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Link drew in a quiet gasp that erupted into another sob, a choked sound that weighed heavily on the chilling winds that tried drying the young boy’s tears. The boy let out a quiet sniffle, wiping at his eyes and nose with his sleeve before once again wrapping his knees close to his chest, remembering past days where a pair of thin arms would wrap around him and encompass him in warmth. Past days where peaceful melodies hummed by an angelic voice soothed his worries. Days where he would have someone there for when he got home, too tired to function, and they were there to carry him to his bed. 

Those days would never happen again. 

The thought crashed down on the boy’s storming brain, making even more tears pour from his sky-blue eyes, now all red and puffy. 

Memories of a similar storm raging above the floating city assaulted his brain, and he dug the heels of his hands into his eyes to block out the nightmares. To block out the images of a ghostly pale lady with sunken cheeks and eyes that, once full of life, had glazed over with a dull sheen. The images of a woman cursed with hoarse howls that echoed in the night, horrifying to the young boy’s ears from where he had sat just outside the door. The images of an empty bed with the shadow of a person etched into the mattress. 

Link let another sob wrack through his body, and he stuffed his face away into the pocket of warmth between his chest and gathered limbs, hiding away from the bitter glacial cold of the early morning. If it had been just a few weeks earlier, he would have been cuddled up in a cotton blanket, listening to the ancient tales of the distant past while resting in another’s lap. 

Now…now he was just cold.

That’s when he heard the crunching of grass beneath heavy steps, making him freeze in place, yet the tears continued to flow freely down his flushed cheeks. The crunching stuttered, but when Link didn’t move, they continued at a snail like pace. 

Then a cool beak pecked at his dirty blonde hair, nipping at the dark strands with a surprising gentleness that felt more akin to a brush sifting through his fluffy locks. He spared a glance up from the his shielding arms, and his eyes widened when he met face to face with a familiar crimson beast. 

Crimson let out a soft clicking sound, tilting his head while studying his other half with enormous periwinkle eyes. 

Link wiped at his shining eyes once more, and muttered: “Not now, Crimson.” He went to hide away in his little pocket of warmth, but a large and rough beak cupped his head and forced it back up. Link pushed it away with shaky hands, and said with more authority, “No, Crimson, go away. I..I..please leave.”

Crimson did just the opposite, and instead forced his fluffy red body still covered in fuzzy down feathers into Link’s chest. Link immediately lifted his arms, but regretted it as it allowed the loftwing to sneak in. He hated when more tears started to pour as his frustration and locked up grief filtered out through the pouring rain cascading down his face. 

Crimson made another clicking sound, this one filled with a sympathy only Link would ever hear, and cuddled further into the young boy. Warmth blossomed in his chest, radiating from his goddess kissed companion, drying his azure eyes. He sniffled once again before hiding his flushed face away within the mass of red feathers, hugging Crimson close, who was more than happy to be there for his other half. 

Link remembered two faces of the past beaming at him as he rode the back of a young, fluttering crimson loftwing. Two faces that spoke kind and encouraging words that filled his heart with the same warmth he felt now. He looked down at Crimson, and the faintest shadow of a smile painted his pink face.

Sky walked around the perimeter of their camp with light steps, avoiding the crunchy leaves and twigs beneath his feet that threatened to alert anything nearby, or wake his sleeping companions. Most of them were light sleepers, while Sky slept like a rock. 

He suppressed a yawn as he rubbed at his eyes, sauntering through the greenery with his senses on alert despite his body’s cry for rest. He hated first watch, but it was his turn, so he obliged. Usually it wouldn’t bother him too much, but that evening they had been so politely assaulted by a horde of monsters. Sky felt a twinge at his side from where a lizalfos had knocked him away with a whack of its long and thick tail. 

So, when he heard a skittering in the nearby bushes, he stiffened and froze in place. The skittering paused, and there was silence for a long moment. 

CRUNCH!

The mastersword was yanked from her hilt. Whipping around, Sky glared coldly at whatever foe decided to face the Chosen Hero. His expression softened at the familiar wolf in front of him, and Sky sheathed the mighty blade. “Hey Wolfie, what are you doing here?” He asked in a mockingly sweet tone, and the black wolf gave a huff mixed with a growl. 

Suddenly, with a flash of black pixels, Twilight stood there with crossed arms. Sky smirked, but his brows still pinched with worry. “Just how many times have you snuck out on watch as Wolfie?” He asked. 

“It’s not sneaking out.” Twilight replied, looking away before meeting Sky’s kind smile. He groaned, “As a wolf I have the best senses out of anyone here, so it only makes sense that I go out on an extra patrol or two.” Twilight gave Sky his best impression of the Old Man’s “ disappointment” face, but the Chosen Hero could only think of how cute it was that he tried imitating his mentor.  

“Yeah, but wolf or not, you still need sleep. I don’t understand how you function most days.” Sky chuckled, though it held a warning that was not lost on the older hero. 

Twilight pinched his nose and let out a groan, “I swear, you’re just as bad as Time. I’m fine, Sky, I..we just have to stay alert.”

Frowning, Sky furrowed his brows, and placed a hand on his companion's shoulder. “Is this about the attack today?”

Twilight glanced at him before letting out a mix between a bitter huff and chuckle. Running a hand through his dirty-blonde hair, he replied: “Guess I’m easier to read than I thought.” He turned back to Sky with a darkened look, and a hand drifted to his side. “We still know so little about what we’re facing, and if we keep getting ambushed like this…Someone needs to keep watch.” 

“And right now that person is me.” Sky grabbed both of Twilight’s shoulders to twist him until they were face to face. “You can rely on us, Twilight. We’ll all help carry the weight, so don’t try doing it all yourself, okay?” 

Twilight’s ice-blue eyes flashed with something, grief perhaps, and his shoulders sagged. “Fine, but at least let me help you on this watch, I’m not going to sleep anytime soon.” 

Sky nodded hesitantly. He didn’t want his teammate to lose sleep, but he could tell the other was still on full alert, so he obliged. Twilight shifted back into Wolfie, and padded beside Sky as he continued to patrol the woods.

When they got back to camp, Twilight stayed in his twili form, and rested at Sky’s side from where the chosen hero sat on a log by the fire. Sky saw the stiffness in Wolfie’s shoulders, how his ears flicked back and forth, his fur standing on end, setting his gaze with a new determination. 

Wolfie jolted when he felt a weight on his back, and he whipped around with a snarl filled with sharp white teeth, but calmed when he saw very much hylian hands running through his dark fur. He looked up, tilting his head ever so slightly at Sky with an inquiry noise. 

Sky just smiled back, and moved his hand up behind Wolfie’s ears, giving him some scratches behind his grey tipped ears that sent a trail of warmth flowing throughout his canine form. Wolfie would have usually snapped back at him, not wanting to be pet like an actual dog, but he found he didn’t mind it that night. Instead, he settled down, and let his head fall to rest on Sky’s lap. 

Sky watched with a growing smile as Wolfie’s fur allayed, and his tense muscles relaxed under the other’s gentle touch. Images of a young boy huddled against a crimson loftwing echoed in his mind, and he thanked his other half. 

He may not be able to erase what happened in the past, but he could help his companions in the present. So, even when his watch had ended, he didn’t leave his brother’s side. He settled down beside his furry companion, and drifted off to sleep, vowing to be there for his companions just as Crimson had.

After all, it was his fault their own stories were painted as such.