard, in front of a statue of a young girl. Wild set down Sail, asking, "Does anyone have any red potions?" "Here." Avian poured a bottle of crimson liquid onto Sail’s leg. The wound closed.

"Thanks." Sail got up. "Hey, something about that statue seems familiar." He walked over to the stone girl, eyes widening. "Tetra?!" "Who?" Zelda asked.

"Zelda. She called herself Tetra in my time; remember I told you that?" "Right, you did tell us that back at the lab. But I don’t see the resemblance." "Yeah, well, she looks exactly like I remember. Except she can’t be my Zelda. Where I’m from, Hyrule castle is underwater."

"Hey! Who are you?!" An elderly voice squawked from behind. The group turned around, finding a young boy in green holding a sword. "Hey, another Link!" Sail waved over to him. "Dude, you are way too energetic for someone whose leg nearly got cut off!" Avian yelled. "I’ve been through a lot, okay? Besides, look, he’s clearly one of us."

"Uh…" "Well, don’t just stand there, boy!" The bird-like beak on the tip of the hat opened, "Go see what they’re up to!" "What the-?!" Linkle yelled, pushing to the front of the group, "Did your hat just talk?!"

"Well of course I did, girl! What does it look like?" Linkle sputtered, confused, "W-well y-yeah, but, but, but, how?!"

"Yeah, Ezlo, most hats don’t talk. We’ve been over this. Besides, you remember how that farm lady reacted, don’t you?" Ezlo curved himself downwards to look Link in the eyes. "Well yes, but in my defense, how was I supposed to know that cuccos could run that fast?" The boy rolled his eyes. "There’s the problem. You underestimated cuccos. Never underestimate cuccos."

"Point taken. Now then." The bird-hat unfolded himself to look at the other Links and Zelda. "I suppose we all have some questions for each other, do we not?"

"Uh, yeah, first off, why are you a hat?" Linkle asked, "Like, were you born that way, or-"

Ezlo squawked loudly, "Born this way?! I was cursed into this form! And by my own student, no less! He's the same black-hearted sorcerer who released the monsters from the bound chest and turned everyone in the castle to stone, including the princess!" "So this really is this era's princess Zelda." Avian remarked.

"Now then, for my question, how are there so many of you, Link? And you." He narrowed his eyes in Zelda's direction. "I can sense divine magic in your blood, dating back hundreds of millenia. It's not quite the same as hers…" he waved his entire body atop Link's head, gesturing to the stone Zelda, "...but it’s similar enough that I can tell there’s at least some connection."

“Yeah, see, that’s because I’m also princess Zelda. I’m her descendant from, well we’re not exactly sure how far, but probably very far into the future.” “Oh, well, now, I suppose that explanation does make sense. So the name of Zelda has been passed down through the generations of Hylian princesses? And so too has the blood of the goddess?” “Yeah, pretty much. So, what’s your story, hat guy?”

“I’m glad you asked!” The hat straightened himself, “I am Ezlo, wisest of the minish.”

“What’s a minish?” Sail asked. Ezlo turned his gaze to him. “Did you just ask what a minish is?”

“Yeah, sorry, we don’t have anyone like that where I’m from.” The other Links spoke in agreement.

“Hold up.” Sail pointed at the group, “None of you have ever heard of the minish? What about picori?”

The other seven denied any knowledge of either name.

“Wow. Well, I guess that kinda makes sense with how secretive they are.” Sail concluded, “So I guess there weren’t any major disasters in the future that warranted their assistance, right guys?” “Uh… yeah…” Wild wrung his hands. “Right, guys?” “Yeah, kid, you might want to sit down for this one.”

Chapter Text

After multiple hours, Avian, Multi, Wolf, Sail, Linkle, Wild and Zelda had told their stories to Link and Ezlo. Wild and Zelda had gone last, giving Zelda a chance to sleep with her head in Wild's lap until it was their turn.

By the time they were all finished, the current era's Link was staring at them slack jawed. He swatted just above his head to wake up Ezlo. "Huh? What? Boy, what've I told you about doing that?"

"Sorry, Ezlo, but did you hear all that?"

"Huh? Wha- why, yes of course I did dear boy! Even deep in slumber, a minish elder is always alert." Link stared blankly up at his companion. “Ezlo, that doesn’t even begin to make sense.” “Anyway, I suppose we’d better tell them the story of how we met.” Ezlo pointedly ignored Link. “Uh, right. Okay, so my friend Zelda brought me to the picori festival-”

“Wait wait wait, you’re friends with Zelda?” Wolf asked, “As in, you’re personally friends with the princess of Hyrule?” “What, you don’t believe me?”

“No, it’s just a little out there, that’s all.” Wolf clarified. Link rolled his eyes. “We’re seven different versions of the same guy from across three different branches of the same timeline, and that’s what you consider ‘out there’? Besides, Zelda and I go way back. We went to Funday School together, and my grandpa Smith is friends with king Daltus. Now, can I go on.”

“Yeah, sorry. Please continue.”

“It’s fine, and thanks. Now, since you guys don’t know what picori, or minish is what they prefer, are, I’ll start there. A hundred years ago, Hyrule was about to be destroyed by an army of monsters, so the minish showed up and gave a magic sword called the picori blade to a boy clothed in green. He used the sword to seal the monsters in a chest, and now we call him the hero of men. Not exactly a creative title, but what do I look like? An ancient history connoisseur?”

“A hero with green clothes? You mean another Link?” Avian inquired of his younger successor. The Link with the talking hat thought for a moment. “Huh. I never really thought about it, but now that you mention it… Hey, Ezlo, do you think the hero of men was a Link?”

“Well, I suppose it’s possible. But what we lack in ways of truly knowing, we more than make up for in terms of more important things to worry about. Case in point, Vaati.”

“Hold on, Vaati? You mean the guy the four sword Links were fighting?” Multi asked. The child blinked. “Four sword Links? That must be after me, then.” He held out a sword. “This is the picori blade that the minish brought to the hero of men a hundred years ago. Now that I’ve got all four of these jewels called elements, I just have to take them to the sanctuary in the courtyard and then I can turn it into the four sword.”

“So, this whole thing is the origin of the four sword?” Avian clarified, “Like how I was the one who turned the goddess sword into the master sword?”

“Pretty much. Bu-but if another Link- or Links, I guess- are fighting Vaati with the four sword, and I haven’t even made the four sword yet, then that must mean Vaati’s going to come back someday.” Link sat on the ground, holding his head in his hands. “Why am I doing this? Why bother if he’s just going to come back?! Why bother?”

“Link!” Ezlo shouted, poking his beak into the kid's forehead. "Have you forgotten what's truly at stake right now? If we don't stop Vaati soon, Zelda will be stone for the rest of eternity, and Hyrule will be ruled by monsters!" Link raised his head out of his hands. Ezlo continued, "Even if Vaati will return someday, that doesn't mean you can't stop him now. And when he does come back, your successors will be able to vanquish him just as I know you will today. Now, are you going to sit here and feel sorry for yourself over something you won't even be around for, or are you going to create the four sword and use it to protect everything you love?"

Without any warning, Link reached up and took Ezlo off his head, hugging the bird-hat against his chest. “My word, boy! What are you doing?!”

“Thanks, Ezlo. I needed that.” Link looked up, and noticed everyone else staring at him. “Oh, right, my origin story!” He placed Ezlo back on his head. “Okay, so every picori festival there’s this sword fighting tournament, right? The winner this year was a guy named Vaati, and at the time no one knew he was evil.” He shrugged, “In hindsight, the fact that he was a purple guy with bright red eyes and a dark purple cape probably should’ve tipped someone off. See, the prize for winning the tourney was to touch the picori blade-”

“Wait a second, the prize was to touch a sword?” Avian interrupted, “What kind of half-baked prize is that?”

Ezlo straightened himself atop Link’s head, glaring daggers at Avian. “I’ll have you know, boy, that that sword is an integral piece of Hyrule’s history! Without the minish’s greatest gift, Hyrule would have fallen long ago!” Avian held up his hands in surrender. “Alright, my bad. The sword’s a big deal; understood.” “Good man. Now, Link, please continue.”

“Um, right. So, Vaati destroyed the picori blade and let all of the monsters out of the bound chest, and then he turned Zelda to stone. Apparently, he’s after something called light force, and he wants to drain it from Zelda.” “I’ve never heard of that.” Sail pointed out. Zelda agreed, “Yeah, I’ve studied the history of Hyrule, and I only vaguely remember maybe one or two mentions of light force.”

“Well, perhaps it diminished over time through the bloodline of the hyrulean royal family.” Ezlo suggested, “Perhaps it just wasn’t as well documented as it should’ve been. Or perhaps we have more important things to worry about right now.” Ezlo gestured with his entire body to the castle. “So, now that we’ve got that over, can I please continue?” “Yes, Link. Please keep going.”

“Thank you. Okay, so the king sent me off with the pieces of the picori blade and a sword that actually works to find the minish, because only they could fix the sword and only kids can see minish. Just when I was starting, I met Ezlo. Turns out he’s actually a minish, but Vaati turned him into this weird hat-bird thing, so now we’ve teamed up. Thanks to him, I can shrink in certain places so I can actually communicate with the minish.”

“Shrink! That’s it!” Multi realized.

“I-huh-what?” The young Link cocked his head to the side. “What’s it? What the hell are you talking ab-” “Link!” Ezlo poked his forehead with his beak, “Watch your language, young man!” “Ow! Ow! Okay, okay, I’m sorry!” Link attempted to swat Ezlo away from him until he stopped.

“Uh… right.” Multi clarified, “Like I said earlier, we all go by nicknames since we’re all named Link, so every time we meet a new Link we give him a nickname. I think we just found yours.” “What, shrink? Because I can shrink? I can only do it in certain places.” “Yeah, but the rest of us can’t.” Wolf acknowledged, “I mean, Multi can turn into a deku scrub, but he’s only a few inches shorter than Sail.” Wild gestured to his predecessor, “So, Shrink, how small can you go?” “About an inch.”

Multi clapped his hands, grinning. “Shrink it is, then!” The other Links spoke their agreement. Zelda offered, “Do you like that name, Link? It is yours, after all.”

Link smiled. “Yeah, I like it. It rhymes with my real name, and it’s something I can do that no one else can. So, yeah, Ezlo and I got some help from the minish, killed some monsters, and gathered the four elements so now we just have to go to the sanctuary to turn the picori blade into the four sword.”

“Alright, then!” Linkle jumped up, wringing her hands together. “Mind if we help you guys?” “I don’t see the harm.” Ezlo accepted, “But only if you lot can actually manage to follow us without being able to shrink yourselves.” “Worth a shot.” Linkle decided.

In the nonexistent void outside of time and space, Cia and Lana watched as the group of legends entered the elemental sanctuary.

Cia grinned. “Hey, Lana, you thinking what I’m thinking?”

Lana nodded. “We should send the previous Link to them. The original wielder of the picori blade.”

“Exactly, and right now is the perfect opportunity.”

“Well, it would save us some time. Ironically enough, that’s what we have to conserve most of all right now.”

“Well then, what’re we waiting for?”

The seven Links and Zelda walked into the elemental sanctuary, with Ezlo still perched atop Shrink’s head. “Here it is, children.” Ezlo announced, “The gateway between your world and the minish realm.”

The sanctuary was a long hallway made of light blue stone, with a podium in the middle that narrowed at the end to lead to a raised doorway opposite the entrance. Just in front of the small staircase leading up to the podium itself, four torches stood in the corners of a square, with a pedestal in the center.

“This place is visible only to children, and only opens once every century.” Ezlo explained, “I doubt even the royal family knows about its existence.” He turned to the rest of their party. “You should probably stay back and keep watch.”

Avian nodded. “Understood, sir.”

“Good man.” Ezlo faced forward. Shrink walked between two rows of two statues of swords pointing inwards, and onto the podium up to the pedestal. “So, I just put the sword in the pedestal?”

“That’s correct, dear boy. Just do that, and the four sword will be born.”

“Got it.” Shrink turned the point of the picori blade downwards and plunged it into the slot in the pedestal. A four-note chime ringed throughout the sanctuary as the green element of wind floated over to the final torch, with the other elements adorning the other three. Four beams of purple, red, blue, and green light shot out from the torches and onto the sword, until it glowed with a mystical energy. Shrink took the blade by the hilt, and lifted it with the sound of metal scraping against stone.

A pillar of pure white light emerged from the pedestal. “Woah. Ezlo, what’s that?”

Ezlo’s jaw dropped. “I… I have no idea. I’ve never heard of anything like this.” “What?! Well if you don’t know about it, then what- wait.” He noticed the silhouette of a small hylian inside the beam of light. “That’s a guy!”

The boy walked out of the light. He was the same age as Shrink, and resembled him exactly. “Woah.” Shrink looked the newcomer up and down, examining the uncanny resemblance. “Are you the hero of men?”

The boy looked back as the portal closed behind him, before turning to the boy with the strange hat. “I, um, my name is Link, actually. I don’t really know if anyone calls me the hero of men. Who are you? What am I doing here? Why do you look just like me? Where’d you get the hat?”

“Okay, okay, see that’s all actually a really long, funny story actually-” Shrink stammered, until Ezlo interrupted him, “We believe that you may be the legendary hero who first sealed the monsters in the bound chest using the picori blade.”

The child’s eyes widened. “Did… did your hat just talk?”

“I will have you know that I am a minish elder, and I was cursed into this form by my own traitorous student!”

“Woah, you’re a minish? I just put the sword in the bound chest. And before you ask, I have no idea how I got here. Where am I, anyway? Are you me?”

“Um, not exactly. See, it’s really complicated, but basically…”

“He’s your reincarnation from a hundred years after the bound chest incident and you were probably brought here by two guardians of time to help him stop a guy named Vaati from killing princess Zelda, who he’s turned into stone, by draining her light force to become all-powerful.” Sail blurted out. “What? I can’t be the only one who was getting tired of that whole thing.”

“Oh. And I guess you guys are just the, what, the other reincarnations?” The hero of men gesticulated at the other Links. Avian confirmed, “Yeah, plus a few alternate timeline counterparts.”

“Oh, great. Time travel; that’s all I need. So, I’m guessing these ‘time guardians’ you mentioned must’ve brought me here for a reason.” Shrink raised the four sword, explaining the circumstances to his predecessor. “So, you mind helping out again?”

A grin appeared on the green-clad hero’s face. “What, are you kidding? Of course I’ll help!” He took the next Link’s hand in his own. “So, uh, you got a spare sword? Preferably of the magic variety.”

“Cia.” Lana tapped her counterpart on the shoulder, “I think we forgot something.”

“Right. I’ll just send the picori blade from the past.”

Another pillar of light appeared from the pedestal. After a brief second, it narrowed until it disappeared, leaving only a sword stuck inside. “This is…” The hero of men took the sword out of its pedestal by the hilt, lifting it skyward. “...the picori blade.”

“Those time guardians must’ve sent it from the past.” Shrink decided.

“Guess so.” The hero of men crossed blades with the hero of the minish, and the two Links took their hands into each others’.

“Here’s to taking down Vaati, saving Zelda, and getting rid of all the monsters in Hyrule.” Shrink declared.

“And to destroying all evil.” The hero of men finished. Behind them, the portal of light opened. They waited for a full minute, while nothing happened. “Alright, that’s our cue.” Linkle stepped forward, “We’ve been going on sort of a journey through time, meeting up with other Links. This was fun! And good luck with Vaati.”

“You kidding?” Shrink remarked, “You mentioned that Vaati came back in the future, right? So that must mean that I beat him here, and I probably didn’t have the hero of men helping me in the first go-around.” “Yeah! Between the two of us, the wind mage doesn’t stand a chance.”

“Actually, I just realized something.” Wolf remembered, “If that’s the four sword, then how come you’re not, y’know, splitting into four copies of yourself like the last guys we met?”

“Link, try raising your sword straight into the air.” Ezlo suggested, “I believe that might help unlock the four sword’s true power.” “Good call.” Shrink pointed the tip of the sword to the open ceiling of the sanctuary. A mystical white glow started at the point and traveled to the hilt, illuminating Shrink’s arm. Four identical copies of him appeared, each translucent and holding their own blades. Their movements were exact replicas of Shrink’s. “Woah.” Shrink waved his left hand to the right. His copies moved their left hands to the right in flawless simultaneity. “That’s freaky. Cool, but freaky.”

Wolf squinted, “Okay, but when we met One, Two, Three, and Four in the future, they all had different colored clothing. Plus, they were a lot more, well, y’know, opaque.” “Maybe the four sword got stronger over time?” Avian suggested, “Or maybe will get stronger. Man, time travel is confusing.”

“I can confirm that.” Multi piped up, “So, are we ready team?”

“If the portal is opened, then we shouldn’t keep the time guardians waiting.” Zelda decided.

“Zelda’s right. If the guardians of time want us to meet our other selves, then there must be a reason. Besides, I can’t exactly let her go off into danger without me.” Wild concurred.

“Yeah, and besides, I can’t wait to see which legendary hero we’ll get to team up with next! I wonder just how many of us there are.” Linkle interjected.

Sail walked towards the portal. “Probably about a dozen. Now come on, we’d better get going.”

The six Links and Zelda walked through the pillar of light, to another time and place.

The group landed in a stone room, filled with darkness. “What is this place?” Multi held up his hand. “I can barely see my hand in front of my face.” “I have no idea.” Zelda admitted. Footsteps approached them, followed closely by voices.

“Come on, the fifth maiden is probably this way!”

“Green, are you sure?”

“Yes! Sort of. Kind of.”

“Did anyone else hear voices?”

Four children walked around a corner. They near-perfectly resembled Sail, wearing green, red, blue, and violet clothing. The green boy held up a lantern, illuminating the chamber. The red one looked at him. “So, uh, green? Who are they?!”
“I-I-I have no idea. Maybe the four sword malfunctioned?”

“Let’s try talking to them.” The violet child suggested, “Y’know, the diplomatic approach.” “Good call. Green, you’re up.” The blue child pushed his green twin toward the Links and Zelda.

“Well, thanks for putting me on the spot, Blue. Hi, I’m Link. These are Link, Link, and Link. Now, who are you and why do most of you look kind of like us?”

Avian stepped forward. “Okay, this is going to sound completely insane, so I need you to bear with me.” He took a few minutes to explain the preceding events to the multicolored Links.

“You’re right, that was completely insane. But, I mean, you’re right in front of us, so it’s not like I have any reason not to believe you. I’m guessing you want to hear our story?”

“Yeah, that’s usually how this works.” Multi confirmed, “I heard one of you mention the four sword, right? We’ve dealt with that thing on our time traveling misadventures.”

Green nodded, “Yeah. See, we were originally just one Link, wearing green clothes. That’s why I’m the leader; because I have the original color.”

“Makes sense to me.” Sail decided.

“Right, so Zelda figured out that the seal on Vaati was weakening, so she brought us, or I guess me, and also the six shrine maidens to the four sword sanctuary to check on the sealing magic. As soon as we got there, this guy who kind of looked like a shadow of me appeared-”

“You mean like a Dark Link?” Multi interrupted. Green shrugged, “We’ve been calling him Shadow Link, actually, but yeah Dark Link works too. Anyway, if there are no more interruptions, Shadow Link captured the six maidens and Zelda, and then used some crazy-powerful dark magic to imprison them in seven different temples. Naturally, I pulled the four sword and, well…” He gestured to the other Links behind him, “...here we are. We call ourselves Green, Red, Blue, and Vio. We’ve been trying to free the shrine maidens one at a time, and then we’re going to save Zelda, and then we’ll finally be able to take the fight to Vaati.”

“Wait, what’s with the individuality?” Avian interjected, “Last time we dealt with the four sword, the Links were all the exact same. They all talked and moved in complete sync. It was honestly kind of creepy.”

“Really?” Vio turned the blade in his hands, “When we split, we were all just… separate, I guess. I remember being together with these three in the same body, and then we were all separate. I know it doesn’t make much sense, but it’s all pretty abstract.”

“Yeah, that’s fair. So, more importantly, do you guys want any help?” Wolf offered. The four sword wielders briefly and silently conferred among themselves. Green nodded, “We’re fellow Links, right? We might as well team up for this.” “Cool.” The eleven of them walked into the darkened temple.

Shrink and the hero of men were thrown against the wall by the wind mage Vaati. “Man, I didn’t think he’d be this strong!” The hero of men charged back at the mage. He’d absorbed enough of the light force from Zelda to grow taller than either of the Links, with golden metallic horns. He wore ornate black and gold robes with red decorations, orange and black smoke rising from his robes like flames.

“You so-called heroes don’t stand a chance!” His voice echoed throughout the chamber within the corrupted Hyrule castle, “Thanks to the power of the light force within princess Zelda, I have been reborn!” He opened his robes, revealing a bright red eye with a pitch-black pupil and gold edges. “Oh, that is just wrong on all of the levels!” Shrink yelled. A multitude of fireballs launched out from Vaati’s torso, followed by two tiny winged eyeballs. “Let’s do this!” The hero of men stabbed one of the eyes while Shrink sliced the other in half, as both of them dodged every one of the fireballs.

Thunder audibly crashed outside, shaking the castle room. Lightning illuminated the sky through the stained-glass windows that stretched from the floor to the ceiling. Vaati paused. “What is this?”

The hero of men turned to his successor, “Is it just me, or does Vaati almost look scared?” “Yeah, he does. Looks weird on him.” A black substance rose from the floor, with a consistency somewhere between smoke and tar. A massive humanoid figure, taller than Vaati and both of the Links, solidified from the mass of pure darkness.

Vaati stepped back, visibly trembling. “Who… who are you?!” His voice raised an octave. The entity grinned and walked towards Vaati, as the entire room darkened. It grabbed nothing, and pulled on the air. A dark purple void appeared as a hole was torn in the fabric of the universe. Another figure appeared from the dimensional void. It was a pitch-black sphere, with a multitude of bat-like wings around it, and a single long arm consisting of spherical segments that ended in a two-pronged claw. It had a single bright red eye with a black pupil, and a black growth on its head resembling a sideways crescent moon.

“Who is that?!” The hero of men squeaked. The entity turned away from the gap it had torn in existence. The dark spherical monster glared at the entire room as a whole. “What is this?!” Its eye locked onto its summoner. “And… j-j-just who are you?”

The dimensional entity grinned, and raised its arm. The entire room flashed with orange, purple, and red lights; the Links closed their eyes, yet they could still see the flashes of light through their eyelids. After half a minute, they slowly opened their eyes.

The eldritch humanoid turned wordlessly. Where Vaati and the spherical being had once been, a young pale-skinned man wearing dark purple clothing and a cape with gold and red decorations stood. “What is this?” He stared at his own hands with wide red eyes. “I… my power… I’ve never felt so powerful. I’ve never imagined such strength! Such magic!” Vaati bowed to the entity, his forehead touching the floor. “How may I serve you, my liege?”

The humanoid laughed. It was an indescribably horrible sound, deep and loud enough to shake the entire castle. It pointed at the green-clad swordsman, and spoke in a voice that sounded like concentrated malice.

“Kill.”

"With pleasure!" Vaati leapt through the air, teleporting inches in front of the Links. He held out his hand, striking the hero of men hard enough that his back slammed into a stained glass window, shattering it, and sending him falling to the ground below.

"No!" Shrink ran to the window, helpless to do anything but look down as his predecessor fell to the ground unseen below. His grip unconsciously tightened on the window, barely registering the glass shards cutting into his skin.

He turned to the demonic aberration, fists clenched and dripping blood. "Who…what are you?!"

The entity walked forward, showing its horrible smile. "I suppose you could call me your demise."

Lana’s eyes widened as Link fell out of the castle. “No, no, no no! How did Demise get to the era of the minish?! Since when could he time travel?!”

“I… I have no idea.” Cia opened dozens of windows through time and space, trying to examine each of them at once. Her eyes widened. “Of course. Ganondorf is the reincarnation of Demise’s hatred, right? So, if calamity ganon absorbed all the power of his past versions…”

“Then that was the window Demise needed to come back.” Lana finished, “And now he’s more powerful than ever.”

“Yeah, but why would he show up to combine different Vaatis from different eras?” Cia wondered aloud.

“No clue, but something like that is going to practically mutilate the time-space continuum. It could even spread to timelines outside our purview.”

“You mean like that squid-people world the hero of time spent a year in?”

“Hypothetically speaking, yes, they could potentially be affected.” Lana focused on the window in front of her, “But for right now, let’s just focus on the timelines that we can help, alright? Since our power is directly linked- no pun intended- to the triforce, we can only operate in timelines where it’s played a key role.”

Cia raised an eyebrow. “Lana, I already know all that. I’ve known all that ever since we were literally the same person. Why would you tell me that?”

Lana shrugged. “Dunno. Just felt like it, I guess.”

Chapter Text

Avian, Multi, Wolf, Sail, Wild, Linkle, Zelda, Green, Red, Blue, and Vio traveled through the temple of darkness. The dungeon was aptly named, thus requiring lanterns in order to traverse its depths. The ten Links were able to easily slay every undead monster in their path, with Wild prioritizing Zelda’s safety the entire time. One room, for example, was overrun with dozens of small blue hardhat beetles that took little damage to their protective shells, thus requiring that they be thrown into nearby chasms with no visible bottoms.

After the hardhat beetle swarms, the Links and Zelda walked on a strip of rock, suspended over a seemingly bottomless void, so thin that they were forced to walk single-file. At the end of the trail was a wide platform of dark purple stone, looking over an open gap with a darkened entrance. “I’m guessing this’ll be the final battle to save the maiden in this area.” Vio examined.

Red tightened his grip on the hilt of the sword inside the sheath on his back. “Then let’s not keep them waiting.” The eleven of them ran into the battlefield.

The room was an expansive, flat rectangle, covered in a thick layer of dark purple smoke. At the center of the room, a mass of pure black smog manifested, and grew exponentially over less than 10 seconds before dissipating, revealing a spectral entity far larger than any of the corporeal interlopers. It was pitch-black with purple accents, curved horns on a conical helmet-shaped head. It carried a massive, wide sword with a comparatively small handle in one of its two arms with inordinately long, thin fingers. “Phantom Ganon!” Green Link identified the specter.

Phantom Ganon raised its sword, splitting itself into four copies. “Well, that’s new.” Blue acknowledged. The four phantoms floated around the room, each firing a sphere of sorcerous electricity corresponding to the colors of the four sword’s wielders. “Deflect them, now!” Avian ordered. The group dispersed, Red and Vio each deflecting the sphere that matched the color of their tunics. Blue and Wild jumped forward in unison, deflecting the blue sphere.

The original Phantom Ganon launched multiple green magic spheres every second, forcing Avian, Multi, Wolf, Sail, and Green to sprint around the room, constantly deflecting each of them, while Linkle fired bomb arrows at Phantom Ganon. “Okay, I, uh, I’m not even sure I’m actually doing anything.” She admitted. Linkle shot a green sphere of magic to no effect, forcing her to duck underneath while Multi, standing directly behind her, deflected it back at Phantom Ganon. He ran over to her while she stood up. “Looks like they only react to blessed weapons.”

“Like my compass!” Linkle ran forward. Phantom Ganon threw another green magic sphere. She held her compass out, still around her neck. It glowed with a bright golden light, the sphere of magic pausing and vibrating in midair, like two magnets of alike polarities. Linkle took one step forward, thrusting out her compass and yelling from the effort, collapsing as the magic was sent back to strike Phantom Ganon.

“You okay?” Multi helped her stand up. “Yeah. Just took a lot outta me. I don’t think I’ve ever done something like that before.” “Think you can do it again?” Multi knocked back another burst of green magic.

“No clue. It’s worth a shot, but usually this thing just does stuff on its own. Even what happened when we met One, Two, Three, and Four was just a fluke.” They dodged a blue magic strike, leaving it to be deflected by Wild.

“Maybe it’s got something to do with meeting up with different versions of ourselves?” Multi suggested, “Like, maybe it’s reacting to that, or something? Sorry, just a shot in the dark.” “Could be worth considering. But right now, let’s just focus on one thing at a time.”

Multi nodded, while Green jumped in front of them both to deflect another sphere of green lightning.

Wild and Blue sliced at a blue magic sphere simultaneously to send it back to the second Phantom Ganon.

Red and Vio, standing next to each other, deflected the other two Phantom Ganons’ attacks by slicing their swords in a diverging V-shape.

All four Phantom Ganons converged into a single entity in the middle of the room, collapsing on the floor. “Now! Let’s finish it!” Wild loaded an ancient arrow into his bow, whereas Multi, Wolf, and Sail did the same with their light arrows, Avian prepared a skyward strike, and Green, Red, Blue, and Vio charged forward with their swords outstretched. All nine of them struck Phantom Ganon simultaneously, instantaneously annihilating it.

Phantom Ganon was reduced to a pile of multicolored triangular gems, all of which the four sword wielders scrambled to pocket. Behind them, a section of the wall lowered to reveal a hallway. “Guys, come on, we need to rescue the maiden.” Zelda reminded them. “Right.” Green agreed. “Yeah, yeah, give us a sec, wouldya?” Blue rolled his eyes, “We’ve gotta collect as many force gems as we can.” He grabbed a cluster of them just before Red could. Vio knocked Blue on the head with the hilt of his sword. “Could you stop being a hard-headed imbecile for five minutes?” “I could try, but my record is one.”

“These guys are legendary heroes of hyrule?” Avian muttered. “Yeah. I guess not all legends are created equally.” Linkle conferred. Zelda shrugged, “Never meet your idols, I guess. Or in this case, your alternate counterparts or reincarnations.”

“Okay, we’re ready.” Green decided, “You guys can follow us if you want.” The four of them walked through the opening, with the rest of the group following a few dozen feet behind them. The opening was replaced with a golden translucent wall, with white stripes rising on its surface in a continual loop. “Wait, how’d the time guardians make that portal?” Multi asked. “How do you know that’s a time portal?” Wolf followed up. “Just a hunch.”

“No, I think he’s right. I can sense a similar sort of magic.” Zelda looked at her hands, “Maybe the triforce is returning to me?” She briefly closed her eyes and shook her head. “We can worry about that later. Now come on, don’t you guys wanna see what’s next?”

“Hey, Zelda, are you sure you’re alright with not having your triforce powers?” Wild put a hand on her shoulder. She placed a hand on his. “I’m fine. It’s not like I really had a lot of time to get used to having them in the first place, so I don’t exactly miss them.” “Alright. C’mon, let’s get in there.”

The group walked through time and space.

Avian, Multi, Wolf, Sail, Wild, Zelda, and Linkle found themselves at the end of a narrow metal hallway, with two rows of seats facing them a few feet away. Rows of windows showed that they were in the middle of a grassy plain, with a tower piercing the heavens visible in the distance. At the end of the hallway, less than a foot from them, was another window showing that they were on a row of tracks resembling a sort of minecart. The entire hallway was moving, confined to the tracks.

“What is this thing?” Sail wondered aloud, walking forward, “Where are we? How- whoa!” He collapsed to the floor, using the edge of a seat to right himself. “Watch your step, guys. I went on a boat, so I know about walking on a moving vehicle.” Multi rolled his eyes, “Is that why you tripped and fell?” “Sh-shuddup.”

They walked single-file down the hallway, gripping the leather seats on either side of themselves. After a few minutes, they opened a door to the front of the vehicle. A young boy wearing a conductor’s uniform manipulated a mechanical cluster that none of them could hope to understand. “Don’t worry, princess. We should reach the tower of spirits by-” He paused. The vehicle came to a screeching halt, sending the Links and Zelda flying backwards onto the floor.

“What the hell?!” The young man stood up and marched over to the swordsmen, the archer, and the princess. “Who are you guys? Where did you come from? And why…” He gaped, pointing at Sail, “Why do you look like me?”

Sail shot up, rubbing his head. “Yeah, that’s, ah, that’s a long story. See, it involves reincarnation, time travel, and alternate universes.” The rest of the group had already stood up.

The suited child slowly brought his hand up to envelop his face. “Of course. Of… of course!” He punched the nearest leather seat. “It wasn’t enough that I have to deal with a ghost princess, or a spirit tower, or a demon from some crazy shadow realm! No! I also have to deal with a bunch of other mes! And- and who are you two?! A girl me? An old princess Zelda?!”

“Old? Did you just… I’m 17!” “Technically a hundred and seventeen.” Wild corrected her. “No, no, that doesn’t count.”

The driver yelled into the front of the vehicle, “I’m fine! Just having a mental breakdown!” There was a brief pause, as though someone was speaking that only he could hear. “No, no, it’s alright. No, I don’t know who they are, either. I think… I don’t know, something about time travel and reincarnation. You know, the last things we should have to deal with right now.”

“Who’s he talking to?” Avian whispered into Multi’s ear. “Only one way to find out.” Multi placed the lens of truth over his eye, revealing the ghost of a young girl conversing with the other Link. “Oh my Hylia, Zelda’s dead!” “What?!” Avian yelped, “Let me see that!” He yanked the lens out of a protesting Multi’s hands to use it for himself.

“Whoa, you’re right. What happened to her?” Avian slowly walked forward, one hand in front of himself while the other held the mystical glass to his eye. The ghost girl crossed her arms irately. “I can hear you, y’know. And I’m not dead, my soul was just ripped from my body.”

“Isn’t that just dying with extra steps?” Avian reasoned. “No, not in a magical sense. We’re trying to return my soul to my corporeal body, preferably before the demon king Malladus can possess it and regain physical form. Now then, more importantly, who are you guys?!”

“Oh, great. You mean there’s a third demon king now?” The new Link gaped, “A third?! Who’re the other two?!” “I remember reading about the previous demon king Ganondorf in the history books.” The ghost Zelda explained, “Apparently, he died long before the founding of New Hyrule.”

“New Hyrule?” Avian questioned, “Hey, Sail, Hyrule’s underwater where you’re from, right? Do you think this might be your timeline?”

“Uh, I dunno. Maybe. It’s kinda hard to follow the conversation when I can only hear one side.” “Oh. Apparently there’s a third demon king here who’s trying to possess the princess’s body, so the local us is trying to get her soul back into her body to put the kibosh on that operation.”

“A third demon king…” The more corporeal of the two Zeldas thought aloud, “I suppose that’s not too much of a surprise. Avian, you mentioned that Demise was the original demon king, right?”

“Yeah, and Ganondorf is the reincarnation of his hatred. So when Sail killed Ganondorf, he must’ve reincarnated into another demon king.”

Zelda nodded solemnly, “So that confirms our suspicions. There really is no end to the cycle, is there?” “Yeah. And I’m the start of the whole thing.”

“I’m sorry, but what exactly did you start?” The young driver interjected, “I still have no idea what this is all about.”

“Okay, okay, first off, what’s this thing called?” Sail gestured around them. “Oh, this is called a train. They’re pretty common, but also kinda recent I guess, so if you guys are time travelers then it sort of makes sense you’ve never seen one before.”

“Good. In that case, your new name is Train. Whaddaya think?”

“Really? Train? Why do I even need a new name?”

“Your name is Link, right?” Avian interjected. The diminutive conductor was caught off guard. “Yeah. How do you know that?” “Yeah, funny story. We’re all named Link, since we’re actually different versions of each other, so we’ve been using nicknames this whole time so we don’t get confused.”

“Oh, alright, well, I guess that ah, no, no that doesn’t actually make sense, but at least it’s consistent with this whole thing. Except I’m not sure Train is really a good name. Oh, I know! They run on these things called engines, so my nickname should be Engine!”

The rest of the group looked around at each other before reaching an unspoken consensus. “Alright.” Wolf approved, “Engine it is. Now…” He sat down on a leather seat, each one having a capacity of three people next to each other, “...this is the part where we trade stories.”

Avian, Multi, Wolf, Sail, Wild, and Linkle took multiple hours to tell Engine and the ghost Zelda the context behind their current situation. “Woah.” Engine gestured to Sail. “So, you’re the hero of winds?”

“Yep. I’m the one who killed Ganondorf. Well, in this timeline, at least. And now he’s come back in a different form.”

“Well, on the bright side, at least now we have some more information about the timelines.” Multi pointed out, “After I disappeared into the past, Ganon came back and the golden goddesses had to flood Hyrule and make the great sea, and then Sail stopped Ganondorf from coming back, and now it’s a hundred years later and here we are. So, Engine, what’s your story?”

Wild nudged Zelda awake on one of the seats. “Huh? Whuh? Wuzzagoinon?” “Story time.” He pointed at Engine, and sat next to her. “Oh. Okay.” She sat up and leaned against him.

“Right, so everything started about a hundred years ago when the demon king Malladus tried to destroy New Hyrule. Y’know, pretty standard lord of evil stuff. So, these 6 old people called the Lokomo tribe sages used the power of the gods to trap Malladus in the dark realm using the tower of spirits and the spirit tracks. Later on, the people of New Hyrule invented trains to travel across the spirit tracks. Huh? What?”

He leaned to the side, listening to someone that only he could hear. “Oh, yeah, that’s good. I’ll tell them that one. Zelda says it’s sort of like the tower of spirits is a padlock, and the spirit tracks are the chains.” “Wait, so does that mean Malladus is underground?” Wild asked, “Or is it more metaphorical?”

“Uh…” He listened to the ghost that only he could see and hear. “Apparently it’s more symbolic than anything. Metaphysical chains fueled by the power of the gods. That makes sense, right?”

“Ehhh…” Wild waved his hand vertically while the other Links shrugged and Zelda nodded.

“Okay, so, anyway, after that everything was fine. A few weeks ago, I became a train engineer for the princess, and she asked me to see her. Apparently, she thought the royal chancellor Cole was evil, and there was something wrong with the tower of spirits. Turns out she was right, because the spirit tracks had already started to disappear, and Cole separated her spirit from her body.” He gestured at empty air.

 “Y’know, this probably looks weird since you guys can’t see her. You get the idea. So, Anjean sent us out to help the other sages restore the barrier magic at the temples, which we did, and we also convinced Cole’s lackey byrne to join our side. He’s at the tower of spirits right now with Anjean. We’ve gotta get there fast, before Cole shoves Malladus’s spirit into Zelda’s body.”

He shuddered, “I don’t even want to think about what that’d look like. Huh?” He took a second to listen to ghost Zelda. “Oh, shoot! I forgot to start the train again!” He frantically set the train moving down the rail towards the tower of spirits. “Okay, we should be there in an hour or two. I’ll drive the train, and you guys get some rest.”

Some time later, the train pulled into the opening at the base of the tower of spirits. “The spirit train has pulled into the station! Everyone please stay behind the white line!” Engine pulled a lever to open the train door, letting out a loud hissing sound. “C’mon. You guys are gonna meet Anjean and Byrne.”

The seven Links and Zelda walked over to the center of the tower of spirits, where an old woman with stark white hair was hunched over in a wheelchair. Standing next to her was a muscular middle-aged man with a metal clawed hand. Engine gestured to each of them in turn, “Anjean, Byrne, I brought some visitors.”

Shrink’s eyes slowly pried themselves open. “Wha… where am I?” He looked around, and gripped at his surroundings. He was in a relatively small bed, with a thin blanket pulled up to his chin. “No no no no!” He tore the blanket off himself, jumping to the wooden floor. His vision swam, and he became queasy, falling back onto the bed.

The door opened. Shrink was holding his head in his hands, his entire body trembling. “What’s wrong?” An older girl held him by the shoulders, kneeling on one knee to look him in the eyes. She had long brown hair and soft blue eyes, wearing a white dress with blue patterns on the edges and sleeves, and a brooch around her neck.

“He…” Shrink struggled to speak, “He’s dead. I watched him die. I just stood there. I could’ve- I should’ve done something. I failed him. I failed everyone. It’s my fault."

"Poor kid. I'm so sorry that happened to you." She hugged him. “Is this helping, or is it making you uncomfortable?” “It’s. Um. It’s fine. Thanks for trying.” His voice was dull and monotone. “Do you want to talk about what happened?” “No. I can’t right now.”

“Alright. Can you at least tell me your name?” She lifted the kid’s head up so he was looking at her. “Yeah. My name is Link. How did I get here? Who are you?”

The young woman gazed at the ground. “Link… just like that guy…” She brought her voice back out of a whisper, “My name’s Malon. My dad owns this place, lon-lon ranch. I found you sleeping outside in the horse paddock, so I decided to bring you inside so you wouldn’t get a hoof to the stomach. Dad’s out delivering milk to Hyrule castle, so I’m in charge right now.”

“Oh. Okay.” Link’s body straightened in realization. “Wait, the castle?! He can’t go there; it’s too dangerous! Vaati’s taken over!” Malon held him down by the shoulders as he scrambled to stand up. “Hey, kid, wait, what’re you talking about? Who’s Vaati?”

“What do you mean, who’s Vaati?! He’s the reason we’re all in this mess! Weren’t you at the picori festival?”

“Pico-what? There hasn’t been a festival since the hero of time killed Ganondorf. No wonder you were asleep. Must’ve hit your head on something. Except that still leaves the question of how you managed to get in the paddock with no one noticing.”

“Wait…” Link calmed down, realizing, “I remember you. But…” He looked around. “...this place is different. And if you know the hero of time, then that must mean…” He gasped, “I time traveled!”

“Really, Cia? You couldn’t have sent him somewhere he wouldn’t recognize anyone?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Because we had so much time to choose where to send him. Look, Lana, I did the best I could. Besides, he probably would’ve recognized someone no matter where he went. These temporal doppelgangers are everywhere.”

“Yeah, I always thought that was weird.” Lana muttered to herself. “So, how do you think it’ll go over?”

“Hopefully she’ll believe him. We shouldn’t interfere unless absolutely necessary. I can’t believe the hero of men was killed.”

“Yeah.” Lana agreed, “And there’s nothing we can do about it. If we tried to pull him from the past after he was killed by two Vaatis from two eras merged together, it could have disastrous ripple effects for the timelines. We can’t afford any more of that.”

“What do you mean, you time traveled?” Malon asked. “I…I mean… Oh, it’s such a long story. There’s other Links, and reincarnation, and Vaati, but… but this other guy… and… and… I don’t even know what happened!”

“Okay, slow down, please.” Malon gently rubbed his back. “You’re not making any sense.”

Link took a series of breaths. “Okay. Okay, so, I’m from another era. I don’t know if I’m from the past, or the future, but that doesn’t matter right now. Where I’m from, a wind mage called Vaati turned the princess to stone and released an army of monsters. The king sent me out to find the minish, a race of tiny magic people who could repair a magic sword to help me stop Vaati. I met a minish elder named Ezlo, who’d been turned into a talking hat-”

He frantically grasped at his hair. “Where’s Ezlo?! Lady, where’s my hat?!”

“Your hat? Oh, yeah, it’s right here.” She walked over to a dresser and opened the drawer. Ezlo screamed, “Let me out of here! What is wrong with you?! Why would you trap me in this magic seal! What sorcery is this?!”

Malon picked him up and narrowed her eyes. “I. Um. That’s my drawer.”

“I see. And who might you be, fair maiden?” “Ezlo.” Link rolled his eyes, “Could you please not hit on her? I think she’s got enough to deal with right now.”

“Right, yes, of course. Now then, where are we and how?” Link took Ezlo back and placed him on his head. “Apparently, we time traveled to Multi’s era. I have no idea how, but Malon says she found us sleeping outside at this ranch.”

“Well now. How confusing. Are you sure we time traveled?” Link shrugged, “That’s the only explanation. I mean, apparently the hero of time killed Ganondorf recently. I’m pretty sure that means where in Multi’s era.”

“Who’s Multi?” Malon asked, “What kind of name is that?” “Okay, so it’s a long story and I don’t understand most of it, but apparently there’s a bunch of different versions of me across time. Something about reincarnation and an eternal cycle of good and evil. Something’s happening with the timelines, and a bunch of other Links showed up in my time. One of them called himself Multi, and apparently he fought Ganondorf. I don’t remember him calling himself the hero of time, but it sounds about right. So after that, the Link who came before me, the hero of men, came to my time from a hundred years in the past.”

Link sat on the bed. He closed his eyes. “He died. We were fighting Vaati, and then this, this guy, he just appeared out of nowhere. It was like he was made of fear and evil. He d-did something to Vaati. Made him stronger than ever. And then he killed him. He killed the hero of men. I can’t… I should have done something! It’s my fault he’s dead!”

Ezlo leaned down to look Link in the eyes. “Link, I promise you, nothing that happened back there was your fault. There was nothing you could’ve done. I was there too, and I’ve never seen so much evil or dark magic concentrated in one entity. I suspect that might’ve been Demise himself, the original demon king that Avian told us about.”

“I’m not following. What do you mean by the original demon king?”

“Just that.” Ezlo explained, “The primordial source of all evil in Hyrule and surrounding lands.” “Wow. So, what are you going to do? And why would the king of Hyrule send you out to fight? You look like you’re ten.” “Actually, I’m 12. And only kids can see the minish, so the king didn’t have much of a choice.”

Malon nodded thoughtfully. “Okay, well, I guess it kind of makes sense in that case. I still don’t like it, though; sending a little kid out to fight an evil mage. So, um, what are you going to do now?” “I don’t know. Ezlo? Is there anything we can even do now?”

“For once, I honestly don’t know. Even if we were somehow able to return to our own time, I don’t think we could stand a chance against Vaati as he is now. And if Demise is still there, I shudder to think what might happen to us.”

“So that’s it?!” Link held Ezlo out in front of himself, “We’re just going to give up?” “I’m sorry, Link, but I don’t see any other choice.” “No!” Link stood up, yelling, “We can’t just quit! Hyrule is depending on us! Zelda is depending on us! Don’t you get it, Ezlo?! She’s going to die!” His legs were shaking. “Zelda’s… Zelda’s going to die… like the hero of men, and… and I can’t do anything about it!” He turned around, grabbed a pillow off Malon’s bed, and threw it at the wall.

“Link?” Malon hesitantly approached the shaking boy. He screamed, grasping at his head, and sprinted out of the room. “Link! Link, wait!” She dangled Ezlo in front of herself, “You forgot your hat! I mean your friend!” She sighed, leaning against the nearest side of the wall. “Great. Just great. Why would you tell him that? Now he thinks… honestly, I don’t even know what he’s thinking right now.”

“Neither do I. I’m not the boy’s father. I’m going to need you to take me and find him before he gets himself hurt. I’d do it myself, but I can’t exactly get far as I am now. Believe me, I’ve tried.” Malon averted her gaze from Ezlo. “I’m sorry. I want to help you, I really do, but I need to stay here and watch over the ranch. Otherwise, I’d be letting my dad down. If something happened while I was gone, we could lose everything. We could lose our livelihood. We already had a close call when Ingo took over the ranch for seven years; I can’t take any more risks.”

“Very well then. I hate to wait and risk Link getting himself hurt, but you raise a valid point. I suspect the young man wouldn’t be inclined to forgive me if I risked someone else’s livelihood, even if it was for his own benefit.”

“Okay. Tell you what: we’ll wait for my dad to come home, and then we’ll go out and look for Link while he watches the ranch. How’s that?”

Ezlo folded himself in half to simulate a nod. “I suppose that satisfies both our interests. How long will we be waiting for your father?”

A door opened downstairs. “Malon!” A gruff, friendly voice called up, “I’m home! Did anything happen while I was gone?” Malon hesitated before whispering, “Keep quiet.” She called downstairs, “Everything’s fine, dad! I’m going out now!”

“Alright, have fun! Be back by sundown!” Malon walked downstairs and outside. “I’ll be fine.” Once she was in the horse paddock, she whispered to Ezlo, “Listen, my dad’s had enough to deal with lately. He doesn’t need to deal with a talking hat on top of it all.” She tried to place Ezlo on her head, found him too small, and settled for storing him in a small bag.

“Okay, I’ll get a horse, and then we’ll go out and find Link.”

Chapter Text

Eventually, Anjean and Byrne were informed of the relevant context surrounding the presence of the foreign Links. Anjean was thinking to herself, pacing around the room on a device that vaguely resembled a wheelchair. “This is most confounding. Never could I have dreamt something like this would happen. The cosmological implications boggle the mind.”

“Yeah, something like that.” Zelda replied to one of the only 2 people who could see or hear her in her present state. “So, now that we’ve got everything we need, we’re going to reach the top of the spirit tower and stop Cole before he shoves Malladus into my body.”

Byrne stepped forward, speaking with a deep, calm voice that commanded respect, “That’s the plan. I regret ever working with that blasphemous nutcase.”

Engine turned to the other Links. “Okay, guys, this is the part where it gets real. We’ve already cleared out most of the tower, but the last floor is still crawling with these giant living suits of armor called phantoms. Zelda can possess them to sort of even the playing field, but they’re still crazy strong. Even with all of us, I’m still not sure we could take them all on at once, and believe me, they will gang up on us as soon as they can.”

“Understood.” Zelda confirmed. “Anjean, Byrne, will you two be joining us?”

“I’m afraid that even as a sage of the lokomo, I am far too old to engage in such battles. Byrne?” “I’ll go.” the man with the metal hand decided, “It’s the least I can do at this point.”

The group of seven Links, two Zeldas, and Byrne snuck their way through the top floor of the tower of spirits. At somewhere around the halfway mark, Byrne took a single wrong step. A phantom caught sight of him, and rushed the group. It was deceptively fast given its size and metallic nature, with the deafening clanking sounds alerting the dozen other phantoms in the area to their presence.

“Byrne!” Engine pointed his sword at the larger man. "What did you do?!”

“Link, it was an accident!” the ghost Zelda, possessing a phantom, blocked another’s massive jagged sword with her own. “Now focus!” Engine lowered his sword. “Fine.” He turned around, stabbing his mystical lokomo sword into the chest of another phantom.

Linkle shot a bomb arrow at a phantom, covering it in smoke and knocking it back a step. Avian and Wild jumped through the smoke, slicing through the phantom’s elbows and knees. They backflipped over its sword. Avian grabbed the phantom’s sword with his clawshot before he landed on the ground, pulling it hard. “Get down!”

The rest of the group ducked to the ground while Avian swung the phantom’s sword, slicing it into the midsection of another. It crumbled into a pile of metal. Wild brought out his master cycle zero, jumping onto it in mid-sprint to run over the disarmed phantom. He turned around to shoot lasers out of the cycle’s handlebars, striking every remaining phantom.

Wolf held up his shield to block a phantom’s strike. He turned into a wolf to run behind it before jumping, turning back into a hylian in midair and spinning with his sword outstretched. The blade sliced through the phantom once in the middle of its back, and again through its neck, before kicking off its back and backflipping. While he was upside-down, he launched a bomb arrow at a different phantom. Linkle dropkicked the phantom through the smoke, the chemicals in her boots igniting and sending the phantom’s metal pieces scattering in an explosion.

Wild rode past a phantom, unsheathing his blade and slicing through it with one hand, keeping his other on the handlebar. He sheathed the master sword, changing the master cycle zero into the master armor zero. He kicked a phantom just as the transformation was finishing, following up by slashing with the master sword and the master armor zero’s handlebar blade. Nearby, Zelda turned a phantom’s sword up with her own before impaling it through the chest.

Byrne jumped at a phantom, slicing through its chest with his metal hand. “That’s the last of em. Come on, let’s-” “Wait. Did you do that on purpose?”

“Link!” Zelda interjected, “We all saw what happened! It was obviously an accident. Besides, Cole’s probably almost done with whatever he’s doing. We can’t waste any time.”

“The princess is right, boy. I’ve been trying to make up for my mistakes, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t interfere with that.”

“Zelda’s right about one thing.” Avian decided, “We need to stop this Cole guy, yesterday fast. Especially after all the time we wasted on the train expositing on our backstories.” “You’re right.” Engine conceded.

“No, no, no, this isn’t right!” Lana panicked, “Anjean and Byrne are supposed to be in the spirit train! Cole’s not supposed to be at the tower of spirits! What’s going on here?!”

“It must be because of Demise warping the timelines. This timeline doesn’t have a Hyrule, and New Hyrule isn’t protected by the triforce, so it’s no doubt more unstable than the others.”

“What should we do?”

“For now, I think all we can do is watch, and avoid interfering unless absolutely necessary.” Cia spoke regretfully, “I know more than anyone what sort of effects interfering in the timelines can have.”

“Agreed. I’ll check on the hero of the minish, and you monitor Demise, okay?”

“Got it.” Cia opened a few windows in time-space. “Oh no.”

Avian, Multi, Wolf, Sail, Engine, Wild, Linkle, Byrne, and both Zeldas, one still possessing a phantom, burst through a door to the roof of the tower of spirits. The roof was a circular stone expanse with raised edges, where a short man with fiery hair and horns stood on the edge. The air was filled with stars and blackness, as though they had ascended past the atmosphere.

The phantom Zelda pointed her sword at the diminutive man. “You’ve gone far enough, Cole. This is where it ends.”

Cole sighed in a high-pitched voice, “You again? The demon king’s return is nigh, you know. Yet, here you are, making a nuisance of yourselves!” He turned around, revealing a pale face with angular permanently enraged eyes, a thin mustache, and a pair of fangs. “You insolent little fools!” He screeched, “It’s time you received the punishment you deserve!” A black hole appeared behind him, swirling and moving forward until it swallowed Cole and the group of ten.

The black hole transported them to the roof of a demonic train, speeding forward through a star-filled void. “Your majesty! Your resurrection is complete! Please use your power to destroy these two!”

The younger Zelda’s physical form hung limp in midair, glowing red with lightning emanating from around it. An air of quiet dread settled around the unholy train in the dark realm. Zelda’s body raised its head, fast enough that its neck should’ve snapped. Its eyes flew open unnaturally wide, blood red with yellow pupils containing black irises.

“No!” Engine screamed. Avian yelled, overlapping him, “Zelda!”

The thing that had once been Zelda floated down to the front of the train next to Cole. “This is it, everyone!” Zelda charged at the chancellor and her own form with her possessed phantom’s blade, alongside her older counterpart, Byrne, and the seven Links.

“Link! I mean Wild, give me the sheikah slate! I’m tired of standing on the sidelines!” “Alright.” He tossed the slate into Zelda’s outstretched hand.

“Thanks.” Zelda activated the master cycle zero, swerving as she rode forward. She missed more shots than she hit. “They’re demons!” Engine realized, “We need light arrows!”

“Got it.” Wild loaded an ancient arrow into his bow. Multi, Sail, and Wolf fired light arrows alongside the sheikah ammunition. Malladus held out Zelda’s hand, freezing the arrows in midair and throwing them into the void.

“Time to go forward!” Linkle yelled, jumping to kick Malladus. The demon king swung Zelda’s arm in front of her, knocking Linkle back with a shrieking gust of wind. “Okay. In hindsight, moving forward might’ve been a bad plan.”

“Ya think?! Okay, anyone who has light arrows, give some to anyone who doesn’t have light arrows.” Avian decided, “Like me, for example. I don’t have any light arrows, and honestly, I’m starting to feel a little left out.”

“I can take a hint.” Sail tossed a handful of sacred arrows at Avian. “Thanks, kid.” Nearby, Multi threw a handful of light arrows to Linkle. “Thanks!”

Zelda’s soul piloted the phantom across the roof of the train, charging slowly through the red energy that Malladus shot at her. “I could really use some help here!”

Engine nocked a light arrow into his bow. “Now! While he- she- it’s distracted!” The Links fired multiple light arrows in rapid succession, striking Zelda’s body. The demon king roared, low-pitched and echoing, in pain.

“How dare you blaspheme the illustrious demon king?!” Cole held up his arm, creating a sphere of red mysticism in his open palm. Zelda accelerated the master cycle zero. “I hope I know how to do this!”

She accidentally popped a wheelie, shooting lasers at Cole that knocked him out of the air, sending the magic strike flying into the void. Zelda screamed as the master cycle zero spun on the back wheel, until she managed to press the right button to activate the master armor zero, the metal screeching on the roof of the train as she fell on her side. “Nailed it!”

“Cole!” Byrne fired his metal hand, attached to his arm by a chain, to stab Cole in the chest. “Traitor! How dare you betray Malladus?!” “I already betrayed the lokomo tribe. I’m trying to make up for that mistake!” He threw Cole behind himself, letting him crash onto the roof of the demon train.

The younger Zelda grabbed her own body with the phantom she was possessing. “Now, Link! All of you-” She was interrupted by another, much larger, black hole appearing in midair.

A figure jumped out of the black hole and onto the tracks in front of the demon train. There was a deafening screech on the rails, until the train stopped on the tracks.

“What was that?” The older Zelda asked, still wearing the master armor zero. The group had been forced to the ground, while Malladus had thrown the phantom Zelda was possessing back onto the train.

The figure jumped straight up from the tracks, at least fifty feet below, and landed next to Malladus hard enough to dent the roof of the entire front car. Avian’s mouth went dry. “No. No, no, no, you can’t be here! I killed you!”

Demise laughed, “You only delayed me, child. I am the primordial Hate, the original Evil that has plagued your world since its creation. You can never truly kill me.” He swiped his arm, clawing a hole through spacetime. Ganondorf walked through.

“No matter the time or place, I will always follow your legacy in some form or another. I am truly immortal.”

Ganondorf bowed to his predecessor. “Demise. I defer to you, my lord.” The thing that had once been the princess of new hyrule floated above them all. “Who are you?! Why should I bow to you?!”

Cole trembled. “L-lord malladus, p-p-perhaps we shouldn’t anger him. He seems danger-” “Silence, you sniveling, impish welp!” Malladus commanded. Demise held out his hand, a dark purple smoke swirling around his palm. Zelda’s body seized and convulsed, Malladus screaming in pain from within. Demise swiped his arm in a wide arc, throwing Malladus into the middle of the roof. “Care to repeat that, Malladus?”

“I-I…” Malladus bowed to Demise. “I can sense a certain power from you. You are truly the genesis of all evil. I defer to your greater power, lord Demise.” “As you should, Malladus.” Demise started walking towards the Links, Zeldas, and Byrne.

“I don’t care what you are!” Byrne yelled, despite the fact that his voice was cracking and his legs were shaking, “I’m done surrendering to demons!” He charged forward, shooting his clawed prosthetic.

“Pitiful.” Demise teleported drastically closer to Byrne, impaling him through the stomach. The wet, squelching, and crunching sound of metal slicing through flesh and bone filled the dark realm.

There was an empty, oppressive silence.

Zelda and Engine both screamed in rage, charging at the demon king with their swords drawn. “I have no time for children. You two, dispose of them.” He sliced another tear into the time-space continuum.

Malladus piloted Zelda’s body into throwing a burst of magic at the phantom inhabited by her soul. Engine shot it out of the air with a light arrow. Ganondorf disappeared in a cloud of dark smoke and reappeared in another behind Engine. Zelda blocked his sword with her phantom’s, yelling, “Link! Shoot Malladus! I mean me! I mean… oh, screw it, you know what I mean.”

“Yeah, I hope I do.” Engine shot a light arrow at Malladus, striking the third demon king between Zelda’s eyes. “Enough of this!” He swiped Zelda’s hand forward, generating a deafening gust of wind. Ganondorf impaled his sword through the roof to keep himself anchored. Demise stood unmoving, effortlessly resisting the hurricane-force gales. The younger Zelda and Engine fell off one side of the train, and the other Links and the older Zelda fell off the other side, in spite of their collective best efforts.

“This can’t be happening!” Lana yelled into the window through time-space, “If all three demon-kings are together, then-”

Cia slapped her on the back of the head, “Then we need to focus! We can’t separate Demise from the other demon kings; he’ll just reunite with them immediately. It’s almost like his time powers are getting stronger.”

“And worse than that, if we interfere with him directly, he’ll figure out what we’re doing and probably track us down.” Lana realized, “Then again, it might only be a matter of time before he catches on anyway.”

“Okay, then I’ll warp the dead Zelda and the hero of trains to one era, and you warp the main group somewhere else, right?”

Lana rolled her eyes, “She’s not dead, her soul is just separated from her body. And I thought we agreed not to call him the hero of trains. He’s the hero of spirits. Y’know, tower of spirits, spirit tracks, spirit train.”

Cia counted on her fingers, “One, that’s just a fancy way of saying she’s dead. Two, I agreed to no such thing. And three, the ‘hero of spirits’ title could just as easily apply to the hero of termina or time or whatever we’re calling him now. His transformation masks are inhabited by the spirits of the dead, remember?”

“Fair enough.”

“Anyone have a plan?!” Wolf yelled into the void. “We’re falling through infinite darkness! What sort of plan could any of us possibly have right now! Unless Avian can fly us out of here!”

“I need a loftwing to fly, Sail! What, do you think I can just turn into a bird?”

“Well, why not?! Wolf got his nickname for that exact reason, and Multi can turn into like three different things! At this point, do you honestly think any of us would bat an eye if you suddenly turned into a giant bird?”

There was a brief silence, filled only by the rushing of what might’ve been the dark realm’s equivalent to wind.

“Yeah, that’s fair. Hey, there’s something down there!” Something resembling a fault line in the void, purple and black smoke billowing up from it, grew closer to them by the second. It drew them in, warping the space around it like a sort of black hole, until they were drawn inside.

The group fell upwards through a gap between universes, landing in a small plain of wilting grass. Directly next to them was a crumbling house, its roof partially caved in, on a raised piece of ground with a naturally-carved ramp leading to it. “Where the heck are we?” Wild asked. He realized the others were looking at him. “What? I feel like I haven’t said anything in a while. More importantly, again, where are we?”

“No clue, but we should probably try to find the local Link.” Zelda returned the master armor zero to the sheikah slate, and handed the device back to Wild. “Assuming there even is a local Link. This place straight-up feels evil.”

“Really?” Avian held out his arm, as though attempting to feel the air. “I mean, I guess there’s something a little off, but I wouldn’t say it really feels completely evil.”

“Well, maybe it has something to do with me being descended from Hylia? Trust me, guys, I’ve got a bad feeling about this place. It almost feels like the golden goddesses themselves have forsaken it.” She turned the corner. A soldier in a green suit of armor charged at her, spear drawn. Zelda yelled out, jumping to the side.

Wild intercepted the spear with the master sword, using it as leverage and maneuvering himself behind the soldier. He sliced through it a couple of times, causing it to disappear in a cloud of smoke. He turned around. “Okay.” He pointed at the castle in the close distance. “Maybe we should look there.”

The castle was surrounded by bottomless chasms in the ground, as though the world itself was falling apart. The sky was a dark orange, with red clouds swirling over the elaborate purple spires. “You know, Zelda, I’m starting to think you might’ve been on to something.” “Yeah.” Zelda agreed. The group of seven stood in view of the castle. “Let’s go inside.”

The Links and Zelda traveled through the corrupted castle, effortlessly defeating the monsters within. Eventually, they found themselves in what appeared to be a study room. Papers and chairs were strewn around as though from someone having a panic, or a fight having broken out. The occasional bolt of lightning briefly illuminated the circular room. A purple carpet was adorned with an upside-down triforce. “We’ve been seeing this design around the castle, haven’t we?” Linkle kicked up a cloud of dust. “What does it mean?”

“I saw upside-down triforces carved into the rocks in ikana.” Multi suggested, “Maybe it’s a parallel universe thing.”

“I don’t remember seeing any upside-down triforces in the twilight realm.” Wolf argued, “Maybe it’s a sign of protest against the golden goddesses.”

Zelda covered her mouth in horror. “Then what’s it doing in the castle?! This place really is evil.” Her gaze turned to the back wall. There was a fissure in the wall, surrounded by bright multicolored dots, exuding a strange light. “What is that thing? It almost looks light that thing we fell through in the dark realm.”

Multi touched the fissure. It almost felt as though it were trying to draw him inside. “It might be some sort of interdimensional gateway. Maybe this place is some sort of mirror-flipped Hyrule.” Zelda ran her hand down the fissure. “I suppose it’s possible.”

“Guys, my compass is glowing.” Linkle tapped the compass around her neck. The closer she walked to the fissure, the brighter it glowed, until the chamber was filled with a blinding light when the compass touched the gap in reality. “Linkle!” Multi tore the compass away from the wall. “Please, never do that again.”

“Oh, really? Because I was just about to do that again. After all, I’ve always wanted to go permanently blind!” She looked around at the rest of the group, and cleared her throat. “Sorry. I’m just, um, a little stressed, that’s all.” She stuffed the compass under her jacket, significantly dimming the glow.

The fissure started shimmering, as though something were about to come through. “Guys, stand ready!” Sail drew his sword, as did the others, while Linkle readied three bomb arrows.

A painting walked onto the wall from within the fissure, of a young boy in a green tunic and hat. The living painting stopped. Its eyes darted from side to side. It was covered in a bright light, and exited the wall.

A child wearing green clothing, with a sword sheathed on his back, stood in front of the group. “Um. Hi.”

Shrink blindly ran across Hyrule field, stumbling and tripping over himself, struggling to breathe, until he fell to the ground. He realized he was on a wooden bridge suspended between two hollow logs, suspended over the ground by ropes. He felt his uncovered hair. “Ezlo? Ezlo!”

He heard footsteps echoing from the log opposite Hyrule field, until a young girl with short green hair and a green tunic walked onto the bridge. “Link!” She ran over to the halfway point of the bridge, tackling him in a hug. “I missed you! It’s been seven years since-” She blinked at getting a closer look at him. “Hey, I thought you’d be older. Wasn’t that the whole reason you left?”

“I… um… I’m sorry, do I know you?” The girl’s face turned distraught. “You don’t remember me? I’m Saria.” Her voice cracked, “I… I was your… You were my best friend. We were best friends. We were all we had, and then you left for seven years, and now you don’t even know who I am?!”

“Sorry. I think you’ve got me confused for someone else.”

“No, no, I know you’re Link! Just because you’ve forgotten-! That doesn’t-!” She tore at her own hair, “I recognize you! I never forgot you! If you’re not Link, then who are you?! What’s your name? Please, tell me.”

“My name is Shrink. I’m sorry, but I promise I don’t know you. But I think I know your friend.”

“Really? Shrink?” Saria held back a laugh. “Do I even want to know how you got that name? Or did your parents just hate you?”

Shrink rolled his eyes. “It’s a long story. Is there somewhere we can hang out? I think you should probably sit down for this.”

“Oh, please, I can handle it.”

“Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Shrink took a sharp inhale before continuing, “OkaysotheLinkyouknowisactuallymyreincarnationandmynameisalsoLinkanditturnsoutthere’sabunchofpeoplenamedLinkacrossmultiplepointsintimewho’reallreincarnationsofeachotherandsomething’sgoingwrongwiththetimelinesbecauseitturnsoutthere’smultipletimelinessothat’sathingIguesssomultipleLinksareworkingtogethertotryandstopitandthenIgotropedintotheirmessandnowIdon’tknowhowtogetbacktomyowntimeandZelda’sgoingtodieandit’smyfault!”

Saria blinked. “You know what? I think I should sit down for this.”

Demise, Ganondorf, and Malladus walked through a tear in time and space into a ravine made of bone-colored rock, where Wizzro, Volga, Ghirahim, Zant, and Vaati stood at attention. The wind mage, in the form of a pale-skinned and red-eyed young man, pointed at the third demon king. “What is she doing here? Are we going to take her light force?”

“Hardly.” The thing that resembled Zelda spoke, in an echoing and guttural baritone, “I am Malladus, the third demon king. I am here for the same reason as the rest of you, and the same reason for which all things will soon exist or perish: to serve the great Demise.”

“Well said, Malladus.” Demise walked forward, towering over his subordinates. “And how fitting that our base of operations should be where I originally burst forth into this world with my armies, to lay waste to all life created by the damned golden goddesses.” He gave what might’ve been a smile. “I see that even after countless eons, it has still not healed. This is the fate that will befall time itself.”

“Cia, what did we do with the Zelda of the Minish era?”

“Wait, I thought you took care of her.”

Lana’s eyes narrowed. “I thought you were going to take care of her!”

“Fine, fine. I’ll reunite her with her Link. Hopefully he’ll be able to figure something out, and that’ll give him the confidence boost he needs right now.”

“Good. Nayru knows the kid could use it. Speaking of which, where’d you put the hero of spirits?”

Cia’s eyes shifted to the sides. “Yeah. About that.”

Shrink had finally concluded explaining his story to Saria, while the two of them were sitting on wooden chairs in her short hollowed tree of a house. “So, yeah. That’s what happened.” His knees were folded in on his chest, his arms were wrapped around himself, and his head was lowered and facing down. “I don’t know how I got here. I don’t know where I am. And I don’t know what to do next.”

Saria slowly walked over to Shrink. “Hey, Shrink. Actually, can I call you Link, since you’re the only one here?” The boy nodded. “Okay. In that case, Link, is it okay if I hug you? No offense, but it looks like you could really use one.” He nodded again.

“Okay. Come here.” She enveloped her arms around him, leaning her head next to his. “I’m sorry. I know you don’t know me, and I can’t do much, but I’m so sorry for what happened to you.” After a few minutes, she asked, “Hey, do you want to help out with the kokiri festival? Maybe it could help get your mind off things.”

“I don’t know. Okay. I guess I don’t have a choice.” “That’s the spirit!” She dragged him to his feet.

“Okay, so we probably shouldn’t let anyone know that you’re a different Link, since we don’t want them to panic, so just act natural and play along like you live here. I’m supposed to be the fairy princess in the play next week, but we’re still trying to find someone to play the prince. Hey, do you wanna play the prince? Mido’s been trying to get the role, but I’d much rather be there with you. Even though I don’t actually know you, but still.”

“Oh, uh, yeah. I mean, my whole thing started with a festival, but I guess it couldn’t hurt. By the way, who’s Mido?”

Saria rolled her eyes, “He thinks he’s the boss of the kokiri or something, even though no one actually listens to him anymore. He's gonna give you a hard time since he'll think you're the same Link we know, so just don't let him get to you. So, are you ready? Fado's still working on my costume, but I think the know-it-all brothers have already finished yours. You wanna try it on?”

“Know-it-all brothers?” “Yeah, they’re triplets. Come on, I’ll introduce you!” She grabbed him by the arm, dragging him outside with an infectious eagerness.

Chapter Text

The Link who’d emerged from the wall stared at the newcomers. “Um. Hi.” Avian stepped forward, “Okay, I know this is weird. Trust me, this isn’t whatever it looks like.”

“Really? Because it looks like you’re a bunch of versions of me from parallel worlds who’re teaming up for some reason. And the princess from a different version of Hyrule.”

“Oh. Well then, it’s exactly what it looks like.” Avian confirmed, “So, is this a parallel Hyrule? And why were you in the wall? I mean, we’ve seen some weird stuff, but that’s a new record.”

“It’s because of this.” He held up his wrist, showing a thick golden bracelet, covered in dirt with a purple eye-shape in the middle. “I got it from a guy named Ravio, and it’s got magic that lets me merge with walls. That’s the only way I can travel through these fissures, cause, y’know…” He rubbed the crack, “There’s no room otherwise. They’re like tunnels between Hyrule and this place, Lorule.”

“Wait, Lorule? That’s what this place is called?” Sail questioned, “Like… like high and low? Seriously?”

“Yeah, it’s kinda weird. So, how’d this even happen in the first place? Is there some sort of massive threat putting all our worlds at risk?!”

“Unfortunately, you’re 2-for-2.” Zelda clarified, “We’re not sure about the details, but something’s messing with the concept space-time, putting the entire universe in danger. We’ve been going through the timelines guided by the guardians of time.”

“Okay.” The wall-merging Link sat on a filthy red-cushioned chair. “Clearly, this is the part where you guys all give me your individual stories, and then I return the favor.”

Hours later, not that the passage of time could be discerned from the unchanging sky of Lorule, the six Links had finished telling the newcomer their individual stories and how they ultimately intersected. “Wow. So I guess it’s my turn. Okay, so it all started when I went to the Hyrule sanctuary, but I saw this creep named Yuga turn the priest’s daughter into a painting and kidnap her. He knocked me out, and when I came to, this guy named Ravio wearing a freaky rabbit costume had brought me to my house, which for whatever reason he’d somehow managed to convert into a full-on store. But he lets me buy stuff from him that’s helped me a lot, so I guess it’s not that big of a deal. So, anyway, I fought Yuga again in the eastern palace and found out he was turning all six of the sages into paintings for something big. He tried to merge me with the wall so I couldn’t stop him, and that’s how I found out what this bracelet could really do.”

Multi clapped his hands once, interrupting, “Hey, real quick, can we get you a nickname?”

“Uh, yeah, sure. How about Flat, since I turn flat when I go into wall mode?”

“Flat, huh? I knew a ghost musician with that name, but sure.”

“Cool.” Flat continued, “So, anyway, I went to Hyrule castle and talked with princess Zelda, and she gave me the pendant of courage. Then, I went to two different temples and got the pendants of power and wisdom. The three pendants gave me the ability to pull the master sword out of its pedestal.”

“Just like Seven.” Wild acknowledged.

“Yeah, sure, so anyway after that I went back to Hyrule castle like Zelda instructed. Yuga was already there, and he turned Zelda into a painting in front of me.” He clenched his fists, “I couldn’t do anything except watch. I tried to fight him, but he escaped through one of those.” He pointed at the fissure.

“I followed him through the fissure, and that’s how I first got into Lorule. I watched Yuga use the power of the sages to summon Ganon and combine with him, and then Hilda, the princess of Lorule, used her magic to get me out of there. She told me she’d hold off Yuga while I went around Lorule freeing the sages from their paintings. I used the fissures to travel across Hyrule and Lorule, freeing the sages, and now I’ve been infiltrating Lorule castle to stop Ganon and save the princesses. Y’know, pretty standard hero stuff, based on what you’ve told me.”

“Yeah, saving princesses is kind of our thing.” Wild confirmed. “Not me. I’m from before Hyrule was founded, remember?” Avian reminded him. Sail added, “Yeah, and I started my quest to save my sister. Zelda didn’t come in until pretty late in the game.”

“My point still stands. So, mind if we help you out?”

“You kidding? I could use all the help I can get. It should be just over there.” He pointed at an opening to a massively long bridge. “Now come on, team. Let’s go save two worlds.”

Avian, Multi, Wolf, Sail, Flat, Wild, Zelda, and Linkle traversed the bridge of Lorule castle. They could see most of the ruined kingdom around them, with bottomless chasms in the world and a sky that almost looked to be bleeding, with lightning bolts tearing through the red clouds. “What happened to this place?” Linkle asked, “It’s like the entire world is falling apart.”

“Not sure.” Flat explained, “Apparently it’s been like this for years now, but I have no idea why. Hopefully once we stop Yuga, we can help them restore everything.”

“Well, if he’s merged with Ganon, then…” Sail thought for a second before blurting out, “Yuganon!” Flat snorted and laughed, “I love that! That’s what I’ll call him!”

Eight hylians walked through the door into the throne room, where a young girl wearing a white gown with purple decorations, with dark purple hair, stood with her back to them. She was facing the wall, where the living painting of princess Zelda had been hung.

“You have done well to come so far, hero of Hyrule. I trust you now have the triforce of courage?” She touched the painting, causing the triforce of wisdom to glow on Zelda’s hand. The golden triangle floated out of the painting, shimmering, and hovered over Hilda’s open palm. She turned around, “Perhaps-” She staggered back in shock, “What?! How… Who are you?!”

“Sorry, it’s a long story.” Multi explained, “See, we’re all reincarnations and alternate timeline counterparts of each other, and we’re all teaming up. Please, princess, carry on.”

“Um… right. S-so, anyway, I want to share a story with all of you. I think it’s only fair. It’s the legend of how Lorule fell to its current condition.”

“I was wondering about that.” Flat muttered.

Hilda continued, “Long ago, Lorule possessed a sacred golden treasure. It could grant the wish of anyone who touched it. It was known as the triforce in our world, as it is in yours. Many sought to control the triforce, plunging Lorule into endless war. Our kingdom was on the verge of ruin. My ancestors got rid of the triforce to stop the war…” She took a deep breath, “...by destroying it. Utterly and absolutely. It was done with good intentions. But it had disastrous consequences. The triforce was the foundation of our world, and without it, our kingdom crumbled. Chaos has since reigned in Lorule.”

Hilda’s eyes narrowed, “We need a triforce. So imagine my surprise when I learned of the existence of another one: yours. A triforce based on such virtues as power, wisdom, and courage. To that end, I have guided your destiny, hero of Hyrule. As the princess of Lorule, it is my duty to save my kingdom. So I know you’ll understand it when I say…” Her face twisted into rage, and she screamed, “I must have your triforce of courage!”

Hilda threw the triforce of wisdom into the air, letting it be absorbed into her body. A wave of blue magic swept forth across the floor. Runic patterns appeared, rotating in alternating clockwise and counterclockwise directions. A massive purple humanoid boar rose from the magic circle, wearing tattered clothing with the inverted triforce of Lorule over his chest, with long red hair and carrying a trident as tall as himself. “Yuga! I command you! Seize the triforce of courage from him! Lorule shall be reborn!”

The combined monstrosity roared and swung his trident in front of himself. Webs of viscous blue sorcery covered the walls of the octagonal room.

“Hilda!” Flat screamed, “How could you do this?!” The group backflipped over a swipe of Yuga’s trident, Linkle firing three bomb arrows from midair.

“I’m so sorry, Link.” Hilda closed her eyes and averted her gaze. “I know I betrayed your trust, but I had no choice. I’ll do anything to save my world.”

Wild rode around the perimeter of the throne room on the master cycle zero, firing lasers from the handlebars at Hilda. She spun her staff, tipped with a 3-dimensional inverted triforce, generating a forcefield around herself. Wild opted to cut his losses by taking a sharp turn in Yuga’s direction. “Master armor zero! Engage!” He pitched the cycle forward as it transformed, somersaulting and dropkicking yuga in the back.

Yuga stumbled forward from Wild’s impact, allowing the others to scatter in multiple directions. Flat took out a red rod and swung it, throwing a pillar of fire. The flames harmlessly dispersed when they struck Yuga. “Of course. He’s a demon king, so I’ll need the master sword. Guys, back me up!”

“You got it!” Multi and Avian jumped forward, their swords raised. Avian’s master sword glowed with a skyward strike. They slashed through Yuga’s back in parallel, causing him to bellow in pain. Yuga disappeared into an amorphous mass of red and black magic, hovering over the floor.

The Links ran around the throne room, dodging bursts of red and black sorcery that repeatedly crashed into the ground, radiating outwards. Multi transformed into a goron to roll across the floor, until Yuga reappeared. Multi turned into a zora, throwing his elbow blades on either side of yuga’s head to distract him. He used the opening to jump off the wall and swing his leg into Yuga’s head. He maneuvered himself so he was holding Yuga’s shoulder from behind as a hylian. Yuga roared, swinging his trident to deflect Wild’s laser shots. He teleported into the center of the room, dropping Multi to the ground. The Links stood in a row, facing the abomination.

Zelda snuck behind Yuga until she reached Hilda, still contained within her barrier. “You look like the princess of Hyrule. Who are you, her sister?”

“Not exactly.” Zelda admitted, while the Links battled Yuga behind her, “See, I’m actually princess Zelda.” She took a few minutes to explain her circumstances to her dark counterpart.

Wolf grabbed the outer prongs of Yuga’s trident with his clawshots, grinning as he was thrown by a swing of the weapon. He turned into a canine in midair, savagely clawing and biting Yuga’s face.

“Please, Hilda, don’t do this.” Zelda practically begged, “If you take Hyrule’s triforce, then my world will be destroyed.”

“You think I don’t know that?! You think I want to do this?! I don’t have a choice. My people need me. You should understand better than anyone that I can’t let them suffer any more!”

“Then by that logic, you should understand that I have to do the same. I might not have the triforce anymore, and I might not be much of a fighter, but I’m done staying on the sidelines!” She jumped at Hilda’s barrier, screaming in desperation, and punched it. She kept punching it, creating shockwaves every time.

“What are you doing?!” Hilda yelled, “My barriers are indestructible! I have the triforce of wisdom, and Yuga’s going to give me his triforce of power and Link’s triforce of courage!”

“No he isn’t.” Zelda stopped punching, her fist motionless on the barrier, “Yuga can’t be trusted. Can’t you see? He’s evil! He’s going to destroy both our worlds!”

“You’re lying! Yuga might be ruthless, but that’s what Lorule needs!”

“No. It’s what you need to believe. And I’m going to stop you, no matter what!” Zelda pulled back her arm, and punched Hilda’s barrier. It shattered outwards from the point of impact, the shards disappearing in the ether. “What?!” Hilda screamed, grasping her wrist. The symbol of the triforce of wisdom glowed blindingly on her wrist. “What’s going on?!”

“Looks like the triforce of wisdom recognizes its true owner.” Zelda walked forward, holding out her hand. “Come on, Hilda. One princess to another. Are you really going to consign Hyrule to the same fate as Lorule? Are you really going to inflict that same pain on others?”

“I… I… It’s another world! I don’t have to care! My business is with Lorule, and no one else!”

“Then why did you get Hyrule involved in the first place?!”

Yuga swung his trident, electrified with dark magic, throwing the Links towards the center of the throne room. They screamed in pain, electricity sparking on them. “Get up, team!” Avian commanded, standing straight and readying a skyward strike. Yuga blocked it with his trident.

“Wild.” Linkle quietly requested, “Ancient arrows.” She ran forward. “Someone get me a boost!” Multi put the goron mask on, allowing him to throw Linkle over Yuga’s head. Wild tossed three ancient arrows. Linkle caught the arrows while she was upside-down behind Yuga, and loaded them into her crossbow. She fired the arrows into Yuga’s back, eliciting a bellow of agony. She flipped herself again to land on her feet, stumbling forward while Yuga collapsed to his knees, supporting himself by stabbing his trident into the floor.

Yuga started laughing, “You think you’ve beaten me?! You think you can ever beat me?!” He stood up and turned his gaze to the princesses. “My dear, sweet, deluded Hilda! What care have I to save your crumbling kingdom? It’s no better than that hideous Hyrule. When the triforce is mine, I plan to remake Lorule in my image. Now you, my dark beauty, must serve your purpose.”

“Zelda, get down!” Hilda tackled Zelda to the ground just as Yuga threw a glowing rectangle of magic at her. Hilda was covered in a burst of light, and trapped inside a painting.

“I can hardly decide which of my princess portraits is prettier.” Yuga gloated, “But I do know which of you foolish royal girls has what I need. And now it will be mine.” Hilda’s painting levitated, until it was absorbed into Yuga. “Yes! Yes! Now all I need is the triforce of… wait. What is this?!” He looked at his hand, still adorned only with the triforce of power from Ganon. “Why don’t I have the triforce of wisdom?!”

Zelda stared at her hand. A radiant golden triangle appeared on the back of her palm. She stroke her hand, smiling a little in spite of everything. “Welcome back, old friend.” She stood up, staring down the demon king.

Yuga snarled, “So, the other Zelda has taken the triforce of wisdom for herself. Fine then! I’ll just turn you into a painting, and absorb the powers of two princesses along with the triforce of wisdom.” He prepared a rectangle of multicolored sorcery. “Hold still now, my dear. I’m sure you’d look beautiful as one of my painted masterpieces.”

Wild and Flat jumped up behind Yuga, driving their master swords, as well as the blade from the master cycle zero’s handlebar, into his shoulders. Yuga roared in pain, throwing Flat and Wild off of himself. Wild ran between Yuga and Zelda, holding out both of his blades. “I’m never letting her get hurt again.”

“Then I’ll be glad to kill you where you stand, boy. You worms have wriggled far enough!” He jabbed his massive trident at Wild. He blocked it with both of his swords, leaning forward as he was pushed back.

Yuga grinned, slowly driving Wild further back. Behind him, Multi, Wolf, and Sail readied a light arrow each. Before they could fire, a black hole opened in the center of the room. Demise jumped out, cracking the entire floor as he landed. The throne room shook to its foundations, throwing the Links, Zelda, and Yuga to the floor. The portal closed behind him.

“Who are you?!” Yuga stood up, “How dare you interrupt my rise to godhood!” He threw his trident at Demise, while the three Links fired their light arrows. Demise held out his hands, suspending the trident and the light arrows in midair. “You’re all so pathetic, I needn’t even move to defeat you.” He snapped his fingers to throw the light arrows out of the nearest window. The trident flew into Demise’s hands. “Allow me to demonstrate.” He held out his other hand.

Yuga screamed in agony, his entire body stretching and distorting like a broken mirror. He made a weak attempt to transform Demise into a painting, only for him to slice the magic into oblivion. A blinding flash of darkness filled the throne room.

Yuga had shrunk to the size of a man. He had elaborate baggy garb, with a black shirt emblazoned with the upside-down Lorulean triforce, striped black and green pants, and a purple garment around his neck on his chest. His red hair was braided into multiple lines in a fan behind his head. Hilda’s painting lay face-up beside him. “What is this?! What have you done to me?”

Demise tightened his grip on Yuga’s staff, until it snapped in half and fell to the floor. “Join me, Yuga, and I will give you more power than you’ve ever dreamt of. Otherwise…” He telekinetically lifted the staff into his hands, and effortlessly reduced both halves to dust.

Yuga gasped. He bowed to the floor, groveling, “Yes, lord Demise! Please, show mercy! Don’t rid the world of my beauty!” Demise snarled, “Your vanity is unbecoming of one of my servants. However, your power might prove somewhat satisfactory. Kill them to prove what little worth you might have.”

“Yes, my illustrious lord!” Yuga tossed a burst of magic that Sail, Wolf, and Multi dodged. A hole exploded in the wall. “Hilda, stop!” A young man burst into the throne room. His face was hidden under the mask of his bright purple rabbit costume. He looked around the room. “What’s going on here?” He pointed at Demise, shaking, “Who are you? What have you done?”

Demise fixed a casual, contemptuous gaze on the boy, as though he were a minorly irritating insect. “An interloper. How inconvenient.”

“Ravio, what are you doing here?!” Flat yelled. “That’s the guy you let into your house?” Wild pointed as Ravio sprinted over to them.

“Well, it’s more like he let himself in, but yeah. Ravio, this place is too dangerous. You need to go, now.”

“No! I’m done running! I’m sick of being a coward!” Ravio tore off his mask to reveal his face. Wild and Flat both stepped back. “You’re me!”

“Like the Hilda to your Zelda.” Ravio confirmed. “But seriously, who’s that guy?!”

“Demise.” Avian told him, “The root of all evil.” “Oh. Yeah, he’s def-definitely got the- the- the look.” Demise slowly walked forward, creating a sphere of electrical magic in his palm. Ravio’s knees shook. “W-w-where’s Hilda?”

“Over there.” Zelda pointed at the dark painting on the floor. “Wait, another zelda?! An-and so many Links! What’s going on?!” Demise tossed the mystic sphere. Flat tackled his Lorulean doppelganger to the ground. “Long story, but we need to run!”

“You don’t have to tell me twice!” Ravio followed Avian and Wild, while Demise and Yuga threw explosions of magic at them. Linkle ran into a jump, somersaulting in midair before dive-kicking Demise.

The chemicals in Linkle’s boots sparked, covering Demise’s face in fire. She fell to the ground, screaming, holding her legs in pain. Demise showed no reaction. “What exactly was that meant to accomplish?”

“A… a distraction.” Linkle stood up, watching the others starting to retreat. “Guess it worked.” Demise growled animalistically, swinging his jagged blade at Linkle. Wolf blocked it with his master sword. “I’ll hold him off! Run, now!”

“Thanks.” Linkle stumbled towards the opening at the back of the room. Avian was firing skyward strikes at the explosive shots that Yuga was launching, while Sail and Multi were firing light arrows, and Wild was shooting ancient arrows. Ravio stood behind them, holding the sentient paintings in both hands. “Wolf!” She called over, leaning on the wall, “we’re leaving!”

Wolf transformed into his namesake, sprinting over to his counterparts. Demise launched a bolt of multicolored electricity from his sword at him. Wolf jumped in front of the explosion, allowing it to propel him further, the heat scalding his back. He turned back into a hylian mid-descent, sprinting the few remaining steps to the others. “Let’s go, now!”

Behind the gap was a bridge made of black stone, suspended in a swirling blood-red and fire-orange sky. At the end was a circular platform, with an enormous slab of black rock. The slab stood at least 50 feet tall, with indecipherable runes and a crack running down it, smaller cracks branching at the sides, light pouring out. “That’s the original fissure!” Ravio sprinted ahead of the group, “It’s our only chance; come on!”

Wolf noticed that Linkle was limping and gasing with every step. “You okay?” She gave him a blatantly fake smile. “Ye-yeah. Can’t be a legendary hero if I give in to pain, can I?” “Nope.” Wolf wrapped an arm around her shoulder to support her. “Thank you.”

“Don’t forget, you’re one of us now.” Linkle nodded. Demise roared in fury behind them, shooting lightning from his sword. The group dove to the ground. The lightning briefly illuminated the dying skies of Lorule as it rocketed overhead. It struck the fissure slab in a blinding explosion, leaving the light suspended in midair.

“Huh. I was wondering how we’d get through the crack.” Avian called behind himself, “Thanks, Demise!”

The king of all evil wordlessly plunged his sword into the bridge where it connected to the castle wall. “See where your mockery gets you, sky child.”

The bridge trembled, slabs of rock falling to the ground unseen below. “We’re leaving, now!” Zelda grabbed Wild by the arm to drag him with her, Wolf doing the same for Linkle. The six Links, Ravio, and Zelda jumped through the portal between parallel realms.

Linkle woke up with her legs in searing agony. She looked down and audibly gasped. Her leather boots lay askew beside her. Her entire lower legs had turned black and red, as though touching them with too much pressure would cause them to cave in like blighted wood.

“What-” She almost choked on the sharp breath she took, “What happened?”

Multi finished retrieving a bottle of red potion from his bag. Three empty bottles littered the sand-filled ground below him. “It must’ve happened when you tried to kick Demise. I just hope we can fix it.” As he poured the liquid on her wounds, he turned his head to look her in the face. “What were you thinking? Demise is the god of evil. Did you really think you could do anything by kicking him?”

“I… I thought…” Linkle shook her head, “I don’t know what I was thinking. I’m not even sure I was thinking at all.”

Avian interjected, “Well, on the bright side, Yuga and Demise haven’t tracked us down yet. So, what do you guys think the chances are this is another era?”

“It’s possible.” Zelda answered, “But before we investigate, we should wait for Linkle to heal up. I want all of us in top shape for what we’re up against.”

Hours later, the group had managed to heal Linkle as best they could. In spite of using all of their red potions, her legs were still bruised and Wolf was helping her walk, while Sail carried her boots. “I’m so sorry guys.” She repeated again, “I was stupid, and almost got myself killed, and now-” “Stop.”

Wild interrupted Linkle, turning her head to look at him. “This isn’t the time for self-deprecation. You made a mistake, got hurt, and now you’re going to learn from it. Right?”

Linkle opened her mouth, closed it, and opened it again. “Right. I just hope my legs will get better eventually. I can’t believe they’re still like this, even after all that red potion.”

“Either there’s something in your boots, or it’s because you were trying to attack Demise. Even a wound like that should’ve been completely healed by just a few potions.” Multi pointed out.

“There shouldn’t be anything that could’ve done this in my boots.” Linkle confirmed, “So it must’ve been Demise. Like something about trying to kick him burned my legs right to the bone.”

“Hey, guys, look!” Flat ran ahead of the group, “Civilization!” They immediately followed him, with Multi helping Wolf and Linkle.

The gates to the town were opened and unguarded, allowing the group free access to its well-paved streets. The longer they traveled down the road, the more apparent the lack of civilians became.

“Where is everyone?” Avian wondered aloud, “Did this place get cursed, and now this era’s Link has to fix it?”

“That was weirdly specific.” Flat remarked. “Yeah, we’ve been doing this for a while now.” Avian pointed at a sign in front of them, “Maybe that can tell us something.” He read aloud, “WANTED: TRI FORCE HEROES!!”

“Do you have to yell it so loud!” Zelda covered her ears. Avian rolled his eyes, “Yeah. It’s written in capital letters with two exclamation points, so I had to say it in capital letters with two exclamation points.”

Avian continued, “Do you have pointy ears, truly epic sideburns, and side-parted hair? If so, YOU may be a triforce hero!”

Flat rubbed his ears, sideburns, and the fringe of his hair, before looking around at the other Links. “Oh, yeah, that really narrows it down.” Nearby, Ravio felt his own face. “Wait. Could I be a triforce hero?! Am I ready for such a position? Am I ready for such responsibility? What if I crack under the pressure?!”

“We don’t even know what a triforce hero is.” Flat deadpanned, “But at least that narrows it down a little.”

Avian rolled his eyes before resuming, “Our kingdom needs such heroes to defeat the evil witch and lift the curse placed on princess Styla. So sayeth king Tuft, ruler of Hytopia!” He stood back, remarking, “Sayeth. That’s a weird word. Sayeth. Sayeth. It’s actually kinda fun to sayeth-” Zelda whacked him on the head. “Sorry. I had no choice. But more importantly, I guess that means this must be Hytopia. But where’s king Tuft?”

“Maybe there.” Sail pointed at the massive, elaborate white castle a few dozen feet behind Zelda, with towers that pierced the sky and enormous flags that billowed in the wind.

“Yeah, that looks about right.” Zelda remarked, “So, what sort of curse do you think the princess has on her? Maybe she got turned to stone, or maybe her soul is on borrowed time, or maybe-”

“It’s…a…jumpsuit.” Zelda could barely get the words out.

“Not just any jumpsuit!” The elaborately-garbed king wailed overdramatically, “An ugly jumpsuit! Even more ugly than a normal jumpsuit!” Sail looked behind the king, at the young girl wearing a brown skin-tight jumpsuit that covered everything except her face. “She doesn’t look that bad to me. I mean, yeah, the color’s a little off, but it really brings out her face.”

Styla looked down. “Thanks, but it’s no use trying to reassure me. Hytopia’s entire culture is based around the fashion industry. I wouldn’t expect an outsider to fully appreciate my plight.”

King Tuft added, “The kingdom is already in a panic just from the news. If anyone saw my precious daughter, the princess of Hytopia, in a state like this, it would be a disaster the likes of which we could never prepare for!”

Zelda quietly muttered into Wild’s ear, “Somehow, I doubt that’s a high standard.”

Styla closed her eyes in regret. “I never should’ve opened that present the witch sent me. But on the bright side, I’m sure eight triforce heroes will be able to storm the drablands no problem!”

The group of time-hoppers all looked at one another. Eventually, Linkle asked, “Eight?”

“This just keeps getting weirder and weirder.” Flat waved his hand in front of himself. The two boys in front of him did the same. They both looked exactly like Flat, more so than any other two Links. The only difference between them was that one wore red clothing and the other blue, as opposed to Flat’s green. “So, you’re both named Link?”

“Yeah, but we just call ourselves Red and Blue.” Red clarified, “So I guess that makes you Green. So, uh, what’s your story?”

“Alright, guys, it’s that time again.” Zelda deadpanned.

“Cia, can I ask a stupid question?”

“I wasn’t aware you were capable of any other type, but sure.”

“You’re hilarious.” Lana snarked. “But is there any reason why there were three Links in Hytopia? As far as I know, there aren’t any magical or chronological reasons. It’s just sort of like that.”

Cia merely shrugged. “I guess it’s just a coincidence. A roll of the cosmic dice; a verdict from the golden goddesses themselves. If it’s something even we’re not sure about, and it happened before Demise came back, then it must not be that big a problem. Three families all had the bright idea to name their kid ‘Link’ at around the same time, one thing led to another, and now here they are.”

“Three…” Lana thought aloud, “Right, the hero of Lorule was originally supposed to be the green hero of Hytopia, wasn’t he? But now, since he was too busy going through the time portal we created from the lorule fissure…”

Cia finished, “...there were only two of them. Just another chronological anomaly to deal with. Wait, why’d we say all of that? We both know all this already.”

Lana shrugged noncommittally.

Eventually, Red and Blue had learned of their counterparts’ circumstances. “So, yeah, that’s what happened.” Flat gestured to his doppels, “So, what’s your stories?”

Blue started, “Well, we’re not sure why we have the same name, or why we look the same, but we arrived at Hytopia around the same time.”

Red punched his own hand, “Naturally, we took up the chance to beat the living tar out of some drablands monsters.” Blue shrugged, “Personally, I was more interested in studying the geography of the drablands. But, yeah, his thing works too. We’ve been doing this for a few weeks now, actually.” He wrapped an arm around Red’s side. “We’re basically brothers at this point.”

“No.” Red protested, despite making no effort to move Blue’s arm off himself. “So, anyway, you guys need our help?”

“Sure.” Flat agreed, “You guys wouldn’t know how to reverse painting magic, would you?” He pointed to Ravio as he held up the paintings of Zelda and Hilda. “Sorry.” Blue admitted, “I’m not sure who could fix this. Have you tried using that magic bracelet of yours?”

Flat’s mouth went agape. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of that! Ravio! Hand me those princesses!”

“Y’know, I’m pretty sure that’s the first time anyone’s ever said that.” Ravio handed the paintings over to Flat. He touched the magic bracelet to Zelda’s painting, then Hilda’s. Both paintings glowed with an ethereal, multicolored light. After a few seconds, the two girls were sitting on the ground, holding their heads.

“Ow.” Zelda groaned, “My head.” “I feel like I’ve been folded in half a dozen times.” Hilda leaned back until she was looking at the ceiling.

“Hilda!” Ravio hugged her, “You’re okay!” Hilda returned the embrace. “He-hey, Ravio. I’m fine. Confused, but fine.” “It’s such a long story.”

Eventually, the group managed to explain the necessary context to the younger princesses. The older Zelda took the opportunity to resume lying her head on Wild’s shoulder, while he stroked her hair.

“I’m so sorry.” Hilda stared at the ground, “I never should’ve trusted Yuga; I know I was desperate, but that’s no excuse. I was selfish. I almost doomed your world for the sake of my own.” She turned to her elder counterpart, “So, you’ve got the triforce of wisdom now, huh?”

“Yeah.” Zelda showed her wrist. “One down, two to go.”

“I’ve got the triforce of courage.” Flat held up his hand. “If we have to split up or unify the entire triforce in one person, I’ll hand it over.” Zelda nodded, “Thanks. Now we just need the triforce of power. Ganon probably still has it, though.”

“Wait, shouldn’t we have multiple triforces of courage?” Sail realized, “I mean, Wolf and I both have it, right?”

Zelda shook her head, “The triforce is a divine artifact, created by the golden goddesses when they created the world. I can’t know for sure, but maybe only one can exist at a time.”

“I guess it’s a valid theory.” Blue leaned against the wall, “But it’d be better if we had some way to test-” He was interrupted when a massive explosion shook the castle to its foundations. “Styla!” Red sprinted out of the room, followed closely by the others.

Volga walked into the throne room of Hytopia, carrying his spear in one hand and an unconscious guard in the other. He was followed by Yuga, wielding another scepter. Volga casually tossed the guard at the feet of the trembling king. “Where is Link?”

“I… I will never tell you! Hytopia may have a weak military, but we are not cowards!”

“Very well then. Yuga?” “With pleasure, dragon knight.” Yuga teleported into the wall as a painting, moving until he found Styla huddling behind the throne. She screamed as Yuga jumped out of the wall, firing magic out of his scepter to trap her in a painting.

“Styla! Release my daughter this instant!” The king yelled while Yuga warped himself and Styla over to Volga. He held his spear to the painting, setting it aflame. “I will ask again. Where is Link?” The king closed his eyes, muttering an apology to the goddesses. He told Volga and Yuga everything he knew.

“There, now was that so hard?” Yuga pointed his staff, turning the Hytopian king into a painting on the back of his throne. He turned Styla’s painting to look at it. “I suppose it’s alright. But I’ve created much better. You may burn it if you wish.” He nonchalantly threw Styla on the ground.

Volga looked down at the painting. “It would be a waste of my spear.” He kicked it to the side, letting it clatter on the floor. The throne room was filled with the echoing sounds of sprinting footsteps. Avian, Multi, Wolf, Sail, Flat, Ravio, Hilda, Red, Blue, Linkle, Wild, and both Zeldas ran into the room. “Volga!” Linkle yelled, standing on legs that’d recovered over time.

“So that’s the dragon knight and the painting wizard?” Red spun his sword in his hand next to himself. “Bring it!” He, Blue, and Flat sprinted to him, blades drawn. Blue swung his sword to deflect a fireball at Volga. He walked out of the blaze, jabbing his spear. While Blue and Flat dodged to either side of him, Red blocked the weapon with his own. The other two took the opportunity to slice Volga horizontally in the sides.

Nearby, Linkle was shooting Yuga with bomb arrows while he teleported around, laughing and shooting magic at the group. The younger rulers drew spears that were on display on the wall. “You done being a painting too?” Hilda’s mouth curled upwards in response. “Yeah. I think it’s time we actually did something.”

The older Zelda grabbed her wrist, wincing and gasping, “Guys… I think Nayru’s trying to tell me something.” She stood up, calling, “Everyone who was in Wild’s Hyrule with me in the first place, follow me! We have to split up, now!”

“What?! You’re running?” Red yelled, jumping over a swipe of the flaming spear.

“Nayru just sent me a message! The triforce of wisdom offers more connection to its patron goddess than the other two!”

Wild used his stasis rune to stop an explosive burst of Yuga’s magic. “I trust you, Zelda. Guys, come on, let’s go!”

“Zelda, wait!” Flat clenched his fist. The triforce of courage flew off of his hand to accompany the triforce of wisdom. He turned around to slice at Yuga.

“Thanks! I promise, we’ll find a way to fix this!”

The group made it to where they’d first met Blue and Red. The triforce emblem on the floor had a triangular pillar of golden light rising from its center. “Come on!” Zelda grabbed Wild’s arm, pulling him with her. The group jumped through the vortex.

Chapter Text

Engine woke up in the middle of a forest. “Link!” Zelda yelled, no longer possessing a phantom, “Link, wake up! Something happened; I don’t know where we are!”

Link stood up and looked around himself. They were surrounded by moderately tall trees and a somewhat darkened sky, despite the son being vaguely visible through the trees. “I think we’re in a forest.” “How insightful, Link. Truly ingenious.” “Happy to help.” He grinned, fully aware of her sarcasm. “So, any idea how we got here?”

“No clue.” Zelda admitted, “Last thing I remember, we were falling through the dark realm after we got knocked off the demon train.” Her eyes widened, “Are we dead?! Is this the afterlife?! Are we stuck here for eternity?!”

“Zelda, if we’re dead, then how come you’re still a spirit and I’m not?”

“Oh. Right. I knew that, I was just testing you. You passed.”

Link rolled his eyes, “Yeah, sure. I believe you.” He started walking in an arbitrary direction. “Come on, if we just walk straight ahead we should find something. I mean, this forest can’t go on for infinity. Hopefully.”

“Right.” Zelda followed him, phasing through the same trees he had to walk around. “So, any theories?”

“None whatsoever.” Link sliced through a vine. “Wait, actually, didn’t the other Links mention a couple guardians of time? Maybe they did something, like, dropped us into another time to save us?”

“It’s possible.” Zelda supposed, “In any case, it’s good to think we have such powerful allies. Then again, we’ve got three demon kings to worry about now instead of just one.”

“Yeah. And I could sense so much power from Demise. When he called himself the primordial hate, I don’t think that was hyperbole.” Zelda nodded, “Agreed. Unless we can find the other Links and team up with them, I don’t think any of us stand a chance.”

“Now what’s all this I’m hearing?” A small, impish creature jumped down from a tree branch far overhead. He had wooden-looking skin and glowing yellow eyes, with a hat and clothes made of multicolored leaves and straw. “Link, long time no see! Who’s your ghost friend?”

“Wait, you can see me?” Zelda pointed to herself. “Uh, yeah, of course. So, what’s your name, ghosty?”

“I’m, uh, Zelda.”

The imp’s beady eyes blinked. “You mean you have the same name as the princess? Why… oh! Are you one of the princesses of Hyrule from the past?”

“Uh… sure! Why not? Who are you, anyway?”

“What, Link didn’t tell you about me? I’m Skull Kid! Come on, Link, you know me! We went through that whole thing in Termina, remember?”

“Oh right, Skull Kid!” Link remembered what Multi had told him, whispering to Zelda, “Play along.” “Hey, we’re kinda lost. Ya mind helping us get to the village?” “Sure thing!”

The three children started traveling through the lost woods, with the Skull Kid jumping ahead and Zelda floating above the ground. “So, ghost Zelda, how come you’re with Link?”

“It’s a long story. Basically, we’re trying to stop a great evil from ending the world.” Zelda answered.

“Seriously? Again? That’s, what, the third time now? Link, do you ever get a break?” “Not lately.” Link admitted, “Hopefully after we’re done, we can take a break. Preferably a long one.” They continued walking through the woods.

Cia and Lana collapsed in their timeless void. “We’ve never had to create a time portal from nothing.” Lana gasped, “I never thought it’d be so hard.”

“It… it shouldn’t have been that difficult. Demise is doing more damage to the timelines than we could’ve known.”

Lana nodded grimly. “If they can’t stop this, then the entire universe will collapse in on itself from the sheer chronological paradox.”

The group woke up in the middle of a grassy plain. Behind them was a cave that led deep underground. “Where are we?” Avian stood up. “I mean, in both a geographic and temporal sense.”

“No clue.” Zelda admitted, “The goddesses message wasn’t exactly specific. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say it was almost like she was scared.”

“Let’s hope you heard her wrong.” Sail acknowledged, “Then again, if anything could scare a goddess, a team-up of three demon kings would probably do the trick.”

“Then it’s a good thing we’re here!” Linkle asserted, “After all, who better to take on a team of demons from across time, than a team of legendary heroes from across time?”

“She’s right.” Wild sheathed his sword. “Let’s find this era’s Link, and hopefully wherever we’re supposed to go next.”

The others confirmed verbally, and the group started walking in an arbitrary direction.

Link and Zelda entered a clearing in the forest, shortly after the Skull Kid had insisted they no longer needed his guidance. There were several houses made from hollowed-out trees, including one that was much taller than the others, requiring a ladder to reach the entrance. “What is this place?” Link asked, “Some sort of forest village?”

“Looks like it.” Zelda nodded. She floated alongside Link as he walked through the village, looking around at the green-clad children. Link wondered aloud, “Where’s everyone’s par-” A girl ran out of the empty doorway of her house just as Link was walking past, dragging a boy with her by the arm. She inadvertently ran through Zelda and barreled into Link, knocking the three children to the ground. “Ow!” Link opened his eyes.

He blinked. The other boy looked exactly like him. They scrambled off of each other, sitting a few feet apart and breathing heavily. Saria stood up, glancing and pointing between them. “Who… what… huh?” She staggered back, panicking. Multiple kokiri gathered around them, whispering among themselves. Engine stood up. “Okay, I know this looks weird, but let me just tell you: it’s so much weirder than-”

“Excuse me! Pardon! Coming through!” A stout, angry-looking boy pushed through the cluster of his peers. “M-M-Mido!” Saria pouted, “Can’t you see we’re dealing with something here? Mind your own business!”

Mido impotently marched over to Saria. “As the boss of the kokiri, everything that happens in this forest is my business.” A girl yelled from a few dozen feet away, “Nobody thinks you’re our boss!” Mido turned his head back, shouting, “Shut up, Fado!”

“I can’t believe I used to respect that guy.” Fado muttered, crossing her arms.

Mido turned back to glaring daggers at Saria, Engine, and Shrink. “So just what is going on?!” “That’s what I wanna know!” Saria angrily grabbed the two Links and dragged them away. Mido stood there, stammering to himself.

Zelda, unseen by the kokiri, followed Saria, Engine, and Sail into the house with the ladder. Saria paced around the small one-room residence, frantically pressing at both sides of her head. “Okay. Okay!” She pointed at Shrink, “You’re one of those, those, those other Links, aren’t you?! The ones from the other timelines, or, or, a reincarnation!” She backed up until she was sitting on the bed, and started laughing and screaming at the same time.

“We should help her.” Engine whispered to Shrink. He nodded, standing up and slowly walking over to Saria. He tapped her on the shoulder. “Are you…well, that’s a stupid question.”

“It’s all real!” The kokiri screamed, “It’s real! Time is a joke! Nothing matters!” Shrink stepped back in alarm. He reached behind her for the blanket, wrapping it around her. She wrapped it tighter around herself. “Thanks.” She muttered, her mouth barely opening. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay. I know this is a lot to take in.” He held out his empty hands, watching Saria as her breathing slowly evened out. She looked up. “Who’s the ghost?”

Shrink frantically looked around the room. “What ghost? What are you talking about?” “Her.” Saria pointed at Zelda. “You can see me?” Zelda asked, floating closer. “Yeah. What, you two can’t?”

“I can see her.” Engine clarified, “But I’m not sure how you can.”

Saria thought for a moment. “Hey, um, Link… sorry, what was your nickname? Shrink?”

Shrink nodded in confirmation. His counterpart added, “I’m Engine.”

“Right. Thanks. Shrink, didn’t you mention that in another timeline, I became the, what, the forest sage, right? Maybe that’s why I can see her.”

Zelda agreed, “That’s probably it. And if it’s because you’re the forest sage, then your sage powers would probably be strongest here.” “So, I wouldn’t be able to see you outside of the forest.”

Shrink looked around. “Huh?” Engine relayed to him what Zelda had said. “Oh! Yeah, that makes sense. Maybe I should ask…” He grabbed his head. “Ezlo?!” He panicked, “Oh deku nuts; I forgot Ezlo!”

After several hours, when night had fallen upon Hyrule, the one thing that became apparent above all else was the kingdom’s apparent state of ruin. There were no buildings, only natural terrain where monsters roamed unchecked and all remnants of civilization were long gone. The only other people the group ever stumbled across were old men in caves, who all looked uncannily similar and gave them cryptic messages.

Eventually, Linkle wondered aloud, “Guys, what if this is the end? What if this is long after any of us, and everything’s already been destroyed? What if…” Her mouth went dry. “What if we lost?”

Wolf clenched his jaw. “No. I can’t accept that. I don’t know where we are, or what we’re supposed to do next, but as long as I can still swing my sword, I can’t accept that we might’ve failed. That’s not an option for us.”

“Okay, so, what era do you think this might be?” Sail casually shot a tektite to death. “Maybe it’s New Hyrule, but really far in the future?”

“I’m not sure.” Avian argued, “If this is New Hyrule, we should be able to see the tower of spirits, and it clearly wasn’t destroyed because if it was, I’m pretty sure Malladus would be destroying the place right now.” He reconsidered, “Unless the tower was destroyed before we left that time. And we still don’t know what happened to Malladus. He probably got warped to another time, and then there should be two of him, but he probably would’ve just disappeared so there’s only one of him and oh, my head hurts.”

“I thought I told you.” Multi held Sail by the shoulders, “Time travel is confusing. Don’t think about it too hard, unless you want your head to explode.” “Yeah. Okay.”

“Hey, guys, it’s too late to be walking around outside like this.” Wild pointed at an apparently abandoned cave, “Let’s get some rest.”

Fado climbed up to the entrance of what’d once been Link’s house. “Hey, uh, someone wants to see Link. She says she’s from lon-lon ranch.” Shrink stood up. “That must be the farmgirl I met. Thanks for telling me.” Fado started down the ladder ahead of him. “Don’t mention it.”

Shrink ran across the bridge between Hyrule field and Kokiri forest, until he grabbed Ezlo from Malon at the halfway point. “Ezlo, I’m so sorry! I can’t believe I forgot you! I don’t know what I was-”

“It’s quite alright, boy. I understand you were panicking. Anyone your age, and most far older than you, would likely have done the same thing.” Shrink held the living hat close to himself, while Malon rested her palm on his head. “You feeling any better now, kid?” Shrink nodded, “Yeah. Thanks for bringing Ezlo back to me.”

“No problem.” Malon released Shrink’s head, allowing him to place Ezlo atop it. Engine ran onto the bridge, accompanied by the ghost that only he could see. “Hey, Shrink, who’s your friend?”

Shrink allowed himself to smile. “Engine, this is Malon; she’s that farm girl I told you about. Malon, this is Engine. He’s me from another timeline.”

“Incredible. So, you really were telling the truth.” Malon glanced between the two boys, marveling at how similar they looked. “Yeah. We’re trying to figure out how to fix- hey, what’s with that statue?” He pointed at the clearing below the bridge.

“Statue?” Shrink looked over the edge. He gasped, “Zelda!”

Wild took first watch while the others rested. The cool air bit gently at his face. He could barely see anything in the dark, barely illuminated by the half-moon in the sky. He turned around at the footsteps behind him. Zelda quietly sat next to him. “Couldn’t sleep?” He asked; not quite a whisper, but not loud enough to disturb his counterparts.

The heir to the ruined kingdom shook her head. “I just wanted to spend some time with you.” She hooked her arm under his. “Just the two of us.”

Wild reached around to run his fingers through Zelda’s soft blonde hair. “Sounds good to me.” He slid his arm under Zelda’s, so they were looking into each other’s eyes. “I love you.”

Zelda briefly, but sincerely, pressed her mouth against Wild’s. “I love you too, Link.” She leaned further into him, nuzzling her cheek into his chest. Wild caressed her hair with one hand, slowly rubbing her back with the other. He muttered, “You’re really soft, you know that?”

“Thanks. This feels so nice.” She reached up to grip his shoulders. “Link. I’m… I’m sorry for how I treated you. When you were first given the job of protecting me, before the great calamity, I was so cold to you. You didn’t deserve that; you were just doing your job.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I never thought of protecting you as a job. I just wanted to keep you safe because I liked how headstrong you were, and how you always insisted on doing whatever you thought was needed to keep Hyrule safe.”

“But I was wrong.” Zelda insisted, “I doomed Hyrule. Ganon killed my father, and the champions, and all those people, and it’s my-”

Link grabbed Zelda’s head, turning it so they were facing each other. “Stop saying that. It wasn’t your fault. Nothing we could’ve done would’ve been any good against Calamity Ganon. It was his fault, not yours. And even after you lost everything, you fought Calamity Ganon for a hundred years. I never want to hear you talk about yourself like that again.”

“Thank you. I think I needed to hear that.” Zelda briefly looked over to the side. “Even though I already did back at Zora’s domain.”

"Then I’ll just keep telling you until it gets through to you. Besides, even now, when we’ve got Demise and all this time stuff to worry about, you’re still trying to do whatever you can.” Link gently lifted Zelda’s wrist so she could see the glowing triangles, illuminating their faces in the dead of night. “We only need one more piece, and then we’ll be able to stop this once and for all.”

“Link, I want you to be honest with me. Do you think I can be trusted with the triforce? It might make me one of the most powerful beings in the universe. It could put me on the level of the golden goddesses themselves, for all we know.”

Link pulled Zelda closer to himself. “Don’t worry. You’re going to be fine. You’ve always tried to do the right thing, haven’t you?” He chuckled, “Besides, you’re too cute to turn evil.”

“Really? You think I’m cute?” Zelda smiled. Link softly traced her arm with his nails. “Yeah, you’re adorable. You’ve got a really nice voice, you’re kinda small…” The hand on her back started moving down, “...and I really like your a-”

“Hey, what are you two doing?”

“EYES!” Link yelped, “You have beautiful eyes!” He looked over at the stranger who’d spoken. He looked ten years old, wearing green clothing with messy brown hair sticking out from under a green hat with a yellow brim. Wild and Zelda scrambled off of each other.

“Link! I mean other Link!” Zelda yelled, “We were looking for you!” She stood up while the other Links walked out of the cave, rubbing their eyes. Linkle was smacking her head with the blunt end of an arrow. Sail complained, “I don’t wanna wake up, grandma.”

The new Link stared at the others. “Well. This is weird. Are you, um, are you guys me?”

“Okay, guys, let me handle this.” Avian approached his younger counterpart. “Okay, this is like the seventh time we’ve done this, so I’ll cut to the chase. We’re all the same person, except for Zelda, reincarnated across multiple eras and split across multiple timelines. The original demon king, Demise, is going all over time to gather an army of powerful monsters, including the other two demon kings, Ganondorf and Malladus. Cia and Lana, two guardians of the time-space continuum, have been sending us back and forth in the timelines to team up with other Links.”

The Link of the current time blinked. “What?”

“Okay, let me start over. See, I’m the original-”

“No, no, I, uh, I got that. It’s just a lot to take in. Wait, did you say you’re the original?”

“Yep. My real name’s Link, but we’re all Link, so we go by nicknames. Well, except Linkle.” He pointed at himself, “I’m Avian.” He briefly listed off the others’ names.

“Cool. Hey, can I have a nickname too? I have a pretty bad sense of direction, and I’m always wandering around, so maybe Wanderer?”

Avian shrugged, “Yeah. That sounds like a good name. So, what’re you trying to do? Maybe we could help.”

“Thanks! Okay, so I’m trying to find Ganon’s lair at death mountain, but I’m not sure where it is. I’ve already got the triforce of wisdom-” He held up his wrist, only to find that it was blank. “Wait. What?! Where’s the triforce?! I just had it! Don’t tell me I have to find it all over again! It took me a month!”

“Relax, kid, it’s okay.” Zelda walked up to Wanderer, showing him her wrist. “I got the triforces of wisdom and courage in another time. As far as we can guess, only one triforce of each piece can exist at a time, because their power transcends time itself.”

“That’s incredible. I didn’t even know there was a triforce of courage. So, all you need is the triforce of power, right? That’s the one Ganon has, so once we beat him, you can take it and you’ll have the entire triforce. That’s what you want, right?”

“Yeah. Thanks, kid. So, just out of curiosity, do you know where the princess Zelda of this time is?”

“Yeah, I remember Impa, the old lady who sent me on this whole quest in the first place, told me princess Zelda was being held captive by Ganon. She broke the triforce of wisdom in eight pieces so Ganon wouldn’t get them, so Impa sent me out to find them. Now that we’ve got two thirds of the triforce, an entire team of Links, and another princess Zelda, Ganon doesn’t stand a chance.”

Saria led Shrink, Engine, Ezlo, and Malon through the lost woods until they’d traveled down to the statue of Zelda. Shrink embraced the statue, crying, “Zelda, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” He turned to the others, asking, “Is there any way to bring her back? I need to save her.”

The spirit Zelda explained something to Engine. He cocked his head to the side, asking, “Are you sure that would work?” “Not at all, but it’s the only thing I can think of.”

“Okay.” Engine relayed to Malon and Shrink, “My Zelda, the ghost that only Saria and I can see, says she might be able to save the other Zelda by possessing the statue and giving Zelda more power with two souls in one body. We don’t know if it’ll work, but-”

“But it’s worth a shot.” Shrink insisted, “Please, do it.” The statue took on a bright, golden glow that filled the clearing. “I’m guessing she went in.” Malon remarked, “I just hope it works.”

“Odd.” Wanderer noted, “I could’ve sworn death mountain was this way.”

“Wanderer…” Wild pressed his fingers to his forehead, “We’ve been to this tree cluster five times. I swear, we’ve been going in circles all day.”

“Well, my new name is Wanderer, so at least you can’t accuse me of false advertising. Still, I wish I had a map.”

The others all stared blankly at Wanderer. After a few seconds, Sail snapped, “What do you mean, you don’t have a map?!” Linkle narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms. “Dude, even I had a map. I had no clue how to read it, but at least I had one.”

“Well it’s not my fault! No one has a map anymore! The cartography industry is basically dead now!” Wanderer yelled defensively.

Zelda interjected, “Guys, wait. While I was researching the Divine Beasts, I learned that Hyrule went through an era of decline tens of thousands of years ago. I think we might be in the middle of that era right now.”

“Yeah, Hyrule’s definitely in decline right now.” Wanderer confirmed solemnly, “There’s only a few villages scattered around, monsters have overrun everything, and Ganon has the triforce of power. If I- if we can’t beat him, then everything is doomed.”

“Kid, relax.” Wolf assured him, “Like you said earlier, Ganon doesn’t stand a chance against all of us.”

“But what if we’re wrong?!” Wanderer grabbed Zelda’s wrist to point at her triforce pieces. “What if Ganon takes your pieces? If he gets the entire triforce, then what’s left of Hyrule is dead.”

“You think I don’t know that?” Zelda tore her wrist out of Wanderer’s hand. “Trust me, I know better than anyone what Ganon’s capable of.”

“I know. You guys told me your stories while we were walking. I’m sorry about what happened to you, and I just don’t want it to happen to anyone else.”

Zelda held the boy’s wrists, kneeling down so they were at an equal level. “I know. I’m sorry for snapping at you. Let’s figure something out, okay? Wild, any advice?”

“I dunno. I never really got lost since, y’know, I actually had a map and knew how to use it, but maybe try closing your eyes and picking a random direction?”

“You know what, why not?” Wanderer did as he was instructed. “This way!” He started walking before he’d opened his eyes, causing him to slam into a tree. “I mean this way!” He moved slightly to the left.

Spirit Zelda flew into the statue. She entered a gray void of infinite size. The color darkened as she floated further into it. The sound of a young girl crying slowly grew louder. Eventually, spirit Zelda found herself surrounded by infinite blackness. The dim glow she gave off had begun to waver, as though the void were gradually sapping away her power. The only color she could see was a girl her age, curled into a ball and crying. The spirit approached her living counterpart.

“Hey. Zelda.” Spirit Zelda waved her hand in front of the other girl’s face. “I need you to look at me.” The girl looked up. Her face was a deathly pale. “Oh. So that’s what dying is like.”

“No, I’m… well, it’s a long story, but I’m here to help you.”

The living Zelda blinked away tears. “Okay. Please, do whatever you have to.”

“Okay.” Spirit Zelda focused her power. She told her ancestor, “I need you to focus.” “Are you talking about my light force?” “Yeah. I’ll help you, and maybe we can get out of this together.”

“Thank you.” Zelda smiled at her descendant. “How’s Link? Is he okay?”

“Link’s fine. He’s worried sick about you, and I had to help him. I have to help you.”

“Okay.” Both Zeldas stood up. The living girl’s legs shook. She focused herself, until she was able to stand up straight. “Link’s my best friend. I can’t let him just keep worrying about me.” She held out her arms. “Vaati! I won’t let you take my light force! I won’t let you take Hyrule!” Her hands glowed white. The blackness of the void gravitated into her hands. Radiant cracks expanded down her fingers and up her arms. Zelda screamed in pain, as her entire body was covered in branching cracks. It traveled down her legs and across her body and face. “Too much! It’s too much!”

“Don’t worry! I promise, I’ll help you.” Spirit Zelda held out her hands, drawing some of the light force into herself. The cracks on Zelda’s body receded. She gasped in relief. The black of the void turned gray. The gray turned white. The cracks on Zelda’s body were confined to her arm, then her forearm, her hand, fingers, and palms, until they disappeared.

A dark purple void appeared in the middle of kokiri forest. Through the dimensional slit, Vaati walked in from the future. The fairy children panicked, screaming and throwing stones at him. Vaati effortlessly controlled the wind around himself to repel the stones back to the kokiri. A few of them failed to dodge in time, drawing blood when the rocks struck their heads. Their fairies yelled at their collapsed partners.

Vaati spoke in a casual tone, “Children of the forest, I’ve been sent from the future to obtain the light force. There is a statue of a young girl somewhere in your woods. Tell me where this statue is, or I will demonstrate my new powers as the one true wind mage.”

“Wind mage, huh?” Mido walked out of his house, carrying the rock that’d shattered his window. “Let’s see how you stack up against the boss of the kokiri!”

“Mido, you idiot! What’re you thinking? Are you trying to get yourself killed?!”

“No, I’m trying to save you idiots! Sheesh, for a know-it-all brother, you sure catch on slow. Now, what’s-your-face, I don’t know where this statue is, but even if I did I still wouldn’t tell you!” he tossed the rock. Vaati caught it in his hand, regarding it with a sort of curious amusement. “How interesting. A mere child such as yourself hasn’t attempted to fight back against me since Link. And yet, here are all of you, doing just that. Unfortunately, it’s all for naught.” Vaati raised his arm skyward.

The wind picked up speed exponentially. Fairies were ripped from their kokiri partners, until a tornado engulfed the clearing. Roofs tore off of houses with the sound of snapping wood, and the wind screamed like an ancient beast from the abyssal depths. Vaati heard a child’s voice, screaming to be heard over the wind and the yelling of the kokiri, “Vaati! We’re ready for you this time!”

Vaati lowered his arm. The wind completely stopped in a second. Pieces of structures crashed to the ground alongside the kokiri and fairies, shaking the entire clearing.

The tallest tree in the village had begun to crack partway down the trunk. The ladder snapped off and fell silently, slowly to the ground. The wood snapped at the base of the trunk. The tree audibly creaked. It fell to the ground. The hollow tree shattered, spilling out the sparse furniture inside.

“That was Link’s house!” Saria yelled, “Monster!”

“Oh, was that important to you?” Vaati laughed, before snarling, “Die!”

Saria, Malon, Zelda, and the two Links jumped to the side as Vaati threw a gust of wind at them. Vaati took a closer look at the group. “Wait. Zelda?! How did you escape my curse?”

Zelda spoke in two identical voices, layered atop one another, “We had some help.” She spoke with a single voice, “So, that’s Vaati? Yeah. He’s the guy who turned me into a statue in the first place. Seriously? Well, in that case, let’s take him down! You got it!”

Vaati stared blankly. “What?”

“It’s a long story.” Shrink turned to the others, “Malon, Zelda, go to the ranch. Saria, run into the lost woods and don’t come back until I tell you it’s safe.” They all nodded, and sprinted out of the village.

The two Links took their stance. They charged at Vaati.

A day after they’d begun their journey in the era of decline, the Links and Zelda found themselves atop death mountain. There were two enormous boulders a hundred feet apart, surrounded by five lynels. “Okay, these things are tough. You guys ready?” Wanderer asked. “After all the monsters we’ve been fighting?” Wild turned the master sword in his hand, “You shouldn’t even have to ask.” “Now that’s what I like to hear.”

The group charged out of hiding at the lynels, dodging the beams of magic the beasts sent out from their swords. The small explosions echoed behind them. Link jumped onto the master cycle zero as he summoned it in mid-sprint. He fired lasers as he accelerated ahead of the others, killing a lynel in a few dozen rapid-fire shots. “Master armor zero, engage!”

Wild jumped while the master armor zero manifested on him. He swung the handlebar blade to the left, then the right, deflecting two magic beams to two different lynels. He sliced the master sword downwards in midair, pressing it into the lynel’s sword and using it as leverage, flipping in midair to land behind the lynel with their backs to each other. He turned around to slice the Lynel’s back knees with both swords.

Linkle slid on her feet, lowering herself to dodge the shots fired by a lynel. She fired three bomb arrows in rapid succession mid-movement, throwing the lynel’s sword out of its hand. She ran towards the disarmed monster, jumping and flipping to dodge the beams fired by other lynels. She somersaulted a dozen feet in front of the lynel, kicking it hard enough to cause an explosion.

Sail dodged a few beams of magic before firing a light arrow into the lynel’s chest. He lunged forward to drive his master sword into the beast’s stomach.

Avian swung his sword in circles to deflect every strike of the Lynel’s significantly larger blade. He ducked under a swing before rising upright to push his master sword under the guard of the lynel’s sword. He twisted the blade, using both hands, to disarm the lynel.

Multi transformed into a goron with his back to a lynel as it swung its sword, causing it to spark off the rocks on his back. He turned around while putting on the zora mask, flipping to the side and slicing down the lynel’s torso. He ran around the side of the lynel, jumping onto its back and slicing it with his fin-blades. He returned to his hylian form to plunge his blade into the lynel’s back.

Wolf transformed into his namesake canine, while Wanderer ran alongside him, towards the lynel Multi had mounted. Wanderer fired arrows into the lynel’s face, until Wolf lunged to bite its torso.

The six Links jumped into the middle of the Lynel corpses, all of them in their hylian forms, standing back-to-back in a circle with their swords drawn. “Okay, Wanderer, any clue where to find Ganon’s lair?” Multi asked.

“I’m not sure. Usually, that means I just have to throw some bombs and hope for the best.”

“I can do that!” Linkle fired bomb arrows at the nearest rock, revealing a hole into the underground. “Okay, team.” Wanderer started walking forward, “Let’s face the demon king.”

“Guys, where’s the demon king?” Wanderer asked. The group of seven had spent hours journeying through death mountain, battling armies of powerful monsters with trivial ease. They reached where they believed Ganon to be residing, only to find the room devoid of anything except the triforce of power and princess Zelda. "Are you all the heroes I sent Impa to find? I only told her to find one, and there's seven of you; I'll have to give her a raise."

"Yeah, about that-" Wanderer started walking towards the triforce of power as he spoke. A dimensional void opened before him. "What the-?" A humanoid emerged from the black hole. His skin was like tar, and his head was aflame.

Avian drew his sword. "Stop him; that's Demise! If he gets a single piece of the triforce, there's no telling what could happen!"

Wild turned on the master cycle zero and rode in front of the older Zelda, holding the handlebar in one hand and his master sword in the other. "I'd rather not find out. Master armor zero, engage!"

Demise effortlessly blocked Wild's swords with his own before kicking him, shattering the master armor zero on impact. The pieces of sheikah technology flew out from the point of impact before disappearing entirely. Wild collapsed to the ground, struggling to breathe.

"Link!" Zelda ran over to him, grabbing his arm. "He can't fight like this."

"On it!" Linkle grabbed the hilt of Wild's master sword. "I've always wanted to-- hey. Why isn’t it moving?"

Demise stepped towards the triforce of power lying on the ground. “Perhaps you are simply unworthy.”

“No! I know I’m worthy! I’m a legendary hero!” The hilt of the sword burned her hands and sapped her energy. Sail, Wolf, Avian, Multi, and Wanderer attacked Demise simultaneously. He blocked Avian’s skyward strike, before knocking Wolf’s canine form out of the air mid-jump. He blocked Sail and Multi’s sword strikes until they fell to the ground, blades clattering behind them. He swatted Wanderer to the side.

“How pathetic.” Demise placed his hand on the golden triangle. “No!” Zelda screamed, lunging towards him. “Don’t!” Avian restrained her. “He’ll just take your pieces too!”

Zelda struggled for only a few seconds before relenting. “You’re right.”

Linkle took her hands off the master sword. “Screw you!” She fired dozens of bomb arrows at demise. He ignored all of them. The triforce of power disappeared. He stopped the next three bomb arrows in midair. “So, the spawn of Hylia has the rest of the triforce? How fitting.” The triforce of power glowed on his hand.

“No! Guys!” Wild jumped to his feet, and ran between Demise and his group, screaming in pain the whole time. He crossed his arms in front of himself. “Daruk’s protection!” The other Links and Zelda dove behind the orange barrier that appeared around him.

The bomb arrows glowed before exploding, shattering the barrier and throwing the group back. They landed on the ground. Wild fell unconscious from the impact. “Enough games. It’s time to end this, and bring about the fall of time.”

“We need to get them out of there, now!” Lana screamed, watching through a window in time-space.

“We can’t! Without a vessel like the four sword sanctuary or the triforce pedestal in Hytopia, we can’t time-warp them without Demise figuring out what we’re doing.”

“That doesn’t matter now!” Lana insisted, panicking, “If Demise gets the entire triforce, then none of this will matter! The entire universe- hell, forget the universe; the entire multiverse could be at risk! For all we know, it might already be too late now that he has the triforce of power!”

Cia weighed their options, few as they were. “You always were my smarter half.”

The guardians of time held out their arms, and concentrated.

Demise swung his sword at his fellow triforce wielder, only for her and her companions to disappear. “What?!” He turned around, finding that the other Zelda had disappeared along with them.

“What is this?!” Demise screamed. Explosions rocked death mountain from the sheer force of his rage. “What divine intervention- wait. Perhaps that’s exactly it.”

"Lana. I think he's onto us." Cia stepped back from the time window.

Demise looked around the room he was in. Eventually, he focused on a single direction. He locked his gaze on the metaphysical window into the void beyond existence.

“I think you’re right.” Lana breathed.

Demise grinned. The triforce on his hand glowed. “Hasn’t anyone told you it’s rude to watch people?”

Chapter Text

Zelda, Wanderer, and the other six Links woke up in Wild’s house. “Where are we?” Wanderer looked around. He was on the floor with most of the others, while Zelda and Wild were on the bed.

“This is my place.” Wild glanced to his side, and startled at where his hand was. He yanked it away, yelling, “Zelda I’m sorry! I swear to Farore I didn’t-”

“I don’t mind.” Zelda shrugged, somewhat disappointed. “More importantly…” She stood up, and started pacing, “...we need a game plan. I shouldn’t need to tell you how bad it is that the Demise has one of the three most powerful artifacts in the universe.”

“Well, it shouldn’t be too bad, right?” Multi suggested, “I mean, most of us have taken on Ganon when he had the triforce of power. Not to mention we’ve got more triforce pieces too.”

“But it’s not just Demise we have to worry about.” Avian counted on his fingers, “There’s also Ghirahim, Volga, Wizzro, Ganondorf, Malladus, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he also recruited Vaati at some point. Also, no offense to any of you, but I think Demise might actually be stronger than Ganondorf, since he’s the original. If anything, Ganondorf might be more of an offshoot than a complete reincarnation.”

“Then it’s a good thing we’ve got an entire team of Links, right? Even if none of us could land a finger on him when it was eight-on-one. But that’s beside the point; he just caught us off guard.”

“Let’s hope you’re right.” Wolf added, “Otherwise…” He trailed off. His gaze turned down past the railing. Linkle was lying on the main floor, limbs splayed out, and staring vacantly at the ceiling.

“Hey!” Wolf jumped off the railing, shapeshifted in midair to land on all fours, and shifted back into a hylian as he walked. “You alright?”

Linkle shot up, fast enough to startle Wolf. “Yeah! I’m fine! Ju-just because my life is a lie! That-! I’m fine!” She sprinted out of the house, screaming.

“I’ll go talk to her.” Sail walked over to the door. “I don’t know what this is about, but I’ll try to help anyway.”

Shrink and Engine jumped over a jet of wind, using it to gain more altitude as they lunged at Vaati. The four sword and lokomo sword both sliced him diagonally, sending him back. “Careful!” Shrink told his counterpart, “I saw him merge with something else back at the castle. It made him even stronger than before.”

“That was myself from another time!” Vaati tossed out two separate rows of mystical spheres, forcing the Links to split up while flipping to avoid them. Shrink dove behind a piece of wood from a shattered house. “I’m no expert, but if Vaati really did merge with himself from another time, that could have unprecedented effects on the timeline.”

“That’s confusingly terrifying, Ezlo, but not my biggest concern right now.” A funnel of wind sent the debris behind him rising a hundred feet into the air, before falling towards him. Shrink ran underneath the slab of wood as it fell, sword aimed at Vaati. “Link, there’s a difference between courage and recklessness!” Ezlo yelled frantically.

The wood crashed to the ground an inch behind Shrink, nearly bursting his eardrums as he continued, undeterred.

“Why won’t you die like the other boy?!” Vaati threw gusts of wind and spheres of magic.

When shrink was close enough to Vaati, he ducked forward under a burst of magic. He placed his free hand on the ground, and used it as leverage to somersault into the air, while throwing the four sword into the air.

“I’ve always wanted to try this!” Shrink reached up to grab the hilt in midair, just as the sword was pointing straight up. In the few seconds he was still ascending, a glow traveled from the tip of the sword down to the hilt. Three translucent copies of him appeared at the zenith of his jump.

“Four sword vengeance slash!” All four Shrinks brought their swords down on Vaati as they fell, throwing him to the ground while catching him off guard.

“Most impressive, my boy! But what was that ‘four sword vengeance slash’ about?”

The young boys shrugged in supernatural unison. “Dunno. I just thought it sounded cool.”

Vaati stood up, glaring daggers at Shrink. “That means nothing! I am the almighty wind mage!” Engine ran past him, slashing him with the lokomo sword from behind. He stopped and turned around next to Shrink. “I guess ‘almighty’ means something else in your timeline!”

“Worthless children!” Vaati shot out black and purple bolts of lightning. The Links flipped to the side, dodging the bolts with pinpoint accuracy. Shrink created copies of himself as they both ran, until five swords sliced Vaati across the chest.

“No! You’re infants! I will have the light force!” A void opened in time and space behind Vaati, and he fell through.

Demise appeared in the ancient, corrupted ravine. “Behold.” He held up his wrist. “The triforce of power.”

Ganondorf was the first to bow. He was followed closely by Ghirahim, Zant, Yuga, Volga, and Wizzro. Malladus was the last, on Zelda’s knees.

“It’s time for Vaati to return.” Demise ripped a hole into space-time to drag the wind mage through from the ancient past. “You failed to obtain the light force.”

“Y-yes, my lord. I am sorry. I wasn’t expecting-”

Demise held out his hand. Vaati’s breath hitched at the sight of the triforce piece. “Fortunately, I have succeeded where you so miserably failed. And I have learned something vital about our opponents.”

Lana paced around the void frantically. All windows into time and space had been closed, leaving her and Cia alone in a white expanse of infinite non-existence. “He-he knows. He knows we were watching him, and now he might be watching us-”

“Lana.” Cia held her by the shoulders. “Relax. As long as we keep the time windows closed, Demise shouldn’t be able to sense our presence. Even if he could, he’d probably need all three pieces to actually break in here.”

“Okay. You’re right. I hope.” Lana glanced around. “Cia? If Demise does manage to get in here, with just the triforce of power, do you think we could beat him?”

“Honestly? Probably not. We could probably take him normally, but now that he has a third of the triforce… well, maybe. I’m sure we’d be able to put up a fight, at least.” Cia closed her eyes, took a breath, and opened them. “If he gets courage and wisdom, though, we won’t stand a chance. If the embodiment of evil is imbued with that much power, he’ll be able to shatter our barriers no matter whether or not we close our time windows, and we won’t stand a chance against him. He’ll be able to control time and space at his leisure.”

Lana shook. “Cia, I’m scared.”

“I know.” Cia pulled her counterpart into a mutual embrace. “Me too.”

Sail found Linkle sitting behind Wild’s house, closed in on herself. “Hey, can I talk to you?” She nodded. “Thanks.” He sat down next to her. “Do you want to talk about what happened?”

Linkle inhaled before speaking, “I wasn’t worthy.” Her voice was quiet and subdued. On closer inspection, Sail noticed her face was wet from crying. “My whole life, I was told I was the legendary hero. My grandmother always told me that. The compass was proof.” She tightened her grip on it. “If I’m not the legendary hero, then why does this compass glow? I defined my whole life by that goal. If I don’t have that, then what do I have?”

Sail placed his hand on Linkle’s arm. “You have us. And your crossbow, and bomb arrows, and your explosive boots, and your magic compass. Besides, it doesn’t really matter if you’re chosen or whatever. You know, the goddesses didn’t choose me at first. I had to sail the great sea for days to find the pieces of the triforce of courage. That was how I earned the right to be a legendary hero. Maybe you just have to earn it too.”

Linkle smiled. “Thanks, Sail. That helps.” She hugged him from the side. “You’re a good friend.”

Sail leaned into the older girl. “Don’t mention it. This actually feels kind of nice.”

Linkle nodded. “So, any idea what’s with my compass? I have no idea why it glows anymore.”

“No clue. Maybe it has something to do with your grandmother?”

“Yeah… maybe.”

Zelda was swinging a kendo staff at a scarecrow in the middle of Hateno. Wild tapped her shoulder, startling her into turning around and swinging it down. He caught the staff between his hands, just above his head. “Link! I am so sorry!”

“It’s fine.” He let go of the staff. “What’re you doing, anyway?”

“Training, of course. We’re at a frightening disadvantage, and I want to be ready. Wanna help me?” Wild clapped her on the shoulder. “Of course. Come on, let’s go to the great plateau so we can have some more room.”

Zelda and Wild stood in front of the opening to the shrine of resurrection, carved into a sheer cliff face with a few trees nearby. “Alright, hon. Show me what you got!”

“Hon? You mean we’re using pet names now?”

Wild shrugged, “Only if you’re alright with it.”

“No, I like it. I’m going!” She ran at Wild with the staff outstretched. She leaned forward as she sprinted, causing herself to pitch forward. The staff hit her in the forehead. “I’m okay.”

Wild ran over to her. “Okay.” He helped her stand up. “I’m seeing some room for improvement.”

“We need a plan.” Lana insisted, “We can’t just stand around doing nothing because we’re scared.”

“Exactly. And fortunately, I know exactly what to do.” Cia opened a window into existence.

“What are you doing?!” Lana tried to close the window. “Do you want Demise to notice us?!”

“Of course not.” Cia argued, “But it’s a risk we’ll have to take if we’re going to make this work.”

“Can you at least tell me your plan before you start it? Or are you afraid I’ll figure out how stupid it is and talk you out of it?”

“Lana, please. Name one of my plans that backfired.”

Lana narrowed her eyes. “You mean like that time you brought multiple timelines together, almost got us both killed by ganondorf, and nearly brought about the end of Hyrule?”

“Fair.” Cia admitted, “Man, talk about deja vu. Except that whole fiasco at least only required one Link to fix. Anyway, here’s my plan. Right now, the Links are all scattered across the timelines, right?”

“Yeah, so? Cia, what are you… oh. No. No, we are not doing that! The timelines are tangled enough as it is! The entire concept of causality is in a spiral of madness! If we go through with this, we run the risk of destroying time and space before Demise has the chance!”

“Okay. And do you have a better idea?”

“W-well, no, but, but give me time!”

“Don’t you get it, Lana?!” Cia snapped, “There is no time! Every second we spend here idly chatting, Demise might already have his hands on the complete triforce! If that happens, it won’t matter what we do! I’m not sure even the golden goddesses themselves could stop him at that point. I know this plan is stupid, and more reckless than anything we’ve ever done, but it might be our only shot.”

“Fine.” Lana relented, “But if this goes sideways-”

“If this goes sideways, you won’t have time to tell me that you told me so, because we’ll be too busy scrambling to fix the timelines. Now then.” Cia opened a window into the era of the hero of time. “Let’s gather the pieces, and start the next phase of the game.”

Shrink and Engine walked into lon-lon ranch. “So, this is where you arrived in this… what, era? Timeline?”

“I think this is my future, and your past.” Shrink explained, “And, yeah. Apparently, Malon found me sleeping in the horse paddock after… well, that part’s not important! Hey, you three!” He ran over to Malon, Zelda, and Saria, standing next to the small house near the entrance to the ranch.

“Did you stop Vaati?” Zelda asked, “Well, of course they stopped Vaati. Why would they be here otherwise? Well, I just wanted to make sure.”

“I will never get used to that.” Engine remarked. “So, Zelda, you’re… what? Possessing your past self?”

“Exactly! Well, it’s not really full-on possession since we’re both in here. It’s more like combining our spirits so she isn’t turned to stone by Vaati’s magic. Well, if Vaati’s already been stopped, then why don’t you leave? Well, because only Engine and Saria can see me as a ghost. Plus, like this, we’re stronger than ever! Think of the possibilities! I’m a pacifist. Speak for yourself! I am! I think.”

Malon leaned over to ask Saria, “So, what’s freakier? The not-princess Zelda talking to herself, or the talking bird-hat?”

“I can hear you, young miss.” Ezlo interrupted, “And more importantly, I’m sure you’ll all be happy to know that the wind mage has been neutralized for the time being.”

“I was hoping you’d be able to take care of him for good.” Saria remarked.

“We almost did, but then he fell into a hole in I don’t even know. The air? He fell into a hole in the air. Probably a time-hole.” Engine noted. Shrink leaned against the nearest wall. “There’s just one thing I don’t get. If Vaati merged with himself from the future, how come he wasn’t talking to himself like Zelda is?”

“Probably because he merged with himself, and I’m just possessing my ancestor. Yeah, she’s my descendant and the two Vaatis were the same individual split across multiple eras. I think. Yeah, we’re just speculating here.”

“Okay, so…” Engine wondered aloud, “...now what?”

“Alright, Zelda. Break time’s over. Come at me again!” Wild gestured to himself just as the sun was setting.

“You got it!” Zelda charged at Wild. He yelled at her, “Nice grip! Keep it balanced!” Zelda continued sprinting. “Lean forward, but not too far! That’s it!”

At a distance of fifty feet, he shouted, “Halfway there! Watch my hands to see where I’ll block!” Zelda took notice of Wild’s stance. She swung the staff in one direction, before feinting to strike Wild in the knees. He gasped in pain, dropping his staff. “Link, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean-”

“Are you kidding? Zelda, that was great! You’ve really improved in less than a day. Even if I was going easy on you.” He sat on the ground, rubbing his knees.

“I know.” Zelda sat next to Wild. “Believe me, I’ve seen you fight.” Wild put his arm around her. “You know I’ll always protect you, right? Even if you’re not the princess anymore, I’d still risk my life for you.”

“Of course, and I can’t repay you enough for all the times you’ve saved me. I just want to be able to protect myself, so you don’t always have to watch my back. I want to be able to fight alongside you guys, instead of just watching from the sidelines.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea, though? I mean, you’re kind of the last thing standing between Demise and true omnipotence.”

“I’ll admit, it’s definitely irrational. Some might even say boneheaded. Still, I don’t need a message from Nayru to tell me you guys are going to need all the help you can get. Plus, I’ve got twice as many pieces as Demise, so that ought to count for something.”

“True.” Wild scratched Zelda’s hair. “And for the record, I love watching your back. Well, one part of it, at least.” He grinned toothily.

“Yeah.” Zelda closed her eyes as she practically melted into the contact. “Hey, wait a- Link!” She pushed him, laughing, “Y-you pervert!”

“Sorry, I couldn’t resist.” He rubbed his knuckle on her shoulder. “It’s fine.” Zelda leaned into him. Wild embraced her. “Hey, you know you can tell me if I ever actually make you uncomfortable, right?”

“I know.” Zelda put her arms around his sides. “I trust you.”

They heard a voice shouting, “Face me now! Give me a real battle!” They both stood up. “Volga!” Wild unsheathed the master sword, and pushed Zelda behind himself. The dragon knight stood less than a hundred feet away.

“Are you ready to face me in single combat, or are you still busy with your broken princess?”

“You’ll pay for saying that!” Wild charged forward while sheathing his sword. He brought up his runes on the sheikah slate, found that the master cycle zero had finished its self-repairs, and brought it into the physical realm to jump on it mid-sprint. “Master armor zero, engage!” The motorcycle transformed into armor while he ran, barely missing a step.

He slashed at Volga with both swords. The dragon knight effortlessly rotated his spear in both hands to block the strikes. “If that was all it took to set your temper off…” He jabbed his spear, and Wild caught it between his blades. “...and you need that armor to face me, then perhaps I should look elsewhere for a real fight.”

Wild ducked under the spear while throwing the handlebar sword. It struck Volga in his armored stomach. He transformed into a flaming red and orange dragon, shining like a bonfire in the twilight. Wild yelled back, “Zelda, take cover in the shrine!” He used stasis on a fireball that Volga spat at him. Zelda sprinted inside the shrine of resurrection. Wild ran from the fireball just before the stasis wore off and it exploded on the ground. Volga turned back into a knight on the ground, as he and Wild charged at each other.

Wanderer spent the night walking the grassy plains of Hyrule field. He listened to the solid ground under his feet, and the dull wind that carried through the air. At some point, he sat on the edge of a stone wall in the middle of some ruins. “Quite the night out here, isn’t it?” He looked down at the man standing on the ground, wearing a gaudy outfit and carrying a scepter. “It’s pretty nice, I guess. Kinda cold. Who are you, anyway?”

“Just call me a wandering artist. What’s a young man your age doing out here so late?”

Wanderer leaned back, gripping the wall on either side of himself to keep balanced. “I just wanted to get some air. Y’know, spend some time away from my… um… siblings. I told them where I was going so they wouldn’t get worried, and besides, they know I can handle myself.”

“Yes, well of course you can. You are Link, after all.” The artist fired a beam of multicolored light at Wanderer. He yelped, barely managing to jump off the wall. He landed on his arm with an audible snap. “Who… who are you?” He gasped in pain, holding his arm.

“I am Yuga. The greatest artist and sorcerer in Lorule. Though I suppose you wouldn’t know me.”

Wanderer stood up, unbalanced, his arm hanging useless at his side. “No, I’ve heard of you. You’re the weirdo who turns people into paintings, right?”

“A weirdo! A weirdo! How dare you?! My paintings are second to none! Allow me to demonstrate!”

“We should check up on the hero of the decline era.” Cia insisted.

“Isn’t that risky, though? He is in the same era as Demise, after all.”

“Demise could be in any era for all we know. And besides, I have a bad feeling about this.” Cia opened a time window. “Oh no.”

“Oh no? What’s oh no?”

“Yuga must’ve caught him off guard, and it doesn’t look like he has any way of contacting the other Links. If I don’t get him out of there now, he’ll get turned into a painting and our entire plan will be worthless.”

“Well, then, get him out of there!” Lana insisted.

“Normally, I’d gloat about how I told you so, but well, time and place.” Cia focused on the timeline, and proceeded to yank Wanderer out of it.

Zelda watched from the hallway in the shrine of resurrection as Wild battled Volga. He jumped out of a fireball, protected by the master armor zero, and sliced Volga’s stomach with the blade of evil’s bane. He fell back to the ground in his knight form, clutching at his stomach. He transformed his other arm into an enormous dragon’s limb to swipe at Wild.

He crossed his arms, “Daruk’s protection!” Despite the force field guarding him from Volga’s claws, the impact sent him sprawling and rolling on the ground. At the moment of impact, the handlebar sword launched out of his hand. It soared through the air, until embedding itself in the ground in front of the shrine of resurrection.

Wild stood up, holding the master sword across his armored chest. “That all you got, Volga?!”

“Hardly!” Volga grew a pair of wings on his back to fly at Wild a foot over the ground. Every flap of his wings generated a gust of hot wind that pushed Wild back. He dug his heels and blade into the ground. The wind forced his eyes nearly closed, until he was squinting and barely able to make out the vague shape of Volga flying at him.

“You’re open!” Wild yanked the master sword out of the ground, and plunged it into Volga’s stomach. He roared in pain, breathing a column of fire while transforming his entire body into a dragon. Wild was thrown backwards, skidding backwards well over a dozen feet when he landed.

Volga roared in pain and frustration, a plume of flame emerging from his mouth. Wild held his sword out to the side. He spun in a full circle while calling, “Urbosa’s fury!” A circle of green lightning engulfed Volga, striking him to the ground. The dragon knight ran out of the dust cloud, spear outstretched. Wild charged at him with the master sword drawn.

Volga paused mid-sprint, as something struck his back. “Who dares!” He turned around, swinging his spear to create a swath of fire in front of himself.

Zelda ran out of the shrine of resurrection to pull the handlebar sword out of the ground. She twisted the two ends in opposite directions to separate the halves. Dual-wielding, she ran at Volga while shooting lasers from the ends. She struck him in the back, eliciting a roar of anger.

Zelda jumped back from the fire, shooting another laser in midair. Volga deflected it with his spear.

“Zelda!” Link crouched on the ground while sheathing the master sword. “Revali’s gale!” He ascended into the air from a localized tornado, where he drew three ice arrows in a single drawstring. It felt as though time were slowing down around him. He launched a series of ice arrows at the fire, freezing it. He put the bow on his back, letting himself fall to the ground until he opened the paraglider.

“Thanks, Link!” Zelda shot a hole into the ice before jumping through. Wild landed next to her and in front of Volga. “I didn’t know it could do that.” She held up the weapons. “Hey, I helped design them. Of course I know how they work.”

“And here I thought I’d be able to engage in single combat for once. How foolish of me.”

“If it’s any consolation…” Zelda merged the twin firearms into a single sheikah-tech blade. “...we’ll fight you as one.”

Volga held up his spear to block Link and Zelda’s blades as they jumped at him. Link used the leverage to jump behind Volga and slice into his back. Zelda drove her blade into his stomach. Volga turned into a dragon, sending them both flying before shooting a fireball at Link. He jumped through the blaze, allowing the explosion to propel him through the air. He rotated multiple times while ascending, until he kicked Volga in the face. He opened the paraglider, using the updraft from the blaze to glide somewhere safe. Zelda separated the blade into two firearms. She fired lasers while Link shot Volga with ancient arrows.

“You know, Volga, you’re kind of a hypocrite!” Link shouted, walking forward, “You go on and on about how you want a real fight, but when the going gets tough, you just hide behind your dragon form!”

Volga roared while moving his head in a circle, blowing a column of fire straight upwards, until there was a blazing halo above him. The circle of fire dropped to the ground, sending Link and Zelda scrambling to avoid it. Link turned around. “Where’d he go?”

They searched the area in front of the shrine of resurrection, until the heat forced them inside. “I guess you really got under his skin.” Zelda surmised. She handed the handlebar sword over to him. “Thanks.” He returned the master armor zero to the sheikah slate. “And yeah, you’re probably right. For such a hothead, he’s kind of an oversized kid, isn’t he?”

Zelda stifled a laugh. “Hothead.”

Wild rolled his eyes, “That was unintentional. I swear, I didn’t mean that.”

“Honey, that, that only makes it funnier.” Zelda grinned.

Wild rubbed Zelda’s hair, causing her to laugh further. “Come on, let’s get back to my place and see how the others are doing.”

Wild opened the front door of his house. “Hey guys, we just-” He paused in the doorway. The other Links were running around the household, shouting over each other. Wild slammed the hilt of his sword against the wall to get their attention. “We left for five hours! What happened?!”

Linkle jumped down from the railing, landing on the toes of her boots so the chemicals wouldn’t be disturbed. “Wanderer’s missing.”

“What?” Zelda walked into the single room, closing the door behind herself. “Do we have any leads?”

“Nope.” Wolf admitted, “It’s like he disappeared out of existence.” Multi walked over to the middle of the room. “I’m thinking the guardians of time might’ve pulled him into another era for whatever reason.”

“I hope so.” Sail interjected, “I’m getting kinda worried about him.” Linkle placed a hand atop his head to scratch his hair. “I’m sure he’s okay. He’s a legendary hero, after all.” The house shook on its foundations.

“What’s going on?” Wild fell onto his back. The raised platform collapsed onto the floor in a pile of wood and splinters, sending Wild’s bed sprawling. He screamed as he stood up, “What was that?!” He opened the door. It broke off its hinges and fell to the ground. “That wasn’t me.”

The sky over Hateno village was blood red, with black clouds circling overhead. Civilians screamed in mind-bending horror at the entity in the middle of town. The group of Links, accompanied by Zelda, ran up to him. “Demise!” Avian pointed at him, “What are you doing here?!”

“It should be obvious, even for a child such as yourself.” Demise slowly pointed at Zelda. “She has what I need. Surrender her pieces to me, or better yet, her life, and I will make your deaths slightly less agonizing.”

“Tempting, but no deal.” Zelda balled her fists. Wild took a step forward. “We’re not giving you Zelda, or the triforce. We’ll take the triforce of power from you, and then we’ll eliminate you from every timeline!”

Demise drove his sword into the ground. The earth trembled, cracks appearing and widening, separating the buildings into multiple sections of land. Multi yelled, “Everyone get out of here!” The civilians had already started to evacuate, while the buildings crumbled. Demise pulled his sword out. Hateno village had been reduced to unrecognizable ruins, with chasms splitting the ground. “I am the ultimate darkness, and I am in possession of one of the most powerful artifacts in the universe. Who are you to stand against me?”

“Glad you asked! The skyborn legend: Avian!”

“The masked shapeshifting legend: Multi!”

“The canine shapeshifting legend: Wolf!”

“The seafaring legend: Sail!”

“The high-tech legend: Wild!”

“The explosive sharpshooter: Linkle!”

“The descendant of goddess Hylia: Zelda!”

“United across all time and space! Eradicating the darkness in the name of the golden goddesses!”

“And just what was that?” Demise’s perpetual anger gave way to a brief moment of confusion.

“I, uh, I don’t actually know.” Avian admitted, “I think we just sort of improvised it. More importantly…” He shot a skyward strike that Demise effortlessly slashed. “It’s time to end this!”

The seven heroes charged at the demon king.

Wild generated the master cycle zero directly in front of himself, jumping onto it in mid-movement. “Master armor zero! Engage!” He jumped forward while the sheikah-tech armor assembled around him. Demise shot volts of black lightning from the fingers of his unarmed hand. Wild barely felt the impact through his armor. The other Links dodged the strikes. Linkle dove behind Demise, shooting bomb arrows while lying on the ground, before standing up.

“Zelda, here!” Wild threw the handlebar blade. Zelda caught it in midair while running at Demise. “Are you finally ready to surrender?”

“Hardly!” Zelda split the blade into dual-wielding firearms. She and Linkle stood next to each other, firing lasers and bomb arrows in tandem. Demise held up his hand to catch the explosives in midair. Wild jumped at him with the master sword slashing through the air. He cut across Demise’s stomach, causing him to grunt in pain. “Insolent whelp!” Wild dodged a kick from Demise, while Avian and Wolf used the opportunity to grab his leg with their three clawshots.

Demise narrowed his eyes in a mixture of confusion and disappointment. “Are you serious?” He flicked his leg to the side, sending both Links flying in a tangle of limbs. Sail shot at him with light arrows, embedding themselves in the side of his head. Demise roared, tearing the light arrows out of his head, while swiping the demonic sword in an arc. Lightning shot out of the jagged edges of the blade.

Sail backflipped to avoid the first of the lightning strikes. Another struck the ground close behind him, forcing him to jump forward a foot. He flipped to the side a few times until the lighting strikes stopped a few seconds after they’d begun. “Ow!” He clutched and shook his head, “My ears!”

Wolf shapeshifted mid-sprint, allowing Multi to ride on his back in deku form. They jumped while returning to their Hylian forms. Wolf held his sword horizontally overhead, allowing Multi to kick off it from above, thereby gaining further altitude. They both shot light arrows at Demise from overhead, until they were close enough to use their master swords. Despite two parallel slices across his front, the king of demons didn't flinch. The triforce piece on his hand glowed as he screamed in rage, sending them flying backwards from the sheer force. He watched them fall into a chasm, and closed his fist, causing it to start narrowing.

Multi and Wolf landed dozens of feet underground, in the space between two walls of solid rock. "Ah, man." Multi groaned, "I wish we'd known he could do that.” Wolf stood up to look around. "Looks like we'll have to climb out." The ground below and around them trembled, and the walls of the chasm moved closer.

"And fast!" Wolf yelled. Multi put on the goron mask, pressing the walls back with his hands. He grit his teeth from the strain, "go, now!"

Wolf hesitated for a few seconds, yet turned into a canine and scrambled up the cliff face. His claws were unnaturally sharp, allowing him to create footholds where none existed, and within seconds he'd reached the surface. "Multi! You're next!" He fired his clawshot straight down into the chasm. Multi tore off the goron mask and grabbed the end of the clawshot, his arms numb from pain, until he was back on the surface, gasping and retching for air.

Wolf stayed back to give Multi space to breathe. He watched Avian fighting Demise, exchanging sword blows and keeping his distance with the occasional skyward strike, while Zelda and Linkle played a supporting role by firing their respective lasers and light arrows. Sail was keeping his distance, trying to shake the ringing out of his ears while Wild stood guard between him and the fight.

Demise grabbed Avian’s sword in his empty hand, without cutting his skin, and threw him into Linkle and Zelda. He called down a bolt of lightning from the sky between Wild and Sail.

Wild and Sail sprinted as Demise shot a sphere of pitch-black magic at where they’d been, causing an explosion that threw them dozens of feet forward. They stood up, alongside the others. “Sail, how’re your ears?” Wild asked.

“What?!” Sail yelled in his face, “I can’t hear you! My ears are still blown!”

“Nevermind, then.” “WHAT?!” “Nevermind!”

“Enough of this.” Demise held up his sword. The triforce of power glowed on his hand, with swirling golden magic enveloping his sword. “I will have the power to surpass divinity, even if I need to tear the timelines apart with my bare hands.”

Sail knocked his head. “Oh, okay, that’s better. What’d he say? Standard villain stuff?”

“Standard villain stuff.” Wild confirmed, “And we’re not listening. We’ll keep fighting, down to the last breath!”

“Then so be it!” Demise fired a beam of powerful golden magic from his sword, forcing the group to run. The explosion sent them flying through the air for half a minute, screaming until they crashed on the ground in Hyrule field. Wild stood up from the crater his armor had created. “Everyone alright?”

“Yeah, we’re fine.” Avian stood up groggily.

“Never better.” Sail lied.

“Just taking a little rest. All done.” Wolf kept his sword up.

“Do you even have to ask?” Multi grinned even as a few of his teeth fell to the ground, covered in blood.

“I may not be a legendary hero like you guys…” Linkle readied her bow and three bomb arrows, “...but that’s no excuse to back down when the world needs us.”

Zelda placed a bleeding hand on Wild’s shoulder. “It’s like you said. We’re in this until the end.”

Demise walked out of the ruins of Hateno village, some hundreds of feet away. He sliced through time and space with his sword. “I grow bored of these games. Allow me to accelerate your deaths, and my ascension.”

Ghirahim, Vaati, Ganondorf, Zant, Malladus, Yuga, Wizzro, and Volga all stepped out of the portal. The skies darkened above. The moon turned blood red, and the black clouds obscured the stars in the night sky. Purple smoke poured out of the fissures, heralding the arrival of thousands of demons. Bokoblins, moblins, stalfos, lizalfos, and other types of horrors poured forth into Hyrule field. The grunting and snapping of teeth filled the air.

The group looked on at the horde of monsters and their nine leaders. “That…” Avian breathed, “That’s the biggest horde of monsters I’ve ever seen. And believe me, I’ve seen some hordes.”

“Same here.” Linkle agreed, knees shaking, “But it’d be embarrassing to back out now, wouldn’t it?” Wild nodded, “Guess we’re doing this on our own then.”

“Now who says you’re on your own?!” They all turned around at the young voice behind them. Their mouths hung agape at the sight, quickly giving way to grins. “See, guys?!” Multi all but laughed, “I so called it!”

Wanderer ran out of a gap in the space-time continuum. “Now who says you’re on your own?!” He smirked at their surprise and joy. “Okay, so, Yuga tried to turn me into a painting, but Lana and Cia pulled me into this weird time-void.” He gestured to the portal he’d emerged from. It was an amorphous wall in the air, constantly shifting between colors. “Also, I wasn’t the only one.”

The wall pulsated as more figures poured out of it. Shrink, One, Two, Three, Four, Green, Red, Blue, Vio, Engine, Seven, Flat, Hytopian Red, and Hytopian Blue ran through the field under a corrupted sky, until they’d reconvened with their brethren.

“Before anyone asks, they’re HyRed and HyBlue.” Vio pointed at the two Links from Hytopia.

Shrink informed the others, “Cia and Lana pulled us into their void and told us what was going on.” Seven added, “Naturally, we all agreed to help you guys out in your hour of need.”

Flat looked down the hill at the seemingly infinite armada of demons. “Looks like we made it just in time.” A few lightning bolts struck the nearby ground. Demise called, “Are you all done?!”

The twenty-one Links and Zelda stood in a row. “Yeah, we’re done dealing with you!” Wild raised his blade into the air, “Come on, guys! Time to make a new legend!”

Chapter Text

Twenty-two fighters ran down the hill to oppose Demise. He pointed his sword at them, commanding his forces, “Rend their souls from their bodies, and cast them into the abyss!” The demonic hordes charged to meet their opposition.

Avian sliced through waves of bokoblins, twisting the master sword in his arms with unmatched precision and technique. He stabbed through the shields of moblins, leaving them defenseless against his blade. Ghirahim teleported in front of him. He barely had time to dodge a slash of his blade.

“So today is the final battle, then?” Ghirahim snapped his fingers, and transformed into his armored form from the sealed grounds, when he’d first resurrected Demise countless eons ago. His sword remained the same. “Then I’ll go all out!” He clashed his blade against Avian’s.

Avian and Ghirahim swung their swords into one another at blinding speeds, until Avian rolled behind Ghirahim and sliced his back. “You will die!” Ghirahim brought his sword down, forcing Avian to hold up his sword to block it. He held it vertically by the hilt with one hand, keeping it even with the other, gritting his teeth as the metal cut through his palm.

Ghirahim leaned forward. “I’m going to break your body, and keep your soul trapped inside it in unending death.” His tongue, unnaturally long and thin, whipped out to lick the blood dripping from Avian’s palm. Avian swung the master sword away from himself, and grabbed the demon lord’s tongue with his bleeding hand, all in the span of a second. He swung the master sword again, slicing through Ghirahim’s throat.

Ghirahim stepped back, rubbing his tongue and sputtering, “Not… not bad, Link. Properly savage, I might say. Tasty, too.” He licked his lip, and teleported behind Avian.

Avian jumped, swinging his sword to block every strike, as Ghirahim teleported and slashed every second. Avian constantly rotated himself, trying to look in every direction simultaneously. Ghirahim teleported directly above him. Avian twisted his body to avoid being vertically bisected, and swung his sword up. He sliced through Ghirahim’s knee, sending him sprawling onto his back.

Avian jumped into the air, twisting his entire body while holding his sword straight up. The master sword glowed with a skyward strike, and Avian thus plunged it into Ghirahim’s stomach.

Vaati threw a massive gust of wind, tossing Shrink to the ground, alongside all eight four sword wielders. “Okay” Green stood up, “Looks like this is going to take all nine of us.”

“ Then let’s do it! ” The original four sword wielders charged Vaati alongside the others. Vio called to the others, “Pincer maneuver! Shrink, go forward!”

“You got it!” Shrink continued running forward, while the two groups of four sprinted off to either side.

"Looks like the other kids abandoned you. Not that I can blame them!" Vaati released a swarm of purple energy spheres at Shrink. He deflected most of them with his sword, leaving them to explode and annihilate dozens of lesser demons. Ezlo bluffed, “We’re all that’s needed against you!” Shrink held up the four sword, creating phantom copies of himself. They held the four swords horizontally, spinning while running to slice through Vaati. They turned around to face the wind mage.

“Ezlo!” Vaati turned around while firing dark purple volts of lightning, electrocuting Shrink and causing his copies to disappear. The boy fell to the ground, convulsing even as he stood up. “Even in that form, you’re still a thorn in my side! I should have killed you when I had the chance!”

“I always knew you’d be a problem student. You were always infatuated with the darkness in men’s hearts. Their infinite potential for evil fascinated you, and made you crave power. You never considered their infinite potential for altruism or courage! That’s why you know nothing of the hylians!”

Vaati snarled, “And just what do you hope to accomplish with such empty platitudes, old man?” Sail jumped to the side, dodging a gust of wind. “A distraction!”

“What?” Vaati was slashed from the side by Green, followed by Red, Blue, and Vio. One, Two, Three, and Four sliced into him from the other side. “ We may not have beaten you in our time, Vaati, but we can beat you in this one! ”

Shrink created three copies of himself using the four sword. The twelve boys charged forward, dodging and jumping and flipping over gusts of wind and bursts of lightning and energy, until the four Shrinks cut through him. One, Two, Three, and Four sliced him next, followed by Green, Red, Blue, and Vio.

They surrounded Vaati, all of them slashing with their blades.

Zant created ten copies of himself to surround Wolf, followed up by all of him charging simultaneously. Wolf shapeshifted mid-lunge at one of the zants’ throats, instead phasing through him as he turned into smoke. The remaining Zants merged back into one entity, while Wolf shifted back into a hylian.

“Do you think you can stop us, Link? You’re infinitely outnumbered, and infinitely outmatched!” he threw the end of a golden mystic rope, wrapping it around Wolf’s neck and lifting him into the air.

Wolf grasped at his neck, choking as Zant hung him. The twilit usurper laughed, a shrill, hellish sound. Wolf twisted the master sword in his hand, slicing cleanly through the magic noose. He fell to the ground, rubbing his neck and standing up. “We may be outnumbered, but outmatched? You still sure about that?”

Zant jumped up and down to create shockwaves, screeching, “How dare you survive?! You’re just going to die, like all life in the light world!”

“Don’t you get it, Zant? Demise is going to destroy everything! There won’t be a twilight realm for you to conquer, and that’s assuming he even keeps you alive!” Wolf jumped forward and over the shockwaves, until he grabbed Zant’s arms in his clawshots.

“Liar!” Zant spun around, turning himself into a living vortex, while dragging Wolf through the air. “Demise will make a new universe, a dark universe, for all who are loyal to him to rule with all our depravity!”

Wolf let go of the clawshots, resulting in the centrifugal force throwing him aside, rolling on the ground and crushing his arms under his own sides. The clawshots retracted, until the ends struck Zant and sent him flying onto the ground. Wolf stood up, gasping for breath even as he ran at Zant, his master sword held upwards behind him.

Zant charged at Wolf, waving his swords and moving erratically, until they met in the midst of the battlefield.

Wolf sliced through all the monsters in his path, until he encountered Zant.

Their fight only lasted a single blade stroke.

Zant’s eyes widened. He looked down at the sword embedded in his stomach. He vaguely felt behind himself. He cut his palm on the blade emerging from his back.

“Oh. So that’s how it ends.”

Engine dodged the black lightning sent out by Malladus, as the third demon king flew through the air in Zelda’s body. “Malladus! I promise you, I’m gonna kill you and save Zelda!”

“Never!” Malladus sent out another bolt of black lightning, with Engine jumping over the explosion to use its momentum. He rocketed through the air until he slashed Malladus, forcing Zelda’s body to the ground. Malladus snarled, “We demon kings will take this world, and all worlds, for our own. When lord Demise takes the rest of the triforce, all of existence will bend to our glorious will!”

Malladus tossed Engine to the side, leaving him to roll backwards on the ground, striking his head multiple times. He stumbled to his feet, rubbing his head with one hand and gripping the lokomo sword with the other. “I won’t let you!”

Engine shot Malladus in Zelda’s chest with a light arrow. The demon king grunted in pain, clutching at the sacred projectile in his vessel’s chest. He tore it out, and tossed it aside. The hole in Zelda’s body closed. They charged at each other, with Malladus shooting black lightning and spheres of purple energy. Sail jumped while flipping to the side, dodging the explosions by inches in rapid succession. While he was upside-down, he fired a light arrow that embedded itself in Zelda’s forehead.

Malladus screamed, gutturally, and fell to the ground hard enough to make a small crater on impact. “I’m gonna kill you, Malladus! You’re never gonna possess anyone ever again!” Engine charged at Malladus, and fired a third light arrow into Zelda’s torso.

“No! No! No!” Zelda’s body sparked with pure light. “Without my demon train, I can’t return! My power was tied to it! You little whelp! Your soul will burn for all time!” Zelda’s body was enveloped in the light, and Malladus’s screams gave way to silence.

The light dissipated, revealing Zelda’s body slumped on the ground. “Zelda!” Engine ran over to her, kneeling to support her head in one hand, while checking her pulse with the other. He scoffed to himself, “Right, of course she doesn’t have a heartbeat, you idiot. I’ve gotta get her spirit back.” He looked up to see a moblin swinging a bokoblin at him and Zelda.

“No!” He slashed the screeching bokoblin, before stabbing the moblin in the stomach. “I won’t let anyone hurt her! Never again!”

“Hold still, will you?! I’m trying to make a masterpiece!” Yuga fired a burst of magic from his scepter. Flat backflipped over the shot, leaving a lynel to be transformed into a painting. “No thanks! I’ve never been into the arts!” He dodged to the side via somersault, slashing a stalfos into a second death in an instant.

“Then you’ll just perish, you uncultured swine!” The man stabbed the ground with his scepter, creating a circle of cracks that radiated outwards. Flat jumped over the crevices, shooting an ice arrow from midair, enveloping Yuga’s empty-handed arm in ice. “How dare you?! My beautiful arm!” He slammed his scepter into his arm, shattering the ice on impact.

“You’re open!” Flat jumped to kick Yuga in the face, knocking him to the ground. He effortlessly dodged an errant blast of magic, before taking a slice with his sword. Yuga blocked it with his staff, smiling arrogantly as the end glowed with multicolored light.

“Get away from him!” HyRed slashed at Yuga with his sword, while HyBlue yanked Flat away from the sorcerer. Yuga barely managed to dodge the strike. “Thanks, you two.” Flat pointed his sword, “Let’s give him an art attack!”

HyRed and HyBlue fell to the ground, groaning. “Oh, come on, guys. It wasn’t that bad, was it?”

“No, it was worse! Never do that again! Please!” HyRed insisted.

“Come on, let’s make Yuga feel the same pain!” HyBlue stood up, and charged alongside his counterparts. “Dude!” Flat shook his head in exasperation, even while running toward Yuga.

Yuga fired magic at the three Links, forcing them to turn in circles, jump over the shots, and roll under them, leaving dozens of lesser monsters to be transformed into paintings. HyRed swung his sword upwards, throwing Yuga into the air. HyBlue jumped off of Hyred’s shoulders, slicing into Yuga again. Flat continued to run past them as Yuga fell to the ground. He jumped when they were close enough, and slashed through Yuga’s stomach.

Linkle backflipped over Volga’s spear, turning in midair to kick Wizzro into an explosion. She was surrounded by a pitch-black void, with Wizzro constantly teleporting and duplicating himself around her. She fired bomb arrows, missing every time while Wizzro’s high-pitched laughter filled her ears. More duplicates of the wizard appeared, forcing her to constantly dodge concussive spheres of purple magic.

“Show yourself, Wizzro!” She flipped to the side, away from a series of magic bursts. She felt something slam into her stomach, knocking the wind out of her as the void disappeared around her. “Wild?” An explosion launched her into the air, until she landed next to Wild and the master cycle zero, with its wheels still spinning. “Thanks for getting me out of that illusion. Hey, mind if I borrow the cycle real quick?”

“First, you’re welcome. Second, go for it. Just be careful.”

“Relax, I’ll be fine!” Linkle ran over to the master cycle zero, picking it up and mounting it, leaving Wild to strike Volga with the master sword on foot. Linkle glanced down at the handlebars. “Okay, how does this-” She pressed down on the pedals, launching the machine forward. She tightened her grip on the handles, to the point where her knuckles turned stark-white, screaming, “Wild! Outta the way, now!”

Wild matched blows with Volga, their blades traveling at breakneck speeds, until Linkle yelled at them. They rolled in two opposite directions, leaving her to barrel towards Wizzro. “Insolent little girl.” Volga growled, standing up at the same time as Wild. He transformed into a dragon, breathing a sphere of fire at Wild.

“Crud!” Wild jumped, barely managing to dodge the fire. It singed his clothing, and launched him further through the air. He landed on the ground, surrounded by lizalfos. Wild lifted his saber to block a lizalfos’s blade, grunting as he stood up while disarming it, before kicking it in the chest. He spun in a full circle, sword outstretched, yelling, “Urbosa’s fury!” The dome of green lightning annihilated dozens of the humanoid lizards, thus filling the air with their shrill death cries.

After she’d avoided running down her ally and opponent alike, Linkle pressed down on the handlebars. The resulting lasers felled a moblin from a hundred feet away. “Huh. Neat trick. Let’s try steering next!” She turned the handlebars to straighten herself out. “Alright! Oh, crud!” She swerved to avoid a burst of magic sent out by Wizzro.

“Hold still, will ya? I’m trying to kill you!” Wizzro threw out bursts of magic in rapid succession, while Linkle rode past them. “Tempting, but I’ll pass!” She fired lasers while swerving in random directions, until she heard Wild call on Urbosa’s fury. She rode towards wizzro, leaning forward, as the explosion of spiritual lightning launched her through the air.

“Now this gives me an idea!” Linkle straightened herself up on the motorcycle in midair. She jumped off the pedals, using them as a springboard in order to gain further altitude. Wizzro’s eyes widened, as Linkle corkscrewed herself through the air. Before he could react, she kicked him ten feet over the ground. An explosion of fire rang out from the impact, echoing through the air. Wizzro screamed, while Linkle backflipped off of him.

Wizzro fell to the ground, convulsing, while Linkle dropped to the ground on her feet. Wild and Volga were fighting nearby, until Wild pushed Volga’s spear upwards, before slashing him with his sword. Linkle stood the master cycle zero up, and rode over to them. “Wild, you want it back?”

“Yeah!” Wild jumped forward over Volga’s spear as it jabbed forward, using the dragon knight’s shoulders as a catalyst for a second jump. Linkle jumped off the master cycle zero to kick Volga in the chest with both legs, sparking two small bursts of flame.

Wild mounted the master cycle zero while it was in mid-movement. He drove towards Volga and Linkle. “Master armor zero, engage!” He jumped as the master cycle zero reassembled itself. The handlebar blade flew into his hands, allowing him to slash at Volga in mid-jump. He and Linkle stood next to each other. “Hey, Wild, where’s Zelda?”

“Oh, she’s-” Wild was interrupted by an ancient arrow sailing past his head, and striking Volga in the neck. He grunted in pain, pulling it out while Zelda stood next to Wild. “Thanks for letting me borrow these.”

“No problem.” Wild sheathed the master sword, handed a few ancient arrows over to Linkle, and split the handlebar blade into its ranged mode. Volga charged towards them, shifting into his dragon form.

“Now!” Wild commanded. While Volga was in mid-transformation, he was struck in the mouth by two lasers and four ancient arrows. He fell on his back, forcibly reverted to humanoid form.  Before he could stand up, Wild ran forward, jumped, and slashed him with both his swords in horizontal parallel.

Ganondorf swung his sword in a full circle, knocking Multi, Sail, Seven, and Wanderer to the ground, a few feet apart from one another. “It doesn’t matter if I lack the triforce of power, or if you four outnumber me. You are mere children, and I am the prince of darkness.” He walked forward. “And now, the king has shown himself.” He swung his sword, forcing Multi and Seven to block it by crossing their blades together. “The dark shall swallow the light, and we will plunge the universe entire into glorious oblivion!”

Sail and Wanderer sprinted to either side of Ganondorf, jumping up while slashing their swords. Ganondorf stepped backwards, leaving the two children to clash their swords together, just in front of their older counterparts. They all hurriedly turned to face Ganondorf. “We should attack him head-on.” Multi decided.

Ganondorf manifested an orb of multicolored sorcery in his empty hand, and tossed it at the four Links. “Come on guys, dead man’s volley!” Seven lunged forward to deflect the strike with his sword, “Just like Agahnim!”

Ganondorf sliced the magic in half while deflecting it, forcing both Seven and Wanderer to deflect the strikes simultaneously. He duplicated and deflected them once more, resulting in four orbs of pure electric mysticism rocketing at the green-clad swordsmen.

“Alright, team! All at once!” Seven commanded. The hero of time, the hero of the great sea, the hero of the light and dark worlds, and the hero of the remnants all sliced through the air simultaneously. Ganondorf was a nanosecond too slow to deflect the magic shots in time, resulting in all of them striking him in the chest. He convulsed in pain, keeling over while his entire body sparked.

“Now, team! While he’s down!” Sail decided. The four Links ran at Ganondorf, slicing down all the monsters in their path. When they were close enough, Multi stabbed him in the chest, Seven sliced through his midsection, Wanderer cut through his stomach, and Sail jumped up to plunge his sword into the dark mage’s head.

Avian charged another skyward strike, using it to cleave through dozens of bokoblins. He slashed another out of the air, after it was thrown by a moblin, before an arrow soared past his head to stab the moblin in the eye. Avian ran forward to jump up, stab the monster in the chest, and kick off its chest into a backflip. When he landed on the ground, he turned to the boy who’d fired the arrow. “You almost took my head off, Shrink!”

“Oh, uh, sorry.”

Ezlo looked down at his young companion. “You see, Link, this is why I always say to exercise caution.”

“Okay, seriously, kid…” Avian turned a few times to slash down a small horde of lizalfos, bokoblins, and stalfos. “...None of us are gonna get used to that.”

“I- guh- buh- the other guy turns into a wolf!” Shrink performed a spin attack to annihilate two bokoblins in simultaneity.

“I suppose it’s all a matter of perspective, young lad. But please, warn me next time you’re going to do one of those.” Ezlo swayed on top of Shrink’s head, dizzy from the spin attack.

“Oh, right. Heh. Sorry, Ezlo.” Shrink righted Ezlo’s position on his head, while the eight wielders of the four sword charged and sliced into the monstrous hordes.

“Guys, come on!” Red grinned madly, slashing and spinning through the hordes. “Woah. Okay, maybe… maybe I should lay off the spinning a bit.” Blue slapped him on the head. “Ya think?” Red collapsed to the ground. “Red?”

Wolf used his clawshots to drag a bokoblin over to him by the arms, jumping up to roundhouse kick it to the ground. He stabbed it in the chest before moving back into the fray, jumping and simultaneously spinning through the air, slicing down a small cluster of lizalfos. He landed in front of Engine, just as he was guarding Zelda’s body. “Hey, kid. How’d it go with Malladus?”

“I got him outta Zelda’s body, but until I can get her spirit back inside, she’s basically a corpse. You mind helping me protect her?”

“I gotcha, kid!” Wolf shapeshifted, jumping over Engine’s head to maul a moblin. He turned back into a hylian mid-backflip to land on the ground, standing back-to-back with Engine. “Thanks, showoff.”

“Do you want help protecting your dead girlfriend or not?” Wild casually shot the skulls off of multiple stalfos in rapid succession.

“Okay, first, she’s not my girlfriend. Second, she’s not dead, her ghost is just possessing her ancestor in the distant past and sweet Hylia, our lives are weird!”

“You’re just now realizing that?!”

Flat, HyRed, and HyBlue jumped through the air, slicing down a bokoblin, stalfos, and lizalfos all at once. Nearby, Wild and Linkle shot two separate light arrows at the same moblin, throwing it backwards into a group of smaller monsters.

“Yes! This is amazing!” Linkle fired wildly into the hordes, “I can’t believe I’m fighting alongside the heroes of legend!”

Zelda dove past a series of arrows shot by a few lizalfos, firing lasers before standing up. “Less freaking out, more taking them out!”

“Got it!” Linkle kicked an explosion into a bokoblin, backflipping and shooting bomb arrows into a moblin while upside-down. “What the?” She gaped at the three hytopian Links, stacked atop one another so HyRed could shoot downwards while cackling. Blue stumbled in erratic patterns, stammering, “Guys! May-maybe we didn’t think- think this thr-thro-through!”

The three of them fell into a pile. “Ow!” HyRed complained, “What the hell, Flat?” Flat slapped HyRed. “I was in the middle!” He turned his head, “What the hell, Blue?”

“It’s HyBlue; Blue’s the other guy! And it was HyRed’s idea!”

Ten Links came across two others, guarding the body of a little girl. “ Hey guys. What’s up? ”

“You guys do realize how weird that is, right? Also, we’re protecting Zelda until we can get her spirit back while it’s possessing Zelda in the distant past.” Wolf explained, “A different Zelda, I mean.”

“ Seriously. What the f- ” Avian slapped all four of them on the head. “Language!”

“ We were going to say forbays! ” “Oh.” Avian shrugged, “Carry on, then.”

Ezlo looked down at Shrink. “We sure do keep an odd assortment of companions don’t we? Behind you!” Shrink slashed down an arrow sent by a lizalfos. “Thanks, man.”

Flat, HyRed, HyBlue, Linkle, Wild, and Zelda came across Multi, Sail, Seven, and Wanderer. Sail jumped off of Ganondorf, pulling his sword out of the Gerudo’s head. Ganondorf’s eyes glazed over. He fell backwards, until he collapsed on the ground. “Man, that brings back some bad memories.” Sail pointed out, “Come on, guys! There’s ten of us, and only a million of them!”

Avian raised his sword, and shot a skyward strike through a dozen bokoblins. Flat, HyRed, and HyBlue stood in a loose triangle, slashing their swords. Linkle yelled, “Multi, hold up your shield!”

“Wuh… oh, okay.” Multi held up his shield, allowing Linkle to jump off it. She pivoted as she kicked, turning around in midair, and shot three bomb arrows simultaneously. A small burst of fire rang out from the point of impact, singing Multi’s hair. “Ow.”

Linkle landed on the ground, roundhouse-kicking a lizalfos in the chest. “Sorry!”

Wild spun in a full circle, still wearing the master armor zero, slicing down two stalfos with his swords. He turned around, and saw Demise standing a dozen feet away. The other Links, alongside Zelda, gathered nearby to face down the source of all evil. “Okay.” Wild determined, “Some of us will fight Demise, and the others will keep the monsters busy.”

A bokoblin screeched, flying and flailing its limbs through the air, until it landed at its king’s feet. He kicked its corpse to the side with a look of mild bemusement. Hundreds of monsters screeched, all at once, as the sounds of mass fighting carried through Hyrule field.

“Link!” A zora jumped through the air, with a moblin impaled on his trident, landing on the ground and throwing it aside. “You didn’t think you were all in this alone, did you?” Wild found himself taken aback. “What?”

Nearby, Riju slashed through the hordes with her scimitar. “We noticed the skies darkening, and I convinced Buliara to send us all out to fight.”

Teba soared through the air, dozens of feet above the ground, shooting arrows into the monstrous legions with nearly flawless aim. “If Revali thought you were worth being his rival, then I say you’re worth being an ally.” He dodged the arrows shot by lizalfos and a bokoblin that’d been thrown by a moblin. He sliced the bokoblin’s stomach with an arrow before it fell.

Yunobo held up his arms, generating a force field to protect himself from the claws of a moblin. He eventually found an opening to deactivate Daruk’s protection, grabbing the moblin’s arm and throwing it aside. “We saw the whole thing from death mountain!”

The gerudo sliced down monsters with their swords and scimitars, the rito shot them down with arrows from above, the gorons slammed their hammers and massive stone swords into the opposition, and the zora stabbed the legions with their tridents and spears. An army of dozens of Hyruleans battled scores of hundreds of thousands of monsters, continuously spilling out of the trenches in the ground.

“Okay, everyone, new plan!” Avian loudly commanded, “We’re all going against Demise!” They charged at the demon king. He slashed his blade forward, forcing them to scatter and surround him.

Demise’s sword flew through the air at blinding speeds, deflecting the Link’s swords. Wild and Avian sliced his sides while the hivemind backflipped, using their swords as leverage off of his own blade. Linkle kept her distance, a few bomb arrows loaded into her crossbow, waiting for an opening. “Come on, come on…”

“Linkle, here!” Wild tossed his quiver of arrows at Linkle. “Thanks!” She replaced her bomb arrows with ancient arrows, and launched them rapid-fire at demise. He growled in pain and frustration, stabbing the air in front of him. The triforce of power glowed on his hand, with the golden light traveling from his hand down the sword, shooting out as multiple beams of light. Linkle yelped, and flipped to the side to dodge the attacks. They sailed past her, and vaporized hundreds of monsters at once. “Well. That’s annoying.”

Shrink jumped off Wanderer’s shoulders to slash Demise’s chest, while the Hytopian trio slashed at his knees. Sail and Engine threw bombs into Demise’s face, yelling, “For New Hyrule!” Demise ignored the explosion, giving them an opening to shoot light arrows into his eyes. Demise screamed in agony, clawing his eyes and dropping his sword. “You worthless children! I never should have allowed you to reincarnate! When I have the triforce, I will subject you to eternal torment the likes of which you could never fathom!”

“Now’s our chance!” Sail yelled. Wolf sprinted past him and Engine in canine form, climbing up Demise to maul his face. “Get off of me!” The demon king grabbed Wolf in one hand, throwing him off. He landed on the ground, yelping loudly in pain. He reverted back to his hylian form.

“I’ll kill you for that!” Multi slammed his fist into Demise as a goron, while the goron blacksmith Rohan swung his hammer with the skill of a century’s experience. The combined strike sent Demise stumbling backwards by a single step. Multi took off the mask to stab Demise in the stomach, before pulling his master sword out and rolling to the side while Rohan did the same. He rolled into a group of stalfos before unfolding and calling back, “I leave this to the rest of you, other-Link!”

“Got it! Thanks, man!” Multi called after the blacksmith. The second group of four sword wielders, alongside Seven, ran past him. Green and Blue fired light arrows as they ran, while Red charged with his sword and Vio flanked to Demise’s side. While Demise was attempting to strike Red with his much larger sword, Vio went around to his unguarded side and slashed into him.

“You’re wide open!” Red used the opportunity to jab his sword into Demise. Seven jumped off of Green and Blue’s shoulders from behind them. “Ow!” Green complained, “What was that for?!” “Warn us next time!”

“Sorry!” Seven sliced Demise vertically between the eyes, while Green and Blue recovered in time to slice Demise’s stomach in a diagonal cross.

Zelda ran over to Wolf, yelling, “Link!” She lifted his head off the ground, and turned him slightly to examine his bloodied side. “No, please, no.” A lizalfos swung its sword down at them, its short razor-sharp blade glistening in the dark sky. “No!” Zelda screamed, catching the blade between her hands. She glared at the monster, gripping the saber even as it drew blood from her palms. “Link! I promise I’ll never fail you again!” The triforce of courage glowed on her hand.

“Huh. T-thanks.” Wolf muttered, fishing in his satchel for red potion. “Of course!” She pushed the sword upwards, and used the opening to kick the lizalfos in the chest. While it was off-balance, she roundhouse-kicked it to send it flying back into a zora’s spear. “Princess Zelda! We’ve missed you!”

“Thanks, Tottika!” She called over to the guard, “And it’s just Zelda now!”

Wolf stood up nearby, having drunk multiple bottles of red potion to recover. A jagged, purple scar ran down his side. “That was awesome.” He handed her a red potion. “Here. For your hands.”

“Thanks.” Zelda poured the liquid over her hands, instantly closing the wounds. Wolf poured another bottle of red potion over his side to finish healing himself. “Okay, so the triforce of courage glowed when I caught that sword to protect you…” Zelda’s eyes widened at her own hand. “And now the triforce of wisdom, right when I’m thinking of a strategy.”

Zelda clenched her fist as she walked forward. “I think I’ve got an idea how to get the triforce of power.” She started running towards Demise.

“What?! Zelda, stop! He’ll kill you!” Wolf grabbed her from behind. “Link, let me go this instant! I need the triforce!”

“Then we’ll get it for you! You don’t stand a chance against Demise, and if he gets your pieces-”

“Then I won’t let him! I’ll keep my distance! I’ll use light arrows!” Wolf tightened his grip on Zelda. “Okay. I’ll let you go, but only if you keep your distance from Demise.” Zelda stopped struggling, closing her eyes and breathing through her nostrils. “Okay. I’ll only use ancient and light arrows.”

“Good.” Wolf released her. “Thanks.” He passed her a handful of light arrows.

“Yeah, thanks.” Zelda nocked a light arrow into her bow, and shot Demise while he was distracted by fighting Avian, Multi, and Wild. The arrow struck him in the chest, followed by a half dozen more.

Avian slashed Demise vertically with a skyward strike, while Multi and Wild sliced his torso simultaneously. Demise raised his sword skyward, yelling in rage and pain, “You are nothing! I am Power! I am Evil! I am Demise!” A bolt of lightning descended from the roiling heavens to Demise’s blade, resulting in a shockwave that sent the three Links flying to the ground, screaming in pain. Demise swung his sword forward, creating a swath of lightning that sent them flying further back. They landed on the hard ground, their clothing burnt and tattered, and their skin sparking.

Zelda could only watch as Wild, Multi, and Avian writhed and gasped in pain. Wolf and Sail ran over to them, while the other Links attempted to fight the true demon king. All sound disappeared. Zelda screamed at the sight, “Demise! Monster! I’ll kill you!”

She charged at Demise, while Wolf, Linkle, Engine, and Wild utilized bomb and light arrows to lay down suppression fire. Zelda inhaled, closed her mouth, and jumped through the smoke with her fist pulled back. The triforce pieces glowed on her hands, until she punched Demise in the chest. A golden shockwave radiated outwards from the point of impact. Despite dwarfing zelda by a massively significant margin, Demise was thrown back several feet, digging shallow trenches in the ground with his heels as he skidded to a stop.

“So, you’ve awakened the power of your triforce pieces. Then I will take them by- what?” Demise grabbed his wrist, grunting in pain. The triforce of power glowed under his hand.

“I think you have something that belongs to me.” Zelda held out her hand.

“Zelda, what are you doing?!” Wild yelled, standing up with Avian and Multi.

“Wait. I think she knows what she’s doing.” Wolf held his counterpart back. “Okay, everyone with light arrows, pass them to whoever doesn’t and then you all know what to do!”

Multi, Sail, Wolf, Engine, Wild, and Linkle distributed light arrows to the other 15 Links. Surrounding the demon king, the group of 21 all fired light arrows in rapid succession. Demise screamed in agony, as the arrows embedded themselves in his skin. He lost his grip on his other hand. “No! This can’t be happening! I won’t allow it!”

“Wild!” Zelda yelled over, “Pass me the slate!”

“Got it!” Wild tossed the sheikah slate, spinning through the air, before resuming firing at Demise. Zelda caught the piece of technology, brought out the master cycle zero, and started riding towards the source of all demons.

“Master armor zero, engage!” The cycle reassembled itself as Zelda continued to move forward, until she jump-kicked Demise in the chest. He howled in agony, from the kick and the storm of arrows, as the triforce of power ripped out of his hand. It traveled through the air at the speed of light, and struck Zelda’s hand.

The Links ceased firing. Demise panted and bent over in pain. “Im… impossible. I am a god. I was ancient when the golden goddesses created your world. To be defeated by a group of children…”

Zelda clenched her fist, showing the entire triforce. “Demise. It’s time to end this, once and for all.”

“No!” Demise screamed. A shockwave emanated around him, throwing the group to the ground. He raised his open palm to the clearing sky. “I call upon my hordes! I will absorb all your dark power to match the triforce, and bring about the collapse of all time and space! The universe will be mine yet!”

The massive hordes of monsters screeched in agony. They dissolved into black and purple smoke, filling the air and funneling downwards into Demise’s hand. Glowing blood-red lines traveled down his arm, covering his entire body and leading into his eyes. Demise screamed in pain.

“What’s he doing?!” Sidon yelled.

“He’s- I think he’s absorbing all the monsters at once!” Avian answered, horrified, “He’s desperate!”

“I…” Zelda stepped forward. “...won’t…” She pulled back her fist. “...let…” The triforce glowed. “...you!” She punched Demise. A golden shockwave visibly rang out, followed after a second by a deafening explosion. Demise was enveloped in a blinding golden explosion, silencing his cries of anguish.

The sky above cleared up, and the cracks in the ground below ceased pouring out the fell smoke. When the glow cleared, all that remained of Demise was his sword.

After a brief moment, the sword was reduced to wisps of pitch-black smoke, carried away by the wind.

“They won.” Cia stated, smiling in relief, “As I knew they would.”

“Oh, please. You were even more scared than I was.”

“I don’t see how that’s possible. But in all seriousness, now what? Demise did so much damage to the timelines that it’s not like we can fix them just by dropping the Links back into their right time periods.”

“True. I say we leave the first six Links in the era of the wild, and we return the other Links to their eras while guiding them on how to fix everything.”

“I suppose it’s worth a shot. Even with Demise out of the picture, we’re still not in the clear.”

Chapter Text

A week after the grand battle, the other Links had left Wild and Zelda alone in Wild’s house. A full silver moon was hanging in the sky while Zelda lay awake. She stroked her hand. With its power no longer necessary, the triforce had disappeared. Zelda could still feel a slight warmth in her blood, as though some portion of its infinite power might still lie dormant within her.

Zelda sighed, quietly so as not to disturb Wild from his sleep. She lowered her hands, placing them on his arms as he held her from behind. She closed her eyes, and tried to fall asleep.

A knock on the door disturbed them both from their sleep. Wild tore the covers off, stood up, and walked over to open the door. “Oh.” He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. “Hey, Teba.” He let the rito warrior inside.

“Sorry to bother you at such an hour, Link, but we need your help.” Teba was accompanied by the other Links.

“Welcome back, guys.” Zelda sat up blearily. “What’s up?”

Teba looked around the sparse room, and sat on a chair at the newly-purchased table. “There’s been a heat wave at the hebra region. Most of the snow’s disappeared, and there’ve been sightings of strange creatures. Some of the rito have fallen ill from the change in temperature.”

The multiple Links all glanced at each other. “So, we’re going to help them, aren’t we?” Sail presumed.

“Of course.” Wild confirmed, “Come on, let’s go to the northwest. I mean, how bad could it be?”

“Okay.” Wild breathed out, “This is bad.”

The group of eight had used the shiekah slate to teleport to hebra tower. Miles away, Vah Medoh could be seen perched atop a spire of rock that held rito village. Where there’d once been a mountainous expanse of snow, there was now something that resembled the early days of spring or summer. Grass covered the expanse, and not a speck of white could be seen.

“What happened? Is there anything we can even do about this?” Wild asked. Teba shook his head, “I don’t know. I just woke up, and it was like this. Nobody knows how or when it happened.”

“Guys, I don’t even know where to start on this.” Avian leaned over the edge. “Usually, there’s a monster that causes something like this, right?”

“Yeah.” Multi confirmed, “Like how Goht was causing blizzards at snowpeak. So, we just have to find whatever monster’s causing this, and do the whole stabby-killy thing.”

“Yes.” Wolf rolled his eyes, “The ‘stabby-killy thing’. Wild, any ideas where to start? You know this place better than the rest of us.”

“No clue. I’ve never had to deal with anything like this. Maybe we could check the Divine Beast?”

“Doesn’t look like there’s anything here.” Wild looked down. From the metal talons of Vah Medoh, he could see virtually the entirety of the hebra region. “Okay, maybe we can see something from here.”

After several minutes of searching, the Links, Zelda, and Teba gave up. “Okay.” Sail suggested, “Looks like we’ll need to go down there and search on-foot.”

“Right, then.” Teba decided, “I’ll go down and let the chief know what’s going on. I’ll leave the rest up to you all.” He jumped off the edge to glide down.

“Alright.” Wild scratched at his own hair. “I guess we’ll just go to a shrine in the region, and then split up to cover more ground.”

“Well if we split up, how are we supposed to get back together once we need to?” Avian slapped Wild on his cranium. “Think, Wild, think!”

“Okay, so, clearly, we need a plan. What if we had multiple sheikah slates so we could all teleport individually?”

“Hey, I just thought of something!” Multi exclaimed, “Back when I was with the New Squidbeak Splatoon, they wore these devices on their wrists that let them communicate with each other from any distance. Maybe we could go to the tech lab and get something like that on the slate. Or slates, I guess, if we’re each going to have one.”

“Well, I’m not sure if they’ll be able to make a slate for each one of us.” Zelda reasoned, “But hopefully we can get at least one more.”

The group had teleported to, and entered, the Akkala ancient tech lab. Purah, Symin, and Robbie worked at the machine while it whirred and beeped. After a few minutes, a cloud of smoke filled the room, causing everyone to cough profusely.

“Robbie!” Jerrin yelled, closing her eyes, “Could you warn me next time?!”

“Oh, I’m sorry, honey!” Robbie put on a pair of gloves to take something out of the device, “We’re only replicating one of the most advanced pieces of technology that our world has ever known! My bad!” He turned around, placing the slate on a table to cool off.

“Right, now it should take a few minutes for the new sheikah slate to cool off. Possibly. For all we know, it could take hours before it’s ready.”

Purah explained, “That sheikah slate is one of the greatest technological advances in recent history. It contains a near-unimaginable amount of data, yet it can be carried around with no inconvenience. Sorry, but this is the best we can do right now.”

“So, we can only have two sheikah slates?” Zelda asked. Symin wiped his brow, shrugging, “honestly, it’s not even a real sheikah slate. It’s only got the bare minimum you asked for; teleportation and remote communication functions. It might take us years to fully replicate all of the slate’s functions just once, let alone getting one for each of you. On the bright side, we managed to install a communication rune in the original slate.”

“Shame. But thanks, anyway.” Zelda acknowledged, “So we’ll only be able to split into two groups. I’ll go with Wild, Multi, and Avian, and Wolf, Sail, and Linkle will go the other way. Once someone finds something, use the slate to call the other group, and then the other group will teleport over to provide backup.”

“Got it.” Avian walked between Wild and Zelda, placing his hands on their shoulders. “Everyone stick with their groups, and don’t wander off to make out or anything.”

“What?!” Wild threw Avian’s arm off of him, “Dude! We’re not-! come on!”

“Sorry, sorry, I just couldn’t resist.” Avian laughed, while Zelda blushed and hid her face behind her hands. “Alright, let’s head out there already.” Sail tried to take the slate, only to yelp as it loudly hissed, stumbling backwards and clutching his hand. “Why?! Why did I think that was a good idea?! What is wrong with me?!”

Hours later, when the sun had set on the hebra region, Zelda, Avian, Multi, and Wild continued scaling the hebra mountains. “This doesn’t make any sense!” Wild blurted out in frustration, “This place used to be even colder than the rest of the region, but now it’s just as warm! What’s going on here?”

“Hey, Multi, didn’t you mention something called Goht?” Avian inquired, “Do you think that might be connected somehow?”

“I doubt it.” Multi took off the goron mask he’d been using to scale the mountain. “I also mentioned Goht was causing blizzards, didn’t I? If anything, this is like a reverse Goht.”

“What even is Goht, anyway?” Zelda wiped some sweat off her brow, “I don’t remember seeing any mention of it in the history books. Oh, is it from another world?”

“Exactly. I fought Goht in the snowpeak mountains in Termina. It was causing blizzards while hiding out in the snowhead temple.” He sat on an outcropping, his back to the wall, turning the goron mask in his hands. “Darmani, the gorons’ greatest hero in that world, tried to save them all. By the time I got there, he was already a ghost. He hadn’t even made it into the temple in the first place. He asked me to do something to ease his regret, so I played a magic song for him. The song of healing.”

“Is that how you got the goron mask?” Wild pointed at the artifact.

Multi nodded solemnly, holding the brown mask up to his face. “Yeah. I wasn’t sure what would happen, but the song turned Darmani’s ghost into this mask. Now, whenever I use it, it’s like I’m borrowing his power. Carrying on his legacy. I just hope I can be good enough.”

Avian took out his sailcloth to glide the few feet over to Multi. “Obviously, you’re good enough. I mean, you’ve helped save, what? 2, 3 worlds? And so what if you caused the timeline split? You had no idea what would happen.”

“Thanks, but it’s not the split I blame myself for. Zelda’s the one who technically caused it when she sent me back in time, after I defeated Ganon. Of course, I don’t blame her; she was only trying to help me get back my childhood. What I blame myself for is the convergence.”

“Yeah, well, Cia and Lana told me that Ganon…” Wild hesitated, “Okay, so, I’m not sure how it works. I’m not even sure they entirely know. Apparently, Ganon pooled the power from all of his other selves, across all the timelines. All that raw evil and power, trickling down three separate timelines, that’s what caused all of this. You might’ve helped speed it along, but it’s not completely your fault.”

“Thanks. I’m not sure if we’ve already had this conversation; it’s kinda hard to keep track of these things.”

“We know. Just remember, if you ever start blaming yourself again, the rest of us will reassure you. We will remind you of how this isn’t your fault, and of how much of a hero you are, and there’ll be nothing you can do to stop it..”

“Thank you.” Multi laughed, “That’s gotta be the most threatening way I’ve ever been reassured. Now come on.” He stood up, and started climbing, “Let’s find what’s going on.”

Linkle found herself trailing behind the others. She turned the compass in her hands. She sighed. Sail yelled down, a few dozen feet above her on the mountain they were climbing, “Hey, Linkle! You coming or what?”

“Oh! Yeah, sor-sorry.” She resumed climbing, letting the compass dangle around her neck. “Just thinking about something.”

“You mean like how your grandmother lied to you?” Wolf asked.

“She didn’t lie to me!” Linkle insisted, “Grandma would never do that!”

“Dude, she told you something that wasn’t true. That’s exactly what lying is.”

Linkle sputtered, “Y-yeah, well, maybe, um, maybe she was just mistaken. Maybe she honestly believed that I was the legendary hero.”

“I wonder how she got that idea in the first place.” Wolf mused, “Maybe it’s because of your name? That would’ve been because of your parents. I wish you knew who they were.”

“Yeah. I wish I knew who they were too.” Linkle looked down, at the ground far below. “I just wish I knew anything about who I really was.”

“Hey, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said it like that.”

“It’s fine. I don’t want you to feel like you have to, I don’t know, walk on eggshells with me, I guess.”

“Alright. Here, grab onto this.” Wolf lowered his clawshot until it was hanging next to her face. “You’re kinda lagging behind.”

“Oh.” She looked up, to find that the other two were significantly farther up the mountain than she’d initially thought. “Thanks.” She grabbed onto the ends of the clawshot, hanging limp as she gradually ascended. “Hey, guys, I just want you to know that I really appreciate this whole thing.”

“It’s nothing.” Wolf helped her stand on a mid-sized outcropping of rock with him, a few feet away from the smaller one that Sail was standing on. “You’re actually pretty light and scrawny.”

Linkle chuckled, alternating her legs and holding them out. “Yeah, it helps with my fighting style. But that’s not what I meant. At least, not entirely. What I meant is, even after we found out I wasn’t one of you guys, you’re still letting me stay with you. Fight by your sides. I was alone most of the time while I was journeying to Hyrule castle, and even though I had my cuccos, they, ah, weren’t great for conversation. Sure, I occasionally teamed up with someone else, but that was always short term; only a big battle or two. This is the first time I’ve ever really had someone to connect with. You guys feel kinda like brothers to me.”

Wolf grinned, and played with her blonde hair. “Don’t sell yourself too short, okay? Just because you’re not ‘chosen by destiny’ or whatever, that doesn’t change the fact that you’re a hell of a fighter. And I guess I get kind of a little-sister feeling from you. Sort of like Ilia.”

“Little sister?!” Linkle mock-scoffed, “Please, I’ve gotta be the same age as you! But who’s Ilia? Oh! Is she your girlfriend?”

“Um, no, not quite. She’s a friend from my village. She was one of the kids who got kidnapped by Zant’s shadow demons. Well, I mean, she wasn’t exactly a kid; she was only a few years younger than me.”

“Hey, guys!” Sail yelled down from the summit, “I found something!”

“What?” Linkle started climbing ahead of Wolf. They found whatever handholds they could. Wolf used his clawshots on the occasional outcropping, thus reaching the summit a full minute before Linkle.

“Look at that.” Sail pointed to the other side of the mountain. Wolf’s jaw dropped. He opened his mouth, found himself unable to speak, and attempted to find his voice a few more times. “What the fu-”

“Hey guys, what’d I miss?” Linkle reached the summit, and looked beyond the mountain. “Oh. That’s what I missed.”

Far below them, on the other side of the mountain range, was an opulent palace consisting in no insignificant part of precious metals, statues, and stained glass windows. It was held together by the bones of some titanic creature, larger than any living thing that had ever existed in Hyrule. Even from hundreds of feet above, the stairs were still visible. Built of a light-colored stone, they were framed by two massive tusks, ostensibly from some eldritch behemoth of a boar.

The original sheikah slate started vibrating on Wild’s hip. “Oh, that actually feels kinda nice.” He stood on an outcropping to turn on the communications rune. Wolf’s voice came through, stammering, “Hey, uh, Wild, um, we found something, on, ah, on the other side of the mountain range. You guys, well, you’d better see it for yourselves.” He told Wild where the other three were.

“Got it. I’ll tell the others.You three just stay there and try to calm down.”

“Yeah, I’ll try but this is, yeah, this is bigger than we thought.”

Wild, Zelda, Multi, and Avian teleported to accompany the other Links. “Alright, what’s- woah.” Wild stared, open-mouthed with the others, at the palace at the base of the mountain. “You were right. This might be bigger than anything we’ve ever dealt with.”

“It’s bigger than the castle.” Zelda gasped, “How did we never notice this before? Did it just appear? How?! Is it from another era? Or maybe another universe entirely!”

“There’s only one way to find out.” Multi turned into a goron, and started rolling down the mountain. He was followed closely by the other Links, with Avian using his sailcloth, Wild utilizing his paraglider, and Wolf jumping from outcropping to outcropping as a quadruped. Sail glided through the air on a massive leaf.

“Sail, what even is that thing?” Linkle pointed at the leaf incredulously.

“It’s a deku leaf I got from the forest haven. It’s useless in the rain, but in this weather it’s perfect.”

“Then how come you haven’t used it until now?” Wild asked from next to him.

“Oh. I guess I just didn’t think of it up until now.”

Wild resisted the urge to punch something.

Hours later, the palace came into clearer view. The stairs gave way to an entrance, carved from a leviathan mouth in a skull the size of a mansion, with two of its bottom teeth converted into gilded double doors. The sheer size of the palace threatened to induce vertigo, as though a form of divine retribution for mortals daring to attempt at comprehending its sheer magnitude.

“This is insane.” Wild concluded, “I’ve been here before, I just know it. I’ve never seen anything like this. Zelda, are you sure there’s nothing like this in the history books?”

“I’m positive. If those are real bones, then that… that thing’s head alone would’ve been the size of Calamity Ganon’s final form. There’s no mention anywhere of something that big, except maybe in the occasional myth from before writing was invented.”

Multi and Wolf turned back into Hylians to traverse the last dozen feet to the base of the mountain range. Wild, Sail, and Avian put away their gliding equipment. Zelda and Linkle climbed down on foot a few minutes after. The palace was a thousand feet in front of them.

“Really, Wild?” Linkle elbowed him, “I can take care of myself, but you couldn’t be bothered to help your girlfriend?”

“For the record, I didn’t need it. More importantly, we need to focus on this. Since it’s a palace, I should lead the way. Hopefully I can negotiate with them, royal-to-royal.”

Sail crossed his arms. “I thought you stopped calling yourself a princess because you failed miserably at it and almost got everyone killed.” Wild slapped him on the head.

Zelda’s face turned red as she cleared her throat. “Be that as it may, I’m the only one here who has experience with that sort of thing. Hopefully, we can sort this out peacefully. Otherwise, it’s a good thing I’ve got you six.” She made eye contact with Wild.

“Who are you lot?” They all turned to the individual approaching them. She was a tall, elaborately-garbed woman who carried herself with the air of a high-ranking court official. Zelda nodded to the Links, and approached the woman. “Greetings. On behalf of the royalty of Hyrule, I welcome you to our borders. Care to explain how your palace got inside our kingdom in the first place?”

“That’s what we want to know. Our surroundings completely changed recently.” The woman pointed at the mountain. “So, you don’t know either? Are you the empress of this land?”

“Uh. We don’t actually have an empress, but I’m the princess of this kingdom. Or, well, the closest thing at least. Our government’s seen better days.”

“My condolences. If you’re the ruler of this territory, then perhaps you’d like an audience with our empress.”

“Yeah, that’d be perfect!” Zelda cleared her throat and collected herself. “Sorry. I meant, we’d appreciate that.”

“Very well then. Follow me, and try to keep up.”

As the group was led through the palace, it became apparent that it contained infinitely more wealth in the entrance hall alone than the entirety of death mountain’s gem mines. The hall itself was nearly a mile long, and presumably built from the esophagus of whatever monster had been killed to construct the palace.

“If I might ask, what’s your kingdom called?” Zelda tried and failed not to show her intimidation.

“We are the Third Antarctic Empire. I hope you’ll understand my hesitance to give a history lecture to outsiders.”

“Understood.” They continued walking, with the Links staying a few feet behind. Linkle muttered, “Okay, guys, what’re the odds that this is a trap?”

Wild looked around at the court officials roaming the hall, occasionally glancing at them and their guide. “I think it’s fine. They look about as confused as we are. Multi, you’ve dealt with this sort of thing, right? Interdimensional warping? Any theories?”

“Maybe, but I’ve never heard of any ‘Third Antarctic Empire’. They must be from a dimension I’ve never been to before.”

“So in other words, we’ve got nothing.” Wolf concluded.

Multi shrugged, “Pretty much. Our best option is an audience with this Empress lady. If it turns out she’s not on the level, then we’ll just have to be ready for anything since we’ve got no clue what she’s capable of.”

“We’re here.” The court official placed her hand on the wall in front of them. Glowing blue lines emerged from her fingers, branching and converging with each other, until an elaborate pattern of runes decorated the wall. The court official whispered something, and the wall split into two doors that silently swung inwards.

“The empress awaits.” The court official led the group of hylians into the chamber. On the other side of a dome, made of a glistening blue-white material, and far larger than the throne room of Hyrule castle, a woman leaned forward on her throne. The throne was made of pure gold, inlaid with rubies and diamonds and gems that only had names in their native dimension. The empress herself was 20 feet tall, wearing a long flowing robe that stretched down past her legs and shimmered blue and white, as though made of some liquid fabric. Her skin was pale, her hair glowed white, and her eyes were an ice-cold blue.

“Why have you brought these outsiders into my chamber, Biting Wind?” Her voice was as soft and cold as snow, and carried throughout the throne room clearly and deliberately.

“My apologies, empress.” Biting Wind knelt to the floor, passing her arm under her chest. “These outsiders are representatives of this strange new world, and they wish to talk with you and see if they can assist us in returning home.”

“Very well then. Whoever is the leader of your party, state your name and the names of your compatriots.”

Wild subtly nodded in Zelda’s direction. She took the cue to step forward, bowing next to Biting Wind. “I am Zelda, former princess of the land once known as the kingdom of Hyrule. These are my companions, the heroes Wild, Avian, Multi, Wolf, Sail, and Linkle.”

“Such odd names.” Biting Wind muttered to herself. She shrank back when the empress turned her gaze to her. The empress spoke, “My thanks for your introductions, Zelda. I am Utmai Cjen VI, empress of the Third Antarctic Empire. Now then, with the preamble out of the way, let me ask you this: do you truly have no theories on how my palace came to be in your world?”

“I’m afraid not, empress.” Zelda admitted, standing to her feet after Biting Wind did the same. “You seem wise, though. Any ideas? Surely, with your resources, it wouldn’t take too long to research this.”

“True enough. This seems like a matter suited for the IIPES. Biting Wind, go retrieve an agent from one of their ranks, posthaste.”

“As you wish, empress.” Biting Wind jogged out of the chamber. After she’d left, Zelda asked, “Empress, if I may ask, what is the IIPES?”

“Normally, I would never give such secrets to outsiders.” The air in the chamber turned cold and dark, before reverting back just as quick. “But I suppose these are scarcely normal circumstances. The IIPES is the Imperial Institute of Paranatural and Esoteric Study, an organization that operates under my command to safeguard our empire against anomalies that defy the laws of nature and reason.”

Multi gasped out loud, and immediately covered his mouth. “Sorry, so, so sorry, but I think I just figured something out. Okay, so you guys know about that squid-people world I spent a year in, right?” The other Links nodded. “Okay, well, a few times, they mentioned that they teamed up with another group. They were an organization that protected the world from anomalies, things that went against nature and reason. They were called, um… the… FTB Foundation, I think…?”

“Oh, you mean the SCP Foundation.” Utmai Cjen acknowledged, “They are… tolerable allies to the empire. I suppose they might be able to assist us.”

The door opened as Biting Wind entered the throne room, accompanied by a man in his 30’s, wearing a lab coat, who might’ve been able to pass for a teenager on some days. “My apologies, empress, but I found this SCP Foundation representative, and he insisted upon investigating this incident. Apparently, he has experience dealing in interdimensional phenomena.”

“Very well then, but do take care to show more assertiveness in the future, Biting Wind. For now, you may be dismissed.”

“Yes, empress. I’ll keep that in mind.” Biting Wind walked out of the chamber.

“Scientist, care to introduce yourself to our visitors?”

“Of course.” The man looked over at the Links and Zelda. “Dr. Thomas Bailey, at your service.”

Chapter Text

“Thomas Bailey, huh?” Multi held out his hand; the man shook it. “I’m not sure, but I think you might’ve helped out some friends of mine.”

“Uh, right, sure. Maybe. I have been around the multiverse, after all.” He looked over at the group. “So, are you guys all twins?”

Multi shrugged. “Not exactly. It’s kinda complicated, though; I’m not sure you’d understand it.”

Thomas laughed, wheezing and holding his stomach, “Oh! Oh, that’s good! That’s a good one! Oh, man. Listen, kid, my triplets and I have been to so many different universes, with so many different laws of physics and time, that even we don’t know how old we are. Trust me, I’ll get it.”

“Okay, then.” Multi spent the next several minutes explaining everything, from the moment he’d last pulled the master sword out of its pedestal in the temple of time, until the final battle against Demise.

“Got it. I wouldn’t have guessed serial reincarnation would be a factor, though.” Thomas admitted.

“Yeah, that part was news to me too.” Avian admitted,  “Apparently, I’m the start of some massive multi-timeline eternal legacy, so y’know. No pressure or anything.”

“Don’t let it get to your head, kid. Just because you think you’re important, doesn’t mean there’s not some other version of yourself who’ll be all too happy to prove you dead wrong.”

“Oh. Well that’s not ominous at all. Anyway, you mentioned triplets?”

“Yeah, but they’re not here.” Thomas glanced to either side of himself, “I’ve said too much. Now then, about sending the empire back to its own dimension…” He began pacing around, “First, we need to figure out how we got here in the first place. Unfortunately, dimension-jumping is more my brother’s field of expertise. I’ve got some experience in the field, mind you, but mostly I’m just a commissioner of the Third Antarctic Empire.”

He bowed to the empress. “May I ask, empress, if you have any idea how this happened?”

“Just as I told the others, I have no idea. Has anything outside of the palace appeared in this world?”

Zelda shook her head, “It doesn’t look like it. Aside from the palace, the people, and the fact that the region is much warmer now, it doesn’t look like anything else came from your world. I guess this is a relatively localized phenomenon.”

“Yeah, localized.” Thomas scoffed, “Kid, I’ve seen individual people get warped between universes because of things you can’t hope to understand. Things that threatened the safety of all existence. Trust me, if we don’t figure out what’s going on here, it could have consequences more devastating and far-reaching than either of us could imagine.”

“So, wait, this is another multiverse deal?” Multi wondered aloud, “I think I’ve heard of something like that. Something called the Scarlet King?”

Thomas’s eyes widened, “You’ve heard of the Scarlet King?! What do you know about him?”

Multi shrugged, “Apparently, he tried to destroy the multiverse, so a group of secret agent squid-people had to team up with your foundation, and a bunch of other organizations, to stop him. Hey, wait a second! A while ago, before I left that world, something started happening. Three of the agents, Marcus, Katherine, and Lauren, disappeared without a trace. A town from another dimension apparently merged with another, and even before that, all sorts of things were coming out of portals. That was how I got there in the first place.”

“And let me guess: you think the Scarlet King had something to do with it?”

“Yeah, we figured it was sort of like an aftereffect of killing something as powerful as an elder god. That was apparently when the whole thing started; only about a week apart.”

“It’s certainly a possibility. After all, the timing lines up, and it’s not like the foundation’s done a lot of research about the potential aftermath of an elder god’s death. Of course, you kids probably didn’t help matters by gathering your variants from three separate timelines.”

“Hey, we didn’t have a choice!” Zelda pushed herself in front of the scientist, “If we hadn’t done anything, Demise would’ve annihilated time itself! Surely that would’ve done way more damage to the multiverse!”

“Of course it would’ve. You had a difficult choice, and you picked the lesser of two evils. Trust me, you get real good at that sort of thing in my line of work. So, now that we know how this happened, the next logical step is figuring out how to fix it.”

“Awesome!” Avian asked, “So, how do we do that?”

Thomas turned around to face the group. He placed his hands in his pockets. “I have no idea.”

Avian fell to the ground in surprise. “All that, and we’ve still gotten nowhere… Hey multi, any ideas? You were just telling us how you and the squid-people had to deal with this sort of thing.”

Multi shrugged, “Usually we just killed them or sent them through a portal. And when that other town appeared, all we had to do was wait and hope for the best. I’m not entirely sure that’s going to be a winning strategy in this case.”

The empress stood up. “Good choice. If you move against our empire, then know that we will be prepared to retaliate with all necessary force.” A shadow floated over the wall behind the empress. Wild pointed at the wall, yelling, “Behind you!”

Utmai Cjen screamed in pain. Her skin turned from pale to teal. She walked off her throne, cracking her head to either side. “Now this is an interesting new form.” She examined her hands. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Veran, the sorceress of shadows. And you are all about to learn what true darkness is.”

“Veran, Veran… that name sounding familiar to anyone?” Multi inquired. The empress of the Third Antarctic Empire swung her arm out, throwing icicles from her hand. The Links and Thomas jumped out of the way. Wild grabbed Zelda before jumping.

“I could’ve dodged that on my own, y’know. But thanks. Anyway, I saw a mention or two of a sorceress of shadows in my studies of the Divine Beasts.”

“Did you actually find out anything about the Divine Beasts when you were studying them?!” Multi yelled.

“That’s beside the point!” Zelda jumped away from another icicle that embedded itself into the floor. “Besides, I don’t actually know anything about Veran! I thought she was just a myth!”

“I am the sorceress of shadows, loyal servant to the witches Twinrova!” She thrust out her arm, ejecting a conical gust of wind that sent the group flying backwards.

“Wait, I know Twinrova.” Multi stood up, “They were witch sisters who raised Ganondorf.” He turned into a goron to throw a giant icicle back at Veran. It shattered, loudly and harmlessly, against her chest. “Okay, I’ll explain later. Right now, we gotta get out of here.”

“No!” Biting Wind insisted, “The empress needs our help!”

“Well how are we supposed to help her if we don’t know what’s going on?!” Thomas countered, “I’ll help you warn the other guards, and we’ll leave them to their own devices.” He pointed at the Links with both hands. “Call me naive, or idealistic, or whatever, but if that kid knows the squid-people, then I believe we can trust him.”

“Isn’t your foundation based on reason instead of belief? And how do you know he’s telling the truth?” Biting Wind held out her arms, casting a horizontal gust of wind that blew aside a cluster of smaller daggers made of ice.

“Okay, fine! You, kid, prove you’ve been to the squid-people world!” Thomas fired a shotgun at Veran. “Why’d I think that would do anything? That never does anything.”

“Okay, okay, so their main city is called, um, what was it?” He turned into a zora to shoot his fin-blades and split apart an icicle the size of himself. “Oh, right! Inkopolis! That’s what it was called! And they had a group of agents called the New Squidbeak Splatoon!” He ripped off the mask in mid-dodge roll, firing light arrows from the ground.

Veran held up Utmai Cjen’s hand to block the strikes, pulling back and screeching in pain when the divine ammunition embedded themselves in her palms.

“That’s proof enough for me! Biting Wind, you remember what to do, right?”

“Help you warn the guards!” Biting Wind held her arm up, palm opened, and conjured a localized tornado of freezing wind, enveloping herself, Thomas, Zelda, and the six Links. Veran kicked the tornado, causing it to dissipate. The group had disappeared.

A small funnel of ice-coated wind appeared in front of the rito chief, causing him to scream and fall backwards in shock. It disappeared, leaving a group of teenagers, a child, a man, and a woman with unnaturally pale skin. “My word! Where did you-who are- what is this?!”

“A long story, that’s what.” Zelda shook a few snowflakes out of her hair. “These guys are from another dimension, and their empress got possessed by someone calling herself the sorceress of shadows.”

Biting Wind nodded, “Dr. Bailey and I will alert the palace staff. The rest of you, do what you can.” She held up her arm again, creating a smaller frost-vortex that teleported herself and Thomas out of sight.

Zelda burst into Wild’s house, followed closely by the Links. “Come on, we need to figure out who Veran is and how we can stop her! Does anyone have any ideas?”

The Links all looked at each other. They gestured their heads in the negative. “Sorry, hon.” Wild lowered his hands to his sides, “She must’ve fought one of the other Links.”

Zelda held her hands to her head. “Right, right, of course. Just our… just our luck!” She inhaled sharply, through her nose, and clenched her eyes shut, trying to stop herself from having a panic attack.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay.” Wild slowly walked towards her, “It’s okay, Zel. We’re gonna be fine.” He placed a hand on her shoulder, and started kneading it when she didn’t flinch at the touch. “Let’s sit down, okay?” He waited for her to nod. “Okay.” Wild gently took her by the arm, sitting her down in the nearby corner.

Zelda took a series of sharp, pained breaths. “Th-th-thanks.” She could feel her chest tightening, and her clothing felt uncomfortable on her skin. She felt a sense of relief and comfort as Link rubbed his palm up and down her back. “Guys, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay.” He whispered into her ear, holding her hand while rubbing circles on her back, “Take your time. We have plenty of time. There’s a lot of Hyrule for Veran to conquer, and I’m sure everyone at that palace will be delaying her. Who knows, maybe they’ll stop her for us, and all we’ll have to do is wait for this to blow over.”

“We can’t do that. You know we can’t do that.” Zelda insisted, “Who knows what Veran’s capable of, or how long they can hold her off? Besides, it’s our job to protect Hyrule, not theirs.”

“She’s right.” Wolf agreed, “Even if we don’t have a plan, well, that’s never stopped us before.”

“Alright.” Zelda stood up, “Let’s head back. Of course, we’d better hurry, because even the closest shrine is a few hours away from the palace, at least.”

The six Links and Zelda teleported to a shrine in the middle of the hebra region. A gust of frigid wind blew past, knocking back a group of a half dozen ritos. They soared through the ice-bitten air, shooting at something over a ground covered in snow. “Well, look on the bright side, team.” Multi slapped his hands against his waist, “At least the snow’s back…?”

A gust of wind tossed them aside, where they landed in a pile. They looked up to see the massive form of Utma Cjen, her skin an inhuman teal, throwing ice and snow into the rito and antarcticans. Zelda looked over at Multi, yelling, “Always looking on the bright side, huh? Well, where’s the bright side here?!”

“I’m, uh, I’m working on that part.” Multi admitted, as the group stood up. Biting Wind ran up to them, tossing an icicle-spear over her shoulder, accompanied by Thomas.

“Okay, bad news, Veran’s gone full-on offensive.” Thomas gestured to Veran, followed by the airborne rito, “Good news, it seems like the bird-folk are on our side. You kids got anything?”

“Yeah.” Multi put on the goron mask. He slammed his fist and palm together, disturbing the snow around his feet from the impact. “I think I’ve got something.” He curled into a ball and rolled in place, for a few seconds, before rocketing towards Utmai Cjen, spikes adorning his body.

Multi slammed into Utmai Cjen, his spikes drilling into her leg. Veran screamed in pain, kicking him to the side. She bled a viscous light-blue substance from her puncture wounds.

“You’re quite strong for such a little boy, aren’t you? Very well, then.” Utmai Cjen’s eyes glazed over. Her skin returned from teal to pale, and she collapsed to the ground, unconscious, launching a cloud of snow from the sheer impact.

Teba looked over at Thomas Bailey. “So, uh, did, um… did we win?”

“Not even close; look!” Thomas pointed at Multi. He’d reverted to hylian form, and was now convulsing and screaming in pain. His skin turned deathly teal, and he stood still.

Veran raised Multi’s head, holding his sword. She moved his mouth into a grin, and fixed her eyes on the assembled group of Links, ritos, and antarcticans, as well as Zelda and Thomas. She manipulated his mouth and his vocal cords, and spoke with his voice, “Why hello there.”

Multi woke up in the middle of a seemingly infinite field of grass. An unseen sun glowed in the sky above. He was on a hill, with a tree in the center at the top of the hill. “Ah, great.” Multi groaned, “Not this place again.” He walked up the hill.

A man sat below the massive cherry tree. He was at least double Multi’s height, wearing a suit of gray armor. His gray face, covered in tribal markings, was hung downwards.

“I don’t believe it.” Multi breathed, “You’re the Fierce Deity.” Standing as he was, he was at eye level with the ancient warrior. “What are you doing here?”

The Fierce Deity looked up. “I have no one to fight here, and thus, nothing to do.” His voice was deep, coarse, and commanding. He gestured around himself. A goron warrior, a zora guitarist, and a deku child walked around the edges of the visible space.

“This is where the spirits in the mask go? Is this…” Multi tapped his head, “Is this my mind? Why does it look like the inside of the moon?”

“It seems you have a lot of questions. I’ve had plenty of time to think things over, after my transformation mask was destroyed. Not that you ever used it much in the first place.”

Multi sat on the grass next to the Fierce Deity. “Hey man, in my defense, I could feel you trying to take over my body. Darmani and Mikau and that deku kid, they were all perfectly content leaving me in charge and helping me out. You, though, I could tell that you wanted complete control. You wanted to be the one in charge, and I couldn’t just let that kind of power go unchecked.”

The Fierce Deity grunted. “I suppose… but then again, what sort of respect is that to show the source of your legacy?”

Multi was taken aback. “What? What do you mean, the source of my legacy?” He looked the Fierce Deity up and down. He took in the ancient warrior’s facial structure. He audibly gasped. “I don’t believe it. You’re a Link, aren’t you?”

The Fierce Deity chuckled. It was a deep, raspy sound. “Not just any Link. As far as I know, I’m the original.”

“That…” Multi looked down, his eyes darting from side to side, “No, that can’t be right. Avian’s the original. I think.”

“I’m not sure who you’re talking about, but I don’t think so. In my time, the demon king Demise invaded the world. I was framed for murdering the king of Hyrule, and imprisoned for my supposed crime. My sword was destroyed in battle. Eventually, they found out that I was innocent, and I was freed and given a new sword. We tried to battle the demon king, all of us humans, but it was no use. His armies covered the land, burning everything in their path, until it almost looked like the skies and seas themselves were bleeding. At our darkest hour, the goddess Hylia herself descended upon us, riding a giant crimson bird.”

“The first, what are they called? Loftwings?”

“Yeah, that’s what she called it. A loftwing. The goddess gave me a sword, and told me that I was her chosen hero. She battled alongside us humans, and all the other people of the land. The world was bathed in the blood of our enemies and allies alike. It seemed like the end times were upon us. Hylia gathered us humans together, and used the goddess sword to levitate a piece of land into the sky, out of the demons’ reach. I stayed behind, to fight alongside her and all the other species that’d volunteered to keep fighting. The two of us battled Demise together, and we were both wounded. Hylia sacrificed her life to save me and kill Demise, or at least seal him beneath the ground.”

“So, what happened to you after that?”

“I honestly don’t know how I survived. I woke up in a world with no Demise, no Hylia, and no humans. I wandered for what felt like an eternity, seeking a battle that I never found. Eventually, I found a realm where time had stopped, and a dragon existed alone in a state of neither life nor death. Its armor was said to hold the power to grant wishes, or potentially infinite power. Naturally, I couldn’t resist. Old as I was, though, I knew that I wouldn’t stand a chance against that thing in a straight fight. I convinced the dragon to let me play a song for him. I played for three days and three nights, on pipes, drums, a guitar, and an ocarina. The ocarina was the most important part.”

“Wait.” Multi held up his hand, “Was it blue, by any chance?”

“Why yes, it was blue. You see, I carved it from mysterious stones that had the power to manipulate time, and playing it, for lack of a better term, gave birth to time in that timeless realm. That was how the dragon was able to dance for three days and three nights, and on the fourth day, it died of exhaustion. I carved a mask out of its armor, filled with all of its dark power. When I was finished, I was overcome with guilt. It was a cowardly kill, won not through real strength, but through trickery and subterfuge. The dragon was eternally suffering with no hope nor desire for death, and it didn’t set out to bring suffering. All the men it devoured sought to use its power for themselves, and I was no different.”

“Well, maybe you did it a favor.” Multi suggested, “Maybe it wanted to die, and you were the best thing that ever happened to it.”

“Perhaps. In any case, that doesn’t change what happened next. I buried the mask where I thought no one would ever find it, and felled myself by my own blade. It was the only way I could atone for such a cowardly murder.”

“That’s not a solution. You could’ve-”

The Fierce Deity held up his hand. “Save me your pity, child. What’s done is done. I don’t know how my soul got to Termina, or how it was contained in that mask, but it did. When you called upon my power to annihilate Majora’s mask, I felt… satisfied. I could finally say that I had felled the beast in a proper fight. I suppose that is why I tried to take control from you. I thought I was worthy of a true resurrection.”

“I understand that.” After a brief pause, Multi continued, “I need your help right now. I don’t suppose you’ve ever heard of a sorceress named Veran, have you?”

“No, I’m afraid not. How do you expect me to help you?”

“Okay, so I’m pretty sure she-” Multi paused, watching as the sky darkened. The ghosts of the deku child, Darmani, and Mikau paused and stared at the sky. Three clouds of roiling shadow descended upon them, absorbing themselves into their bodies.

Multi and the Fierce Deity stood up. “I take it that’s Veran’s doing?” The latter drew his double-helix sword from the scabbard on his back.

“Yeah, probably.” Multi drew his master sword. The ghosts of the transformation masks stepped forward, pure darkness emanating from their bodies, and bleeding from their eyes that glowed a harsh red. The tree withered behind them. Its trunk shriveled and blackened, the leaves turning to dust in the wind, and the air turned dark and cold.

“Link!” The spirits all spoke in flawless synchronization. “Your body is mine, and your soul is soon to follow! This world will be covered in magnificent darkness for all times, and hope, peace, and prosperity will be nothing more than distant memories!”

Multi drew his blade, his skin teal. “You will all perish. Hyrule is already in shambles, but it’s already being infected by such boring concepts as order, peace, and love. I’ll use the body of the hero to spread misery and suffering throughout the land! Doesn’t that sound exciting?”

“Not really.” Wolf pointed his blade, snarling, “Get out of my friend, now, or I’ll-”

“What? Kill me? Or rather, kill your own friend?” Veran taunted, laughing while swinging the master sword and lunging forward. Wolf blocked her with the side of his blade. “Face it: You can’t hurt me without hurting him. You don’t stand a chance!” She kicked him in the knee, forcing him to stumble back while frantically blocking her strikes. 

He turned into a wolf to run behind her, shifting back into a hylian. He grabbed Multi’s arm in one hand, restraining his sword, and held his own blade to Multi’s chest with his other hand.

“I may not be willing to kill Multi…” Wolf snarled into his ear, “...but I know how to wound him, painfully, without risking killing him. Don’t think for a second I won’t do that if it’s necessary to get you out of there.”

“You’re such an obstinate young man. But that willingness to make such a decision! How interesting!” Veran turned Multi’s hand in Wolf’s grip, slicing into Wolf’s knee. He screamed in pain, dropping his weapon and collapsing to the ground.

Veran picked up Wolf’s master sword in Multi’s other hand, rotating both blades simultaneously. “How pointless.” She brought the sword down on Wolf’s head.

Multi paused in mid-swing, his entire body frozen in time and glowing yellow. “What is this?!”

“The stasis rune!” Wild answered, while Sail ran past him.

Sail holstered his sword in the scabbard on his back. “You’re open!” The stasis on Multi started flashing and beeping. Sail jumped, roundhouse-kicking Multi in the side of his head, at the exact second the stasis wore off.

Veran cried out as she was thrown onto Multi’s back. “You’re a child! Don’t think I’ll show you mercy!” She stood up, swinging Multi and Wolf’s master swords at Sail. He held up his shield and sword, maneuvering them to block the dual-strikes.

Sail frantically moved his arms, forced to continually step backwards by Veran’s savage flurry of sword strikes. “What’s… your… deal… lady?!”

“I served under the witches Twinrova, alongside the general of darkness Onox! I lit the flame of sorrow in my time, and the hero of my era can’t stop the witches from reviving lord Ganon!” She slammed both swords into Sail’s shield, knocking him backwards.

Avian jumped over and in front of Sail, his blade glowing, and launched a skyward strike. Veran crossed Multi and Wolf’s blades to defend herself from the strike, just as Avian and Multi charged forward to follow it up. Veran was forced to twist Multi’s entire body, using the swords to block the other two Links’ blades. She vaulted sideways and backwards, landing three feet away from them.

“Multi, snap out of it!” Linkle fired a bomb arrow in front of Multi, causing Veran to stumble back, screaming and throwing the swords into the air.

“Thanks!” Wolf fired his clawshots, grabbing the hilts of the master swords in midair to drag them into his hands. “Oh, now this is more like it!”

Wild rode forward on the master cycle zero, yelling at Avian and Sail, “You two, out of my way! Master armor zero! Engage!” He jumped forward with the armor assembling itself around him, launching himself through the smoke cloud and drop-kicking Veran.

Multi backflipped away from Darmani’s punch, letting his fist sink into the ground. He used the brief opening to kick the goron warrior in the face, before swiveling to kick the deku child away with his other foot. “I am so sorry, guys!”

“I’m not.” The Fierce Deity swung his sword, forcing Mikau to flip over the disc of light it shot out. “I’ve been waiting for a proper battle for months now. Guess I’ll have to settle for you.”

Mikau flipped forward repeatedly, effortlessly dodging the Fierce Deity’s sword beams, until he kicked the ancient hero in the face. The Fierce Deity narrowed his eyes. “Well now I almost feel bad for you.” He slammed the side of his blade into Mikauu’s stomach, sending the zora guitarist flying backwards. He slashed into Darmani’s armored back, launching him away from multi.

Multi looked down as the tiny deku child attempted to punch his leg. “Come on, little man. I don’t want to fight you. I mean, I can barely feel this, and you’re just a kid.”

The deku child spun in several rapid circles, causing the leaves on its head to become hard and sharp, slicing Multi’s legs. He yelped in pain, “Okay, okay, I shouldn’t have said anything!”

The Fierce Deity poked the deku child with the hilt of his sword, instantly knocking him unconscious. “Come to think of it, I probably should’ve led with that.”

“Okay, okay, I should be fine.” Multi groaned, checking his leg, “It didn’t break the skin; it just kinda stung.”

Dark smoke poured out of the ghosts, coalescing in front of the withered tree. A tall, teal-skinned woman appeared, wearing a headdress that curved down into a sharp point near her exposed stomach. Her shoulders were adorned with decorations resembling purple crescents with blue markings on the edges. Her chest and legs were covered by purple armor, with a dark blue cloak on her back, spikes attached to her elbows by round straps, and a white dress with a blue eye pattern down the front.

Multi tried to hold back his laughter. “Seriously? That’s… you’re the sorceress of shadows?! That’s your getup?! Did- did you look in the mirror, and- and say to yourself, ‘Oh, yeah, this looks good’? You look like a- like- I don’t even know what you look like!” He fell on his back, overcome with laughter. “Dude, you- you gotta take this!” He pointed at the Fierce Deity, “I’m- I’m beat! I can’t take this! Look at her! She looks so stupid!”

“I have to admit, he’s kind of right.” The Fierce Deity stepped forward, his blade drawn. “Now, get out of his mind. You’re not welcome here, witch.”

Veran’s hands were covered in a dark purple magic. “I promise you, I will annihilate all who stand in my way. Isn’t the darkness so much more enticing than the light?”

“Hardly!” The Fierce Deity launched two sword beams in rapid succession. Veran caught them in her glowing hands, grunting in pain as she was pushed backwards. The discs exploded in her hands, sending her careening backwards through the tree. Withered as it was, it collapsed to the ground.

“Okay, okay, I-I’m good.” Multi stood up, wiping his eyes on his hand. “Come on, let’s finish her off!”

“I couldn’t agree more.” Darmani rolled next to Multi. Mikau jumped forward next to the Fierce Deity, elbow-blades drawn. “Sorry about kicking you.”

“You should be sorry for considering that a kick, but I suppose it couldn’t hurt for you to fight alongside us.”

The deku child jumped onto Multi’s shoulder. “Sure you’re up for this, kid?” The deku nodded. “Yeah. I remember how you gave me peace with that song, so I can’t just stand back and watch everyone else fight.”

“Alright, well, I hope you can keep up.”

The group of five charged at Veran. She tossed an orb of dark purple magic at the group, resulting in the Fierce Deity slashing them out of the air. Multi tossed the deku child at Veran, allowing him to slash her with his rotating leaves. “What the- this doesn’t even hurt! It barely stings!”

“I’m not trying to hurt you! I’m just distracting you so he can kick you!”

“What?!” Mikau dropkicked Veran in the stomach, following up by slicing her with his elbow blades. Multi and the Fierce Deity jumped into the air, their blades drawn.

“The two of us…” Multi started.

The Fierce Deity finished, “...are a single legend!”

They sliced into Veran, two blades creating an X, as she screeched in pain.

“ Now get out of this mind! ”

Chapter Text

Multi’s body was covered in clouds of darkness. “No… no… what’s happening… my head…” His voice changed to Veran’s, screaming as she was ejected out of him. Multi fell to the ground. Veran landed in a heap.

“Impossible! Fighting me from the inside- it’s never been done before!”

Multi stood up. “Yeah, well, you’ve never fought someone with four spirits in his head, have you? And thanks to you…” He pulled something gray out of his satchel, “...I’ve got my ultimate weapon back. So thanks for that.”

“You call that an ultimate weapon?! It’s a mask!”

“How astute. As thanks for helping me get this back…” He put the Fierce Deity mask over his face. “...I’ll give you a quick death.”

Multi’s consciousness was transported into a black void, with the Fierce Deity standing before him. “Are you sure you want to trust me?”

“Yeah. I feel like we had a good heart-to-heart. You know the deal, right?”

“I help you with this, and then I go back to your subconscious with the others. It’s hardly ideal, but I can live with that.”

“Good, so we’ve got that clear. Now, ah, speaking of deals…” Multi gestured around them, “...what’s the deal with this place?”

“Who can say? Perhaps it’s a sort of subconscious impasse for both of us. Perhaps it’s because of my transformation mask being restored after we fought together.”

“Yeah, I’m guessing that has something to do with us coming to an agreement.”

“Well, in any case, it’s time we got going!”

Multi’s entire body grew to double his original height. His eyes and hair turned a stark white. Painted markings decorated his face. A suit of armor manifested on his torso. Gauntlets appeared on his hands. His master sword grew and split apart, into a blade that resembled a two-segmented double-helix.

“I’ve awakened!” Multi yelled, in a much deeper voice than usual, “The fierce Deity is back!”

“Like that matters!” Veran launched a series of purple dark-magic orbs, all of which Multi effortlessly deflected with his blade.

“Is that all you got? Disappointing!” He slashed his double-helix sword twice, striking Veran with two discs of blue light. She fell onto her back.

Zelda leaned next to Wild, “Is that her true form? I can’t believe we were actually scared of her.”

Wild shrugged, “Hey, maybe it was the height of demonic fashion in her time.”

“If you’re not satisfied with this appearance, then maybe I’ll just take yours instead!” Veran turned into a shadow, absorbing herself into the ground, and traveled in Zelda’s direction. Multi and Wild stepped in between them, pointing their swords straight down.

“ We won’t let you! ” They stabbed Veran’s shadow through the ground. She yelled in pain, launching straight up in her physical form before falling back to the ground. “How?! How did you stab a shadow?!”

“We’ve got a sword that seals the darkness and a Fierce Deity transformation.” Wild taunted, “Frankly, I’m surprised we didn’t try that sooner.”

“You… you insolent, obstinate, damnable greenhorns! If you want to see my true form, then allow me to oblige!” Veran’s entire body shifted. She transformed into a green fairy, the same size as most of the Links, with a severe underbite and eyes that betrayed wild savagery.

“Now that’s more like it!” Multi grinned. Four dark Links emerged from the ground, surrounding Veran, before charging in four separate directions.

Wild looked up at Multi. “You go after Veran, and we’ll deal with the dark Links. How’s that?”

“Sounds perfect!” Multi jumped over a dark Link, firing a sword beam at Veran from midair.

“Good. Because I’ve been wanting to try this out.” Wild manifested his master cycle zero to ride in the direction of the nearest dark Link. The second he was at the right distance, he turned the machine onto its back wheel, raising the front wheel so it drilled into the dark Link’s chest. With one hand leaning the left handlebar to the appropriate direction in order to maintain the master cycle zero’s balance, Wild used his right hand to slash the master sword into the doppelganger’s head. The combined strike killed it instantly.

Linkle sprinted forward while firing bomb arrows at dark Link, launching it into the air. Sail ran past her, jumping and slashing dark Link in midair. It fell to the ground, while Sail tossed a light arrow at Linkle. “One last shot!”

“You got it!” Linkle fired the light arrow.

Sail rolled past the dark Link’s sword strike. He slashed it from behind. At the exact same time, the light arrow struck it in the chest.

Avian matched blades with the third dark Link. While their blades were pressing into each other, he turned his entire body downwards to roll behind it. With the resistance so abruptly removed, the dark Link’s momentum carried it involuntarily forward.

“You’re wide open!” Avian struck the dark Link from behind with a skyward strike, before slashing through it horizontally, followed by a diagonal strike.

A black-and-gray furred wolf jumped forward, tackling the final dark Link. He turned back into a hylian, slicing into the dark Link. Blocking its slash with his shield, he flipped to the side in order to regain distance from it. “Zelda, you’re up!”

“Got it!” She jumped off his shoulders, firing a light arrow from midair into the dark Link’s forehead. Wolf ran forward, initiating a spin attack, slaying the dark Link right before Zelda landed on her feet and unarmed hand behind him. “Not bad, Zel.”

“Only Wild gets to call me that. And you were pretty good yourself.” She held up her weapons, “Thanks for these, by the way.”

Multi deflected Veran’s magic bursts with his sword, launching a disc of light in response. Veran absorbed herself into a shadow on the ground, and traveled towards him.

Veran attempted to possess Multi, finding herself in a black void solely inhabited by the Fierce Deity. “Leave this mind.” He sliced her with his blade. “You’re not welcome here.” Veran caught the blade in her hands, glowing black and purple. The Fierce Deity shot out a sword beam at point-blank range, launching Veran backwards and out of the void.

Veran shot out of the ground, followed by Multi slicing the Fierce Deity’s sword into her in midair. She fell hard onto the ground multiple times. “That won’t work twice, Veran! Some sorceress of shadows you are!” He charged at her, launching a horizontal, vertical, and two diagonally-angled sword beams.

Veran screamed in pain, emitting an expanding dome of dark magic around herself. Multi sliced through it, charged forward, and jumped to stab Veran in the chest.

“I can’t believe it… not again…!” She dissolved and fell apart. Multi took off the Fierce Deity mask, causing him to collapse from exhaustion.

“Hey man, you alright?” Wild helped Multi stand up. “Y-yeah, I’m fine. That one’s… just a lot more… draining than the others. But, hey, at least we won, right?”

“Yeah. Now we just need to deal with all of this.” Wild gestured to the rito and antarcticans, as well as Thomas Bailey. Utmai Cjen woke up. “Ow. What happened?”

“Apologies, empress.” Biting Wind bowed to her monarch. “You were possessed by a terrible shadow creature native to this realm, and these dimensional natives assisted us in freeing you and vanquishing the heathen.” She gestured to the rito, Zelda, and the Links.

“Well then, I suppose I owe you all a thanks. If you ever require assistance, simply let us know, and-” The empress disappeared, as did the antarcticans. “What the-?!” Zelda screamed.

“Oh, I know what this is.” Thomas realized, “Whatever’s going on with the multiverse must’ve returned them to their own dimension. Well, see you kids. Good luck with whatever this is.” He disappeared, and the climate of the region turned back to normal.

“Well, that just happened.” Wolf looked around. “Kind of anticlimactic, honestly.”

“Yeah, but at least I got this back.” Multi held up the divine mask, “I think me and the Fierce Deity have finally come to an agreement. Plus, I’ve got some stuff to tell you guys. Especially Avian.”

“Really? What is it?”

“Okay, so, long story short, turns out you’re not actually the first Link.” Pointing at the mask, he elaborated, “This guy is.”

The Links and Zelda sat around the Fierce Deity mask inside Wild’s house, processing the newfound information. “Y’know, I always knew the goddess had a chosen hero before me. I just never really thought about it. To think we’d be connected like this.”

“I suppose this means we’ll have to reconsider our theories on the timelines.” Zelda retrieved a piece of paper and a pencil, using the floor as a surface. “Okay, so it all started when the Fierce Deity fought alongside the goddess Hylia, before Hyrule or even Skyloft ever existed. So we finally know the true origins of the legacy.”

“Hey, hey, wait a second!” Avian blurted out, “I just realized something! I thought the reincarnation was because of Demise’s curse! But if that’s the case, then how was I able to reincarnate from the Fierce Deity?”

“Oh. I didn’t think of that, but yeah, good question.” Zelda turned the mask in her hands, as though it might give her answers.

“Okay, this might be far-fetched, but here’s my theory.” Multi posited, “I’m thinking it’s probably either a coincidence, or the golden goddess made it so that her chosen hero would reincarnate at least once, just like how she reincarnated herself as the Zelda of the skyloft era.”

“Oh, yeah, that works. I mean, Hylia did have almost everything prepared for when Demise came back, so yeah, that tracks.” Avian confirmed.

“Good.” Multi leaned back on both arms, “Because the only other explanation I could think of involved you somehow also being the Fierce Deity because of how you went back in time to defeat Demise in the ancient past, but that would imply a self-sustaining time loop, which would probably be contradicted by all our time-traveling misadventures.”

“I followed precisely none of that.” Sail readily admitted.

“I think I got the gist of it.” Zelda surmised, “In layman’s terms, a self-sustaining time loop is when you go back in time to cause a change, but that change was always predetermined by the flow of time, but our recent adventures through the timelines clearly had some effect on events, because the other Links remembered us when we fought Demise together. Plus, the whole reason this is happening in the first place is because of Multi mutilating the chronologies of Hyrule, which probably wouldn’t be possible under a self-sustaining time loop.”

“...Yeah… no, I’m still, uh, yeah, I’m, just, completely lost.”

“Okay, let me try and explain.” Multi elaborated, “Say you, I dunno, go back in time to kill your own grandfather.”

“That’s horrible!” Linkle gasped, “Why would you kill your own grandfather?!”

“Dude, it’s a hypothetical.”

“Good! Keep it that way.”

“Okay, so, if you go back in time to commit some good old-fashioned grandpa-murdering, then under a self-sustaining time loop, you would’ve always been set to kill your grandfather, which would mean that nothing would change because it was always set up that way. Nothing would be affected. However, under whatever it is that w e seem to be dealing with, time is a lot more… I guess fluid would be the right word. Whenever we go back in time and change the past, it actually changes the past. ”

“Okay, so, what happens to the timeline then? Does the original just disappear?” Wolf asked.

“Either that, or it creates another branch in the timeline. Since we can’t exactly peer into alternate timelines, we’ve really got no way to find out which one it is. Really, the only way we could know for sure is if we found some way to ask Lana and Cia.”

“Honestly, neither option is great.” Zelda crossed her arms, “Either we’re destroying multiple timelines and the countless innocents within, or we’re creating further complications in the cosmology.”

The room fell silent. The weight of what she’d said fell upon the group like a harsh, opaque fog. Multi tapped the floor just to fill the soulless, empty silence.

“Well…” Sail hesitated, “Wouldn’t it be better if we were just making new timelines? Y’know, creating lives instead of destroying them?”

“Better in the short term, maybe.” Avian argued, “But in the long term, who knows what could happen? Affecting the timelines like that… only the goddesses should have that kind of power.”

Multi nodded, sighing, “So either way, we’re playing around with forces that we…” He shook his head, “...we just can’t hope to comprehend. We're so far over our heads that it’s not even funny anymore.”

“So, now what?” Linkle glanced around the one-room house. “Where exactly do we go from here? I mean, this is way bigger than anything any of us have ever dealt with.”

The group turned to Wild. He glanced at them in turn. “Why are you all looking at me like that?”

Zelda cleared her throat, “Sorry, hon, but, well… maybe you could help with this decision?”

“Oh. I don’t know, actually. I mean, obviously, we have to do something. I just don’t know what. I doubt there’s any way we could reverse what we’ve done. Maybe if we get everyone back to their own times, it could fix everything.” He sighed, “Oh, who am I kidding? That’s probably just wishful thinking.”

“Cosmic mass genocide, or manipulating the multiverse.” Zelda mused, “Neither one’s great.”

The sound of screaming interrupted them, followed by the sound of stone shattering. All seven of them stood up. “Well, at least that’s straightforward.” Avian sprinted outside.

A massive man in gold-and-silver plated armor walked through Hateno village, swinging a spiked ball and chain into the foundations of buildings, collapsing them in single strikes. The plants died underfoot, as though his presence alone were poisoning the land. “I am Onox, general of darkness! Who would dare to challenge me?!”

“I think I know some guys!” Zelda yelled, turning Onox’s gaze to herself.

Onox tightened his grip on his flail. “A squadron of children? Don’t make me laugh!” He swung his flail. The chain expanded and stretched, forcing Wild to run forward with his slate outstretched. The spiked ball froze in midair, glowing yellow from the stasis rune.

“What? What did you do?!” Onox attempted to pull on his flail, causing it to slowly turn red. Wild smirked, muttering, “Just watch.”

When the stasis rune wore off, the stored kinetic energy caused the flail to rocket into Onox at blinding speeds, striking the gerudo symbol on his chest. The impact sent Onox flying into a house, causing it to implode on top of him.

“Oh…” Wild visibly winced, “My bad.”

“Ya think?!” Avian slapped him upside the head. “We’re lucky everyone’s already ran away!”

The rubble exploded, as Onox roared in anger, hoisting his flail overhead. He brought it down with the force of an angry god, causing an earthquake that enveloped the village and felled nearby buildings. The Links and Zelda collapsed to the ground, as it cracked and splintered underfoot.

“Come on!” Zelda drew her sword, “Anyone who calls himself the general of darkness is right up our alley!”

Onox swung his flail, sending the Links flying as they jumped over, while Zelda dodged to the side. Multi shot a light arrow alongside one of Avian’s skyward strikes. Wild brought out the master cycle zero, landing on the ground in the master armor zero, hard enough to crack the ground underfoot. He launched himself forward with the wheels on his soles, constantly swerving to dodge the strikes of Onox’s flail.

“Little nuisance! Without that armor, you’d be nothing!”

“You’ve got armor too, hypocrite!” Wild rode past the general, holding the handlebar blade out to slash across his chest, eliciting a grunt of pain. He turned behind Onox, swapping the swords between his hands, and attempted to rush past him from the other side.

Wild’s master sword bounced harmlessly off of Onox’s armored back, sending him flying from the impact of the resistance. He stood up, groaning, “Guys! I think the symbol on his armor might be his weak point!”

“Got it!” Sail jumped off of Multi’s outstretched sword, granting himself enough altitude to slice into Onox’s chest.

“Insect!” Onox backhanded Sail, launching him through the air, screaming, until Wolf caught him from behind.

“You okay?” He turned Sail around, wincing at the sight of his condition. His arm was bending in multiple places it shouldn’t have been, his shoulder was dislocated, and one side of his face was covered in a splotch of blood. All of the damage was localized to the side Onox had struck. “Okay, you’re not okay.”

“Y…” Sail coughed up a glob of blood, “Y’think?” He screamed in pain when Wolf tried to set him on the ground, feeling as though his arm was on fire and his shoulder was being stabbed. His face was entirely numb, unable to feel anything except warm and wet.

“Hey, Sail, it’s okay. It’s okay, buddy. I just need to give you some red potion.” He called to the others, “Guys! Cover us!”

Linkle nodded, firing a blitzkrieg of bomb arrows at Onox. He roared in pain, blinded by the smoke even after she stopped. Wild rode through the smoke in the master armor zero, leaping to jab his master sword and handlebar blade into the symbol on his chest.

Onox staggered backwards, throwing his flail so the chain wrapped itself around Wild. The weight of the spiked ball forced him to lean backwards, unbalanced with his arms pinned to his sides. “Quick question.” He manipulated the slate with one hand. “This chain is made of metal, right?”

“What? Of course; what else would it be made of?”

“Yeah, that’s what I figured. I just wanted the confirmation because otherwise, this’d be really embarrassing.” Wild turned on the magnesis rune, turning the flail yellow. Onox was visibly taken aback. Wild unwrapped the chain from around himself by turning in a full circle. He faced back towards Onox, placing one foot in front of the other, leaning forwards, and throwing the spiked ball at the general of darkness.

The symbol on Onox’s chest shattered, revealing gray, scaly skin and gray smoke. He dropped his flail and collapsed on the ground, gasping, “So… you want to see me under my armor?!” He raised himself to his knees, arms spread wide, “Fine then!” His armor shattered in a burst of light and smoke.

A 50-foot long serpentine dragon, its back covered in scales as gray and hard as rocks, levitated above the ground. An orange gemstone gleamed in its forehead above and between two vacant, beady holes. The dragon yelled, in a guttural voice that sounded like a rockslide, “This is my true form! This is what brought Holodrum to its knees and lit the flame of destruction!”

The group was forced to jump away from multiple streams of fire. Wild jumped in front of Wolf and Sail, yelling, “Daruk’s protection!” The fire was deflected off of his force field.

“Okay.” Zelda pointed at Onox’s gemstone, “I’m guessing that’s his weak point. We just need to get up there somehow.”

“Alright, good.” Wild tossed a number of light arrows to her and Linkle. “You two try shooting it. Sacred arrows should work.”

They both nodded, and started firing sacred projectiles. Linkle occasionally fired bomb arrows alongside the light arrows. The vast majority of them missed as Onox flew above the village.

Nearby, Wolf and Sail stood up. “Hey, you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”Sail held up an empty bottle of red potion. “Thanks.” He turned to Wild, “So, what’s the plan? You’ve got a plan, right?”

“Nope.” Avian interrupted Wild’s nonexistent answer, “That’s where I come in. So, we need some way to get up there and attack that gemstone to kill Onox, right? If I had Crimson here with me, that’d be no problem, but without a loftwing? This’ll be more difficult.”

“Come on, we need to get in front of him!” Zelda sprinted in the same direction as Onox. Her eyes widened when Linkle ran past her, yelling, “Okay!”

“Hey, how are you going faster than me?” Zelda nearly tripped over herself as she tried to go faster.

“No offense, but I went on an adventure across Hyrule while you spent a hundred years fighting inside a castle. That might have something to do with it.”

“Huh. Yeah, fair enough.” Zelda fired a light arrow straight up into Onox’s gemstone. An engine audibly revved nearby, followed by Wild riding past them. Multi held onto his back in deku form, while Avian and Wolf held on from behind with their clawshots, their heels digging trenches in the ground.

“Alright, guys! Brace yourselves for a full stop!” Wild turned the master cycle zero sideways, skidding to a stop in front of Onox. He jumped off, holding his sword out for Multi to stand on. “Ready, little guy?”

Multi confirmed, “Ready! Avian, this better work, or you’ll never hear the end of it.”

“Relax; it’ll work.” Avian muttered under his breath, “Probably.”

“Wait, what was that last part?!”

“Revali’s gale!” Wild launched himself into the air, with Multi screaming on his sword. He slashed the master sword upwards through the air, further increasing Multi’s altitude.

“Wild, catch!” Avian tossed his own master sword, spinning through the air. Wild passed his own blade from one hand to another, using his free hand to catch Avian’s sword by the hilt in midair. He continued moving his arm, opening his hand to toss Avian’s blade further upwards. Multi stepped on the flat of the sword, kicking it back to the ground while ascending further. He tore off the deku mask, and plunged the master sword into Onox’s gemstone. The dragon roared and thrashed, leaving Multi to scream from the effort of digging the sword further into the gemstone, his every muscle erupting into fiery agony.

“I’m… going… to kill you!” Onox swerved his head to the side, throwing Multi to the ground. He landed in a cloud of dust, coughing and struggling to stand up. “Okay, let’s try something else.” He took the Fierce Deity mask out of his satchel to place it on his face. He screamed in pain, stumbling forward while transforming. A single sword beam shot into the crack in Onox’s gemstone sent him careening to the ground. The entire time, cracks of dark purple light spread across Multi’s entire body from the edges of the mask. As soon as Onox was felled, with the cracks spreading onto Multi’s chest, back, and forearms, he screamed in pain and collapsed.

“You idiot, are you trying to kill us both?!”

Multi found himself in a black void, with a dome of bright purple cracks spreading like spiderwebs. The only other living thing was the Fierce Deity. “What are you talking about? Where are we?”

“We’re in your mind, or what’s left of it anyway.”

“What?! How? I thought we were cool now!”

The Fierce Deity snarled, holding his arm, “Did you think you could tap into my power without a price?”

“Well..” Multi collapsed, grasping his chest, “...why didn’t you tell me? I feel like this is something I should’ve known about!”’

“I didn’t think you’d be stupid enough to use it twice in one day! Even twice in one week would be pushing it!”

Multi stammered and sputtered, “I didn’t know! I was trying to fight Onox! You wouldn’t know anything about him, would you?”

The Fierce Deity gritted his teeth, “No. That name is unfamiliar to me.”

“Okay, well, another thing: you’re in my mind, so you should know exactly what I’d be stupid enough to try.”

“That’s not how it works. I’m in your subconscious with the rest of the transformation mask spirits; we can’t read your thoughts.”

“Okay, so…” Multi gasped as a burst of pain stabbed through his chest, “How do we get out of this?”

“I’m afraid there’s nothing we can do. The only way to stop this is for someone else to take the mask off from the outside.”

“Great. So it’s out of our hands.” Multi slowly contorted his face into a grin, with blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. “The others will get it off, though. I trust them.”

The Fierce Deity screamed in pain, “I hope you’re right! For both our sakes.”

Multi lay unmoving on the ground, with lines of purple light tearing across his entire body. Avian and Wolf ran over to him, while the others continued shooting light arrows and striking Onox’s forehead with their swords.

“What the hell’s going on? Is it the mask?” Avian turned Multi onto his back.

“Probably! I don’t know!” Wolf grabbed the edges of the Fierce Deity mask. “We’ve gotta get it off him, now.” The mask seemed to actively resist his efforts. “Come on, Avian, help me out here.” Avian slid his fingers under the mask. Multi’s face was softer than it should’ve been, like the wood of a rotting tree. With a loud squelch, the mask popped off of Multi’s skin and clattered to the ground.

“Oh Hylia.” Avian nearly puked, while Wild turned away, gagging, “What happened to him?”

Multi’s entire face was glowing purple, with his eyes bulging out of his skull, staring ahead unconsciously. His skin repaired itself, causing the purple lines to recede back to where the mask had been until they disappeared completely. He shot up, gasping and rubbing his eyes.

“Multi!” Wolf lunged to embrace Multi. “What happened? Was it the mask?”

“Uh… yeah. Yeah, it was the mask. Thanks for getting it off.”

“Does it still hurt?” Avian asked, “Do you have any idea what that was all about?”

“I’m still kind of sore, but I can fight, trust me. As for what happened, I saw a vision of the Fierce Deity. Apparently, I can only use the mask once a week at the absolute most, or else, well…” He gestured to himself in general. “You saw what happened.”

Onox roared in pain, thrashing on the ground, “No! How could I be conquered?! You are mere children! Infants!” The gemstone exploded, followed by a series of explosions traveling down his back.

“Yes!” Zelda threw her arms up, “We did it! We beat Onox!” She ran over to the trio of Links. “Hey, Multi, are you okay?”

“Yeah.” He held up the Fierce Deity mask. “I’ve just gotta cut back on this thing, that’s all.”

“Okay, well, that’s good at least. Between the seven of us, we should be able to survive without using it for every battle.” Zelda looked back at the decimation that remained of Hateno village. “Come on. We need to help with the rebuilding.”

Chapter Text

Flat looked around at the central square of Hytopia. His only accompaniment was HyRed and HyBlue; everyone else was apparently hiding in the boarded-up houses. HyBlue wondered aloud, “What happened here?”

“It must be because of what happened, remember?” Flat reminded him, “With Volga and Yuga? We don’t have to worry about them anymore, but that witch who cursed Styla in the first place is still at large.”

“So what’s the plan? Go to the drablands and finally get this whole thing done with?” HyRed bounced on his heels excitedly, “Please tell me that’s the plan.”

“Yeah, pretty much.” Flat shrugged, “I mean, we shouldn’t have much longer to go.”

The three Links walked into the Hytopian throne room, where princess Styla stood next to her father in his throne. Despite still wearing the cursed tights, she stood up straight with her hands clasped together in front of herself.

“Wow. Did something change while we were gone?” Flat inquired, “What happened to hiding behind your dad’s throne?”

Styla cleared her throat, “Well, I could still see everything that was going on while I was a painting. Seeing Zelda and Hilda fighting alongside all of you, I don’t know. I guess I realized that being the heir to the throne means I have a responsibility to fight for my people. As tempting as it might be to leave everything to you three, you have other kingdoms and your families to return to.” She hesitated, leaning slightly back and forth, before continuing, “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’d like to journey to the sky temple and fight the drablands witch alongside you.”

“Wait, are you sure?” HyBlue took another step in front of his counterparts. “The drablands are more dangerous than we were expecting. Are you absolutely certain you’re up for this?”

“Absolutely! I’ve gotten days of training from the captain of the Hytopian guard, and I’ll have you three to lead me by example! I promise, I won’t slow you down.”

“Right, right, let’s just… just let us talk this over.” Flat pulled the other two closer to himself, until they were standing in a tight circle. “Okay, so, thoughts? Personally, I’m kind of on the fence.”

“Are you kidding? Obviously we can’t take her! I’m pretty sure I saw her running when she saw a spider. Like, not even a big spider.” HyRed vetoed

“Wait, maybe this isn’t such a bad idea.” HyBlue argued, “After all, a princess should be able to do something for her kingdom. Maybe this is just what she needs. Plus, maybe she really has improved.”

“Okay, both good points.” Flat held up a fist, “Why don’t we settle this the old-fashioned way?”

HyRed’s face lit up. “We’re gonna have a fist fight?!”

“What? No, we’re gonna do 3-way rock-paper-scissors! If I win, then we let Styla and her dad decide.”

“Seriously?” HyRed narrowed his eyes.

HyBlue shrugged, justifying, “Well, it is the most fair way to settle any debate. It’s a game of chance and luck.”

“You just don’t want to fight because you know I’ll beat you.”

“I’m not dignifying that with a response.”

HyRed rolled his eyes, muttering, “That’s all the confirmation I need.”

“Alright, guys, let’s just start already.” Flat interrupted them.

“Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!” The three Links examined their results. Flat had scissors, HyBlue had paper, and HyRed had a rock. “Okay…” HyRed glared at their hands. “Rematch!”

“Rock, paper, scissors, shoot! Rematch! Rock, paper, scissors, shoot! Rematch! Rock, paper, scissors, shoot! Rematch!”

After a few more tries, Flat held up his hands. “Okay, okay, clearly there’s a reason 3-way rock paper scissors isn’t a thing. Let’s think of something else.”

Somewhere near the southeastern corner of Hyrule, Wild and Zelda climbed a small, easily-scalable mountain. At the summit, there was a small, deep pond shaped like a heart. Zelda smiled genuinely, despite the mild downpour causing her clothes to stick to her skin, and making her hair slick. “Lover’s pond, huh, Link? I never took you for such a romantic.”

“Good to hear I can still surprise you.” Wild grinned, as he and Zelda held each other’s sides. He pulled her in for a brief kiss, with her hands on his shoulders, until Zelda pulled away.

“Hey, Link.” Zelda looked down. “Do you think, maybe, we’re just trying to distract ourselves?” She hesitated, “From what we’ve done to the timelines?”

“I honestly don’t know. Maybe.” Wild took his hands back from Zelda’s side. “I mean, what are we supposed to do with this? We’ve been playing with things we don’t understand, and the consequences…” He clasped Zelda’s smaller hands between his own. “Trust me, I’m open to suggestions.”

“I’ve got nothing.” Zelda reluctantly admitted, “This is… this is so much bigger than anything we’ve ever dealt with. Even Demise wasn’t this bad because with him, at least we had an opponent to fight against. How are we supposed to fight this?”

“Maybe… I don’t know. Maybe once we get the others back to their own times, that’ll…” Wild’s voice trailed off.

“Maybe what?!” Zelda snapped, “Maybe it’ll just… just magically fix everything?! There’s no way to fix this! Either we’ve killed countless innocent people by destroying entire timelines, or we’ve irrevocably damaged the multiverse in ways we can’t begin to comprehend! Maybe we could, I don’t know, restore all the destroyed timelines, but then what would that do to the multiverse? I honestly don’t know what to do, and that terrifies me.”

“Yeah. I’m scared too.” Wild embraced Zelda, holding her close to himself. “I have no idea where to go after this, but we’re going to get through it.” He looked her in the eyes, and gently rubbed a tear off her face. “You’ve always tried to do the right thing.”

“Yeah. I try to do the right thing, but I don’t always succeed. And now… Nayru.” Zelda shuddered in Link’s arms, burying her face in his shoulder. “What have we done?!”

Link ran his fingers through Zelda’s hair, gently shushing her, “It’s okay, sweetheart, you’re okay. We’re going to figure something out.”

“Like what?” Zelda quietly whimpered, “We can’t change the laws of space or time. We can’t go back on this.” She punched his shoulder, screaming and sobbing, “There’s nothing we can do!”

“Yeah. The only way I can even think of fixing this… is… the triforce!” Wild held Zelda’s shoulders from a forearm’s distance away. “Zelda, quick, what did you do with the triforce?!”

“I… I don’t know. I’m so sorry, Link, but the triforce disappeared after we killed Demise. I have no idea where it is now. I’m sorry.” Zelda looked downwards, hunched over with her arms folded across her torso.

“It’s okay.” Wild walked over to Zelda’s side, gripping her shoulder with one hand, and running his fingers down her spine with the other. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Zel. If you don’t know where it is, then that’s fine. I just thought it’d be worth a shot to ask, that’s all.”

“Okay. Thanks for not being mad at me.” Zelda leaned sideways into Wild.

“Oh, hon, I could never be mad at you.” Wild placed a hand on the back of Zelda’s hair, and kissed the top of her head. “Come on, let’s go back home and tell the others. Maybe the seven of us can think of something.”

“Yeah. Maybe.” Zelda kissed her boyfriend on the lips. “Can we just stay here for now? Just until sunset? I don’t know why, but I want to be alone with you right now.”

Wild returned the kiss. “I’d love that, sweetie.”

“Okay, let’s go over it now.” Flat addressed the others, sitting in a circle on the floor with HyRed, HyBlue, princess Styla, and king Tuft. “Rock crushes scissors, scissors cuts paper, paper covers rock, rock gives lizalfos a concussion, lizalfos bites deku scrub, deku scrub shoots octorok, and octorok gets paper wet. Everybody got that?” At the round of nods, he added, “Good. Let’s go!”

“Rock, paper, scissors, lizalfos, deku scrub, octorok!”

The group of five examined their own hands; a rock, a sheet of paper, a pair of scissors, a lizalfos, a deku scrub, and an octorok.

“Wait…” HyRed narrowed his eyes, looking over to the side. “Sir combsly? What are you doing here?!”

The commander of Hytopia’s witch-hunting brigade looked between HyRed and his own outstretched fist. He muttered, “I just wanted to be included.”

“Do you even know why we’re doing this?” Styla asked in an uncharacteristic deadpan.

“Um. No.” The commander admitted quietly. Styla briefly explained their circumstances. “Oh. Well then, if I win, then you’ll have to be accompanied by the entirety of the witch-hunting brigade!”

“Sounds good, but how many people are even in the brigade?” HyBlue interjected.

“Uh… five. Including you three and King Tuft.”

“As much as I want to accompany you all for my daughter’s sake, I’d hardly be of any use in a fight. Beides, Hytopia’s already in a bad enough state. The last thing they need is to lose their king, especially while the heir is in no shape to take the throne.”

“Right. So only I’d be coming with you.” Sir Combsly held out his hand. “So, should we start again?”

Seven individuals sat in a circle on Wild’s floor. “So.” Avian started. He inhaled, then exhaled. He continued, “Here’s what we know about the timelines so far.” He used a stick to draw lines on the floor. “The original Link, who we know as the Fierce Deity, helped the goddess Hylia seal the demon king Demise, but got injured in the process. He then wandered around for who-knows-how long, creating the ocarina of time and Majora’s mask, before dying at his own hand because of crippling guilt.”

Multi nodded, “So in a way, the Fierce Deity is directly responsible for everything that’s happened to me.”

“Pretty much. Okay, so after that, my whole adventure happened with the first return of Demise. That was before Hyrule, and before Zelda was ever a princess. Also, considering what we know now, I created an alternate timeline when I followed Ghirahim into the ancient past to fight him and Demise.”

“So, what happened in that timeline?” Zelda asked, “The one you created when you time-traveled?”

“I’m… huh. I’m not actually sure.” Avian thought to himself, “After I left, Demise would’ve still been dead from me dropping a giant statue on his head from Skyloft. Ghirahim would’ve also been dead, since I killed him in the new timeline, but Zelda would’ve disappeared completely since she moved into the new timeline with me.” He gestured to Zelda, clarifying, “The original Zelda, I mean.”

“I know what you mean.”

“Okay, good. Alright, so, without a Zelda or a Link, Hyrule probably never would’ve been founded. Either we would’ve reincarnated again, or the cycle would’ve broken because Demise never got the chance to make his curse. Honestly, there’s really no telling.”

“Okay, so that’s all cleared up.” Multi added to the line. “So afterwards, in the timeline you’re from, I think the next thing that happened was the monster invasion, and the minish giving the picori blade to the hero of men. A hundred years later, Shrink and Ezlo fought Vaati, and then he came back a few hundred years later and fought One, Two, Three, and Four. Later on, Demise’s hatred got reincarnated as Ganondorf, and I went on my whole adventure with the ocarina of time.”

“Okay, but what about the hero of men?” Sail pointed out, “He wasn’t originally supposed to go forward in time to help Shrink, was he? What if that changed the hundred years in between somehow?”

“Probably. From the perspective of anyone in real time, he would’ve completely disappeared from existence.” Avian considered, “I’m not exactly sure, but that might’ve created another timeline split. One timeline where he stayed, and another where he disappeared, until they converged when he returned. Either that, or it would’ve completely changed a single… I guess ‘section of the timeline’ would be the right term here, and it would’ve somehow changed Shrink’s era when he arrived.” He pressed his palm to his forehead, loudly groaning, “Why does this have to be so confusing?!”

Linkle patted his shoulder, reassuring him, “It’s okay, Avian. There’s no way we can know everything that happened. Also, the hero of men wasn’t at the final battle with Demise. You think he might’ve… y’know…?”

“It’s possible.” Zelda ran her fingers through her hair. “Still, if he died a hundred years after his time, younger than he was supposed to, then who knows what sort of effect that could have on the timeline? What sort of changes that could make?”

“Hey, wait, I just remembered something.” Wolf interjected, “The hero of men had the picori blade on him, right?”

“No, it got sent forward in time after him.” Multi corrected.

“Well, right, but either way it would’ve been sent from sometime between their two eras, right? The absolute earliest it could’ve been sent from would be the moment the minish, or picori, or whatever they’re called, gave it to the hero of men.”

Wild added, “Okay, and the latest it could’ve been sent from would’ve been right before Vaati destroyed it.”

Zelda pressed and rubbed her fingertips against her face. “Okay… so… either one of those options has complications. See, if it was sent from the earliest possible time, then it was never used to seal the monsters, which means Hyrule likely fell in its infancy and none of this happened in the first place. If it was sent from the latest possible time, then Shrink never reforged it into the four sword. And if it was sent from anywhere or anywhen or anywhatever between them, then the monsters would’ve been freed and Hyrule probably would’ve been overrun.”

“Alright, so, that confirms it caused another timeline split.” Multi brought up, “So now we have a timeline where the hero of men lived out his life after sealing the monsters in the bound chest, a timeline where he disappeared without the picori blade, and a third timeline where the picori blade disappeared, except those other timelines may or may not be one and the same and also both or all three may or may not have merged at some point and oh no I’ve gone cross-eyed.”

“You guys think maybe trying to map out the timelines is a lost cause?” Wild suggested, “I mean, it’s not like we can do much at this point. We’ve still got to send you guys back to where you all came from, and no doubt that’s just going to make things worse. Besides, remember when I talked to Cia and Lana after I tried to wear a transformation mask? They told me that everything comes back to this era. The timelines all converged when Ganon turned into Calamity Ganon.”

“So what you’re saying is that you should try to wear a transformation mask again so you can talk to the guardians of time and ask them what we should do next.” Multi decided.

“Not even close, but sure. Let’s give it a try.” Wild held out his hand.

“Alright, so, the Fierce Deity mask would probably just straight-up kill you. Here, try the zora mask. That’s the one you used last time, right?”

“Yeah, I think so.” Wild took the mask from Multi’s hand, and put it over his face.

“Well, that took forever.” HyRed stood with Flat, HyBlue, and Styla, in front of the towering, open gate to the witch’s temple in the sky.

“Is everyone ready?” HyBlue asked, “There’s no turning back now.”

“I’m ready.” Flat tapped the mystical bracelet on his wrist. “Styla, are you still sure about this?”

“I… yeah. Yeah, I’m sure.” Styla balled her fists, bouncing on her heels with the brown jumpsuit covering everything except her face. “This is for my people! For the dignity of Hytopia! And also because this thing itches in places that shouldn’t be able to itch!”

“Alright, then let’s fight this witch already!” HyRed led the group into the temple.

“Hey, Cia, looks like we’re about to get a visitor.” Lana pointed out.

Wild spontaneously appeared in the void between times and spaces. “Oh, good it worked.” He rubbed his head, “Man, such a headache though.”

“Well, this is unexpected. Not that I’m complaining, of course.” Cia smiled, looking him up and down.

“Cia!” Lana elbowed her in the side, “He has a girlfriend! Besides, he probably has something more important to talk to us about.”

“Right, right, sorry.” Cia held up her hands.

“Wait, how did you know I was dating Zelda? I never told you that.”

“We can see into time and space, remember?” Cia pointed at a window into his house, where his could see his counterparts and girlfriend watching his unconscious masked body.

“Wow, that’s trippy. Wait. You’re not going to use that to spy on me and Zelda while… we’re… uh… y’know… are you?”

“Oh, no, of course not!” Lana waved her arms in front of herself, “We’d never do something so perverted! Right, Cia?”

Cia slowly gazed over to the side.

Lana crossed her arms. “Right, Cia?” Her eyebrow shot up.

“Oh, right, of course not! But more importantly, I’m guessing you have something you want to ask us?”

“Oh, right.” Wild wrung his hands together, “So, we’ve been talking about the timelines, and time travel, and we’ve started to notice some… inconsistencies, I guess. Just one question: when we time travel and change the past, does it split the timeline, or does it destroy the original outcome?”

“Oh.” Lana explained, “It splits the timelines. You guys have actually created a bunch of little baby timelines.”

“Little… baby…” Wild shook his head, “Why are you so calm about that?! It’s unnatural!”

“Maybe.” Cia ambivalently shrugged, “But why is that necessarily such a bad thing?”

“Seriously? Aren’t we, like, I don’t know, destabilizing the multiverse or something?”

“Oh please.” Lana scoffed, “If the multiverse was destabilized by too many alternate timelines, the whole thing probably would’ve collapsed eons ago.”

“Oh. Wow. I guess I didn’t really think about it that way.” Wild added, “Okay, so follow-up question: do you two know anything about the Third Antarctic Empire?”

Cia and Lana glanced at each other. Cia answered, almost hesitantly, “No. Sorry, but they’re from another universe entirely. One outside of our purview.”

“We can only monitor timelines where the triforce exists, since our powers are directly connected to it.” Lana elaborated.

“Okay. I just thought it was worth a shot to ask. So, uh…” Wild glanced around the nonexistence, “...What are we supposed to do now? Are we supposed to try and fix the timelines? Is that even possible?”

Cia rolled her eyes, “Weren’t you paying attention? The timelines don’t need fixing, and if they did, we’d already be working on telling you guys about it.”

“Yeah, I guess… hey, wait, are we just your proxies? Why don’t you fix the timelines yourselves; isn’t that your job?”

“We would, but we can’t.” Lana explained, “Our role is to monitor time and space, and we can only interfere as an absolute last resort. Like when we sent all the other Links to the final battle against Demise. The only alternative would’ve been the entire universe being torn asunder, possibly even the multiverse.”

“That means you all get the job of carrying out our will in your plane of existence.” Cia finished, “So, do you have any other questions or are you going on your way now?”

“Um… no. I guess I’ll just go back now. Maybe you two could help us get the others back to their own times, though?”

“Of course! We’d be happy to help!” Lana agreed, “Also, it’s necessary to preserve the stability of the universe. Really, the only reason we kept you all in the same place after the battle was because there was no immediate need to move them, and we didn’t want to aggravate the chronologies any further.”

“Okay. I’m just gonna pretend to know what any of that means.”

“Good enough for me!” Cia snapped her fingers, and Wild disappeared from the nonexistent void.

The four children entered a wide hallway with blue floors in diamond-shaped marble tiles and a red carpet with gold edges. A woman walked towards them, wearing a garish pink and purple outfit with a massive circular frill around her neck. She opened her pink parasol in the middle of the hallway, and lifted it over her head despite being under a roof. A spotlight shone on her from the ceiling.

“You’re the witch, aren’t you?” Flat pointed his sword at her, “Don’t you know it’s bad luck to open an umbrella inside?”

“L…lady Maud!” Styla yelled, despite staying close to the Links and trembling, “I deman-demand that you l-li-lift my curse this instant!”

“For fashion’s sake!” Lady Maud yelled in a shrill, high-pitched voice, “Would you stop yammering on about the curse! I did you a favor, you dull princess. How dare you criticize me?!” The items in the Links’ and Styla’s satchels, save for their swords, all levitated out with a sickly purple glow surrounding them. “Swinging those wretched accessories about again?” She chastised them, “How many times do I have to tell you? We have a strict dress code here!”

“Hey, what do you think you’re doing?!” HyRed attempted to grab his ice rod out of the air, before it flew off and disappeared

“Don’t need that…” HyBlue’s gust jar disappeared, “...that…” she eliminated Flat’s bombs, “...and that either. There, that’s better… but you still need a lot of educating. Shall we jump straight in?”

“Yeah.” HyBlue agreed, “I think that’d be best for us.”

“Good! Then let’s jump straight into this very classy lesson!” Lady Maud teleported away in a pillar of pink light, chortling, “I’ll be waiting for you inside!”

The children all looked around at each other. The only thing in front of them was a hallway, leading into a small circular room. “Okay guys.” Flat led them forward, “We’re about to battle an evil fashionista to save a hedonistic kingdom from an extremely stupid curse. Any questions?”

“Hey! My kingdom isn’t stupid!” Styla ran in front of him, yelling, “Hytopia may be a lot of things, but I won’t let you talk about my people or my father like that!”

Flat grinned. “Now that’s what I like to hear. You ready?”

“What choice do I have?”

“Good answer.” HyRed charged forward, followed by the other three until they reached the chamber at the end of the hall. A gate with spikes lining the top rose from the floor, confining them to a small circular carpet. The section of the floor ascended towards the ceiling, as it opened to the sky. “Alright, everyone.” Flat drew his master sword, “We don’t know what sort of wack black magic this lady is capable of, so let’s put on our mean faces.”

Lady Maud awaited the group until their platform locked into the floor, on a massive circular platform with round carpets of red in the center and scattered around the edges. She twirled a full 360 degrees while trailing her closed parasol on the ground, creating an elaborate and decorated circle of pink light that expanded and rotated of its own accord. “Well now, my drab darlings! How will you get past this?”

“Okay, guys.” Blue decided, “Looks like our best bet is going to be a totem maneuver to throw someone over that barrier.” He examined the mystical construct. “Looks like we should be able to get three Links over there with a hard enough throw. Or, uh, y’know what I mean. Red, think you can manage it?”

“Only one way to find out!”

“Wait.” Styla held up her hand, “What’s the totem-” She was interrupted by Flat lifting her off the ground, followed by HyBlue and HyRed until they were standing atop each other’s hands. “Oh.” She looked down, “That’s the totem maneuver.”

HyRed sprinted towards Maud’s barrier, screaming under the weight of three others, until he tossed them over the magic. The strain of the maneuver caused him to collapse onto the floor, yelling, “Okay guys! It’s all you now!”

In the middle of the barrier, Lady Maud stood atop a raised platform covered in a scarlet rug. She swung her parasol in front of herself, generating three copies of it that shot at the Links and Styla like spears. HyBlue managed to dodge them, leaving them to embed themselves in the floor. “You two, good luck!” HyBlue tossed Flat and Styla onto the platform where Lady Maud stood.

“What?!” Maud’s eyes widened as Styla jumped down, clumsily swinging her sword. Maud frantically blocked it with her parasol, before she was forced to block Flat’s strike. “Oh, for the love of satin.” She was struck on both sides by Flat and Styla’s swords, causing her to screech in rage, “You insolent children!” She sprinted around the arena, shattering her own barrier and striking her opponents with her parasol.

“Ow! Red!” Flat yelled, “I thought you said this would be easy!” He blocked the parasol with his sword, turning it up so he could kick Lady Maud in the shin.

“Okay, but in my defense, were any of us taking her seriously?” HyRed struck her in the back. HyBlue jumped off his shoulders to slash Lady Maud from above, throwing her onto the ground.

“Yes! She’s down!” Styla threw her fists in the air with a pair of pom-poms. Flat stared at her, unblinking. “Where… where did you get those?”

Chapter Text

Multi took the zora mask off Wild’s face, transforming him back into a hylian. “Okay, it’s probably up to the guardians of time when he comes back, but we should get him back to normal before then.”

Wild shot up, gasping for breath. Multi fell over backwards from the surprise. “Hey, good timing!”

“Well? What did they say?” Zelda asked frantically, “How are we supposed to fix the universe?”

“Uh, yeah, that’s the neat part. Apparently we’re not.”

The witch of the drablands disappeared in a pillar of black and purple light, before reappearing above the center of the arena. She spun in midair, with a ball of golden light expanding from her chest until it enveloped her completely. Her outfit was completely transformed into a white brimmed hat with a pink bow, a pair of oversized blue-tinted glasses, white gloves and socks, a red dress, and an oversized pink bow on her chest with a splayed-out white frill around her neck, as well as a white cape.

“My eyes!” HyRed turned away from Lady Maud, “I wear a tunic and even I know that outfit is insane!”

“Guys! We need to stop her now!” Styla tried to hold her sword straight in both arms.

“Hytopia’s peace is depending on us!” HyBlue looked over Maud, analyzing her for any weak spot.

Flat glanced between the three. He muttered to himself, “You’re all stupid.”

“For the crime of invading the drablands and ruining my makeup, I sentence you all to being whacked upside the head!” A ring of purple light enveloped the red circle of carpet beneath her, causing it to fall into the clouds below. Lady Maud swung her parasol, with an orb of red light shooting out of the tip, sparking with electricity.

“I got it!” Flat sprinted, jumped, and swung his sword directly into the orb. It exploded on impact, giving him only a split second to react. “Oh sh-” He was enveloped by electricity, causing his limbs to jerk wildly in midair. “O-h-h-h m-y-y-y-!” The electricity summarily tossed him onto the floor.

“Was that part of the plan?” Styla asked, looking down at him with HyBlue and HyRed, “Because if so, then I gotta say, so far I’m not impressed.”

“So that’s it then?” Zelda exasperatedly threw her hands up, before placing them on her thighs, “All this time trying to figure out how we’re going to fix time, and it wasn’t even broken to begin with.”

“Yep.” Wild confirmed, “So, I guess all that’s left to do is to get the others back home.” He looked around the room, at the other young warriors. “I’m going to miss you guys.”

“I’m gonna miss you all too.” Linkle inhaled, closing her eyes. “I can’t believe I got to fight alongside my fellow legendary heroes.”

“Guys.” Wolf placed a hand on Linkle’s arm. “I think we should save our goodbyes for when we actually leave. Otherwise, we’re just going to be thinking about it all day.”

“Won’t we be thinking about it if we don’t say our goodbyes now?” Avian argued, “We should get the closure first, and then we won’t have anything distracting us from finding our way home.”

Wolf released Linkle’s arm. He chuckled darkly, “Yeah. I guess you’re right. I’m honestly going to miss all of you. Wild, you and Zelda have a good thing going here. I’m not sure how I feel about her in my own time, but I’m happy for you two.”

“Yeah.” Sail shrugged, “This has been fun and all, but I need to get back home to my grandma, and Aryll, and Tetra and her pirates.”

“That reminds me, I’ve gotta tell my grandma about this.” Linkle smiled proudly, “She’ll never believe me.”

“Well…” Wild took out his sheikah slate.

He turned on the camera rune.

He looked at Linkle, and forced a smile. “How about one last picture? We can go to the tech lab and have a separate copy printed for each of us.”

“Sounds good.” Multi decided, before standing up. “Come on, guys. Let’s get this over with.” He waited for the others to stand up.

“Is everyone ready? I’m still not sure how exactly we’re going to do this.” Zelda clarified.

“I know we’ll figure it out.” Wild assured her. The other Links nodded their assent.

“Then let’s go.” Zelda decided, “It’s time to put things right.”

“Okay, new plan.” HyBlue decided, “We only hit the light balls that correspond to our colors. Otherwise, well…” He gestured to Flat’s singed green tunic.

“Time to put your theory to the test!” Styla pointed at the lady’s parasol, with orbs of green, red, blue, and brown light emerging from the tip. “I wonder who the brown one’s for.”

The Links all turned to Styla. HyRed spoke first, “Are you serious?”

“What? No, I’m kidding. Sure. Defin-”

“Watch out!” Flat brought their attention back to Lady Maud and the four strikes she sent out in a fanning pattern. They curved at the halfway point to converge on the group. All four of them swung their swords simultaneously, deflecting the orbs to attack Lady Maud. “Oh f-” She was enveloped by electricity, causing her limbs to jerk wildly in midair. “O-h-h-h m-y-y-y-!” The electricity summarily tossed her onto the floor.

“Yeah!” Flat yelled, “That’s how it feels!”

The seven Hylians walked into the remnants of the temple of time, atop the great plateau. The stones of the massive building were darkened from time, with crumbling pillars covered in vines, leaving the open air exposed. At the end of the grass-covered hall was a statue of the goddess Hylia.

“This…” Multi looked across the temple at the statue, “...This is the temple of time?” His hands were shaking, and his mouth felt dry. The statue seemed to grow in distance away from him.

“Guess so.” Wolf put a hand on Multi’s shoulder. He tried to conceal the fact that he was blatantly shaking. “It’s a lot, isn’t it?”

Multi could only vaguely nod. Zelda looked over at the two. “Are you guys okay? You look shaken.”

“Yeah, Zel, we’re fine.” Multi gestured vaguely at the interior of the temple, “It’s just a lot to take in. Last time I was here, I… that’s when I pulled out the master sword. That’s when all this started.”

“Oh.” Zelda put her hands on his shoulders, and smiled reassuringly. “Hey, we know now that it wasn’t your fault. Also, the only one allowed to call me ‘Zel’ is Wild.”

“Right, right, sorry and thanks.”

Sail walked forward, until he was halfway between the entrance and the statue. Any closer, and he would’ve needed to crane his neck to see the stone face. “I remember this place being a lot bigger in my time.”

“Yeah, same here.” Wolf concurred, “What about you, Multi? Any changes from when you last saw it?”

“Uh… not… really, no. At least, nothing that can’t be explained from the fact that it’s been a few dozen millennia.”

“Maybe it’s because you two are from alternate timelines.” Avian suggested, “Anyway, since this is the temple of time, we might be able to find some way to get home here. Or at least, it’s the closest thing we have to a lead.”

“Didn’t you mention something about a gate of time?” Linkle asked, “Could that be what we’re looking for?”

“For the record, I’ve never seen anything like that.” Wild brought up, “The closest I’ve ever seen was the portal to the twilight realm.”

“You guys have been there, too?!” Linkle stumbled forward, startled. Zelda, as well as her fellow Links, all turned to her, blinking in inexplicable simultaneity.

“Linkle, you already know I’ve been to the twilight realm.” Wolf pointed out, “That was my inaugural adventure.”

“Did you seriously just use the word ‘inaugural’ in a casual conversation?” Avian crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. “But yeah, Linkle, we all went to the twilight realm a little while before you joined us.”

“Really?!” She leaned forward, hands clasped together in front of her chest, bouncing on her heels and listening intently. “Tell me everything! Don’t gloss over a single detail!”

Wolf laughed, “Okay, okay, let’s sit down. This could take a while.”

While the seven were sitting on the grass that’d grown over the temple floor, Multi brought up, “Hey, didn’t we already talk about this? Y’know, when we were telling the past Links about our adventures? And the future Links. Also the alternate timeline Links.”

“Well yeah, but I was asleep for most of those, and they feel like so long ago that I’ve completely forgotten.”

“Same here.” Zelda added, “I’ve only vaguely heard of the twilight realm from legends and historical records, so I’d love to hear about it from a first-hand account. Without being in mortal danger, preferably.”

“Oh, yeah, I’m a big fan of not being in mortal danger.” Wolf seconded, “Okay, so you remember when we were first fighting Zant, right? Well, I mean, first for you guys, anyway.”

“Oh, I know him!” Linkle pointed out excitedly, “He’s the guy with the robes and the freaky mask who flails his arms around and screams while holding scimitars, right? Honestly, I’m kinda surprised he never cut himself on those things.”

“Yeah, Zant was a real enigma wrapped in a mystery wrapped in ceremonial robes. So, anyway, Zant made it to this era after the time shenanigans started, and he took over Hateno village. We retreated to Kakariko, where we met up with Impa and decided our best bet would be to go to the twilight realm ourselves to figure something out.”

“What was it like? Is Midna still the ruler? Was she a cute little imp, or was she really tall and hot?”

“She was-”

“Hey, wait a second!” Zelda interrupted Wolf, pointing at Linkle, “I thought you told me you didn’t swing that way.”

Linkle sat up straighter, trying to sound intelligent, “You don’t have to be gay to appreciate a woman’s beauty, Zelda.”

“Uh-huh. Well, just to be clear, she was in her really tall and hot form.” Wolf clarified.

“Oh really?” Multi leaned forward, hands flat under his chin, blinking rapidly.

“Shut up!” Wolf’s face went bright red.

Linkle giggled, “Okay, okay, so what happened?”

“Okay, so we were talking with the twilight realm princess, Midna. We had to help her fight off the original demon lord Ghirahim, and then she gave me this.” He held up a piece of metal tied around his neck. “I used to only be able to transform into a wolf with Midna’s help. With this, though, I can shapeshift whenever I want. It’s even more efficient than Multi’s transformation masks, since I don’t have to put anything on my face.”

“Yeah, well, at least I’ve got more versatility. You’ve only got one extra form; I’ve got 4 of them.”

“Yeah, and one of them can get you killed if you use it too often.” Wolf argued, “So, after that we went back to Hyrule and used this to stop Zant. One thing led to another, until we were fighting Volga, and that’s when you showed up.”

“Yeah, and then I helped you guys fight him off. You’re welcome. So, any ideas?”

“Nope.” Zelda stood up, brushing the dirt off her leggings. “Not unless anyone has any epiphanies they’d like to share.”

“Actually, what if I put the master sword into its pedestal?” Multi suggested, “Don’t get me wrong; it’s definitely a long shot, but it might work.”

Zelda thumbed her chin in thought. “I… suppose it makes sense, in some way. If you pulling out the master sword in your era was what brought you into this era, then maybe doing the same in reverse will have an opposite effect. Now we just have to teleport to the korok forest, where the pedestal is guarded by the great deku tree.”

“Oh, right. The great deku tree.” Multi gripped his elbow in the opposite hand. “Guess we’ll have to talk with him, huh?”

“Multi, is something wrong?” Linkle asked, before she realized, “Is this because of what happened to the great deku tree in your timeline?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry; I know it’s not the same deku tree, but I just…” He visibly winced, “I just can’t get it out of my head. The way he looked, turning gray and dying…” Multi shuddered, whispering, “That was my dad.”

Linkle slowly approached her counterpart. “Multi? Is it okay if I touch you? I promise, I won’t hurt you.”

“Uh, yeah. Sure. Okay.” Multi blurted out breathlessly. Linkle took a few more steps, and pulled Multi into a tight embrace. “Is this okay?”

Multi’s breath audibly hitched, “Yeah. This feels nice. I’m sorry, Linkle.”

“Why? You have every right to be upset about what happened.” She assured him, “Besides, we’re like family, so of course I’m going to help you with stuff like this.”

“Thank you so much.” Multi reciprocated the embrace.

“Hey, just so you know, I can kind of relate. Sort of. I never met my parents, but my grandma used to tell me a lot of stories about them.”

“You mean the grandma who lied to you?” Wolf muttered between his teeth. Avian elbowed him in the side, hissing, “Dude! Time and place!”

“Did you ever meet your grandfather?” Multi asked, “Wait, sorry, is that okay to ask?”

“You’re fine. And yeah, I met him. He died when I was a kid, but I still remember how we used to spend our time together. He taught me the basics of archery with tiny, blunt sticks, and we used to go fishing together, and he helped me with my farming…” She tightened her hold on Multi. “I miss him. It’s been almost a decade, and I still miss him, so don’t feel guilty for your grief.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Multi practically whispered, “Thanks, again. This means a lot to me.”

“I know.” Linkle released him, “I’m going to miss you guys.”

“Trust me, it’s mutual.” Multi looked over at the rest of the group. “Uh, you guys… sorry you had to see that.”

“It’s fine.” Sail assured him, “I used to get the same way when I was worried about Aryll. So, are you ready?”

Multi nodded emphatically, “Yeah. Let’s go.”

“You wretches!” Lady Maud floated over to the hole in the floor, and descended out of sight. The four glanced around at each other. “Did, um, did we win?” Flat hazarded.

The lady slowly ascended from the floor, cackling in a high-pitched voice. She was now wearing a hat consisting of four red and yellow feathers that jutted out from her head, over a pair of pink-tinted sunglasses stylized to resemble a bird’s wings. In her hand was a golden staff, ending in a circle with spikes radiating from it like sunbeams. She wore a massive three-tiered dress, covered in harsh, bright colors, that increased her height so that she towered over the Links and Styla. Eight butterfly wings, shimmering pink and white, sprouted from her back with a gust of wind, casting the arena in the lady’s shadow.

HyRed conked Flat on the head with the pommel of his sword. “You just had to jinx it, didn’t you?!”

“Here we are, guys.” Wild gestured at the massive clearing in the lost woods. It consisted of a massive circular area, populated by dozens of tiny koroks and an unfathomably ancient, massive tree with a face. “The korok forest.”

“Wow.” Multi stepped forward, alongside the others, before bowing to the tree at the back of the clearing. “Great deku tree. You’re so much bigger than I remember.”

The great deku tree looked down, despite being immobile. “Ah, Link. I thought I sensed a change in the flow of time. Tell me, what brings you all here?”

“Great deku tree, we come seeking your assistance.” Multi explained the series of events that’d preceded their meeting. “So, can we use the pedestal?”

The tree gave a low, aged chuckle. “Of course. And don’t feel the need to bow, hero of time. My ancestors have passed down stories of your valiant attempts to save my progenitor’s life from the dark lord’s machinations.”

Multi stood up. “Thank you, sir. And for the record, it was an honor being a part of kokiri forest in my time.” He walked up to the vine-covered slab of rock that’d once held Wild’s master sword. He turned back to the others. “Is this it?”

“Yeah, you’ve got it! Just shove it in!” Wild called over to his counterpart.

Multi nodded. “Okay.” He unsheathed the master sword, and held it over the crevice in the pedestal. “Here goes nothing.” His arms shook. He lowered the blade, only to stop just shy of plunging it into the stone. “I’m not sure, guys.” He pulled the blade out of the stone, “I want to go home, don’t get me wrong, but what if this only works once or something? What if it has some other effect that we can’t predict? I think someone else should go first.”

“Okay, that’s… I guess that’s a good point.” Wild agreed, “So, who calls dibs?”

Lady Maud’s wings retracted into her, and she was surrounded by a half dozen parasol tops that rotated around her a few feet off the ground. Their colors consisted of red, green, blue, and yellow.

“Okay, HyBlue, any ideas?” Flat requested, “I need a plan here.”

HyBlue observed the parasols. Lady Maud used telekinesis to close half of the parasols, throwing them so fast that they rotated and formed multicolored circles in the air. “Step 1: dodge!” All three Links jumped out of the attacks’ path, while Flat tackled Styla to compensate for her lack of practiced reaction time.

“Oh, wow.” The young princess blushed, “You saved me! I have to admit, you’re actually quite handsome-”

“Nope.” Flat stood up, “Not doing this.”

“Okay, here’s the plan.” HyBlue decided, pointing at the remaining parasols. “Each of those parasols corresponds to our colors, and they’re probably like those magic balls- they’ll only work with matching colors. That means we just need to get me on a blue one, HyRed on a red one, and so on.”

HyRed swung his blade through the air. “Alright, let’s go!”

Linkle stood off to the side, closing herself off from the others. Her own thoughts drowned out their conversation, until Avian snapped his fingers in her face, yanking her back to reality. “Huh? What?”

“Hey, Linkle, you okay?” Avian cocked his head to the side, blatantly concerned. “Is this because you don’t have a master sword?”

“Uh… yeah. If I don’t have a master sword to put in that pedestal, and that’s what we’re using to get home, then…” She gestured wildly, before letting her arms hang loose at her sides, “...how am I supposed to get back to my own time? We haven’t even figured out where my adventures fall in the timeline! Or which timeline!” She grabbed Avian by the shoulders, yelling into his face. He put a hand on her shoulder. Linkle’s arms relaxed slightly. “I-I’m sorry, Avian, it’s just, I-I-I don’t know-”

Avian pulled his counterpart into an embrace. “It’s okay. We’re going to figure this out. We’re going to get all of us home, no matter what.”

“Okay.” Linkle trembled. “I’m sorry.” “It’s fine.” Avian assured her, “There’s no shame in being vulnerable.” Linkle practically whispered, “Thanks.”

Multi glanced over to Avian and Linkle, before addressing the great deku tree, “Sir, do you have any idea where or when Linkle came from? If we had some idea, we might be able to help her get home. Please; she’s like a sister to us.”

“I am truly sorry, hero of time.” The great deku tree somberly admitted, “I don’t know where this young woman came from, let alone how to get her back there. In fact, there is something… temporally foreign about her. It is hardly my position to cast doubt upon her heroism, for I trust Zelda’s judgment, but I suspect she may be an outsider to the branched timelines.”

“What?” Zelda ran over in front of Multi. “Sir, what are you talking about?! Are you saying she’s from another universe entirely?”

“I do not know for certain, young heiress. Matters of time and space are beyond my knowledge. I am but a humble forest guardian, and a staunch ally to Hyrule’s royal family.”

“Yeah, about that…” Zelda rubbed her arm, “I don’t actually call myself a princess anymore. Hyrule’s royal family is…” She hesitated, “I don’t want to say dead, but until the kingdom is rebuilt to its former glory, I don’t feel worthy of ruling anything.”

The great deku tree muttered to himself in contemplation. He responded aloud, “Very well. I can respect your decision, though I believe Hyrule will need someone to lead it back to prosperity. Now then, what will you all do next?”

“I think I might have an idea.” Multi suggested, holding out his sword, “Linkle, you mentioned that we accidentally crossed paths once, right? What if we both held my master sword, and put it in the pedestal together? It’s not a perfect solution, but it could at least get us somewhere.”

“Okay.” Linkle extricated herself from Avian, and walked over to Multi. He held out his blade, pointed downwards with his hand clasped around the bottom of the hilt. She briefly hesitated, before grabbing the other half of the hilt. She winced and gasped, yet managed to hold onto it. “I’m ready.”

The four children used the totem maneuver to throw HyRed onto a red parasol, where he slashed lady Maud’s partially-covered face. She cried out in pain, before multiple lightning strikes descended onto the parasols, throwing him onto the ground. “HyRed! You okay?!” HyBlue yelled down from between Flat and Styla.

“Ow. Worth it.” HyRed stood up. “Okay, Styla, you’re up next.” He placed himself at the bottom of the totem pole, and guided the other three until HyBlue tossed Styla onto one of the yellow parasols. She screamed and frantically sliced at the witch’s face, until another cluster of lightning strikes sent her sprawling to the ground. “I-I’m fine. You guys keep going!”

“Right!” HyRed and HyBlue tossed Flat onto a green parasol, where he threw his blade upwards into lady Maud’s face.

“You… filthy… disgusting… monochromatic heathens!” She called down another lightning strike. Her wings grew out from her back, pulsating and shimmering a blinding multitude of colors, before she disappeared in a flash of light.

“I can’t believe I didn’t get to attack her final form.” HyRed lamented to himself.

Linkle and Multi both lowered the master sword into its pedestal. A white light emerged from the slot like a fountain, and their hands were adhered to the hilt of the sword. The light spread out in the sky over the forest, and descended over the clearing in a dome. The six Links and Zelda were all that remained in an infinite expanse of white.

“Not again.” Multi groaned, before the physical world reassembled itself around him. They were in an expanse of blackened and burnt grass, with a gray-stoned castle a mile or two in the distance, once protected by a now-broken through barricade of stone.

“The castle! I recognize this!” Linkle celebrated, letting go of the master sword. Her hand was peppered with small burn marks that she ignored. “Guys, this is where I fought that giant lizard I mentioned! I remember the grass looked just like this!”

“So, this is your universe?” Zelda looked up at the castle, “I know I’m hardly in a position to judge, but… yikes. Was there some sort of battle?”

“Yeah. There were thousands of monsters, every kind you can imagine, plus the giant one that spat fireballs.” She rubbed at her golden compass. “Except the grass was like this when I got here. Now that I think about it, maybe there was another battle. I wonder if this time has a real legendary hero, if I’m not the one.”

“Maybe, but we can’t worry about that right now.” Multi decided, “You mentioned that something happened with time and space, right?”

“Yeah, both our universes started crashing together, and I’m pretty sure it had something to do with Cia. I’m not sure how that can help us, though.”

“Okay, team, hear me out here.” Avian pointed at the castle, “If this place has a castle, then it’s gotta have a princess Zelda. Maybe she can help us out.”

“Maybe.” Wild agreed, “Plus, any plan that involves two Zeldas at once is at least worth a shot.”

“Link, I’m right here. But, yeah, we should take any lead we possibly can.” Zelda started running towards the castle. “Come on, the quicker we can get this done, the better!”

Chapter Text

Princess Zelda stood in a field of grass, playing the harp that’d been passed down her family since time immemorial. She felt a sudden pang of dread, and the blue sky turned the color of dark blood. She put her harp down, and unsheathed the rapier on her back.

A cloud of darkness raced towards her. Before she could do anything, or so much as register her situation, it swarmed over her. A freezing cold seeped into her bones, and a harsh laughter surrounded her. A pale face, with two beady red eyes and a third eye, glowing orange and filled with malice, on its forehead descended upon her. Its laughter drowned out her screams.

Zelda awoke with a yelp, her sheets and nightgown stuck to her by a cold sweat. “Impa!” She called, “Impa, I think something’s coming!” Her door opened, and a tall, muscular young woman walked through. “I’ve already seen it. Look out the window.”

Zelda stood up to walk over to the window, first noticing how blue the sky was. “I slept in? Impa, why’d you let me sleep in?”

“I figured you could use the rest after what happened with Ganon last week. My apologies.”

Zelda shook her head, “No, that’s- thank you.” She looked down. “Uh… Impa? Am I still dreaming, or just really tired?” The sheikah warrior shook her head. “I’m afraid you’re seeing that correctly, princess.” The monarch groaned, hitting her head against the windowsill to her caretaker’s obvious concern, “And here I thought we’d fixed our problems with the timelines. Alright.” She stood up straight, and rolled her shoulders. “Impa, go down there and greet our guests. I’ll be with you as soon as I’m dressed.”

“As you wish, your highness.” Impa bowed quickly, before walking out.

The six Links and the former princess approached the castle. They walked on paved stone, leading to a massive, arch-shaped pair of closed wooden doors. “So, what’s our plan here, exactly?” Sail asked, “We’re just gonna walk up to the local Zelda and tell her, ‘ah, yes, we’re all dimensional counterparts of someone you may or may not know and who also may or may not be a girl where you’re from, and we’ve also got your counterpart with us, and we need your help to get us all back home without breaking time and space.’?”

“Of course that’s not the plan.” Zelda assured him.

“Wait, we have a plan?!” Linkle piped up, “I thought we were just winging it.”

“Of course we have a plan.” Avian pointed at the castle, “We’re going to knock on the door, request an audience with the local Zelda or whoever’s running the show around here, and see if she can help us.”

“That’s not a plan.” Sail argued, “It’s barely a concept. Maybe an outline.” The doors slowly opened, their corners connected to the wall by chains. A young woman, tall and muscular, wearing a uniform adorned with sheikah symbols, walked out onto the stone path. She was flanked on either side by three guards, until the two groups of seven met some dozen feet away from the now wide-open doors.

Impa struck the ground with the blunt end of her naginata. “Who are you? State your names and purpose.”

“Don’t worry guys; I’ve got this.” Linkle took a few steps closer to the sheikah. “Hi, I’m Linkle. These are my friends Link, Link, Link, Link, Link, Link, and Zelda. Hey, wait, aren’t you that Impa lady? I know you!”

Impa lowered her blade. “Linkle? I thought you looked familiar. So, how did you come across six versions of the legendary hero? Let alone another Zelda?”

“Yeah…” Linkle turned to look at her companions, before turning back to Impa. “That’s a long story. Is it alright if we come inside the castle? I can vouch for the others.”

“I’m sure the princess would be okay with that. And sorry for not recognizing you.”

“Oh, that’s fine.” Linkle shrugged, “I think I had my hood up last time we met, plus we were fighting monsters most of the time.”

“Of course. Please, follow me. Soldiers, to your stations.” The soldiers saluted Impa and followed her command, before she led the Links and the other Zelda into the castle.

Impa walked ahead of the group to find the princess at the entrance of the castle, wearing a golden suit of armor over a pink dress. “Your highness, the strangers have requested an audience with you. Linkle is among them, and the others are six different versions of Link. You were also there.”

Zelda inhaled slowly, before deeply sighing, “Okay. Bring them in.” She turned to the door as the seven dimensional foreigners walked in. “Woah. I wasn’t ready for this.” She walked over to the group, examining the other Zelda’s face. “So, you’re the other princess, huh?”

“Uh, yeah, sort of, I guess.” The other Zelda hesitated, “I don’t actually call myself ‘princess’, though. It’s a long story.”

“Alright. That’s probably for the best, since we can call me princess and you Zelda. Now, Zelda, I need you to explain exactly how all of you got here.”

“Oh, now this brings back memories.” Multi sat on a nearby chair.

After some time, the group had explained to the monarch and the sheikah the series of events that had led them into a parallel version of Hyrule castle. The princess of the goddesses’ kingdom worried at her dress. “This is all… troubling. That’s putting it mildly. Impa, any suggestions?”

“Perhaps we should tell them about what happened to us. After all, it also regards interference from other timelines.” At her princess’s confirmation, she continued, “It all started when the castle was invaded by a horde of demons, led by the dragon knight Volga. You’ve met him. Zelda- this Zelda, I mean- disappeared in the chaos, and I appointed our most skilled knight-in-training, this timeline’s version of Link, as an official knight of hyrule.”

Linkle made a noise as though she were being strangled. “So that’s it then.” She let out a forced, choked laugh, “I’m really not the legendary hero. My entire life, everything I’ve built myself on, it’s all a lie! I don’t even know how I’m going to tell my grandmother.”

“If it’s any consolation, you practically decided our victory against the remnants of Ganon’s army last week.” Impa continued, “Now, after that, we encountered the sorceress Lana, who we later found out was split from Cia when Ganon separated her from her good magic, leaving her corrupt. He used her affections for Link, tricking her into using the gate of time in the valley of seers to bring the era of the sky, the era of twilight, and the era of the hero of time to us.”

“Oh!” Multi shot up, grabbing Linkle by the shoulders. “Linkle, you told me you met the Skull Kid, right?! And I saw you meeting the Skull Kid! So that must’ve happened after Cia messed with the gate of time!”

“Meaning…?”

The self-deposed Zelda snapped her fingers in realization, “Meaning that the gate of time might be our key to getting you all back home and finishing this once and for all! Other me, where is it?”

“It should be in the valley of seers, assuming it wasn’t destroyed. But are you sure this is a good idea? When Cia tried to use it, she nearly broke the universe and brought Ganondorf back more powerful than ever before.”

“No, there’s probably a hundred ways and then some this can go wrong.” The Zelda from the era of the wild agreed, “But so far, this is by far the best lead we’ve gotten. If you could get someone to take us to this valley of seers, we’d owe you an unpayable debt.”

The monarch looked down in thought, before addressing her caretaker, “Impa, send a messenger to request Link’s assistance. Our Link, I mean.”

The sheikah bowed. “As you wish, Princess.” She walked over to another room in the castle. Zelda turned to the foreigners. “You’ll owe us no debt. After all, Hyrule is still Hyrule, even in other dimensions. Still, I should warn you that we haven’t been to the valley of seers since the battle against Ganon last week. There’s no telling what could be there now.”

“So what?” Multi laughed, “We’ve got six heroes of legend and the descendant of a goddess on our side!” Linkle snarled, “No. We’ve got five heroes of legend, a goddess’s descendant, and an archer with exploding boots on our side. Honestly, I might not even join you guys. I’m already home, and it’s not like I’d be adding much.”

“Stop that.” Wolf argued, “Just because you don’t have the master sword or the triforce of courage or whatever doesn’t make you any less of a hero. You still helped us against Volga, and you’ve never given up before. Why start now?”

“Yeah. I guess. Can I be honest with you guys?” She hesitated, “I just want to see my grandma again. I need an explanation.”

Avian traced his fingertips on her shoulder, helping to ground her. “That’s fine. If you know where your village is, we can help you get there.”

“Um… I could find a map, but I can’t exactly read it.” Linkle admitted.

“Okay, I think the rest of us can read maps.” Multi suggested, “We can help you get to your village, and then you can get your grandmother to tell you the truth about yourself.”

Linkle shot up to hug Multi. “Thank you so much! You have no idea how much that means to me!”

“Hey, no problem. Zelda, I mean, other Zelda, do you have a map we could use?”

“Yeah.” The ruler stood up, “I’ll get it for you.”

The group of seven walked through the forest, until they came across a small village with a few dozen basically-constructed buildings. Linkle gasped, “My village! I’m home!” She sprinted into the middle of the community, leaving the others to follow her. Zelda wore a hood to conceal her face, while the other Links ignored the villagers’ muttering and staring at them.

After a few minutes, Linkle stood in front of a house. She held her arm out in front of the rest of the group. “Okay, this is my grandma’s place. I’ll see if she’s home, and tell you guys when you can come in. Is- is that alright?”

“Of course it’s fine.” Zelda assured her, “I mean, she’s your grandmother.”

“Thanks.” Linkle smiled. She raised her fist to the wooden door. She briefly hesitated, clenching and unclenching her other hand, before knocking on the door. After a few seconds of waiting, with her chest rapidly feeling tighter, the door was opened by an old woman, a head taller than her with short white hair.

“Hi grandma.” Linkle smiled nervously, “I’m home.” The old woman immediately hugged her granddaughter. “Oh, sweetie, I’ve missed you so much. Where have you been?” Linkle reciprocated the hug, blinking back tears. “I-I’m sorry. I wanted to come back as soon as I was done at the castle, but it took so long and there was this whole other thing, and, and I met some new people.” She waved over to the others, “Hey, guys, I, um, I wanna introduce you. Grandma, please, just keep an open mind, okay?”

“Okay.” Linkle’s grandmother ran her hand through the young woman’s hair. “I promise, I’ll be fine with your new friends.” She looked up, and gasped in surprise at the group of near-identical boys.

“Yeah…” Linkle hissed through gritted teeth, “I promise, it all makes sense in context. There’s just a lot of context… and also context for the context…”

The sun was setting over the village by the time Linkle’s grandmother had been caught up on everything that’d happened to the group thus far. “I see. You must understand, children, this is all a lot to take in. When I allowed my granddaughter to venture out and fight for our kingdom, I hardly expected she’d come back with six of herself and the ruler of our kingdom.”

"But that's the problem; I didn't!" Linkle complained, "I told you, we found out I'm not a real Link, and I need answers! Why did you lie to me all my life?! Were you even lying, or did you just not know somehow?" Her voice cracked, and she clenched her eyes shut.

“Oh, Linkle, come here.” Her grandmother hugged the young woman, letting her cry into her shirt. “I hoped it would never come to this, or that you’d be able to find out under better circumstances. The truth is-”

They were interrupted by a young man crashing, screaming, through the wall and onto the table, breaking it in half. They all screamed and stepped back in alarm, before examining him. “Oh.” Linkle remarked, “It’s this world’s Link.” She held out her arm. “Hey, are you okay? I know this is confusing, but what happened to you?”

The newcomer accepted her hand. He wore the standard green tunic, with chainmail armor underneath and a decorative blue scarf around his neck. “Someone threw me. Who are you guys?”

“It’s a long story.” Zelda replied, “And more importantly, who threw you?”

“Him!” Link pointed through the hole in the wall, where a man walked inside. He wore a pitch-black and purple cloak, with a raised hood, waist-length cape tattered at the end, and gold trims. The man’s face was deathly pale, with a third eye, glowing red and orange. The third eye glowed red, with an orange vertical pupil, and was embedded into his forehead by wires of sheikah technology.

The six Links, Zelda, and Linkle stood between the pale man and the old woman. “Who are you?!” The archer demanded, “What are you doing?!”

The man chuckled, his voice as deep and smooth as the cosmos, “Greetings, little ones. I am Astor, seer of the Yiga clan. Or rather, former seer.” He mockingly bowed, craning his neck so he was still looking them in the eyes. “Ah, the adorable young princess of Hyrule.” Astor transformed into a ball of pulsating red-and-black malice, the substance intrinsically linked to Calamity Ganon, and flew over to Zelda before turning back into a hylian, standing behind her with his hands on her shoulders.

Zelda yelped, turning around while wresting herself from Astor’s grip, and punched him in his third eye. He grunted in pain, holding the eye with one hand. “Ah. I see you’ve got just as much spunk as I remember.”

Wild drew his master sword and pointed it at Astor, standing next to Zelda. “Who are you? How do you know Zelda?!”

Astor’s face turned into an expression of mocking faux-sadness, as he drawled, “Oh, Link, surely you remember me. The prophet of the yiga clan, most loyal servant to Calamity Ganon.”

“Um…” Wild tried to remember, “Nope. Sorry, man. Doesn’t ring a bell.”

“I remember you.” Zelda realized, taking a few steps back. “You thought yourself the right hand of the calamity, and it killed you for your hubris. How are you back?”

“He must be from another time.” Avian surmised, “What’s the last thing you remember?”

“Why, I was… was…” Astor’s face fell, “...being absorbed into the calamity. I was in immense agony, more than your feeble minds could hope to encompass. Even I struggle to comprehend the sheer agony. But something has brought me here, and shown me the truth. You are the Link and Zelda, or at least one of you is the Link from my timeline, yet not from my timeline.”

Wild held his sword out horizontally in front of himself. “Zelda, the hell’s he talking about?”

“No matter! I’m going to annihilate every last one of you, and take this Hyrule for my own!” Astor transformed into a flying orb of malice, rocketing at the group. “Get down!” Sail yelled, as the group dove to the floor. Astor flew out of the hole in the wall, transformed back into himself, and turned around. “Are you going to let me kill this timeline’s princess Zelda?”

“Don’t waste your breath!” Wild ran outside, “I may not remember you, but I’ll never let you do what you want with any version of Hyrule!” He charged forward, throwing his sword at Astor while taking out his sheikah slate.

“What a foolish move.” Astor smirked.

“I’m not done yet!” Wild activated magnesis on the master sword, attaching it to the slate by a line of red light. He turned his entire body to swing the master sword left, then right, slicing Astor twice. He turned again to strike a third time, before dragging the master sword towards himself. He turned off the magnesis rune, leaving the blade to fly through the air. Wild used the sheikah slate to jump onto the master cycle zero in mid-sprint, holding out one arm to grab the master sword from the air.

Astor tossed out a sphere of red energy just as the master cycle zero rotated, with Link only holding the handlebars on one side. The back wheel raised into the air, deflecting the mystical energy so it exploded off to the side. Wild sheathed his master sword, holding the handlebars with both hands while riding towards Astor.

“Master armor zero, engage!” He jumped while the armor assembled itself onto him, raising his arm and grabbing the handlebar blade. He unsheathed the master sword to duel-wield the blades. Before Astor could react, Wild swung down with both swords, slicing an X pattern into the self-proclaimed prophet.

Astor flew backwards, landing on the ground. “No. This… I won’t let this happen! I won’t be subjugated any longer! Hollows, arise and defend your master!” Clouds of pure black smoke descended from his hands onto the ground, taking the shape of six dark Links and a corrupted Zelda. A goron, zora, rito, and gerudo joined them, all pitch-black save for red eyes gleaming with malice.

“He’s created copies of us and the champions!” Zelda realized, nocking a light arrow in her bow.

“Oh thanks, I never could’ve figured that out!” Sail beelined to the smallest of the hollows, matching sword strikes with his counterpart.

“Okay, time for some rapid-fire transformations!” Multi turned into a goron and slammed his fists into the ground, leaving a crevice while knocking the Daruk hollow off its balance. He swung his fists at the Mipha hollow, whose greater mobility allowed it to dodge every strike while occasionally striking with a shadowy trident. The Revali hollow flew high above the battlefield, raining down bomb, shock, and regular arrows. Wild and Zelda shot at it with the handlebar lasers, while the hollow Wild distracted them both.

“Please, grandma, just tell me the truth!” Linkle begged, screaming to be heard over the sounds of fighting in the background, “Why keep this from me! I know I’m not the legendary hero, so what’s the point of not giving me the full story?! I- please, I just want to know who I am! Who I’m supposed to be! Is that so much to ask?!”

Avian launched a skyward strike that was matched by his hollow.

Multi transformed into a zora to fire his elbow blades at the Mipha hollow. It deflected with its trident, while the Daruk hollow slammed its fist into him. His elbow blades returned, barely in time to block a strike from the Urbosa hollow’s scimitar.

Wolf and his hollow both transformed into canines, mutually entangling themselves in a flurry of claws and fangs. Wolf could feel blood dripping from his mouth and sides, yet couldn’t tell whose it was.

“Child, why don’t you join your friends? It sounds like they could use your help.” Linkle’s grandmother pointed through the hole in her wall.

“Don’t do that. I know what you’re doing. You’re trying to change the subject. That’s it, isn’t it? You told me I was the hero of legend! The next reincarnation of Hyrule’s savior! Why?! Was it… to boost my self-esteem? Is that it? Please, grandma, just tell me the truth already. That’s all I want.”

“And all I want is for you to help your friends. Instead, you’re staying in here, pointing fingers at your own grandmother. Now that you know you’re not destined for the triforce of courage, have you become that much of a coward? Is that all it takes?”

“I… I…”

“Tell me, Linkle. How much do those children mean to you?”

Linkle turned back to look past the hole in the wall. “They’re like brothers to me. Or, I guess a sister, in Zelda’s case.”

The old woman smiled calmly. “Like brothers. More than you know, child.”

“You’re right. I’ll help them, and then you’ve got a lot of explaining to do.” Just as Linkle was about to walk out of the hole, she stopped and turned around. “Wait. Grandma, are you saying…?”

The old woman only nodded at her granddaughter. The young woman stifled a gasp. “I… I gotta go now!”

“Daruk’s protection!” Wild activated a force field, with barely enough time to protect himself and Sail from a barrage of the Revali hollow’s bomb arrows. The Sail hollow jumped over from the side, striking at the youngest of the group.

Sail blocked his hollow’s sword. The living shadow forced him back, pressing his own sword closer to his neck. Sail lowered his sword to the other blade’s hilt, and pressed down before twisting his arm, deflecting his counterpart’s blade. The hollow spun in a full circle, striking his knees. Sail gasped in pain. He collapsed to the ground, dripping blood onto the grass. He strained every muscle in his neck to look up, watching through blurred vision as his hollow doppelganger raised its sword.

The hollow brought its sword down. Sail closed his eyes, and yelped. He heard the sound of metal colliding with metal, and opened his eyes. Wild stood over him, blocking the smaller hollow’s sword with his own. He sliced at the hollow, forcing it back. “You okay?” He started pouring red potion on Sail’s cuts.

“Yeah. Thanks- watch out!” Sail pointed at a bomb arrow rocketing downwards in their direction. “No; I’m out of Daruk’s protection!” Another bomb arrow collided with the revali hollow’s in midair, creating a massive fiery explosion. The force of the blast radius pushed the two Links onto the ground.

“I… I gotta go now!”  Linkle sprinted outside, her mind racing to connect the dots she’d been given. She focused her attention on a bomb arrow, launched by the Revali hollow at Sail and Wild. Wordlessly, she fired a bomb arrow of her own that collided with the other projectile in midair.

“Hey, are you two okay?” She helped Sail and Wild to their feet after the explosion had launched them back. “Yeah.” Wild coughed, “I think I might’ve swallowed some smoke, but I’ll be fine.”

Sail nodded, “Yeah, thanks.” He rushed back into the fight. Wild loosely gripped Linkle’s elbows, indicating for her to face him. “Did your grandma tell you anything?”

“Um, sort of. I think- okay, this is gonna sound nuts, but I think this timeline’s Link might be my brother.”

Wild’s arms fell to his side. “Huh. Okay, I mean, I guess that explains a few things.”

“Yeah, but it raises a ton more questions!” Linkle shook her head, loudly exhaling, “When this is over, I’m going to have some choice words for my grandma.”

“Okay, cool, but first, think you can take down that hollow Revali?”

Linkle grinned, loading an explosive projectile into her crossbow. “Now that’s something I can handle!” She sprinted around the battleground, firing bomb arrows mid-run. The Revali hollow soared through the sky to dodge her attacks, constantly turning and twisting while firing its own ammunition. It launched a bomb arrow and a shock arrow simultaneously, forcing Linkle to backflip away from the electrified explosion.

The explosion rang through Linkle’s ear as she flipped off the ground. The air heated up to an insufferable degree, and the electricity caused her hair to stand on end. She twisted herself in midair, kicking the hollow Sail.

Sail covered his face from the explosion, as Linkle kicked off his hollow doppelganger. “Hey, I didn’t just finish an easy win for you, did I?”

“No, you, erm, you’re good. Thanks for the save.” Sail gestured elsewhere, “Maybe we should split up and help the others.”

“Agreed. You go help Wolf or Zelda or someone. I’ve gotta talk with the local Link.” Sail nodded, and ran over to Wolf and his counterpart.

Link jumped, matching blades with his hollow self in midair, before landing back on the ground. A bomb arrow sailed past his head from behind, and engulfed the hollow in flames. Linkle skidded to a stop next to him. “Hey bro.” She bounced on her heels, stammering, “Y-you need some help?”

“Uh…” Link glanced at his hollow, putting its shield on its back. “Well, first things first, how about some explanations?” Linkle nodded, sprinting forward. “Okay, we’ll fight and talk then!” The hollow held up its shield as she jump-kicked, protecting itself from the fire despite the explosive force knocking it back several feet. Its heels dug into the ground.

“First off…” Linkle explained while using her crossbow to block the hollow’s sword strikes, “...Those guys are all reincarnations of each other. Avian was technically the original, before Hyrule was even founded.” She swung her crossbow, using every muscle in both arms,  and flipped to the side. Her right foot caught the hollow in its chin, launching it upwards in a small burst of fire.

“Interesting!” Link fired an ice arrow, which was blocked by his doppelganger’s sword in midair. “So, they’re all the same person? And you too?”

“Uh, sort of.” Linkle shot a few arrows out of the air, peppering the sky with explosions. She sprinted away as the hollow embedded its sword into the ground, turning around to fire another three bomb arrows mid-movement. The hollow cut through the air horizontally, with such flawless timing and precision that the explosions went off directly behind it. “Woah.” Linkle found herself taken aback. “Uh, so, like I was saying, apparently something happened after Multi’s first adventure, and that caused the timeline to split in three.”

“Seriously?!” Link jumped in front of her, forcing his hollow counterpart back with a spin attack, generating a small gust of wind.

“Yeah.” Linkle admitted, “It’s a whole thing we’ve been dealing with; long story. Oh, also, they all go by nicknames so they’re not constantly calling each other Link. I know it’s not necessary, but maybe you could have a nickname too?”

“Well, I fought as a soldier for Hyrule-” He was interrupted by Linkle shouting, “Great! I don’t think any of the others were really official soldiers, so maybe we could call you Soldier!”

“Eh, it’s alright.” The man blocked his counterpart’s sword. “But I’m thinking… how about…” He pushed the hollow’s sword upwards, and used a spin attack to slice through its torso, “...Warrior?”

“I like it.” Linkle ran next to her brother, and fired a bomb arrow. “So, Warrior, you want to know the best part?”

“Uh, yeah, sure.” Warrior shot his doppelganger with arrows, some of which embedded themselves into it while others were deflected.

“I talked with my grandma, and, well…” Linkle sharply inhaled, “...I’m pretty sure you’re my brother.”

“Oh, oka- WHAT?!” The hollow jumped while swinging its sword, forcing them to block with Warrior’s shield and Linkle’s crossbow. The force of the strike sent them sprawling onto the ground. “You… huh. Do you think, maybe, we were separated at birth? Why, though?”

“Beats me. First, let’s beat this Astor guy, and then we’ll confront my grandma.”

“Right. And if you’re my sister, then maybe…” Warrior held out his sword, “...we should finish this together.”

Linkle practically glared at the pommel of the sword. The blade almost seemed to pulsate, as though calling her to itself. “Okay.” She grabbed the hilt, just above her brother’s hand. A surge of power coursed through her veins.

“Jump attack?” Warrior offered. Linkle grinned, “Jump attack!” They both sprinted forward, until they were close enough to the Warrior hollow. “ Now! ” They both jumped into the air, still holding the master sword.

The blade of evil’s bane glowed with primordial magic. Warrior and Linkle swung the blade a dozen times in a second, firing discs of blue light. The sword beams knocked the hollow’s sword and shield out of its hands, sending it staggering back. They dropped to the ground, slicing vertically through the hollow down the middle.

Blue cracks of light appeared throughout the hollow’s body, hissing like a nest of snakes, before it dissolved. The siblings turned around, Linkle releasing the master sword from her grip. “Thanks. Come on, let’s help the others!”

Warrior nodded. The two siblings ran next to each other, until they were close enough for Linkle to start firing bomb arrows at the Zelda hollow. Zelda ran over to their side, and started shooting her own light arrows. After a second, her hollow counterpart had dissolved entirely. “That was awesome! So, anything happen with you two?”

“Uh, yeah.” Linkle pointed at Warrior, “I think I have a brother now.”

Zelda blinked, startled. “Well. That’s a lot to process, but congrats!” She handed Warrior the handlebar lasers. “Here. This way, you can keep up with your sister in terms of ranged attacks.”

“Thank you, princess.” Warrior accepted the sheikah devices, and quickly bowed, before turning around and shooting at the Revali hollow. Zelda stammered, “Please- please don’t do that! Where I’m from, I failed my version of Hyrule, and the castle was destroyed, So I don’t consider myself worthy of being the princess anymore.”

“Okay, got it. But at least you’re trying to make up for it, aren’t you? That’s a good start.”

“Yeah.” Zelda fired a light arrow, alongside one of Linkle’s bomb arrows and Warrior’s continued laser fire. “Thanks. Okay, you two do your thing. I’m going to go fight with my boyfriend.”

“Got it!” Linkle agreed.

“Urbosa’s fury!” Wild spun in a circle, with his sword outstretched, generating a dome of green lightning around himself. The Mipha hollow writhed and screeched, before exploding. Wild averted his gaze. He barely managed to dodge, backflipping through the air, as the Daruk hollow slammed its fists into the ground. The force of the strike was sufficient to create a wide crack in the ground, causing Wild to stumble as soon as he landed.

Warrior and Linkle shot at the Daruk hollow from somewhere behind Link. Warrior skidded to a stop next to him, while Linkle continued past them, yelling and shooting. “Y’know…” Wild side-eyed his counterpart, “You could’ve warned me a little.”

“Sorry. I guess we just got excited. I’ve always wanted a sister to fight alongside.” Warrior grinned.

Nearby, Linkle sprinted into a jump, kicking with both legs one after another. Two bursts of fire launched the Daruk hollow back, with a few lines of blue light hissing across its body. “Bro, you got bomb arrows?!” At a shake of his head, Linkle tossed a few bomb arrows at him.

Warrior caught the explosives between his fingers. “Careful! Are you trying to blow me up?!”

“Relax.” Wild clapped him on the back, “Bomb arrows need a ton more force than that to actually go off.” He loaded three of them into his bow. Warrior prepared another, three bomb arrows.

“It’s time for an explosive finish!” Linkle shot another triad of bomb arrows, just as the other six soared by either side of her head. The explosives all struck the Daruk hollow simultaneously, engulfing it in a deafening, massive explosion, the sheer force of which tossed the three young adults backwards. They landed out of the air after less than a dozen feet, rolling on the ground before they were able to stand up.

“Okay…” Linkle groaned, standing up and stretching her arms, “So it wasn’t our best showing, but…” She pointed at the crater in the ground, where a few shadowy wisps dissipated, “...can’t argue with results.”

“Okay, so, how many are left exactly?” Warrior asked the other two.

“Uhhh…” Wild started counting on his fingers, “Okay, so he made hollows of all us Links, except Linkle, plus Zelda, and the four champions from my era…”

“So, that’s 11.” Linkle continued, “And so far, we’ve destroyed you, Zelda, Mipha, and Daruk.”

“Then that’s seven.” Wild decided, “Not including any that the others have managed to take out.” He heard a three-fold whistling sound, and hurriedly screamed, “Daruk’s protection!” A force field manifested around him, leaving himself in front of Linkle and Warrior, standing unharmed in a cloud of smoke.

“Okay…” Wild breathed heavily, pointing up at the Revali hollow, “Clearly, practicing our arithmetic in the middle of a fight wasn’t a great idea.” he started running forward, looking back to yell, “You two do your own thing! I’ll handle him!” He crouched, shouting, “Revali’s gale!”

The Urbosa hollow jumped over to the siblings, forcing Warrior to block its scimitar with his master sword. It slammed its shield into his stomach, just under and behind where the blades intersected, sending him stumbling back, hunched over and gasping in pain.

“I got this!” Linkle fired a set of three bomb arrows, forcing the Urbosa hollow to hold up its shield. The force of the explosions sent it spiraling backwards through the air, until it landed back on its feet.

“Warrior!” Linkle called over, “Try attaching the lasers end-to-end! They’re also a sword!”

Despite his obvious confusion, Warrior did as he was told. He startled when the two devices merged, a blade of solid blue light emerging from them. “Oh, now this I van get used to! Bring it!” He charged at the Urbosa hollow, crossing his blades until he was close enough. He spread his arms, striking it twice with a single spin attack. The hollow jumped overhead. Warrior bent his arm at a perpendicular angle, using the master sword to block its scimitar before it could slice through his back. He quickly turned around, slashing its face with the handlebar sword.

Linkle sprinted across the battlefield, until she came across Wolf fighting his own hollow self. He shifted into his Hylian form and slashed his wolf-turned doppelganger, sending it flying backwards with a pained yelp. Linkle shouted, “I got this!” She jumped to dropkick the Wolf hollow in the back, sending it flying out of a fireball. While it landed on the ground, turning back into a humanoid, she stood next to Wolf.

“Well, you’ve cheered up.” He smiled at her, “I’m guessing the talk with your grandma went well.”

“Kind of. Turns out, my brother is this world’s Link, so at least I sort of know where I fit into all of this. Now I just need to find out why we’ve been separated our entire lives.”

“Hey, trust me, we’ll help you.” Wolf pointed his sword at his hollow self. “But first, we’ve gotta take these freaks down.”

“Sounds good!” Linkle nocked a bomb arrow, “Wanna try a smoke and mirrors technique?” Wolf grinned. “Go for it.”

Linkle shot the Wolf hollow, sending it flying through the air. Wolf ran forward, dissipating the smoke as he jumped through it. With a guttural yell, he sliced vertically through the shadowy humanoid. They both landed on the ground, with a line of blue light bisecting the hollow from its head to its torso. With a loud hiss, the hollow dissolved entirely.

Warrior slashed at the Urbosa hollow with the handlebar sword, bisecting its shield before thrusting the master sword forward. He impaled the hollow through its torso, and impaled it again with the handlebar sword. Warrior sliced the master sword upward, and sliced the handlebar blade downward, turning around in the process. Directly behind him, the Urbosa hollow cracked and hissed, before exploding.

Chapter Text

Revali’s gale tossed Wild skyward, where he loaded an ice arrow into his bow. Time itself slowed to a near-standstill around him, as though he were suspended in midair. He fired the ice arrow at the Revali hollow some ten feet away, only for the artificial rito to spin in a rapid circle, wings folded around itself, generating a localized vortex of wind that shattered the ammunition.

Wild fell through the air, shooting to deflect the bomb arrows that the Revali hollow was shooting at him. The hollow flew in erratic patterns, diving and ascending, firing from all angles. The explosions repeatedly propelled Wild downwards, filling his vision and heating up the air. He opened the paraglider, a few feet above the ground, and slowed his fall. He landed in a run, folding the paraglider as he sprinted towards Avian.

Avian was matching swords with the hollow version of himself, twisting his arms and entire body. He caught the hollow’s blade with his own, using it as leverage to pivot, spinning behind the hollow and turning around, attempting to slice it in the back. The hollow ducked and turned around at the same time, simultaneously swinging its sword. Avian jumped straight up with flawless timing, using the flat of the hollow’s blade as a springboard to backflip. While he was in midair, he raised his sword. The blade of the goddess shone with sacred light, and a skyward strike slashed the hollow in the head.

The mystical impact launched the Avian hollow off the ground, disarming it in the process. Wild sprinted nearby. He spun with his sword outstretched while running, yelling, “Urbosa’s fury!” A dome of green lightning was manifested, striking the Avian hollow.

Wild ran over to Avian, standing next to his counterpart. “Okay, when we’re done with this, I’m gonna need you to do something about the evil Revali up there. I couldn’t get close enough, but you can probably do something with your clawshots.”

“Sure. But first…” Avian pointed at the hollow version of itself. Despite cracking and hissing, it lifted its sword and charged at them. “I’ll go high, you go low!”

Wild twirled his master sword between both hands. “And he’s too slow!” They both ran next to each other, in perfect synchronization, with their blessed swords pointed diagonally at the ground in opposite directions. Avian jumped, slashing to the left.

Wild slid past the hollow, slashing to the right. They both stood up, and turned around to watch the Avian hollow explode. Avian clapped his counterpart on the shoulder, “Not half bad for a guy older than Hyrule itself, huh?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Wild chuckled, “Now go deal with evil Revali or whatever we’re calling these guys.”

Avian nodded, and started sprinting over to where the Revali hollow was flying overhead. He fired his clawshot, catching it by one sharp-taloned foot. The hollow screeched in irritation, flying higher and dragging Avian skyward. He ran across a roof, the soles of his boots barely touching the tiled surface, until he reached the edge. He jumped off the edge, and allowed the clawshot to drag him directly into the Revali hollow’s path.

Wild and his hollow self charged at each other. They jumped, slashed their blades together, and landed on the ground. They both skidded on the ground for some distance, before stopping and turning around to face each other.

“Alright, let’s see how this works without the handles.” Wild took out his sheikah slate, and used it to materialize the master cycle zero. He mounted the device, arms held out awkwardly without anything to grip. “Here goes nothing!” He propelled the machine forward, leaning into it while gripping it with his legs. The motorcycle swerved erratically without a proper steering mechanism, inadvertently dodging the ice and fire arrows shot by the hollow Wild.

The hollow Wild launched a bomb arrow, with the master cycle zero swerving from right to left. The explosion went off less than a foot behind him, singing his hair and launching the vehicle airborne. Wild spread his arms out.

“Master armor zero, engage!” The motorcycle reconfigured itself around Wild’s entire body. He slashed downwards with the master sword, forcing his hollow self to hold up its shield. Using the shield as leverage, he was able to flip behind it, twisting himself in midair to catch it in the back with a spin attack. The hollow Wild shot a bomb arrow; he walked through the explosion unfazed.

“Sorry, but in terms of tech…” He broke into a run, shouting, “You’re nothing to me!” The hollow repeatedly backflipped away from his attempted sword strikes, firing shock arrows each time it was upside-down. The constant stream of electricity caused the armor to spark. Wild’s entire body jerked and convulsed, until he was thrown to the ground. He hastily retracted the armor, still feeling as though it might crush him.

“Man.” He stood up, legs shaking, and held his sword in both hands. “That’s one hell of a design flaw.”

“Yeah, I’ll definitely have to fix that at some point.” He turned to see Zelda walking over to him from behind, a light arrow already in her bow.

An explosion went off to the hollow Wild’s side, followed by Linkle calling out, “Alright, Warrior, your turn!” A series of lasers struck the Wild hollow in midair, while Zelda let her light arrow loose. The sacred projectile drilled itself into the Wild hollow’s chest, creating a web of hissing blue cracks. The hollow exploded in midair, leaving Wild, Zelda, Linkle, and Warrior to gather on the ground.

“Good work, team.” Wild high-fived Warrior, clapped Linkle on the shoulder, and kissed Zelda on the forehead. “Alright, so, how many of these things are left?”

Zelda pointed upwards, “Looks like Avian’s fighting dark Revali.” Warrior pointed his sword off to the side, “Yeah, and that leaves us with… uh… which one is that? Sorry, I’m new and it’s kinda hard to tell.”

The others watched, as the hollow Link placed a mask on its head. It continued walking forward, transforming into a massive humanoid in midstep. Its eyes shone brighter than before, and its sword resembled a metallic double-helix, cutting a trench into the ground.

“Multi.” Linkle nocked a set of three bomb arrows into her bow. “That’s his fierce deity form.”

“That’s bad, right?” Warrior readied his swords. Zelda nodded apprehensively, “I’ve only seen it in action once, but it’s called the Fierce Deity for a reason.”

“So what’s the game plan?” Wild kept his eyes trained on the Fierce Deity hollow. It continued walking towards them, raising its double-helix blade off the ground.

Zelda narrowed her eyes. “Warrior, give Wild the handlebar blade. Wild, use the cycle. Don’t start riding until I tell you to. And Linkle…” She pointed at the Fierce Deity hollow, “Fire now!” Linkle unleashed her light arrows. The Fierce Deity hollow slashed a disc of light to intercept them.

The clawshot retracted, causing Avian to rocket upwards. He gripped it with one hand, knuckles whitening as it dug into his palm, and held out his sword with the other. The Revali hollow fired bomb arrows at him, forcing him to kick and swing on the hookshot to avoid the rapid-fire ammunition. A few seconds after he’d begun his ascent, Avian decided he’d gotten sufficiently close.

Avian swung his master sword upwards, in an arc, slicing straight through the Revali hollow. The hollow screeched in pain, with a blue, hissing crack appearing in its torso. Avian kicked off the slice mark, repositioning himself above the falling hollow.

“Sorry, birdbrain!” Avian held up his sword to charge a skyward strike. “But you’re going down in more ways than one!” He sliced downwards, effortlessly bisecting his aerial opponent. Avian fell through the explosion, allowing the wind to lash his face and the earth to grow closer by the second.

Once he was satisfied, Avian dropped the master sword such that he was gripping the hilt between his feet, while his hands held his sailcloth.

Avian glided until he watched Sail slash his hollow self, before Multi punched it in goron form, sending it flying. He waited until he was close enough, and bent his legs, swinging the master sword and slicing clean through the hollow in the process.

While the Sail hollow fell to the ground, Avian stumbled, picking up his sword and folding his sailcloth. “Hey, guys.”

“Thanks, Avian!” Sail twirled his sword, “Hey, can you turn around and make your back flat real quick?”

“Uh, sure…? I guess…?” Avian did as he was requested. After a few seconds, he felt a sharp pain. Sail jumped off of his back, yelling and raising his sword. He brought it down, and sliced clean through his hollow copy.

The young legend turned around, while his hollow self exploded, and yelled, “Now that’s what I call a perfect storm!”

“My back!” Avian pressed his palms against his spine, groaning, “Dude, warn me next time! Or better yet, never do that again!”

“Oh, heh, sorry. On the bright side, I think we’re almost done.” Sail pointed over to the rest of the group. His face fell, as he watched the hollow Fierce Deity swat them aside with a single sword beam.

Avian, Multi, Wolf, Sail, Wild, Zelda, Linkle, and Warrior all gathered together, facing the hollow Fierce Deity. “I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this.” Multi reluctantly pulled out the Fierce Deity mask, only for Zelda to grab his wrist. “And it won’t. No matter what happens, don’t even think about using that mask until the week’s up.”

Multi exchanged the Fierce Deity mask for the zora mask. “Understood. Now come on, team! Let’s take this thing down!” The group charged forward. The hollow Fierce Deity launched another two sword beams. Avian struck one of them down with a skyward strike, whereas Wolf and Wild crossed their blades into an X shape, blocking the other beam in its path. The disc of blue light drove them back , their heels digging into the ground as they leaned forward, their swords pressed closer to their chests.

Wild turned to Wolf, and muttered through gritted teeth, “You thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Split on three.”

“Exactly. One…”

“...two…”

“...three!” They both slashed their swords forward, shattering the hollow Fierce Deity’s sword beam.

Linkle called ahead of her, “Multi, hold your shield out flat! I need a boost!”

Multi turned around, holding his shield in front of himself. “Got it! Someone else watch my back!” The hollow Fierce Deity launched another sword beam at him. Wolf sprinted forward in canine form, until he was an inch behind Multi. He shifted back, swinging his sword to deflect the disc of light.

Linkle jumped off Multi’s shield, yelling, “Thanks guys!” She flipped in midair, firing a bomb arrow down at the hollow Fierce Deity while she was upside-down and directly above it. She landed behind it, turning around. The hollow Fierce Deity walked toward her unfazed. It slashed sword beams at her, forcing her to shoot them with bomb arrows before diving to the side. “Multi, any ideas?!”

“Hardly!” Multi turned into a zora, to backflip over a sword beam while launching both of his elbow blades. The hollow Fierce Deity effortlessly cut them down. Multi touched down, reverting to hylian form. “The Fierce Deity is my most powerful form by far. I’m not sure all of us together can stop this thing.” He charged forward, calling out, “But it’s not like that’s stopped any of us before!”

“Alright, maybe this time we can actually pull off our plan from earlier.” Zelda suggested, while Multi, Wolf, and Sail were distracting the hollow Fierce Deity. “Linkle, get on the master cycle zero with Wild. Warrior, shoot a bomb arrow. I trust you all know the rest?”

All three of the others nodded. Linkle perched on the master cycle zero, just behind Wild, as he leaned forward, loudly revving the engine. Warrior fired a bomb arrow a few feet away, while the master cycle zero accelerated towards the hollow Fierce Deity.

Wild and Linkle held their breath as they rode the sheikah vehicle through the smoke. Another bomb arrow went off behind them, launching the motorcycle airborne. Linkle jumped off after the vehicle had achieved its zenith, leaning forward in order to shoot a series of bomb arrows rapid-fire at the hollow Fierce Deity. While it was distracted by the other Links and the rain of fireballs, Wild drove the master cycle zero into its chest, knocking it back.

Nearby, Warrior side-eyed Zelda. “You know, we really didn’t need to use that first bomb arrow. He was already distracted.”

“True.” Zelda admitted, “I suppose I wasn’t thinking straight in all this chaos. But on the bright side, at least it looked cool.”

“Oh yeah, totally worth it.”

The hollow Fierce Deity stabbed its double-helix sword into the ground, creating a shockwave in front of itself with a spider web of cracks. The impact launched the master cycle zero, causing it to flip backwards.

Wild held onto the cycle’s handlebars, his knuckles turning white as the ground and sky spun around him. He grit his teeth, yelling, “Master armor zero! Engage!”

The motorcycle disassembled in midair. Wild felt a sudden weightlessness, as the pieces reassembled themselves around his entire body. The handlebars merged and flew into his hand, a blade consisting of solid blue light emerging from the end. A few seconds after he’d been launched, he fell back to solid ground, causing a noticeable impact from the weight of the sheikah armor.

The second he was back on the ground, Wild sprinted forward, deflecting sword beams with both his blades. When he was close enough for the hollow Fierce Deity to swing its physical sword at him, he crossed the master sword and the handlebar blade, yelling, “Daruk’s protection!” The double-helix sword bounced off the force-field, severely cracking it while causing Wild to stumble back from the impact.

“Now’s my chance!” Sail ran to the side of the hollow Fierce Deity, only coming up to near its knees. He slashed through its shin, eliciting a loud grunt of pain.

“Here!” Wild recovered from the strike, “Let’s see if I can give you a boost!” He jabbed the handleber blade into the mystical construct’s chest, causing it to fall to its knees, slicing at the blue light with its double-helix sword.

“Yeah, thanks, that’s perfect!” Sail, still shorter than the hollow Fierce Deity, jumped onto its back, puliing out his deku leaf glider to use it as a blindfold. The hollow abruptly stood up, sending Sail flying. It turned around, tearing the glider to shreds in the process, and grabbed him by the leg. Without stopping for so much as a nanosecond, it swung Sail directly into Wild’s side, hard enough to send them both sprawling.

“Gahhh… Hey, Sail, you okay? Sail!” Looking down, Wild realized his armor had been dented where it’d been struck, to the point where it was painfully digging into his side. Every breath hurt, with his lungs feeling as though they were being crushed. He attempted to access his sheikah slate, hoping to retract the armor into it, but his arm refused to move. “Guys, we’re down!” He called out, unable to see much except the blue sky.

The hollow Fierce Deity walked over to Wild and Sail. Without flinching, it yanked the handlebar sword out of its chest, and tossed it aside like a rusted slab of scrap metal. The hole in its chest instantly disappeared. Warrior charged to intercept it, stabbing and weaving around its strikes, while Linkle shot bomb arrows nearby, allowing Warrior to use the smoke as a distraction.

While the siblings kept their opponent occupied, Zelda and Avian sprinted over to the two collapsed Links. Sail was unconscious, with his mouth dripping blood and missing several teeth on the side where he’d struck the armor. His ankle was twitching and twisted where it’d been grabbed, rendering it nearly perpendicular to the rest of his leg. Every breath came out slow and hitched.

“No, please, no, Sail” Zelda, please tell me you have some red potions on you!

“Sorry. I think I’m all out.” Zelda picked up the sheikah slate, and drew the master armor zero back into it. “Okay, do you have any?”

“I think…” Avian dug around in his satchel, until he found a bottle filled with red liquid. “Yeah, here! My last one.” He poured it into Sail’s mouth, until the child shot up, coughing and yelping in pain, “Gah-ah! Avian! Dude, what are you doing?!”

“Sorry, I just had to use some red potion on you. Does it still hurt?”

Sail examined his leg, manually snapping it back into place. His bones loudly snapped and crunched, and he winced in pain. “I’ll be fine.” Avian helped him up, face still marred with apprehension. “Are you sure?”

Sail looked down. The blood had healed off his face, and his teeth were starting to grow back. “No, but hopefully.”

“Guys watch out!” Zelda jumped in front of them, shooting a light arrow at a sword beam. The resulting collision caused an explosion of blue and golden light, tossing Zelda into Wild and Sail.

The hollow Fierce Deity walked towards them, unflinching as Linkle fired bomb arrows at it in rapid succession. Avian launched a series of skyward strikes at it. Wolf tackled it from behind as a canine, before shifting back to a hylian to drive his master sword into its shoulder. The hollow Fierce Deity grabbed Wolf by the neck, slammed him onto his back, and pinned him to the ground while shooting sword beams in every direction. Wolf struggled to stand up, while the hollow Fierce Deity pinned his chest with its armored foot. He sputtered, ribs audibly creaking, and coughed up a non-insignificant amount of blood.

Multi stood back, watching the carnage in horror. He took the Fierce Deity mask out of his satchel, hands shaking. “Okay buddy, I know we haven’t always agreed. You tried to make me a prisoner in my own subconscious so you could use my body as a vessel to resurrect yourself, I tried to use you as an undead weapon to kill a lesser god, you know how it is. But right now, we need your help. So whaddaya say? For old time’s sake?”

Zelda coughed and struggled to breathe, kicking pointlessly while the hollow Fierce Deity held her off the ground by her neck. With its other hand, it launched sword beams to keep the rest of the group at a distance. Zelda glanced to the side, barely able to see. “M-Multi!” She gasped, “Don’t-! Too dangerous!”

Multi looked back down. “What am I doing? It’s a mask; of course it’s not gonna respond. Alright.” He took a deep breath, turning the mask around. “Let’s see how this goes.” He raised the mask, and placed it onto his face.

The transformation was nothing short of incomparably excruciating. Multi’s soul felt as though it were being ripped out of his body as it was being sliced in two as slowly as possible, while being set on fire with the heat of the sun itself. He went blind and deaf, unable to process anything except the unbearable agony, unable to scream because his throat refused to function.

“Well, you’ve really done it this time, haven’t you?”

Multi looked around. He was in a black void, covered in spiderwebs of wide purple cracks, accompanied by the Fierce Deity with his arms crossed on his chest, glaring daggers at Multi. “I didn’t have a choice! That thing’s going to kill my friends; we’ve gotta do something!”

“Fine. But you need to accept that this may be the last time you’ll be able to call upon my power. Even if this doesn’t destroy the mask, you might not be able to survive even if you find it in yourself to wait a week. Are you okay with that?”

“Yes! It’s worth the risk!” Multi answered emphatically, right before his face fell. “Wait. If the mask is destroyed, then what happens to you?”

The Fierce Deity shrugged ambivalently, “How should I know? Contrary to my name, I’m only human. Perhaps I’ll finally be able to see what the afterlife is like. What lies beyond this purgatory.”

“Yeah.” Multi glanced around. The cracks were expanding, threatening to kill him from within his own subconscious. “Maybe.”

Multi walked forward, every step accompanied by a deep, ragged breath, as his entire body was covered in dark purple cracks. Zelda watched, breathless, as the hollow Fierce Deity tossed her aside. “Multi… no…”

“Sorry… only… way…” He raised his head with a significant amount of effort, and pointed his double-helix sword at the hollow Fierce Deity. “You’re the only one left!” He steeled himself and charged, launching a sword beam with a pained yell.

The hollow Fierce Deity charged and fired its own sword beam. It collided with Multi’s, cancelling each other out just as they clashed their physical swords together. The hollow pressed forward, forcing Multi on the offensive as they swung and maneuvered their swords.

Wild knelt down in front of his girlfriend. “Zelda, are you going to be okay?”

“I’ll be fine. But Multi can’t win this. You guys have gotta help him!”

“Right.” Wild stood up, loudly commanding, “I’ll stay here and protect Zelda! The rest of you, help Multi even the odds!” While Avian, Wolf, Sail, and Warrior mobilized to back up their counterpart, Linkle approached Wild and Zelda, holding a bottle of crimson liquid. “I’ve got some red potion.” She quickly undid the cork while kneeling down, helping Zelda drink the entirety of its contents.

“Thanks.” Zelda stood up, Wild briefly holding her by the arms to support her. “Okay, let’s go!” She sprinted forward, alongside the other two.

Avian fired a skyward strike alongside one of Multi’s sword beams. The hollow Fierce Deity sliced through them both, distracting itself from Sail and Wolf as they sliced into its sides. “Guys!” Linkle called, “Get down!” The group rolled to the side, while the hollow Fierce Deity repeatedly sliced into Multi’s armor, and Linkle fired a triad of bomb arrows into the sky.

The bomb arrows struck the hollow Fierce Deity on the head and to the sides, allowing Multi an opening to jump away using the force of the blast. He charged back in alongside Warrior, jumping through the smoke to catch the hollow Fierce Deity off guard, slicing through it with both swords in vertical parallel.

“Guys, outta the way!” Zelda loaded a light arrow into her bow. The two Links dodged to either side, leaving Zelda with nothing to obstruct her from shooting at the hollow Fierce Deity. “You’re open!”

The projectile barely fazed the hollow Fierce Deity as it drilled into its chest. Warrior backflipped under a swing of its sword, pressing his palms on the ground to jump back to his feet, while Multi blocked it with his own double-helix blade. He slid the weapon down, metal scraping and sparking against metal, until the hollow’s sword was trapped between the double-helix sword’s twin blades.

“Even… if I die…” Multi gasped in pain, turning his sword and dragging his hollow self with it, “...I’ll send anything that threatens Hyrule straight to hell!” He turned hard to the side, wresting the hollow Fierce Deity’s sword away from it and tossing the living shadow to the ground. The blade embedded itself in the dirt, while the other Links struck the final hollow.

Avian swung his sword downwards after charging it for a skyward strike, Wolf clawed it until shifting into a hylian and swinging his sword, Sail jumped off of Wolf’s shoulders to stab it in the head, before kicking off its face to give Wild an opening to drive his master sword through its chest, emerging from its back. “Forcing our friend to risk giving up his life…” He snarled contemptuously, “That’s unforgivable!” He swung the sword diagonally through the hollow’s shoulder while turning around, yelling, “Zelda! Linkle! Now!”

“Got it! Here, use these.” Linkle handed three of her bomb arrows to Zelda, who nodded and accepted them. They each fired three bomb arrows simultaneously. Multi got to his feet as they sailed past either side of his head, slashing to launch a sword beam with an audible grunt of effort. The sword beam and half dozen explosives all struck the hollow Fierce Deity simultaneously, covering it in a massive, deafening explosion.

Multi charged forward, the violet cracks expanding across him, until he jumped through the blaze while swinging his double-helix sword horizontally. By the time the smoke dissipated, revealing the hollow Fierce Deity having dissolved into nothing, Multi’s entire body was virtually covered in the violet corruption.

“No!” Wild desperately swung his blade into the Fierce Deity mask The two halves silently fell to the grass. Multi was briefly covered in a field of dark purple light, until it abruptly dissipated to reveal him having reverted to a hylian form, with a diagonal line of blood dripping from his forehead, through the bridge of his nose, just below one of his vacant eyes, and ending at his chin.

Multi collapsed to the ground, unmoving. Wild ran over to him, supporting his head in his hand. “Multi, I’m sorry; it was all I could think of. Guys, he’s not waking up.”

“My- I mean, our grandma should have some stuff in her place.” Linkle glanced at Warrior. “After we discuss our past with her, and why we were separated in the first place, we should probably figure out where Astor went.”

While Multi was resting on the couch, Wild watching over him, and Zelda and Wolf stood guard at the hole in the wall, Linkle and Warrior confronted their grandmother at the kitchen table.

“Okay, grandma, what you said earlier… did you mean what I think you did? Do I really have a brother? And is it him?” She pointed next to herself at Warrior.

Linkle’s grandmother slowly nodded at her from across the table. “Regretfully, my child, yes. I’m afraid we have much to discuss.”

“Why?!” Warrior slammed his fists on the table, trembling. “Why were neither of us told about this?! Can you just explain that, please?!”

Their grandmother tapped her fingers on the table, quietly and rhythmically. “You children were born during a dark time in Hyrule’s history. The kingdom was caught up in a civil war, and both of your parents were soldiers. However, they were on opposite sides of the war. Your father supported the unification of all peoples under the royal family, but your mother believed the gorons and zoras should all be their own independent kingdoms.”

“If our parents were fighting each other, then how were we born?” Linkle asked skeptically.

“I don’t know the specifics of it, sweetheart. Perhaps they got some time alone, and one thing led to another, or perhaps you were both conceived some time before the war broke out. Either way, my stepson knocked on my door one day, and gave me a treasure I would cherish for the rest of my life.” She looked over at Warrior. “I’m sorry, young man, but I don’t know what happened to you. Only that you were born around the same time as your sister.”

Warrior folded his arms across his stomach. “I never knew my mom. I was raised by civilians in the forest, until they told me that my real mom was a soldier. I got their blessing, and went to Hyrule castle. I haven’t seen them since.”

After a brief silence, Linkle spoke up, “Okay, so that explains why we were separated at least. But how come you never told me? And how come you told me I was the hero of legend?”

“My dear, I always knew you were destined for great things. Your father told me that your brother was named after the ancient saviors of Hyrule, so I raised you as a part of that legacy.”

“So that’s it?” Linkle snarled, “You lied to me for my entire life, convinced me I was someone completely different, based on a hunch?! Because of my brother’s name?! A brother I never even knew about!” She stood up. Her chair loudly scraped against the floor, prompting Warrior to visibly recoil.

“Sweetheart-”

“No!” Linkle pointed at her grandmother, “Don’t ‘sweetheart’ me! You don’t get to talk to me at all! You- you-!” She screamed, pulling her hair, and sprinted upstairs.

Warrior glared at his grandmother. He struggled to keep his voice even, “I’m going to go check on her.” He stood up, and walked away. The old woman looked down at the grooves in the table. Traced them with her fingers. After a moment or two, Sail took a chair across from her. “You know she has every right to be mad at you, right?”

The old woman looked up at him. “You’re wise beyond your years, aren’t you, young man?”

The young boy shrugged, “Not really. I’ve just been spending a lot of time with the older Links, plus Zelda. Also, I have a grandma back home, and I know she wouldn’t do anything like that to me or my little sister Aryll.”

“Then what should I have done?” Linkle’s grandmother asked, without a hint of impatience towards Sail, “Should I have told her the truth, that her brother was living somewhere even I didn’t know, and she might never see him or even knew what he looked like?”

“How should I know? I’m twelve!” Sail walked away.

Warrior knocked on the door upstairs. “Linkle, is it okay if I come in? I just want to talk.” There was no response after a minute. He leaned his back against the door, sliding down until he was sitting on the floor. The back of his head made a quiet sound against the wooden door. “Just so you know, you didn’t do anything wrong. I want to make that clear. Grandma should’ve told you the truth from the start. Or at least not told you that you were the legendary hero.”

Linkle sat in front of the door, staring at her old bed. The room was spotless, as though it’d never been touched. Her pictures of her grandfather were hung up on her walls, and everything was arranged on her shelves. She tapped her knees. “Thanks. That means a lot to me.”

“You’re welcome. I  kinda get it. I never saw my parents after I left.”

“Really? Why not? What were they like?” Linkle held her ear to the door, a palm on it to balance herself.

“They were… normal, I guess. They took care of me, let me hang out with the other kids, and they probably did their best to teach me right from wrong. When I left, I thought I might see them again. After we defeated Ganon, I tried to visit them to tell them about it. I thought it’d make a good story, y’know?” He sighed, “Turns out, they’d had to move during the war I’d just gotten back from. I have no idea where they went.”

Linkle folded her knees to her chest, and her arms across her legs. “Sorry to hear that. They sound nice, though; I’m sure they would’ve told you if they could.”

“Thanks.” Warrior smiled. “That means a lot, really.” After few short moments of silence, Linkle spoke up, “You can come in now.”

“Okay.” He stood up, and opened the door. Linkle was sitting on the bed. He looked around. “Nice room.”

Linkle glanced around before looking up at him. “Thanks. I don’t know if it was like this when I left, or if grandma cleaned it for me. I’ve been gone for…” She clasped and unclasped a hand on her pillow. “I don’t even know how long. All the time-traveling and dimension-jumping I’ve been doing lately, it’s kind of hard to tell.”

“Yeah, I also time-traveled during the war against Ganon.” He leaned on her bedpost. “Do you mind if I sit next to you?”

Linkle shook her head, hands on her lap. “No, it’s fine.” The mattress sank briefly, and she leaned into Warrior’s side. “I guess this is for the best. At least now I know I’m not the legendary hero. Just his sister.”

“Don’t sell yourself short!” Warrior threw his arm around Linkle’s side, eliciting a grunt. “You still helped us with those hollow things. And you’ve been fighting with the other Links, right?”

Linkle genuinely smiled. “Thanks. I blew up Wizzro and Volga this one time, while all us Links were fighting Demise.”

“What, and you didn’t invite me? Also, who’s Demise?”

“Sorry, but we didn’t know you existed, and the whole thing was arranged by the guardians of time in our own universe. As for Demise, he was the original demon king. Ganondorf is just the reincarnation of his hatred after Avian killed him before Hyrule was founded.”

“Oh, lovely. So you helped fight a lesser god of evil, and you held the master sword, but you still don’t think you’re worthy of being a legendary hero? You really are selling yourself short.”

“Well, I’ve never actually held a master sword on my own. I tried to once, but it nearly burnt my hand off. It’s probably because I’m not worthy.”

Warrior nodded. “Y’know, I had to prove myself to the master sword. It didn’t consider me worthy until I earned it myself. Maybe it’s the same for you.” He laid his sword out over both their laps. Linkle hovered her fingers over the blade, hesitating and pulling them back, splaying her palms out to her sides. “Are you sure?”

Warrior carefully took the sword, holding out the hilt for her. “Only one way to find out.”

Multi woke up in a city. “What? Where am I?” He looked across the ruins, of what might’ve once been a great city. Looking up, he found that the city was airborne. “This isn’t Skyloft, is it?” He looked around, and felt an inexplicable sense of dread. “Maybe…” He placed the lens of truth over his eye, and nearly dropped it. He gasped at the sight. Atop the ruins of a temple was a massive vaguely humanoid corpse, with six eyes, six legs, and six arms that were severely distended, each attached to a metal clasp connected to an iron flail by a chain.

“Okay. Definitely not Skyloft.” Multi’s voice broke. He lowered the lens, mouth still agape. The sound of footsteps echoed off the stone, catching his attention. He turned to the source of the sound. “Who are you? And what is that thing? Can you see it?”

An old man, with a long beard and curly gray hair, nodded. “That is a primeval demon, child. Lancelot, a knight corrupted by a great profanity and felled by a gathering of myths.”

“Who are you? What is this? What am I doing here?” Multi demanded.

The old man sighed, “Allow me to answer your questions in order. I am Seth, the last son of the first king of men. And this…” He gestured around, arms out at his sides, “...is the flying city of Audapaupadopolis.”

Multi’s head cocked to one side. “Audopodopopolis?”

“No, Audapaupadopolis.”

“Audodopolopolis?”

“Audapaupadopolis.”

“Audopopopolodolis?”

The old man gave a weary sigh, “Close enough. More importantly, this city was home to the first kings of man, the house of Apollyon, until the great flood laid waste to all. Finally, I brought you here. I need to warn you, and though I am loath to use the dream-walking methods of the Children of the Night, I find myself with little choice.”

“Is this about Astor? Do you know what he’s really after?”

“Aye, and should he succeed, his dark power may well encroach upon all realms. In ages long past, before all history, I begged my father for a crown. As the greatest of all mankind, revered even by the gods, he reached into the skies beyond skies and plucked iron crown from a star. That was the first sin, the primordial vice of hubris, which gave way to greed, as my father coveted it for himself.”

“Sorry, sir, but what does this have to do with Astor?”

“I’m getting there. Suffice to say, this Astor individual was pulled from his native universe to the one you are currently inhabiting. While he was between worlds, his subconscious was somehow… ‘connected’ to mine, I suppose the best word would be. He learned of the crown, and now covets it for himself.”

Chapter Text

Linkle stared at the sacred armament, hands clenching and unclenching. “Are you sure?”

“I won’t pressure you or anything, but I think you should at least try.” Warrior held it by the blade, offering her the hilt. “Your choice.”

“Okay.” Linkle decided, “I’ll take it.” She slowly reached out her hand, fingers splayed and hovering just over the leather hilt. Hesitantly, she wrapped her fingers around it. Immediately, she yelped in pain, retracting her hand and rubbing it with the other.

Warrior leaned the sword on the nearby wall, with the point on the floor. “You okay?” He gripped his sister’s wrist, just below her injured hand.

“I’m fine.” She practically whimpered, showing her hand. It was relatively unharmed, save for a few horizontal mild burn lines. “It’s nothing serious; just a little sore. Honestly, it was way worse last time. I’ve gotten way worse in general.”

“Okay. Maybe we can try again late-”

Linkle’s eyes burned through him. “No, Link, don’t you get it?!” She screamed, “I’ll never be able to hold that sword! I’ll just have my crossbow, and my bomb arrows, and my explosion-boots, and that’s it! I don’t know if I can trust my grandma anymore, and grandpa’s dead, and- and he was probably in on it too, wasn’t he?! And I never- never knew my parents! I’ll never find out why this compass glows! I have nothing! I don’t have any family left! I’m worthless! I can’t help anyone! I might as well just stay here and farm cuccos because that’s all I’ll ever be good f-!”

Warrior immediately wrapped his arms around Linkle, pulling her into a tight embrace. He rubbed her hair, pressing her head against his chest and shushing her, “Stop that. Stop talking like that. You’re so much better than that.” He scratched her hair, letting her cry into his shirt. “I’m sorry you have to go through all of this. I promise, I’ll help you through it, and I’ll let you decide whether or not you want to tell the others. Okay, sis?”

Silently, she nodded, otherwise motionless. After a moment of staying like that, she whispered, “Why do you care so much? We just met today.”

Warrior briefly took his hand off her back to grab the blanket, hanging off the side of the bed, and draped it over Linkle. “I care because you’re my sister. That means it’s my job to protect you, and make sure you’re happy. I know for a fact you can protect yourself, even if you don’t think so. You’re obviously not happy, though, and I want to help you through it. No matter what.”

Linkle smiled. “Thanks. I know I don’t have much frame of reference, but you’re a really good brother.”

Warrior tapped his fingers on her head. “Not bad for my first day, huh?” His smile grew at the sound of her small laugh. “Just let me know when you’re ready, and then let me see your compass, okay?”

Multi looked ahead of himself, at the man who predated time. “So, that’s what’s at stake here? If we don’t stop Astor…” He glanced down for a second, and looked up. “We need to stop Astor! Where is he?!”

“I believe he is in a place your counterpart, namely the one in this reality, calls the Temple of Souls. I can’t exactly transport you there myself, but if you depart immediately, you might just be able to get there in time. Now then, I believe it’s about time you woke up.”

The old man, and everything surrounding him, warped and stretched. Multi stood motionless, watching as the city was reduced to blurred watercolors.

Linkle cupped the golden compass in her hands, having taken it off her neck. She looked down at it for a moment, before looking up at Warrior. “I don’t suppose you have anything like this?”

He shook his head. “No. I mean, I have some compasses, of course, but nothing like that. Can I…?” He put his hand out.

“Yeah.” Linkle held out her compass, allowing Warrior to trace the Hyrulean crest etched into it. “What do you think of it?”

Warrior gently opened the compass. “I think this is definitely a compass, alright.” He delicately closed it, with a quiet snap of the hinges. “You said your grandma gave you this, right?”

“Yeah, but of course, now I can’t even be sure if she was telling the truth about where it came from.” She crossed her arms across her stomach. “What do you think? Does this look like it could’ve come from the royal family?”

Warrior tapped the compass. He examined it closely. “Definitely. I spent a lot of time at the castle, and this definitely looks like something that would’ve come from there. Except I haven’t seen anything that looks exactly like it.” He handed the compass back to Linkle. “Does it have any magic?”

“Yeah, but I can’t do it on demand. Sometimes, when I’m completely out of options, it glows and magic… I dunno, magic stuff, I guess, happens. I don’t know how, though.”

“Maybe it’s some sort of artifact? I spent a few years at the castle, but I never saw anything that looked like that, so it probably wasn’t mass-produced.”

“Yeah. My granddad was a chemist- well, I mean our granddad was a chemist, working for the royal family. Do you think this might’ve been a gift from the royal family?”

“Could be. It would explain everything about that compass.”

Linkle smiled, pulling the compass back around her neck. “Thanks, Link. That makes me feel a lot better, somehow.”

Warrior scratched her hair, causing her to lean forward. “Don’t worry about it. Do you want to talk about this with your grandma?”

“Yeah.” She reluctantly nodded, “I think I’d better.”

Multi shot up, screaming with his eyes wide open. Wolf, Zelda, and Wild jumped back. “Dude!” Wolf pulled him by the arms off the couch, “What happened?”

“Dream! Flying city, crown, Astor! Old dude!” Multi glanced around. “What’d I miss?”

After explaining everything Multi had been unconscious for, Zelda asked, “So, what did you see in your dream? Anything conveniently prophetic?” Multi nodded grimly. He explained everything Seth had told him about Audapaupadopolis, and the crown forged from a star. Zelda wrung her hands while sitting next to him. “Then I suppose we’d better start heading to the Temple of Souls already. Hopefully, it’s not too far.”

A door opened upstairs, and Linkle walked out into the hall in front of Warrior. “Hey, guys.” She spoke quietly, wringing her hands, “I need to talk about something.”

“Yeah?” Avian called up the stairs, “What is it?”

The siblings walked downstairs. After a short time, the various Links, Zelda, Linkle, and her grandmother gathered around the living room. “Okay, so, uh, first off…” Linkle coughed into her fist, “Does anyone else have anything to talk about?”

“That depends.” Zelda sat on the arm of the couch. “Is it urgent, or can we talk about it while walking?”

“Oh, we can talk about it on the way somewhere.” Linkle nodded profusely, “In fact, I think I’d actually prefer it that way.”

“Okay, in that case, we’ve got something to tell you guys about. Multi, the floor’s all yours.”

Multi nodded. He explained to the siblings everything he’d learned at Audapaupadopolis. “So, yeah, we’ve gotta get to the Temple of Souls before Astor takes the crown.”

Warrior snapped his fingers, “I’ve been there! That whole place is cursed; time and space bend there, almost like it’s not supposed to exist in this universe. Trust me, you don’t want to go there alone. I think I can lead you guys there, though.”

“Good.” Zelda jumped into a standing position. “Then let’s go and stop the time-space continuum from collapsing in on itself! Again!”

“Okay, so, we still think this compass came from the royal family.” Linkle held it out, still wrapped around her neck. “We just don’t know why it was given to our grandfather before we were even born.”

“Here’s an idea.” Zelda brought up, “A lot of my ancestors, mainly the princesses of Hyrule, were said to have some level of precognition. Usually in the form of dreams.” She shuddered, “I had so many nightmares before the calamity.” Wild hugged her from the side. She leaned into his shoulder. “Thanks, hon.”

“You’re welcome. Is there anything else?”

“Uh… I’m not sure. Anyone else?”

“Yeah, actually.” Multi remembered, “The Zelda I knew told me she saw these… I guess either visions or dreams, I don’t really remember which, and they showed her dark clouds covering Hyrule, and then being parted by this bright light. That’s why she got me to help her stop Ganondorf in the first place. She realized the dark clouds symbolized him, and the light symbolized me.”

“Okay, good, so that explains everything, right?” Sail turned to Linkle and Warrior, “Someone in the royal family had a vision or whatever that told them your grandfather would be related to a Link, so they gave him that compass to pass down. And when the civil war started, your parents were separated, and your grandma told us everything that happened afterwards.”

Linkle slowly nodded. “Yeah. I’ve got no questions left.” She smiled, with hollow eyes. “It feels… I don’t know how to feel. I should be happy, but… I’m not sure. It’s like, now what? Once we’re done stopping Astor and getting you guys back home, what’s the next step for me? I’m not even sure I can stay with my grandma now; I don’t know if I can trust her at this point.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I could let you stay at the castle with me.” Warrior suggested, “I’ll make sure to put in a good word with the princess.”

“Thanks. I’m not sure how well I’d do as part of the army, but thanks.” Linkle tapped the compass around her neck.

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Warrior slapped her upper back, causing her to stumble forward with a quiet yelp. “I saw you with that crossbow; you’d fit right in with the archers. If anything, you’d probably set a new standard. Plus, if you really want, I could give you some one-on-one sword training.”

Linkle’s eyes shone bright, and a grin split her face. She grabbed onto Warrior, practically squealing, “Really?! You’d do that for me? Thank you! Thank you so much!”

Warrior smiled, hugging Linkle. “Hey, I’m your brother. That’s what I’m here for.” He gently stroked her hair. “Now come on. We’ve gotta keep going. The universe isn’t going to stop itself from collapsing, is it?”

“No.” Linkle shook her head, with her forehead pressed into Warrior’s chest. “It’s always up to us.” She extricated herself from the mutual embrace, and turned around to address the others. “Sorry about that, guys. Just, y’know, emotions running high.”

“It’s fine.” Avian shrugged, “We understand. Still, we shouldn’t be stopping when there’s so much at stake.”

The next day, the group reached the Temple of Souls. It was a massive, rectangular stone palace, surrounded by rose gardens and statues. Wolf squinted at a statue of a familiar canine. “Hey, Warrior, how come this kinda looks like my wolf form?”

“Oh. Yeah, that.” He winced, “I was kinda hoping this stuff would’ve been taken down by now. See, this place was built by Cia, who kind of has a crush on me.”

“Dude.” Multi pointed at a statue of himself, “This isn’t a crush. This is unhealthy.”

As the group walked up the stairs, Warrior clarified, “Believe me, I know. It’s kind of a long story.”

“We already know most of it.” Wild explained, “Linkle, Impa, Cia, and Lana have all told us about it. Actually, Cia and Lana are back to monitoring time and space in both our universes.”

“Oh, good. I was wondering how they were doing after everything that happened with the triforce.” Warrior looked up, narrowing his eyes as they entered the temple. “Alright team, game faces. This place is completely unnatural.” They walked forward, weapons drawn. The interior was cramped, despite the temple’s massive exterior. Two separate staircases converged onto one hallway, continuing in two opposite directions, with a massive room behind the center of the hall opposite the staircases. Pieces of the walls and floor had broken away, revealing a twisting dark purple void beyond. “You know, this temple was originally in another plane of existence.”

“Oh really?” Zelda looked down to avoid a purple vortex. “I never would’ve guessed.” She looked up. “More importantly, we need to find the crown before Astor. That’s why we’re here, no other reason. Warrior, any ideas?”

“None whatsoever. I’ve only been here once, and I didn’t see any signs of a magic multi-dimensional crown.”

“That’s probably because it only came here recently, when the timelines started collapsing in on themselves, and us Links first started meeting each other.” Multi suggested. He clarified, “The second time our universes started collapsing, I mean.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean.” Warrior shrugged. “Maybe we should split up. It’d help us cover more ground.”

“No way.” Zelda vetoed, “We all saw for ourselves how powerful Astor is. None of us can beat him on our own, especially not with his hollows.”

“Hey, hold on.” Avian pointed out, “Can’t we teleport to each other with the sheikah slates?”

“Yeah, but what if we can’t use them while we’re fighting Astor?” Wild argued.

“Oh, typical, always taking your girlfriend’s side.”

“I- what- that has nothing to do with this, Linkle!”

“Yeah, sure it doesn’t! I bet your just going along with your brother!”

“Don’t drag me into this!”

“You dragged yourself in when you invited yourself on this quest!”

“This is my universe, Sail! I have every right to help save it!”

“And what a bang-up job you’re doing! We’re stuck here fighting like children wh-”

“ Stay out of this! ”

“Don’t yell at my girlfriend like that!”

“So you admit she’s your girlfriend!”

“Linkle, what the hell are you talking about? That was- I- whose side are you on?”

“I don’t know anymore!”

“You guys are all stupid! Obviously, there’s something here messing with our heads; turning us against each other. We’re all playing right into its hands.”

“Guys, I think Multi’s right.” Zelda put her arms down, and stepped back from the group. “Let’s just calmly debate, like the adults we-” She glanced at Sail, and corrected herself, “-most of us are.”

“Do we have time for that?” Wild gestured to the side. He paused. “And more importantly, where did everything go?” The entire group abruptly spread out. The entire temple had disappeared, leaving nothing but a void of swirling purple vortexes. They were standing atop the void, swirling in endless patterns like a supernatural floor.

“This is…?” Warrior spun around, desperately searching for an explanation. A cold, sadistic laugh broke through the infinite void of dark magic. A cluster of black and red spheres of unnatural energy rocketed towards them. “Watch out!” The Links all simultaneously deflected a single sphere, while Zelda and Linkle shot the remaining ones back. “Astor! Show yourself! What is this?!”

In a swirl of red and black, Astor appeared, with his arms spread out at his sides. “Oh, Link, why ruin the fun? I suppose you know by now the truth of what lies within this temple.” He looked around the violet void. “Or what’s left of it.”

“He’s lying.” Multi bluntly stated. He was holding the lens of truth up to his eyes. “The temple’s still here. It’s just under an illusion, that’s all.”

Astor snarled, “So. Figured it out, did you?” A swirling saber of black and red magic manifested in his hand. “No matter. I will have that crown, and the final legend will be mine to write!” He slashed the blade through the air, causing the void to ripple like air being heated up.

“Daruk’s protection!” Wild activated a force field in front of the others, causing it and Astor’s sword to mutually shatter each other on impact. Astor’s arm was thrown back by the force of the blow. “Now guys!”

Linkle shot three bomb arrows on one side of Wild, and Zelda launched a light arrow on his other side. They crashed into the dark mage, launching him into the air. The void shattered like glass to reveal the temple. Astor fell to the ground, skidding backwards on his feet. “How interesting…” He snapped his fingers, and six duplicates of himself appeared with half on each side of himself. “Then let’s make a game of this! A game with the highest of stakes, to see what will become of the ultimate power! Where the triforce only grants the power of the golden goddesses, this crown will allow me to surpass the gods themselves!”

“That’ll never happen!” Avian fired multiple skyward strikes at each version of Astor. They disappeared in a cloud of dark magic. “Dammit. Multi, he didn’t go invisible or anything, did he?”

“Nope.” Multi put the lens of truth away. “He must’ve teleported away. Come on, the more time we waste talking, the more we risk Astor finding the crown of Auda-whatever and annihilating the cosmic order.”

The eight of them entered a square room at the back of the temple. The walls were covered in portraits of Warrior. Each was a varying size compared to the others, and all had gold edges. “Man. Cia had issues.”

“That’s putting it mildly.” Wild kept his gaze to the floor, “She was nothing like this when I talked to her in the void outside of time and space, or whatever that place is she hangs out with Lana.”

“Hey, so…” Wolf looked around, grimacing, “...where are we on the whole splitting up vs staying together debate?”

Zelda glanced around the room. “Why are you all staring at me?”

Sail shrugged. “You’re the one who has experience leading a kingdom.”

“I- gah-” She sputtered, “Into the ground! If it wasn’t for me, Calamity Ganon-”

“Zelda, that’s enough of that.” Link wrapped one arm around her from in front, and stroked her hair with his other hand. Her breath hitched, and she leaned back. Link lowered his arms so that he was loosely holding her wrists, rubbing his thumbs up and down. “It’s okay. Nobody blames you for what happened. There was no way you could’ve expected it, let alone stopped it. You did the best you could, and the only reason any of us are still here is because you kept fighting for a hundred years afterwards.”

“You’re right. Thanks.” She briefly hugged him, before addressing the rest of the group, “Okay, we can’t risk splitting up because of how powerful Astor already is, but we also can’t waste a second more than we already have. Warrior, I need you to lead us in the quickest possible path through the temple.”

“Got it. I’ve only been here once, but I’ll see what I can do.”

“Right. Guess that’s the best we can hope for.”

“Yeah.” Linkle nodded grimly, “I’m a first-timer here, so… yeah…” She elbowed her brother in the side. “Alright, Warrior, just remember: it’s worth a shot.”

“You’re right.” Warrior started leading the squadron.

Minutes later, the seven Links and Zelda walked into the chamber in the back of the temple, averting their eyes from the paintings on the wall. “Sorry, guys.” Multi lowered the lens of truth from in front of his face, “I didn’t see anything.”

“Maybe it’s behind one of these creepo paintings.” Sail suggested.

“So, what do we do?” Avian gestured around the entire room, “Take every single painting off the wall and hope for the best?”

Multi used the lens of truth to scan the walls, ceiling, and floor. “Looks like all of the paintings are really there, and there’s no hidden holes I can see, so yeah. Best I can think of.”

“Okay, but how do we get to the ones up high?” Wild pointed up at the paintings near the ceiling, “Revali’s gale can only work three times, and the cooldown is way too long for how urgent this is. Especially when there’s no guarantee we’re even on the right track with this.”

“Avian and I can probably use our clawshots for that.” Wolf took both of them out of his satchel.

“Good.” Zelda decided, “Then let’s do that.” Over the course of several minutes, three uses of Revali’s gale, and multiple clawshot strikes, the floor was littered with paintings. Multi took one off, revealing a hole in the wall.

“Oh, of course.” He looked around at the walls, whereupon he slapped his hands to his hips. “Of course, it’s the last one! It’s always the last one!”

“Come on.” Warrior pushed in front of him to crawl into the hole. “We’ve been wasting more than enough time as is.” The entire group crawled inside single-file. After no more than a foot, the crawlway opened into a larger cavern. It was barely spacious enough for them to stand around in, inches apart, most of their heads scraping the ceiling. Multi turned into his shorter deku form.

“Hey, cool.” Sail patted him on the head, “Someone shorter than me.”

“Don’t patronize me.” Multi turned to the others, “What’s next?” On the sides of the wall, there were two identical pathways. Each was just barely illuminated with a dim purple light.

“Two pathways…” Zelda clapped once, “Alright, team! We’ll split into two groups of four, and each group will carry a sheikah slate so that we can communicate and teleport to each other. Avian, siblings, you’re with me. Honey, take Multi, Wolf, and Sail.”

“You got it.” Wild started leading the other group down the tunnel. Zelda’s group took the opposite tunnel.

“Hey, Zelda, thanks for letting the two of us go together.” Warrior gestured to Linkle, “But how come you didn’t want to go with your boyfriend?”

“Oh, believe me, I did.” Zelda readily admitted, “But I thought it’d be better if I let him lead a squad on his own.”

“Because you’d be too busy hitting on each other to actually get anything done with only us to stop you?”

“Wh-what? No!” Zelda crossed her arms, deciding to try changing the subject, "So, Avian, what about your Zelda? She's the original, right? You got anything going on with her?"

"Well, I mean, she is the direct reincarnation of Hylia, so yeah. That would make her the original Zelda. And our relationship is… um… complicated. I'm pretty sure I like her, but I'm not sure she feels the same way, and this whole thing started before I could really talk to her about it."

"Don't worry, man." Linkle clapped him on the shoulder, "I'm sure she'll at least give it a shot. And if not, she'll probably let you down gently."

"Thanks."

Sail reached up, as the only member of the group whose head didn’t scrape the ceiling. “Hey, Wild, what’s it feel like leading a group?”

Wild shrugged, “Eh, it’s alright, I guess. Why do you ask?”

“No reason. It’s just that Tetra, the pirate captain who’s actually the Zelda of my era, never really told me how she felt about being the captain. Sometimes, she’d complain about how hard it was, or she’d laugh and tell me how much she enjoyed it.”

“Well, how do you think she felt about it?” Wolf asked.

“Honestly, I think she liked it for the most part. We were like a family, and even though she was the youngest, other than me of course, all of the other pirates respected her. They followed her without question, because they trusted her.”

“Good for her.” Multi acknowledged, “It’s impressive that she managed to become that good of a leader when she was, what, 12?”

“Yeah, and I think she was the captain for about a year before I joined up. I told you guys about that, right? You all know how that happened?”

“Yeah, a giant bird kidnapped your sister as part of a convoluted plot by Ganondorf.” Avian remembered. “He was trying to bring Hyrule back, right?”

“Yeah. He was trying to use the power of the triforce, but the king who was also a boat got to it first. He made sure Hyrule stayed underwater like the goddesses intended.”

“So… quick question.” Wild asked, “Where exactly is the triforce in your timeline? Is it still underwater?”

“Probably!”

After some length of time, the two pathways converged. Avian, Linkle, Multi, Sail, Warrior, Wild, Wolf, and Zelda reunited in a central chamber. It was made of a black stone, covered in purple glowing mushrooms. At the center was a pillar of black stone, covered in patterns resembling stars, as though it were a window to the depths of the cosmos. Atop the pillar was a colorless cube, with corners sharp enough to cut skin.

“That’s gotta be the crown!” Linkle realized, “Now’s our chance to fix everything!” She lunged forward, only for the cube to launch a bolt of purple lightning at her chest. She flew back, screaming in pain.

Warrior caught her out of the air. “Are you alright?!”

“I- I’m okay. Just a lit-little shaken.” Linkle extricated herself, staggering to her feet and occasionally spasming from residual electricity. “What are- ow! What’re we gonna do about that?”

“Maybe we need to use the master swords to prove we’re worthy?” Multi suggested, “Except this thing’s from a completely different universe, so probably not.”

Avian drew his sword. “Maybe we need to brute force it. Linkle, Zelda, get out your bows and take aim. Everyone else, let’s get our master swords ready.”

A wet, dark mist seeped into the chamber. “Oh, I assure you…” A cold voice hissed, “...that won’t be necessary.” The mist retreated to the back of the chamber, on the opposite side of the cube from the Links. It swirled upwards and coalesced into a solid form.

Wild yelled, “Astor!” The entire group of eight sprinted at the dark mage. He stepped back with a calm grin. The cube fired violet lightning, electrocuting the group before launching them into the solid stone wall.

“How amusing. So that’s what this is.” Astor stretched his arms out at multiple angles, until he had dozens of flat, translucent red runes floating in front of him. He walked forward. Each time the cube fired lightning at him, he merely conjured another rune to serve as a barrier. “You know, I’m really disappointed in the lot of you. The entire multiverse is at stake, and you can barely stand up? Some legends you’ve proven to be.”

“No!” Linkle desperately stood up. “I won’t let it end this way!” She raised her crossbow, and launched three bomb arrows.

“Pathetic.” Astor swiped his hand through the air, creating a black and purple vortex. It closed the second the bomb arrows flew into it. He pulled his fist back. The runes folded to cover his entire arm. Astor punched the cube. The runes traveled down his arm, shattering the cube with a deafening sound. A wave of pure magical energy radiated outwards. The group ducked underneath it, while Astor teleported out of the way. Where the cube had stood, there was a crown of silver and iron, emanating the energy from a long-dead star. “It’s mine.” Astor took the crown of Audapaupadopolis.

“God.” He scoffed, placing the crown on his head, “Never before has a word been so insufficient.”

Chapter Text

Astor’s entire body was covered in radiant white and golden light, emanating from the crown itself. His laughter filled the air. “Yes! Yes! Space and time are mine to command! The gods can only tremble before my infinite power! No, my power transcends infinity!” The stone walls ripped apart, rapidly swirling around them in a violet void. The vortex expanded over the course of a few seconds, until the entire temple was reduced to a tiny platform of rock in an infinite purple void, surrounded by the swirling remnants of the Temple of Souls.

The group stepped back to the edge of the platform. Zelda grit her teeth, “Now what? It’s like he’s made of power! Even if we had the entire triforce, I don’t think we’d stand a chance!”

“That… that doesn’t matter…!” Linkle growled, “We can’t just surrender, or let this creep take over existence, just because he’s stronger than us!”

“She’s right!” Warrior decided, holding his blade of evil’s bane, “We’re the legends of two Hyrules! Everyone, strike him at once!” The six Links charged at Astor. With the slightest gesture of his finger, he launched them back. They barely managed to grab the edges and scramble back up. Warrior’s master sword had clattered to the ground.

“Don’t you see?” Astor screeched, his voice reaching an inhuman crescendo, “All dimensions will fall to my command! All things living and dead will be mine to control! I will take my rightful place as the one true god of the multiverse!”

“There’s gotta be a ton of gods in the multiverse.” Linkle gripped Warrior’s sword by the hilt. “We don’t need another one!” She ran forward, her hand burning.

“Insolent little girl!” Astor snapped his fingers to create a shockwave, tossing Linkle away from the platform. Her scream was drowned out by the echoing dull sound of the shockwave. Wolf fired his clawshots to catch her by the legs, and drag her back to the relatively solid ground.

“Thanks.” Linkle glanced down at the blade in her hand. The hilt glowed, a golden light visible between her fingers. “What…?” The radiance traveled up the sword, until its entirety was coated in a golden light. Linkle gaped at the weapon. “This is…”

Warrior grasped the hilt, just below his sister’s hand. He looked into her eyes with a smile. “So much for not being the legendary hero, huh?” The siblings pulled on the sword in opposite directions, causing it to split apart. The golden glow shot out, swirling and folding into a sphere as it flew through the air. Astor held out his hand, and the glowing orb erupted in a massive explosion of blinding light.

Warrior and Linkle looked over at each other. Each was holding a glowing master sword. “I don’t believe this.” Linkle held up her sword reverently. “I promise, I won’t waste this!”

“Those swords are nothing! They were forged by a mere pretender goddess! I am true divinity! No, I’ve transcended divinity! No power can save you now!” He conjured a sphere of golden energy, a dozen times larger than himself, and tossed it at the mortals.

“Now guys!” Avian commanded, “Zelda, stand back!” The seven Links clashed their swords against the energy orb. Zelda stood back, shooting light arrows rapid-fire.

The Links dug their heels into the ground, creating minor trenches as the orb pushed them back. “Guys…” Multi gritted his teeth, “...now!” All seven of them swung their swords, knocking the orb of energy back to where it’d come from. Wolf yelled, “Return to sender!”

“A meaningless gesture.” Astor held out his hand. The orb of light collided with it, narrowing and absorbing into his arm in the span of a second. “Just like your existence.”

“Guys, over there!” Sail pointed behind Astor. A window had opened in time and space. Water poured out into the void. On the other side were three golden triangles. “The triforce is underwater in my timeline! I knew it!”

“Is there any way we can reach it?” Linkle asked, “Because clearly, we need all the power we can get.”

“I don’t think so.” Sail shook his head, “There’s no platforms to jump on or anything.” He pointed at the small clusters of stone surrounding their platform.

“I tire of your blabbering!” Astor transformed his arm into a golden greatsword, the size of the island itself, and sliced into it.

“Everyone scatter!” Zelda yelled. The Links rolled to the sides of the sword, as it sliced the island in half.

“Sail, here!” Wolf tossed his clawshots across the chasm, a dozen feet wide. Sail caught them out of the air. “Use those!”

“Thanks!” Sail jumped off the platform, firing one of the clawshots to grip onto a cluster of stone. He swung through the void, arms burning as he fired the clawshots. He flipped through the air, balancing atop the closest minor platform to the dimensional window. He could see the golden outline of the triforce, rotating in the blue depths. “Triforce!” He yelled, stretching out his arm, “I need your power!”

“Power?!” Astor turned around, eyes blazing with rage, “I’ll show you power, boy!” He swiped his arm, conjuring a scythe of golden light that extended in Sail’s direction.

“Nothing to lose!” Sail screamed, jumping into the portal. The rock he’d been standing on exploded, just a few inches behind him. He plunged into the water, holding his breath and digging his heels into the ground to steady himself. He stabbed the master sword into the stone, gripping it with both hands while the water rushed past him, eventually forcing his legs off the ground. His lungs and arms burned with agony. He stretched out an arm, his vision filled with spots, face turning blue. The triforce rotated through the water, until it slammed into his palm. Sail was thrown backwards from the impact, and fell into the purple void.

Sail gasped for air as he fell into the endless void. Three golden triangles shone on the back of his palm. He reoriented himself upright, with the waterfall roaring behind him, and kicked downwards with one leg. A golden platform appeared, shattering as soon as Sail kicked off it. He kicked the air, conjuring and shattering more golden platforms, until he reached the piece of stone where Zelda, Wolf, Avian, and Linkle were standing.

“Guys, look!” Sail held up his hand, beaming. “I got the triforce from my world!”

“Awesome!” Avian pointed somewhere off in the distance. “Hey, wait. Is that Skyloft?”

While everyone on Skyloft was asleep, in the middle of the night, a purple hole opened in the sky. Crimson screeched, flying through the portal. He emerged into the purple void that had once been the Temple of Souls, flying past the rubble. Astor turned. His eyes narrowed in rage. “Damn bird!” He conjured a sphere of golden light, and launched it. It split into dozens of smaller spheres, all of which simultaneously honed in on the loftwing.

Avian screamed, “Crimson watch out!” He could only watch as his loftwing dodged and weaved past the orbs, as they collided with each other to create one fiery explosion after another. He dove and ascended and twisted through the air, until finally reaching the island with no small amount of burned feathers.

“Crimmy!” Avian embraced the bird’s massive neck. “Thank Hylia you’re okay! That was awesome!”

Sail laughed, “Crimmy?”

“Wh- no. I said Crimson. He’s my loftwing from Skyloft.” Avian mounted his airborne companion. “More importantly, we’re going to get the triforce from my era.”

“I won’t let you!” Astor manifested a chain of white-hot fire, lashing it at Avian and Crimson as they flew towards the dimensional window.

“No!” Sail fired both of Wolf’s clawshots. They gripped onto Astor’s chain, breaking it apart in two separate places.

“Impossible! How could you counter me?!”

“You think we’re scared of you?! You stole that power, because that’s all you care about! We’ve all earned our power, for the sake of protecting everyone we love!”

“Nonsense!” Astor bellowed, “You are nothing more than a useless child, spouting nothing more than useless prattle!” He raised his arm once more, only for golden ropes to bind his arms to his sides. “What is this blasphemy?”

Zelda held out her hand, with three divine triangles on her knuckle. “You’re facing the power of two triforces, monster!”

“Wrong!” Avian yelled. Crimson was coated in a golden light, and sliced through Astor like a flying javelin. The false god reeled through the corrupt air, while the loftwing circled back to the island, having returned to his own namesake hue. Avian raised his hand, grinning from one ear to the other. “There’s three, actually.” He launched a massiv skyward strike directly at Astor.

“Hey! Look down there!” Linkle pointed down, where four dimensional windows lay directly below the chasm between the islands. “I can see the triforce in all of those!”

Astor stabbed at the group with a massive javelin. Avian swung his sword, conjuring a massive saber to block the strike. He planted his feet in the ground, until Zelda and Sail both lashed radiant golden chains around Astor’s arm, allowing him to slice straight through the spectral sword. “Alright! Everyone who doesn’t have a triforce, go get one! We’ll stay here and hold off Astor!”

Everyone nodded. Multi, Wolf, Wild, Linkle, and Warrior jumped into the abyss, and into the portals.

Multi fell through the portal, into the sacred realm. A massive platform stood on a pillar, stretching down into a tranquil blue abyss, with 6 smaller pillars surrounding it. An old man stood on the largest platform, wearing brown robes. “Rauru.” Multi addressed the sage of light. At the center of the platform stood the triforce, slowly rotating and floating less than an inch off the ground. “I need to borrow the triforce.”

Rauru looked up at the purple hole in the sky. “I understand. Good luck, Link. And tell me: how is Zelda?”

“Oh. She’s, uh, she’s fine, I guess. How’re the other sages?”

“They’re doing as well as they can be. We’re all praying for your victory. We can feel that the universe is in more danger than ever before.”

“Yeah, probably.” Multi confirmed, “But we’re doing everything we can to stop it.” He touched the triforce. It absorbed itself into the back of his hand. He clenched his fist, and looked up at the sky. “Thanks, Rauru.”

“Don’t mention it, my child. Good luck.”

“You got it.” Multi jumped, ascending back to the purple void.

Wolf fell into the twilight realm, a few miles outside of the castle. He looked around. “This is where I fought Ganondorf.”

A black portal opened in front of him, with green, flickering cubes on the edges. Midna walked through, glaring with her arms crossed in front of her chest. “Link. What the hell is going on here?” She looked up. “Why is the sky broken?”

Wolf cleared his throat, “Hi. Midna. Long story. I need the triforce to save the universe.”

“Of course you do.” Midna rolled her eyes, smiling at Wolf fondly. “Well then, here you go.” She held out her hand. The air itself shook, warping and twisting, until the triforce appeared in the palm of her hand.

Wolf reached out with both hands, reverently accepting the triforce. It appeared on the back of his hand. “Thanks. But how did you get this?”

“It appeared on my hand the day after you killed Ganondorf.”

“What?! How come you never told me?!”

“How come you never asked?!”

Wolf facepalmed. “Never mind.” He focused on the power of the triforce. His hand glowed, and he teleported back to where the Temple of Souls had once been.

Wild found himself in the field in the korok forest, with the great deku tree looking down at him. “Well now, this is a surprise. Who are you, my child?”

“What do you mean? I’m Link.” He showed the tree his master sword. “See this? I earned this; you watched me earn it!”

“The master sword?” The great deku tree’s wooden eyebrows raised. “How did you get that?”

The master sword blinked a glowing white, with a quiet chiming sound. The deku tree considered, “I understand.”

“I don’t.” Wild admitted, “Was that the sword spirit Avian told me about? Fi?”

“That was the spirit that has inhabited the blade of evil’s bane since its creation. It tells me you require the power of the triforce, to prevent the collapse of time and space.”

“Yes, sir. Do you know where it is?”

The great deku tree closed his eyes. Dozens of feet above, the golden triangles emerged from within his trunk. They slowly rotated, descending closer to Wild. “Well, look at that. It seems I do know where it is.”

“What? How?” Wild held out his hands.

“A gift from the golden goddesses, I suppose. Perhaps these are sufficiently desperate times. In any case, if you carry the master sword, and the sword spirit favors you, then I’ll place my trust in you.”

“Thanks, sir. I promise, we won’t let you down.” Wild jumped back into the purple void.

Linkle and Warrior fell into the void beyond time and space, where Cia and Lana stood. “Well now, this is something. The sibling legends themselves.”

“You’re the guardians of time?” Linkle pointed at them, “Sorry, I thought your outfit would be a bit less, um, how do I put this?”

“Revealing?” Cia gestured to her half-exposed chest.

“Uh…” Linkle scratched the back of her head, “I wouldn’t say revealing…”

“I would.” Warrior bluntly stated, “That’s a perfect word for it. More importantly, we need those triforces.” He pointed behind Cia and Lana, at two separate, completed triforces rotating in two opposing directions.

Lana nodded. “They just… appeared a few seconds after the sky broke.” She pointed at the gradually expanding purple hole above them. Purple cracks expanded and branched out, while pieces of the white void itself fell into the purple vortex. “I’m not entirely sure we should just give them to you, though. The combined power of two triforces is absolutely incalculable.”

Cia put her hand on Lana’s shoulder. “At this point, I think it’s safe to say they’ve proven themselves worthy of such power. Besides, who else could we trust at this point?”

“True.” Lana reconsidered, “Okay. You two can have the triforces.” She and Cia stood to the sides, thrusting their arms out towards the siblings. The triforces paused in their rotations, vibrating in place for a second, before rocketing into Warrior and Linkle. They briefly glowed yellow, before appearing on the back of their hands.

Warrior clenched his fist. “Thank you. And, Cia, about what happened between us. No hard feelings?”

Cia looked away from the two, despite smiling. “No hard feelings.”

Lana pushed in front of her counterpart, “Alright you two, what’re you waiting for? Get going already to save the cosmos!”

“You got it!” Linkle enthusiastically agreed. The two fell from one void into the other.

Avian, Zelda, and Sail had assembled the remnants of the Temple of Souls into several dozens of stone platforms, jumping between them and occasionally striking at Astor. He roared in frustration, sending out chains of golden magic to strike at them. The other Links teleported over to them.

“Everyone got the triforces?” Avian held up his hand.

“Yeah.” Linkle confirmed, “It was surprisingly easy. We didn’t even have to go through any trials to get them.”

“Hey, I’m not complaining.” Wolf shrugged, “As far as I’m concerned, everything we’ve been through so far has been a trial. Besides, I got to see Midna again.”

“Oh, really?” Sail leaned in, grinning.

Multi pushed him back by the forehead. “Time and place. Now come on! Let’s hit him from every angle!”

“No! This can never happen! Even with a hundred triforces, you can’t stop me! Creation is mine, to do with as I please!” Astor spread his arms wide. On every platform, and in the void between them, an army of thousands of hollows was born. The champions of the era of the wild, as well as every variation of Link and Zelda, arose in dark hollow forms with red eyes gleaming with hatred and malice. “With this army, the multiverse is at my fingertips! With this crown, the gods themselves can only tremble at my might! It’s time for you all to do the same!”

A massive skyward strike sliced through a hundred hollows. “The skyborn legend! Avian!”

The Fierce Deity sliced through the hordes, his double-helix blade moving fast enough to repeatedly break the sound barrier. “The masked shapeshifting legend! Multi!”

A howl pierced the violet air, disintegrating a swathe of hollows from the sheer volume. “The canine shapeshifting legend! Wolf!”

A tornado manifested, causing a dozen platforms to crash into each other, killing scores of hollows. “The seafaring legend! Sail!”

A score of hollows glowed yellow, frozen in time until they were all sliced down at once, by a sword that moved faster than the human eye could hope to perceive. “The high-tech legend! Wild!”

Three bomb arrows pierced the corrupted air, each splitting into three before crashing into a stone island infested with hollows. A flaming boot kicked a hollow in the face, annihilating an entire swath of them in an explosive blaze. “The explosive sharpshooting legend! Linkle!”

A floating island was tossed through the air, crashing into and annihilating multiple other islands. “The army decimating legend! Warrior!”

A salvo of light arrows pierced the hollows, each one passing through to stab the one behind its original target. “The descendant of the goddess Hylia! Zelda!”

The eight legends stood in a row. Seven swords glowed, launching spectral golden blades alongside three light arrows. They pierced through Astor, embedding themselves in his chest, driving themselves further in for a few seconds, before exploding. “United across all time and space! The ultimate saviors of Hyrule, eradicating the darkness in the name of the golden goddesses!”

Astor conjured two blinding white scimitars in his hands, swinging them at the triforce holders. The siblings held up their hands, conjuring a dome that shattered the scimitars. Avian jumped towards Astor, holding his blade straight up to launch a skyward strike. It expanded in midair, striking Astor when it was dozens of times larger than him.

“Fine then! A form this size isn’t nearly sufficient to hold such power anyway!” Astor screamed, enveloping his entire body in a formless white mass. The mass expanded tenfold in ten seconds, before exploding in a blinding flash, revealing that Astor had similarly grown inside of it. “Now that’s more like it! Know my power! Gaze upon despair!”

“We don’t have time to despair!” Multi jumped up, in Fierce Deity form, to eye level with Astor. He used both hands to rapidly spin the double-helix blade in front of him, firing dozens of sword beams at Astor at a blinding pace. He rocketed forward, transforming into a goron without needing to swap masks, and punched Astor’s nose, which was the same size as himself. The impact sent out a deafening shockwave for a thousand-foot radius, bending Astor’s nose. He screamed in pain, and reached up faster than human perception to envelope Multi’s entire body in his fist.

“Do you see now, child?” Astor growled, “There is no power, no form you can take, which can save you from me. There is no salvation for mortals. There is- gah!” Multi sliced Astor’s palm with his elbow blades. Dozens of blue lines appeared in the span of a second, slicing through Astor’s hand as Multi rotated his entire body. He bent his leg to kick off of Astor’s palm, turning back into the Fierce Deity mid-backflip.

“We can save ourselves!” Multi raised his arm. A golden moon, decorated with a glaring face, materialized overhead. It screamed through the air, and crashed into Astor with a flaming, deafening explosion. He flew through the void, screaming gutturally.

Zelda held up her arm, conjuring a giant golden triforce behind Astor. It shattered when he crashed into it, stopping him in midair.

Avian and Wolf fired their clawshots. Three massive, golden claws attached to chains snapped around his elbows and chest. The false god struggled and pulled against the chains. “No! Release me! How are you fighting back? You are mortals! Less than insects against my power!”

Sail jumped in an arc, thrusting his sword into Astor’s forehead. A golden hologram of the blade expanded outwards from it, slicing into his forehead. Sail swung the blade downwards, slicing straight through Astor’s torso. Astor screamed, throwing his entire body to the side. The motion pulled Wolf and Avian along with him, sending them screaming through the void. The spectral chains loudly shattered and disappeared into oblivion.

Linkle kicked an island of rock over to them, allowing them to land on their feet. Zelda brought several other islands over to them, creating a platform for all eight of them to stand on. Wolf nodded, “Thanks.”

Linkle snapped her fingers. “Don’t mention it. Man, having the powers of a god feels awesome!”

“I know, right?” Zelda agreed, “I’ve never had it for this long.”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean much if we can’t beat this guy.” Wild gestured to Astor. He used the stasis rune to freeze him in time, just as he was swinging an enormous golden mace. “Right now, it seems we’re only doing superficial damage, if that.”

“Yeah, and besides, he can just heal any wounds.” Avian decided, “We all need to combine our powers for one final attack that’ll finish him off once and for all. And we need to do it fast.” He pointed straight up. The holes in time and space were growing exponentially, and more were appearing by the second. More than half of the purple void was filled with windows into the larger multiverse.

“Hey!” A voice called from one of the gaps in the timelines, “Maybe you guys could use the power of the Lorulean triforce!” Hilda raised her arm, balling her fist to show a single upside-down triangle, glowing black on her wrist. “Ravio, come here.” She pulled a boy with black hair in front of the cosmic window with her.

“Hilda, are you sure about this?” Ravio nervously looked out at the extradimensional battle.

“Yeah. We’ve got the Lorulean triforce, so now we can add our power to theirs.” She grabbed him by the arm, and jumped into the void. They descended for several seconds, before landing on the platform with the Links and Zelda.

“Hey!” Zelda greeted the other princess, “Hilda, right? It’s been a while.” She shook the dark-haired girl’s hand.

“Yeah. And you’re that other Zelda. What’s going on here?”

“What’s going on is that I’ve obtained power beyond the cosmos! Time and space bend the knee to me!” Astor spread his arms, conjuring seven javelins in an arc over his head. He pointed forward with one arm, sending the javelins flying forward.

The seven Links held up their arms, conjuring a golden translucent dome. The dome and javelins both shattered on impact, causing the platform to shake. “Okay, so basically, each of us has the power of a triforce from a certain point in time.”

“So do we.” Ravio showed them his fists. On the back of each palm was a black, upside-down triangle. “I have wisdom and courage, and hilda’s got power.”

Hilda grinned, “Ever since the triforce was restored to Lorule, our kingdom’s been under restorations. Slow but sure.”

“Alright, awesome!” Wild slapped them both on the shoulder, “Now let’s show this wannabe Demise what for with the power of nine triforces!” The Loruleans nodded.

Avian, Multi, Wolf, Sail, Wild, Zelda, Linkle, Warrior, Hilda, and Ravio all stood in a line. Astor screamed, “Your power is miniscule!” He manifested a golden-white chain in his hands to lash at the island.

“Our power surpasses infinity!” The ten of them held out their arms. The triforces grew to a massive size, creating a tower twice as large as Astor himself. The chain shattered into oblivion upon impact. The dark Lorulean triforce stood, inverted, in the middle of the tower of 27 omnipotent triangles.

“Witness our power! Our wisdom! ” They fired beams of golden and dark light at Astor. Ten voices became one, piercing through the eldritch void of corruption, “ WITNESS OUR COURAGE!”

The triforces rocketed towards Astor, growing exponentially until he was dwarfed by a single triangle. They folded in on each other, creating a sphere that completely encased him. “There’s a lot of gods, Astor.” Wild snarled, “We don’t need another.”

The ten legends turned their back to Astor. The sphere made of triforces collapsed, sending out a deafening shockwave of golden energy, stretching across the void.

The void itself shattered, and disappeared.

Wild groaned. He opened his eyes, rubbing his head and sitting up. Looking around, he found he was in the throne room where he’d battled Calamity Ganon. Wolf, Sail, Avian, Multi, Zelda, and Linkle all woke up on the floor around him. “Guys?” Wild looked down at his bare hands. “Was that real?”

The others looked down at their hands. Zelda asked, “Does anyone still have their triforce?” The others looked down, and shook their heads. Zelda closed her eyes for a few seconds, and then cracked them open. “Me neither. I guess maybe they’re for cosmic emergencies only.”

Sail folded his knees against his chest, and his arms across his knees. “How are we going to get home now? Am I going to see my sister?” Wolf hugged him from behind.

“Of course you are.” Zelda assured, “I promise, no matter what, we’re going to get you all home. Even if we have to turn time and space inside-out to make it happen.”

“Thanks.” Sail leaned into his counterpart.

Linkle stood up. “I have a brother now. I need to talk to my grandma. I don’t know what I’m going to say, but I need to talk to her.”

Wild stood up. He grasped her elbows. “I promise you, we’ll make sure you get back to your family.” He turned around. “All of you. You’re getting back to your families, no matter what.”

“Thank you.” Linkle embraced him.

Avian slowly walked over to the enormous, arched window. He gasped, his knees buckling as he tightened his grip on the windowsill. “No.”

“What is it?” Multi walked over to him. “Oh, great, not again.” The rest of the group gradually walked over to the windows.

Outside, the sky was a solid, featureless red.

“We need to stop this.” Wild decided. The group turned around. Behind them, a circular portal had opened, silently pulsating with glowing red edges. On the other side of the portal was a field of snow. Standing in the snow, their backs turned to the portal, was a group of cephalings.