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They’re meant to be asleep.
But sleep hasn’t come easy since they left the Shrine of Resurrection. Some nights it’s okay. After particularly hard battles or on the nights when Twilight comes up to him as Wolfie, plopping down on top of him as if to prove a point. The extra warm weight helps lull him if not into a full sleep, at least into a hazy semi-consciousness leaving him vaguely refreshed by the morning.
Every few nights he gets a few connected hours and it feels good . Until he has to do it all over again the next night.
Like tonight.
Wild tries to keep their eyes shut, to cuddle into the blanket Malon had knitted for him the last time they’d been at Lon Lon Ranch, citing that the bedroll he’d been carrying wouldn’t protect him against the different climates they would inevitably travel through. When he’d tried to tell her that it’s fine, really, I can just drink a spicy elixir before I go to bed and it’ll keep me warm throughout the night , she’d scoffed warmly at him and handed him a nice patchwork blanket made of the softest wools in the nicest blue shades he’s ever seen. Nonsense, she’d said, blankets aren’t just for survival, you know. They can just be for comfort too.
The blanket is really comfortable, Wild has to admit to himself as they mindlessly rub one hand over it. It’s a half-hearted attempt to soothe his brain enough to mindlessly slip away into unconsciousness, but … it won’t work. He slept last night. Sleep won’t come for him tonight.
It takes another couple minutes of forcing their body to be still before Wild realises that it’s a fruitless endeavour and sits up, patchwork blanket still around their shoulders. Hyrule’s on watch tonight, maybe fae won’t mind Wild hanging out with them.
“Are you alright?” Hyrule mouths at him from across the clearing and Wild shrugs. Is he?
‘Can’t sleep,’ he ends up signing, leaving his bedroll in favour of dragging his blanket over with him to where Hyrule’s sitting leaning up against a tree. ‘Are you alright? If you’re tired, I can take over watch for you?’
Hyrule shakes faer head. 'No, that's okay. Besides, we don't switch watches. Self-sacrificial hero's spirit, remember?'
They don't remember that. But there are a lot of things that don't seem to stick in their mind after the Shrine. People's voices, old memories, new memories, basic guidelines…
"Check your slate," Hyrule whispers. "It's alright if you've forgotten. It's in your slate, in the notes section Purah and your Zelda made for you the last time we were in your Hyrule."
They pull out their slate, and with automatic motions, pull up the notes and journaling tab.
Hi, the pinned entry reads. If you're seeing this you're probably a bit confused. That's okay. I (Zelda) made this note together with you for when your memory is difficult to access.
You're currently travelling between different times and places in and around Hyrule hunting down an unknown entity on the Goddess' Hylia command. Calamity Ganon has been defeated and I'm safe.
You currently go by the name 'Wild' or 'Champion' in your group. The unofficial leader of the group, Time, told me to remind you that there are only a couple of guidelines you need to remember. (1) no taking over other people's watches, (2) tell someone when you're injured or when you think you might be, (3) you don't have to reveal secrets you don't want to unless they could threaten the safety of the group or yourself and (4) if someone else reveals a secret, don't push them to reveal more if they're uncomfortable.
The eight other Heroes you're travelling with are also called Link, but they all have nicknames. They're aware of your memory problems and will never take issue with needing to remind you of different things.
You're doing your best Link.
Stay safe,
Zelda (Flora)
Most of the knowledge doesn't appear new to him, but he quickly skims through the guidelines for the group before putting his slate away.
'Everything alright?' Hyrule asks again and this time Wild nods.
'I forgot the guidelines,' they sheepishly admit. 'I was just trying to be nice, I promise. Not do the self-sacrificial thing.'
Hyrule laughs quietly, the sound akin to bells chiming. 'Yeah, I know. That's alright, Champion, don't worry about it. Now, if you don't mind me asking: why are you awake?'
Wild sighs and takes a second to look around the camp. Wars and Wind are cuddled up together, Wind having confiscated half of the scarf to cover her face from the light of the campfire and Warriors face-down in his pillow, breaths deep and even. Four curled up into an impossibly small ball next to them, fingers twitching every few seconds as if reaching for someone. Time snoring gently, one arm out and under Twilight's head, who in turn is laying back-to-back with Sky, the latter of which has an asleep and relaxed-looking Legend clutched in their arms like a particularly beloved stuffed animal.
'I don't sleep very well,' they sign slowly. 'A hundred years of it kind of … I don't feel like I need more sleep, you know?'
Hyrule nods as if it makes perfect sense. 'My sister's the same way. Aurora. You haven't met her yet, but I think the two of you would get along well. She also slept for a hundred years.'
Wild stares at Hyrule. 'What?'
'She was put into a cursed sleep by her brother,' Hyrule explains, signs overly tight and clean. 'She inherited the full triforce from her father and refused to give it to her brother as she feared his intentions. It's why I've got two Zeldas now. Dawn and Aurora. They're both my sisters, even if Aurora is 19 going on 119.'
That makes them laugh. 'I've only met a few people that's over a hundred. Me, Zelda, Purah, Impa, Robbie … it's a pretty exclusive club. Do you think Aurora would want to join?'
It's signed in such an exaggerated way that it's clear it's a light-hearted joke and it makes Hyrule laugh again. Something warm flourishes in Wild's chest. Hyrule's laugh is so warm and inviting it makes them want to shake their hands out. Makes them want to rub their cheeks and spin around in circles to externalise their joy.
But he's too tired to stand and so settles for shaking out his hands. It helps a bit.
"Turn towards me," Hyrule whispers, looking over to check that fae hasn't woken anyone by talking. "Give me your hands. I'll shake them for you."
When Hyrule grabs their hands and intertwines their fingers to shake them up and down and back and forth, Wild can't help but laugh. It's a quiet, strained sound, indicative of their fatigue but it helps get the joy out. They just want to share the joy .
"It feels good, doesn't it?" Hyrule whispers. "To let it out like this? It's so good."
"Yes," Wild whispers, allowing his hands to fall down after a few minutes, to rest in his lap as Hyrule sneaks over to the other side of camp to grab their bedroll. "It's such a good feeling. I like sharing my joy."
They allow themselves to be bundled back into their bedroll and covered in their blue patchwork blanket, head close to Hyrule's thigh. It's nice, allowing Hyrule to card faer fingers through their hair, creating and pulling apart loose mini braids. Even if it won't let him fall asleep, the hazy halfway point is good enough.
"Sleep, Wild," Hyrule whispers as they start to drift off. "I'll watch over you."