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Chapter Text

Legend had decided back on his first quest that he hated concussions. Over ten years later and on his... variably numbered quest (it could be the seventh if he combined the Oracles into a single one, it could be the sixth if he ignored Koholint too, or it could be the ninth if he individualized and counted every single vaguely adventure-like thing that happened), he still hated concussions.

Nonetheless, he powered through. It was a mild one anyways, he would be fine by morning probably, and if he wasn't then he'd buy an extra potion to drink.

They just arrived at a town in Legend's own era and kingdom, it was late and they had already decided to get supplies the next day after a good night's sleep in the inn. Legend didn't go to sleep though, despite the rather mild--he wasn't even nauseous really--concussion, he slipped out of the inn and found himself sitting out on a bench outside, watching the innkeepers wife's--Leanne's, he had visited the town before-- garden of flowers sway in the wind.

"Hey," someone sneered, "what's a brat like you doing out this late?"

He was literally an adult, but before he raised his head he saw armored boots.

A knight.

"Just getting some fresh air," he said, keeping his head down. "I don’t mean to bother."

Please don’t--

The boot swung up and he had plenty of time to dodge it, except he was trying not to be recognized so he took it. The steel boot hit his forehead and he let himself gasp, dropping his head lower.

"Look at me when I speak to you, brat!" They spat.

Legend grit his teeth, not responding in favor of keeping his head down. Maybe he should've dodged and just ran, that kick made his concussion much, much worse if only briefly. He couldn't think and suddenly, that nausea that hadn't been so bad, was very bad.

Instincts kicked in when the guard went in for another kick. Legend avoided it and quickly stood.

"You'll learn some resp--" the guard visibly recognized him when Legend met his eyes, forcing back the dizziness.

"You could've just walked away," Legend said coldly. "You just had to pick a fight with someone who you thought was a kid."

"You! Criminal!"

The outraged cry drew the attention of a nearby patrol of guards. Legend cursed, especially the fact that he'd left most of his items inside the inn. Four guards converged toward him, yelling and waking up the townsfolk while Legend bolted.

He didn't want nor should kill them, they needed a reality check sure, but death wasn't the answer here and he only had his medallions as an offense. No regular person would survive them, so instead Legend just ran.

To everyone's surprise, when he swerved into an alleyway unhindered, a patrol of guards were on the other side and startled when the patrol chasing him roared behind him. They quickly blocked off his escape, and with his head spinning, stomach lurching, and eyes refusing to focus--

A shield was slammed into his face and he was out cold.

Legend woke up in a painful daze, his whole body was sore, arms especially so, wrists in genuine pain and not just sore. His head felt like it was filled with cotton, yet simultaneously it felt empty with how his brain seemed to rattle in his skull. His magic was practically gone--

His magic was gone. He didn't feel the familiar weight of his medallions and pendants. He wasn't even wearing all his clothes! His red mail was gone, and his boots, leaving him just in his dark green under-tunic. His cap was gone as well and his hair was loose.

After assessing his own condition, Legend drew in enough focus despite the physical pain and magical exhaustion, and he tried to determine his situation.

He was in a cell, water audibly dripping down from the ceiling and down the walls. The ground was damp if anything. Stone lined the walls and floor, mortar on the walls but dirt in the floor. He was chained to the wall opposite of the (probably) iron cell door, the cuffs around his wrists had runes etched into it... the source of his magical exhaustion no doubt.

Metal clinked as he tugged the cuffs around his wrists, he didn't have a single inch of give, being cuffed directly to the wall itself. His magic was cut off, and his head spinning and throbbing and requiring far too much concentration to focus, Legend took far too long to come to a conclusion about his situation.

He had been captured, by knights no less, and he was completely trapped. He had no items, he'd never had the strength to even escape, and his magic had been drained before he could even try the... two things he'd been able to do in extremely extenuating circumstances to escape.

The cell door slammed open, Legend glared daggers at the knight who entered.

"Link, seems we finally caught you," they said, scowling and approaching him.

"I wa'--I was par-pardoned years ago," Legend snapped, his words attempting to slur, leading him to repeat himself clearly. "You have-- You have... no grounds for this arrest."

The knight drew closer. "Just because you tricked the queen doesn't mean you’re innocent. You'll pay for kidnapping her, and for the murder of dozens of good soldiers, especially Sergeant Alphon." 

He snapped. He swung his leg up and nailed them in the face. Despite the height they had on him, his legs were just long enough and he was flexible enough to kick them.

"Get his name out of your mouth you bastard!" Legend fought against his chains, ignoring the pain and fuzziness. How dare this knight try and use the man who raised him against him?! How dare he?!

"Oh, you'll pay for that."

The knight punched his face, the back of his skull slammed against the iron panel behind him, a loud clang echoing through the room simultaneously followed by a hissed curse. His skull reverberated, pain exploding and seizing. A stabbing pain tore through his mind.

A second punch to his lower ribs had his legs giving out and his stomach to empty itself on the ground.

"Not so high and mighty now," the knight sneered. "You'll die in this cell, hero. Nice and slow, another day, another hour, another pain for all the men you killed."

Legend inhaled shakily, lips wet as he raised his head to glare.

"Do your worst," he growled. "I've survived worse."

He survived death itself, and returned with new items, new artifacts, new memories. He survived Ganon four times over, a lightning strike to the head, the near-death of his ancestor borderline erasing him from history.

Even if Legend did die here, it was the first... second time he could trust that someone else would finish the job. The other heroes would finish this quest and he didn't need to worry. He could die without regrets.

Turns out, dying slowly with a glimmer of hope to escape is far worse than being struck by lightning and drowning in a storm on the ocean.

The other heroes should've been able to find him, he'd gone with Twilight, or Wolfie, to track down the Traveler and Champion dozens of times, never through towns though. Yet they hadn't and Legend had determined not to rely on anyone, even the other heroes.

Though... it was hard not to cling to the hope of hearing blades clashing, or even just the creak of the door as one of them sneaks in. Not as his body refused to do the most simple of things, not while he could barely lift his head, not while he felt the cuffs that drained his magic very slowly chip away at his soul, eliminating any replenishment of his magic before it even formed. It was hard not to cling to any glimmer of hope of someone else saving him for once when his skin was torn, cut open, and his blood soaked the floors more than the water that dripped from above did. He told himself that he had to save himself, just like every other time he'd been pushed to the brink. He had a job to do and even if the other heroes could do it themselves, it was still his job to at least help. Yet as he hung from bleeding wrists, legs not strong enough to support him, he knew that even if he wasn't chained up, even if the cell door was wide open, he wasn't going to be able to walk out.

When the knights returned, jeering and joking with one another with the familiarity of brothers, Link drew in another breath.

He wasn't escaping. He survived death once, thanks to an ocean deity, but he was certain that he wasn't going to escape its hold a second time. Not as the knights pulled out something new--every day, it had been something new, or maybe every hour, he wasn't sure how long it had been--and discussed who got to use it first.

It was a flail, a handle of leather likely around wood but maybe steel, and multiple long ropes of frayed leather.

Link--Legend(they were still there, he wasn't alone again, the quest was still ongoing even if he died here) didn't have the energy to cry out as the cat o' nine tails was whipped across his face, tearing his lip, the bridge of his nose, his brow and cheek, his eyes sealed shut from the pain. He did flinch, he did whimper and gasp, but nothing more.

He didn't have the strength for more. Frayed leather struck across his chest, catching his collarbone and cutting a scabbed wound open. His throat was raw, had been for a while now with stomach acid burning the irritation of his screams. Even as he tried to scream, nothing more than a wheeze fell from bloodied lips.

He hoped they wouldn't be too upset with him leaving them to finish the fight. He almost wanted to laugh, it was a bit ironic... Of course he, the helpless bunny, would be killed in captivity. He, the veteran, would die on an adventure. He, the collector, would be left item-less at the end, after all you can't take anything to the afterlife.

It was ironic, because the adventuring veteran who collected items from across four countries, three worlds, and had killed Ganon four times... was still just a helpless bunny who couldn't defend himself when it mattered.

Soon enough, as his vision faded out, Legend fell.

Though with his magical stores empty and his soul having just been drained... he didn't even notice that his fall had been in the physical sense. Cuffs didn't matter when the goddess herself took matters into her own hands to displace her hero through time.

Chapter Text

For the first time in what felt like ages, Legend woke up warm. Too warm, everything was too heavy but the pain had somewhat subsided. His head still throbbed and rattled, his breaths shook and trembled, his body wouldn't cooperate with what he wanted it to.

Everything ached but that hadn't stopped him before. He'd been in worse condition and made it through whole dungeons.

"Hey, don't—"

The gruff voice sent his mind on overdrive. That wasn't his brothers--a threat then.

He let his meager magic lash out as he jerked away from the voice. The soft ground slipped out from beneath him and he yelped as he hit hard, cold ground. Pain shot up his already hurt arm.

Someone else cried out in pain. His back hit a wall and he tried to force himself to his feet. Everything around him was blurry and he couldn't see, his head spun faster than a tornado. He was nauseous and just overall in extremely bad condition.

"Restrain him!"

He staggered to his feet and was somewhat aware of something with a flat surface to his side. He grabbed something off it and smacked it at the shape that came near him.

Someone caught his wrist and tore whatever item he'd grabbed out of his hand. He couldn't bite back the cry of pain that was ripped from his throat as he was slammed into the wall.

"Stop! Release him!"

The hands disappeared. Legend pressed himself into the corner of the wall best he could, panic surging as his head throbbed and spun even worse. He had a chance here, they'd taken those goddesses-damned shackles off, he could run he just had to—

"It's alright," a soft voice pressed against the panicked haze. "You're safe, little one."

A blurry shape appeared in front of him. They were covered in magic, their spirit thick with it and he had to get away. He didn't have the energy left to hold up against a magical attack. They could do anything to him--still do anything to him, and he wouldn't be able to stop them.

He flinched as their magic prodded him. He couldn't get his body to respond in the way he needed it to--he was dead.

That magic surged and surrounded his, then it just... sat there. Encompassing and encouraging his to remain, to siphon from its energy and restrengthen. He froze up. That wasn't an enemy's attack, that was—

Hands landed on his arms and that train of thought was cut out. He tried to escape until arms fully wrapped around him. Just as the magic--familiar, warm, safe--surrounded him, he was pulled into someone's chest, soft humming that was equally as familiar as the magic resounded through his head.

Unwillingly, he went limp in their hold out of pure instinct, shaking and trembling.

"Shh, well done," that soft voice murmured. "You are safe, dear heart. Breathe. I will take care of you."

Something deep down, something instinctual, had him trusting them and relaxing. His panic fizzled out and so did his consciousness.

The next time Legend woke up, he felt safe and warm.

He was aware of the hand carding through his hair before he could open his eyes. He tensed as he became aware of his position and the hand faltered

"Are you awake?" That soft, stupidly familiar voice murmured.

He pulled himself away, disoriented and wary.

It was a woman with long brown hair and golden jewelry, she had startling purple eyes that were anything but new. He'd seen those same eyes on Fable, but this wasn't Fable.

"How do you feel?" She asked gently. Legend looked around, a fair bit confused and a bit shaken.

He didn't forget faces, but somehow he knew this woman and he didn't know from where.

"It's okay." He tensed as he realized her magic was surrounding and encompassing his still. "You're safe, I swear."

"Where—" his voice was hoarse, he almost wasn't surprised by that, "Where am I? Who are you?"

"Hyrule Castle," she answered, she seemed a little confused but didn't let it stop her. "I am Zelda. Who are you?"

"Link," he said hesitantly. "How... What happened?"

"You fell from a portal into my study," Zelda said, reaching toward him and halting when he flinched away. She let her hand fall. "You were in bad condition, so I and some healers nursed you back to health. What caused your injuries? It looked... deliberate, if anything."

He looked away. "Some rather violent men who don't take to well to someone challenging their actions or authority."

"I see... inflicted then. You've healed well, but I would ask that you take it easy. Your magic will not return for some time, even with my help."

Legend nodded.

"Do you know your measurements by memory? Or would you mind accompanying me to the castle tailor? Your tunic had been unsalvageable as it was, but we kept it in case you wished for it to be repurposed into something else for sentimental reasons."

Legend was startled by that. "I—Was there anything else?"

"No," she shook her head. "Nothing else."

He cursed under his breath. Who knew how much time would pass between then and whenever he next ended up in his era. He couldn't lose his stuff, especially not the medallions! He couldn't—he'd have to spend months hunting those back down. His other stuff should hopefully be with the other heroes, goddesses be merciful, but those medallions were immensely powerful and in the wrong hands they could destroy all of Hyrule Castle.

He recalled her question, sighing heavily and he blurted out his measurements.

"Any colors in particular? Green?"

He shook his head. "Red," he said. "And no pants, if that's alright. Just—a short dress, kilt length."

She nodded. "I'll relay that." She rose from the bed and Legend froze up as she carded a hand through his hair. "That door there goes into a bath. Feel free to use whatever, but I do ask that you place anything you use back where you found it."

He nodded and she smiled kindly before leaving the room.

Legend promptly let the shaky wall he'd thrown up once he'd realized he wasn't alone fall. His hands shook as he slowly worked his way over his body, noting new scars, a few bandages around his arms, and he slowly got to his feet.

He stumbled into the other room, locking and barricading the door behind him, before slumping down to the ground.

Images of those days, weeks maybe, of being pushed to the brink of death and dragged back forcibly burned behind his eyes.

Goddesses, he hated knights.

Chapter Text

Zelda was kind. She encouraged him to join her whenever he wanted and had given him free rein of the palace. She didn't seem to have a problem with him, not an ounce of distrust in the least.

Within a day, he was given a new red tunic that went over a white dress that cut off just above his knees. It didn't have the magic he wished it did, it wouldn't protect him from anything, but it was better than nightclothes.

"Red suits you," Zelda commented when he joined her outside the room he'd been staying in. She waved him to follow her. "You are free to do whatever you'd like, but you're also free to just accompany me throughout my day, and leave whenever you wish. I would ask that you stay within the castle grounds at least until your magic is restored."

He hummed and nodded to her. She gave him a small smile and continued down the hall. 

He ended up following her the whole day, that innate feeling to trust her also drew him toward her. The guards here seemed similar to his era's own, arrogant and prideful but he'd seen so many whose behavior were less than even acceptable.

She had meetings with officials, mayors and lords, basically all the kinds of people that Legend really, really disliked. 

It was dull, draining, but for some inexplicable reason, probably the number of guards around, he really didn't want to be left to be found by any guards alone. So he stuck by Zelda.

Near the end of the day, she met with some knight.

"Link, dear, this is my consort. Alphon," Legend startled a bit at both the term of endearment as well as the man. 

"Nice t' meet ya, kid," the man said. Legend managed to nod to the man, shaking his offered hand but pulling back to sort of shift behind Zelda.

"Come."

Zelda led the way down the hall. Legend followed until they entered a room.

To his surprise, he was immediately hit by the sound of children's laughter and squeals.

"Momma!"

A little girl ran up and hugged Zelda, and a white-haired woman came from deeper in the room holding an even younger boy. Maybe four and two in their ages.

The little boy was quiet and made grabby hands at Zelda, who cooed and took him from the woman as the little girl bounced up to Alphon, calling him 'Papa.'

"Link, here," Zelda called and Legend startled as she lowered herself a bit to have the little boy at his eye level. "Link, this is Link."

The little boy, with strawberry blond, nearly pink hair, waved shyly, clearly a bit confused but also not about to ask.

Legend stared in slight surprise. He waved in return, giving a small smile. He didn't—He knew those eyes. Though exactly like this Zelda's, this little boy's eyes were the same, and both were exactly like Fable's, purple with golden flecks.

"Hi Link," he said softly.

He turned his head into his mother's shoulder, but Legend saw that little smile.

"Who're you?" The little girl appeared beside him.

"My name's Link, like his," he told her, kneeling down. Unlike Zelda, this little girl had blonde hair. Alphon had really blond hair, so Legend supposed it was from her dad's side. "What's yours?"

"Zelda! But Papa and Unc'a calls me Zellie."

"My best friend has the same name," Legend told her. "I've called her Zellie since we met."

"But I'm Zellie," she frowned. Then smiled. "That's okay, she can be Zellie too. Why did Momma bring you here?"

"I don't know," Legend glanced up at Zelda, who just smiled.

"Darling, why don't you and your brother show him your goats that Uncle gave you?"

Zellie lit up. "Okay!" Zelda set Little Link down and Zellie took Legend's hand and Little Link's hand to tug them over to the other side of the room.

Legend didn't know what Zelda's game was here, especially why she seemed to trust him so much to introduce him to her children, though it wasn't like he was able to kill or really hurt them as he was, especially not with their knight father just over there. 

It was weird, she was so trusting of him. Maybe she had that same feeling he did, the instinctual feeling that she was safe, that she'd... he didn't know, protect him? That sounded about right. He didn't get where it came from, not in the least.

Zellie and Link definitely reminded him of Fable and himself, the way she spoke for him and how she kept him involved. Fable had done that for him back when he'd started acting as her bodyguard for that time between Cadence leaving and Ravio showing up. Link also was clearly a very quiet child, which Legend had been when he was young, he'd only left that phase when he trusted he could defend himself should his lack of social skills result in him accidentally insulting someone.

They were clearly bookish kids, if the numerous ones strewn across tables and the separated beds meant anything. They also had several stuffed animals beside the blue goats with the circle horns, they had a red dodongo, a kangaroo with childishly-made red mittens, a blue bear, and other assorted creatures. There was a toy harp alongside a wooden flute.

Legend sat and ended up playing with the two kids for probably an hour, Zelda soon joining, and Alphon lingering by the window and chatting amicably with the nursemaid.

Eventually, play time came to an end and they left for dinner. The two kids trailed after Legend, Zellie now asking him a dozen questions about himself, his childhood and friends and family, he found himself telling her as much as he could dare. He didn't mention his adventures if he could, and if he did, he called them vacations or trips. Link even tapped Zellie a few times, she'd look at him and a second passed before she had a brand new question to ask.

It was exhausting, but kids often were and Legend drastically preferred the exhaustion from spending too much time with children than the exhaustion of spending too much time with adults.

Dinner had been nice, Legend continued entertaining the kids' questions and ended up telling them the story of his fourth (technically fifth if he split up the oracle ones) adventure, though with different names and a bit embellished for the sake of a children's story. They both loved Ravio's character and found the merchant, as Legend played him, to be extremely entertaining.

The nursemaid —Impa, as she was introduced, unsurprisingly— and Zelda took the kids off to bed and Legend sagged once they were gone.

"You're good with them," Alphon commented and Legend tensed again, he'd forgotten about the consort's presence. "They adored you."

Legend shrugged noncommittally. "Kids are easy."

"Not once they decide to throw a tantrum," Alphon chuckled goodnaturedly. Legend really hated all of a sudden that Zelda had left too, she was a safe space in this castle of knights and guards and nobles. Alphon could be any kind of danger, even if he did remind Legend of...

"Easier than when adults throw a tantrum," Legend replied as tersely but politely as possible.

Alphon laughed. "I s'pose so. Ya know, the Queen thinks yer not from here."

Legend raised an eyebrow. What told her that? The fact that he fell through a portal?

"She thinks you're from an... alternate universe, world, I s'pose. Where the hero never saved Hyrule."

Legend frowned.

"The Hero of Light, his name is Link too, my brother actually, an' Zelda named her boy after him," Alphon explained. "She thinks... I think it as well, but surely ya saw it too, Link—the prince—he's yer spittin' image. His hair's pinker, but that streak is the same shade."

Legend thought about it for a moment. Thinking about the similarities, Alphon wasn't wrong that they were similar, especially in looks and behavior, but he shook his head.

"I'm no prince," he said. "I... I do come from another time, but I'm just an average nobody. Nothing more."

"That symbol on yer hand says somethin' else, lad."

Legend jerked his hand off the table, eyes narrowing and flicking toward the utensils near him and if Alphon had a sword near him, or anything larger than the cutlery.

"I don' mean i' ina bad way," Alphon assured, leaning back and holding his hands up. "Our 'ero's got the same thing on his hand. A birthmark, 'e said. Queen says it's the Triforce of Courage, we saw it when ya were out o' it."

Legend still glared, hand clutched to his chest and eyeing the cutlery.

"It ain't normal, s'what I mean," Alphon continued. "Yer the spittin' image of her boy, an' the Queen says ya feel like 'im too. Magic an' all."

Legend let that register.

"Any other ideas 'cept ya bein' the same boy but older an' wit' differen' s'periences?"

He thought about it, then shook his head again. "Can't be. Even if—I was raised on an orchard by my uncle and a farm with my grandparents. I know the Queen Zelda of my era, she's two years older than me, and we may be as close as siblings, but there's no blood. We'd know by now."

For how often bombshells were dropped on his life, he would've thought that had been one of the earlier ones. Besides, Uncle would've told him.

Alphon shrugged. "If yer sure, I'm just tellin' ya what we're thinkin'... and it won't matter if yer right, the Queen's basically already gone an' adopted ya."

He blinked and gave the man a baffled look.

Alphon laughed.

"Yew'll see it," Alphon assured. "She ain't bein' subtle, that's fer sure."

He silently shook his head. He wasn't a prince, not by blood that's for sure. If he had been... then why wasn't he raised with Fable? Why hadn't he known his sister?

Chapter Text

Over the next couple days, his magic was coming back but was still rather dismal.

He still followed Zelda almost unceasingly, he'd gotten a dream that night—not one unlike the one that began his first adventure— about the other heroes in battle, they were fine at the end of it, nothing seemed off except how they mentioned they had no idea where he was, they didn't even seem in danger.

That was it, and a voice that he knew to be Farore's telling him to rest, they'd come to him.

As much as he disliked it, he did as told. He was enjoying it with Zelda and her kids, even if the guards made him want to crawl into a hole and hide all day.

During some meeting in the throne room, Legend sort of off to the side and just kind of watching everything play out as the army general, the court mage, and a few other important figures were discussing with Zelda about the safety of the kingdom.

He saw a tapestry bend and curl in the wind, he nearly dismissed it before he realized: there was no wind.

The carpet flattened.

Legend darted forward. He dove in front of the queen, ignoring outraged cries and swords being unsheathed.

A throwing knife cut into his hand as he caught it out of the air. With far less strength than he was used to, so using far more energy than he would prefer to make up for it.

The advisors, queen, and guards froze.

He didn't hesitate, he tackled the invisible person with ease, found their neck, and held the blade there.

"Drop the illusion," he snarled. "Or taste your own blade."

In an instant, he met the hazel eyes of a young mage of some kind, an assassin obviously.

"Guards!" The queen called.

Legend got up quickly as the guards rushed them. He hoped desperately they didn't grab him, and tried not to flinch when one bumped him. They seized the assassin.

"You bastard!" The assassin yelled. "You devil! Nobody could see through that spell! Blessed by the hatred god, you are! The queen employs demons!"

Legend scoffed. If only they realized he'd wielded the Triforce three times over.

With a barked command from Zelda, the assassin was dragged away. Legend spun the knife in his hand, he had full intentions of keeping it. That was his policy, if someone attacks him with a knife and doesn't kill him, he keeps the knife. They'd have to take it back to get it back.

"Link," Zelda called and he turned to her. She gave him a soft smile. "Thank you. Well done."

A surge of warmth hit him. He ducked his head and gave an awkward half bow, hoping his ears weren't as pink as they were warm. He slipped back to his corner, but not out of awareness as the advisors and guards were far more aware of him.

He was far more aware too, senses as far as he could push them without magic. He wasn't letting anyone hurt Zelda, she was a friend to one of the other heroes at the least, and at most she was Fable's ancestor or descendant, that was plenty reason.

He leaned against the wall and spun his new knife, watching everything closely for the slightest, wrong move.

Rumor spread quickly throughout Hyrule Castle, Legend was well aware of that and he was unsurprised that that fact held true in this era.

At breakfast, Alphon suggested Legend join him for the day and they could see where his fighting skills were at.

Legend hated that idea, but he kept his mouth shut as Zelda agreed on the condition that Legend was fine with it.

Though he'd much rather be with the almost-assassinated queen, he knew that there would be many more guards around her and he wasn't sure he wanted to deal with that the whole day.

So he compromised and agreed to go with Alphon for the morning and rejoin Zelda after lunch.

In the training grounds, Alphon got Legend a sword and had him spar with him. He won within a couple minutes, it was a remarkably hard spar, not exactly challenging but it was harder than he expected.

However, that cued basically the whole grounds of knights to try and one up each other by fighting him. He didn't know whose Hyrule this was yet, but their guards' skills were abysmal and disappointing.

They gradually got more and more angry, most calling him kid, boy, lad, or some other child term. Legend knew he didn't look all that old, he frankly wasn't that old at all, and that definitely infuriated the guards as he won again and again, only breaking a sweat after some dozen spars.

Sure, his magic may have been low, but he was physically fine. He knew perfectly well how to fight without any magical items, despite what Warriors may say. This was his first adventure without having to start over from scratch concerning equipment.

Legend was in a forest, running rapidly through the trees, adrenaline pumping through his veins as angered yells and roars of fury followed him, rabid barks echoed and sharp teeth gnashed at his heels.

He ran. Fear took hold as he tore through the forest, thunder booming overhead and rain pouring around him. His tunic was soaked, his boots couldn't get true traction on the ground, tree branches smacked him in the face or cut up his hands as he shoved them away.

"GET HIM!" A gruff, angry voice roared with the thunder.

Teeth knashed at his back and Legend ran.

He had to get away. He couldn't—He couldn't let them catch him. They catch him and he's dead. Agahnim would have him killed in the blink of an eye.

"DON'T LET HIM GET AWAY!"

Arrows flew past his head and Link's throat tried to close up as fear replaced the blood pumping through him. He tripped over a root and fell to the ground.

A boot landed on his wrist and he tried to hold back a scream, the stone floor of his cell was wet and soaked his back. The boot crushed and twisted and he screamed.

Laughter echoed above him, faces filled with glee were blurred by painful tears.

"Please," he begged. "Please don't—" his voice was cut off by another scream of pain as the same treatment given to his wrist was applied to his ankle. He could feel each bone shatter and twist and break. His voice gave out and he tried to get free.

He was slammed into the wall, shackles holding him up and he slumped limply. His head was dragged up by his hair and he whimpered pitifully.

"No--don't--I'm sorry. I'm sorry--please, please don't--"

"Sorry ain't gonna save you," the familiar voice chuckled lowly. He twisted against the bonds.

His wrists were held fast while senseless begging fell from his lips. Pain still flared through him, a blade driven into his stomach, just off-center, and twisted.

A strained, quiet sob was ripped from him just as the blade was, his body sagged and he gave up.

Nobody could survive the wounds he had. He was dead. Killed in a cell, tortured to death by soldiers.

A soft song overcame the laughter and angered threats and taunting jeers. Quiet humming and the chains around him tightened.

He sobbed, trying desperately to escape, he didn't want to die.

"I don't—please, no, I don't want to die—" he begged. 

"You deserve to die!" Marin stood in front of him as he fell to his knees. "You killed us!" She cried, tears streaming down her face. "All of us!"

Behind her stood the people of Koholint.

"No!" he sobbed. "No, please—I didn't—I-I—Don’t do this. Please--"

"Face it. If ya had just stayed in bed li'e I told ya to, everythin' would've been fine," Uncle said bluntly, that disappointed face glaring down at him.

"Uncle please—I'm sorry, I'm sorry—"

"You're sorry?" Wind demanded angrily. "You left us, Vet! You left us!"

"And to think I looked up to you," Hyrule recoiled.

He screamed, senselessly apologizing and begging. He needed it to stop. He needed all of it to just stop.

The song grew a bit louder, a bit more real, and the chains grew warm.

He fought against them, fearing for heated metal against his skin, it wouldn't be the first time. He sobbed and tried to escape, but the chains were wound tighter and the soft humming became a bit more prominent and then—he recognized it.

It wasn't the song Fi used to sing to him, hers was the slightest bit different. The Song of the Hero, she had called it.

This was one that he remembered far deeper, from a time he had no memory of, he shouldn't know this song but it was there and it brought peace, warmth, and safety.

The yelling faded, the screaming and the pain, it all slowly faded. Thunder still boomed and he still choked on a sob from it, an ocean trying to rise around him, but the soft song held it back, held him at peace.

It all faded, all of it.

Legend startled, registering that he was wrapped up in someone's arms. They were warm and something about them made his magic coo, safe.

He slumped further into them, memories of his nightmares causing him to shake.

"Shh, it's okay, you're okay," they whispered into his hair, his mind too muddled and their voice too muffled for him to place their voice or presence. "I got you. It's alright, dear heart."

He choked on a sob, clinging to their front and trembling badly. He couldn't care for who it was, just that they were safe.

"I know," they murmured. "It's okay. Just breathe, you're alright."

It took a long time before he properly come to his senses. He realized it was Zelda who held and soothed him. He jerked away once he realized that, stared at her and her soft, concerned face, then buried his blazing face into his hands and muffled a whine of embarrassment.

She had the audacity to laugh at him, drawing a hand through his hair.

"It is no shame to need comfort." She kissed the top of his head and he went rigid. "Alphon said he told you our thoughts. You may say what you like about blood, but be as it may, magic does not lie and yours is that of my son's. So long as the goddesses will it, I will always be here for you."

Legend shuddered and slumped back into her. She easily hugged him close.

"I'm sorry," he gasped out. "I'm sorry. I-I'm so sorry—"

"Shh, none of that," she chided. "You have done nothing wrong."

"You don't know that." You don't know me.

"I know that the boy who unhesitatingly threw himself between a flying knife and myself, and who I've been watching play house with two children, couldn't have done anything to deserve the fear you hold."

He didn't respond to that.

Legend found the library and hid in there for the whole day. He needed to be alone for a while.

He found the history books and went as far back as they had, then worked his way forward. He paced up and down the shelves, tracing lines in a book he could hardly read. He found a book that translated to ancient Hylian and managed to reverse it and learn the current Hylian. Sky had memorized whose Hylian's were which, Legend had not. Nonetheless, this one wasn't that far off from his own. Their ancient Hylian was the same, at least.

They had the Heroes of the Four Sword, the Hero of Men, even a book or two on the Hero of the Sky and the Founding of Hyrule. But the next hero was where it was different.

It spoke of the Hero of Time, a child who told the king of how the King of Thieves was a traitor to the crown and intended to kill them. 

It spoke of this hero's journey, and Legend covered his mouth in slight horror.

The Fallen Hero was the one who faced the King of Thieves, it was the Fallen Hero who'd come from the forest and fought the Gerudo King as a young child and then again as a teenager.

Not this... Hero of Time--Wind called the Old Man the Hero of Time, oh!

Time had mentioned how the timeline must've split, that he'd left behind another timeline where his Ganondorf won for seven years until Time did defeat him and then went back in time to prevent it all. The timeline he left became Wind's time and then the one Time lived in would one day become Twilight's era.

But these books, the history and the dates—

Someway, somehow, Time was the Fallen Hero.

Legend had spent a few hours searching the library for every account on the Old Man, even learning the circumstances of his death, then he turned and searched for the next history book. He needed to know whose world he was in. Twilight's? Warriors' maybe? Zelda didn't seem to be the warrior queen Warriors spoke of, nor Impa the war general. He hadn't met any time sorcerers so—

Books on the Twilight Realm. It was Twilight's era then... He found a book about recent history that was probably far more accurate and personal to Twilight's adventure than the ancient ones about Time.

Legend didn't read it.

The sun was setting.

He slipped unnoticed through the castle and managed to arrive somewhat on time for dinner like Zelda had asked him to.

He didn't quite escape the nightmares that night, but Zelda had been there and ushered them away with that hauntingly familiar song.

Legend shadowed Zelda the next day, this time with a book in his hands. It was in some odd language similar to Lorulean, Zelda hadn't questioned his reading choice nor even looked at it, but he was enjoying the puzzle that was deciphering the language.

It was some mix of Lorulean, Sheikah, and Gerudo. Close enough to the three that he was confident in his ability to decipher it. It was a magic book, definitely, spells he was certain weren't quite dark in nature, it was close to shadow magic, which he had absolutely no capability to use. He had tried once, when his Impa agreed to see if his aptitude for magic applied to it as well, but lo and behold, he couldn't muster the slightest bit of even mildly dark magic.

He ended up having a new book the next day, and this one was far easier to read and on magic he could, theoretically, achieve.

Zelda had recognized the book, and so most of their day was spent discussing it and Zelda talking him through how to actually achieve it.

His magic was almost full, he didn't have any intentions to use it until it hit full. It tended to deplete slower when he let it fully replenish rather than drain it when it was almost full.

That night after dinner was when he felt it click, he sighed softly, tension rolling off his shoulders and relief hitting him as his magic finally finished replenishing.

That morning, he told Zelda what was going on.

The black blooded monsters, the time travel, that he needed to find his way back to the group, she had been quiet for a time.

"Let me teach you some offensive magic," she requested. "You can leave at first light tomorrow."

He stared at her. "Wait what?"

"We'll arm you to your liking and send you off with plenty of supplies, obviously, but let me teach you some magic in case you lose your equipment again."

He hadn't expected the easy agreement, the belief, or the offer.

He agreed.

They spent the day doing magic, careful not to use too much of Legend's too quickly. He got the hang of the teleportation spell pretty quickly as well as the spinning shield.

Zelda called the teleportation 'Farore's Wind' and the shield spell 'Nayru's Love', the third thing she was teaching was 'Din's Fire'.

Apparently they were spells only learnable by those who wielded the Triforce, any part of it, and she had learned it from the ghost of her ancestor who founded Hyrule. He wondered if Twilight had learned it and just chose not use it.

She had some servants get together a bag of supplies and said she'd have a sword ready for him by dawn. Legend hadn't expected that much help, but thanked her nonetheless.

To wind down, Legend spent the evening with the prince and princess. They ended up demanding another story after he told them as gently as he could that he'd be leaving soon.

He went to sleep, hoping for no more nightmares.

Chapter Text

He woke up falling.

Legend cursed loudly when he hit the ground. He dragged himself to his feet and flicked out the knife he'd kept on his person since the assassination attempt. 

He was in a forest, tall winding trees in numerous shades of green. The ground didn't have much in the way of fallen leaves but soft grass and underbrush.

The portal must've come in the night. He hated it when they did that.

He didn't recognize the forest nor its magic. It was familiar, that was for sure, and dark. He'd been here before, but with how much time travel he'd done, he still was unsure.

"Okay, okay," he let out a soft breath, "you're in an unknown forest— boots !"

At least the portal had dropped his boots with him. He pulled the shoes on, raising his head to study his dark surroundings.

He didn't have anything else, he didn't see anything else. So he looked up at the stars and almost pouted at seeing nothing. A cloudy night then, no wonder it was so dark.

"Right," he muttered. "Unknown forest, unknown era... no equipment. Adventure number four all over again."

He'd be fine. At least he had a weapon this time.

"Not fine!"

Legend cursed all that was holy as he weaved through the trees. He tried to catch the half dozen monsters trying to kill him off guard. He managed to flank the moblin and tore a fairly deep gash in its side only to nearly get cut in the face by one of Wild's stupid lizalfo's tongues.

He managed to steal a sword off an armos and though it was as brittle as its armor, he used it long enough to take out the two bokos before it snapped and he threw it in the lizalfos' face.

The moblin, black blood seeping from the gash in its side, lumbered toward him completely unhindered.

An explosion of fire sent it flying back.

Legend panted, staggering a bit as he scanned his surroundings for more monsters.

He had to find either civilization or the others. Where the first monsters he ran into had been homogeneously from Warriors' era, this one had been from all across the timeline and two —the moblin and one of the bokos— had black blood.

He pushed himself to his feet and kept running.

He really needed to find safety.

He found a farmhouse.

It'd have to do. He needed bandages or at least directions to the nearest town.

Despite the time, he went up to the front door and knocked, trying to subtly hold his side to apply pressure on a gash. His hair ended up tied up with the remains of his green under-tunic, leaving it in a high ponytail as a result.

The door opened. "Yes—oh!"

It was a young woman, she had blonde hair tied in pigtail braids, wearing a white shirt and a pink skirt.

"Sorry," he winced. "I just need directions to the nearest town, that's—"

"Oh no you don't." She pulled the door fully open. "Come on in. Momma! We got a hurt kid!"

Legend startled back, but the girl grabbed his arm and tugged him inside. An older blonde woman came in, gasping softly.

"Oh! Linkle go get some bandages and a potion!"

The older woman took Legend from the girl, Linkle, and tugged her over to the sofa.

"No, I don't want to—"

"You are just fine , young man," the woman said sternly. "We are helping you and don't you make a fuss about it. The closest town's a two hour journey from 'ere."

Legend sighed. He knew better than to argue with farm women who had their minds set on things. His grandmother was the only person in his life he hadn't been able to dissuade from things they had their hearts and minds set on.

He reluctantly complied, Linkle and a younger red-haired girl coming in with medical supplies. It didn't take long to clean and bandage the gash in his side, and the older woman had all but forced the potion down his throat when he tried to argue against using it.

The young girl suddenly returned with a cup of tea and the older woman pushed it into his hands.

"Drink up, young man," the woman told him. "Can you tell us what happened? Where's your family?"

Legend snorted a bit. "I ran into monsters trying to catch up with them. I'm on a sort of trip with... with my brothers, and we got separated a while back. I can usually handle myself fine, but someone kinda stole my supplies, so all I got is a knife."

"Oh that sucks," Linkle grimaced. "What's your name?"

"Link."

"Really? My brother's got the same name, though a lotta people do really. I'm Linkle, this is my baby sister Lily," the younger, red-haired girl who'd brought him the tea smiled brightly, "and this is my Momma, Leah."

"Thank you," he told them sincerely. "I owe you big time."

"It's no problem, dear," Leah assured him. "We're glad to help."

"Besides, Linkle's got too much of a savior complex to not help," Lily teased.

Linkle rolled her eyes. "Oh shut up."

"You can stay here for the night," Leah told Legend, holding up her hand before he could argue. "Linkle will take you to town in the morning, she's got plenty of allowance from the Queen to help you get back on your feet. And don't you try and avoid it. I want you with a full bag of provisions, and a sword before you and her split ways, you hear me, young man?"

Legend stared at her. "I really don't need—"

Leah gave him a pointed look.

He sighed, slumping a bit. "Yes ma'am."

He learned their surname was Tailor, they had a whole herd of sheep and a cotton field, along with cuccos that Linkle insisted on introducing Legend to.

He made a note to visit his grandparents soon when he got back to his time. He missed them, the Tailors reminded him of them and he hadn't been there in a while. He hadn't seen Epona or Piyoko in ages...

As he and Linkle headed for the village, a portal appeared in front of them.

"Whoa!" Linkle pulled out a crossbow and shoved him back. "What's that?!"

"It's a portal," he said, pushing her arm down. "I, uhh... that "sort-of trip" I'm on with my brothers? It's kinda across time?"

She stared at him. "Oh. Wait, so this is for you?"

"Yep. And it doesn't really like to wait otherwise it just appears under my feet. So—Thank you so much for the help, but I got to go."

She sighed, scowling at the portal. " Rude . We had plans today!" The portal didn't respond. "Oh fine. Go. But be careful!"

"I will. This isn't my first rodeo."

She laughed. "Ain't mine either, but that don't mean I'm not careful. Go back to those grandparents of yours in one piece, you hear me?"

He smiled and nodded. "I intend to. I'll see if I can bring Piyoko with me, maybe I'll be able to introduce you."

"You better! Now git."

Legend laughed and he went through the portal.

The next world was definitely Wild's. He figured that out quickly when he found himself on a cliff overlooking a vast kingdom.

The cliff turned out to be a plateau with exactly zero ways down.

He cleared the plateau of monsters, stealing a few brittle swords as he went and using them to go for the bright yellow, practically golden, lynel, cursing the Champion's world as he did.

He internally thanked Twilight's Zelda for teaching him some actually offensive magic. Din's Fire was unbelievably helpful and Nayru's Love had already saved his life against the lynel multiple times.

He ducked behind one of the few remaining trees, panting heavily. The lynel roared behind him.

The plateau was uninhabited, he'd searched the whole thing. Despite the ruins of a temple and the old hut, there was nobody except monsters and animals. Monsters hell-bent on killing him.

"Alright, magic don't fail me now."

Farore's Wind took him from behind the tree to another spot about ten feet to his left. He ran at the lynel, which roared when it took a second too long to notice him.

He slid beneath the lynel, dragging a brittle sword through its stomach. It broke but did enough that he was able to swing himself onto its back. Exactly like the Champion had shown him what felt like ages ago. He had called it ride or die... a very apt name.

He teleported above the lynel and drove the only other weapon he had, a short sword, into its skull with a downward thrust.

It sent him flying that time and he tumbled across the ground. He hissed out his pain, quickly recovering to his feet out of pure necessity. Was that stupid thing dead yet—

It was. It crumbled to the ground and stayed there, smoking away.

He let out a sigh of relief, dropping to one knee as he breathed heavily. He assessed his supplies and situation.

The weapons were definitely broken. He suddenly understood why Wild was always breaking weapons, the ones in his era were incredibly deteriorated, brittle, and cheap.

Legend dragged himself back to his feet and made his way to the alcove near the temple ruins. A weak fire spell had a campfire going just as the sun set, and he ate a few apples before leaning back and letting himself rest, not sleep, never sleep.

He'd find a way down the plateau in the morning.

Legend walked around the edge of the plateau, looking for the lowest point. He didn't have his Roc's Cape or a hookshot, Farore's Wind didn't go as far as the wall was. It was at least fifty feet up, if not more.

He could just fall, use the spell, and hope for the best...

No , he could see the monsters down there. He was not doing that.

He didn't want to just wait out the portal. Maybe he could make some kind of rope from vines and repel down...

He ended up waiting out the portal, repelling down to the ground only for the portal to show up ten feet after he landed.

He cursed loudly but walked through.

This time he was in another forest, with... big glowing mushrooms.

He hardly hesitated to tap the luminous fungi and they bounced and jiggled in response. Legend stared, very confused by the odd flora. He pulled out his knife and carefully tried to cut it.

It cut easily, but very quickly it just... fixed itself. He brushed his hand over the gash he'd made and felt no difference, no seam, nothing.

"Huh," he muttered. What in the name of ...

He tried cutting out a whole piece of it, holding the mushroom piece in one hand, and as the large mushroom reformed, the one in his hand became almost liquidated and he quickly tried to drop it.

A new, smaller mushroom had sprung up where it had landed.

Okay... probably should not make a mushroom army that may or may not one day become sentient. He did not need that on his conscience.

"Hey!"

He whirled around, Din's Fire burning up his fingers and knife spinning into a reverse grip in his hands.

A girl, probably mid-twenties, stood there in a magenta-pink tunic somewhat similar to the one Twilight wore, with steel chainmail under the tunic. She had ribbons weaved into her very blonde hair, framing her face.

That wasn't the big thing though. The big thing was how bright she was.

Her magic positively glowed , she was brighter than the sun itself and so thick with divinity as well. He was near certain she was a goddess except he knew the Golden Three's magic, and she wasn't any of them.

Who was that goddess that Sky and Wild worshiped? It was a lake— Hylia? That sounded about right, the reflection of Lolia.

"Who are you?" She questioned, eyes alight with curiosity that burned through him, her eyes flicked all over him, to his fingertips, chest, and face, he didn't like it. "I've never seen you before."

"Link," he said. "Who are you?"

"Zelda," she approached him but didn't come that close, "Knight of Skyloft. There's no humans on the Surface, and the only Link around is my fiancé. The humans all died to Demise's armies. But you... you have Heart in your blood."

"I think it's 'blood in my heart,'" Legend corrected, letting Din's Fire fade back into his blood. The constant thrum of fire in his veins was a nice if not weird change since he learned the spell.

"No," she shook her head, "you have Courage in your soul, it was built into it, integral to it, and just like the Courageous Spirit you have, you have Heart, Love, Light, in your blood."

Legend studied her. He realized the brightness she had, the origin of her magic, it was the same as Fable's. Twilight's Zelda had it too... he'd attributed it to wielding a piece of the Triforce, which was why he had it too.

"You have my grace in your veins," she moved even closer and Legend took a matching step back. "You've time traveled," she concluded.

Legend stared at her. "Excuse me. What ?"

"You're not from here, but Nayru has left her mark on you. I know every human alive and you clearly have my power in your blood." She grinned as she leaned forward. "You're my descendant! I can feel it--No, wait, Link and I plan to have kids someday--you're our descendant! That's why you have both Farore and I in your being more prominently than Din or Nayru, even though they've both left their mark on you as well. You are very familiar with the three's power."

Oh, so it was Hylia. This was Sky's Zelda, the goddess reborn as a mortal. The goddess whose bloodline was that of the royal family's.

"You're a child of the goddesses," she concluded.

Legend found his voice failing him. "No—I'm not. I couldn't—Yes I'm of Farore but I'm not— I don't have—I'm not descended from—"

Her grin softened into a gentle smile. "You didn't know?" She guessed, her voice far softer. "I may not exactly have experience with having a child, but I can tell you that your blood has divinity in it, and I know the golden three's blood claim intimately. You have my blood claim. I can see it."

He felt faint.

He couldn't even argue it, her point wasn't a feeling or an observation, it was something—it was a literal, divine revelation.

The goddess —mortal though she was— herself had to tell him that he was her descendant.

"Oh," he breathed, his voice shaking.

She smiled. "Here, we're building a settlement here on the surface. Why don't you come see it?"

The beginning of Hyrule... of...

He managed to give a small nod. When he didn't move, Zelda grabbed his hand and led him through the forest.

"You don't seem very prepared for this time, there are many servants of Demise around still. A knife and some magic? Oh, do you more often fight with your magic?"

Legend shrugged a bit. He wasn't sure what to say and so he fell back on silence. Zelda smiled at him.

"Link does that too when he's overwhelmed," she informed him softly and he was not accustomed to the fondness she displayed, Twilight's Zelda had done the same. "How much do you know about Skyloft?"

Feeling a bit called out, he cleared his throat and forced out, "Not a lot." Sky had said a fair bit about it, but not as much as Legend would probably info dump about Labrynna or Holodrum, and therefore wasn't all that much.

She nodded and soon launched into a full-blown history lesson on how Skyloft was raised.

Legend listened, trying to hold onto her words and remember them while also trying to keep his world from spinning and flipping on its axis.

Twilight's Zelda had been right.

Zellie and Little Link — They were Fable and Legend, just... from an alternate timeline.

Fable was his sister.

Why... How didn't he know this sooner?

As they walked, they heard a loud blaring horn. A war horn echoed through the forest and the ground trembled with it.

To Legend's absolute horror, a whole horde of monsters were filtering through the trees toward them.

"Get back!" Zelda pushed him back, drawing a sword. "Go straight east, Hyrule Town is—"

"Respectfully, I'm not leaving you alone," Legend said bluntly. He counted thirty-ish monsters about forty yards out. He flicked out his knife.

"You can't—"

"I promise you, I can. You take care of yourself, I don't doubt you can, but Sky would kill me if I let anything happen to you."

Zelda faltered. Then she must've recognized something in him. "You have..." her voice trailed off. "You have his..." Then her face hardened and she nodded to him. "Be careful. Come out of it alive."

Legend grinned. "Of course."

They both rushed the monsters the last twenty yards between them.

Fighting with a tiny knife was not easy, fighting with magic was a bit easier.

He managed to modify Din's Fire, mixing it with Nayru's Love and essentially forming a sphere of fire around him.

He stole blades off monsters, dancing through the battlefield to a melody he'd long trained his steps to follow. The beat quickened as his heartbeat raced faster and faster from adrenaline. The melody matched his heart rate.

Then he ran into the black blooded monsters.

He didn't miss a beat, he had a great rhythm going. He slashed through one, leaving it to recover in order to dive beneath the swinging arm of another, scale its back, and drive the horribly crafted blade he'd stolen off a bokoblin into its nape and drag it down over the recovering other black blooded monster.

One would not be getting up and the other would take a moment.

Legend burst both into flames, fire exploding from an orb and he dodged to the side from a sharp tongue shooting out.

He cut the tongue with his knife and the lizalfos it was connected to screeched loudly, had it spoken any of the half dozen languages Legend spoke, he was certain he would've heard many profanities.

He ended up nearly kicking a head or two off. Rolling into his landing and springing up onto another moblin's back to carve its spine open.

More monsters filled in the spaces above fallen bodies.

His hands were slick with red, purple, and black blood. His clothes soaked. His hair was beginning to come loose and he couldn't stop it either.

The moment the last monster was gone, Legend turned to find Zelda and she was grinning at him.

"We did it!" She exclaimed, covered in blood too. "Are you alright? Do you need a potion?"

Legend laughed. "I'm fine. Are you..." 

He spotted someone over her shoulder and that adrenaline suddenly shot back up.

"TRAVELER!"

Hyrule stared at him in clear shock. "VETERAN?!"

He tried to run toward the other hero, but one steady step was followed by air beneath his foot.

A portal formed beneath him and the last thing he saw before falling through and instinctively curling to try and minimize damage from his landing, was Hyrule's bright eyes filling with shock, hope, and a bit of disbelief.

He slammed onto new ground. His head spun and he almost wanted to vomit as he hit his knees and elbow on the soft, grassy surface.

A groan escaped him. That was an awful portal.

He dragged himself to his feet and looked around, blinking away stars. 

"Traveler?" He called out. "Traveler!"

Nothing.

Legend cursed loudly and he ignored how blood trickled down his arms and hands, tightening his grip on his knife and began searching the area for any sign of the other heroes. He hadn't sustained so bad of injuries that he was going to be feeling faint any time soon.

He'd been so close, goddesses, he had been so close.

Chapter Text

This time, he actually managed to find a village.

From the bright colors and thick with a nearly unnoticeable fae magic, he was certain it was Four's Hyrule. The town he found had been Castle Town , unbelievably, he could see the castle looming over the land. The town was filled with markets, bustling with merchants and traders.

He didn't have any money, but he wasn't going to let that stop him from getting supplies.

He slipped through the streets, feet light and movements hard to follow. He smoothly took a cloak from a stall as he passed, noting the name of the supposed maker and the price tag. He'd ask Four to give his pay later.

He did the same with an apple, which he ate and threw away before his next attempt: a bag of jerky, which was also successful. Then he tried for a loaf of bread.

It wasn't until the bread that someone saw him.

"Hey! You didn't pay for that!"

Legend knew, objectively, the better move would've been to play it off as an honest mistake, but he also knew they hadn't seen his face yet and he really didn't want to be recognized here.

So instead, he absconded with the bread.

"HEY! STOP— GUARDS!"

He ran through the streets, ducking indiscriminately through alleyways until he was sure he had lost his pursuers, and he ducked behind a corner of crates and waited with bated breath.

Nothing. He didn't hear anything, anyone approaching, and he let out a soft sigh of relief, relaxing into his hiding place. He'd made it. He had on a simple green cloak, so he blended in amongst the masses of colorfully dressed people easily. He'd be fine—

A blade appeared beneath his neck.

"Don't move."

He internally cursed out everything he could as he stiffened, still clutching the loaf of bread to his chest. He tried to keep his head down enough that the hood of his stolen cloak covered his face. The tip of a steel blade was at his throat, under his chin, and forced him to raise his head.

He looked up unwillingly and made eye contact with the man. He seemed about middle-aged, if on the younger end of that, so maybe about forty or so, with blond hair and blue eyes and in knight garb.

"How old are you?" The knight asked, a captain, Legend would guess.

Legend glared but kept his mouth shut.

The knight raised an eyebrow. He moved to stand in front of Legend then knelt down, his sword still at his neck. "I asked you a question, young man, and don't you think about lying to me."

Legend snarled. "What does it matter to you?" He spat. "Just take the damn bread and throw me in jail, get it over with."

The knight seemed to soften. "You just stole bread...."

Legend scoffed.

"Just tell me how old you are, kid."

He continued to glare. The knight sighed, he sheathed his sword and held out his hand. Legend placed the loaf into it, remaining as pressed against the wall and crate as he could. He really couldn't handle being thrown into a cell anytime soon, he just had to hope that the knight would let him off with a warning.

The knight tucked the loaf under an arm and held out his hand again.

Legend stared uneasily. What else did he want? He didn't know about anything else Legend stole, and he wasn't going to preemptively hand it off.

"Come on," the knight said gently. "I'll help you out, as long as you don't steal anymore."

He felt his mouth drop open a bit. He'd done this a thousand times but always from the other side. He'd scared off guards and helped terrified, starving kids get food and shelter, taking them to friends who had always wanted children and could support them.

He didn't think he'd count as a starving kid, but apparently he looked miserable enough that the knight was taking pity on him. A knight.

"You don't even know me," Legend blurted. "Why?"

"You remind me of my sons," the knight explained. "Will you trust me?"

He didn't have many other options, Legend guessed. It was either this, it was jail... or he tried to run again.

Except he was exhausted. He'd barely slept the night prior and had fought a horde the day before. Even his magic was a bit low for his preferences. He'd hoped to at least get some food and a semi-safe sleep in an alleyway.

He could run, he still had some magic, enough to teleport behind the knight and run. He could make it to the woods, probably, and from there he could get away faster than any Castle Town knight could catch him.

He inhaled carefully and did just that. Farore's Wind carried him behind the knight and he sprinted away, ignoring the yells for him to stop.

He wasn't going back to a cell anytime soon. He wasn't ready for that. He needed to take the time to at least come to terms with the events of the last time he'd been in one and not shove those memories as far down as he could before he let himself end up in one again. He would not be able to handle being anywhere near a cell again.

He ran into the wilderness, breathing heavily.

A branch snapped and he barely dodged a spear thrown at him. 

Letting out a string of colorful Subrosian curses, Legend flicked out his knife and engaged with the incidental ambush. There were six--actually--seven of them, and as he fought them, they weren't dying . Black blood trickled from every wound he inflicted. 

Another curse slipped out and he kept moving. He didn't want to risk any further damage to his magical core, and his magic was nearing low. If he depleted it further, not only would it take few days to replenish rather than the normal single day or two, it would also risk further damage to it.

He had to use Nayru's Love twice nonetheless, he managed to cut down two of the seven monsters, taking a deep gash to his side and a far shallower one to his leg. The remaining five were weakened, he could handle them but—not as he was. He was tired and sloppy. He'd fought that horde with Sky's Zelda — his ancestor, and he hadn't had time to fully process what that meant for him— and came out practically unscathed. That did not hold against these monsters, he was far too tired and drained from the prior fights, from his lack of any nutritional intake for a fair few days, and from running all day.

He heard a battle cry and he tore himself from the swinging reach of a moblin that tried to grab him.

He darted back in, twisting around and cutting clean through half of a thick throat. The monster screeched, finally killed and Legend felt something slam into his side. He was thrown into a tree, thankfully avoiding a new concussion, just definitely breaking a rib.

A bokoblin screeched above him. He blasted it with Din's Fire and, teetering into the zone of magical exhaustion, he dragged himself back up to the sounds of barked orders and clanging metal.

"Kid, hey look at me." Hands landed on his shoulders and he jerked away, tripping over his feet. "Whoa, slow down. I won't hurt you. Look, the monsters are gone. It's safe, I swear."

"Captain, he's armed."

"Did you think an unarmed child killed three monsters and injured another four?" The first voice snapped. "Come on, kid."

He could've forced himself to run, but frankly, he'd either have to comply or die, with the injuries and supplies he had. Plus, his body made the decision for him when it decided that his physical and magical exhaustion would finish dragging him into partial lucidity, his mind was too on high alert from the chases and the battles for him to lose consciousness but the exhaustion was enough for his body to collapse.

He was given a potion, both red and green, and he was fairly coherent when the medic set and wrapped the wounds that didn't heal with the red.

The medic left him and he heard them talking to someone.

"He's probably not as young as you think, I'd estimate middle to late teens, he has been malnourished most of his life which would account for the smaller stature. He has also experienced many wounds and not enough healing. There are scars from blades, claws, and teeth alike, as well as lightning. Whatever you do, Captain, be gentle... I imagine he hasn't had good experiences with anyone."

Legend almost rolled his eyes. He had to admit, the medic wasn't wrong, he gave a correct age range--which most people seemed to struggle with--and was dead on with the malnourishment, getting food was not easy while on adventures across countries and worlds, he also didn't always have access to proper healing supplies and had a stupid amount of scars as a result. And yeah, he'd had a bad experience with every single people group out there.

The man who entered was the same one who cornered Legend in the alleyway.

Legend tensed, he didn't have his knife, but the green potion did fix up his magic for the most part.

"Hey, I'm not going to hurt you," the guard captain said. "Can you tell me your name?"

He shut his mouth and kept his shut, glaring daggers at the man. 

"Look, nobody here is going to hurt you, nothing bad's going to happen. I just want to help, but I can't do that if you don't work with me."

Legend gathered his bitterness and snarled. "I don't work with knights," he spat. "You're wasting your time. Either give me my knife back and let me go, or throw me in a damn cell so I can hurry up and escape."

The knight captain sighed heavily. "You don't want that."

"Want to get thrown into jail? No. But I'd rather that than be controlled by a damned knight," he declared through gritted teeth.

"Would you?" The knight captain challenged.

Yes. He'd rather be trapped in a cell and beaten and killed before he'd ever, ever, willingly be controlled —enslaved— by a soldier. There were a few exceptions, but only because Legend knew they wouldn't control him, the other heroes would never, even Warriors who was the most 'knightly' of the four actual soldiers in the group.

"I'd rather die," Legend snarled.

That clearly startled the man.

Legend then gave a feral grin. "Except I know the goddesses aren't quite done with me, so I don't think it'll be me who dies in that situation."

Guard captain successfully disturbed. Legend leaned back, drew flames to his fingers, the green potion having given plenty of magical restoration, and he hovered his hand above the soft, flammable bed he'd been put on.

"So give me my knife back and let me go, and we won't have to find out whether or not the goddesses are done with me... or you."

"Okay, okay!" The captain looked at his hand with clear fear. "Don't be hasty. Just— Answer some of my questions, that's all I ask. Then you can go free."

Legend rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, letting the fire fizzle and fade. "Fine."

"And you have to tell the truth."

He nodded.

"Who are you?"

Legend almost grinned. That was the perfect question.

"My name is Link," Legend revealed, "however it might actually be Link Hyrule, as according to the founding Queen of Hyrule, Hylia herself, says I'm her descendant, and then in the future of today's time, Queen Zelda says I have the same magical signature as her son. But we both know that son isn't me because she's from a different timeline."

"... S'cuse me?"

Legend actually grinned. "Are you asking me to repeat or elaborate? Because if I elaborate to the point of comprehension we're going to be here all night."

"Elaborate?"

His grin turned just a bit feral. Look he was not the Castle Town Prince his blood apparently said he was, he was from a farm and raised by a sword on the natural roads of Hyrule.

"Well--See, a few weeks back I fell through a portal and ended up meeting Queen Zelda and I'm from the future, but she's from my past and an alternate timeline where the Fallen Hero in my time didn't die to Ganondorf. She said that my magical signature is the same as her two-year-old son's. Now magical signatures cannot be the same between two different people unless they're the exact same person. Following?"

"No."

"Great. So then I time-traveled all the way to the very beginning of Hyrule, then I met the Queen who founded Hyrule, Zelda. Except she is actually the goddess Hylia reincarnated as a mortal and so she had really powerful magic and she said that, even if I thought otherwise, she could tell that my blood was in some part hers. In other words, the goddess herself told me I was her descendant and she was also the first queen of Hyrule, meaning that I'm technically of the royal bloodline. Maybe fairly removed but still of the bloodline because the royal bloodline is the goddess's bloodline and I'm of the goddess's bloodline. It makes things really weird since my best friend is the Queen Zelda of my time and she never mentioned having a long-lost little brother so... I'm not sure how to tell her but you can't really argue truth with the goddess of light and that's also two really powerful women who said I'm a prince."

The guard captain looked mildly horrified and extremely concerned.

"Mason!" He called. "I think he hit his head!"

Legend snorted. There it is.

The medic poked his head in. "Smith—What's with you and insane blond kids?"

Captain Smith apparently, scoffed and glared mildly. "I've told you a dozen times; Link isn't insane."

"The kid is so saturated with magic he's gone insane, he hears voices, Captain."

Legend froze. His eyes narrowed at the man, Smith, but mainly the medic.

"Sorry," he began through gritted teeth, "I could've sworn you said Link, voices, and insane... Surely you don't mean the Heroes of the Four Sword?"

The men both tensed, Captain Smith became a bit on guard and clearly defensive.

"And if we do?" He asked a bit warily.

Legend was already on his feet, forming a fireball in his hand, and not releasing Din's Fire as he grabbed the medic's collar and held the fire to his face.

"I don't care who you think you are, but Link has gone through too much for you bastardized cowards to call him insane. All four of them will be legends for centuries to come. You call them insane one more time and I'll give you a reason to be insane yourself."

The genuine fear was worth the possible crime. The guard captain had drawn his sword but only raised it.

"They are not voices, they are their own people and you will treat them like it. Even if they don't or can't separate. Do you understand me?" The medic flinched when the flame came closer.

"We get it!"

"Put the fire down!"

Legend shoved the medic away. Standing up and keeping his hand enflamed.

"Who even are you?" The medic demanded. "We'd know our fellow knight a hell of a lot better than some thieving brat!"

He snarled. " I am a hero chosen by the goddesses, Farore's Champion of Courage, I killed Ganon four times over and I've wielded the entire Triforce three times. I will not let anyone speak ill of my fellow heroes be it their worst enemies or their fathers."

He glared at the guard captain and held up his left hand, which still held the fireball. A bit of magic had the Triforce of Courage on the back of his hand gleam brightly.

"Will you need a demonstration of my abilities, or will you pay your heroes the respect they deserve after saving your lives and sacrificing their childhoods?"

He took a small bit of pride in how they both proverbially fell to their knees and swore their improvement, of course, they didn't actually kneel, but it was a near thing.

Legend found himself walking out of the guard station with his knife back, hunger satiated as they'd given him a loaf of bread and milk before he left, and no bounty on his head

Huh... intimidation really does work.

He didn't make it a hundred yards from the village before another portal appeared. He rolled his eyes and strode through.

Chapter Text

The first thing he registered was the scent of petrichor mixing with the distinct aroma of salt.

Immediately, his slightly lightened mood from actually having a decent amount of food in his stomach and having his wounds healed and bandaged, was rapidly destroyed. Overhead was a total, destructive force of nature; a storm. It may have been a hurricane or a typhoon, he didn't know what direction the wind had come from so he frankly didn't know the correct terminology, but he did know that he hated storms and he hated being on an island in a storm even more.

At least it was better than a barely sea-worthy raft.

Look, he knew he sounded bitter, but he's only died twice and the most terrifying one was to a storm while on a raft in the ocean. Sure he wasn't certain of his death, but that was the most logical conclusion. Either he had died or the Wind Fish had directly prevented it and healed his body enough that he did survive after waking the ocean deity.

He had been dropped on too low ground though, he knew that as ocean water rushed up and soaked his feet and legs up to his knees. After he registered his situation, he ran for higher ground.

The storm passed by the second dawn. Legend had no intentions of ever sailing on the ocean again, or even traversing one from below the surface, so he searched the island... Only to find it to be empty and he returned to the alcove he had found the first day to rest.

He sat down and he just thought, listening to the sound of the rain and only accompanied by his thoughts.

He'd need to come up with some kind of nickname for the Zelda's at this rate, he'd come up with one for Fable but if any of the other heroes had one for their Zelda, they didn't share it. Except for Wind and Four, theirs were Tetra and Dot.

Sky's Zelda was easy, for how bright she was, Sun was an apt moniker for the goddess reborn.

Twilight's Zelda was a bit harder, but if he followed the nickname of "Sun" and took in her darker features, the hair, indigo-violet eyes, and the purple over pink or red, especially in comparison to the other queens and princesses Legend knew, something related to the evening would work better for her. "Evening" was a boring nickname though, and so was "Sunset," alternatively, Dusk would work rather well.

He hoped Sky and Twilight didn't mind him nicknaming their Zelda's.

Goddesses , he missed those idiots.

He missed the Traveler's awe and wonder at learning about new plants, animals, magic, weapons, food; anything really. He missed the Sailor's bright and boisterous personality, how he was constantly regaling them with stories about his adventures with that childlike energy, the Sailor had been the one with the most adventures after him and yet he was so bright. It reminded him of himself before Koholint, five adventures under his belt, but still as bright-eyed as ever. He missed the synergy he had with the Champion, they understood each other and he appreciated the way the Champion never hesitated to point that out, he missed the way he could easily slip between calculative and problem-solving to being the problem and chaos-incarnate, he also missed his cooking, but he found he missed his grandmother's cooking a bit more. He missed the Smithy's safety, the way that he could count on him to be a nearby, safe presence without the threat or possibility of being questioned. He missed the Skyloftian's companionship, the Old Man's ability to be both a responsible adult and a childish gremlin, and even the Rancher's overwhelming predatory presence, and the Captain's insufferable knightly presence.

He felt a pang of anger at himself, annoyance and grief curled around his heart.

He got attached.

He hid his face on his knees, hugging his legs to his chest and gasping softly, breath hitching as a few tears slipped down.

He missed them. Goddesses, he got attached and now he missed them .

An uninhabited island wasn't the easiest place to survive on for a week.

He found various fruits and ate at least one a day, carving slices from it with his knife, breaking coconuts, and only hydrating with the milk inside due to the extremely un-drinkable ocean water being his only other option. Overall, he was just surviving.

He thought about his apparent pedigree. How Fable was probably his sister... he tried to tell himself it didn't matter, that he was still himself. He was still the same boy who, at no obligation, left the safety of his uncle's house and went on a dangerous adventure to save Hyrule, who was dropped into Hytopia to meet two other heroes, who was put to sleep by some musician because of his Triforce, who left his grandparents' farm to save Labyrnna and Holodrum, who left his blacksmith apprenticeship to save Hyrule and Lorule.

He tried to tell himself he wasn't the prince of Hyrule serving his kingdom and fulfilling his birthright by protecting his sister and country. He tried to tell himself that he chose to do it, that he had never been obligated to do it. Even if he had been born the hero, it was in his soul to act, it was never expected of him to act by anyone but the goddesses who chose him themselves.

The sun had set and darkness was looming, half the constellations blocked by another oncoming storm. Legend curled in a little alcove and stared at the back of his hand and the slightly glowing triangle on it.

Was it ever his choice? Which came first, being a hero or being... being a prince?

He wanted his uncle, or his grandparents, or Impa, even Ocean or Forest, he needed someone .

He didn't find a way off the island. A portal came before he did.

Legend felt dizzy and cold to the bone. His head hurt and none of that had anything to do with injuries, it had everything to do with multiple days of storms and no warmth. Din's Fire only did so much, and after he was soaked to the bone, he gave up. The stolen cloak did its job, but, again, it could only do so much.

The portal wasn't helpful for his spinning mind, not at all, but he found himself somewhere unfamiliar, dead, and dusty. But to his relief, there was a cave in a cliff nearby and he staggered over to it.

It wasn't deep, he found as he moved inside and found a single, small cavern within. It would work well, he decided, and he dropped into the corner and curled up, wrapping his soaked cloak around him and tugging the hood over his sweat-slicked head. His cold hand brushed his burning forehead and he almost whined.

He just curled tighter in the corner.

"'M sorry," he whispered to the silent and empty cave. "'M leavin'... leavin' the mons'ers... t' you."

He didn't have the energy to get up and fight. He knew his limits; this wasn't the first time he'd gotten sick on a journey.

He'd have to sleep it off and hope for the best, but that meant he'd be leaving all the black blooded monsters to the others.

If he had his bag he would've whistled for Moosh, Dimitri, or Ricky. Any of them would've been a lifesaver in the situation. Lo' and behold, he didn't have his bag, nor any of his supplies. So he just curled up and tried to sleep despite the heavy wetness inside his lungs, the burning heat on his head, the crawling sweat beneath soaked clothes, and he hoped the cave in the unknown Hyrule would keep him safe.

He saw things, too many things, too many dead people. He saw things that should've caused him pain but it never hurt, just burned.

Whenever the next day of coherency came, not that he could count, the fever had broken and he was soaked in sweat instead of ocean stormwater.

He was certain it had been days, and he was certain that it was purely the fact that the goddesses weren't done with him that he recovered.

He had used that as an intimidation tactic, one that would be very effective in his own time. His people--and they were his people--knew the things he'd achieved and the ages he had been when he'd done it. They would've taken that threat a lot more dangerously than Four's father had. But even if it was an intimidation tactic, it was also the truth that he knew.

He wasn't dying until they let him, not that he'd try to prove that, but between that dark world he ended up in with Cadence and the Wind Fish saving him from certain death in that storm, he was pretty sure that the goddesses took measures to ensure his survival until he wasn't needed anymore.

He still felt awful, still caught tight in the cold that had taken over when the familiar tug of a portal hit him.

He wheezed softly, blinking slowly as he took a long minute to register what that pull was. Then he let out a broken, wet groan.

He tried to grab something, a ledge or just the wall, and get to his feet. But his arm did little more than move and he didn't have the strength to pull himself up. He was starving, severely dehydrated, and even if his fever broke, extremely sick.

He couldn't get up.

He couldn't defend himself and they were switching eras .

Dimly, as the tugging grew insistent and strong, for the first time in his life he properly cursed the goddesses. Had they just let him reunite with the Traveler when he'd seen him in Sky's era, he wouldn't be practically on his deathbed in some dusty cave about to be dropped in an unknown Hyrule unable to defend himself.

He felt the fall, he felt the landing and how it forced all remaining air from his lungs, and he felt the dregs of his lucidity and consciousness get taken away from him.

Chapter Text

Practically the last thing Legend expected was to wake up. Even more of the last thing he expected was to wake up warm.

Not burning, warm. The soft weight of woolen blankets, the distant crackling of a fire, real warmth; not the burning of a fever.

He was distantly aware of moments of being not quite lucid, but anything that happened other than being awake was not in his memory.

He blinked, face scrunching up as he tried to figure out his surroundings. A wooden house, plaster on the walls to keep heat or cold out as the seasons changed, a brick hearth in the center of the room with a vent above it to release the smoke up and out. His blurred but clearing vision let him see someone moving around nearby, but no more than that.

He didn't recognize the house, though he didn't really expect to. He wanted to fall back asleep, but the realization and understanding that no , he wasn't safe, he was in an unknown, didn't let him relax.

Instead, despite the continued exhaustion his body was in, he forced himself up. Clumsily, not quick enough to catch it, the blanket slipped from the futon he'd been on and hit the ground. It wasn't loud, in fact, he didn't even hear it. But somehow the shape across the room did notice and turned from the table.

"You’re up!" A feminine voice. They approached and he made out chestnut brown hair and a working-class dress. He didn't have a weapon nor the magic to defend himself, but as she knelt beside him and placed her hand over his head before he could react, he didn't feel threatened. She smiled at him, a soft and sad thing, "You certainly feel and look much better. Here, I made some soup."

She darted away and came back far too quickly for his addled mind to keep up with.

After drinking the soup--probably bone broth, he noted--he had enough awareness and general strength to notice more things.

"Thanks," he muttered. "Where..."

She smiled. "He did say it had been a few years since he last saw you, I'm not surprised you don’t know the place. You’re in Hyrule, first of all, in a temporary farmhouse not far from Kakariko Village and Castle Town."

He nodded. So probably just about the same area as his grandparents' farm in his era.

"I'm Marley. I'll be right back, I'm just going to go get my husband and let him handle this. He knows about this better than I do after all."

Legend nodded slightly as she got up and exited the front door, a bit of cold air rushed through the room the brief time the door was open and he shivered, tugging the blanket tighter.

He sighed softly, closing his eyes and assessing himself. His magic was fine, for the most part, low but with actual food and rest for maybe a day or two, it would be back in full. He didn't drain himself. His body however was pretty exhausted, he had a feeling he was far smaller than before and he had no point of reference due to him definitely not being in his clothes again . A large full green shirt that probably would've fit Time or Warriors, somewhere between their sizes, was hanging off his frame overtop his white dress that Dusk had made for and given to him.

His ear flicked as he heard voices approach and footsteps pad against soft ground. Unpaved then. The door swung open with a creak and Legend felt the air get stolen from his lungs when he saw who it was.

"Link, I'm glad you're--"

"Raven!"

His ancestor smiled, and just as he remembered, it was a warm and bright thing, filled with fondness.

"Glad to see you remember me," he laughed. He left his overcoat on the hook by the door and his boots by the bench, then he walked over to Legend.

"Remember--Of course I remember you, you idiot!" Legend smacked his arm. He was a bit speechless. He hadn't expected to ever see the man in front of him again.

Raven chuckled softly. "I wasn't sure, kids tend to forget things as they get older." He ruffled Legend's already messy hair and Legend squawked, smacking his attack away.

"I wasn't that young and I'm not that old either. You’re the old man at this point. Is that gray hairs I see?"

"I had those the last time you saw me, you gave them to me." Raven poked his side.

Legend flinched away from the poke and glared. "I did not ."

Raven didn't push further, just laughed softly. "How old are you now then?"

Legend huffed. "It's been five years, I'm seventeen."

" Seventeen ?" Raven looked a bit ill. "Link, you look fourteen ."

"I was twelve when I left," he said pointedly.

"And you looked ten then," his ancestor countered. His eyes trailed along his skin and frame, it took Legend a moment to realize he had been looking at the numerous scars he had on display. "Kid, you look as worn as a year old training dummy. Oh golden three, Link... What happened to you? Who did this to you?"

You know, Legend wasn't sure what he expected, but he wasn't surprised by this. Raven had been very protective, had he any control of the circumstances of this reunion, he wouldn't have shown Raven a single one or his new scars if he could.

"Three more adventures," Legend told him, tugging the blanket to try and hide what he could. "I killed Ganon again, got struck by lightning," drowned, "and kept fighting."

"Why couldn't you just stop?"

His whole life, Sir Raven had been a hero, his hero. Legend realized at this moment that no matter how heroic his ancestor was, no matter what he had done, no matter how much of a hero Raven was, he wasn't a hero ...

"I'm a hero," Legend said. He gave up on hiding his scars and even pushed his bangs back a bit with his left hand, flashing his Triforce and the feathers of his lightning burns that were hidden beneath his right bangs. "There is no stopping, not for me. It's my goddess-given duty to protect their lands, be it Hyrule or Labrynna or Holodrum."

Raven looked rather stricken. He looked a bit like Time, actually... a lot like Time. If Time had a son, Legend imagined Raven would be what that son would grow up to look like.

"Alright," he whispered. "I understand... How has Puini been?"

Legend let the heaviness of the previous topic slide away and he smiled. "She's had a foal. Epona is the fastest, strongest mare in Hyrule. So Puini's been enjoying her retirement."

Last he heard, at least. Puini was old, she hadn't been young when Raven gave her to him. Last Legend had been at the farm, he knew that unless he returned within a year, which he hadn't, Puini wouldn't still be there. He didn't say as much.

"Glad to hear she settled down too," Raven chuckled. "And that boy--Ralph?"

"Haven't really seen him since I last saw you," Legend admitted. "But we've exchanged letters every year or so, so he's doing well."

"I see... How are you feeling right now? Up for a tour of the farm? Marley and I managed to buy back our family's old farm, but it needs a lot of fixing."

"Your wife?" Legend grinned.

"She is. I love her so much." Raven had a lovesick smile and Legend felt a little sick when he realized it looked exactly like Time's smile when he talked about Malon.

Legend squeezed his arm, Raven came back to the current.

"I'm happy for you," he said softly.

"Thank you, I hope you like her too."

"If she's so wonderful that you fell in love with her, then I think I will." He grinned a bit. "I can also draw you a blueprint for the farm if you like, and the location of nearby natural wells."

Raven barked out a laugh. "Ah, the benefits of having your descendant around. Come on, kid."

Legend yelped as he was scooped off of the bed. "Hey! I can walk--"

"Marls would kill me if I made you walk with how bad condition you were in, I'd kill myself honestly. So hold on."

He huffed and managed to get Raven to let him onto his back instead of being carried in his arms.

As it turned out, not even walking, just staying mentally, emotionally, and socially present was exhausting. Raven showed him the makeshift pen for his new horse, then the area Raven remembered from his childhood was the cow field, Legend confirmed that in his time that was the field they kept their cows in, then the area he wanted to build the farmhouse.

Legend frowned, starting to feel a bit tired, but a mental map was drawn up and he shook his head.

"That's where the well is. Gramma says we built on some rock deposit 'cause the foundation is as strong as our hearts or sum'thin'."

Raven looked over his shoulder at him, smiling softly. "Where's the house then?"

Legend hummed, thinking carefully. "About forty...? Yeah, 'bout forty or so feet back behind the well. S'makes it easy t' fetch water n'matter the weather or where we're takin' it... an' it's kinda the middle a' the farm."

"That makes sense, and we wouldn't need to worry about foundation issues. I'll look for a rock deposit out back there, then we'll build or expand on it."

Legend hummed agreeably. He dropped his head against Raven's shoulder.

"I think I might be tired," he admitted, using Raven's shoulder to block the light from his eyes.

Raven laughed, the rumble vibrating Legend to some degree. "I was thinking the same thing. Let's get some food in you before you fall asleep."

"Ugh, I hate it when I can't find a town, or find any rupees, and when the knights are actually competent. Elsewise food is hard to find."

Screw arrows, he could find arrows in dungeons or steal them from monsters, healing supplies too, food however? Nope. Only in towns, especially in his Hyrule. Wild's and Twilight's and all of theirs? They might have food in the wilderness but in Legend's era? Nope. The best he could do was his apple orchard.

So if he couldn't find a town, he was screwed. If he could find a town, he needed rupees but currently, he was broke and monsters weren't dropping rupees after they died these days.

Raven was silent for a long moment. "I'm sorry you've been going through this. Is there no one in your time who could help you? What about that girl you mentioned?"

"Cadence's in a whole n'other dimension, an' Zel's busy leading the country..." Legend blinked slowly, registering the warmth of indoors hitting him. "An' I do have people who are helping me this adventure, but we got separated... I'll catch up with them 'ventually... when I'm not too weak to walk."

Raven sighed. "I see. Tell me about these people?"

He huffed, then he clambered off Raven's back a bit stubbornly. Raven rolled his eyes but gestured him to the kitchen area where Ms. Marley was cooking.

"Well, they're all heroes, people the goddesses chose to protect and save their world. One of them's my ancestor, other side, and he's pretty nice; great sword fighter, but gets lost in his head all the time. Then there's the Heroes of the Four Swords, have you heard of them?"

"Yes, I heard that story when I was out traveling."

"Yeah, as a whole, they're very grounded, down-to-earth, I mean. They're intelligent in every way possible and really fast. They're also a blacksmith." His hands moved vaguely as he spoke, a habit he had tried to break but this was Raven, he didn't mind being a bit more expressive with the man.

Raven watched him as he spoke, paying him his full attention.

"There's also my successor! He's a bit older than me, and he's taller by an inch or two. He's insanely good with magic, really scrappy in a fight, 'cause he never learned from any official place. He's still a really good fighter... stabby though. He's sharp too, notices everything, but he's a bit socially oblivious. He's also sassy, he's so much fun to banter with.

"Speaking of--There's also the Captain! You'd like him, him and probably the Rancher. The Captain's the captain of the queen's personal guard and he led an army to war that was so huge it merged two--three timelines. He's a good knight, and so is the first guy I mentioned as well as the Heroes of the Four Sword! Good knights, better men.

"The Rancher is a goat herd from some farming town just outside of Hyrule, but he's an insanely strong sword fighter and wrestler. He's really good with domestic animals, wild ones not so much. He's so honest but still nice unless you push him, he's a real country bumpkin.

"Of course, he is good with one wild animal and that would be the Champion. He's the Rancher's protege and sometimes he is completely feral. He's chaotic, kinda like how I was when we first met, he knows what to do but usually takes his own, faster, more dangerous path and generally comes out mostly unscathed."

Raven smiled softly as he listened to the teenager in front of him ramble on and on about his current companions. From the sounds of it, it was another time travel "quest" as Link liked to call them, which made the worry and concern in his stomach so much worse. Link loved and cared so wholly and clearly, these people he was talking about were his friends, maybe even close to brothers. But the boy was also hurt, the new scars and the way he gave Marley such a guarded and wary look... Link had grown up, and life had not been kind to him. Yet he was still so bright, it was sad.

Raven hoped Link would be lucky enough to keep in contact with these new brothers of his in a way they had and likely will never be able to.

Legend insisted on helping Marley out the next day. Though their crops were small and young, and their horse had been taken by Raven to Castle Town that day, there was still plenty to do. 

Marley also apparently wasn't a farm woman by birth, because she didn't have that stubbornness that Legend couldn't talk around. He helped put up the beginnings of a proper paddock for Raven's horse, Pallid--which Legend was judging him for naming his pale beige horse Pallid, but Puini was "pony" in Labyrnnese and Epona was a play on "pony" as well, so he couldn't say either of them were great at naming horses.

However, he hadn't been able to eat a whole meal yet, which was nothing he wasn't accustomed to. Re-adjusting to full meals was commonplace after most of his adventures. He did feel much better and had stayed on his feet and active the whole day without a problem though.

"Can I tag along?" He asked Raven the following day, perched on the newly built fence as the knight captain strapped on Pallid's saddle.

Raven paused his movements and looked at Legend with a slight frown. "Are you well enough to?"

Objectively no, but he was also himself, so yes.

"I feel well enough. I'd prefer to adjust back to eating more but that's unlikely with my current schedule, and I really need to get supplies."

He didn't mention he didn't have any money and fully intended to steal.

Raven sighed. "If you'd like, I wouldn't mind you accompanying me. I would actually appreciate that, and I'm sure you could teach some of them at the station a thing or two, recovering or not."

Legend rolled his eyes as his lips spread into a smirk. "Please, knowing the standard of knights, a keese could teach them a thing or two."

Raven laughed. "Your knights must be extremely disappointing if that's true. No, my men are better than that, but even when we last fought together you would have severely outclassed them."

"Alright, if I'm up for it at the moment I wouldn't mind a spar or two. Just... Just don’t let me near the cell block."

His ancestor paused for a brief moment before he nodded. "Alright. Go let Marley know you're coming with me."

"Okay," he chirped and hopped off the paddock fence. 

He wandered inside, leaning around corners to find Marley working on her yeast starter.

"Miss Marley?"

"Oh! Link! Can I help you?"

"Raven says to tell you that he's letting me come with him to Castle Town. I also promise that I'll be careful not to push myself if I have the option and I'll keep an eye on him."

Marley smiled warmly at him. "Alright, thanks for letting me know. You two be careful out there, and come home safe."

"We will, thanks, Miss Marley."

Legend hummed to himself as he found a perch with two crates, watching the training field and Raven put dozens of soldiers through drills.

"Now I want fifty laps around the whole guard station, go!"

Most ran off without another moment, one groaned and Legend heard him mutter a curse.

"Fucking bastard--telling us what to do as if he and his family ain't the reason our country's in ruin."

He froze, but Raven clearly heard it too and glared daggers at the soldier who was reluctantly going to follow.

"Hey, Smithson! I have a different thing for you." Raven grabbed a decent sword from a nearby rack and walked toward the open area near Legend's perch. The soldier grumbled and walked over.

Raven looked at Legend and held out the sword.

"I want you fighting Link until he decides you’re both done or you win."

Legend grinned, and he dropped from the barrels.

"You want me fighting a squire?"

Raven gave him a sharp look. "I want you to learn some things and I think defeat will be a good teacher. You should note as well that Link is mine."

"So you insult his family you insult mine," Legend spoke up as he tested the sword. "And I want you to learn some respect about the people who have given their lives and limb for this country."

"You’re a child."

"I've seen more death and violence in my years of living yet than you will in your lifetime," Legend said casually, he kept the annoyance from his voice and just kept it blunt and factual, which definitely infuriated the man.

Good.

His heart picked up speed but he tried to push it back. Raven was nearby and watching, he wouldn't end up in a cell. He would be fine, he just had to teach this soldier some respect for their family... he would have to ask Raven what he meant by that though, because he never heard anything negative about their family like that before.

"I'll show you respect," the soldier snarled, drawing his sword and lunging.

It took more effort to keep his breathing steady and his face impassive. He danced out of the way of the blade, kicked out the soldier's leg, and hit the pommel of his sword between his shoulder blades.

"First of all, a knight does all things with honor. In any mock fight, he does not attack before they both confirm preparedness."

The soldier glared daggers at him. "Shut up!" He lunged again.

Legend held back a grin. He turned his body horizontal at the waist, leaning low to his right and as the blade swung overhead, he kicked into the soldier's side. He had been wearing chainmail, so that did little harm, but he managed to kick hard enough for him to stagger. A one handed cartwheel also had him kicking his head with his other leg.

He landed neatly, popping back up to his feet quickly as the soldier scrambled.

"Secondly, you cannot stay down for longer than a moment." He stopped the soldier's movements with his sword at his throat. "You fall, you roll with it, and you recover to continue fighting. You fall and rush to stand up? You're killed."

"What would you know!" The soldier wrapped his hand around his blade and once again slashed blindly.

Legend easily danced out of its reach. He let the soldier stand and he took an actual stance.

"Would you like to actually spar or shall I continue with the verbal lessons before we step into the physical?"

The soldier clearly hated him, not a new feeling for Legend, and he lunged again.

Legend stayed still and this time he blocked. It was harder, he was considerably shorter and weaker than this soldier, but he wasn't inept.

He slid beside the soldier, letting his anger-filled attack drag him ahead and he smacked the flat side of his sword against the back of his unprotected head.

"Knights don’t let their emotions control them in battle, most assume that means fear, but that also applies to anger, love, grief, lust, and pride ." Legend danced under the swinging blade and ignored the curses and slurs thrown his way. "They keep a level head in battle and act with honor. They use their minds just as much as their hearts, and in every stand they take, they are prepared to give their lives."

He recited a whole one of his grandfather's lectures, though paraphrased, on the duty and actions of a true knight. Each time, it just pissed the soldier off even more.

He would knock him down, dodge his reckless swings, critique, and forcibly fix his stances, they were still going when the rest of the training squadron returned from their laps less exhausted than the man actively trying to hurt Legend.

He heard some of the men question Raven.

"Captain, what's with the kid... and why is he kicking Smithson's ass?"

"He's mine, and because Smithson decided to speak ill of men who gave their lives for the safety of Hyrule," Raven responded.

"But that's a kid."

"And he would win a fight against any one of you easily, and were he in peak condition and not recovering from a lethal cold, I would have had him fighting groups of you at once."

"Groups--would he win?"

"Yes," Legend called over his shoulder, dancing around his opponent again and this time smacking his backside with the flat of his blade, garnering laughter from the audience and rage from the soldier, Smithson. "I'll have you know I took out a horde of at least thirty monsters not a month ago and came out unscathed. In a serious fight--"

Legend used his sword to block the next attack and stepped into Smithson's space to hook a foot behind his leg, destabilize his stance, and punch his face.

"--I'd have killed this whole compound and would be headed back home in time for dinner." He met Raven's eyes, which had a sliver of doubt, but he nodded slightly. 

"Well done, Link," Raven said. "That's enough for you both."

Legend nodded and sheathed his sword. He heard movement behind him and expected the anger, he didn't expect the attack.

"Link!" Raven cried, moving forward.

Instinct took over when he saw the tip of a blade swinging at him from the side, probably aimed just as recklessly as the rest of the attacks and therefore aimed far too high.

He turned his head but didn't move despite the outcry. Nayru's Love enveloped him, and the blade bounced off the shield that formed for the briefest moment.

Smithson froze, still clearly enraged but also visibly stricken and terrified.

Legend raised an eyebrow. "Your captain said we were done. You need to learn to respect your superiors, seems you're not only disrespectful to those who came before you and gave their lives so you could stand here with the life and freedoms you have."

Legend had to learn that lesson when he was young too, the Fallen Hero had been weak in his eyes as a child. It wasn't until Hytopia, three months after his first adventure, when he met two of his fellow heroes for the first time, that he learned. It didn't matter the circumstances or individual strengths, the Fallen Hero, Time , had given his life to protect Hyrule, and failing or succeeding, he deserved Legend's full respect.

Raven didn't let Link come back. Not with how bitter some of his men were over his descendant's words. He believed Link, though he marked his words as slightly arrogant. He did believe him and believed that he could survive a fight with the entire compound.

But with that belief and trust came worry, because the boy Raven had fought and won against when they first met, was already extremely skilled once a sword and not a spear was in his hand.

"Captain!" A scout ran over to him, stepping into attention. "A group of armed hylians is approaching the town! They appear battle-ready and dangerous."

"We can't deny them sanctuary unless they give us reason to," Raven chided.

"One wears the mark of the Queen, but Commander Thomas does not recognize him."

Commander Thomas was a worn veteran who had been in service for over sixty years now, claimed to know every single captain or higher-ranked soldier in Her Majesty's army.

"Then we should welcome a returning squadron home," Raven insisted. The scout nodded and Raven let out an exasperated sigh before he headed to greet this returning officer and his team.

It was a group of about eight men and young boys, at least two squires included in that and one definitely ranked officer with a few other knights whose training was finished. They saw him approaching and the ranked officer, a blond man with the Queen's mark on a blue scarf he wore, stepped forward.

"Welcome back to the heart of Hyrule," Raven greeted.

"Ah, thank you," the knight said a bit hesitantly. "I wasn't expecting a welcome."

"One of my older soldiers saw you approaching and were wary of an officer they didn't know, he's served a long time and claims to know every officer ever ranked, so he had me alerted."

"I see," the knight said. "Well, we are actually still on mission but need information we hoped someone here would know."

"I'd be glad to help. I'm Raven, the captain of the Castle Town guard."

"A pleasure to meet you. I'm Captain Link." He gestured at the others over his shoulder and the man with a furred pelt on his shoulders, which made Raven think he was more likely a mercenary paid to give them more strength than the speed the group clearly excelled in, left with most of the younger members. It left Raven with Captain Link, a well armored man who seemed more like a paladin than anything else, a younger man with a white cape over his shoulders, and then a squire in a multi-colored tunic.

"What are you searching for?" Raven asked, turning and Captain Link walking with him.

"Our main concern is a missing member of our company," the white caped man spoke up. "He's our scholar and went missing  a couple months ago."

"A scholar? I don’t mean to provoke, but are you certain he's survived this long?" Raven asked warily.

"Definitely," the white caped man insisted. "He's the most experienced of all of us, in battle as well."

The captain nodded his agreement slowly, Raven quickly recognized that the question of if their scholar was alive or not was a point of contention.

"We're... We aren't certain. But if he is alive then he is our main concern and second is our mission objective: a group of monsters strengthened by dark magic to the point of them bleeding blackened blood. We are on an extermination mission and first we need to find them."

Raven nodded, thoughtful. He hadn't had any reports of strengthened monsters or monsters with black blood. He swore Link, his descendent Link not this captain, had made a reference to such a thing but that was it. He said as much, leaving Link unmentioned.

"Someone has referenced these monsters?" The squire spoke up, sparking Raven's surprise, but he nodded.

"My, ah..." he had been claiming Link as his own, letting people assume their connection, but to say it outright? He'd have to. "My son, he's traveled a lot and recently observed a training course. He claimed my soldiers wouldn't last a minute against "black bloods" but I'm unsure if that is what you mean."

"Has he fought them?" The captain looked concerned. "These monsters are extremely powerful, my team is specially trained and even then an encounter with them ends in dangerous and sometimes life threatening injuries."

"Link can handle himself well."

The men all stopped in their tracks.

The captain grabbed Raven's arm. "Link?" He repeated. "Your son's name is Link?"

Raven nodded slowly, eyes narrowing. "It is. Why does that matter? It's not an abnormal name, rare and considered cursed by many due to recent history, but not abnormal. You share it."

"Is he a hero?" The captain demanded. "Your son, has he wielded the Master Sword? Or the Triforce of Courage? Was he called to defeat a great evil that he never should've been able to overcome yet against all odds he did?"

Raven felt his blood go cold. A roaring sound in his ears drowned out all reason. All he knew was that these men were looking for Link, and Link had said he wasn't often held in high regard when he hailed from.

His sword was held at the other captain's throat.

"What do you want with him?" He demanded lowly. He saw one of his soldiers see the change and soon enough, more were approaching with arms raised.

"Stay your blade, Sir Raven. We don't mean any harm."

"When you start asking about my boy who nobody should even know about, much less the fact that he's the hero, I'll decide whether or not you mean to hurt him."

They stood off, not a word was spoken nor a blade was moved. Then an alarm echoed through the town as a scout ran toward them.

"Captain! Monsters approaching the front gate! We count three dozen at minimum, sir!"

A Labrynese curse escaped him. 

"Take them to the cell block!" He ordered and glared at the men in front of him. "And you'll stay there until these monsters you've brought are gone."

"We can help!" They argued, but Raven's men dragged them toward the prison. Raven turned his head toward the front gate and the closing doors.

Legend ran into a squad of soldiers along the way to Castle Town, he wanted to run except one recognized him.

"Hey! You’re Cap'n Raven's kid," they said, grinning. Legend was not used to that response. "What are you doing out here?"

Legend grit his teeth. "He forgot some things back home and Miss Marley sent me to bring them to him," he explained.

"Ah, you can join us," the soldier told him. "You ain't as young as you look, are ya? All that talk the other day, you’re a knight?"

Against his will, yes. "I was knighted when I was twelve," he confirmed. "I'm seventeen now."

"Damn," one of them whistled. "Knighted? Fully?"

"By the Queen herself."

Another whistled loudly and several gave him their congratulations.

"What rank are you, if you don't mind me asking?" The man who had instigated the conversation asked.

Legend sighed softly. "Technically, I'm little more than a bodyguard to the Queen. Officially, I'm the Commander of the Queen's Royal Guard."

Fable had given him the position while he served as her personal guard between his return from overseas and Yuga's assault. She had insisted on it and he actually filled the position fairly well when the knights actually listened to him.

"Holy shit," one of the knights gasped.

"A commander? At seventeen?"

Legend shrugged. He decided not to admit he had been fifteen at the time.

"Golden Three, the Queen employing one of them?" He heard one of the quieter ones grumble. "A direct descendent?"

He looked over. "What do you mean?"

The squadron went a bit quiet.

"You... You do know your family history, right?" The first knight asked. Legend frowned.

"I'm afraid I don't know of anything that would lead the Queen to not employ any of my blood. Enlighten me?"

Looks were shared.

"If Captain Raven hasn't--"

"Do I need to make it an order? What family history."

They were clearly uncomfortable, but Legend refused to be confused or left in the dark. He hated it. Knowledge was the one thing he had currently.

"Sorry sir," a second knight stepped up, "we meant no disrespect. It's simply--We didn't wish to undermine Sir Raven, but you do outrank him so..." the knight seemed a tad wary. "See, just over fifty years ago, fifty-five now I believe?"

Another knight nodded and another muttered a confirmation.

"Yes, 55 years ago, the Fallen Hero died. You know of him, of course?" Legend nodded. "Well, though he died during his stand against the Dark Beast, it is well known to us from Castle Town to Kakariko that he was sweet on this lady from a ranch not all that far from here."

Yeah, Malon, Legend knew this...

"He had a kid with her," another spoke up. "That kid was Sir Raven's mother."

Legend's blood ran cold.

"His... His grandfather then..."

"Was the Fallen Hero," they confirmed. "You're the direct descendent of the man who many regard to have singlehandedly caused the complete upheaval and destruction of Hyrule's way of life, and nearly completely destroyed her as a whole."

That meant... That meant Time was his ancestor. 

"I'm sorry for you to have found out this way, ki-- sir," one of them said but it was beyond a rushing roar in his mind. "Sir Raven must have kept it from you for a reason."

Legend stared at the ground, then he heard and felt something. His head snapped up.

"K-- Sir?"

"Castle Town is under attack," he breathed.

"What?" The soldier prodded him.

He shoved the shock of Raven's lie of omission back. "Castle Town is under attack! Are you knights or what? Let's go!"

He heard several yelps and cries of shock, but they were pretty quick to run after him as he charged ahead. He could hear the alarm bell ringing and the ground shifting from heavy, heavier than Hylian, steps.

A daze hit him, he stumbled as a powerful wave of dizziness ran through him and his hand passed through the strap of his bag.

"Sir! What--"

"Keep moving," he snapped at the knight.

He had felt that dizziness before, he had become not quite here before. Only once, but he hadn't ever really forgotten that.

Raven was going to die. Unless Legend intervened, unless someone outside of this time stepped in, Raven would die and so would Legend.

The bell ringing grew louder and Legend could see a whole horde of monsters.

"Stick together!" He ordered over his shoulder at the knights running with him. "Pair off and keep each other's backs covered! Focus on protecting the people, leave the monsters to me!"

"Wha--Yes sir!"

He saw a fallen soldier and their sword left to the wayside. It was no detour to snatch it up, even if it took a stubborn focus to wield it in his current condition.

He ran into battle, as usual. His blade sank into a monster with too much resistance and he slid back, black staining the blade in his hand.

Oh, even  better.

"We aren't staying, right?"

Twilight scoffed. "Of course not."

The guards left them in cells, but the moment they did, the Rancher moved forward and broke his cell bars . Warriors whistled lowly.

"Not bad."

"I'd like to see you do better," he retorted. "Let's hurry up, we can't leave these people to fight those monsters alone."

"I can't believe there's another hero," Wind said, retrieving his stuff. "It's nice that his Dad's protective."

"Not great for us," Wild deadpanned, hooking his slate back onto his hip. "How likely is it that we'll be seeing black bloods?"

"High," Time said. "Let's go."

Sky drew Fi and followed after them. She had grown closer to dormancy since their veteran... went missing.

He didn't know if he could be optimistic anymore, obviously Legend was a powerhouse in his own right, not like Twilight and his brute strength, or Warriors and his ability to command a battlefield, or Wild and his tenacity, or Hyrule and his magical prowess, or even Sky himself and his swordsmanship. But their veteran was strong and he had accomplished the most among them.

Sky had to trust he has been able to handle himself. He had to, or else he may lose what meager control he had over the storm inside.

Their items retrieved, they ran back out to the front gates of the town.

Warriors could hear someone yelling orders over the din of the battle. He could see the soldiers holding a line between the front gate and the town, but there were monsters breaking past. Wind was fastest, slamming into a breaching moblin, and Time was right behind the sailor.

Warriors moved his attention onward. Wind and Time could handle themselves, they always could after all. He ran up the steps to the top of the wall, Wild was behind him.

He had to find the commanding officer. He could hear someone yelling and telling soldiers to close ranks, block the gates, and keep the people away from the fight.

"Where's your commander?" He questioned an archer.

"Someone mentioned that the commander of the Queen's guard is on the battlefield, sir! I haven't seen him yet, sir."

Of course, it was one of the highest-ranking officers in Castle Town. The Raven guy was nowhere to be seen either.

An explosion of flames went off near the front gates. "Close ranks!" Someone too young to be yelling orders was the one to yell them. "Push them back!"

Another explosion had more knights rushing to fill the gap left by the burnt monsters. There was a blur of red, disappearing in flickers of green and white, enveloped in blue on occasion, but Warriors never got a good look at the monster killing machine on the battlefield. He was a bit distracted by the fact that whoever was giving orders sounded almost familiar.

"Take them down, Champion!" Warriors ordered. Wild already taking out his bow and notched three arrows. Warriors leapt over the wall and threw himself into the chaos.

It was the war all over, gold followed his blade as he took to his more culling stances and slashes.

Slowly but surely, they began to clear out some of the monsters to the point of retreat.

"Sir!" An unknown voice cried. "They're retreating!"

"I noticed," the voice that had been yelling was suddenly too familiar now that it was at a normal level and he could finally place it. "Get the wounded to the medics or infirmaries. Fix the gates and walls as quick as possible and make sure no civilians are injured. If there's a second wave then we have to be ready."

Warriors whipped around.

"Veteran?!" Hyrule cried.

Hyrule had seen him first, but Warriors spotted him a beat later.

Legend was there. He was there and alive. He also looked almost nothing like their veteran. His long hair was chopped unnaturally short, he didn't have his blue cap they all teased him for, he wore a green cloak over his shoulders but when he turned Warriors could see a red over white short dress and plain brown leather boots. He held a soldier's broadsword that was soaked in various shades of blood, black and red and purple alike.

"Traveler!"

They ran at each other, Hyrule all but leaping to grab him.

Hyrule, who claimed he found Legend, who saw him, but the portal stopped him from reaching him. He had insisted he'd seen him, most of of them worried he had lost himself to grief a bit. He had been in hysterics after all, completely unconsolable and insistent that Legend--who had been missing for a month at the time--had been right in front of him, covered in blood, but alive.

The traveler hero clung to Legend, clearly searching him for any sign of injury.

"You’re okay! You’re alive!" Hyrule's hands fluttered over the other hero but never letting go of him.

"I'm alright--It's okay, breathe, traveler. I'm right here," Legend soothed. "Is everyone else okay? Are they--"

"APPLE!"

A blur of blue slammed into Legend. Warriors almost wanted to laugh as the veteran staggered back and fell back onto the ground, Hyrule falling with them.

At Wind's cry, Warriors could see Twilight's head whirl around, probably giving the Rancher severe whiplash.

He always forgot the three of them had met before. It had been three months after each of their first adventure, so a while ago for Twilight, not so long ago for Wind, and years ago for Legend.

"You’re alright!"

"Yeah--Okay, get off. Really--I'm glad to see you but I need to find someone."

Warriors noticed that Legend's hand passed through Wind's arm. Wind and Hyrule noticed too, Twilight and Wild were running over.

"Vet..." Wind croaked, eyes going wide at his arm where Legend failed to fully touch him.

"I'm fine," Legend insisted. "I promise. I just--I need a fairy and a potion, tell me one of you--"

Hyrule was shoving two potions into his hand and Legend muttered some thanks before running off. The other heroes pursued immediately .

"Raven!" Legend yelled, his head whipping side to side as he searched and his eyes landed on a knight running their direction. "Soldier!" The knight snapped to attention, nearly tripping over himself to do so. "Where is Captain Raven?"

"He's in bad condition, sir," they yelped. "They're taking him to the medics but--"

"Show me."

Warriors glanced at Time, who looked a bit pale.

"Sprite?"

"He looked bad," Time said quietly, "that captain, I don’t think he'll survive."

Legend must've heard him because he looked over his shoulder at them, and Warriors hadn't ever seen him so... blazing. "I still have a chance."

Warriors didn't know what that meant, but he followed. The heroes all exchanged potions, quietly and quickly checking one another over while trying to stay close to their veteran who was alive .

Legend's cape rippled and Warriors wasn't sure about it. He seemed almost regal with how he moved and commanded the attention of these soldiers, demanding Raven's location and getting it.

They called him sir. That was... odd.

They found the right room and Legend rushed over to Raven's side, the captain's eyes were shut and the medic spoke first.

"I'm sorry, kid. He isn't--"

"I still have a chance," Legend repeated insistently. He released the fairy Hyrule gave him and she was quick to soak the man in her healing magic.

Warriors saw Raven gasp, eyes fluttering open. Legend rushed with the potion, coaxing Raven to sit up and drink it.

The heroes stayed out of the way, but Hyrule refused to let Legend out of arms reach, and Wind and Sky were both close by too. Twilight hung back surprisingly, but Warriors was too. They just watched on worriedly.

When Raven slumped back, breathing visibly steadying, Legend dropped his head against the knight's chest and relaxed.

"Oh thank the goddesses," Legend breathed. "Don't do that!"

The veteran sounded close to tears.

Raven settled a hand in Legend's hair, his face soft. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"You nearly died!" He snapped. "You would've died if I wasn't here--again!"

"I know."

"You have a wife now, and at the rate we're going with this, you'll have a kid next time. You can't--You can't keep needing a time traveler to ensure your survival."

Warriors was a bit concerned, he thought that this Raven was the father of the current hero, but this world also wasn't any they'd been to before to his knowledge, but Legend definitely knew this guy...

Was this Legend's father? They certainly had the dynamic, though Legend never mentioned family aside from an uncle.

"I'll do my best, but I only need a time traveler when one shows up," Raven said with a teasing lilt to his voice. "I'm assuming our audience are actually friends of yours?"

Legend pulled away fully. He settled on the edge of Raven's bed, looking over at the heroes. "Yeah, they're the other heroes I told you about."

"I see." Raven looked at Warriors. "I apologize for throwing you all in jail, nobody here knows Link is the hero, none of them know there is ever a hero in this time even if only every now and then, I was worried."

"It's alright," Warriors said, before Legend could question what had happened. "I get it. I've had similar experiences, there was a time when if anyone ever asked for a young hero and I didn't know them, I would've killed them on the spot."

A few heads turned toward him, but only Time's angled knowingly.

"I imagine they must have meant a lot to you," Raven said.

Warriors thought of two kids, one only a couple of years younger than he had been and another much younger than them both. They were both kids, one had been nine or ten... or even more, and the other was sixteen. How the older of the two had immediately adopted the younger and then latched right onto Warriors himself.

"Yeah, they do," Warriors confirmed.

Raven seemed to come to some kind of decision as he ruffled Legend's hair. "You got some good friends here, kid. Go catch up with them, I'll be fine here. Worst comes to worst, you'll head out and I'll watch over you."

Legend glanced between them, there was something indecipherable on the younger hero's face, but he nodded.

"Alright," he said. "Get some rest, old man. I'll see you when it's all over."

"Best be a long time now."

"Considering my track record, it will be."

Legend got off the bed and Warriors ushered the other heroes out and out of the way. They left Raven alone and Legend waved them to follow him.

Legend took the other heroes to Raven's office. Once they were all inside and he shut the door, he slumped against the nearest wall and shoved his hands through his hair. A heavy sigh escaped him, his whole body shuddering with it.

Sky came closer. "Vet? You alright?"

"Sorry, I just--Fading sucks ."

"Fading?" Wind frowned.

Legend hummed. He pushed his hair back as he raised his head before he let his hands fall. "Yeah, sorry. Raven's... Raven is my ancestor, some 400 years before my era, he's... It happened before, during my fourth quest. He was going to be executed, and I... Well, he was going to die, and if he died, so did I."

He heard the sharp inhales and saw most of them pale drastically.

He laughed. "Yeah. That's--That's how I knew he could still survive. I... I was still here, so I could still save him." 

There was a long pause, just everyone a bit surprised and shaken and he wasn't surprised by that. Either way, he flashed them a grin, adjusting his stance against the wall to be a casual lean and not the exhausted slump it was.

"So, what'd I miss?"

"What'd--Why did you disappear is a better question!" Wind screeched. "What happened?! Where'd you go?! What's with the haircut and new get-up?!"

Legend winced. "Ah... Well, it's a long story and I don't want to get into it?"

The deadpan looks from everyone in the room had him groaning.

"Fine! Fine--I might've gotten arrested."

"You what?!"

"Twice."

" What ?!"

"I only deserved it once though."

"That's one too many!" Four exclaimed.

"Funny you're the one to say that," Legend said awkwardly.

Four stared at him, and then his mouth dropped. "Do not tell me you committed a crime in my era."

"I generally prefer not to lie but okay: I didn't commit a crime in your era."

They all stared at him.

"Just--" Sky intervened. "Explain from the beginning?"

He didn't even want to think of the beginning. So he just... ignored the part he didn't want to say.

"I got arrested in my era because the knights there are still partially effected by a mind-altering spell that had them controlled by Agahnim, the evil mage that revived Ganon the first time around," Legend sighed. "They think I kidnapped my Zelda, I didn't, I run from them, they chase, they try to capture me and usually fail. Nine times out of ten, I'm fine."

"And that one?"

"Only happens when I'm compromised," Legend finished for Twilight. "And... I think... I swear I told someone but frankly, I can't remember anymore, I did have a concussion at the time. Mild, would've gone away with sleep and if it didn't we were in town and I'd have gotten a potion."

They seemed to agree with his logic, Hyrule speaking up and saying he had known.

"Yep. So--But a guard caught me and I was arrested. I didn't manage to escape before the shift but I've managed since... for the most part."

"Last time I saw you, you were covered in blood," Hyrule said bluntly.

Legend snorted, he grinned at his successor. "I promise you, most of that blood was mine."

Hyrule's eyes widened. "Vet you were soaked!"

He just grinned and shrugged. "Anyways, yeah. From then it was just trying to survive."

"And you look awful right now because...?" Wind questioned, eyes narrowed. "You look skeletal, Veteran."

"Eh, I caught a cold a couple weeks ago and still feeling the effects. It's fine. Plus food isn't easy to find in most of your eras without stealing."

Four suddenly paled. "That's--You stole food in my era?"

Legend didn't fail to notice how the older four's faces shifted to something guarded. He nodded to the smithy. "Yep. I owe Mister Carp two rupees for an apple, Missus Miller four for a loaf of bread, and then Missus Shepherd forty for this wool cloak I snagged--oh, and another two to Carp for the jerky."

He hated the pity.

"And the hair?" Wind asked tentatively.

Legend hesitated. He tested his length, and it only came down to his chin in the front and the middle of his neck in the back. He grimaced a bit.

"I... I had it cut, that's all."

He liked his hair long, he liked being able to tie it up, he liked being able to sit on the dirt path in Kakariko and let the kids play with it, and he liked to let Zelda test hairstyles on him. Dusk had to cut it short to even it out from the abuse he had taken from the guards of his own time.

"Why?"

"I don’t want to talk about it."

Twilight sighed. "Veteran--"

"I said I don’t want to talk about it," he snapped, shooting a glare at Twilight. "I'm not saying any more. I'm done. That's it."

Something apparently must've shown on his face or in his voice because all of them suddenly looked extremely concerned.

"Vet..." Sky was still close to him and he grabbed Legend's hand, startling the veteran. "What happened to you?"

Something shot through him and he thought he'd break, but he managed to grit his teeth and jerk away. "Nothing happened , Chosen. Leave it."

Thankfully, they did, but Legend didn't dare believe that was the end of it.

Legend had led them to the farm, Raven insistent on returning to Marley before he began his medically required rest. They arrived there and Legend noticed Time falter a bit, he ignored it, seeing Marley at the fence with her garden that'll one day be overflowing with tomatoes and other vegetables.

"We're back Miss Marley!" Legend called, waving a hand.

She looked up and a clear expression of relief hit her.

Legend turned to the heroes as Raven and Marley hugged. "There isn't enough room in the house for half of us, but the area is normally very safe. It shouldn't take long to go back to town though, if you'd rather stay in an--"

The familiar woosh and following tug was the tell-tale sign of a portal, formed just outside the front property line. There was no fence or gate, but in Legend's era, there was both, though they never did have a sign... Lon Lon Ranch had a sign, now that Legend thought about it, but otherwise, its fence was the same... He hadn't noticed that before.

"Don't even matter, vet," Twilight sighed. Legend decided not to draw attention to Hyrule latching onto his arm, or Sky shifting a bit closer to them both.

"Link, what's that?" Raven asked.

"Our ride. Time travel, remember?" Legend smiled at him. "I'll probably not see you again?"

"Best not to hope for it, you need a break, kid."

"I'm fine, adventures are fun."

"That's not what I meant."

He rolled his eyes, grinning. "Too bad. Bye Miss Marley, take care of that idiot."

"Bye Link, take care of yourself. And bye to your friends too," Marley called back to him.

"Bye, ma'am!"

"Buh bye!"

"Nice t'meet ya, miss!"

"See ya, Cap'n Raven, sir!"

"Til next time!"

Various other calls of farewell went off and Hyrule and Sky all but held Legend's hand through the portal. Legend decided last second to pull away and he dodged around Twilight and Wild, who were at the back of the group, to hug his ancestor.

Raven chuckled softly. "I was waiting for that. You be safe, Link."

Legend grinned at him as he pulled away. "Ah, you know I can't promise that. I'll be careful though."

"I s'pose that's all I can ask for. Goodbye, Link."

"Bye, Raven-- Oh, by the way, your men think I'm a commander so they told about your grandpa." Raven froze. "I hope you don't blame him too much like they do," he said as he moved away. "This hero business isn't exactly easy."

Raven glanced at the heroes behind Legend, who had all stopped when Legend slipped out of the procession. The pull of the portal grew, but it was restrained, like a gentle reminder rather than a harsh demand.

"Yes... I'm actually rather surprised you didn't already know."

"Eh, I've been learning a lot about my heritage on these adventures, you and yours included. Anyways--Bye!"

"Bye, Link."

Legend grabbed Hyrule's hand again and was the first through the portal, the other heroes following soon after.

Chapter Text

Things eventually got back to normal.

The next era after a pair of heroless ones was Wind's, which Legend found much more enjoyable when he wasn't struggling to meet basic survival requirements like food, fresh water, and warmth. Even the sailing, though he hated it and his nerves were shot the whole time, was better than sitting on a flooding island as it stormed.

Four's era came after and Legend managed to pay back the people he stole from without being noticed by guards. He did keep the cloak, he liked it.

They were approached by guards though.

"Ey! Link! Welcome back!" One said, offering a high five to the Smithy. "Finally off medic leave?"

Remembering what the one medic said, Legend scowled.

Four clearly had his own reservations but complied with the high five. "I'm not on leave, Thomas, I resigned. Full time blacksmithing, remember?"

"Yeah, right," they waved a hand dismissively. "If you're looking for the captain, last I heard he took a patrol out for just outside of town."

"Thanks. Anyways I need to go, so..."

"Yeah, yeah," they said dismissively and gave a sort of condescending farewell.

Four's shoulders slumped and he looked over his shoulder at them. "Sorry about that, they umm... Most people here don’t fully believe me about the content of my adventures nor their aftereffects."

Legend glared in the direction the soldier went. "I noticed."

The other heroes had similar glares or winces of sympathy, Hyrule's magic felt a bit more volatile, and Wild's hand was twitching toward his slate.

It hit a bit close to home. He had his fair share of non-believers when he was young. Most everyone unaffected by mental magics believed him by the time he killed Ganon the fourth time, but...

"It's alright," Sky promised. "Where to?"

"The market. Hyrule Town has everything and we can restock. I'll go ask the captain about monster reports," Four said, and Legend caught his eye.

"I'll tag with you."

A few other pairs were made and Legend followed Four to the guard station he had run from last time.

"What happened last time you were here?" Four asked, eyes glinting lavender as they walked.

"I got caught for stealing some bread, and a guy I heard someone call Captain Smith caught me. I escaped again, ran into monsters, and almost passed out if not for adrenaline keeping me awake. Then I threatened that captain and more specifically the medic who helped me."

Four frowned. "Why?"

"Because he called you guys insane."

The smithy flinched, looking away. "They... What did you say?"

"I said that you guys are real, sane, and they need to pay you the respect you deserve after sacrificing your childhood for their safety."

Four looked up at him, the myriad of colors in his eyes fading behind a film of scarlet.

"You keep saying "you guys" and other plural forms of address... Why?"

Legend gave a wry smirk at the hero who came centuries before him. "In my era, the Heroes of the Four Sword are known and they're known well. Your stories... The stories of your adventures helped me through my first one, I know time and embellishment or censorship may have altered the truth of them, but every legend I ever read agreed on one thing and it is that you are hero es ."

Four was silent. They had stopped walking at some point and he was staring at Legend with wide, glassy, iridescent eyes.

"We... We're known?"

Legend didn't miss the strain in his voice. He made a note to make sure all of his companions were aware of the stories told about them, at least the ones who he knew came before him.

"You are. Not that well known, I'll admit, I had to dive pretty deep into our history, and frankly, all the legends about you are written in my ancient Hylian, which almost nobody knows anymore. The Sheikah have very little on you too, so I had a roadblock there, but..." Legend shrugged. "I... I needed to find proof that my quest wasn't hopeless, and finding your story gave me an assurance that I could win and survive."

Four nodded, clearly thrown off balance. He gave Legend a wobbly smile.

"Thank you, vet. For telling me. I... I needed to hear that."

"Anytime... Now let's go see if your dad has any information for us."

Four made an agreeable noise, Legend almost missed when he wiped his face and he definitely didn't notice whatever had been wiped, but he saw the end of the movement right as Four continued ahead.

He followed after. They entered the guard station, the guards greeting Four familiarly.

"Link! You must be back to yourself then if you're..." a familiar voice trailed off, making a strained noise.

Four made a face before he looked at the medic whom Legend gave a sharp grin.

"What do you want, Johnson?" Four asked, voice carefully neutral.

The medic squawked. "Nothing! Sorry! Uhh, thanks for all your hard work, Link!"

He scrambled off. Four made a confused face while Legend snorted.

The bell visibly went off in the smithy's head and he whipped around to give Legend an incredulous look. "What was that?"

Legend grinned, watching the medic dart away. "That would be the medic I threatened."

"You--" he sighed heavily, an azure sheen settling over storm cloud gray. "Goddesses, if this is the shit you pulled here, I can't wait to see what happened in the other eras."

"Eh, I was sick in the Sailor's and whoever's came after his. For the others I just kinda ran and killed things. Like a normal adventure."

"I really don’t believe that."

When Four's father showed up, they actually already got the information they needed from a lieutenant who knew Four and had been more than happy to provide the information.

As they exited the station, Four stopped in his tracks and Legend looked to where his pale, slightly panicked eyes were looking at and his own narrowed.

"Smithy?" Legend lightly tapped his foot against the other's ankle.

Four shook his head. "S'fine. I got it." He moved forward and the knight noticed them. "Hey, Dad."

"Link, what're you doing here?"  Smith Senior sounded a bit confused, a bit worried, and Legend didn't miss the unsure glances sent his way, but ultimately he sounded blunt and detached. Legend reminded himself that he had his sword now, he had his pegasus boots, and his body wasn't drained and exhausted. He could take just about anything as he was currently.

"Passing through. Some friends and I are taking up mercenary jobs to handle problems the army can't really do thanks to bureaucracy or manpower," Four said, voice detached and cold, as blunt as he had been when the group first met him only without that cerulean sharpness.

"I see... Interesting choice of friends," Smith Senior said with a glance at Legend.

"He's weird," Four dismissed.

Legend shrugged. "I travel more and further than you think, time has never been a limitation."

Smith Senior made an odd face and with how increasingly annoyed he seemed, Legend could see the family resemblance. Oddly though, this man was not the same as the one he'd met last time. He was... colder, and less understanding.

"Yes, well... We have to go. I'll see you around," Four said, grabbing Legend's arm and dragging him on.

Legend glanced over his shoulder and met the knight's eyes. His own narrowed, considering.

The man he met before had seemed to actually care for his son, though he clearly had struggled to understand him and didn't wholeheartedly defend him... however, this man that Four was dragging Legend away from, was cold and at the very least acted as though Four wasn't good enough.

He didn't get it.

Chapter Text

The next era was a pleasant surprise. Time's Lon Lon Ranch was there the moment they stepped through the portal.

He decided not to think about the connotations of that and just pulled his hand from Hyrule's. He stayed quiet as he stuck with them. He was looking around the ranch, noting that it was, in fact, the same layout as his grandparents' farm, if one put a few gardens and crop fields around, it was the same. But Lon Lon was a ranch, while his grandparents' place was a farm.

Legend wanted to go home. He wanted his attic bed, the starlight window; he wanted to wake up just before the warm colors of dawn and do the morning chores before his grandparents even woke up. He hadn't been home properly in... since just after Lorule and that whole chaos.

He wanted some time to breathe, relax, and come to terms with what had happened--which was apparently months ago--enough that the mere thought of confronting those shoved-back memories didn't fill him with fear and panic.

They stayed at the ranch, but Legend found himself never quite alone, much to his increasing annoyance. He'd understood it before, but Lon Lon was a confirmed safe place and it's not like they hadn't made it through multiple portals unseparated.

He understood, really, he did. But honestly it was getting infuriating with how closely they clung to him.

It was only through sheer willpower he didn't snap by the time the next portal came.

They arrived on the other side and he knew exactly where they were the moment he inhaled. The familiar magic filled his lungs and the forests around them murmured its welcome.

"Ugh, where--"

"Mine."

Heads turned toward him. Legend turned his gaze to the eastern, darkening sky, eyes narrowing. 

"My era. Keep up."

"Whoa, it's almost dark," Warriors protested. "This place doesn't seem too bad to camp--"

"It's been roughly three months since we were last here, assuming time has progressed at the same rate, that is three months' worth of black market activity at best and actual usage at worst."

"What do you mean?" Wild asked, keeping pace with him.

"I have these medallions and I had them on me when I got arrested," he explained. "With enough magic, you could completely remap Hyrule via earthquakes, bomb Hyrule castle, or freeze the entire region with any one of those medallions. Very simply, I cannot waste any time with those missing. Make camp if you want, I've survived this long on my own."

Twilight picked Four up, he was struggling to try and keep up. Warriors did the same with Wind, while the rest just seemed to steel themselves and followed.

Legend appreciated that.

He tied his Pegasus bracelet around his wrist, praying to Farore to give him courage and not let him break down if he had to search anyplace remotely prison-looking.

The town was only a couple kilometers to the east. Legend all but stormed his way in, several townsfolk startled and when they saw Legend he heard some rather sharp inhales.

"Oh Lady Farore," one of them hissed. "Link's pissed. Git!" They ushered the others away fast.

In any other situation, if Legend wasn't quickly trying to weave a net of perceived safety around his fraying emotions, he would've found their reactions amusing and a bit concerning. However, he was too preoccupied this time around.

Din's Fire laced up his hand, causing a couple of his companions to yelp as he threw it at the guard station door.

It exploded open.

His power bracelets activating, Legend entered first and grabbed a guard scrambling to draw their blade by the throat and threw them at the next nearest. He pointed his sword at them.

"Very simply," he began, the smoke beginning to clear and the other heroes filing in, "give me my stuff back and I'll spare your lives."

The fear in their eyes was gratifying, but they clearly had too much of it as their words were scrambled and incoherent and eventually just became begging.

"We'll look around," Wild told him. "I think the commander's office might be your best bet for now."

Legend nodded his agreement. "Alright--Don’t bother with the cell block. It won't be worth it."

Sky followed him as he made his way to the office.

He found more knights who saw him and did one of two things: attacked him and were promptly beaten by him or Sky, or they spluttered and ran. The latter ones would get caught by Sky's whip and dragged back, but they never had information.

Legend tested the door to find that it was locked. Before he burned it, Sky stopped him and kicked it open.

Legend was a bit surprised. Sky never struck him as particularly strong, but in comparison to Twilight and Four he figured none of them were "particularly strong."

"So," Legend said as the commander whom Legend remembered vividly scrambled for his blade only to freeze when Legend's own was held to his neck , "last time I was here you took something of mine. A couple necklaces." He pressed his blade against Commander Mason's throat. "I want them back. And I'm not scared of showing you exactly how I have been able to kill Ganon four times over to do so."

The commander looked terrified. "A-Anything we took is in the prisoner's belongings down at the back of their holding cell block! B-Block C! I swear we haven't sold any of it yet!"

Legend wanted to kill him. The fear and pain that bubbled beneath his skin, the slightest tremble of his stance and arm that showed his fear, even if it was near imperceptible. This commander had been there every time, had laughed at him, had taunted him, had hurt him...

Legend forced out a shaky breath and he lowered his sword, glaring at the commander. "Do not take my mercy for weakness, Commander. I have killed far more dangerous beings than you."

He turned his back.

"Let's go, Chosen."

Sky followed him. Legend felt increasingly unsteady. Things were crawling under his skin, ice and fire fought for territory between the bugs that squirmed through his veins. Every new scar, every phantom pain, every last memory of those days were resurfacing fast and he was struggling to keep his breathing steady or even deep enough that he wouldn't pass out .

The cell block wasn't empty, Block C's door was open and Legend felt the pit in his stomach grow. He could smell something wretched even from here.

" Oh , what is that smell," Sky groaned.

He had an awful feeling. Down the hall, he could see Warriors standing in front of one of the last cells.

Oh goddesses, please no .

"Captain!" Sky called. "What're you staring at there?"

Warriors looked over, his face pale and expression stricken.

"Veteran..."

Legend swallowed back everything bubbling up as he marched past. "I told you to leave the cell blocks alone," he managed, voice strained. He reached the back cabinet.

"There's so much blood," another voice croaked. Twilight's voice.

Legend closed his eyes, squeezing them shut. He heard Sky make a strangled noise.

"Oh sweet Lady Hylia," Sky breathed. "Oh, golden three--Vet please tell me it's not--"

"Found them." He interrupted, taking the medallions from a box and his Pegasus Boots from a lower shelf. He put the latter on and shoved the former into his pouch, fully intending to walk past them and just move on .

Warriors caught his arm. "Link," he began, and Legend honest to goddesses flinched .

It was his voice, it was this place, it was the fact that Warriors was a knight and Legend knew that. It was the wretched stench of burnt and rotted flesh, vomit, and various other human excesses. It was the table with a thousand different torture devices sitting on top of it that Legend remembered intimately.

Warriors' voice faded briefly, his grip loosening and Legend jerked his arm from him.

"I said leave it, Captain," he said, ripping the emotions from his voice just to hide them, keeping his head down and his chopped hair blocking their view of his face. "It doesn't matter."

He moved fast enough that they couldn't stop him, calling out for him to wait and to just tell them what had happened.

Legend kept going.

Out in the hallway, the three other heroes following after, he saw another soldier--he knew that face, not their name but that face --who drew their weapon upon seeing him. 

Legend acted on instinct, the final straw holding him together snapping.

Farore's Wind took him outside and he was running. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't see, all he knew was that he wasn't going back .

He was in the forest. It was dark and he was in a forest. Guards wouldn't find him, it was too late, they didn't keep moving this late at night. They made camp and as long as he avoided the light he was safe.

He stumbled, leaning against a tree and trying not to vomit, trying not to scream. He slumped down, curling into a ball in the cradling roots of the trees, and choked out a shaky sob.

Images burned through his mind like wildfire. The cat o' nine tails, the welding metal, the waterboarding, the poison, that jagged, three-sided knife, all of it .

He had been helpless, completely and utterly helpless.

A branch snapped and Legend froze up, going completely silent.

Farore's child?

A fawn stepped toward him, its mother just behind it.

You’re hurt, the mother nuzzled his head gently. Fearful. Are you being hunted, Hero?

Legend swallowed the lump in his throat and shook his head. "No, no--Sorry, I-I'm just--Some people hurt me and I'm not okay in my head because of it."

The fawn nudged his arm and then settled against his side. That's okay. We can help.

The mother seemed to agree. We have missed you, Hero. More will come, your presence is safe.

He nodded shakily. He was fine with that. Honestly, he was tempted to call one of his animal friends, but he didn't want to bother them this late at night.

In time, his sobs grew quiet and calm and by then, a bear had joined them, as well as several squirrels and chipmunks and a fox adolescent.

He heard the padding of more paws and when he looked up he saw a wolf.

No . No no no--

The mother bear growled, drawing to her feet. The fox yipped and snarled too, jumping up between the wolf and Legend.

Stay away! The fox snarled. The Lady's Child doesn't like hounds!

Keep your distance, canine, rumbled the bear.

The wolf made a growling noise, no actual response, and Legend bolted. The deer kept pace with him, and at the mother deer's urging he jumped onto her back.

The forest rushed beside him until the doe came to a stop and he was stumbling to lean against another tree, gasping.

Gnashing white teeth, loud snarling, howls, sniffing--

He hated dogs.

Legend shuddered, letting out shaky gasps and digging the heels of his palms into his eyes.

Link? He raised his head and he recognized the squirrel that prodded him. Connie, a sweet squirrel that had ridden on his shoulder during a whole trek from one village to another. What do you need from us?

He shook his head. "Nothing, I'm sorry to bother you all, I just--I need some time away from other people. I need to breathe for a bit."

Okay. We'll keep the people away! Connie promised him.

Legend smiled softly and he dropped his head to his knees. The deer crowded against him again, now joined by a bobcat in his lap and a bird in his hair.

He let himself relax, finally breathing steadily.

He was fine. He was fine. He had escaped a while ago, and he was fine . Yes, he had been tortured, yes he should have been killed, it wasn't the first time. He was fine.

He was fine.

Dawn came and with it, Legend saw something approaching.

The wolf was back, but it transformed and he realized it wasn't a wolf.

It was Wolfie.

Twilight, now Hylian, knelt on the edge of the small area Legend and his forest friends had occupied. He met Legend's eyes but said nothing, didn't make a move.

The animals murmured, but none moved either.

Legend nudged the bobcat that looked ready to pounce Twilight.

"It's alright," he said, his voice worn and hoarse. "He's okay... Thank you."

The animals were reluctant, but they cleared away and Twilight took that as approval to approach. He didn't come much closer though.

"Vet?" He prompted. "Can I get closer t'you?"

Legend stared at him, the words felt wrong and just unnatural, but he felt far too fragile to not appreciate them. He gave a small nod and Twilight finally moved into his space.

"Can I touch you?" The rancher asked next.

Legend immediately shook his head, probably a bit too quickly and frantically.

"That's okay," Twilight assured softly. "Are you okay?"

He was about to say yes, except his voice caught in his throat and he ended up slumping into himself, letting out a strained whine, and hiding his face against his knees.

Twilight made a shushing sound, soft and soothing. "Hey, hey that's alright. Yer safe now, alright? The forest is protectin' you."

The Lady protects what's hers, the bobcat rumbled, staying stubbornly pressed against Legend's side.

"Everyone's worried," he added. "The Cap'n nearly killed one of them guards there, but Chosen stopped him, said somethin' 'bout you choosin' to spare someone and that we wouldn't'a the right ta kill 'em if you chose ta spare their lives."

He did choose to spare them. He had sworn a long time ago that he wouldn't kill those who were misguided or forced to act the way they did, Octavo had been the origin of that decision and Hilda had been the final straw for it. He would kill those who were those who misguided others, like Agahnim and Yuga.

"They're cursed," he managed to force out. "It's a spell--They don’t--We can't reverse mind-altering spells, we can limit the effects, but... They're only not themselves when I'm around. It's fine."

"S'not fine," Twilight insisted. "Veteran, I saw that cell, I saw those tools. They tortured you, didn't they?"

His throat closed up and Legend couldn't answer. He made another strangled noise and curled in on himself.

" I knew it ," Twilight muttered to himself. Then spoke a bit clearer, "Hey, vet--"

Legend threw himself forward. Twilight startled and slipped back a bit, but he caught Legend as he trembled and hid against his chest.

Twilight didn't move or react, he just froze and Legend almost jerked back as if he'd touched flame as a result except Twilight finally moved. His arms wrapped around him and he shifted his body to block and hide as much of Legend's as he could.

Safe , the wolf rumbled, his arms wrapping around Legend's form and he tried desperately not to cry. It was a vain effort frankly, his body trembling and shaking and tears just flowed freely, but Twilight was right there and against all odds he felt safe. Somehow, in the light of day and slightly more clearheaded, the wolf didn't set off the prey instincts that were an integral part of him, instead a deep-rooted familiarity was there and it had him breaking.

"I gotcha," Twilight whispered. It was only a couple of words, a platitude, an assurance, a promise, and goddesses above, Legend believed him. "Yer safe now, nothings gonna touch ya, not so long as I'm here."

He believed him. He believed the rumbling warmth that encompassed him, the tight arms that held him close, the quiet whispers that brushed his hair. He believed him.

"It's going to be alright. Link--Hey, hey kid." His hands moved to cup his face and Legend choked, a strangled, wounded noise escaping him. "You have t'breathe. It's alright, just take a big breath f'r me, okay?"

He tried. He tried to inhale but it was ripped back out of him as more tears fell. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't--

"Hey, hey it's alright, jus' keep breathin' you’re doin' jus' fine."

He couldn't though. He couldn't--Twilight pulled him back against his chest and he could feel the other's breathing. He tried to match it, but each shuddering inhale was punched out by a sob.

When he finally stopped crying, he felt exhausted. His eyes fluttered shut and he was close to falling asleep, even if the sun only just broke over the horizon.

"Hey, you gotta stay awake," Twilight said softly. "Unless you'll let me carry you."

He hummed softly. "Don't... I don't want to go. Safe here."

Twilight made some odd noise, his arms wrapping tighter around Legend. "I know," he rasped, "but we have a quest, remember? An' everyone's prob'bly worried outta their minds for you."

"You’re too clingy," Legend grumbled, tucking himself closer to the goat herd. "All'a ya. I get it an' all, but you don't have to be so clingy."

Twilight sighed and he felt it. "It's probably insufferable, but we thought you'da died, vet. Now you’re back an' I don’t think ya realize how close to death you look ."

Legend snorted. He pulled away and Twilight let him go a little. The older hero still held onto him but now he was holding his face and wiping away tear streaks.

"Then we saw that..." Twilight trailed off, eyes searching Legend's face. "You’re not okay, Apple. Don’t lie to me."

Legend gave a wobbly, weak smile. "I haven't been okay since the first time we met, Forest. But it's fine," he pulled Twilight's hands down from his face, "I can handle it. I just need time to do so."

"You shouldn't have to. You’re just a kid."

"I'm as old as you were last time."

"I hadn't been doin' this my whole life. Jus'... let us help you, vet. Please."

He sighed, closing his eyes and letting Twilight just hold him up and keep him from collapsing. A shaky breath escaped him before he nodded.

"Okay, alright."

" Thank you ," Twilight murmured, brushing his thumb against one of Legend's new scars. "Thank you for trusting me and for letting me."

He snorted, grinning lazily at him. "Don't thank me, you have to deal with me now."

"I'm pretty sure that's what I was aiming for," Twilight drawled, catching onto the change in tone. "Come on."

Legend yelped as Twilight scooped him up.

"Hey! Put me down!"

"Nope. We're meeting back up with the others an' you’re gonna like it," Twilight decided and it was almost threatening.

"Noooo," he groaned mostly out of dramatics, but he didn't have the energy to try and escape the rancher's hold. He could, easily, in various ways, but he didn't have the motivation to muster the energy required to do so. So instead he just nestled in his arms and turned his face into his chest.

 "Callin' us clingy," Twilight teased. "You’re as bad as m'... my nephew."

Legend grumbled, not verbalizing his immediate thought of: yeah, well, same person different timelines .

Chapter Text

"What happened in there?" Warriors asked, his voice so uncharacteristically soft that Legend just--He didn't know how to respond.

They had found the black blooded monsters on the road from that town to a larger, merchant village (Mabe Village, Hyrule said that it would survive to his era remarkably. Legend did wonder why that village had been the one to appear on Koholint) that would've had the information they'd need.

From there, a portal took them to the usual places of eras between their times.

They got to a local inn, but it only had two rooms with two beds each. As a result, they split into two groups with Time going with the four youngest heroes if Legend was excluded from the list, though none of them actually knew how old he was except for Wind. Either way, that left--and Legend was certain it was on purpose--Sky, Twilight, Warriors, and Legend in the other room.

Legend inhaled slowly, trying not to break down again . "I cannot emphasize how much I really do not want to talk about it."

He knew it was obvious, especially since he felt their eyes on him when he changed not five minutes ago. It didn't help that his current outfit was short sleeved either, and didn't have the really high collar he used to wear. 

He knew his new scars were obvious, but he also knew that they weren't too familiar with his old ones that they shouldn't be able to tell just how many of the new scars were actually new. All they knew was that not a single stretch of skin on his arms and torso was scarless anymore.

"I know," Warriors promised, and Legend wondered why he was the one taking point in this conversation when both Twilight and Sky were harder to look in the eye and deny anything. Warriors, Legend just had the instinct to deny him everything out of pure spite.

Legend realized how wrong he was when Warriors approached, careful and slow, and guided him to sit. Legend just sort of stared, he didn't want to snap at anyone. He really didn't want to be sharp, driving them off was dangerous now. If he drove them off, who could he look to, who could he hope for see, if he ever got captured again? Besides, those almost three months of being separated put into perspective that yeah, he actually cared about them.

So he couldn't snap, he couldn't drive them away during what little time they'd have together. How could he taint such memories when soon enough those memories would he all he had of them?

Warriors had him sit on the bed beside Twilight. Sky was sitting just opposite them.

"I'll make a deal with you," Warriors said gently, "if you just answer three questions for us, a simple yes or no will suffice, we won't bring it up again unless absolutely necessary."

You see, Legend had teased all three of these heroes for being mother hens, for being fussy and worrywart's, he teased them and called them the group's "big brothers" to Time's group "dad" thing, the others even agreed!

This was just unfair. All three of them ganging up on him and even though he thought Warriors would've been the easiest to shut down, the earnestness and sincerity was almost overwhelming, combined with Twilight leaning into his side, warm and grounding, and Sky just being there and offering an encouraging smile.

He didn't break, but he huffed and had to look away and curl in on himself as some kind of measure of defense.

"Fine," he bit out. "Three questions."

"Are you--Is it okay?" Sky spoke up immediately.

He didn't respond for a long moment, debating lying. Finally he just quietly shook his head and muttered, "No."

Warriors squeezed his hands gently and Twilight's arm wrapped around his shoulder. It made the pressure behind his eyes worse but he really tried to ignore it.

"Those tools on the table--"

"Yes."

Warriors' mouth clicked shut and the soft look was briefly replaced by something blazing and violent. Legend flinched into Twilight just as quickly as that look was snuffed out and replaced by something sad.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Twilight asked.

Legend shook his head, not pulling away from how he had curled into him as a result of Warriors' anger. "No. Just-- stay ."

"Of course," Sky promised. "You’re stuck with us, vet. I don’t think the Rancher's going to let you go anytime soon anyways."

He snorted, forcing the amusement out more than anything to just please , get rid of this heavy atmosphere. Stop all this worry and claustrophobic caring .

Warriors cracked a small smile. "I guess we know how the bedding situation's going to be."

"Shut up, you’re just jealous I get the kid," Twilight retorted playfully. Legend startled a bit as the second arm wound around him and pulled him into the warm chest behind him, but he knew who it was so he didn't jump too bad.

Warriors huffed. "As if I'd want to share a bed with him, he kicks ."

"Like a bunny," Sky commented, a grin on his face that had Legend immediately squawking.

"Not if you cuddle him enough," Twilight chimed in and hugged him closer.

Legend felt his face heat up as he tried to escape. "I will kick you right now--let me go."

"Aww, don't be like that, bunny," Sky teased.

"Don’t call me that!"

Sky cackled and Twilight and Warriors both laughed too. Legend squirmed but couldn't escape Twilight's grip without actually trying.

Eventually he just gave up, and about that time conversation shifted to something far more calm and casual.

The older heroes mostly talked between themselves over Legend's head. And older they were, none of them were secretive about their ages. Sky was the youngest of the three at 23 and was six years post his adventure, Twilight came next at 26 and eight years since his last adventure, then Warriors was 28 and ten years in the aftermath of the war. Legend just relaxed into Twilight and let their voices become a white noise as he played with his magic in his hands until he ended up falling asleep first.

The three older heroes knew what had happened in that cell. Twilight had told them that Legend confirmed it was his torture cell, and they had an idea of what tools had been used, and they knew that he wasn't okay in its aftermath.

Thankfully, as promised, none of them said a thing to the others. As far as the younger heroes and Time knew, Legend just lost his cool and ran off into the woods before he exploded the rest of the building like he did the front door.

After a few more unnamed eras, Legend stepped through the portal and was immediately greeted by the familiar magic of his era.

But when he opened his eyes, his blood went cold.

They were on a path just outside Kakariko, but the late afternoon sky was darkened by smoke rather than the setting of the sun. A huge plume of black and darkness filling the air, he turned too slowly, despite getting whiplash from the action.

The billow came from the wrong direction.

Fire should not be burning that high that way. Ever. That kind of fire was a forest fire, a house fire, it was something damaging and dangerous. That was no campfire.

" No ," he breathed.

"Vet? Whe--COLLECTOR WAIT!"

He did not, in fact, wait.

Instead he ran headfirst toward the forest. He ran right where that fire was burning.

Showing up far too late, Legend came up to a large crowd that had already formed. He shoved through, people yelping and beginning to scold him before going silent as they realized who he was.

He reached the front of the crowd and the edge of the property and he stopped.

Oh goddesses, no.

A farmhouse too familiar for his rabbit-fast heart to handle was burning sky high. Deep red and orange marring the oaken walls, staining it black and eating holes through the wood, windows either blocked by flames or burned beyond transparency.

"Link?" Someone called. "Is that--Link, I'm so sorry--"

"Where are they?" He demanded, searching the faces of Kakariko's villagers. "Where--My grandparents, they're not--"

"We hadn't seen them leave, but they may not have been home," one of the ladies--Elizabeth, the wife of the mason-- said.

Legend inhaled sharply. He couldn't lose them--Not them too. Not like this. He couldn't--

He ran toward the burning farmhouse ignoring all the cries for him to wait and stop as if this wasn't his home, as if this wasn't where he grew up and it wasn't where his grandparents may be dying or already be dead at.

He never wanted to return home to this.

The fire had started in the house, it was spreading but the plants were well trimmed and the ground well worn from walking. It did not spread easily to the pasture, but the barn was caught in it. He threw a blast of pure magic at the cucoo coop as he passed it. He saw the pasture empty and hoped to the goddesses that Epona and the cows had ran by now. The fowl were escaping quickly and Legend was about to slam his whole body weight into the burning front door.

Someone grabbed him from behind.

"Vet no! You can't--"

"Let me go!" He fought against their hold.

"It's about to collapse! You'll die!" 

He didn't care. He had to find them. He needed to find them. They were all he had left! They weren't supposed to die like this! They were supposed to grow older, maybe even be there when he finally settled, they were supposed to live to their natural ends! He had to--

The farmhouse that Legend spent half his formative years in collapsed. The burned walls giving in to the weight of the upper floors. It crashed to the ground and whoever grabbed him pulled him close and curled their body around his protectively.

A rush of ash and soot surrounded them, turning the world dark.

The dust settled and the fire still burned, though it was more of a huge bonfire that tried to spread.

Legend shoved Twilight away and grabbed the Ether Medallion.

Winter came early in that moment, an explosion of frost and ice exploding off him and leaving every person untouched but the flames were subdued.

He wanted to collapse, magical precision like that was exhausting, but the muddled voices stopped him. He couldn't break, he couldn't fall and scream and beg the goddesses to just please , let him have someone .

Why did they need to take everyone from him? Why was he doomed to lose them all?

He couldn't. He couldn't break. There were people here and he was still the hero. He had to stay strong, be that damned pillar of strength and courage for the world that was out to break him.

Link?

He turned, looked down, and a little ash covered cucoo was approaching him.

You came back , Piyoko clucked, nudging his leg. I'm glad to see you... I don't know what happened, one moment things were fine then the next the house was burning. Your grandparents had just gone inside for dinner too.

Legend sighed softly. "Gather the others. I'll get you guys to safe farmers."

Piyoko clearly had her own opinion about his response but thankfully didn't push it. She chirped and went toward wherever the other animals had run to. Legend turned to head back to the crowd, his throat trying to close up and his eyes stinging.

It's just the smoke, he told himself.

"Link? Are you..."

"I'll see what animals survived and check on the crops," he told them as calmly as he could, and a few--people who knew him--looked even sadder. "I'd--I would like to see it cleaned, but I don’t have the time do so, though I'd be willing to pay for it to be done. If you’re willing to help out, or willing to take what surviving animals there are, then I'll be here tomorrow morning by dawn."

The heroes looked confused and a bit against that decision, but Legend could care less. Most of the villagers gave him looks of pity, some mixed with concern, others with contempt.

"Everyone should get back home before it gets dark, monsters still roam these parts even if it's rarer than before."

Murmurs seemed to agree with his statements and the townsfolk left, some muttering about how sorry they were for the fates of his grandparents, others promising to be back in the morning. None of them actually referred to them as his grandparents, only calling them by name and telling Legend they were sorry.

Then they were all gone and left the nine heroes in the melting aftermath of the fire.

"Why'd you promise that?" Wild asked with a frown on his face. "We have a job to do, can't the family's next of kin handle this, or maybe the nearest town's mayor--"

"I'm the next of kin."

The following silence was horrible and it further ripped at his chest as he directed his carefully crafted blank look at the champion.

"This was my grandparents farm. Go hunt monsters if you want, I have things to handle right here and that starts with finding the animals that survived while the rubble finishes cooling, that ice is still steaming after all."

This time, nobody stopped him when he turned his back. Twilight and Hyrule both followed him.

Piyoko was on the edge of the survived forest, the fact that none of the surrounding trees were caught in the fire... There were four cucoos, Epona, and a cow. More than Legend expected frankly.

They saw him approach and he knelt down in front of them. Piyoko was quick to press against him and Epona nuzzled his face. Ali, the cow he had won in Labrynna and sent to the farm, drew closer too.

What now, Link?

He let out a steady breath. "Hopefully some of the other farmers around will take you guys in. You guys know as well as I do that I won't be... Rebuilding to stay here."

Epona nudged his head. We know. We'll stay with you, I can keep up.

We'll go, don't worry. It isn't a surprise, Autumn, a russet hen, cooed.

He got a headcount. All the hens intended to go, Piyoko stubbornly insisted on staying with him, and Epona promised she'd follow him too. Ali assured she'd be fine on a new farm.

After that he went and got them all under shelter, he didn't care what the other heroes were doing, he just made sure the shade out by the pasture wasn't about to collapse and then collapsed there with the remaining farm animals.

Twilight and Hyrule had been nearby, but they didn't come too close. Twilight did, eventually, but he just sat beside Legend while Hyrule headed toward the small orange glow over by the nonexistent front gate.

"I'm sorry," Twilight said quietly.

Legend tried desperately to keep himself in check. "It's fine," he managed. "I don't--They're... They were inside when the fire broke out, I-I can't--Why didn't you let me go in?"

There was a chance they were still alive before the building collapsed.

"If you went in, you would've died. It was about to collapse and it did seconds later. If you'd gone inside... I'm sorry about your grandparents."

If he'd gone inside maybe he'd have stopped killing all the people he's cared about.

"Go join the others," he grumbled, wrapping his arms tightly around himself.

"I'm not leaving you alone right now."

"I'm not alone. I have Piyoko, and Epona, Ali, Autumn, Britt, Nettle, and Thorn."

"I'm still staying. I promised to help you and that's what I'll do."

Oh he was unsteady. He had to keep strong, don’t break... He's broken too much this adventure, too many times.

Twilight wound an arm around his shoulders and pulled him into a hug slowly, giving him plenty of time to escape but he went rigid and didn't quite process what was happening until the rancher was holding him to his chest, a hand in his hair and carding through it gently.

Oh .

He buried his face into his chest and sobbed. The dam broke and so did he.

"It's okay, it's going to be okay. We're all here and we'll help you get through this."

"I-I can't--I--" Legend gasped, choking. " I can't keep doing this ," he forced out.

"I know--"

"Why doesn't it stop? Why won't it stop?" He begged, he needed to know.

Why did he still hurt? Why did every single person he cared about get hurt? How could he protect them if he's the reason they're hurt?

"Why won't it stop?"

Chapter Text

Twilight held Legend close, feeling the younger hero tremble and shake, any cries he made were silent. He hadn't expected the veteran to run off the moment they arrived in a new era, especially without explanation, but he had and immediately they came up on a burning homestead.

Twilight had barely caught up and it was only out of a burst of fear and adrenaline that he was able to catch Legend before he ran into the building that was clearly about to collapse. The veteran had looked terrified in that moment, and Twilight had naively thought it was because he realized he had been about to enter a building that was going to collapse.

Then all that fear and pain in his eyes disappeared, he pulled away from him and then went to the crowd of townsfolk that had watched. They knew him, but he did little more than assure him that he would handle the situation but would need their help and extra hands. His Cub had been right in a way, it definitely appeared as if Legend was just doing the hero thing and trying to help out when they had a quest.

But then Legend had, without an ounce of emotion in his voice, claimed the homestead as his grandparents' and himself as next of kin.

Now Twilight had his arms full of a grieving hero who he wasn't sure had ever let himself grieve before.

The next morning, what had to be the entire town showed up. Legend took charge, and it seemed a bit weird to see but he was a natural at it. Villagers had brought wagons and carts and soon enough the debris of the burned home was cleared away, and there were a few things that came out somewhat unscathed, mostly just domestic items like a partly burnt chair or a stuffed animal.

From what Twilight could tell in the moment, Legend seemed rather unaffected, but from the night before and having the hero crying himself to sleep in his arms, he knew otherwise. He frankly hadn't noticed just how good Legend was at masking.

He talked with some farmers and one left with the cow, another with four of the five cuccoos. Legend was followed by the remaining one the whole day and the horse which was definitely another version of Epona stayed nearby.

They finished for the most part by that evening. Most of the debris was taken to be used for charcoal or whatever, the animals carted off, and Twilight rejoined the heroes to the side.

"He looks tired," Sky said, their veteran was walking through the last bit of the house that they hadn't quite finished clearing. "How could this happen?"

"Sometimes bad things happen," Warriors responded. "I'm more worried about what he'll do when this is over."

"What do you mean?" Twilight asked, glancing over to make sure the others were fine. Wild was cooking with Wind helping him, and Time and Four were sharing thoughts on whatever it was they decided was today's topic. Hyrule was with Wild and Wind, but distinctly only there and not participating.

"I mean," Warriors began, "that the vet is a kid. Experienced though he is, he's still a teenager and he's told us his uncle died during his first quest and now his grandparents are gone. Considering he was raised by his uncle, I'll take a guess and say parents are out of the picture. I also asked one of the villagers about how many bodies we should look for and they said only two. They also said that Leanne and Alphon only had two sons and a grandson, both sons are dead, leaving just our scholar."

Leanne and Alphon--Twilight's own birth parents shared those exact names. That was an interesting connection to note, but irrelevant for the time being.

"So he's all alone?" Sky frowned. "What about his Zelda?"

"A queen, and hero though he is, he's called himself an average nobody before. I'd doubt it if he could be close to her long term outside of romance," Warriors surmised. "He's said before he doesn't want to settle down, but..."

"I'm not deaf," Legend called over his shoulder and Twilight could see him holding a soot covered plush of what might've been a bunny. He walked toward them, stuffed animal tucked against him. "We'll head to Hyrule Castle in the morning. It's just about half a day's walk from here."

"What about the other animals?" Wild spoke up, frowning.

"You have Wolfie and the Rancher keeps his horse when she's around. Piyoko and Epona are staying with me."

Four frowned. "The horse I get, but a cucoo?"

"They both stay."

Twilight gestured for Four to back off, the smithy shrugged.

"Alright, how early of a start?"

"Dawn. I'd like to arrive at Castle Town as close to lunch as possible, guards are usually more inattentive about then. So, get some sleep--This place is safe, monsters don’t come near here. They're smart enough to know better than that."

Twilight wondered how many monsters had been slaughtered on the property line for those brainless creatures to steer clear.

Looking at how Legend stood, the darkening fire in his eyes, and he had a feeling it didn't matter how many, just who killed them.

Once it was finally dark and the heroes were settling, Legend mounted Epona. The mare had no tack, but he had extras back at his house. Piyoko settled in his lap.

Time noticed him mount the horse, most of the others had already fallen asleep.

"Where are you going?"

"The other side of the property." He didn't bother lying. "I'll be back well before twilight, but I need to get Epona some tack, a saddlebag and the like. Rancher's up, you can send Wolfie after me if I'm not back within a couple hours."

Time frowned. "He can go with you instead. I don't want anyone going off alone, especially you, vet."

He sighed. "Then send him. I'm leaving now. Let's go."

Without a tap, Epona took off and soon broke into a gallop. Wolfie could catch up.

Legend used his fire rod to keep their way lit, even if he and Epona knew the route by heart, he wasn't risking anything.

We're being chased! Piyoko cried.

Legend glanced back and saw piercing blue eyes only just setting off after them, not gaining on them and actually losing distance as Epona sped up.

"No, slow down a bit and let him catch up and keep pace," he told the mare. "He's a friend."

Friends with a wolf? New leaf for you, Epona commented but she slowed down a bit. Wolfie caught up soon enough and ran just beside them, Epona settling into a good speed.

Hi! What's your name, Link's wolf friend? Piyoko asked.

Legend snorted, Wolfie made no move to respond.

"He's a transformed person, Piyoko," he told her, Wolfie glanced up at him. "He can't understand you."

If Piyoko had lips she would've pouted. Aww!

Explains why Link's friends with him, Epona nickered.

Legend rolled his eyes but didn't deny nor argue. It was no new thing, his dislike of canines, foxes and coyotes were the closest he could handle. Wolfie's aura of dark magic bode the reminder that it wasn't just a wolf, it was Twilight, so he was fine with him... at least since he became aware of that fact.

They crossed the orchard in an hour and Epona came to a stop just outside his house. He slid off her and headed up toward the house. He plucked an apple from  a tree and gave it to her, murmuring a soft thanks for pushing through and galloping for so long. Piyoko perched on his shoulder.

Wolfie padded after him. He went to the back shed first, grabbing the new tack he had been meaning to take over to the farm. Epona let him saddle her and situate the bags over her. It took a little while to do so, but soon enough he was leading her to the door and going inside.

Wolfie followed him in, before Legend could tell him to wait, Twilight stood in his doorway clearly startled.

Legend sighed. "Enchanted silver along the trimming forcibly deactivates transformation and illusion magic. I was about to warn you."

"That's... incredibly simple."

"The enchantment is actually extremely complex and nearly impossible to accomplish, I just happen to know a few witches, mages, and have a lot of magical stores myself." He turned back into the house. "There's a reason I've said not to touch anything here, a lot of this stuff is cursed--purposely or not. I leave most of it out because if anyone does break in, they'll take the cursed stuff that'll let me more easily track them down than the extremely powerful stuff."

He usually kept his more powerful items on him, and now he was going to keep it all on him.

"You have cursed items?"

"A lot of them. You thought I didn't?"

He found an extra expanded adventure pouch and began gathering items. He plucked the colorful mask off his wall and put it in one pouch. He took several books from the shelves.

He was aware of Twilight silently watching him, Piyoko was likely napping outside on Epona, so nobody was there to fill the silence and Legend relished in it.

It took him a couple hours, filling a half dozen pouches with items and putting them into a satchel that he pulled on. He also switched the richly made red top Dusk gave him for his blue mail, not yet wanting to return to the green he'd worn for... ages.

He debated putting on the green cap, but he was tired of green in all honesty so he left it with the rest of the clothes and moved on.

Before exiting the cold and freshly barren house, he reapplied the magic protecting it from intruders, just in case. There were a few things left, but nothing a determined person couldn't find on the black market or even a regular mage market.

"So," Twilight said as Legend went over and mounted Epona. "Why?"

Legend didn't meet his eyes, only looking at the cold and quiet house and then the surrounding orchard. Beyond the orchard was the burned down farm, but even with the orchard strong and the house behind him still standing, it was all filled with ghosts.

"Now there's nothing left for me here anymore."

Chapter Text

The next shift, which arrived before they could reach Hyrule Castle, took them to Warriors' era.

It seemed whatever was throwing them from era to era only brought them to Legend's for him to arrive just when it was too late to save his grandparents.

Legend took about a week to get a hold of himself, then he was able to act as normal again, throwing off most of the group.

He didn't care if it confused some of them, or if they may have thought him heartless for not mourning his grandparents longer. Frankly he let their deaths affect him longer than usual... yeah, he was shoving the pain down until the quest eventually ended so he could break down and adjust himself to all the pain, but... He couldn't risk remaining compromised, emotionally or otherwise.

Epona couldn't cross through the portal, though Legend had anticipated that, and in the few hours between leaving the remnants of his grandparents’ farm and coming to the next portal. In that time, He enchanted an old flute of his with the three whistles from Holodrum as inspiration.

Epona assured him that it was as if the flute rang in her mind and his location was a homing beacon when they tested it. She promised to come find him when he called.

They went through the portal, and on the other side, Warriors claimed the land as his own. Soon enough, they were wandering some small town filled with people who clearly knew their resident hero.

Legend hadn't paid that much mind, his own era's towns were always filled with people who knew him, it came from helping them out all the time.

He lingered at a stall with some magic items, Hyrule pointing to one and asking the merchant about it. They received a decent sales pitch and description of the item. An ancient ring forged in dragon fire with the power to protect the wearer from flames.

Legend noted the magic itself was just basic flame protection and made a comment that it must be expensive if it was so rare, asking if he could see it. He was allowed to hold it, and then they were told it was a thousand rupees.

Hyrule frowned. "You know, that's so odd... See, we're something of magic users ourselves, and that's..."

"That's a basic fire protection charm on a... plain gold ring and those rubies have several visible imperfections," Legend finished. "I'm also a bit of an artisan, so between the two of us, we know our stuff."

Hyrule smiled sharply. "Sorry, give me your name again?"

"Uhh, Ar--"

"Arthur, right!" Hyrule's grin sharpened even more. "Why don't you put some time and effort into being honest and not selling fakes."

Legend snorted as the man tripped over himself to remove the fakes from his stall, and he nodded Hyrule to move on.

"Not bad, Rulie."

"Thanks. I hate liars, there's no way you could even forge anything short of steel in Dragonfire, unenchanted gold would turn to ash!" Hyrule huffed.

Legend snorted. "Not wrong there--"

"Hey! You!" Legend knew that voice. He turned and Linkle was there. "I didn't think you'd be back here! You look a lot better than last time I met you."

"I was half dead last time you met me," Legend deadpanned. Hyrule glanced between them. "Oh! This is Piyoko!"

Piyoko happily let Linkle pick her up.

Link! Link! She's like you! Piyoko declared. Hello, miss!

Linkle grinned. "Hi there!"

Hyrule tapped Legend's shoulder and he looked over. "Oh, this is Linkle. I ran into her last time I was in this era... I didn't actually know it was the captain's but yeah. She helped me out."

"Kid showed up half dead on my doorstep," Linkle said, cradling Piyoko in one arm as she held out her other hand to Hyrule. "You must be one of his time-traveling brothers then?"

Hyrule smiled and nodded. "Yep! Well--We're not brothers, but that's the easiest to say."

"Hey, brothers-in-arms is a term, it's not lying if you don’t specify," she responded. "I'm glad this guy actually has some gear now. Don’t you take after him, kiddo, he showed up on our doorstep covered in blood with only a knife-- a single knife --as his defense."

Hyrule snorted. "His magic too, actually. And I'll take after him as much as I want, thank you, ma'am."

Legend rolled his eyes. "First of all, it was mostly monster blood, and secondly, I slaughtered two whole hordes of monsters with that knife and my magic. Also, don't tell him what to do--and you, don't copy me."

Hyrule just had this blinding grin while Linkle rolled her eyes.

"Hordes? Yeah right, gimme numbers over twenty and we can chat--"

"Fifty-seven with horde one, I remember somewhere around three times that, mass wise, with the second, but I also had some help there and I got my hands on a sword part way through."

Linkle whistled appreciatively. "We could've used your help with the war, and if this brother of yours--" Hyrule glowed a bit brighter, Legend noted that his successor definitely liked being connected to him, "--is anything similar, he would've been an asset too. Shameful of y'all not to show up back then."

"Ah, we've been busy."

"Time travel ain't restrictive, now, is it?"

Legend had to give that to her. However, before he could respond, he heard a familiar whistle. Wild was calling them to regroup.

"Ah, we have to go," Hyrule said. "Nice to meet you, miss Linkle."

"Nah, I'll tag along. Can't hurt to meet the rest of the time travelers, Lana would kill me if I didn't," Linkle waved them off. Legend swore he heard that name before, but he shrugged.

Hyrule frowned and looked at Legend, but he shrugged. "Piyoko likes her, and I trust her." As much as he could trust someone he didn't actually know. "Worst comes to worse, we meet with the others and Pretty Boy tries to kill her, so we help."

"One of your brothers are gonna try to kill me?" she asked bluntly.

"If he knows you and you're an enemy, then yeah, and we'd side with him," Legend admitted easily as Piyoko squirmed from Linkle's arms and landed on Legend's shoulder. "But I think you’re a good person so by all means you should be fine."

Linkle sighed. "And here I go, doing the one thing I told Momma I wouldn't do: risk being killed."

Hyrule snorted as they headed off toward in the direction Wild had whistled from. "Okay, no, I like her too. Can we keep her?"

"Eh, sadly she doesn't fit the whole Triforce of Courage, Master Sword, killed Ganon, or is a reincarnation of Sky's previous incarnation, and she wasn't dragged to join us by the goddess, so I don’t think so. Unless she is?" Legend raised an eyebrow at her.

She blinked. "Wait--If those are your "brothers-in-arms" group's requirements then--"

"Vet! Traveler!" Warriors called as they reached a market street. "What took you-- Linkle?!"

"Link! You absolute bastard! You told Ma you were on a sanctioned mission out west! Not some goddess-driven quest!"

Warriors tried to backpedal but Linkle was fast. She grabbed his collar and threw him into a nearby merchant's stall. The merchant, though startled, saw who it was and just sighed heavily... as if this was normal.

"Hey!" Sky reached for his sword.

"No! No--It's fine!" Warriors said quickly, getting up fast. His nose was bleeding, and he was holding it with one hand while his other rapidly waved Sky off. "She's my sister!"

"The sister you lied to!" She screeched. "Oh, Ma is gonna be so pissed! You lied to her! Yer out here time travelin' again an' recruitin' actual children?!" Linkle gestured to Legend and Hyrule, the former of which scooped Piyoko up from where Linkle had dropped her. "You told us it was a damned political venture to re-negotiate borders!"

Legend shared a wide-eyed glance with Hyrule. Then the others seemed equally shaken, yet most of the townsfolk seemed unsurprised, guards included and just gave them a wide berth.

"It was!" Warriors argued. "I just... Got portal-napped on the way and didn't tell you in the letters."

"You said the negotiations were going well in those letters!"

"They might've been! I didn't know!"

"Oh, you--!"

Legend stared with wide eyes as they fought. He leaned toward Wind.

"Is this what having siblings is like?"

Wind snorted. "Oh yeah, only when one of you fucks up."

Legend nodded slowly. Maybe he shouldn't tell Fable...

They watched as Warriors and Linkle argued, fought--bruised and bit arms-- and hurled insults 'til they turned blue. Then at some point their... altercation paused, and Legend decided to put all his bravery to the test to intervene, despite Twilight's and Wind's verbal protests to not .

"Linkle?" Legend entered the five-foot radius everyone gave the siblings.

" What ?" She whirled onto him.

He held out Piyoko. "She didn't want to yell."

Link wants you to stop beating up the blue one! Piyoko chirped.

"Hey, snitch," Legend hissed.

"Vet, please put the psycho poultry away--"

"Psycho?! Piyoko is not psycho!" Linkle snarled. "She is an angel!"

"She actually tried to pluck the eyes out of Ganon," Legend admitted.

"Yeah! She actually... she what?" Linkle looked at him confusedly.

Legend grinned. "You heard me. But uhh, it is getting kinda late and I'd rather not be bothering the locals, despite how clearly used to this they are. So, inn and food?

He looked over at Time, who nodded. He seemed a bit surprised but mostly amused.

"Yeah, to the inn and get dinner," Legend repeated then held up Piyoko again, "or I'll sic' her on you and I promise you, she'll win."

Linkle blinked while Warriors just stared. Then the woman grinned. "I like this kid, Link. You found some good ones, but I claim these two."

"Wha--hey!"

"You had Mask and Tune! I'm claiming these two!"

"You’re not even on this quest!"

"I am now, bitch!"

You know? Legend liked Linkle, she was great.

Chapter Text

"So, is she staying with us?" Wild asked after they took out the monster camp with Linkle's help. Her mere presence had set Warriors off and the two were constantly bantering, more than any of the others ever did with each other and that was saying something.

At first, some of them were concerned, then they collectively realized that Warriors was more relaxed than they almost had ever seen him. It really showed when the fight began, and Linkle and Wars basically handled the entire thing. They fought together incredibly well, Linkle using crossbows and Piyoko--Legend was surprised at how attached Piyoko was to Linkle, she adored the heroine who loved her in return--as weapons, Piyoko definitely had the time of her life, while Warriors used his sword and shield to control the entire camp with ease... with the exception of the couple black bloods that Legend and Hyrule, and Time and Wind handled 

Honestly, Legend saw half their group just hanging back and he joined them in time to see both siblings gang up on a giant, and bring it down in record time.

Both were grinning at the end of it all, high-fiving and throwing insults at the other's form and battle choices.

"If she wants to," Warriors said in response to Wild's question. He shrugged. "I can't stop her if she does."

Linkle scooped up Piyoko into her arms. "I'd love to, goddesses know I miss this kind of thing, but I have to pass." She turned to Warriors. "One of us needs to stay back home, and tell Ma about that pretty little lie of yours."

"I told you--"

"Yeah yeah." Linkle waved him off. "Whatever. I'll tell her that it's a new development and her baby boy didn't lie to her face."

"I am literally a grown adult--With children!"

"Kids you adopted during the war so they wouldn't be sent to an orphanage don’t count."

"Hey!" Wind exclaimed.

"Rude," Time grunted.

Warriors gestured at them. "Does it look like we care? Why does Mom trust you more than me when my kids are actual children and not animals?" 

"Because I have more than you, and they're better trained. Mask dyed Impa's hair green!"

Legend glanced at Hyrule, leaning over to whisper to him and Wild.

"Bets that Mask is the Old Man?"

"No way," Wild hissed back. "It's totally the sailor."

"Ma would side with me that actual kids are far harder to take care of than a flock of cuccos!" Warriors argued.

Linkle scowled. "You know what? Fine! I'll adopt two of my own!"

"Wha--You’re going to--"

Legend and Hyrule both broke when Linkle raised an eyebrow at them.

"Us?" Hyrule pointed at them.

Linkle nodded. "I like you two, besides, I bet you'd beat Mask and Tune."

"No way!" Wind piped up. "We'd kick their ass! Besides, you can't take the Vet, he's my baby brother."

Time snorted. "Wow, Sailor. I'm wounded."

"You’re my little brother, there's a difference," Wind huffed, "Apple's my baby brother and Aryll's my baby sister."

Legend staggered a bit as Hyrule hugged him and declared, "My little brother now!"

"Daaad!" Wind whined, pouting at Warriors.

Legend couldn't help but laugh. Warriors sighed and tried to barter with Linkle, who stood her ground about adopting him and Hyrule.

Wild leaned over. "Would you let her?"

Legend looked at Hyrule, they shrugged.

"Sure," Hyrule agreed.

"Only when we're in this era though," Legend added, thinking of Dusk. "I don’t want to deal with... having to explain that to anyone. If she really wants, then fine, but only legally binding here... I'll let her claim it whenever, if only so we can fight the Sailor and Old Man."

"Yeah," Hyrule smirked, arm still slung over his shoulders. "We'd totally win."

Linkle gestured at them while Warriors groaned.

"Ha! I win! Next time you guys show up here, I'll have the paperwork ready," she swore. "Okay?"

"I can't believe you three." Warriors threw his hands up, turning away.

"Okay," Hyrule told Linkle. "Are you our mom now? Or...?"

"Sure. Next time, I'll introduce you to my Ma as her better grandchildren."

"Rude! Link, why didn't you ever introduce us to your Mom?!" Wind demanded.

"I-I--" Warriors floundered.

Legend could honestly tell that Linkle had only actually offered to mess with Warriors, and if agreeing messed with the Captain and the Sailor? Well, he was all for that.

What kind of 'baby brother' would he be if he didn't take whatever opportunity he was presented with to mess with his apparent siblings?

The portal came during the walk back to town, which was less filled with Warriors and Linkle arguing, and more filled with Linkle questioning him and Hyrule about their lives 'as a good mother would.'

"Well!" Warriors said loudly, interrupting Hyrule and Legend explaining their era and how it was different from his era to Linkle. "As fun as it has been to see you again, my dear sister, we simply must be going now."

Legend snorted, he heard Wild and Four sharing giggles too. Twilight and Sky had taken up the rear of the group, and both seemed especially amused.

Linkle pouted. She wrapped her arms around Legend and Hyrule. "Oh must you, Captain?" She replied, losing every ounce of her country accent in replacement of a posh, castle town accent. "Oh Captain please, my sons are only children, you need not take them away to fight battles for a higher power. Please spare them. Look! They are no soldiers, nor squires training to be such, doest thou not see their fear at facing warfare?"

Oh she is amazing, Piyoko clucked, Link, your new mom is amazing and I love her.

Warriors' face hardened, but the mirth was clear and it was a conscious decision to help bolster Linkle's argument by pulling on every part of his self control and acting ability to play the part of a scared kid. Hyrule's shoulders stopped shaking from holding in laughter and a glance showed that his successor was an excellent actor too.

"The Queen's commands are clear, these boys are to march to battle and face against the dark horrors of time," Warriors declared.

"You monster!" Linkle cried dramatically, playing up her part of a scared mother despite not looking even barely old enough to be their mother. "Child stealer!"

"Okay, okay!" Twilight intervened, choking on laughter. "Even if this is entertainin', we really do needa go. So say bye t' yer Ma, Vet, Traveler, and let's go."

On one hand, he could just cut the act, on the other... Legend looked at Linkle, and he was definitely pouting and using everything he knew to appear scared. "Ma, I don’t want to go."

Hyrule couldn't hold it in anymore and he broke, grabbing his stomach and wheezing in his laughter. Warriors gaped at him, as if surprised he was a decent actor, while Linkle immediately hugged him.

"I know, I know," she held firm to her own act, "but you must." She pulled away and held his face, he grabbed her hands and could see how she was starting to struggle to keep character too. He really wanted to break. "Be strong, and filled with courage. You will find your way back home, I know it."

A beat passed before they both broke, and the entire area was filled with various forms of laughter, loud and boisterous, high and wheezy, contained and quiet, someone's sounded like a fairy's even and another's was carried by the wind itself it felt like.

Legend wiped a tear from his eye. For a moment, it felt like everything was actually okay. For a moment, he was just joking around with friends, pulling stupid jokes and teasing each other.

The next, he felt Piyoko brush his leg, and the reminder of why she was with him hit him. With that, came the reminder of everything that had happened in the last few months. He managed to not let his renewed realization show to strongly, the laughter slowly fizzled out and he lent down to pick up Piyoko.

Link? She sounded concerned. He'd seen her fight with Linkle, but also needed Linkle's aid at every moment. All Piyoko could truly do was distract, and blind if she was lucky. Unlike heroes who accidentally harm cuccoos, monsters had no qualms with smacking them from the sky and he had seen so many close calls in just one fight alone. Linkle was used to accounting for them and ensuring their safety, Legend wasn't and he didn't want to risk her safety to learn.

"Let's--"

"Linkle?" Legend looked at the older woman, she was Warriors' twin, wasn't she? 

"Yeah?"

"Would you be willing to keep Piyoko?"

He heard several people freeze and inhale sharply. He wasn't sure exactly why.

Linkle frowned, crossing her arms. "Why?"

Warriors spoke up, instructing the others to go ahead and file through, to make sure they had their supplies and everything.

Link? Piyoko sounded hurt, though also concerned.

"I... She's a good fighter," Legend said, looking down at her in his arms. "One of my oldest companions, but... I don’t know how to fight with her, and I can't risk her in order to learn. More than that... You've mentioned you have a whole flock of your own, she's friendly and can assimilate, and... and Piyoko, we both know you prefer life on the farm rather than on the road. You also have said you love Linkle, if you’re both okay with it, I think this would be the best option for you."

Piyoko stared up at him, completely silent. He could almost feel her hurt, but the way she wasn't immediately pecking him and telling him he was an idiot--like she had when he suggested she stay with one of the farmers in Kakariko with the other cuccoos--meant he was right and she actually was considering it.

A part of him wanted to take his words back, to keep Piyoko with him. She'd been there in Holodrum, had always been someone he could trust. Din, he'd called her his emotional support animal for all the times he'd vent and she'd offer insight. But he also knew that no matter how much he wanted to cling to before--before his grandparents, before that cell, those days where he could feel his body wasting in that cave--and how Piyoko was a reminder of that, of days between adventures at his grandparents farm, of the lightness in Holodrum, of safety and warmth and peace... she was still a farm animal, and he wouldn't choose his own mental security over her physical safety. Not in a million years. Not ever.

If she's okay with it, Piyoko conceded, almost surprisingly so.

Linkle held her arm out and Piyoko jumped to her, wings flapping to aid the transfer.

"I'll take good care of her, visit when you can," while he can, Linkle gave him a pointed look.

He nodded. "Of course... Later, Piyoko."

...bye Link. Be safe.

"When am I not?"

Warriors and Twilight were the only ones waiting left, as per usual, the local Link would be the last to enter the portal. Legend left with Twilight, and everyone waited a few minutes longer before Warriors came through and it shut behind them.

During his watch, Legend watched the sun rise against all odds, and sure, astronomers of his era had determined the world to be a sphere and to revolve around the sun, but did he particularly care for that detail? No. The sun rose, that's why they called it a sunrise.

There were a million things he could think about.

Raven, how his ancestor not only was the grandson of the Fallen Hero, but how the people seemed to regard the Fallen Hero and in turn how they treated Raven... and what he did in spite of it. Additionally, just the fact that he'd never see Raven again... again. That's the second time he's lost the one man he's considered a parental figure, his uncle had been great but he... there was something there, he was always his uncle, never quite a father figure.

The fact he can't seem to die. That cell, he didn't look over to see the blood but he knew that no person should've survived what he did, and he didn't know how. But maybe Dusk had some special method of saving his life. Then the cave... the island and storms... he had been sick, so sick he couldn't move and didn't eat for days, he knew now he shouldn't have survived that--learning how long they'd been in the Sailor's era and the Traveler's era right afterwards--and yet, he did. He didn't know what Marley and Raven did either, but they didn't have access to things that would've done anything special.

He knew he should've died in that cell, he was certain of that fact, but that portal had come at the perfect time... More than that, the portal had come to that cave and had to of dropped Legend right on Raven in order for him to have survived that too.

He knew the goddesses wasn't done with him, this was just further proof of that.

Or... he glanced at the back of his left hand. Maybe my ancestry plays a larger part in that survival.

Three people here were his ancestors. 

Sky was the easiest to place and yet the hardest to come to terms with. Sky was from before the timeline got chaotic, the line from him to Legend was straight and simple. He was the easiest to understand and yet... how was he, Legend, a descendant of the goddess, and by extension, royalty?

Time was probably the easiest to come to terms with, his was a bit weird with the timeline and parallel worlds, but it was comprehensible. Time was the Fallen Hero, Legend had figured that out, Twilight's Hero of Time was from the exact same time as the Fallen Hero, the history books claimed him to have done the same things as the Fallen Hero... only he succeeded in the end. It was weird, but Legend could understand it. He knew Raven was his ancestor, and he now knew Raven's grandfather was the Fallen Hero. So sure, Time wasn't his ancestor, but in a weird parallel timeline way, he was. That was simple.

What wasn't simple was Twilight, what wasn't easy to come to terms with was Twilight. Because if they were related, it was confusing.

Legend knew exactly four things about his father: one, he was younger than his uncle, two, he looked almost nothing like his uncle aside from the bare minimum sibling similarities, three, his name had been Link and Legend was named after him, and four, he died around the same time Legend had been born.

Now, that paired with the fact that his uncle Alphon was his uncle, would lead one to assume that Twilight--well his parallel self in Legend's timeline--was his father. Easy, simple, timeline shenanigans makes it confusing but only a little more than Time.

Except that Legend has met Dusk and her two children, the children that are the parallels to him and Fable. He knows who their father is, and the problem is that their father is Alphon and Legend knows his father isn't Uncle Alphon.

That's the confusing part. Legend genuinely doesn't know how to place Twilight, his best conclusion is that Dusk and Twilight had some other variable that kept them from falling in love or at least having two kids that Legend's parents didn't. And knowing that Fable's counterpart was born... roughly two years after Twilight's adventure, meant that variable was probably related to his adventure.

But, how did Dusk's daughter look so identical to Fable if she had a different father, who bared little resemblance to Twilight? 

"Honestly, couldn't some part of my life been simple?" He muttered. He wished Piyoko was here--she's safer with Linkle.

"Did you say something?" Wild looked up from the breakfast he was working on.

"No, just thinking. Need a hand with that?"

The moment Legend opened his eyes, he knew things were wrong.

He shot up and almost expected to see lapping waves and hear cawing seagulls, only to see a familiar forest.

"What the..." he breathed, pushing himself to stand as he looked around. He dug out his ocarina and tried to play the Ballad of the Wind Fish.

The song reverberated in the forest—which it shouldn't have, the notes should've just expanded further—and thrummed all around him.

Nothing changed though. He almost began again when he heard a bush rustle.

He moved quickly, drawing his sword only to see a man rush through the small clearing to kneel by a tree. He put something inside it before quickly shoving his cloak into some sling at his chest.

“Excuse me?” Legend called, wary. He reached for the man’s shoulder.

Yelling caught his attention, familiar yelling. He tensed as he shifted his stance, the man shot up quickly.

“This way!”

“Find him!”

A squad of knights burst from the same direction the man had come from. The man moved past Legend in a way that should have bumped his shoulder, but he just went through him.

The realization near smacked him in the face.

This was a vision, he had some of those when he was younger but ever since Koholint he couldn’t differentiate them from dreams. He was seeing some scene, past, present, or future, and he couldn’t intervene. So he observed.

The cloak had been hiding a forest green tunic lined in golds, a golden crown, though Legend couldn't quite see his face from his angle.

“Stand down,” the leading knight commanded, and Legend froze when he saw that familiar glaze in the equally familiar knight’s eyes. “We only wish to kill the boy.”

“Over my dead body,” the man snarled, Legend felt a flash of familiarity at the voice.

“So be it.”

He swallowed thickly. What being had dragged him into some hell where his main torturer, visibly decades younger, was facing a younger and more composed Twilight?

Time grabbed Twilight’s arm and pulled him back. “We’re only observers, Pup.”

“He can’t see us,” Twilight croaked.

Hyrule was waving a hand in front of Legend’s face, but their scholar didn't even notice. Time didn't know how exactly, but they were all sharing some kind of vision, except Legend was separate from them. He blamed the goddesses.

“There’s a baby here!” Wind exclaimed from where he and Four had investigated the tree the nobleman had been knelt by.

Wild suddenly yelped loudly, grabbing Twilight’s arm as he jumped back.

Time turned to look at what startled the Cub, and only due to his earned dark vision, could he see the nobleman's face. The darkness of the snowstorm overhead didn't help, but his face was very clear.

Though it lacked tattoos and scars, it was undoubtedly their rancher, or someone closely related to him. His jaw the same shape, his nose and eyes, the way Time could almost feel a connection to him...

Time tightened his grip on his pup as he felt him go rigid beside him. The man in front of them wasn’t much of a man, maybe Sky’s age, younger than Twilight at least.

“What in Hylia’s…” Sky breathed.

The lookalike cut down two of the knights before an arrow lodged into his bicep. He didn’t cry out and only barely switched his sword to his other hand to block another blade. Time didn’t know what they were meant to be seeing; between the alleged baby in the tree behind them, the young man fighting to save both their lives, and Legend’s exclusion from them.

Time felt his blood go cold as a blade sank through the bundle on the young man’s chest, and then through his chest too. He could see the sword protruding from the man's back.

“NO!” Wild screamed.

Twilight lunged to catch him and pull him back, Time pulled both back as he listened to Twilight promise Wild that it wasn’t him. Wind cried out too, and Warriors was quick to pull him and Hyrule to him as they watched the young man snarl, baring slight fangs. The young man swung his sword desperately, and it knocked the knight’s helmet off, but did little other damage.

“Agahnim will fail,” he swore, “you’ll fail.”

The knight laughed; Sky suddenly made a horrified noise upon seeing the knight’s face.

“With that brat dead, he will prevail,” the knight sneered. “With you out of the way, that wife of yours will be easy pickings, king.”

The knight shoved the noble off his sword, the man fell back and into the snow. 

In a reminder that Legend was completely separate from them, the veteran shot forward, dropping to his knees beside the nobleman.

“No, no, no—” Legend said as the knights all laughed. They boasted to one another, cheered how Agahnim would be pleased, and left the nobleman to die. “Don’t tell me—”

“No--Kit, it’s not him, it's not the Rancher,“ Sky tried as the young nobleman struggled to breathe, blood slipping from his mouth.

Time hated to see it, that was his pup—in look, at least—who was dying on the forest floor. It was that inn all over again.

A ripple of violet wrapped around their scholar for a moment, and just in time, Legend’s hand landed on the young man’s chest.

“He touched him!” Four gasped, voicing what Time knew they all were thinking. This was a vision, a dream, how could Legend interact with it like that?

“Who…” the man murmured, frowning and his brows knitting together in a way that Time could only see Twilight, could only see his descendent laying there.

“Wait—I have a fairy,” Legend shoved his hand into his pouch. “It’s going to be alright—You’ll be fine, you’ll get out of this—”

“Yer him,” the man slurred, and Great Forests, he even sounded like Twilight. “I… I got’ta see… ya grown up…”

Time held his pup a bit tighter as they all stared at the scene.

Legend made a strangled noise. “No, no, no—Where is that damn fairy?!” He suddenly froze as the man raised a bloodied hand to his cheek. “W-What--”

“If yer here…” the young man said, “s’means… yer not changin’ it… are ya?”

Time did not know their acclaimed Veteran Hero to be fragile, yet in that moment he looked like breaking glass.

“I can’t, can I?” He responded, voice breaking. He didn't sound his years either. “I’m sorry—I’ll fix it though! I—Agahnim doesn’t win! I stopped him, and-and I—I saved Zel—She’s—She’s okay too. You—You’re okay—You don’t have to worry.”

It hit him: Legend wasn’t seeing Twilight.

“I know… ya got the look of a hero… jus’ like y’r ancestors.” The young man smiled just as his hand slipped down from Legend’s face, leaving a line of blood down it. “I’m… ‘m proud.”

Legend caught his hand but otherwise didn’t move, his mouth moved as if to speak but no sound emerged.

“What the hell?” Warriors breathed.

“Is he okay?” Wind whispered, daring to try and touch Legend again while the veteran just stared at the dead man in front of him.

“I don’t—” Twilight choked out, “he’s not okay—Ordona, please.”

Wind’s hand went through Legend again.

A call caught their attention. Legend’s head jerked to the side toward the wider forest. He scrambled to his feet as that purple wisp wrapped around him again and the call grew clearer.

“Link!” All their heads turned toward the older woman. She was followed by an older man carrying a lantern, just outside the area. “Link! Baby, we came! Where are…”

“Leanne,” the man grabbed her arm, staring in their direction. “Is that…”

She pushed branches aside and entered the area, Twilight made a strangled noise while Legend, who saw them too, let out a pained cry as he dropped back to his knees.

The woman rushed to the body on the ground, her hand brushing through Legend’s shoulder and half of Sky’s body as he failed to get out of the way quick enough. 

She let out a horrid scream, one worse than any redead Time had ever heard, a cry of pain deeper than any injury, than any sword wound.

“LINK! NO! GODDESSES NO! NOT MY BABY!” She screamed, falling to the ground beside the dead man.

She screamed and sobbed and begged the goddesses not to take her child, her husband kneeling beside her and placing his hand on his son’s leg, eyes slipping shut.

Time couldn’t move, her cries froze him to his place, and it seemed all of them had the same reaction, except for their veteran.

Legend, with visible tears streaming down his cheeks, rushed over to the grieving couple and dropped beside the woman.

“Gran—Gran, please stop crying,” Legend begged, and Time felt the pieces click into place. At that same moment, Twilight fell to the ground just beside Time. Wild made a worried noise as he dropped beside the Rancher. “Gran, please, it’s okay, I’m so sorry—Look! Gran, look at him, he’s smiling. Gran please, don’t cry. I’ll fix it, I will.”

He sounded like a child, he sounded like Time when he had begged Navi not to leave, he sounded desperate and broken and like he just wanted to fix the one thing he had left.

“We shouldn’t be seeing this,” Four said, stepping back. “We’re not supposed to be seeing this.”

The woman faltered, her hand lowered to the man’s face and brushed his cheek, tugging the smile that had remained when his spirit moved on.

“My baby,” she sobbed, her cries quieting. “My baby boy.”

Another kind of cry caught all their attention, in the hollow of a tree came the sound of a crying infant.

“Oh,” Legend breathed. “That’s how…” He let out a pained laugh for seemingly no reason.

The old couple both went to the tree, and the woman cooed, it was strained and a bit painful, as she scooped an infant wrapped in royal blue from the hollow.

Time stumbled as the world suddenly jerked beneath their feet.

Chapter Text

Not expecting the cold grass to become hardwood, Legend startled as his surroundings changed. He looked at his new surroundings and covered his mouth, a sob choking his throat.

It was the farmhouse, his grandparents’ farmhouse. There, sitting on the sofa was a woman who looked too much like Dusk, just like how the man—his father, he’d known that the moment he made actual eye contact with him—looked too much like Twlight.

She was holding the infant in a blue blanket, and Legend knew that was him. He knew that blanket, only a month ago it was draped over the back of his desk chair, a few stains and a patch on it, but still in good condition... well worn and well used.

This woman... that was his mother, his actual mother. She was the woman who birthed him, and from the looks of it, she had done so not that long ago. She was paler than even Fable, who spent most of her days indoors.

“You should rest,” Grandma said as she came around with a wooden mug.

His mother shook her head. “He’s so small… Zelda had been bigger than him, though she hasn’t grown that much since.”

“He’ll grow when he’s older, goddesses know his father did,” Grandma gave a warm laugh that contrasted the puffiness and redness of her eyes. “Link grew so fast I never had time to alter his clothes when he was young, I have so many of his old clothes in the attic.”

“You’ll make good use of it, then,” she said quietly.

Grandpa entered the room. “Ya sure about this, Zelda? That boy’s gonna need his Momma.”

“And he’ll have her,” she assured. “But for now, until I can remove Agahnim from Hyrule, he won’t be safe at the castle. That man had my guards under his thumb in mere moments, I must defeat him first, and… And I won’t be ready to do so for some time. Not to mention the already existent stigma for princes… Until then, you must protect him.”

She looked down at the sleeping infant in her arms.

“That cursed wizard told the court my second child will bring about Hyrule’s downfall,” she revealed, “but that is a lie. Every seer I spoke to, every vision of his future I had, was clear—he will save Hyrule, he will be her hero.” She brushed the infant’s face, causing him to squirm slightly. “But until then… he’s just a boy, and even after, he will always be my son.”

“I know,” Grandma whispered. “We will take care of him, he’s our grandson after all. You take care of that usurper, my dear, we’ll be waiting to give this little one back to his mother.”

“Link,” Queen Zelda said, still not looking away from the baby. “His name is Link… isn’t it, my dear kit? You have the spirit of a hero, but that soul is far more sacred.”

Not much more was said until a wolf’s howl could be heard from outside, Queen Zelda sighed as she rose and passed the baby over to Grandma. She hugged her, kissed the baby once more, and hugged Grandpa, bidding goodbyes as she did so before leaving, promising to handle Agahnim and return soon.

“Be safe,” Grandpa told her.

“I will,” she promised. “Oh, I forgot,” she turned back and pulled out a bunny plush the size of the infant, a plush that Legend had tucked away in his bag, a little burnt from the fire that he'd found beneath a roasted chair, “this is his... Zelda picked it out at the markets for him... please, protect him.”

He still had that plush, it survived the fire, it was sitting in his bag--

With that, she opened the door to leave.

Legend tried to chase her, tried to scream, cry out and tell her: "Don’t!" He wanted to tell her that she would fail, that she would die, and leave both him and Zelda orphans.

Legend surged up. He gasped for air. The blankets fell to the floor with a muffled thud as he shoved them off of him. Memories of where he was—an inn, Twilight’s era, Telma’s bar—rushed to him as the scenes of that dream, that vision, dragged him down. Even then, everything around him drowned out, the room itself, his sight of it, any noises, vanished as his heart beat loudly in his chest. His blood roared in his ears, and he tried vainly to fill his lungs with air.

He’d seen his grandparents. He had seen his grandparents who had died in a fire not two weeks ago. More than that, he had seen his parents.

A father he had never seen before today, not even a portrait. Yet he saw the man fighting to his last breath just to protect him. His father who had recognized him despite the son he knew not being alive for more than a day. He met, however briefly, his father who had said he was proud of him. With no knowledge of anything Legend had done, his father took one look at Legend and said he was proud.

Then his mother who he was realizing he had recognized. The way he immediately trusted Dusk, that woman's magical signature felt identical to Dusk's. His mother held him close and promised to return soon. His mother who swore to bring retribution upon the man who caused her husband’s death and put her children in danger. His mother who had just given birth but still rode out to the farmhouse just so she could hold her son... then ride back to the castle and die by Agahnim’s hand.

It went back to Agahnim. It always went back to Agahnim. Everything that went truly wrong in his life went back to that cursed mage. His life had been Agahnim’s fault from the very beginning. 

He wanted to sob, he wanted to scream. 

Someone grabbed him.

He twisted, fire blazing in his hand as he tried to fight back--and froze.

“Kit, look at me,” his... a man said softly as Legend felt the ground come up to his body too quickly.

Twilight. That was Twilight, his fellow hero. Someone he'd only met a few years ago. It was Twilight, Forest, the Rancher, the Goatherd, their resident country boy and animal lover. It wasn't...

“I am so sorry," Twilight breathed.

He didn't understand. He didn't get it. Why was he sorry? What happened? Did he do something? Did something go wrong?

“We saw it, you couldn’ see us, but we could see you and them,” Twilight told him, one hand cradling his face and the other prying his nails from his palm. “That was yer family, wudinit?”

Legend made a strangled sound trying to speak, “G-Gran—”

“I know,” Twilight whispered. “I know, Kit. It ain’t fair."

Suddenly, all his previous attempts to shove things down, to wait until the quest was over to handle it, they all failed. His weak wall shattered. He threw himself into Forest's arms, seeking some kind of comfort. He needed help. He needed something that didn’t hurt. He needed something that made it stop, that ceased the ripping in his heart. Goddesses please, just make it stop hurting.

They were right there, goddesses above, they had been right there.

His grandparents were right there. Their home, their life, he'd been late by minutes, moments. He had been right there!

How was he a hero? How could he be a hero? How could he save anyone when he always, always failed to save those he loved? How can the goddesses expect him to keep their world safe when he can't even protect his own family?

Wood and straw popped in the fire, flames dancing to some unknown rhythm and song. Flames felt no pain, no loss, no hurt. He watched them dance, watched the rippling shadows they cast against the back of the fireplace, the smoke that trickled up into the chimney, and the ash that stained the mantle. Fire, life as much as death, and right now he didn't know which he wanted it to represent.

They were still at the inn, now taking up the seating area by the warm hearth, and Legend couldn't take his eyes of the flames. Vividly, he could see his grandparents in them; his grandmother releasing that horrid cry she gave when she found her son dead as she was burned alive.

A weight settled beside him, and unsurprisingly Twilight apparently decided not to let him out of his sight since they—because they had seen it too—returned from that awful vision.

Wild appeared too. He offered Legend a mug and he raised a questioning eyebrow.

“Tea,” the champion said, “Miss Telma made it, said it helped with nightmares. Everyone’s getting a cup.”

With the explanation, he accepted the mug and sipped it.

Nobody said a word with the tension as thick as it was, though equally as hard to notice in the first place. Their group wasn't quiet when gathered like this, at least not since the early days of gathering. The only time they were was when Twilight had been deathly injured. It just wasn't how they worked. Legend knew that.

Most were in their own thoughts, others were quietly murmuring or signing to someone else, and Legend wasn't bothering to try and keep up with the rapid movements even if he caught some words and signs just by exposure.

Until Wind decided to break it.

“Hey, Apple?”

Several people tensed, Warriors shot Wind a warning look that cowed the younger hero.

“Yeah?” He ignored the defensiveness from the other heroes.

“I… I wanted to—”

“Sailor,” Wild hissed. Wind pressed on.

“—ask about that… dream… thing.”

“I think it's pretty obvious,” he glared at the smoke-stained mantle. “That was someone’s idea of either a joke or a torture method.”

Twilight and Sky both flinched whilst Warriors grimaced. Noted, they didn't like it when he mentioned torture.

Wind frowned but didn't push.

“Those were my grandparents,” he said in offer of actual explanation. “The older couple, and the house too, or at least, it looked like them. The other two…”

“Looked like the Rancher,” Wild filled in.

“And Zelda,” Twilight added quietly.

Legend didn't respond to that, not for a long minute.

“He was younger than you, Rancher,” he finally said. “And you're alive.”

“We’ve talked about multiple timelines before,” Wind muttered, definitely not intending to be heard by the way he ducked his head when eyes glanced in his direction. “Jus’ sayin’.”

“He's not wrong,” Four agreed. “But we don’t need to know, remember… secrets are our own to keep, even if it's relevant to others.”

“But it is impacting the quest,” Warriors pointed out quietly, which was the one caveat in that agreement.

“Is it that important though?” Sky asked. He cast a wary glance at Legend. Legend finished his drink quickly just to get the burn of the hot liquid down his throat, just for the pain to make him focus. “Clearly it's… sensitive.”

“Captain’s right,” he said, his voice just a bit strained from the roughness in his throat. “It impacted the quest… everyone else ended up sharin’ something at some point, only fair.”

Wild muttered, “Not when you’re breaking down in tears but okay."

Legend shot him a glare and Wild raised his hands in surrender. He sighed and decided to try and explain.

“It's… not as complicated as you think, though I'm not sure how it happened, but…” where was he supposed to start. “There are stories in my era of the Fallen Hero, a young man who helped Queen Zelda the Reclaimer lead the rebellion against the Evil King of Thieves.”

He felt Twilight tense, noticed Wind snap his head up, and saw Time stiffen.

“As the stories go, the Evil King of Thieves was a Gerudo male who killed the Hylian King and plunged Hyrule into ruin. The Hero confronted him after the Seven Years of Darkness, but he failed, the Evil King of Thieves killed him. Queen Zelda took her sages—one from forest, one from fire, one from water, one from shadows, and one from sand—and with their power combined, they managed to seal him in the Sacred Realm.”

“But…” Wind croaked. “That sounds like—That sounds almost like the Hero of Time’s story, the sages and the King of Thieves, the Seven Years of Darkness…”

“I thought so too when I read a book in the Rancher’s era about it, an account of time travel from the Hero of Time.” Legend looked over at Time. “In fact, even the dates lined up perfectly.”

Time paled.

Legend leaned back and let his head hit the back of the sofa. “But apparently, dying didn't stop him from leaving a legacy. My grandpa always said we carried a legacy of knights, that we were descended from the original Knights of Hyrule, and in a way, he was right—but he always referred to Raven when he spoke like that."

"Raven? The man from when we found you?"

"The very same. I found out that Raven's grandfather was none other than the Fallen Hero himself.”

Time snapped his head toward Legend, he saw him do as much from the corner of his eye, but he kept his head directed to the ceiling as he spoke.

“I wanted to ask my grandparents about it. They are--They were my only living relatives... at least, on that side of my family, but clearly that didn't really work.” He would not cry again, thank you. “That doesn't explain the Rancher and why we saw someone who looked like him though, does it?”

“Not exactly,” Warriors admitted. “But I'd guess that that…man we saw was the Rancher, only from your timeline.”

Legend didn't respond, only nodded.

“Wait, if those were your grandparents, and that's the Rancher’s alternate self…” Wild trailed off.

Legend made a startled noise that wasn't a squeak, shut up Traveler. Twilight pulled him into a hug. He tried for a moment to get free because, again, he really needed to not lose his composure in front of everyone, but Twilight just pulled him closer and made an almost wounded noise.

Wild burst into laughter, falling off his stool and continuing to cackle loudly despite his sudden descent.

"That was honestly the best answer we could've gotten,” Warriors said, breathing a sigh of relief.

“What were you expecting?” Sky asked.

“With the Vet these days? Literally anything.”

 Legend grabbed his empty wooden mug and threw it at Warriors, nailing him in the head.

“Hey!”

Everyone else broke into laughter and Twilight snorted.

“Good throw, Kit.”

“Oh shut up,” he grumbled, but succumbed to his fate.

Not that he particularly disliked it, there were worse things to be experiencing.

The tension had been cut. Warm laughter and teases echoing through the room until Telma came and told Twilight to herd his ragtag group of kids to bed as it was way too late to be dealing with them, Legend let the rancher in question cling to him.

All he could think as they slowly worked their way upstairs, Hyrule and Warriors teasing one another as bad as Legend would've with the Captain, was that he really hoped he wouldn't lose this family too.

Chapter Text

They entered the castle the next morning and Twilight all but dragged both Legend and Wild—who had whispered to Legend during their walk to their demise, that he was definitely stuck with them now—up toward Dusk who was smiling indulgently at them.

“Welcome back, Hero of Light,” she said, her voice perfectly blank and polite. “Who do you bring with you?”

“Heroes, yer majesty,” he said, grinning like an idiot. “Heroes from the future and the past. They know their titles better than I do.”

Legend raised an eyebrow at Wild, knowing the others would wait for them two to introduce themselves as Twilight clearly wanted to introduce them to Dusk.

Wild gave him a slight unsure look and Legend took that step forward.

He dropped into a bow. “I'm known as the Hero of Legend, your highness. My companions address me as Veteran or Scholar for simplicity's sake.”

Wild mimicked him with the bow, though he didn't curtesy—he didn't wear a dress—and just bent at the waist.

“Hero of the Wilds, also called Champion.” He was very brief with his words and Legend silently hummed his approval. It really showed his knight background, the briefness at least, but so did the way his heels touched and how straight he stood when he rose back up.

Like that, the others stepped up and followed their example. Warriors claiming the title of Hero of the War Between Eras, Time claiming the title of Hero of Time, Wind claiming the title of Hero of Winds, Sky calling himself the Chosen Hero of the Goddess, Four claiming the Hero of the Minish, and Hyrule calling himself the Hero of Hyrule, each gave their usual nicknames as well.

“Welcome to Hyrule Castle,” Dusk said coolly. “I do hope you will enjoy your stay,” she gestured for a servant, “Evelyn here will take you wherever you need—rest, training, enlightenment, or food—but I must steal away my hero, though I suppose more can accompany if he wishes to bring them.”

Twilight nodded. He looked back at Warriors who gave his own nod.

“Vet, Cub, c’mon,” he said quietly and Legend shot Hyrule a pleading look.

Hyrule just snorted and waved condescendingly as Wild rolled his eyes, grabbed Legend’s wrist, and tugged him along as the group split apart.

They got a distance from the throne room before Twilight stopped them.

He pointed a threatening finger at them both. “Neither of you say a word about this,” he warned lowly. Legend raised a challenging eyebrow while Wild just hummed. He eyed them before huffing and then pulling Dusk into a kiss.

Legend’s eyes widened and he felt his face heat up, he jerked his eyes away from the scene as the kiss became a little searing. Wild made a strangled noise a beat late to be reacting to the kiss and Legend got a hand slapped over his eyes.

“There are kids!” Wild screeched.

“He ain't that much of a kid.”

“Kid 'nough he turned red at your little display,” Wild said.

“Shut up.” Legend shoved him and he stumbled into the wall.

“Hey! I am protecting your innocence!” Wild protested, immediately throwing his arms around Legend’s shoulders. “He's just a baby, Rancher. Look at this face,” Legend glared daggers at the champion, “is this the face of someone who’s seen a couple kiss before?”

Dusk laughed lightly, a hand blocking her mouth, meanwhile Twilight snorted.

“That's the face of someone’s who’s about t’ murder you, Cub.”

Legend bit at Wild’s hand in front of his face and Wild pouted but retracted.

“You’re lucky Rulie likes you,” he warned.

“Eternally,” Wild agreed cheerily. 

“He's a very energetic boy,” Dusk said amusedly. “Certainly yours, Link.”

“What's that supposed to mean?” Twilight asked, feigning offense as they continued down the hall. “An’ there's two o’ them.”

“Oh I know,” Dusk held an arm out and Legend easily ducked under it to let her place it over his shoulders, “but this one is mine.”

“You know, you do have a face only a mother could love,” Wild teased, taking up a mirrored position as Legend at Twilight’s side.

“Cub…” Twilight sighed.

“Yeah, your mother loved it plenty last night,” Legend retorted.

“Kit!”

“Yes?”

“You—I know my mother didn’t raise you to talk like that.”

Legend grinned. “Nah, but your dad did.”

Wild howled with laughter while Twilight looked like he was questioning every decision he'd made up until now.

Good. Legend smirked, high-fiving Wild. It was his--theirs, he supposed, shame Wind wasn't here--responsibility to annoy Twilight.

Dusk turned out to be taking them to introduce Wild to Little Link and Zellie. They ended up spending only about an hour with the kids. After that, they headed back to the others, two children in tow.

Legend was letting Wild think he didn't even know how to do basic cooking—as if he hasn't lived alone for years, been on the road just as long, and has had a grandmother who had wanted to teach him all her family recipes—and questioning him on the simplest of things to see how long it took him to lose it. Zellie and Link were watching and giggling.

“Do you intend to tell them all?” Dusk asked, Legend barely heard her.

“Well…” Twilight trailed off, he glanced over at Legend, who had started watching them. He tilted his head curiously.

Wild was rambling on about how to dice something.

“They know about him,” he said. “And us, and… And I think I would like to stop hiding, after this quest is over.”

Dusk stared at him. “Truly?”

Legend looked back at Wild, who had fallen quiet too, and even the kids—Zellie was perched on Wild’s shoulders and Link had been holding Dusk’s skirt—were watching.

Twilight nodded. “I… realized it ain't worth being away fr’m you an’ missin’ out on anything.”

“Yes!” Zellie cheered and Wild wobbled to correct her balance. “I told you, Momma! I saw him claim us!”

Legend shared a look with Wild. Wild shrugged best he could with the princess on his shoulders.

“I know, dear,” Dusk assured, giving Twilight a soft look. “I know.”

Legend hummed and pointedly looked away, giving Wild a wide-eyed look.

Wild snorted. “Hey lovebirds, can we hurry up and find the others?”

“Maybe I should leave you to get lost in here,” Twilight retorted, shooting Wild a glare and Legend decided that he made a good decision looking away.

“Okay, come on kiddos,” Wild said, grinning up at Zellie who giggled and speeding up to walk down the hall.

He didn't care if that was him agreeing to be a child, he was very quickly following after Wild, he looked back at the kid that seemed hesitant to let go of Dusk.

“Want to come with us, Link?” He asked.

Link looked up at Dusk, who smiled at him and ushered him forward.

Link latched onto Legend’s side in moments and they were following Wild away from Dusk and Twilight.

Did Legend think maybe one of the ones who knew the castle should've been leading? Yes. Did he want to see where Wild got them? Also yes, absolutely.

Wild did indeed get them extremely lost to the point that a guard had stopped them and informed Legend that the Queen was looking for them and becoming worried. 

“Thank you,” Legend said, pretending his hands didn't start shaking the moment the guard had intercepted their path.

“What do you think, kids?” Wild asked. “Shall we find your parents or keep following the minish?”

“I wanna follow the mouse people,” Link said quietly.

Legend smiled. “The minish it is. Your dad will find us eventually. Worse comes to worse, you stay close to us, okay?”

Link nodded.

Zellie grinned. “To adventure!”

Wild, very much happy with his role as Zellie’s ride, broke into a run. “Keep up, Vet!”

Legend looked at Link, who was latched to his leg. “Shall we beat them?”

A familiar flare of determination shone in equally familiar eyes, and Link raised his hands. Legend scooped the kid up while kicking his Pegasus boots into action. Wild called him a cheater and gave chase, but the loud laughter of two giggling children won out at any desire to play fair. After all, it wasn't a race.

They ended up at the top of the castle, a place Legend usually associated with Ganon, but the kids called their hideout.

Wild whipped out blankets and dishes of gourmet food that Legend knew for a fact he kept for special occasions. They sat a fair distance from the edge, Wild telling exuberant stories with broad, dramatic gestures and voices, while Zellie and Link listened raptly while giving their own guesses for what happened. Legend nursed his drink. It was some honeyed tea, he wished it was cider, but beggars couldn't be choosers and the hot drink was wonderful. He listened to the stories just as attentively as the kids, only quieter. He leaned his head against the nearby pillar, Wild’s calming tea doing its job.

“Then—”

The door to the stairwell all but slammed open. Legend was up, fire lacing around his right hand and his sword in his other hand, Wild crouched and bow drawn back with three arrows.

Hyrule froze in the doorway, blinking and staring at them.

“You’re in so much trouble,” he said bluntly. “They're looking everywhere for you!”

“Sailor hasn't pinged my slate,” Wild countered, lowering his bow.

Legend sighed and sheathed his sword. “Zellie, Link, this is Rulie. He's our friend.”

Link stayed hidden behind Legend while Zellie poked her head out, stared at Hyrule. Then she nodded.

“We like him!” She declared.

“Want to join us?” Legend offered, sitting back down.

“Did you not hear me?” Hyrule demanded, frowning. “We thought you guys got kidnapped or something.”

“Please,” Wild scoffed. “I protected my princess for years; I can handle protecting the Rancher’s kids for an afternoon.”

Legend glared daggers at Wild and reached over to hit him. Wild just grinned at him.

Hyrule sighed. “No. Either you’re coming downstairs with me or I'm bringing them here.”

“Okay,” Wild said, putting an arm out to stop both Legend and Zellie from getting up. “We’ll hang out here.”

“Champion—”

“Trust me,” Wild insisted. Legend rolled his eyes.

Hyrule groaned heavily. “Fine. I’m telling them where you are.”

“Okay!”

Hyrule left and Wild looked back at them. Legend raised an eyebrow. Hyrule usually would join them, but for Hyrule to be choosing, well, responsibility over a bit of fun? Abnormal and Legend would usually give in.

“So,” Wild began, “who wants honeyed apples?”

“Me!” Link crawled over the blanket to snag some from Wild, Zellie eagerly took her portion and Wild even handed some to Legend.

Chapter Text

They did get in trouble when the actual adults came and found them, but Legend had a feeling—the moment Link told Dusk amongst many rabbit trails of comments what they had been doing—they wouldn't be in trouble long. Dusk had completely softened and Twilight’s annoyance fizzled out in moments. Wild shot Legend a pointed look and he just shrugged. Warriors did give them a lecture about not disappearing, especially Legend. Legend was a bit sour at the call out, no matter how understandable it was.

He wouldn't trade it though. Zellie and Link looked so happy and, more importantly, more carefree. Besides, based on the bruise behind Dusk’s ear that Legend spotted and muttered to Wild about its existence—just for confirmation—Twilight and Dusk couldn't get too mad at them.

Warriors, however, could and did.

He and Wild were unapologetic, despite them shrugging and saying fine, they wouldn’t doing it again. Wild tapped Legend’s knee with his crossed fingers, and Legend returned the gesture subtly.

Later that evening, Wind chided them about leaving him out of such things and demanded they stick together… because they all wore blue. Legend was going to switch back to red. Don't ask how, he wasn't sure, but he'd do it just to annoy him.

A day or two later, Legend woke up to Wild shaking him, he reached for a weapon but the champion covered his mouth and stopped his hand. He gave a grin and raised a finger to his lips.

Legend wanted to groan, but Wild waved him to follow as he slipped away.

He glanced over at Hyrule and Warriors, who shared the bed across the room and gave Wild a pointed look.

Wild grinned at him and waved more insistently.

Why. Legend rolled his eyes and got up. Seeing as Wild wasn't wearing shoes, he decided against putting his own on and just pulled his outer tunic on as he followed.

Once they were in the halls and Wild tugged him against the wall so they were sneaking around, he questioned things.

“What are we doing?” He asked, hissing.

“Shh!” Wild hissed back.

He rolled his eyes but shut up. He trusted Wild not to completely screw him over, shove him in a moat? Probably, yeah, but down a well he couldn't get out of? No, he didn't see that one happening.

They evaded guards and sentinels, hiding behind statues and shoving each other into hiding places in such a way that Legend was certain that if it was only him he would've been caught three corridors back.

Eventually, Wild was dragging him out to some hidden garden.

“I found this yesterday,” Wild informed him, grinning. “Want to spar?”

Legend blinked and stared at him. “Spar? It is past midnight, Champion. We’d get caught and if the Rancher doesn't chew us out, the Captain or—heck! The old man might actually! Swords clanging like that would cause a legitimate panic.”

Wild snorted. “I meant hand to hand.”

“…Why?” He questioned.

“Because I'm bored.”

"You know what—Fine, I want something though.”

“If you win, sure. What is it?”

“More of those honey-candied apples. And if we get caught, you take the fall."

“Deal. If you win and if they catch us, I... I kidnapped you or something."

With that, Wild lunged at him and Legend quickly moved to counter him.

Between swinging fists, thrown kicks, and twisting bodies, Legend quickly found his rhythm and danced around Wild’s attacks. Wild was fast and skilled. They had pretty similar styles at times, based in speed and agility, but Wild was a stealth fighter while Legend’s own fighting was more based on dancing.

At some point, Wild reverted to his more feral tendencies and he tackled Legend and wrestled him to the ground. They grappled and fought over the top, trying to pin and restrict the other.

A branch snapped and they both froze and looked up.

Piercing blue eyes, ones that nearly glowed in the darkness, was watching them.

Legend felt himself tense, he felt his blood go cold and fear shoot through him as a wolf stepped from the underbrush, but a moment after he recognized those eyes.

Wild laughed awkwardly, he had just flipped Legend on his back and Legend had been about to kick him over when Wolfie arrived.

“Heyyy,” Wild began, “what's—Run!”

Legend rolled as Wild leapt away. Wolfie was faster than Legend could be in his position, but instinct took over and he was escaping into the underbrush—darkness making him smaller; softer—while Wild scrambled frantically up a tree. 

Legend almost wanted to curse himself for using his magic so recklessly. He didn't need to use it, especially so much of it to transform, but he did and now he was hiding in a rose bush from Wolfie. A tiny rabbit hiding in a bush from a wolf who prowled around it and Wild’s tree.

“Where did—Vet?” Wild called.

He felt the dark magic nearby flare, then a hand caught his scruff and he squeaked.

“Wudn’t expectin' that,” Twilight drawled, holding Legend against his chest with one arm. “You can transform on yer own?”

He huffed and kicked at the older hero. Wild cooed from above.

“You didn't tell me you could become a bunny!” He jumped down from the tree only for Twilight to grab his collar and lift him from the ground like he was just as small a critter as Legend.

“So, which'a ya decided to sneak out?” He asked.

Legend chittered and pointed his nose at Wild.

“I kidnapped him,” Wild said, grinning.

Legend laughed—or did the rabbit equivalent—at the declaration.

“Right… Kit—”

Legend jumped from his arm, ignoring the frantic yelp that came from both of the others and landed neatly on two Hylian feet. He grinned at Wild.

“Does that mean you admit defeat? We said you kidnapped me if I won.”

“Wait—damnit!” Wild cursed.

Twilight sighed heavily, letting Wild down but still holding his collar. “Alright. Bed. Now.  And next time don’t leave your shoes and gear when you go missing.”

"Hey…” Wild smirked, “Vet, do we really need to go?”

Legend listened, he didn't hear the guards in a frenzy like he had the other day, he didn't hear anyone trying to find them. “No, I don’t think we do, Champ.”

“What do you—”

“Sneak attack!”

Wild tackled Twilight, the man yelping in surprise. Legend dropped to the ground and kicked his legs, ensuring that the sudden weight imbalance would actually knock him down. Wild employed a completely different approach to his attack on Twilight, who was quick to grapple and wrestle Wild down. Legend tried to dive in and help his enemy-turned-ally in the wake of a greater enemy’s arrival, but he seemed to have forgotten that not only was Twilight stupidly strong, he was also able to wrestle Gorons.

He got over them both, pinning them both down for a moment. However, they were both far smaller and scrappier than a Goron, Wild managed to squirm and crawl onto Twilight’s back and Legend hooked a leg under his ankle to knock him over again.

Twilight rolled and somehow threw Wild off. In moments again, both Legend and Wild were pinned and this time, neither could wriggle their way out.

“If ya want to be out here fine,” he said. “We’ll stay out here.”

Before either could say a word, Twilight dropped his weight on Wild, and used an arm to keep Legend down easily. Wild groaned loudly. 

“Oh come on! Really? Ge’off you wet dog!” Wild pushed at him and failed miserably at getting him off. Legend tried to wriggle free, but his arm only tightened and drew him closer.

“Nope. You want to be outside so bad, then we’re stayin' right here.”

Legend managed to get about an inch of movement before he was just stuck.

“Jerk,” he huffed. “We weren’t doin’ nothin’.”

“You snuck out, unarmed, without telling anyone, in the middle of the night.”

“We were within the walls!” Wild protested. However, Legend faltered as Wild tried to argue their case. He realized their mistake.

“Sorry, Rancher.”

Wild went quiet, and Legend didn't really want to know if they were looking at him.

“Just don't make a habit of it, Kit,” Twilight sighed. He shifted, Wild wheezing at the shift in weight, and then Legend found himself between them rather than beside Wild and under Twilight.

“What am I missing?” Wild asked, no longer striving to escape.

“How'd we find out he was missing a while back, Cub?” Twilight asked.

Legend could almost feel Wild’s confusion.

“We woke up and he wasn't there, I guess at first it wasn't a big deal but then the Captain noticed his stuff was still by his bed and only him and his boots were gone—ohhh… oops.”

Legend snorted. “Hey, at least we avoided the knights this time.”

Wild laughed. “We did!”

Twilight sighed tiredly. “I'm too old for this.”

“You’re like 25!”

“My point remains.”

“You know,” Wild began as he cut the carrots and dropped them into his pot. Legend sat beside him, mainly for the warmth of the fire, flipping through a book.

They'd left Hyrule Castle two days prior and was now in the Champion’s Hebra mountains. They were taking refuge at the stable and most everyone was inside, but Legend had decided to join Wild outside while he cooked.

“Rancher’s been sadder lately,” Wild said and Legend glanced up from his book.

“What?”

“Since we found out he's your dad,” he shrugged, “he's been… softer, lighter, happier too, but he's also… sadder.”

Legend tilted his head. “Do you know why?” Has he been doing something wrong? Should he avoid Twilight?

“Well… I think it's us, more you than me to be honest.” Wild stirred the soup he was making, vegetable at Legend’s request, though with a bone broth. Legend supposed that was better than nothing. “I don’t talk about it much, I don’t like to think about it, but ever since… ever since my second adventure, people don’t… remember me, really. The friends I do have and who know me for me, there's certain boundaries we're reaching. Everyone else… I'm not much more than an addition to Zelda. Her knight, always following her, whenever I'm alone… they don’t even recognize me.” He laughed bitterly.

Legend listened attentively, sliding a cloth bookmark into his now unneeded distraction.

“The Rancher worries. I don’t know if you've noticed, but he worries about all of us. Every little thing. He worries about the Sailor and his food intake, about the Smithy and his tendency to distance himself from the group, about everyone and everything.”

“He's always been like that,” Legend said, quieter than he intended. “At least since his quest. In Hytopia, he fussed over every little thing. Even Ocean got sick of it and you know that kid has way too much patience for his age.”

He laughed again, this time lighter and far less bitter. “You’re not wrong.” He smiled softly as he looked at the soup. Legend studied him. “It's nothing like that now though… I think he worries about what will come after. We know the old man’s got Malon back home, Sky’s got his Zelda, Smithy’s got his grandpa and his Zelda too. Everyone… Everyone has something to go back to, somewhere they'd be happy and safe, and they know it, 'cept me, and since… since last time we were there, you don’t either.”

Legend sighed. “I have people there.”

“How old are you again?”

Legend chanced a glance at the door to the stable before deciding it was probably safe to say it and not be heard by anyone else.

“Seventeen,” he admitted to the other hero. “I'll be eighteen by the winter solstice.”

Wild nodded. “I’m close. I’ll turn nineteen on the spring equinox.”

“Plus the hundred year nap, so 118?”

Wild smiled wryly and nodded. “My point is that you’re not an adult yet though.”

Legend inclined his head, having to concede that point.

“Your grandparents and uncle are gone, but you've got your Zelda, right? She's your sister?”

He sighed softly. “Yes, kind of. I didn't know about that until this adventure, Champion. I… I have people back home, friends… though, I think we’re in the same boat on that. There are people—”

“But they're not there?” Wild finished and Legend just nodded. Sure he had friends from past adventures, but when was the last time he saw or interacted with them? “Yeah… Yeah, I get that. I…” he glanced at the snowy plains beyond the sparse trees. “I'm… After the last shift, when we stayed at the palace for those few days… I don’t know, something felt right.”

“Felt right?”

“It felt… I don’t know, keeping an eye on you and the kids, dragging you to do something that we’d get in trouble for, teaching the kids about food and stuff. It was just… domestic, natural.”

Legend decided against challenging him about keeping an eye on him. “You want it.”

They both went silent and glanced aside as Sky and Hyrule returned with firewood. Their conversation silenced as Hyrule joined them by the fire and Wild happily explained what he was making.

Later that evening, Wild whispered to Legend.

“I do want it,” he admitted, voice little more than the rustling of leaves. “Is that wrong?”

Legend shook his head. “No. I don’t think it is. We’re allowed to want things.” He met Wild’s eyes. “I do think you should mention it to Forest—the Rancher, I mean. Not all of it, that would make his worrying worse,” Wild snorted, “but the fact that you liked it there.”

Wild hummed softly. “I'll think about it… Did you? Like it?”

Legend thought back to those couple days, the quiet mornings he spent with Dusk in her study, reading magical theory or history, a few afternoons spent with the kids, helping with lessons or just playing with them, making sure they didn't feel the suffocating responsibility Fable would complain to him about. The late nights he'd find himself with Wild, or Twilight, or both, doing something quiet or sometimes exciting, him and Wild annoying Twilight or sparring and ganging up on their brother. Sometimes they just ended up with Wolfie pinning one to the ground and the other would fall down beside them so they'd all be watching the stars over the courtyards. That first night had repeated after, when Wild began waking Twilight up to join them.

That wasn’t even including the stuff he, Hyrule, Wind, and/or Four would get up to.

In another life… could that have been his life?

He thought about it.

“I liked it,” Legend admitted, "but, it's not my life, it's not the life I want to live. I'd like to one day have that… the safety, the domesticity, but… not quite like that.” He wanted a farm, his grandparent's farm specifically, but that wasn't an option. He wasn't sure Hyrule itself was an option.

Wild hummed. "Why not?"

"It's… The castle, the guards and the politics—Royal heritage or not, I'm an average nobody, Champion."

"Oh—Well yeah, I wasn't talking about the guards and the politics, I meant like… just, the nice stuff."

Legend laughed bitterly. "Fair enough, I hope you get it then."

"You too, Vet."

He wouldn't. For all that had happened in his life, he knew that when he died it would be covered in blood and fighting.