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Chapter Text

Sometimes, Hyrule loved the portals that teleported him and his companions across time and space. They brought him to beautiful lands that he never imagined possible, and they brought him a close-knit group that he now proudly called brothers. But sometimes, Hyrule absolutely despised the portals.

This is one of those moments.

The chain had left the safety of Malon’s home through one of these swirling gateways, and of course, the portal had to split them up. It didn’t happen often, but when it did, something was usually bound to go wrong. Hyrule found himself stranded with Legend in an unfamiliar landscape. Neither hero was sure which era they had landed in.

“Oh great,” Legend huffed. “Just our luck to have to find where the rest of those morons ended up.”

“I’m just glad I’m not completely alone this time,” Hyrule said with a slight shudder. Then he started to look around to take in his surroundings. They were on a peaceful road in the middle of a dense forest. The air was cool with a slight fall breeze whistling through the treetops. The path was well worn, so Hyrule assumed they must be close to civilization.

Legend must have realized the same thing, when he said, “Maybe if one of us climbs a tree, we can see which way to a town.”

“Oh no, I am not climbing a tree. That’s Wild’s job,” Hyrule said with his hands raised slightly.

“Well he’s not here, now is he. How about we draw rocks?” Legend produced two small stones from his bag: one pink, and one green. “Whoever draws green has to climb the tree.”

“Alright fine,” Hyrule sighed and silently crossed his fingers in hopes of good luck.

Legend pulled out a small sack and dropped the rocks inside, giving it a good shake. Little did Hyrule know, there were two green stones in the bag and the coveted pink rock was in the cuff of Legend’s sleeve.

Hyrule reached into the bag and pulled out a stone with a closed fist, then Legend did the same. “Okay, on the count of three,” Legend instructed. “One, two, three.”

Both heroes opened their palms face-up, revealing Hyrule as the unlucky winner.

“Come on Ledge, you definitely cheated,” Hyrule whined.

“Can you prove it?” Legend waited for a response with a smirk. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

Reluctantly, Hyrule began his ascent up the tree. He was not as nimble at this as Wild was, seeing as he literally grew up in a cave. Ganon’s hatred had also leaked into the nature of his world in a way that was different from the other Links’. His world was sick and poisoned, which made trees crumbly and unsturdy--definitely unfit for climbing. But Hyrule managed to slowly find his footing, carefully concentrating on the thickest branches. His heart pounded at the new experience, a little from anxiety and a little from the thrill of the height.

He was nearing the top of the tree when all of the sudden he heard a shout from below: “Look out! Moblins!” Hyrule looked down to see Legend draw his sword, smirk replaced with a serious scowl. A small group of three moblins surrounded his friend, but Hyrule assumed they were black blooded. Regular moblins weren’t smart enough to come at his friend from different directions.

Just then, one of the tall creatures swung its large sword in a circular arc towards Legend, but he managed to duck, feeling the whistle of the blade whoosing over his head. The sword instead lodged itself into the base of the very tree Hyrule was in. The force wasn’t enough to fell the tree, but it sent a violent shock up the limbs, and Hyrule had forgotten to keep a tight hold in all the chaos.

Legend watched helplessly as Hyrule tumbled gracelessly from the treetop, a loud shriek scaring the birds of the forest. Legend felt the heat rise in his cheeks from anger. “That’s my friend!” He screamed as he launched himself at his foes with a newly found vigor. He sliced one from top to bottom in his blind rage, decapitated the next, and sank his blade into the back of the final moblin. Once the monsters had crumbled into shadows and dust, Legend wasted no time in rushing to Hyrule’s side.

“Come on buddy, please be alright,” Legend whispered more to himself than to anyone else. He fell to his knees next to Hyrule and rolled him over onto his back. Legend let out a small hiss once he saw the damage. There were small cuts all over Hyrule’s face, arms, and legs from the branches of the tree, and his right arm was sticking in an awkward direction. Legend felt around his hair checking for any head injury, and his hand came away with blood on one side.

Hyrule let out a pained groan, and he sluggishly blinked his eyes open. Legend’s concern only grew when Hyrule’s eyes wouldn’t focus on the face above him. Concussion , Legend thought. He cursed himself a little when he realized that he didn’t have any fairies or potions on him. Most of them were with Warriors, their field medicine expert.

Legend began to wrap Hyrule’s head with the bandages he did have to stop the bleeding, and he got ready to reset Hyrule’s arm. If only you were prepared for this , he thought to himself. Warriors and Time would know exactly what to do if they were in this situation. Sky would be able to comfort Hyrule, and even Wind would be able to make the injured boy smile. But no, Hyrule was stuck with him, the grouchy teammate who wasn’t good enough to handle any of this.

“Stupid, stupid, stupid,” he muttered to himself.

“S’rry,” Hyrule slurred, uneven pupils trying to land on Legend’s face. “I didn’t mean to fall down.”

“No, I wasn’t talking to you. It’s alright, Roolie, you didn’t do anything wrong,” Legend said with a sad smile. “I’m the idiot here. If I had just climbed the tree, you could’ve used your healing magic on me. I have to reset your arm now, get ready.” Hyrule was too out of it to really understand, but he nodded along anyways. Legend sucked in a sharp breath, then he snapped the boy’s broken arm back into place. Hyrule let out a heartbreaking scream that Legend hoped he would never have to hear again.

“I’m so sorry,” Legend said, while softly wiping the tears away from Hyrule’s face. The boy started to catch his breath again, and Legend moved his hand to Hyrule’s hair, running his fingers through the locks gently. Thankfully, the boys managed to have one stroke of luck that day: Legend heard the sound of feet running up the path. When he turned and looked, it was the rest of the chain. Twilight shouted his name, and Legend sighed with relief.

The group circled around him, and Warriors stepped over with a red potion in hand. “What happened?” He asked as he slowly tipped the crimson liquid into Hyrule’s mouth.

“He was scouting from the top of a tree when a group of ‘blins attacked us,” Legend said. “It was my fault, I should’ve climbed the tree. He didn’t want to, but I cheated. This shouldn’t have happened to him. I wasn’t careful enough, or fast enough, or--”

“Hey, look at me,” Warriors said seriously. Legend had been staring at the ground, avoiding any and all gazes. “It’s not your fault. I’m sure you did all that you could, and you helped him with what you had to work with. Look, he’s starting to fall asleep, but he’s going to be okay.”

Legend could see that he was right; Hyrule’s natural color was returning, and the cuts and broken bone were beginning to mend from the red potion. Warriors laid a hand on Legend's shoulder and squeezed lightly. “Don’t blame yourself, okay? We’re all out here always doing our best, but sometimes people get hurt. It’s inevitable in our business. We might not have chosen it, but it’s part of the whole hero gig.”

Legend let the words sink in and silently nodded. Warriors began to stand and said, “Now let’s get Hyrule somewhere safe to rest up. This is Four’s Hyrule, and he said there’s a town just a couple of miles from here.”

Time carried the sleeping Hyrule on his back, and Legend followed as close as he could to the two. He found comfort in the way Hyrule’s chest continued to rise and fall, and he almost let himself think for a second that Warriors the idiot was right.

Almost.

Chapter Text

Wild’s head pounded as he slowly came around. He could hear a faint buzzing in his skull that definitely wasn’t supposed to be there. Slightly cracking his eyes open, all he could see was darkness. He couldn’t remember how he had gotten here, or why he was unconscious, which sparked an old fear in his chest. Wild didn’t like when he couldn’t remember.

He took a breath and thought of the time that Twilight had told him, “Learn to focus in on all of your senses. We tend to just rely on sight, and I rely on smell a lot as Wolfie, but each one has its use.” Wild usually didn’t listen that well to his mentor, but this piece of advice had stuck with him for some reason. As he tuned in on his senses, he found that he was lying on a cold, damp floor. The air smelled bitter and stale, like the air didn’t move around much in here. He flexed his arms and legs to check for any injuries that he may have missed initially, and he jumped when he heard the sharp clang of metal fill his ears. 

Wild felt around for the source, and he found that a metal chain was attached to his ankle, which ran to the center of the room. He could’ve summoned a pick to get rid of it, but then he realized that someone had taken his slate. No resources, great , he thought. Wild managed to stand up, and it made his head spin again. Once the fog in his brain cleared a little, he managed to walk around the dark room. It was very small--he could touch each wall even with the chain, so it must have only been about six feet across.

As he was trailing his hands across the stone walls, he hit what he figured was a door. It was cool and metallic to the touch. Immediately he banged on it with closed fists and shouted, “Hey! Someone let me out of here!”

Wild pressed his ear up to the door, and he could hear the shuffle of footsteps from the other side. Someone was coming. When the door started to open with a loud scraping noise, Wild staggered back to the wall farthest from the door. He didn’t know who to expect, but if he was chained, it couldn’t be anyone good.

The hero’s heart jerked nervously in his chest as light filtered in from the open doorway. His eyes began to adjust, and he laid his sight on someone he thought he would never see again.

“I thought you were dead,” Wild said with confusion lacing his voice.

“Sometimes we believe what we wish to be true,” said Master Kohga, in the flesh.

Wild sucked in a breath as the man with the inverted Sheikah eye stalked closer to him. Kohga grabbed Wild’s face, receiving a glare from the young hero. “Not so tough without that fancy slate, are you?” Kohga said. “You’re mine now, and I will have my revenge for what you did to me.” This bought a few dark laughs from the two Yiga soldiers guarding the exit.

“How did you even survive?” Wild asked. Sure he was in a nerve-wracking predicament, but he was genuinely curious. Must have been a trait he picked up from Zelda.

Kohga released Wild’s face and stood straight with his hands on his hips. “I managed to wrangle the mighty fire dragon Dinraal. He carried me out of the chasm you cast me into upon his back!” Kohga all but shouted, a haughty pride in his demeanor.

“Wait, I thought that the dragon mistaked you for lunch, and he carried you back in his mouth by accident,” one of the Yiga said, scratching his head.

“SHUT IT!!” Kohga screamed, stopping his foot the way a child would during a tantrum. The soldier backed away and bowed his head in shame. “Ahem, as I was saying, I didn’t have contact with any other breathing Hylian for a long six months. Now it’s your turn to feel the maddening pain that I did. It’s only fair, after all. However, there’s no hope of escape for you. You’ll rot in this room until all that’s left are your bones.”

Wild continued his menacing glare as Kohga threw back his head in unhinged laughter. “Away!” the Yiga master yelled as he and his henchmen left and slammed the door behind them.

The echo of the door rang in Wild’s ears as he stood in the uncomfortable silence. His glare melted away, adrenaline from the encounter wearing off. He found that he was actually a little scared once he was submerged in darkness yet again. The shrine , he couldn’t stop himself from thinking. This was too much like the Shrine of Resurrection he had woken up in at the beginning of his adventure. His breaths began to come in short and fast, and he slid down the wall before he could become too unsteady.

He ran his fingers through his hair and rubbed his ears the way that Time would whenever he was distressed about something. It didn’t help much, it wasn’t as comforting as when the Old Man did it. He tried to reign in his emotions, tried not to let the panic settle in. Kohga was wrong. There was hope for him, as long as his brothers were still looking for him.

.  .  .

Wild wasn’t sure how long he’d been stuck in this tiny room. He had no light and no way to gauge the passing of time. It made him nervous that the chain hadn’t found him yet, but he tried to chase those kinds of thoughts away.

Occasionally, the Yiga soldiers would slide crackers and a cup of water through a slot that could open in the door, but other than that, he hadn’t had any contact. He missed the sound of his brothers’ voices, and a few times he had tried to pretend he was talking to them. He figured it helped to just hear his own voice, but it frustrated him when he didn’t sound like the people he missed most. Wild longed to just hear the laughter of Wind, Four, and Hyrule, the bickering of Legend and Warriors, Sky’s soft snores, Time’s dry humor, and Twilight’s reassurances.

He laid down to try and sleep. The thoughts stopped for the most parts when he slept. He didn’t find himself dreaming much, but when he did, he woke up with his heart reeling from a nightmare. He couldn’t get comfortable, though. A bruise was starting to form on the side of his head from sleeping on the stone floor for many of what he thought were nights, and he was hyper aware of the raw skin of his ankle that had been constantly rubbed by his shackle. Wild was scared, tired, and frustrated, and he felt hot tears start to streak down his face. That was starting to become a familiar feeling.

He cried for what felt like hours, and his heart and hope broke a little more with each sob. Eventually, crying wasn’t releasing the emotions enough anymore, so he began screaming. He screamed and cursed at Kohga, Ganon, and even himself. Sometimes he didn’t scream words at all. He just let the air rip through his vocal cords as he screamed endlessly into the void. His throat began to burn and ache, his voice sounding hoarse. But he didn’t care, he just kept on screaming. He silently wished that Kohga would come back, even if it was just to tell him to shut up.

.  .  .

Twilight stared back at the reflection of his gaunt face. He hadn’t been eating or sleeping well over the past month and a half, and his body was really showing it. Time had tried to voice his concern over the amount of weight he had lost, but Twilight didn’t want to hear it. He didn’t want to hear much of anything, honestly. No one ever had any good news for the chain. There were just infinite dead ends.

The group of heroes was currently at Flora’s castle in Wild’s era. Time had figured that the center of Hyrule would be a good hub for information in their search, but so far that hadn’t led anywhere. They only knew one new clue from when they started: This was the Yiga clans doing. That dreadful night when they had last seen Wild, he was supposed to be taking the final watch. But when Twilight had woken up, his protegee was nowhere to be found.

Since then they had been searching Hyrule tirelessly, and they were all exhausted. Yet none of them wanted to take a break. They loved their brother, and they would stop at nothing to get him back. Wild’s absence was like a hole in the group, and Twilight could constantly feel the ache of it in his heart.

“Hey,” Time said softly, stepping into the room Twilight was staying in. “A Gerudo woman came in earlier with a new lead.”

“Time, I’m sick and tired of chasing false hopes from these people,” Twilight huffed out, avoiding eye contact.

“No, I think this one could be different. She’s part of a Gerudo task force that keeps tabs on Yiga activity in the desert,” Time explained. “She said that suspicious amounts of banana merchants are going missing right between the Gerudo highlands and Central Hyrule.”

Twilight’s ear perked up a little at this. “That definitely sounds like it could be promising,” he said. Twilight felt his heart soar a little at the thought of something that could actually pan out for once. But he carefully prepared himself to be let down again.

.  .  .

Wild felt the biggest relief that he had in ages. The food and water had stopped coming. He was sitting in the corner of the room leaning heavily on the wall. His body was tired and malnourished, and he felt weaker than when he originally woke up in the shrine. He felt his life force slipping away, yet he wasn’t too sad. He was ready to be out of this forsaken room.

Yet every time he felt his eyelids start to slip, he would jolt himself awake. Part of him was holding on. Part of him knew the pain his brothers would go through if they really lost him. He didn’t want to grieve them more than they had already been forced to endure. He was also a little scared. Wild was so tired and ready for this to be over, but he didn’t truly want to die. He just wanted an escape somehow. Every option seemed impossible, though. The odds of being found in time were near zero, and the thought of that seemed to suck away the remaining hope he had.

Fighter or not, Wild couldn’t hold out without basic necessities forever. The room had always been warm, but he found himself starting to shiver. His muscles felt so weak, and he felt like his brain was decaying with his body. He found himself between sleep and wakefulness, not being able to drag himself to one side or the other. He seemed to simply float in the darkness with the ever deafening silence.

Until he heard a sound.

There was a voice speaking above him, but he wasn’t sure who it belonged to. He was probably just imagining things. Yet he slowly and painfully peeled his eyes open, and they immediately burned from the light that suddenly flooded his eyes. Someone had opened the door.

.  .  .

Twilight couldn’t help but gag when the iron door was opened. The room smelled of a filth so strong that he was shocked that he didn’t instantly throw up. When he looked around, he saw nothing but a large bucket and a small figure curled around itself in the corner.

Wild.

Twilight and Hyrule rushed to his side. The others were busy fighting off the Yiga, giving them what they deserved for hurting their brother. The two boys dropped down to their knees next to the crumpled figure, and Twilight saw Wild in a state that he never could have imagined him in.

His eyes were blearily trying to take in his surroundings, and his breath whistled painfully in his chest. “He’s burning up,” Hyrule said as he placed the back of his hand against Wild’s sweaty forehead. Twilight nodded and reached for a red potion in his bag. He lifted up Wild’s head and helped him slowly drink the liquid while Hyrule began using his healing magic. Then Twilight started looking over the rest of him.

Wild’s eyes were bloodshot and he had huge bags under them. There was snot running down his face, and his wet coughs showed that he was definitely sick. Thankfully Twilight didn’t see any major injuries. But Wild’s fingernails were caked in blood, and so was the skin around the shackle on his ankle. He must have tried to claw his way out.

The potion started running through his system, and Wild let out a low groan. “Hey, it’s okay, Cub,” Twilight whispered. “We’re here now. Everything’s going to be okay.”

“Twi?” Wild asked, stunning blue eyes finally landing on Twilight’s.

“Yeah, it’s me. I’m here,” Twilight said while grabbing his cub’s hands to ground him.

“Took you long enough,” Wild said with a small snort. Twilight was so relieved to hear him attempt a joke. “I can’t hold on any longer. ‘m sorry.”

“It’s alright. We’ve got you, you can rest now,” Twilight said as he began to pick him up. Hyrule drew his blade and shot a sword beam at the chain to free the young hero. Twilight winced as it fell to the ground. He knew the feeling of a shackle all too well.

As soon as Twilight got his cub settled in his arms, Wild’s eyes rolled back into his head as he passed out. “Should we be worried about that?” Twilight asked with concern.

“No, I think he’ll be okay for now,” Hyrule answered. “He really needs to rest, so we should let him do that.”

Twilight started out the door back towards the rest of the chain. He held onto Wild tightly, and he rested his forehead against the top of Wild’s hair. He breathed in the scent of him, just thankful that he wouldn’t have to bury another friend. 

Chapter Text

“I don’t understand how he does that,” Warriors said, looking at a sleeping Sky. The chain was currently sitting around a fire in Twilight’s era. They had made camp for the night, and they expected to make it to Ordon village by the next evening. Sky had fallen asleep as soon as he had finished eating Wild’s rice balls, and somehow he was sleeping by the others while using a rock for a pillow. “I’m pretty sure he can pass out anywhere at this point.”

Time laughed and said, “It’s truly impressive how he can sleep through anything.” He immediately regretted saying that once Four and Wind looked at each other with matching mischievous looks.

“Oh yeah?” Wind said with a devilish smile. “That sounds like a challenge, doesn’t it, Four?”

“It definitely does,” Four answered, standing up with Wind.

“Oh boy, here we go,” Legend muttered, even though he was smiling, too.

The two boys ran down to the nearby creek and filled their water flasks to the brim. Once they got back, Wind quietly counted down, and the two dumped the water all over poor Sky.

The chain waited with baited breath for an angry and wet Sky, but they were just met with the unbroken rhythm of the Skyloftian’s soft snores.

“Dude, how?” Wind asked, jaw dropped as he stared at his sleeping friend.

“I literally don’t understand him,” Four said while scratching his head.

“Ooh I have an idea!” Wild exclaimed with a slightly unhinged grin.

Time knew that look, and he also knew it was time to step in. “Okay, I’ll admit that was amusing, but let’s let the birdbrain sleep.”

“You’re a buzzkill, Old Man,” Twilight said sarcastically, lightly punching Time’s arm.

The group laughed, and small conversation continued for a while. Eventually, the heroes began to settle down for the night, assigning watches and setting out bed rolls. No one wanted to disturb Sky, but Four did drape his sailcloth over his shoulders.

Four was on first watch, and he occupied himself by cleaning his blade by the fire. He breathed in deep, just enjoying the quiet night air. Nights like these always reminded him why he loved working with a team so much. He was grateful for the camaraderie and for the brothers he had gained.

He was watching the embers from the fire float lazing into the air when he suddenly heard a branch snap in the surrounding woods. He stood instantly and quickly drew his sword. Trying to listen carefully over his pounding heart, he looked around the area. Just then, a group of monsters entered the clearing with a cacophony of snorts and squeals.

Bokoblins.

“Guys! Monsters!” Four shouted, alerting the rest of the group. Everyone was up quickly and brandishing their weapons. (Even Sky got up.)

Warriors began to bark out orders, and the chain followed the Captain’s instruction. There were about thirty bokoblins, Four guessed. He flanked left, and locked himself in battle with the creatures.

“Careful, they’ve got black blood!” Hyrule shouted from behind.

Four was the smallest of the group, but he had never treated that as a hindrance. Instead, he used it skillfully towards his advantage. He was quick, and he was able to side-step around the monster’s blades as he slashed at their chests and throats. He could sense where the other members of the chain were, and they fought together like a well-oiled machine. Four ended up back to back with Hyrule, and the two created a deadly combination that attacked from both sides. The bokoblins were losing badly, but the group didn’t notice one of the monsters pull away from the rest of the horde.

The lone bokoblin notched an arrow in its bow, and drew back. It loosed the arrow and let out a victorious screech once the arrow landed home in one of the heroes.

Four fell to the ground with a yelp. The arrow had stuck itself deep into his sword arm. “Four!” Hyrule shouted, beginning to defend the hurt boy more than taking an offensive.

“Get him out of here, we’ve got this!” Warriors shouted, running over to their position. “They’re almost gone!”

Hyrule grabbed Four and dragged him away from the battle. “Sorry!” Hyrule said as Four shouted in pain again. The healer began to look over him to assess the damage, and there was a lot of blood leaking from where the arrow was embedded in Four’s arm.

Four groaned, and it worried Hyrule how pale his face was. Tears were pooling in the small hero’s eyes, and his jaw was clenched tightly in pain.

Sky joined the two, dropping down to his knees alongside Hyrule. “Is he alright?” Sky asked, breathing heavily.

“I don’t know yet, he’s losing blood faster than I’m comfortable with,” Hyrule answered. “But I can’t use my magic on him until we get the arrow out.”

The dam finally broke in Four’s eyes, and he let out a sob as the tears began to flow freely. “Hey, we’ve got you,” Sky said, stroking his head. “Just hang on for me.”

Four nodded, but he was scared. He knew this was going to hurt. “Just do it,” he said, clutching Sky’s hand. By then, the others had wrapped up the battle with the bokoblins and the boys joined the trio. Hyrule filled them in on what needed to happen, and Twilight volunteered to do the not-so-fun job.

“Wait,” Sky said as Twilight laid his hands on the arrow shaft. “Bite down on this, Four.”

Sky removed his belt and gave it to Four to put between his teeth. The increasingly pale boy nodded once he was ready.

Twilight took a deep breath and began to pull the arrow out. Four let out an excruciating scream, slightly muffled from Sky’s belt, and Warriors and Legend had to move to hold down his arms and legs. Four’s back arched in pain as the arrow tore up the insides of his arm, and his breaths came in fast and uneven.

“Stop!” Time shouted suddenly. Twilight stopped what he was doing, and the chain stared at Time’s outburst. “It’s coming out too slowly. There has got to be a barb on the arrow head, we’re just doing more damage by pulling on it.”

“I’ll bet you’re right,” Legend said with wide eyes.

“Then the only way to do this is by pushing it the rest of the way through,” Warriors said, eying Four apologetically.

Twilight steeled himself for the new task when Wild suddenly said, “I’ve got an idea! What if I use the stasis ability on my slate to get the arrow out faster? It’ll hurt him less if it’s got more speed, right?”

“Yeah, but how will stasis speed up the arrow? I thought it did the opposite,” Warriors said.

“If you hit something while I have a stasis lock on it, it builds up energy, and that all gets released at the same time when the lock wears off,” Wild explained.

“That sounds crazy enough that it might just work,” Wind said with a smile.

“Alright, do it,” Hyrule said, anxiously rubbing his hands together.

Warriors cut the end of the arrow shaft off while Wild pulled out the Sheikah slate and activated the stasis rune. The arrow in Four’s arm began to glow yellow, and Twilight held his arm down. Wild then used the butt of his sword to repeatedly hit the arrow shaft. The yellow increasingly turned red as Wild beat it, and then suddenly the stasis lock released, and so did all the kinetic energy from Wild’s hits.

Four screamed as the arrow flew through the rest of his arm and lodged itself in a tree about sixty feet away.

Hyrule immediately got to work. He laid his hands on the entry and exit wounds and his green healing magic began to repair the damage. The blood stopped pouring out of Four’s arm, but there was a concerning amount of it already lost on the ground.

Four felt dizzy while his brothers worked to get him more comfortable. He felt his head being moved into Sky’s lap, and he tried to focus on the way Sky was rubbing his temples. But he still whimpered from the pain. He could feel the uncomfortable way his arm was knitting itself back together from Hyrule’s magic, but it still felt sharp and painful.

His head was lifted up again, and his vision began to blur. He couldn’t figure out why he felt so light headed, but then someone was trying to get him to drink something. He couldn’t tell whose voice was telling him to “drink,” but he obeyed. Four could taste the bitterness of a red potion sliding down his throat, and he coughed a little.

“Ow,” he muttered when the cough rattled his chest.

“It’s alright,” someone said. “Just rest, you’re safe now.”

Somehow he believed the voice, despite just being shot in the arm. Four felt consciousness slipping from his grasp; he was just so tired. He gently fell asleep to the fading voices above him and the soft touch in his hair.

Chapter Text

When the chain had initially gotten together, Time had kept a close eye on Warriors. He knew that he was the Captain that he had fought with back in the War Between Eras, but Wars didn’t know that Time was a grown up Mask. He had thought about telling the man, but he had no idea how to approach the subject. Time hadn’t seen him in decades, but Warriors only looked a little older than when he had first known him.

It was so strange to Time that he was here with the Captain once again. He thought that he would never see him again after Cia was defeated. But Wars was back now, the man that Time had looked up to and had called a friend all those years ago.

After the chain first met Warriors, he had figured out fairly quickly that Time was their unofficial leader. And Time knew that Warriors would respect that, coming from his military background. But the Old Man had no idea just how deep that obedience had been engraved into Warriors’s head.

Time would watch Warriors carefully as he connected to the other boys. He quickly took a strong liking to Wind, and the two became as thick as thieves. He had a sort of rivalry with Legend, but Time could tell that the duo only picked on each other because they cared. (Well, also a little bit because of their egos.) Wild and Warriors would bond over making dinner, sharing stories about what it was like to be a knight, and Warriors looked mostly relaxed around the others.

Except for Time.

Anytime the eldest Link would approach Warriors, the Captain would straighten his spine, hold his chin a little higher, and do what he was told without any sort of complaint. Whenever Time would ask him to do anything, like go with Hyrule to collect more firewood, he would only nod curtly and say, “Yes, sir.”

Time understood Warriors’s eerily robotic behavior, but it still rubbed him the wrong way. He loved all of his boys, so it hurt that one of them felt the need to only see him as a commander. He knew that this was how the Captain operated around authority--he had seen it firsthand as a young boy--and the only leader Wars ever called a friend had been General Impa.

The thought of all this set a twinge of sorrow through Time’s heart. He often felt a deep mourning for the innocent childhoods of the chain. They had all started too young, Warriors included. The Captain was raised on “yes, sir” and “no, sir,” and it became his default towards any leader. It pained Time that Warriors had been forced to take up arms in his military at such a tender age, and that it scared him to let his true colors shine through to the older man.

Time reminisced about the year he had with Warriors when he was called Mask. He missed the way that they had become friends, despite the circumstances and ever looming threats. He knew that the Captain was kind, funny, charismatic, and occasionally a little hot-headed. The man showed these traits to the other boys, but never to Time. Warriors had been his big brother back then, and now that Time was the older one, he felt that he was failing to return the favor.

Presently, Time was trying to get some shut eye, but sleep seemed elusive tonight. His mind wouldn’t quiet down, and he couldn’t stop worrying that he would never be close with Warriors again. He closed his eyes as a tear streamed down his face. No one could see the pain that he was in; it was breaking his old heart. He had been keeping it to himself for months now, and it felt like the sadness was starting to break him apart.

“Time,” a voice whispered, gently shaking his shoulder. “It’s time to switch watches, sir.”

Sir.

He immediately knew that it was Warriors talking to him. Time sighed and got out of the warmth of his bedroll and stepped into the cool night air. The Captain nodded at him in passing and headed to his own bedroll for the night.

“Wait,” Time said with a hand partly extended. “We need to talk.”

“Alright. What would you like to talk about, sir?” Warriors asked, placing his hands behind his back in a clean, practiced motion.

“Please don’t call me that,” Time finally said.

A confused look passed over Warriors’s face, but he didn’t argue. Time led him over to the fire at the center of the camp, and the two sat down on a log together.

“Look, Wars, there’s something that I need to tell you. I know I probably should’ve told you this long before now because you deserve to know. I just didn’t know how to say it,” Time started. Warriors watched and listened, giving Time his undivided attention. “You’ve mentioned the war that you fought in on your journey. Well, I know a lot more about the war than you would think.”

“What do you mean?” Warriors asked, head slightly turned to the side.

Time’s heart seemed to leap into his throat. Here goes nothing, he thought.

“In the war, you knew two young boys who shared your spirit. Toon and… Mask,” Time said, taking a deep breath. “Well, you know how strange the passing of time can be in our line of work. That’s how the War Between Eras started and how we’re all here now.”

Time could tell that Warriors was genuinely curious about what he had to say. Warriors had subconsciously started to loosen his hold on the whole perfect soldier act. He was leaning into the conversation, and his brow furrowed a bit as he began to put pieces together.

“Are you telling me that…” Warriors trailed off, swallowing the lump that suddenly appeared in his throat.

“Yes,” Time said.

“Mask?” Warriors asked as his eyes widened. Time nodded, and his heart thumped harder, waiting for the man’s reaction.

Warriors just stared for a moment that felt like an eternity to Time. Then without warning, tears started spilling down the Captain’s face. The corner of his mouth turned up into a surprised smile, and he laughed wetly through the tears.

“It’s really you!” Warriors exclaimed quietly, being mindful of the other sleeping boys. “I-I thought I’d never see you again after the eras went back to their places on the timeline. How is this possible? And you’re older than me!”

Warriors was talking quickly and excitedly, seeming a little like Wind in that moment. Time smiled and let out a laugh of his own at the surprised Captain.

“I told you, the flow of time is a strange entity,” Time said.

A fresh wave of tears started to slip out of Warriors’s eyes, and his smile turned downcast as he looked at the ground.

“What’s wrong?” Time asked, suddenly getting nervous again.

“Nothing,” Warriors sniffed. “It’s just… I really, really thought that I’d never see you again.”

The sadness and grief that Warriors eyes held as he said that suddenly had Time crying right alongside him.

“Come here,” Time said fondly, holding out his arms. Warriors quickly accepted the embrace, and Time held him tightly. They both continued to let the tears fall, and Warriors mumbled something unintelligible into the collar of Time’s shirt.

“What was that?” Time said, pulling back just a little.

“I really missed you, Sprite.”

Time smiled fondly at the old nickname, and pulled the Captain back into the hug.

“I missed you, too, Wars.”

Chapter Text

Wind hated being underestimated. His foes had always assumed he would be an easy target due to his size and age, but they were the ones six feet under, not him. He felt like he constantly had to prove himself, but no one seemed to remember his achievements. He had defeated the Demon King when he was eleven, for crying out loud! 

Anger would bubble up inside him whenever the chain tried to coddle him like a baby. They wanted to protect him, but he wasn’t fragile. Wind knew he could handle himself and hold his own. He thought that the people who shared the hero’s spirit with him would understand that, but they couldn’t seem to get it through their thick skulls. They didn’t act this way with Four! He was even smaller than Wind was, but apparently his experience outweighed his height. Deep down he knew they acted this way because they cared for him like big brothers, but he couldn’t help but feel patronized by it.

He considered himself to be a self-confident person, but in times like this, Wind started to believe that Ganondorf was right when he had faced him. He was too young.

Too small.

Twilight and Wind had been out collecting mushrooms for Wild to use in a new recipe by a steep and rocky cliffside. Twilight was good at tracking down ingredients, and Wind was bored out of his mind and wanted something to do. Everything had been going fine until the Wizzrobe showed up.

The two had been handling themselves well; the fire wizard was more of a nuisance than anything else. But it kept summoning fire keese and chuchus, so the combat dragged on. Eventually, the Wizzrobe got the drop on Twilight. A keese had flown into his face, and the Wizzrobe took the opening. It shot a ball of flaming magic directly into Twilight’s shoulder.

The blast was enough to throw Twilight backwards. And over the cliff.

“No!” Wind screamed as he saw his friend disappear over the edge. Wind took off at a full sprint toward the Wizzrobe, letting the smaller monsters trail after him. He knew he had to cut off the most powerful creature, and he planned to do just that.

He rolled and dodged to avoid the fireballs flying at him. He was mostly successful with this, but one did manage to singe his ear. He hissed as the flesh sizzled.

Finally, he made it to the Wizzrobe. Before it could magically teleport to another location, he ran his sword through its middle. Instead of screaming in pain, it just let out a haunting laugh like it knew exactly what it had done. The creature disappeared in a cloud of black smoke.

The rest of the monsters were easy to pick off after that. Wind showed no mercy, quickly cutting down the remaining keese and chuchus. Then he ran back to the edge of the cliff, fearing for the worst.

“Twilight?!” he called down.

“Yeah, I’m here,” Twilight shouted back. He had landed on a ledge, about a quarter of the way down. Hylia’s favor must have been with him that day, because below him was a large and raging river.

“Are you okay?” Wind asked. He wanted to know exactly what he was working with here.

“For the most part, yes. My shoulder is a little burnt,” Twilight said, and Wind could see the way the fabric of his dark green tunic was black and singed. “And I think my ankle might be broken.”

Wind supposed that they had gotten pretty lucky. He figured he would be able to help Twilight on his own. “I have an idea!”

Wind pulled a long rope out of his bag that Four had given him for emergencies. Now seemed like a pretty valid time to use it. He threw one end of it down to Twilight, and instructed him to tie it around his waist. Once this was done, Wind called down, “You think you can climb back up?”

“I think I can if I’m anchored from your side,” he said. “Is there a tree or something you can tie the other end to?”

“No, the closest tree is too far away. My rope isn’t long enough,” Wind said with a frown. “But I can hold it and anchor you myself.”

“Are you sure? I’m kind of heavy,” Twilight said with doubt lacing his voice.

Well, Wind thought it was doubt. That made him want to show the rancher he could do it even more. “Of course I’m sure,” Wind scoffed.

“Alright, let’s do this then. My ankle’s pretty busted up, so I might be a little slow,” Twilight said. “Ready?”

“Yeah,” Wind replied as he backed up as far as the rope would reach and dug his heels into the ground.

Twilight started his treacherous ascent, pulling himself up by grasping onto little ledges and outcroppings. He favored his uninjured ankle and let his arms do most of the work.

It was a good thing that he started moving as fast as he did, because as soon as he stepped off, the ledge he was standing on crumbled and fell into the river below.

After a while, he got comfortable with his climbing ability. He probably would’ve made it to the top just fine, but he didn’t properly test the strength of a rock before grabbing it. He reached up for it, and it broke off as soon as he put his weight into it.

The rock fell out from the side of the cliff and smacked him right in the face.

“Twi?” the sailor called out. He had heard the rock crumble and fall and was starting to worry. When there was no answer, his concern only grew.

Great , he thought. He must be unconscious .

His confidence started to wear off in his new state of panic. His hands had a firm grip on the rope still, but his palms were beginning to sweat, and his muscles were quickly growing tired from Twilight’s dead weight. He didn’t know what else to do, so he began to shout for help. He had no idea if the rest of the chain was still in earshot, and his heart beat wildly in his chest.

Wind’s arms were starting to shake after a few minutes. Twilight was heavy, with how muscular he was. Wind’s feet slipped a few inches towards the cliff, and he yelped a little as the rope slipped with it, leaving him with nasty rope burns. He started to scream louder, because he was now only a couple of feet away from the edge. He needed help, he didn’t know what to do.

The exertion was too much on his arms, and as much as he fought against it, his body gave way. But he didn’t let go of the rope. Instead he was pulled over the edge, falling right after Twilight.

.  .  .

Wind broke the surface of the river, spluttering as he tried to get the water out of his mouth. It was freezing cold, likely from the snow melting off the surrounding mountains. His brain felt foggy from the sudden temperature change, but at least he was a very good swimmer. He looked around the rapidly flowing water, and he was alarmed to see how quickly he was being swept away.

Something pulled at the back of his muddled mind. There was something he should be looking for, or someone…

Twilight!

The realization hit him hard enough to snap him out of his stupor, and he swept the area again with his eyes to see if he could spot the rancher. After a few seconds, he saw him floating face down in the water about fifty feet in front of him. He called out to him, teeth and voice chattering.

Wind’s heart almost stopped when he noticed that Twilight wasn’t moving. He continued to float downstream quickly, head never coming up for air. In a panic, Wind started swimming as fast as he could towards him. He thanked his lucky stars that he had grown up on an island and was an excellent swimmer.

It didn’t take long for Wind to reach him, and he immediately flipped Twilight over so that his face was out of the water. His eyes were closed, and his lips were turning slightly blue from the cold. Wind then hooked his arm through Twilight’s and started side stroking towards the shore. Wind felt exhausted as he dragged him up the bank. Twilight’s pelt was full of water, making him even heavier than before.

Once they were out of the water, Wind sat down heavily and panted. He never wanted to do that again. He looked over at Twilight and… He wasn’t breathing.

Wind looked again, and his fears were confirmed. Twilight’s chest wasn’t moving, and his lips seemed even bluer than before.

A sinking feeling filled Wind’s gut as he knew what he had to do. He made sure Twilight’s airway was clear, and then he began compressions.

His grandma had made him and Aryll take CPR classes back on the island.

Two breaths.

His sister had thought it was silly, but she never really understood just how dangerous the ocean could be.

Thirty compressions.

Twilight remained unmoving, head lolling from the force of his ribs cracking.

Two breaths.

Wind pleaded with his friend, his big brother. Please don’t go. Please.

Thirty compressions.

He was so tired. His arms burned but he dug deep and pushed himself onward.

Two breaths.

He wasn’t willing to say goodbye to this man he loved, but Twilight didn’t seem to be waking up. Why wasn’t he waking up?

Thirty compressions.

Why wasn’t Wind strong enough?

He wasn’t sure how long this pattern went on for. It felt like minutes, it felt like hours. But suddenly, water began to gush out of Twilight’s mouth as he coughed harshly. The rancher gasped in ragged breaths, and his eyes fluttering open. But they just as quickly rolled back into his head, and he was out again. Wind wiped tears from his face and vaguely wondered when they had gotten there. But he pushed that thought aside and placed his ear against Twilight’s chest.

He could hear Twilight’s heart beating again, and he could hear pained breaths whistling in his lungs. They sounded strained, but they were there. That’s all that mattered.

Wind looked over Twilight, and he was relieved to find that there wasn’t any more damage that he hadn’t known about. His left ankle was swollen and bent a little funny, but his lips were at least starting to return to their regular shade. He looked sick, and his brows were furrowed together, but this was still very much an improvement.

There was a sudden commotion in the distance, and Wind shakily stood to investigate. He heard the noise again, which he realized were familiar voices, and he turned around. The rest of the chain was running towards them along the side of the river. He couldn’t tell what they were shouting at him, but he knew that he was safe now. His friends were here.

As soon as that thought crossed his mind, Wind collapsed to his side. He was utterly drained in a way he never thought possible, and darkness dragged his eyelids down.

.  .  .

When Wind started to wake up, his whole body hurt. It felt like Tetra had dropped her ship on him then smacked him around a bit. He let out a soft whimper as he cracked his eyes open.

The sky above him was now dark and twinkling with stars. There was a soft glow coming from a campfire nearby, and he could hear crickets singing to each other. When he turned his head, he could see that most of his brothers were sleeping soundly around him.

Wind finally noticed a nice warmth coming from his left. He turned his head the other direction to look, and he realized that he was snuggled up against Twilight. The rancher was fast asleep, and his lips were slightly parted, letting soft snores escape. Wind hummed and a small smile slipped onto his face. Everything was okay. Wind had done it; he had saved Twilight. Maybe he was strong enough after all.

With his confidence back, he nuzzled a little closer to Twilight and let his eyes slip closed once more.

Chapter Text

Warriors had finally decided to do it. The thought of it scared the living daylights out of him, but he felt that if he didn’t do it, his heart would explode. He had faced armies of monsters, evil enchantresses, and black blooded interdimensional creatures. But nothing could prepare him for the journey he was about to endeavor.

He had everything he needed. A Gerudo saleswoman had provided him with the precious item he needed a couple of years ago, but it had taken until now to scrape up enough courage to actually act.

Warriors was going to propose to Artemis.

He had loved his world’s Zelda ever since he had met her, even if he was too oblivious to immediately realize it. How could he not? The way her hair glowed when the sun was behind it, her smile that could be calculating or genuinely sweet… These images often graced his daydreams.

It had taken Warriors to embark on his adventure with the chain for him to really realize that he needed to marry her. He missed her every day that they were apart, and he finally understood Sky’s dreary harp melodies whenever he was thinking of Sun. The Captain knew that once this mission concluded and he was sent back to his own Hyrule, he wanted to spend his days with the woman who taught him to be a leader. She had been raised to lead as the crown princess of Hyrule, but when Warriors had the title of Hero suddenly thrust upon him, it was Artemis that showed him how to deal with the pressure and to deeply care for the people under his command.

“What have you got there?” he heard a voice ask. Warriors snapped out of his thoughts and looked up to see Time standing above him.

The chain had made camp for the night, and the other boys were playing some card game around the fire. They were all arguing and shouting, blaming each other for cheating. Warriors was a little further from the group, sitting on a tree stump. He had the Gerudo crafted ring in his hands, and he was turning it over and over with his fingers.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Warriors said, suddenly bashful. “Just something I’ve been carrying around for a while now.”

“That doesn’t look like nothing,” Time said, laughing a little as Warriors cheeks grew increasingly red. He then moved to sit on a rock across from him. “So are you going to ask her?”

Warriors hesitated. This felt like such a private and intimate topic, but Time would understand. He knew what it was like to be in love with his wife Malon. “Yeah, next time we portal to my Castle Town. I’ve been thinking about it for a while, and I feel like I might literally die if I don’t do it soon. I love her, Time. I really want her to know that.”

Time looked up at the stars like he was remembering something. “Ah, young love,” he said with a smile. “The heart of youth really is a beautiful thing.”

“Okay, Old Man. You’re starting to sound like you deserve that nickname,” Warriors teased.

Time shot him a glare, but it quickly broke into a grin. “Just you wait, you’ll understand someday.”

Time stood and squeezed Warriors’s shoulder encouragingly. Then he went back over to the others to break up a soon-to-be fight.

.  .  .

It had taken a few weeks after that, but the chain finally arrived in Warriors’s Hyrule. As soon as they had stepped out of the portal and realized they had been dropped right into the center of Castle Town, Warriors and Time locked eyes. Both had huge smiles across their faces.

“Why are you two acting funny?” Wind asked when he saw the silent exchange. “Care to share?”

“No, I think I’m good,” Warriors said, ruffling the sailor’s hair.

“That’s not fair! You can’t keep secrets!” Wind pouted with his arms crossed.

“Well, that’s just too bad,” Time said with a small chuckle. The rest of the group laughed along, but they also wondered what could be going on.

The summer air was warm, but the atmosphere was humid, and it was beginning to rain. The chain started quickly towards the castle, looking forward to seeing Artemis and Impa again. Warriors was especially excited, and he shook the nerves out of his hands.

As the group walked, Warriors started to notice something felt a little off. The city seemed quiet, which was strange for the middle of the afternoon. Maybe the people were trying to avoid the rain, but Warriors realized something else had to be going on once the castle came more clearly into view. The flag of Hyrule’s crest that resided on top of the castle was flying at half staff. What could possibly be wrong?

Warriors previous excitement turned sour with dread, and he ran every what-if through his mind. Was Cia back? Had Hyrule been attacked, marking the beginning of another war? He started to breathe a little too fast as his thoughts spiraled. Sky noticed and wrapped his arm around Warriors’s shoulders, squeezing a little to let him know he was there.

He nodded his appreciation and tried to slow his heart and breathing.

After the boys entered the castle, they headed towards the throne room. That was usually where they could find Impa and Artemis, and that’s where they would find some answers. The grand doors leading into the large room groaned as they opened. The castle guards were mysteriously quiet, and none of them would meet Warriors’s eyes.

Inside the room, Impa was kneeling in front of the Hylia statue with her head down and hands carefully folded in front of her. When she heard them, she laid a flower in front of the statue and stood up to greet them.

“Welcome back Captain. It’s good to see all of you,” she said with a tight smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“Impa, what’s going on here?” Warriors asked his friend, skipping right past formalities. “Where’s Zelda?”

Impa sighed deeply. “We should sit down for this conversation.”

Her words only worried him more, and he could feel fear spiking through his heart. Impa led them to a conference table in the center of the room, and everyone took a seat. Time sat on one side of Warriors, and Sky was on the other, holding his hand under the table.

“Just recently, while you were away,” Impa began. “Castle Town was invaded. We deployed troops to protect the citizens and keep the monsters away from the castle, but it wasn’t enough. We had no warning that this was ever coming, and the monsters seemed to be under some sort of enchantment. Their attacks were actually coordinated.”

“Black blood?” Twilight asked from across the table.

“No, it wasn’t like the black blood you all have described to me before,” Impa continued. “We fought them off as long as we could, but they eventually breached the castle. I was here with Princess Zelda when the monsters broke through our strongest lines. It was a massacre; I’ve never seen any living beings able to fight like that before. Well, besides you lot. Zelda and I tried to escape, but we were cornered. I would have defended her with my life. But a magic blast from somewhere paralyzed me. I had to just watch and do nothing as they finally reached her.”

Impa’s eyes turned downward, and she wiped tears away angrily.

“Impa,” Warriors started. His mouth felt dry, and it was almost impossible to get any words out. “What are you saying? Where is she?”

He felt Sky grasp his hand harder as the general spoke up again. “She’s gone, Link. I’m so sorry. I watched them cut her down with a spear.”

Warriors stood so fast that his chair clattered to the ground. The world was suddenly spinning, and he could hear a high pitched ringing. Someone was saying something about the monsters retreating after, and something about a nice funeral. But he wasn’t listening. He felt dizzy and like he was going to throw up. Before he knew it, he suddenly was.

He had fallen to his knees as was puking his lunch all over the sparkling blue tiles. He saw pink hair out of the corner of his eye, and hands were rubbing his back as his stomach reeled. He stood back up and his vision started to clear. Warriors was breathing too quickly again, and Time was trying to get him to match his breathing, but he couldn’t think through the panic.

She was gone.

His Zelda was gone.

But he loved her.

All of a sudden he felt a swell of anger rise in him. He looked around and locked eyes with Legend.

“You,” he breathed out, voice shaking. “This is your fault.”

“What?” Legend asked, eyes squinted in confusion.

“You’re the reason I wasn’t here!” Warriors shouted. “When I joined the chain it was you who convinced me to go! You said that there was a threat to every Hyrule, and that only we could stop it. You said that it was the only way I could protect the people I love!”

“Wars, come on, that’s not-”

“You lied to me!” Warriors screamed. Time tried to grab him, but he just shoved the older man off. “I wasn’t protecting her! I wasn’t here when she needed me! And now she’s dead!”

Warriors was suddenly very exhausted. He collapsed down to his knees, and the red left his vision. He burst into tears, and the salty liquid seemed to stream down like waterfalls. The room was silent for a moment, except for Warriors’s sobs. Everyone seemed frozen, but Legend broke the tension by storming out of the room. Hyrule went after him, and the rest of the chain moved to be by Warriors.

Wild reached him first and threw his arms around Warriors’s shaking frame. Warriors leaned into the embrace, and cried harder than he ever had in his life into the champion’s shoulder.

“I was going to propose to her,” Warriors forced out weakly. “I wanted to marry her.”

Time lightly ran his fingers through his hair and murmured soothing words near his ear. Warriors didn’t know what he was saying, but his brothers being there helped. In the back of his mind, he regretted shouting at Legend, but he didn’t have the energy to fix it right now. He just wanted to curl in on himself until he was nothing.

.  .  .

The next few days passed in a pain-filled blur to Warriors. He never left his room, and he didn’t talk to anyone. The boys would come into his room to try to comfort him, but he would lie in bed facing away from them. They never gave up on him, though. They brought him food and tried to comfort him, even if Warriors wanted nothing to do with anyone. Wind and Hyrule tried cracking some jokes, Wild brought him special desserts, and Sky played hopeful tunes on his harp. Nothing helped. The Captain just continued to slip into his pit of despair.

He cried every day. He didn’t know how he even had any tears left in him, but they still came. His eyes were constantly puffy, and he was always tired from the grieve that held down his heart and mind.

Artemis had been the only woman he truly ever loved. Cia had left invisible scars on his mind with her abuse, and when he thought himself unworthy of love after that, Artemis was the only one who brought him back. She cared for him despite the shame Cia had left him with, and he loved her even though he was afraid. When he was with her, his fear seemed to melt away a little. It would retreat little by little, and eventually she had pushed the fear far enough back for him to realize he was in love.

Right when he had planned to confess this to her, to ask her to marry him, she was gone. She wasn’t coming back, and Warriors didn’t know how to move forward. His heart was shattered into a million pieces, and he assumed there was no recovering from that.

One day, there was a knock on Warriors’s door. He thought that that was strange because his brothers didn’t bother to knock anymore; they knew Warriors wouldn’t answer, so they just came in. Curiosity gripped him, though, and he got up to open the door. It was the postman. He placed a letter in Warriors’s hand and disappeared as quickly as he had come.

Warriors closed the door and sat in the chair by a desk. “Link” was written on the envelope in a pretty cursive, and the paper smelled of roses. He opened the letter, and he had to read it again to believe what he was seeing:

Dearest Hero,

If you ever want to see her again alive, you will give yourself up to me. You know where to find me. Come alone.

With Love, Cia.

Warriors’s heart seemed to stop for a second. His body seemed to wash over with cold fear. Cia . He was sincerely hoping he would never have to face her again, but for Artemis, he could face anything. He knew she would do the same for him.

He began to get dressed and grab his gear. It was the middle of the night, so no one would notice he was gone for a while. He left his room and turned the corner, almost running right into Legend.

“Oh!” Warriors exclaimed. “I didn’t think anyone else was up.”

Legend eyed him warily. He hadn’t been to visit Warriors, but he must’ve known that this was the first time he had left his room. The veteran’s eyes landed on the sword on Warriors’s back, then moved to the letter in his hand.

“What’s that?” Legend asked, straight to the point.

“It’s none of your business,” Warriors said, feeling suddenly defensive.

Legend didn’t care, though. He snatched the letter from his hands and jumped back before Warriors could grab it again. Legend sucked in a breath as he read its contents.

“I have to go,” Warriors said desperately. “She could be alive.”

“It’s definitely a trap,” Legend returned. “But I would do exactly what you were doing if I were in your shoes.”

Warriors made to step past him, but Legend put his hand out to stop him. “I’m not letting you go alone, though.”

“I have to. She might kill her if she senses all nine of our spirits. Please don’t tell the others.”

“I won’t. But I’m going with you. There’s less of a chance that she’ll sense one extra spirit,” Legend countered.

Warriors knew he was right, even if he was nervous. He nodded his head and said, “Alright, let’s go, then.”

.  .  .

Legend and Warriors rode two horses to Cia’s palace in the Valley of Seers. When they arrived, the sun was starting to peak over the horizon.

The two boys looked at each other, then they started for the front entrance. Warriors knew it would be unlocked for him, so he shoved open the doors and stepped inside.

This place often haunted his nightmares. The walls were covered in portraits of Warriors, the creation of Cia’s dangerous obsession with the hero’s spirit. Legend and Warriors walked further into the main room, footsteps echoing against the walls and high ceiling.

“Cia!” Warriors shouted out, trying not to let his voice betray his fear. “Show yourself!”

Just then, she appeared in the center of the room with a puff of purple smoke.

“Link, welcome home!” Cia said, with a hungry look in her eyes. “I thought I told you to come alone, but no matter. You’re here, and that’s all that matters.”

“He’s just here to escort the princess home. I want to see her. Prove to me she’s alive.”

“Fine, as you wish,” Cia said, snapping her fingers. Artemis appeared next to her, tied to a chair with ropes and a gag in her mouth. She didn’t cry out, but her eyes widened at the sight of Warriors and Legend. Then she moved her eyes to Cia, and leveled her with a glare that would have Ganon shaking in his boots.

Cia only laughed, and if she was worried at all, she didn’t let it show. The sorceress grabbed the princess’s face, pushing her chin up. Warriors stepped forward, but Legend stopped him. “Wait,” he whispered.

“I’ve offered you everything, Link. A beautiful palace to live in, riches untold, and myself. All you had to do was submit yourself to me. But again and again you refuse me. Then this petty princess comes along and steals your heart from me,” Cia said.

“It was never yours to begin with,” Warriors growled.

“That doesn’t matter now, because you’re here. I forgive you for your past rejections. I bet you’re wondering what exactly I’ve been up to.”

“No, we know you’re crazy, and there’s no sense in what you do,” Legend snarked.

“Shut it, boy. You have no part in this. Anyway, I have been watching you throughout your journey from my seat as a Guardian of Time, Link. I saw that wretched ring. I heard what you planned to do. I could never have that, it’s just not fair. So I attacked while you were off-world. I’ve been practicing illusion magic, and it really paid off when I made the general and the rest of the kingdom believe the dear princess was dead when I had really just abducted her,” Cia explained with a proud smile.

“Now our interests are in alignment,” Cia dropped Artemis’s face. “Your princess will be returned to her people as long as you stay here with me.”

“Cia, I will never let you lay a hand on me again,” Warriors said, drawing his sword. “I’m fighting my way out of here, and I’m leaving with both of my friends.”

“No, I don’t think that will be the case at all,” Cia grinned, and drew a blade of her own. But she didn’t point it at Warriors; she held it against Artemis’s neck.

“This lady’s crush on you is so ridiculous,” Legend muttered. “Hey, Cia! Catch!”

With that, Legend threw a small object at Cia. She was caught off guard, and she caught the object without even thinking about it. Warriors realized that it was Twilight’s pendant at the same time that black Twili magic surrounded Cia.

When the dark shapes of magic cleared, Cia was no longer standing there. In her place was a purple cat with sharp, violet eyes.

“Where did you get that?” Warriors gawked at Legend.

“I took it off the rancher while he was sleeping before we left,” Legend said with a shrug.

“He’s going to kill you.”

“Yeah, well. Not the first time someone’s wanted to do that,” said Legend, picking up the pendant by the string after the cat (Cia) bolted.

The boys ran over to Artemis and removed her restraints.

“Thank you both, truly,” Artemis said once Warriors had pulled off her gag. “I was beginning to-”

She cut off suddenly as Warriors scooped her up into a hug. She paused for a second, then returned the embrace. Warriors buried his face in her soft hair and breathed in her scent. “Please never do that to me again. I thought I lost you.”

The princess just squeezed him tighter. Warriors looked up and made eye contact with Legend over Artemis’s shoulder, and he opened up one arm and yanked him into the hug as well. Legend stiffly patted them both on the back, but the sight of Warriors’s content smile made him relax a little more.

The trio wasted no time in leaving Cia’s palace, and they rode back to Castle Town together. Artemis sat on Warriors’s horse in front of him, and he carefully placed his hands around her hips.

.  .  .

When they got back to the castle, the news of the princess’s safe return spread like a wildfire. People were out in the streets rejoicing, and there was even a parade being held in her honor.

Legend and Warriors didn’t get to participate in any of the festivities, though. Instead they stood side by side as they got a giant earful from Time. He was of course relieved that Artemis was home safe and sound, but boy did he chew those two out for leaving on their own with not so much as a word. Eventually Time grew tired of ranting, and he stomped off, muttering something along the lines of “these boys will be the death of me.”

That left Warriors and Legend in the room together.

“Hey, I wanted to say thank you. And that I’m really sorry,” Warriors said, scratching the back of his head. “I know what happened wasn’t your fault. The only person to blame is Cia.”

“It’s alright,” Legend said. “I get it.”

“No, it’s not alright,” Warriors continued. “It wasn’t fair of me to snap at you. I was angry and sad and confused, but I had no right to hurt someone I care so much about. I’m sorry.”

“I forgive you,” Legend replied, with a small smile.

“Really?” Warriors said, and Legend nodded. Legend reached out his hand, and the boys shook, but then Warriors pulled him into another hug. “Thank you so much for helping save her.”

.  .  .

The next morning, Warriors was having breakfast with Artemis out on the castle balcony. They had gotten up extra early to watch the sunrise together, and it was truly a beautiful sight. (Although Warriors would argue that watching the newborn light hit Artemis’s face was much more enchanting.) Warriors’s heart was hammering, and his hands were fidgeting with a small blue box under the table.

“I wanted to say thank you again, Link,” Artemis said with one of her soft smiles that were reserved for the people she cared most about. “I know that must have been especially difficult to have to face you-know-who again. I’m sorry that I was captured and you had to go through that.”

“Hey, no blaming yourself, okay? None of this was your fault. I just wish I had been there when you were attacked.”

“If I’m not allowed to blame myself, then neither are you,” she said, smile becoming mischievous and wry. “Deal?”

“Deal,” said Warriors with a laugh.

The two sat in silence for a few minutes, just enjoying each other’s company. But then Warriors decided that he had waited long enough.

“Zel,” he swallowed past the lump in his throat. “I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”

“Yes?”

Warriors got up from his seat and knelt in front of her. It reminded him of when he had done the same thing when she had first knighted him. But that day he had looked down at the ground as the title of Hero was laid upon him. Now he was staring up into her brilliant blue eyes, heart overflowing with love, and holding the ring out to her.

“Will you marry me?”

“I thought you’d never ask.” She pulled him up with a laugh, and he leaned down to kiss her. Their lips met, and he could feel her mouth pull into a smile as they kissed.

They pulled apart, and Warriors rested his forehead against hers. “I love you,” he told her.

“I love you, too,” she answered, making his heart thud impossibly louder. Warriors slipped the gold and blue ring onto her finger and kissed the back of her hand.

They looked out across the balcony together, and he could see the boys all messing around on the castle lawn. Twilight was chasing Legend, yelling, “Give me back my pendant, or else, Legend!”

The couple laughed, and Artemis pulled Warriors’s mouth back down to hers.

Chapter Text

Sky tried his hardest to always keep up with the group. He really did. But his lungs were used to the thin air above the clouds, so he had trouble breathing in the dense air of the surface. His lungs had started to grow stronger, and thankfully he now felt comfortable when he was sitting or walking. But when he had to run or trek for miles on end, he felt like he was breathing out of a straw.

On days when he was having an especially difficult time, he felt absolutely awful about it. The chain was usually heading towards a certain destination, and when it took longer than expected because of him, the guilt would eat away at him. Of course, he knew that the others didn’t mind. But something told him in the back of his mind that he was a burden. He only slowed them down.

His lungs had actually started to cause huge problems in their travels. The chain had landed in Time’s Hyrule, and they were only a few days out from Lon Lon ranch. Time was bubbling with excitement when he realized that meant he was going to see Malon again. He loved his wife, and Sky knew it had to be painful to be away so long and sporadically. Time had an unusual pep in his step, and he was speed walking without even noticing. The chain kept up with him because they knew why Time wanted to get there so quickly. But the constant speed for two days took its toll on Sky. Before he knew it, he was doubled over, coughing.

He couldn’t get the coughs under control, and the chain stopped. Warriors rubbed his back soothingly, and Twilight stood at the ready with his water flask. Sky coughed and coughed until his face was the color of his loftwing, and he was left shaking when it finally subsided.

The cough attack completely drained the energy out of him, but Sky kept pushing himself forward. His muscles felt achy and weak, and a little further down the road, he stumbled over a rock.

His knees took this opportunity to buckle, and Wild caught him before he hit the ground.

“Whoa there, buddy,” Wild said, gently lowering Sky to the forest floor.

“I’m sorry,” Sky wheezed out. “I can keep going, I just need a minute, please.”

“No, you’re in no condition to travel,” said Time from the front of the group. “We’ll make camp near here and wait until your lungs have calmed down.”

“But Time-”

“Sky, that’s final. Your health matters more than anything else right now,” Time said, but a sad look crossed his face as he glanced in the direction of Lon Lon ranch. The expression passed just as quickly as it had come.

That night, as everyone was settling down to get some sleep, Sky heard Wind let out a loud groan. He looked up from where he was making his bed to see a portal right next to the campfire. It was already time to leave.

Time didn’t say a word the whole time they packed up and left. He was obviously thinking about how he missed his chance to see Malon. Sky’s heart hurt for him, and his insides felt rotten with the blame he could only put on himself. They would have made it to Malon for at least the evening if Sky could handle his own breathing. But he was just too weak down here.

Time had caught on to how Sky was feeling, and he had even told him to stop putting the guilt on himself. Time wasn’t angry with him, and the older man told him he meant what he said about Sky’s health being important. Sky smiled and acted like he understood, but he really felt like he didn’t deserve Time’s forgiveness.

A few weeks later, Sky was back to his cheery self. The boys were good at distracting him, and after a while, he forgot that he was supposed to be upset with himself. But as they were traveling in Legend’s world, Sky could feel a tell-tale throbbing in his throat. Whenever he would get sick on Skyloft, it always started in his throat.

He absolutely dreaded the thought of getting sick with the chain. Sure, he wouldn’t have been the first one to fall ill, but he didn’t want to be more of a liability than he already was. Especially with what had happened with Time and Malon. He didn’t want to be the cause of someone’s sadness again. So he kept quiet and simply hoped that he wouldn’t get sick.

.  .  .

The next day, Sky woke up frustrated with himself. He felt absolutely awful. His throat had gone from sore to on fire, and his whole body hurt. He sniffled into his pillow, and he could feel pressure building in his eyes and sinuses. This wasn’t going to be a fun day.

Sky walked down to the river near where they had spent the night, and he splashed the cool water on his face, hoping it would make him look less like he was on death’s doorstep. He coughed, and he could hear the mucus moving around in his chest. It hurt, and he let out a low whine.

As he washed his hands in the calm water, Sky stared back at his reflection. He figured he could pass for healthy as long as his brothers didn’t look too closely at his weepy eyes.

He picked himself up slowly, body protesting, and headed back to the others. They swiftly cleaned their camp and headed out for the day. A group of women they had met the day before had warned them of black blooded monsters on the path ahead, and the group was heading there to clear them out.

For the first couple hours of walking, Sky thought that he was holding up fairly well. The weather was nice outside, and his nose wasn’t running too badly. The most difficult challenge at that moment was keeping his coughs suppressed. And not falling over. A migraine had started to plague him, and its dizzying effects were not helping his bone-tired body. Sky’s thoughts came to him sluggishly, and he felt like he was existing through a fog. Yet he kept mostly quiet while the group walked, and no one had seemed to notice his condition yet. Sky wanted to keep it that way.

.  .  .

Two days later, the chain was still continuing down the same road. Legend figured they would probably get to the area the women were describing early the next day. But Sky was honestly starting to wonder if he could hang in there another day. He was talking to the others as they traveled because he figured if he was silent for too long, they would ask him what was wrong. But he was finding it harder and harder to stay present in the conversation. He was watching the ground carefully so that he wouldn’t trip, and it felt like his legs were made of stone as he lifted them and forced them forward. His throat still felt like someone was smoothing it out with sandpaper, and his migraine had only gotten worse.

Everything in him seemed to throb, and Sky was beginning to worry that he would throw up from the pain. Thankfully, he never did, but the queasiness didn’t leave his stomach.

“Hey, you doing okay there, Sky?” he faintly registered Warriors ask him.

“Hmm?” He answered eloquently.

Sky looked up at the Captain, and the movement from his head made his nausea double. That’s when he realized how far back they were. The chain was stopped just ahead, so Warriors must have come back for him. He hadn’t even realized that he had slowed down so much.

“I’m going to take that as a no,” Warriors said, reaching out to feel Sky’s forehead.

The Skyloftian leaped back gracelessly, trying to avoid Warriors’s hand. Warriors was much faster than him right now, though, so he successfully felt Sky’s clammy skin.

“Sky, you’re burning up,” Warriors said with concern. “Come on, I’ll help you back to the group.”

Warriors put his arm around Sky’s shoulders, and the sick boy leaned heavily against his side. They slowly made their way over to the others who were waiting anxiously.

“He’s got a fever,” Warriors told them, and Sky winced as his secret was totally exposed.

“What?” Hyrule asked. “Why didn’t you tell anyone, Sky?”

The others might have been saying things to him as well, but darkness was starting to eat away the edges of his vision. Sky felt the world tilt, then strong arms hooking under his own, then nothing.

.  .  .

When Sky woke, the sun was setting. The sky was red and fiery, which he thought his insides probably looked like right then. He blinked his eyes slowly, looking around him. Panic rose up inside of him. They had made camp. They had stopped for him. Again.

Sky sucked in a breath and tried to sit up, but there was suddenly a hand on his chest pushing him back down. Time.

“Slow down there,” Time told him. “You gave us quite the scare back there.”

“S’rry,” Sky croaked out, not trying to hold back how awful he felt any more. He had obviously been asleep for most of the day, but he didn’t feel any more rested than earlier. He whimpered a little as Time laid a cool, wet rag across his forehead. It felt good, but it also sent shivers up his skin.

“Why didn’t you tell anyone you were ill, Sky? You’re usually the one who harps on the others for hiding sickness and injury,” Time observed gently. He wasn’t mad, just worried and curious.

“Didn’t want to slow down,” Sky hummed out. He coughed harshly into his sleeve, and Time handed him some water. He sipped slowly, appreciating the cold that slipped down his burning throat.

“What do you mean? We’re in no hurry,” Time said. By then, the other boys had realized Sky was awake and were coming over to check on their newest patient. Hyrule and Wild started getting a red potion ready for him, Twilight had a hand in Sky’s sweaty hair, Legend was patting his shoulder, Warriors and Four were adjusting his blankets, and Wind was snuggling up next to him.

“Wind, I’ll get you s’ck,” Sky said with a soft smile.

“I don’t care. You always cuddle with us when we’re feeling under the weather, so I can return the favor,” he said, burrowing further into Sky’s side.

Sky laughed a little, which just led to more coughs.

“Dude, you can’t let it get this bad without telling anyone,” Legend said, staring down at him.

“But we had to keep movin,’” Sky said weakly. “I didn’t want to be a burden again.”

“That’s crazy, Sky. What are you talking about?” Four asked.

“Malon,” Sky sniffled out.

“Oh,” Time said softly as he suddenly understood. “Boys, could you give the two of us a minute please?”

They all looked at each other, confused, but they shrugged and went back to what they were doing.

“Sky,” Time said gently, getting the boy’s attention again. “It’s not your fault that I couldn’t see my wife last time we were in my world.”

“But I’m the reason we had to stop-”

“Quit it, Sky.” Time spoke softly but sternly. “I would have stopped for any one of you, and you know it. Don’t you remember the time we had to take a few days off when Twilight hurt his leg? We stopped, and none of us minded. Especially you. You coddled him and took care of him. You brought him food, slept near him in case he needed you, gave him hugs all day long, and you played Sun’s favorite song for him on your harp. You’re the biggest mother cucco of us all. So you should let us stop and take care of you, too.”

Sky let Time’s words sink in, and he hated to admit it, but the Old Man was right.

“I guess that makes sense,” Sky said with another round of coughing.

“Good. Now just relax, and get some rest. You desperately need it.”

Hyrule came back over and gave Sky the red potion as his energy was leaving him again. His eyes felt heavy, but for the first time in the last few days, Sky’s heart felt light. He was no longer worried about slowing the group down, he just appreciated that his brothers loved him as much as he loved them.

His eyes drooped closed, but before he fell into a blissful sleep, he felt Wind and Wolfie snuggle in on either side of him.

Chapter Text

Twilight always liked it when the chain got to sleep in an inn. Everyone could have a real chance at a good night’s rest, and no one had to stay on watch. Twilight loved being able to sleep in an actual bed, safe from the environment that seemed always out to kill them.

When they had arrived, Time had paid the innkeeper for four rooms, but right now, they were all crammed into one. Wild was using a pot by the fireplace to cook supper, and everyone else was playing a strange card game that Four had picked up in his world.

No one had started arguing yet, and no one was cheating as far as he could tell, so he figured that they were going to have a peaceful night for once.

The group of Links were extremely competitive, though. Soon Legend suggested that they all start betting on the game, and of course everyone stupidly agreed. They played a few rounds, and soon Legend had a growing stack of rupees.

The others collectively groaned while the veteran had a smirk on his face. Twilight honestly couldn’t tell if he had cheated, or if he had simply found a strong strategy.

“Face it, losers,” Legend said. “You’re all poorer than even me now.”

Legend held out a small pouch of rupees and shook it near his ear. The money inside jingled and clinked.

Clinked.

Like chains.

Suddenly, Twilight wasn’t in the inn anymore. He was in a cell. He had been chained to the floor by his captors, and the cool metal dug into his flesh. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a dark magic coming at him. It impacted him, smothered him, became him.

A raw and terrified scream ripped through his throat. Pain was all he could feel and think. Pressure seemed to push outwards from inside his skin, but at the same time, it felt like the very marrow of his bones was imploding. He could feel the grind of bones as they bent, snapped, and reformed themselves into a new, unholy creation. His very blood felt like rivers of fire in his veins, and his eyes felt like they could burst at any moment. The pain wouldn’t let up. Why wouldn’t it stop?

Somewhere in his anguish ridden state, he could sense his brain rewiring itself. The sensation felt awful, wrong, and excruciating. Tears poured from his eyes, but his tear ducts didn’t even feel like his own anymore. He wanted to scratch the pain and itchiness from his skin, but he soon realized that his fingers were in agony, as well. Sharp claws pierced through the skin, and blood filled his mouth as sharp canine teeth cut through his gums. He yelped again as the cartilage in his ears and nose seemed to stretch like putty.

Finally, the torment slowed, and he was left lying on his side. He panted as his heart continued to beat wildly. The cuff on his arm was starting to draw blood, so he looked down at it and saw…

A paw?

They had turned him into a wolf! He felt his moment of calmness shatter as the panic came back tenfold. He hyperventilated and tried to shout. But all that came out were strained howls.

“Link?” a voice approached him. He suddenly saw a small, shadowy figure in front of him.

Midna , he wanted to say, but couldn’t. He whined, and she patted his furry head gently.

He closed his eyes at the touch, and when she spoke again, her voice strangely seemed lower than how he remembered it.

When he opened his eyes again, his vision was fuzzy and blurred by leftover tears. But Midna was no longer standing over him. It was a Hylian, with dark hair.

Fear gripped his heart as backed away from the man. He didn’t want any more pain from his captor, and he would do everything within his power to avoid it.

The man reached out to him, and before Twilight knew it, he was punching the man right in the face. He stumbled backwards with a shout, and Twilight stood up to run. But suddenly more people were surrounding him, pinning him to the ground. His arms and legs were held to the ground while he arched his back and shouted.

“Hey!” a voice said. “Look at me!”

The voice sounded familiar, so he did as he was told. He blinked rapidly, and the tears and fog left his vision. Time was standing above him. He was with his brothers. Legend, Warriors, Wild, and Sky all had hands on his limbs, Hyrule carefully touched his newly broken nose, and the others were standing around looking at him worriedly.

“Oh no,” Twilight sighed, realizing what he had done.

“It’s alright,” Time reassured him. “It’s just us here. You’re safe, and no one can hurt you now. Whatever you were seeing, it wasn’t real.”

“I know, I know. A sound just set off a bad memory, is all,” the rancher whispered, cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

Hyrule came over and helped Twilight sit up, then he pulled the rancher into a hug.

“Hyrule, I’m so sorry,” Twilight said as he saw the blue and black swelling on the other’s face.

“It’s okay, I know you didn’t mean to,” Hyrule said with a smile that looked more like a grimace. “Anyone have a potion?”

“Oh, right,” Warriors said, looking for his bag. He produced a red potion from it, handing it to Hyrule. He drank the whole thing, and instantly, his face started to heal itself.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Wild asked, placing a hand softly on Twilight’s knee.

“No, it’s okay. I’m okay now. Thank you guys for being there for me,” said Twilight.

They may have had four rooms, but that night, the whole group slept on the floor, curled together in one giant dogpile.

Chapter Text

Out of all the locations the portals had dropped them in, Sky figured this one took the cake for most thrilling. Although the screams coming from Warriors next to him told him that not everyone agreed.

Sky spread his arms and legs out to slow his descent through the air, as the clouds rushed up to meet them. They were just above the cloud barrier below Skyloft, falling rapidly. Sky let out a whoop as he realized he was home. He flexed his hands, letting the air curl around his fingers. He smiled and laughed as the familiar feeling of weightlessness dragged him towards the Surface.

“SKY! WHAT DO WE DO?” he heard Twilight shout over the wind. Oh, right , Sky thought. My friends are here . He looked over at the rest of the chain falling alongside him, panic on their faces. Warriors looked like he was close to passing out, but Wild seemed to be having a little fun, even if he was scared.

“Just a sec!” Sky answered. He put his fingers to his lips and let out a shrieking whistle. He heard the cawing cry of his loftwing, but he didn’t stop whistling: the sign that there was trouble and the knights of Skyloft were needed.

His giant crimson bird swooped in below him and gently rose up to meet him. He landed with a soft thud onto the feathery steed. Immediately after, the screech of three more loftwings filled the air. The knights of Skyloft dove steeply towards the fallen heroes, rescuing them one by one. The newly arrived loftwings each had three riders, and Sky caught Wind on the back of his own bird.

“We’ll have to glide down to the Surface!” A knight on a beautiful cerulean loftwing called out. “There are too many people to make it back up to Skyloft, Link!”

“I know,” Sky replied. “Faron Woods is directly below us, let’s head there!”

The magnificent birds spread their wings to slow their fall to a leisure glide. Soon enough, the chain and the three knights were safely on the forest floor.

“I am never doing that again,” Warriors said, swaying as his dizziness hadn’t quite faded yet.

Sky chuckled softly and then turned to the knights.

“Could you guys do us a favor, please? Would you be willing to go back and bring enough knights down here for us to get back up to Skyloft?”

“Of course,” a knight answered.

They hopped back onto their loftwings, but before they could take off again, Sky asked, “Oh, and could you also let Zelda know that we’re on our way? Thanks!”

The knights flew back into the sky, and soon they were invisible to the eye as they passed through the thick cloud barrier.

“Now what?” Legend asked.

“We wait,” Time said.

The group looked around the area, and Sky realized that they were right next to the ancient Viewing Platform in the forest. The old stone structure had vines climbing the pillars, and Wild was reminded of the ruins of his own home world.

This wasn’t the worst place that the group could be forced to kill time. It was beautiful to look at, almost picturesque. Yellow sunlight was filtering in through the treetops, creating lazy shadows that shifted along the ground. Sky closed his eyes and felt the warmth of the spring wind brush against his face. He always felt more at peace in his own era, as he was sure the other boys felt as well, and the thought of Sun being close by helped release some of the tension in his shoulders.

The perfect serenity was quickly shattered, however. A high pitched shriek came from around a bend in the path that led further into the trees. Sky recognized that voice. It was his friend, Machi, the Kikwi.

“That sounds like a friend of mine!” Sky told the group, voice pitching up in a hint of fear.

“Well, then what are we waiting for?” Wind said, drawing his blade.

The group ran towards the sounds of struggle, and they found Machi near two tall trees. He was backed against one of them, surrounded by three red bokoblins.

“This is going to be so easy,” Four said, running ahead with a smile on his face. The rest of the group followed suit, and they quickly disposed of the monsters.

“Thank you so much!” Machi cried out. His tail was shaking a little, and his brown fur was standing on end.

“Whoa, I’ve never seen one of these before,” Wild whispered to Twilight. “What is he?”

Twilight only responded with a shrug, but Sky seemed to hear the champion’s hushed words.

“Guys, this is Machi. He’s a Kikwi that lives here in the forest. I met him on my adventure,” Sky said, patting the little creature on the head.

The chain introduced themselves, then Machi announced that he must be getting back home soon, or Bucha would be worried about him. Sky wished him safe travels, and the Kikwi said his goodbyes.

After he was out of earshot, Sky turned back to the group. “I think that Hylians make him nervous. Especially this many.”

After the short encounter, the boys sat down at the base of the tall trees to relax for a moment. Seemingly out of nowhere, Wind stiffened and stared at Sky.

“Hold still, Sky,” he warned. “There’s a bee on you.”

Sky looked down at his hand, and sure enough, a bee had landed there, tiny legs tickling his skin.

“Oh, there’s a legend from where I’m from that says if a bee lands on you, it thinks you’re as beautiful as a flower,” Hyrule said with an innocent smile.

Warriors snorted, and Legend punched his arm.

“You’re just jealous that it didn’t land on you,” the veteran told him.

Sky held very still, trying not to disturb his new winged companion. But he examined the way the bee had furry stripes and magnificent, transparent wings. He loved creatures that could fly, almost wishing that he could soar in the clouds himself.

He started to get lost in his thoughts when a sudden, sharp pain shot through his hand. He jerked it back, and the bee angrily flew off. He’d been stung, and the spot on the back of his hand was already swelling and turning red.

“Ouch, that looks rough,” Wild said, grabbing Sky’s hand and gently cradling it.

“Yeah, I didn’t really expect the bee to do that,” Sky said, tears pricking at his eyes. It was far from the worst pain he had ever felt, but it still hurt.

“Here, let me fix that for you,” Hyrule said, reaching out.

“It’s alright, there’s no need,” said Sky. “The stinging is already starting to go away.”

Sky gently rubbed his hand, massaging the pain away while the group continued to wait for the knights. Wind was already getting bored, and he started singing an old pirate’s song he learned form Tetra.

“Yo ho ho, and a bottle of rum!” he sang, off key.

A strange sensation settled over Sky as he listened to the young boy sing. (If you could even call it singing.) He felt like something was off, like something was wrong. He couldn’t figure out what it was, though. Everything seemed normal and peaceful again around him, but his heart was beating fast, and his stomach seemed to flip as he suddenly became dizzy.

“Are you alright, Sky?” Time asked, but his voice seemed miles away. “You look a little pale, there.”

“I’m okay,” he mumbled, but he felt like his words wouldn’t come out right. The chain was immediately concerned, and Hyrule and Time moved to be directly in front of him.

“Deep breaths, Sky, it’s going to be just fine,” the older man reassured him.

Sky tried to take his advice, but he found that his chest tightened and constricted the more he tried to pull oxygen in. His throat was itchy, but he couldn’t get any words out to tell the others how wrong he felt. Panic started to creep into his mind, but he hadn’t entirely lost his wits. He held out shaking hands and signed, “Help.”

“He’s allergic,” Hyrule suddenly understood. “He’s experiencing anaphylaxis.”

“What the heck is that supposed to mean?” Legend questioned.

“He’s losing the ability to breathe, and fast. We have to get a red potion down him before his throat closes,” Hyrule informed them.

Wild grabbed a potion from his bag and asked, “What about your magic, will that help?”

“No, it doesn’t have an effect on concussions or allergic reactions, I’ve tried before back on my world. So let’s get him that potion!”

Sky could only hear bits and pieces of the words flying around him. Everything seemed disconnected now, and his chest burned as he couldn’t get a solid breath in. Warriors grabbed his face and titled his chin back, and Hyrule poured the red potion into his mouth. Sky tried to swallow, he really did, but it felt like he was trying to swallow past a rock. The potion just gurgled back out of his mouth and dripped down his chin.

Legend let out a stream of curse words. “His throat closed up already, what now?”

“Rub his throat, it might get the muscles to open a bit,” Hyrule said. The healer seemed calm, but he was just as scared as the rest of them.

Sky’s vision started to blur, the burning in his chest was beginning to become unbearable. His mouth gaped open and closed, like a fish out of water. He felt his muscles starting to give out on him, and he slumped to the side. But he was caught by Wind who helped hold him up. Darkness started to edge into his vision, and he vaguely heard someone tell him to “hold on.”

A pair of hands were massaging his throat, and he felt a small trickle of liquid slide down. As more came in, his throat started to open more. Soon he was left gasping and coughing, Time supporting his shoulders.

“Easy, easy,” Time soothed. “Just take your time.”

Sobs wracked Sky’s frame as he desperately tried to catch his breath. His lungs were still screaming at him, and he felt utterly exhausted. Eventually, his breathing evened out into more of a wheeze, and he collapsed backwards against Time. He suddenly felt very tired. Sky loved to sleep, but he had never felt a pull this strong at his eyelids. He saw a group of loftwings flying towards them, and he felt like he should stay awake. There was someone he was supposed to go see. But he couldn’t quite recall who…

A fog seemed to roll into his brain, and he fell asleep in Time’s arms.

.  .  .

Sky woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside a window. He didn’t know where he was, but he felt safe and warm in the bed he was resting in. He opened his eyes and saw Sun sitting beside him on the side of the bed. She met his eyes, and suddenly everything was clear again. He recalled what had happened earlier, the memory of burning lungs flooding back. He subconsciously rubbed his chest when he thought of the pain and panic.

But Sun smiled at him, and his stress and anxiety seemed to wash away. “Good morning sleepyhead,” she said.

Chapter Text

Out of all the Hyrules, Legend genuinely believed that Warriors’s land had the best bars. Castle Town was home to this world’s military, and common late night hot spots were the pubs. Soldiers and citizens alike came to let off steam from the hard days, and the environment was usually light hearted and spirited.

The group had split up for the night, using the break to do whatever activities they chose. Sky was using the time to sleep in an actual bed, Wind and Four had gone downtown to see what shops were still open, Twilight and Wild were participating in an archery tournament in the town square, and Warriors was with Artemis. She had invited him to the castle for the night, and Legend couldn’t wait to tease him about it. As for Legend, Hyrule, and Time, they were all sitting in a booth together in the bar that Warriors had recommended to them.

Conversation was bustling around them, and Legend felt like a normal young man for a moment. He was here with his friends, drinking and laughing. It felt right, and he was thankful for the chance to let loose.

“‘Kay, Time,” Hyrule slurred slightly. “Tell the truth. You totally didn’t fight the moon.”

“Oh, not this again,” Time groaned into his mug.

“He’s right, Old Man,” Legend said, smiling through his tipsy state. “There’s just no way.”

“Well, I’m sorry to tell you that you’re wrong,” Time stated with a straight face.

Hyrule and Legend stared him down, trying to get him to crack. Time continued to drink his beer with the best pokerface Legend had ever seen.

“Dang,” Hyrule said, breaking eye contact. “He’s good.”

Legend laughed and stood up from his seat. “I’m going to get another drink. Anyone else?”

He made his way over to the counter with all three mugs and asked the bartender for a refill. The man disappeared with the empty mugs, and Legend looked back towards his friends. Time was saying something to Hyrule, and the younger threw back his head with laughter. Legend smiled to himself, took the drinks, and headed back.

The three boys clinked their glasses together and continued to drink. Hyrule’s eyes were unsteady and wide, and Legend teased him for being such a lightweight. Soon enough, however, Legend started to feel the effects of the drink quite strongly.

The colors in the room seemed extra bright, and the faces around him were swirling. Time said something about feeling funny, and they decided they had better head back to the castle before they got too drunk.

The trio stumbled out of the door, laughing and hanging on to each other. It had been a great night, and Legend was a little sad to leave. He tried not to dwell on that for too long, but he then heard a soft thud. He turned around sluggishly, and Time was crumpled on the side of the street.

Hyrule tapped him softly with his foot and said, “Time? Come on, we can’t sleep here.”

They waited a moment, but Time didn’t stir. Legend figured he should be worried, but a wave of surprising calm washed over him. He suddenly felt very tired, and exhaustion pumped through his veins. Legend slowly slid down on the ground next to Time, and the last thing he saw before blacking out was Hyrule hitting the ground just a few feet away.

.  .  .

Legend became aware of a high pitched ringing in his ear before anything else. His head throbbed slowly, and he somehow felt even more tired than before he passed out. He took his time to get his bearings, and he let his eyes crack open. He let out an annoyed groan as he got used to the light, then his surroundings slowly came into focus.

He was sitting on a road in unfamiliar woods, and he could tell that he was leaning against something warm. His hands were tied securely behind his back, and he heard voices coming from behind.

Suddenly a face came into his view. It was a middle-aged man with dark hair and hollow eyes. He scowled at Legend, and his lips hooked into the scar on his cheek bone.

“Oh, yes,” the man said, probably to another person behind Legend. “These ones will fetch a high price.”

The man bent down and forcefully grabbed Legend’s chin, turning his head from side to side in an examining manner. Legend glared and spat in his face.

Turning red, the man stood up quickly and wiped his face with his sleeve.

“You will regret that,” the man huffed out, nodding to his companion.

When Legend finally turned his head, he realized that he was leaning against Time and Hyrule. They were tied the same way he was, and they both looked like they were still dragging themselves out of unconsciousness. The other man, who looked similar to the first but with long, shaggy hair, moved in front of Time while the first stepped in front of Hyrule. Simultaneously, they both launched their fists at the two heroes’ stomachs. He heard them gasp and double over, being suddenly pulled into full awareness.

Time looked over at the other two boys with wide eyes. “Legend, Hyrule. Are you boys okay?”

Hyrule nodded, but their captors became angry.

“You don’t speak unless you’re spoken to!” The man with long hair roared. He pulled a knife out from his pocket and plunged it into Time’s shoulder. The Old Man shouted in pain, clenching his eyes closed.

“Stop!” Hyrule said with concern and fear.

“What did I just say?” The man said, and he punched Hyrule across the temple.

Hyrule let out a small whimper, and Legend reached his fingers out and wrapped them around Time and Hyrule’s bound hands. He gave them a gentle squeeze, and continued glaring.

“Alright, let’s get moving,” the first man said. “Load ‘em up, Fin.”

The man with long hair, Fin, apparently, yanked the three boys up and dragged them over to a large covered wagon. They were thrown unceremoniously inside, then a lock was clicking behind them.

“Bunch of scumbags,” Legend grumbled, bringing himself to a sitting position. The others were doing the same.

“What do they want with us?” Hyrule asked.

“I think they’re slave traffickers,” Time said grimly while he applied pressure to his wound. “They’re not common in any of our worlds anymore, but apparently some still exist.”

“Shh,” someone said. The boys jumped, and Legend’s eyes shot to the dark corner of the wagon while his heart skipped a beat. “They’ll get angry if you talk.”

There was a boy, no older than Hyrule, sitting in the shadows. He was tall and scrawny, with mousy brown hair.

“Who are you?” Time asked, eyebrows raised in surprise.

“My name’s Milo,” the stranger answered.

“What are you doing here?” Legend asked, noting that Milo’s hands were not tied like his own.

“Guard duty, I suppose. My father and Uncle Fin always make me come on their business trips.”

“So you sell people,” Legend said with a glare. “Do you understand just how messed up that is?”

Milo looked at the floor, shame coloring his face. “Yes,” he said quietly. “But my family would disown me if I didn’t come. They’re the only ones I’ve got, since my sister died in the war.”

All four boys jumped as a fist pounded on the other side of the wagon where Milo’s relatives were driving the horses.

“Milo, shut them up!”

“But, Pa-”

“You heard me, boy! Just do it,” said the voice from the other side.

Milo sighed and looked up sadly at the others. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered.

“Come on kid, you don’t have to do anything,” Time said, extending a hand as Milo stood.

“Yes, I do.”

With that, Milo closed his eyes and squeezed his fists together. The boys looked at each other incredulously, expecting something totally different.

Then the magic hit.

Suddenly, Legend felt himself lose control of his muscles as they contracted in wrong, awkward directions. He yelped, and Time and Hyrule’s shouts told him they were experiencing the same thing. His back arched against his will, and it felt like his body was trying to tear itself apart. All he could feel was a fire running through his muscles, as an invisible pain assaulted his nerves.

The pain increased, and Legend screamed.

Then suddenly, it was over. Milo relaxed his hands, and all three boys crumpled on the floor. Hyrule was groaning while Legend coughed. Time was eerily silent.

“What the heck was that?” Legend half shouted at Milo.

Milo only put a finger to his lips. Right , Legend thought. No talking .

Hyrule scrambled over to Time, where he was still lying on the floor. The man’s eyes were open, but they were unfocused and fluttering. Legend joined Hyrule’s side, and he saw the wound in Time’s shoulder bleeding profusely. The magical torture had aggravated the torn flesh.

Legend shot a concerned glance to Hyrule, but he was already on it. The traveler laid his hands on the wound, blood seeping between his fingers. A soft, green glow began to radiate from his palms, and the tension in Time’s shoulders released as he relaxed. The wound was mostly closed when Hyrule pulled back suddenly.

Too tired, the drug is still running through us , Hyrule signed to Legend. He’ll be fine, though. Stable now .

Legend sat back and huffed. This was not an ideal situation. Both of his brothers were hurt and exhausted, and he couldn’t even think straight enough to come up with a plan because of the drugs clouding his brain.

Time slept for a few hours, and Hyrule curled himself into Legend’s side. He could tell that Hyrule needed to sleep, too, but he was too scared to close his eyes. A few hours passed like this. The boys waited on nothing, and Milo watched silently from his corner.

Eventually, the keyhole jiggled from the other side of the wagon’s door. It opened, revealing Milo’s father.

“Here,” he said, tossing Milo some food and a small loaf of bread.

He began to close the door, but Milo spoke up. “Pa? One of them is hurt pretty bad, maybe we should just let them-”

“I don’t want to hear another word of that talk. You know that this is what we do now. Your sister was the business woman, not me. And she’s gone now, so this is what we’re doing. End of discussion.”

Hyrule looked past the man, trying to see where they were at. The man noticed and lunged towards him. He laughed as Hyrule flinched back.

“Hey, leave him alone,” Legend said, eyes boring into the man.

“Excuse me?” The man asked, anger rising in his face.

“Legend,” Time warned. Legend shot him a look that hopefully said trust me . He wanted to draw the attention away from his friends.

“Why don’t you pick on someone your own size? Oh wait, you can’t because you’re fatter than a hinox!” Legend shouted at the man with a haughty smirk.

The man let out a roar, grabbed Legend by the collar, and threw him out of the wagon. He hit the ground hard, and the man slammed the door behind him.

Legend tried to scramble to his feet, but the drugs and the sudden movement made his head swim again. As soon as he had made it to a standing position, a large fist met his face.

The force knocked him off balance, and he fell to the ground again. The man kicked him in the chest, and Legend could feel a few ribs give way. He coughed harshly, and a little blood flecked out onto the ground.

The man grabbed him by the neck, lifting his head a few inches above the ground. Then he repeatedly slammed Legend’s head into the dirt, causing his vision to blur and skull to scream in pain.

By the time he was done, all Legend could do was stare at the sky while blood ran from the corner of his mouth. Milo’s father grabbed him roughly and threw him back into the covered wagon.

“Legend!” Hyrule whisper-shouted. The younger boy scrambled over to Legend, and placed his hands over him. The familiar green magic began to glow, but it soon sputtered out. “I’m so sorry, my magic isn’t restored yet.”

Legend wasn’t really listening. His head was pounding, and all he could really hear was the way his heart pulsed. Was it always that loud? For the second time that day, consciousness slipped away from him.

.  .  .

When he woke up, his mind felt a lot clearer. His side and head still ached with an unmatched fervor, but he figured he was mostly okay for the moment. Legend looked around, and he realized that Time, Hyrule, and Milo were all asleep. Then he noticed that the wagon wasn’t moving anymore. There were loud snores coming from outside, so Legend reasoned that it must be the middle of the night. Now was his chance.

His hands were still bound behind his back, but he could still reach the lock pick he kept hidden in his waistband. These stupid people didn’t even search us , thought Legend.

He silently stood and made his way over to the door. He turned so his back was to the door, and he began to pick the lock behind him. His wrists may have been tied together, but his fingers were still skilled and nimble. After a few minutes, the keyhole softly clicked as the door unlocked.

He looked back at his sleeping brothers as the door creaked open. He needed to free his hands before he woke his brothers. Legend looked around, and saw the two men sleeping on bed rolls, and he also saw an ax about ten feet away from them. They must have been using it for firewood, but now it would be perfect for cutting the ropes on his wrists.

Legend awkwardly picked up the ax from behind him, and carefully used his hands to saw it back and forth over the rope. It was a precarious task, and it took longer than Legend would ever like to admit. Eventually, the rope snapped, and he was free. He wrung his hands, massaging the sore skin.

Suddenly there was a hand on his shoulder.

Legend reacted before he had time to think. He whirled around, swinging the ax. The weapon hit home, and the sharp blade sunk into the chest of his assailant.

The adrenaline and fright wore off, and Legend looked at his attacker. Only it wasn’t who he expected.

It was Milo.

The boy’s dark eyes stared into Legend’s, mouth slightly open in surprise. He looked like he was going to say something, but he was cut off by a wet cough. Blood spurted out of his mouth, landing on Legend’s face.

Milo slowly looked down at the ax protruding from his chest, and he whimpered slowly. Suddenly his knees gave out, and Legend barely managed to catch him as he went down.

Legend cradled the boy to his chest, and the frightened eyes met his own again. What have I done? Legend thought in horror.

He tried to stem the bleeding with shaking hands, but Milo weakly pushed him away.

“I’m s’rry,” Milo whispered with the rest of his energy. “I jus’ wanted to help.”

His eyes continued to stare at Legend, but then they suddenly had no awareness to them. There was no sparkle of life let in them.

Legend checked his pulse, and it confirmed his worst fears. Milo was dead. He had killed monsters and enemies before, sure, but never a Hylian. Never a kid who was just in a bad situation.

Milo’s uncle and father were still asleep as Legend slowly stood up again. He seemed to move without being aware of it. His body walked back to the wagon, but his mind felt completely numb. He roused Time and Hyrule, untied their hands, and led them out of the wagon.

Legend hoped it was too dark for them to see Milo’s body.

They walked quickly into the cover of the woods, getting as far away as they could before sitting down on a large rock for a break. It was only then that Legend’s brain caught up with his body.

His knees hit the forest floor as he heaved and threw up. He vaguely sensed Time and Hyrule move near him, but he couldn’t hear anything else over the voice in his head repeatedly telling him, you killed him. You killed him. You killed him …

Legend wasn’t sure he’d ever get the sight of Milo’s corpse staring up at him out of his mind.

Chapter Text

The chain was wandering around Wild’s vast Hyrule when he spotted something interesting. There was a light on top of a distant hill that was flashing alternatively between orange and pink. Wild pointed it out to the others, telling them he wanted to check it out.

“Ooh, yes!” Hyrule exclaimed, always excited for an exploration.

The group trekked the steep path to the top of the hill, and they arrived a couple hours later around noon. As the strange light came into view, Wild realized it was a shrine, to his surprise. It wasn’t unusual to see them around his Hyrule, but they were all blue. Orange light signaled that he hadn’t completed the shrine’s challenge yet. Wild furrowed his brow in puzzlement. He had found all of the shrines, hadn’t he? That’s what his slate had told him when he finished the 120th.

The other factor that struck him as odd was the pink. The light from the shrine would flash orange, then blink into a magenta tone, then back again. He had never seen that before. Wild felt the urge to activate the shrine and find out what was going on, so he walked forward to the pedestal outside the entrance.

The chain crowded around him, watching over his shoulder as he tapped the slate against the stone pedestal. It started to glow along with the slate, and the door opened in front of him. Wild told the chain that it was perfectly safe and that he would be back in fifteen minutes, tops. Time gave him a worried glance but nodded his consent anyway.

The elevator-like contraption brought him into the depths of the shrine, and Wild felt excitement build up in his chest. He enjoyed these puzzles, and he hadn’t realized that he missed them so much.

That’s why he was so disappointed when he entered the chamber. There was absolutely nothing in the room besides smooth, glowing walls and a small blue chest in the center of the floor. Wild frowned and looked around again just to be sure.

He walked across the room to the chest and kicked it open with his foot. The lid popped open, and when he looked inside, there was only a small pink orb. Wild picked it up to examine it, and there was a strange symbol on it that he had never seen before. But before he could further look into it, it floated towards his chest and faded into his skin. Just like that, it was gone.

Wild looked around, wondering what to do now, when a ghostly voice emanated throughout the room.

“Hero of the Wild,” it said. “You have received the Curse of Time. To break the curse, you must protect that which you hold dear until Hylia’s light disappears.”

Wild rolled his eyes. Why is it always so vague? He thought to himself.

However, the message felt very ominous to him. Wild felt worry creep up inside, but he swallowed it back down. He figured he would find out what it meant soon enough. He usually did. He would figure out what to do then.

Wild left the shrine, rising back to the surface. When he stepped out, an arrow flew past his face, just an inch in front of him.

He jumped back in fright, then he realized what was going on around him.

The chain must have been ambushed while he was in the shrine, and the boys were locked in a violent battle. A group of ten or so lizafos was clashing swords with the heroes, and Wild could tell they were infected with black blood when he looked at the weapons of his friends.

He ran forward, joining the fight. He pulled out his sword since he was already too close to draw his bow. He used his unexpected appearance to his advantage, catching a lizafos near Wind off guard. Wild ran his sword through the creature, right between its shoulder blades. It let out a horrible screech before disappearing into smoke. He then made his way over to Twilight, who happened to be nearby. The two were very comfortable fighting together, knowing the other’s style perfectly. Together, they created a deadly force.

They felt a little invincible fighting side by side.

But that unconscious thought led to Twilight leaving a blind spot open. A lizafos stealthily ran up, whipped its long tail around, and smacked Twilight right across his head. Wild heard a sickening crack from beside him, and Twilight hit the ground without so much as a stumble.

Wild finished off the lizafos he had been working on, then he looked to see how the rest were faring. There were only two left, so he let the others handle them, and he ran to his mentor.

“Twilight?” Wild dropped down to his knees next to him. The man was lying on his back, but his neck was turned awkwardly to the side. Wild shook his shoulder, but he didn’t stir. His head just flopped lightly. Wild’s heart began to pound quickly as a small trail of blood leaked from Twilight’s nose. The younger went to wipe the blood away with his sleeve when he realized that his ears were bleeding, too.

“Hey! Rancher, wake up!” Wild cried out desperately, refusing to check his pulse. He just continuously tapped his face softly, shouting his name. Someone was trying to pull Wild off of him, but he clung to Twilight with all his might. He refused to believe it, but it was pretty clear that Twilight’s neck was broken. Tears streamed down his face as he continued to scream.

Then all of a sudden, he was standing at the entrance of the shrine again, facing out. He looked around wildly, heart thumping and face still wet from crying. He spotted Twilight standing nearby, and he took off at a sprint and tackled the rancher to the ground so that the lizafos wouldn’t hit him again.

“Hey!” Twilight shouted. “What was that for?”

Wild looked up and noticed that there were no monsters in sight. It was just the chain staring at him like he had two heads.

“Uh,” Wild started, cheeks flushing with embarrassment. “Just really wanted to give you a hug, I guess.”

“Are you okay, Wild?” Four asked, placing his hand against Wild’s forehead.

“Yes!” He said quickly, swatting Four’s hand away.

No one genuinely believed that, but Wild was known for his namesake, so the heroes didn’t question it for too long.

“So what was in the shrine?” Wind asked him as he helped Twilight up.

“Oh, er, not really anything,” Wild lied. “It was strange.”

The group continued on their earlier path, and Wild’s head reeled. Had he only imagined it? Twilight’s death had felt so real, but it hadn’t happened. Wild eventually chalked it up to his crazy amnesiac brain, and he shrugged it off.

Wild’s nerves started to settle, but he still stuck closer to Twilight’s side than usual.

After a while of walking and light conversation, the chain made it to a stable. Time decided that it was best for the group to sleep in beds that night, so he paid the man inside, and everyone began to set their bags down.

Wild’s lingering feeling of uneasiness started to fade as he watched his brothers, safe and sound. Time and Warriors were talking with the owner of the stable about the area, Hyrule and Legend were sitting near the fire, Wind and Sky were petting a friendly black dog, and Twilight was by Four, who was chatting with some local girls. Everyone was fine, and Wild let out a sigh of relief as he sat next to the veteran and traveler by the fire.

The sky was clear and full of stars, conversation floated around his ears, and Wild was in a pretty good mood. He hummed to himself as he cooked stuffed rice balls for dinner and pumpkin pie for dessert.

The sun was beginning to set, and the group ate together as the sky painted itself in a gradient of brilliant colors. Blue like Warriors’s scarf was fading into a deep violet like Legend’s eyes.

Wild perked up as Twilight quietly excused himself. He was heading for the trees around the stable, and Wild wondered if he was searching the perimeter. Stables had always been a safe place where no nightly watches were needed, but Wild figured the rancher just felt more comfortable by doing his routine check.

After fifteen minutes had passed, Wild began to worry. Twilight usually didn’t wander far, and he thought his friend would've been back by then. The sun was starting to dip under the horizon as Wild got up and started towards the direction he had seen Twilight go.

The forest path was slightly difficult to navigate in the fading light, and Wild almost tripped over rocks and tree roots multiple times. But he kept walking and searching.

He found a trail of footprints that went abruptly from paws to shoes, and he knew that he was heading the right direction. The treeline broke into a small clearing, and Wild saw three figures standing in the shadows.

One was Twilight, but Wild didn’t recognize the others at first. They looked like two travelers that were asking the rancher for directions. Until Wild heard the laugh that often found its way into his nightmares.

Yiga.

Wild started to run and shouted a warning, but it was too late. With a puff of red smoke, the seemingly innocent Hylians showed their true appearances as Yiga foot soldiers. The one closest to Twilight drew its blade in a split second, and slashed it towards the hero.

The Yiga soldiers laughed and vanished as Twilight fell to his knees.

“Twilight!” Wild screamed as he reached him.

Wild placed his arm around the older boy’s shoulders to support him, and Twilight slumped against him. Wild slowly lowered Twilight to the ground so he could get a good look at his wounds. When he finally saw the damage done, his breath caught in his chest.

Twilight’s soft brown eyes were blown wide with panic and confusion as he held his throat. The Yiga’s blade had slit his throat.

“No no no no,” Wild rambled. He hadn’t brought anything with him except his sword, so he had no way to heal Twilight unless he got him back to the others.

He pulled Twilight’s shaking hands away from his neck so that he could use his own hands to apply pressure. Blood pulsed and bubbled through his fingers as Twilight tried to gasp for breath. But his breathing was agonal, his chest spasming as it couldn’t get in enough air. Tears slid silently down the rancher’s face, and his lips moved like he was trying to speak but couldn’t.

“Don’t do this, Twilight,” Wild begged. “Please just hold on.”

Twilight only responded by weakly raising his hand up to Wild’s face. His thumb stroked Wild’s cheek, leaving behind a smear of crimson.

Wild had tears of his own now. Twilight’s hand suddenly dropped, and his chest lay still. His eyes stared unseeingly past him, dully reflecting the sliver of light that was left from the sun. Wild pressed his head against Twilight’s hair and screamed.

Then he was no longer holding Twilight. In fact, he was no longer in that forest. He spun around quickly, taking in his new surroundings. He was back at the shrine from earlier. Again.

What is going on? Wild thought. He stepped out of the shrine’s entryway, and his brothers were all messing around in the grass under the full sun. Wild’s eyes landed on Twilight who was standing, breathing, living.

A memory tugged at the back of his mind, and he recalled the words he had heard inside of the shrine.

“To break the curse, you must protect that which you hold dear until Hylia’s light disappears.”

Oh.

Wild understood with a sickening feeling in his gut. Twilight was his friend, his brother, and his mentor. He loved him. Of course he held him dear, like what the voice had said. “Hylia’s light” must’ve been the sun, so Wild knew what he had to do. Protect Twilight until nightfall.

Wild felt more confident now that what was happening made a little more sense to him. However, that confidence soon wore thin when Twilight was shot through the heart with an arrow.

Then drowned in a river.

Then poisoned.

Then had his rib cage smashed in by a moblin’s club.

He died again, and again, and again. Eventually, Wild lost count. But everytime, without fail, he would end up at the shrine. He was stuck in some sort of vicious time loop that wouldn’t let go. No matter how hard he tried or how fast he moved, Wild couldn’t save Twilight before sundown.

Each death hit him harder than the last, and he was getting very frustrated with himself. He couldn’t keep watching his best friend die, but he also couldn’t give up. He knew that Twilight wouldn’t if the roles were reversed.

Wild was back at the shrine again, Twilight having just died from being strangled. The chain was waiting for him like usual, but Wild’s strength suddenly left him. He sank to the floor, and the other boys hurried over to him.

“What’s wrong, Wild?” Hyrule asked, hands at the ready in case his friend was hurt.

Wild laughed darkly. Why not tell them? It’s not like they would remember within a few hours. Twilight would die, and he would just be brought to square one again. “I’m stuck in a time loop.”

“Pardon?” Time asked, scratching his chin.

“You heard me. It ends each time with Twilight dying, then I just end up back here,” Wild said quietly. He looked down to hide his tears.

“What?” Twilight said with surprise dancing across his features.

“The shrine cursed me,” Wild explained. “I have to save you before the sun goes down, but I keep failing.”

“So what have we tried so far to prevent it?” Legend asked.

“We?” Wild laughed quietly again. “There’s no we. This is for me to bear. But I just don’t know what to do.”

“Wait,” Warriors said, stepping forward. “Is this the first time you’ve told us about the time loop?”

“Yeah,” Wild said ashamedly. “I didn’t want to put this on you guys even if you won’t remember it.”

“But we can help!” Wind shouted. “What if we protect him with you?”

“Yeah, you don’t have to do this alone, Wild,” Sky said while sitting down next to him. He then squeezed Wild’s arm reassuringly.

“Cub, it’s going to be okay,” Twilight said, kneeling down to be eye level with his protege. “We’ll figure this out. And it’s okay to ask for help.”

Wild sniffled his tears away and nodded. Hope swelled in his chest, and it started to beat back the despair that had made its home there.

“We need a plan,” Time stated.

“Yeah, you’re right,” Warriors replied. “I think we need to have at least three people with Twi at all times. He can’t be alone, no matter what.”

The chain decided to make camp right where they were, not wanting to risk Twilight’s safety as they traveled. Time set up a rotation of three always guarding Twilight, two taking care of the camp, and three constantly scouting the near perimeter. The hours passed, and the plan seemed to be working well, so far. No danger had made itself known, much to the relief of the chain, but Wild knew it was coming.

He knew that something terrible would come to try and take Twilight away from him, torturing him in the seemingly never ending chaos. The seconds ticked by, and Wild got more nervous with each moment.

Time, Legend, and Wild were all currently sitting around Twilight. Wild couldn’t stop wringing his hands together anxiously, and it hurt Twilight’s heart to see his cub this way. He knew that he wasn’t to blame, but he still felt guilty that his friend had watched him die countless times.

Wild ran endless situations through his head of what might possibly go wrong. He was so scared that everything the chain had planned would fall apart. That would mean he truly was alone in this curse. Almost like he could read Wild’s thoughts, Twilight looped an arm around Wild’s back and pulled him closer.

It helped, being able to hear Twilight’s steady breaths and feel his heart beat strongly in his chest. Wild tried to match Twilight’s breathing, and a little bit of the tension melted away.

The sun was setting, so the group knew that they must be getting close to whatever was going to happen. Restless energy was starting to build up in them all; they hated feeling stationary and powerless. Sky was pacing back and forth when the sky suddenly cracked with thunder.

The Skyloftian flinched violently at the loud booming sound, and Legend went a little pale at the sight of lightning streaking across the sky.

“Where is that storm coming from?” Four asked. “There’s no clouds.”

The chain looked up and saw that he was right. Lightning cracked through the air, but there was no source. Suddenly, a powerful bolt of electricity struck the ground near them, and a large figure was left in its place.

“Whoa, what is that thing?” Wild heard Wind ask.

The creature was easily four times as tall as them. It had a menacing blue eye that matched the glow of its sword and shield, and it had red hair that flowed down its malice-filled back. Thunder and lightning rolled off of it in waves, and it let out a sickening screech.

“Thunderblight,” Wild said with a scowl.

The creature let loose another roar and zipped behind the chain in the blink of an eye.

“How does it move that fast?” Warriors shouted over the thunder.

“It’s a piece of Ganon!” Wild yelled back. “I don’t know how it’s here, though, since I killed Ganon. It must be part of the curse!”

“Well, I say let’s get rid of it,” Time said, drawing his sword. “Twilight, stay out of the way, and everyone else, keep it away from him!”

Wild’s heart pounded as the chain rushed towards the beast. He knew not to underestimate Thunderblight; it had killed Urbosa, and it had just about finished him off, as well. The group was having a hard time getting any legitimate hits in with its wicked speed, but Wild felt better about having a team to fight it with this time.

Raw energy shot out of the creature’s eye towards the heroes, and they found themselves having to constantly roll out of the way. Volleys of electricity would soon follow after each swing of its massive sword. The group was tiring faster than they were dealing damage, and Thunderblight knew it. It roared in a menacing yet almost amused way, and Wild felt his face flush with anger.

He saw a blur moving quickly in the corner of his vision, and when he turned his head, he realized it was Twilight. Time had told him to stay away, but apparently that didn’t sit well with the Hero’s Spirit that resided in them all. Twilight continued to charge forward, and Wild knew he needed to act. Protect that which you hold dear.

Wild took off at a full sprint, heading straight for Twilight. The rancher might have been stronger, but Wild was quicker and more agile. Once he caught up, Wild threw himself into Twilight, and they both crashed to the ground, rolling to a stop.

“What are you doing?!” Twilight shouted.

“Saving you! You’re the one it’s after,” Wild said, looking Twilight dead in the eye. “I’m not losing you again, so we’re finishing this right now!”

Twilight nodded, and when Wild pointed at the shrine nearby, Twilight ran towards it to take cover.

Swords obviously weren’t doing the trick against Thunderblight’s impeccable speed, so Wild pulled out his bow. If he could just shoot it in the eye, he could slow it down.

He notched an ancient arrow and drew back the string. Wild was an amazing marksman, but everytime he released an arrow, Thunderblight would zoom out of the way in a blur. Wild started to panic when he realized he was down to only one ancient arrow left.

Sky must’ve seen what he was trying to do, because he pulled away from the others’ failing assault.

“I’ve got an idea!” Sky told him. “I can stop it long enough for you to shoot. Just trust me, I’ve done this before!”

For some reason, that didn’t help to reassure Wild. But nevertheless, Sky raised the Master Sword towards the heavens, and the blade began to charge with a holy light, but he didn’t stop there. He continued to hold the blade to the sky, and a bolt of lightning struck the sacred metal. Sky yelped in pain as white hot sparks ran down his arm, but he didn’t let go. The sword was now glowing fiercely with built up energy, and Sky charged towards Thunderblight. He swung the Master Sword in a skyward strike, and the power and lightning ripped through the air, connecting with the creature. It reared its head, howling in pain. But more importantly, it stopped moving for a moment. Wild quickly raised his bow and let his final ancient arrow sail through the sky.

It pierced straight through Thunderblight’s glowing eye, and it screamed again in anger. The creature doubled over, and the rest of the chain took the opportunity to slice and hack away with their swords. Thunderblight was weakened to the point where it couldn’t dart away anymore, and it eventually gave one last terrible scream as it exploded in a burst of malice.

Sky crumpled, eyes rolling back into his head before he even hit the ground. The chain rushed towards him, and Hyrule was already using his magic to sooth the lightning burns running down his arm. Warriors checked his breathing and pulse, then he sighed in relief.

“He’s alive. He needs rest, but he’ll be alright,” Warriors reported.

Wild heard footsteps behind him, and when he turned he saw Twilight running towards them.

Once he reached them, Wild threw himself into the rancher’s arms. 

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” he said into Twilight’s tunic.

“It’s all thanks to you and Sky,” he said back with a smile. “And look at that.”

Wild lifted his head and looked around. Stars were winking back at him, and cool darkness covered the land. There was no trace of the sun. They had made it.

Twilight jumped back suddenly as a small round object floated out of Wild’s chest. It was the pink orb he had found in the shrine. The dark of night touched the orb, and it shattered into a million pieces.

Wild’s face broke into a huge grin, and a few pesky tears managed to leave his eyes. The curse was broken, the nightmare was finished. And Wild had his brothers to thank for that. That day, he truly learned the importance of relying on his friends.

Chapter Text

Wind knew that this was very, very bad.

The hot Gerudo sun bore down on him at full strength, just like it had for the past five days. A portal had abandoned him here, alone, and he had seen no sign of the others. He was in unfamiliar territory, so he didn’t even know which way to go. Eventually, he had just picked a direction and started trudging through the sand.

His small water flask had run out on the first day, and at this point he had already stopped sweating. He had heard Warriors tell Legend that was bad once, because the veteran was terrible at keeping himself properly hydrated.

Every time Wind swallowed, it felt like his throat was cracking open. His breath rasped through his lungs, and he was just so thirsty . He continually prayed to see water, but it never came. The days just passed with bleary heat, and the nights were colder than the mountains. He found slight relief from the drastic temperatures when the sun was setting, but freezing night always came. He didn’t have any extra layers of clothes or blankets, so he would find a dune and sleep curled into a shivering ball.

At the moment, Wind felt like he was closer to collapsing with every step. His whole body practically shook with the effort to keep upright, and his muscles simply begged for him to stop.

But he kept a mantra going through his mind. I have to find them. Don’t stop, just keep moving .

His quiet resolve gave him the strength to keep going. He was making little progress, though. As the days went by, it seemed harder and harder to pick his feet up from the sand. The endless expanse of the desert made him feel more lost than ever. He was used to seeing only water on all horizons, but something about the scalding sand was different. Water brought life, but this desolate place only reeked of death.

Wind was starting to get dizzy. It was hard to see straight as the edges of his vision got soft and fuzzy. He tried to blink the sensation away, but it only seemed to swirl the colors of the scenery. The world tilted, and he didn’t even realize that it was because he was lying on his side now. When did I get down here? He thought, sluggishly.

He felt like crying, but he didn’t even have enough water left in his body to produce a single tear. All felt lost, and Wind just laid there in an ever growing despair.

But then he saw something. Or was that… someone?

He stared at the figure across the dunes, trying to get his eyes to focus. After a few moments, he saw a tall blond man, blue scarf waving in the breeze behind him.

“Wars-” he choked on his words.

His throat felt like it was boiling, but he tried again.

“Help!” All that came out was a scratchy, weak shout.

His body protested, but he knew that he had to reach his brother. Warriors would protect him and keep him safe. He was the calm within the storm. Wind was scared, and he needed that right now. He tried a few times to stand up, but ended back where he started each time. Eventually he just gave up on that and began to crawl towards the green and blue clad hero.

He crawled for what seemed like forever. But Warriors never got any closer. Wind was pretty sure the other wasn’t walking away from him, he was just standing still. So why wasn’t he making any ground?

In the back of his mind, he remembered a story that his Grandma had told him about deserts. She had said that people trapped in the dunes sometimes hallucinate.

As soon as that thought passed, his mind stopped playing tricks. The figure of Warriors wavered away, and Wind was left alone yet again.

Wind pounded his fists into the sand and let out an aggravated shout. He sat back, pulling his knees to his chest. He buried his face between his legs, and his eyes relished in the absence of scorching sunlight. His small frame shook profusely while sobs wracked his body.

Time passed strangely as he sat there like that. He had no idea how long it had been, but when he finally looked up, the sky was dark. And Wind realized he was shivering.

He was glad that the heat was gone, but the cold was a totally different beast. He could feel his teeth chattering in his skull, and his muscles were tense. All of his energy was gone, and his head was swimming. Without even noticing, Wind was lying down on his side. He watched sand blow lazily across the landscape, and he felt his eyes start to slip shut. He fought the sensation for only a moment, but then he heard something strange.

It sounded like… singing.

It was a familiar song, one that his grandma would sing to him when he was little. But now he heard his sister’s voice carrying the tune. Her sweet melody filled his ears, and he felt his body relax deeper into the sand. For a moment, he could imagine the rolling dunes as the ocean’s comforting waves. For a moment, he could imagine home.

Wind’s eyes shut as he hummed weakly along to Aryll’s song. He faintly heard the sound of seagulls somewhere in the distance. His body felt both heavy and light, and he thought maybe he should be worried, but he couldn’t find the strength to care. So he let himself slack further into the void.

There was a soft weight around his shoulders suddenly. It was warm against the cold night air, and he thought for a moment that he could hear other voices besides his sister’s. The sounds of his brothers, he realized slowly. Was Hylia calling him to the other side by the voices of the people he loved? It was a nice thought, and it gave the young boy a little bit of peace.

However, his brain slowly registered movement. Which was strange if he was supposed to be dying. He felt gravity become light as he was lifted into the air. His head lolled against something strong yet soft and furry, and a gentle touch carded through his hair.

“-on, Win-” Was someone speaking to him?

“-ake up!” They sounded scared.

“He’s not-”

Out of curiosity, Wind tried his hardest to crack his eyes back open. He could feel his eyes move behind his lids, but it took a few long moments before he was able to see out of a slit.

The full moon should’ve given him enough light to see by, but his vision was fuzzy. He closed his eyes again, but opened them when he thought he heard his name. He could make out the shapes of eight people, and the blurry face of the one carrying him was looking down at him. There were dark marks on the man’s face.

“Twi?” He croaked out, softly.

“Yeah, it’s me, sailor,” the man said, voice flooded with relief.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he finally felt safe. He reasoned that a hallucination wouldn’t be able to hold him. 

So he let another boy give him a little red potion, but he released a small whimper as the liquid slid down his aching throat. Someone else gave him small sips of water, and then he suddenly felt very exhausted again.

He leaned his head back against Twilight’s chest, and he let his mind fall into the dark oblivion of rest.

Chapter Text

Time had offered to take first watch because the other boys looked like they were going to pass out at any moment. They were absolutely worn, but not from a day’s worth of fighting per usual.

Wild had been talking about his many exciting endeavors of shield surfing, and of course it caught the curiosity of the group. Hyrule and Wind instantly begged the champion to teach them his ways, and he got to instructing with a laugh. Time passed on the shenanigans, claiming his body was “too old” for such activities, even though he literally fought monsters for a living.

Instead, the man watched and smiled as his boys recklessly flew down a steep, grassy hill. They would climb their way back up, breathless and joyful, then they would do it all over again. At one point, Twilight wiped out spectacularly, and the rest of the boys laughed so hard they fell on the ground. The rancher’s arms were littered with cuts and bruises, but he just ran back up the hill to try again.

Eventually when the sun started to set, the group began to settle down. Time had started setting up camp on top of the lofty hill, and Wild began to cook dinner. Once the boys’ bellies were full and they were warm by the fire, Time noticed all of their eyes beginning to grow heavy. Wind’s head had fallen softly against Legend’s shoulder, and Warriors was struggling to stay alert. The others wore similar expressions of exhaustion with half-lidded eyes.

Time chuckled quietly to himself. He told the chain to get some rest, that he would take the first watch. None of them protested. Time was fairly sure they were out before their heads even touched the pillows.

Time relaxed and enjoyed the peaceful night. Well, almost peaceful. Wild was snoring like a hinox, but the cool breeze ruffled Time’s bangs as he watched the stars blink into existence. He pulled out his ocarina and began to play soft tunes to himself. The clear music filled the air, and he could see Wind, who was curled up next to Warriors, visibly relax. The young boy let out a quiet sigh and burrowed his face further into the blankets.

The night felt perfect and comfortable, but it was at moments like this that Time let his mind wander.

His eyes drifted back to the sailor. He was so young that Time usually avoided thinking about it. Whenever he did, his heart was blinded by righteous anger. It made him and the others want to protect Wind especially, but the youngest would only resent that. But now, looking at the sailor's soft, slack face, he couldn't help but feel a sharp pain in his chest.

He was simply too young. Too young to have sailed the seas and fought a demon king by himself, and certainly too young to travel across time and space into constant danger.

The others were older than Wind, but Time had the same feelings about them all. He looked at Wild, who was drooling a little in his sleep. The kid should only be worried about avoiding injury from shield surfing, not carrying the trauma of death and 100 years of sleeping solitude. Wild shouldn't have to be comforted by Twilight after nightmares, yet that was not an unusual occurrence.

And Twilight. Time fiercely blinked away the tears that were starting to form in his eyes.

Twilight was his own blood. His descendant. He was a sweet man who loved animals and kids, but he was forced by a goddess to play a role in her game of shadows. The rancher had experienced excruciating transformative magic, yet he'd never trade the safety of others to get rid of the pain. He was so selfless, but his journey had turned himself into his greatest fear.

All of his boys had scars seen and hidden. And it killed him. It absolutely wrecked him. Time glanced from one young man to the next, and the tears began to stream silently. His hands shook as he glared into the campfire.

Legend and Hyrule were born into poisoned worlds, haunted by dreams and blood curses. Four had lost so many friends, and he knew what it felt to have his soul split. Sky had been used as a pawn, but he was still loyal as ever to his goddess, despite the horrors and pain he had experienced. And Warriors was molded into a military captain when he should've been experiencing the world as a teenager.

They had all been forced to grow up too quickly, Time included.

His tears soon stung the back of his eyes with anger. It wasn't fair.

Time stood and walked into the line of trees surrounding the clearing. He could still see and hear the camp, but he needed some space. He felt suffocated by his thoughts.

The anger that usually resided quietly inside him began to reach its boiling point. His breaking point.

With a pained sob, he smashed his fist into the tree nearest him. The bark slashed his skin, but he continued punching while blood ran down his hands.

He let out his frustrations against Hylia, the triforce, himself. It wasn't fair! They were only kids, after all! Why did they have to be forsaken? These boys weren’t supposed to get hurt; they deserved so much more than that.

He thought he felt a bone crunch in his right hand, so he stopped with a huff. He gave the tree one last kick and avoided looking at the dents he had made in the trunk. His body shivered violently, but not from the cold.

He suddenly felt like he couldn't breathe. He was inhaling too fast, but his lungs still begged for more. His head swam, and he forced himself to sit down so he wouldn't fall on his face. He rocked himself gently, but Time couldn't shake the feeling of helplessness. His heart beated much too fast, and fear and sorrow settled in his heart.

“Hey,” someone said, lightly tapping Time's shoulder.

Time startled and flinched. Hard. The figure in the darkness backed up with hands raised in a gesture of surrender.

Once Time’s vision cleared, he could tell that it was Four standing before him. Yet he didn’t feel any better about that. He just continued to shake, sweat and tears mingling on his cheeks.

“It’s just you and me, Time,” Four soothed gently, inching closer. “Can I touch you?”

Time nodded quickly, seeking any help he could get. His heart felt like it was moments away from shattering, and no one would be able to pick up the pieces again.

Four sat in front of him, then reached out and squeezed his shoulders softly. The touch felt grounding, and Time felt himself leaning towards Four like a flower towards the sun.

“It’s okay, you’re safe here. You’re having a panic attack, but that’s okay,” Four said, never breaking eye contact. Time’s pupils were blown wide, and in the back of his mind, he was embarrassed that one of the boys was seeing him like this.

“I’ve got an idea,” Four smiled softly, sweeping Time’s sweaty bangs out of his eye. “Can you tell me five things you can see?”

Time paused for a moment, but then he obliged.

“I see you, and the stars, that tall tree, our camp, and my boots.”

“Good,” Four encouraged. “Now what’s four things you can hear?”

“Your voice, the wind, the water from the river, and Wild’s snoring.”

Four laughed a little at the last one. “Three things you can feel?”

“Your hands, the dirt, and the grass.”

“What about two things you can smell?”

“The fire and leftovers from dinner.”

“Nearly there. What’s one thing you can taste?”

“Blood. I think I bit my tongue.”

Time hadn’t noticed, but he had slowly relaxed as Four led him through the exercise. His shaking had slowed significantly, and he finally felt like he could breathe without a vice on his chest.

He calmed his racing heart by dragging in a slow breath. Then he looked back up at Four.

“Thank you, Smithy,” Time said with a half-smile.

“Don’t mention it. I’m just glad you taught me that sensory thing a while back,” Four said, squeezing his shoulders again. “Come on, let’s get back to the others.”

Four helped Time stand, and they made their way back to camp. Time sat down by the fire, and Four brought him a potion for his hands. Then the smaller boy cozied up next to him, laying his head on Time’s shoulder and sighing.

“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked.

“There’s not much to tell,” Time answered. “I just worry about you boys, that's all.”

Four hummed in understanding. “Well, we’re all okay, Old Man. Really. We have each other.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Time said, pondering this new outlook.

Four continued to sit with Time for the rest of his watch, and when they woke Twilight to take over, Four dragged his bedroll over to be near Time. As the older man closed his eyes, he realized something.

The chain may have been through unimaginable horrors and chaos, but it had all led them to each other. Without the suffering and journeying, Time never would have met the boys he now called brothers. It still sent a pang of sadness through his heart to think about each of their trials and tribulations, but now he understood just how lucky he was to get to love them.

Chapter Text

When Warriors had first met the chain, he kept a journal of each of their strengths and weaknesses. He figured he would need it in case of emergency. During the war, traitors had almost been his downfall, so the Captain didn’t want to make the same mistake.

But as time passed, Warriors found himself becoming more comfortable with the eight boys who shared his spirit. He unconsciously relaxed, and he wasn’t always looking for signs of backstabbing anymore. Warriors eventually got to the point where he even called them his brothers.

Now, Warriors wished he had kept his guard up.

They were standing in Wild’s Hyrule, in the middle of a ruin. Stone was crumbling all around, vines wrapping in every crevice of rock as the place was left in the past. Warriors was standing on a cracked stone floor, and the rest of the chain was surrounding him. One by one, they all drew their swords, inching closer to him.

“I thought I could trust you!” Warriors shouted, bringing his own blade in front of himself.

“You were gravely mistaken, then,” Time said with a smirk.

“You bring nothing to this team,” Legend said, hatred burning in his violet eyes. “You’re just a waste of supplies who doesn’t deserve to be called a hero.”

“Come on, guys, you can’t possibly mean that,” Warriors tried to reason, but his voice wavered slightly.

“Sorry, Wars, but this is the end of the line,” said Four.

With that, all chaos broke loose. The eight charged Warriors, and he brought himself into a defensive stance, while his heart tried to pound out of his chest.

He had faced worse odds before, but Warriors was genuinely scared. He didn’t want to hurt the other heroes, but the situation was calling for him to fight or die.

Time’s biggoron blade arched over Warriors’s head in an audible whoosh, and the Captain ducked quickly, sword barely missing its target. Warriors spun, parried, and moved with the precision of a dancer while his brothers unleashed unrelenting attacks of fury and passion.

He hadn’t seen his brothers attack with this much rage before.

It was startling, but Warriors fought to keep his mind in check. If he hesitated, gave them any opening at all, they would take it. Warriors could tell by the hateful glints in their eyes.

His sword vibrated with a loud clang as he locked blades with Wind. The sailor made eye contact, then let a smirk slide onto his face. Warriors was only distracted for one moment, but Twilight behind him used it against him. Using his powerful legs, the rancher swept Warriors feet out from under him. Warriors fell hard, head knocking against the stone tiles. For a moment, his vision spotted, and he could hear the others laughing above him. He started to rise again, but Time firmly planted a foot into his chest.

“Stay down,” he ordered. “It’s over for you.”

Hyrule handed Time a spear, and the older man, the one Warriors looked up to, drove the weapon straight into his abdomen.

He screamed as pain and panic took over. But he was quickly silenced as he felt Wild kick harshly at his side. He heard his ribs crack, and pain blossomed there like a deadly flower.

Warriors felt light-headed from the blood seeping from his stomach, but he tried to get up anyways; he needed to defend himself. But as he pushed off the ground with one arm, Sky stomped on it, shattering the bones. Another scream tore through his throat as he collapsed back to the ground. He laid on his side, curled into the fetal position as blow after blow came. Kicks, punches, knives, the whole works. Warriors wasn’t sure when he had started crying, but the tears were now slowly mixing with the crimson blood pooling beneath him.

Something struck the back of his head, and sparks of orange exploded across his vision. His ears rang violently, and he felt himself shaking. Not just from pain, but from fear. He no longer had the strength to do anything but weakly wrap his arms around his head.

But suddenly, the assaults stopped. He blinked his eyes open slowly, and he could see Time standing across the ruins, with his sword drawn by his side. He stood patiently, as if waiting for something. The older man nodded to the others, and Warriors felt his heart pounding in anticipation. For a brief, hopeful moment, he thought they would spare him. Maybe they would remember their camaraderie, their brotherhood.

Warriors was wrong.

He watched as Twilight grabbed the front of his shirt, lifting his head and shoulders off the ground. He was so, so tired, and his head just lolled against his chest. Twilight dragged him towards Time, and Warriors could see the trail of thick blood that smeared across the stone tiles.

Once they reached Time, Twilight dumped him unceremoniously before his elder’s feet. Warriors could barely bring himself to meet the man’s eyes, but when he did, all he could see was a cold determination. Warriors shuddered as his vision wavered, but he saw Time raise his blade above his head. He swung down towards his neck and--

And Warriors woke up with a start. He shot up in his bed roll, tears and sweat beading on his face. Someone was shouting, screaming in fear. Then he realized it was him. His sounds of distress had woken up the others, and they were all crowding towards him.

As the chain crouched around him, he began to scramble backwards, remembering what they were about to do to him. He felt trapped, he needed to get away. But as he continued to move, he hit something solid. He whipped his head around, and he had landed right against Twilight. Warriors yelped in surprise and panic, but before he could get to his feet, the rancher’s muscular arms circled around him from behind, pulling him into his warm chest.

He thought he could hear soothing whispers coming from the rancher, but Warriors was too occupied on escaping. The arms that he used to find comfort in now felt like a vise. Warriors struggled against the man, but Twilight was stronger. Eventually, Warriors’s strength gave out, and he collapsed back against the man. His body was still quivering and shaking, tears streaming down his face.

Six other pairs of eyes were watching him with concern, but Warriors could only see the way that they had beaten him until he was on the brink of death. His eyes were wide with fright, and Time slowly backed away.

“Give him some space, boys,” he heard Time say. The others gave each other worried looks, but they dispersed, finding something to idly do.

Warriors continued to let his tears fall while Twilight gently rocked them back and forth. One arm was still embracing the Captain while the other was softly rubbing the tension out of his shoulders.

The Captain let out a shaky breath, and the fog of fear finally began to disperse from his mind. He could finally make out Twilight’s whispered assurances. “It’s alright. No one’s here to hurt you, it was just a dream. Just a dream.”

Warriors looked around the camp again as he fully processed what had happened. His brothers hadn’t really wanted to kill him. It was just a cruel figment of his subconscious. He looked around the camp, and he saw Wind sitting near the fire, watching him. He locked eyes with the young sailor, and Warriors realized that the boy was staring back with teary eyes. Warriors tried to give him a wavering smile, then he beckoned the boy over.

Wind stood quickly, but then he approached slowly, like one would a spooked animal. The kid knelt in front of Warriors, then the captain pulled him into a hug. The tears in Wind’s eyes finally spilled over, and he let out a relieved sigh. Warriors buried his face into the mop of blonde hair, forcing the image of his little brother attacking him from his mind. Smelling the salty scent of his skin and feeling his warmth helped ground Warriors.

Before he knew it, the other members of the chain had regrouped around Warriors. They all joined into the hug, a much needed embrace for them all. They sat like that for what felt like hours. The sun started to rise on the heroes, and Warriors looked up into the sky of soft pinks and blues.

Twilight gave his shoulders a squeeze from behind, and Warriors wiped away the last of his tears. The group slowly started to stand so they could get ready for the day’s traveling, but as they walked away, each of them gave Warriors a smile so full of love that he knew he never had to be afraid of his nightmare coming true.

“We’re here if you need to talk about it,” Time told him, bumping shoulders.

“That’s okay. I know it was just a dream,” Warriors replied with a small but true smile.

Time studied him closely, but he must’ve decided that Warriors was telling the truth. He laid a hand on Warriors’s shoulder, then he rested his forehead against the other’s. Time sighed, and Warriors could feel both of their hearts lighten.

“Thanks, Old Man.”

Chapter Text

Wild’s era was notorious within the group for its weather that could change faster than Legend’s mood. With blizzards, treacherous lightning storms, and torrential rain, the champion’s Hyrule was admired yet viewed with apprehension.

Right then, the chain was experiencing weather that proved that the elements could be just as powerful an enemy as any monster. Rain was pelting down on the heroes, and the sloshing of their boots could be heard on the road. They were currently in the Lanayru region, a few hours away from Zora’s Domain. Time had decided that the safest option was to continue to the Domain where they would have real shelter, instead of one of the nearby caves that was sure to house electric lizalfos, as Wild had informed the group.

But that didn’t mean they were in for an easy journey. That was clear to see by the downcast mood of the group. Everyone had hats and hoods pulled close to their faces, trying and failing to block out the freezing rain, and the walking was slow going. Warriors and Legend had almost slipped numerous times on the sleek clear crystals surrounding the area, and Wind had even stopped complaining about the water filling the bottom of his boots, instead submitting himself to miserable silence. He thought about asking Twilight for a ride on his back, but he could tell that the rancher was already struggling enough with the weight of his water-soaked pelt.

So that left the chain with nothing to do but trek forward, one step at a time.

Wild was perhaps the only one with a little chipperness left in him. He hadn’t seen his friend Sidon in months, and he was very excited to surprise the prince with a visit. Wild had only been able to bring the chain to the Zora’s Domain of his era once so far, but knew that the friendly Zora would accept them with open arms once again. “Your friends are my friends, Link!” Sidon had told him, with his signature grin. The thought of Sidon’s hospitality and kindness brought a smile to Wild’s face. He loved his new family he had found in the chain, but he also missed the people from his world while he was away. It was good to be home, even if it was just for a little while.

The group made it to the top of a hill, and they were finally able to see the Domain in all its glory. The brilliant blue and purple of Zora architecture was practically glowing from across the wetlands. Wild noticed that the others started moving a little quicker once they passed a marker pointing to the entrance of the domain.

“We’re almost there!” Wind exclaimed, reclaiming some of his usual energy.

“Yeah, just about an hour away now,” Wild said. “We’ll have to be a little careful around these slopes and cliffs, but Sidon told me about a valley that should get us past the worst parts. I didn’t even know it existed, but I’m willing to try it if it gets us there faster.”

“Ditto,” Legend grumbled, ringing the rain out of his hat.

Wild led them off the beaten path a little, towards the valley Sidon had mentioned. Normally, he wouldn’t take his brothers through an area he was unfamiliar with, but he trusted the prince to only give him safe recommendations.

The grass was slick with the continuous rain, but Wild tried his best to watch his surroundings instead of his feet. The slope down into the valley was absolutely beautiful. There were purple ferns spurting out of the ground around various smooth rocks, worn down by the region’s constant moisture. And when they reached the valley floor, he could tell that this environment was teeming with life. Small frogs were darting through thick moss, and there were insects of many kinds that were foreign to him. I’ll have to bring Zelda to see this , Wild thought to himself.

Despite recognizing nothing from the gorgeous view, something felt familiar in the back of his mind. He couldn’t quite place it, but he couldn’t shake the feeling, either. Wild tried to ignore it, but when the heroes reached a particularly large boulder, the strange sensation was all he could think about. His mind felt foggy, like his brain was fighting to tell him something, and he started to feel disoriented. He stopped suddenly as he realized what was happening: a memory.

“Cub?” He faintly heard Twilight ask. It sounded like the rancher’s voice was coming through cotton, and all Wild could do was stare at the boulder as the past took over his entire being.

.  .  .

“-ink!”

“Wake-”

He didn’t know where he was or who the voice calling out to him belonged to. All he felt was fear and a sharp, agonizing pain in his stomach.

As he came to again, he cracked an eye open against the blinding sun. A whine escaped his throat as he snapped his eye closed again.

“Shh, I know,” the gentle, soft voice from before said.

Link tried opening his eyes again, squinting but successful. As his vision cleared, a familiar red face came into view. She was hovering above him, small hands trembling as they cupped the sides of his face.

“Mipha,” Link whispered weakly. The Zora girl quickly wiped away tears that were gathering in her eyes with a relieved expression.

“It’s okay, Link, I’m going to help you,” she said. Has her voice always sounded that musical? He thought in his delirium.

Then the moments before he fell unconscious slammed back into him.

He had been wandering around Lanayru with Mipha, the two of them just trying to get away from their duties as champions for the morning. The looming threat to Hyrule had everyone stressed, but when Link was with Mipha, things just felt simple. Her presence just had a way of settling his racing heart.

However, the tranquility of the moment had been shattered when they accidentally stumbled into a lizalfos camp. Link cursed himself for not paying better attention. He had been too busy watching the way the light bounced off Mipha’s golden eyes when he made her laugh. Now they were being ambushed, and he scoffed at the fact that he was supposed to be Hyrule’s best knight.

A group of eight lizalfos charged the duo, brandishing their electric spears. Mipha let out a short gasp at the sight of the sparking weapons, but she drew the Lightscale Trident nonetheless. Electricity, Link remembered, was the Zora’s greatest weakness. Link stepped in front of Mipha, Master Sword in hand. The lizalfos reached them quickly with their unnatural speed, and Link began looking for offensive opportunities as he parried with his shield.

Mipha fought fiercely and gracefully next to him, carefully maneuvering like a dragonfly on a pond. Her light steps kept her in front of the lizalfos, and she was able to catch their spears between the prongs of her trident to disarm and dispatch the scaly monsters. Link dodged the onslaught of attacks, using the lizalfos movement against them to side step and stab his blade into a spot undefended by armor. He then saw a large boulder off to the side, and he realized they could use the high ground to their advantage. Link grabbed Mipha’s hand, and they dashed towards the protruding rock. They scrambled up together, and continued to ward off the monsters.

One by one, the two champions felled their enemies. Mipha had been working on finishing the final lizalfos when an undetected one tried to sneak behind the two. It drew back its spear, and Link heard the electricity of the weapon crackling in the air. The monster launched the weapon toward Mipha, and Link didn’t even hesitate; he threw himself in front of the Zora princess, and everything had gone dark as the spear sunk in and electricity jolted his entire body.

“The lizalfos?” Link asked with a scratchy voice after the battle had finished replaying in his mind.

“I took care of them,” Mipha said with a bashful smile. “We’re safe now.”

“But the electricity,” Link started. “Are you hurt?”

That made the princess laugh a little. “Link, I am fine. You are the one we should be worried about.”

Mipha gestured to the spear still sticking out of his guts.

“Oh,” Link said, suddenly feeling lightheaded. The pain came back over him like a wave, and he bit his lip to avoid crying out.

Link started to say something else, but he was cut off by a harsh cough. Mipha’s face paled when small bits of blood flew from his mouth.

“I need to heal this, but to do that I’ll need to remove the spear,” Mipha said apologetically. “I don’t have anything to help ease the pain with me, but we can’t wait to-”

“AHH!” Link shouted as electricity tore its way through his veins again. His back arched against the stone of the boulder, and Mipha brought her hands to her mouth in fear. Link felt like he was on fire, but the sensation quickly passed.

“Are you alright?” Mipha asked, pure concern lacing her voice.

Link panted hard, but he managed to nod to her. His vision was swimming, and the world seemed a little too bright and vivid. He felt unconsciousness calling to him again, but when he remembered he was with Mipha, he fought to stay awake.

“Okay,” she said more to herself than to him. “I’m going to pull this out now.”

“Wait,” Link whispered, weakly pushing away her reaching hands. “There’s obviously still electricity in the spear. You shouldn’t risk it.”

“I appreciate your concern, truly,” she said gently. “But you’ll die if we don’t stop the bleeding now, Link. I’ll be alright, I promise. I may look fragile, but I assure you I am not. I am the Zora champion, after all.”

The look of determination and courage on Mipha’s face shut him up. He nodded again, closed his eyes, and braced for the pain.

He heard Mipha take a breath to steel herself, then she stood and firmly wrapped her hands around the handle of the spear. Link winced as the small movement jostled his wound. This was not going to be fun.

Without any sort of warning or count down, Mipha yanked up and the spear came free with a horrible ripping sound. For a moment, all Link could see was a bright white. A high pitched ringing in his ears blocked out any other sounds. His body felt hot and achy, and he gasped quickly against the pain.

Suddenly, the ringing began to quiet, and he could see his surroundings again. Mipha was kneeling over him, a blue light emanating from her hands. Link’s pain began to fade, and he could feel his very insides began to mend back together. His eyes were focused on the light, and it brought him an unusual calm for the situation he was in. Mipha’s healing magic rippled like the ocean, and he could feel her power ebb and flow like waves. The way the blue light graced her features made Link’s chest feel warm.

After a few more moments, Mipha’s magic faded, and all that was left of Link’s injury was a dull ache. The Zora helped him sit up next to her, and he let his head fall against her shoulder. She reached a clawed hand into his hair, rubbing soothing circles at the nape of his neck.

They sat there on the boulder like that, legs over the ledge. The two enjoyed the comfortable silence and watched the beautiful clouds chase each other across the sky. Link closed his eyes and sighed, breathing in the scent of the Zora girl next to him, trying to sear it into his memory. She smelled of rain and blue nightshades. When he opened his eyes again, she was smiling down at him.

“Thanks, Miph,” he said, smiling back.

“It is my pleasure.”

.  .  .

When the world finally focused around him, he was sitting with the chain against the large boulder, which was giving them minimal protection from the rain. The sky was darker now, stars winking out between the stormy clouds.

He blinked owlishly a few times, then he turned his head toward the others. Sky was the first to notice him. “Hey, Wild. How are you feeling?”

All the eyes were on him now, and Wild felt himself shrink a little. “I’m okay, it was just a memory.”

“Yeah, we figured out that much,” Legend said sharply, but his eyes betrayed his concern for Wild.

“How long was I…” Wild trailed off. It always embarrassed him when the whole chain had to stop to wait out a memory. He hadn’t had one for a while, and the others always reassured him that it was fine, but it still made his cheeks go red.

“Just a few hours,” Time answered with an easygoing expression.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

“Shut up, idiot,” snapped Legend. “We have no problem giving you time for memories, even if we’re freezing our chu chu jellies off out here. No more apologizing, let’s just get to Zora’s Domain so I can actually sleep in a dry bed.”

No one argued, so the group stood and started walking again.

Wild lagged towards the back of the group, and Twilight slowed down to match his pace. The two walked shoulder to shoulder, and Wild found much needed comfort in that.

“Do you want to talk about it?” His mentor asked.

Wild started to shake his head in the negative, but he stopped himself. He did want to talk about it. About her. The memory had shaken him up more than he thought it would’ve. Sure, he’d had memories before with Mipha, but none like this. He had his suspicions from the few things he remembered about her that maybe she had feelings for him, but he was never sure if he had reciprocated that. It had always frustrated him that he couldn’t remember if he held feelings of his own for her, but now he knew without a shadow of a doubt.

He had loved her.

“You know the statue of Sidon’s sister that’s in Zora’s Domain, right?”

“Yeah,” Twilight said, unsure of where this could be going.

“Well, her name was Mipha. She died fighting the Calamity. She was in my memory,” Wild said, looking down at his feet. “I loved her. And I didn’t even remember it.”

When Wild finally met Twilight’s eyes, all he saw was empathy and kindness. The rancher hated seeing the lost and desperate look on his cub’s face, and he wished that he could fix it. But he knew he couldn’t, so he resolved to just listen and understand.

“I lost her without even realizing I ever had her.” Wild took a deep breath, letting the smell of the rain enter his lungs. But now even that held a new meaning for him, and tears joined the rain streaming down his face.

“I’m so sorry, Wild,” Twilight said softly. He grabbed Wild’s arm and stopped walking for a moment. The rancher didn’t know what to do to stop Wild’s hurting, so he did all he could. He wrapped his little brother in a hug. Wild stiffened for a moment, but then he melted into Twilight’s arms.

After a moment, the two separated and began to catch up with the group again. Twilight squeezed Wild’s shoulder reassuringly, and the younger boy wiped the salty tears from his face. When the chain finally reached the Domain, Wild caught Sidon in an extra long embrace.