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Chapter Text

Legend collapsed to the dirt, panting heavily from the exertion of their battle. “That… was the longest fucking battle … we’ve had in a while,” he huffed out. The portal had shown up that evening while they were in Hyrule’s Hyrule– Legend snorted at the irony of that thought– and deposited them in his own Hyrule, right smack in the middle of an enemy camp. The veteran cursed Hylia for her cruel humor and leapt into battle without so much as a second thought. Monsters from across the eras had congregated around the group of heroes and the fight had been gruesome, but they were able to eradicate every single one. Hyrule was working on healing Warriors and Twilight, sporting his own injuries from the fight, and the others took the time to catch their breaths and regroup.

Beside him, Wild passed over a red potion that he almost wanted to turn his nose up at, but he opted to take it instead. He could feel the pinched nerves in his back from having to dodge several weapons at once, so despite the unpleasant shitty aftertaste of the potion, he knocked it back and sighed in relief as his back pain eased.

As his eyes scanned the faces of his exhausted brothers, he noticed that Four was standing off to the side, looking down. His eyes were focused- rather unfocused, Legend noticed- on a rock just off to the side of him, and the vet noticed blood staining his headband and lazily running down his face.

“Smithy?” he called out. Four didn’t seem to hear his call, and only reacted after the second call of his moniker. He blinked slowly, fixing his eyes on Legend, who got up and made his way over to their smallest member. “You with me?”

“Oh… the Minish…” Four replied dumbly, wetting his lips. Legend’s brow furrowed. Four looked up at him with an owlish expression that seemed to go right through him, and Legend noticed his eyes were dilated strangely, cycling between the four colors of his tunic.

“Look here, Four. How many fingers am I holding up?” he asked, lifting his pinky and ring fingers up so Four could see them. The smith shook his head, glancing down at his sword.

“I haven’t seen a blupee before…” he slurred, and the vet concluded that he was concussed. “D’you know what they smell like?”

“Can’t say I ever took the time to smell one, buddy,” he snorted, ducking under one of Four’s arms and guiding him over to Hyrule. Four let out a groan, looking like he was going to throw up. Please fucking don’t, he thought to himself. He really did not wanna spend hours cleaning vomit out of his tunic. The traveler had just healed Warriors' broken wrist, so Legend passed Four off to him, earning a questioning look. “He’s got a concussion, answered the finger question by askin’ me if I ever went smellin’ fuckin’ blupees.”

“By the Three,” Warriors frowned and lowered the smithy to sit in the grass. 

“This is my Hyrule,” he announced as he approached Time, who stood next to Sky. “I can’t tell where we are yet, given it’s gotten too dark, so we’ll have to find someplace to camp for the night.”

Time nodded quietly, putting his Biggoron sword back into its sheath with a tired sigh. “Once Hyrule takes care of the more serious injuries, we’ll scout out a place to stay until morning.”

Unfortunately, Hyrule had expended too much magic during the fight and healing Warriors and some of Twilight’s wounds, thus Legend offered to carry Four and stay awake with him to make sure he didn’t fall asleep. None of them had any more red potions, so Wild agreed to stay up a bit later and brew some elixirs so they could at least take some of the pressure off of Four’s brain until the traveler could heal him.

“If my memory serves me, we’re somewhere deep in Faron Woods,” Legend mused as he bounced Four on his back, both to readjust him and check to make sure he was awake. He got a grunt of annoyance from his semi-conscious backpack and snorted. “If we leave early in the morning, we can probably reach Mabe Village in roughly two days.”

“Two days? ” Wind let out a whine. “That’s a load of seagull shit.”

“Language, Sailor,” Warriors reprimanded halfheartedly, and Legend could tell Wind had given him a very nice gesture in return by the way the captain let out a grumbling sigh. 

“Well, if the damned portal had dropped us closer, we wouldn’t have to go that far. Lurelin Village is kinda close, but I’d rather sleep at my house, in my own bed. The inns there charge out the ass, it’s borderline highway robbery.”

“Hehe… ass,” Four giggled from his back, and he had to bite back a laugh.

“Glad that even in his concussed state he finds that funny,” Wild snickered. 

The Chain finally came to a clearing, and after Wolfie checked to ensure it was safe, camp was swiftly set up and a quick meal dished out. Legend found a nice, flat bit of ground to set out his and Four’s bedrolls, and Four was deposited on his. The smith’s eyes had settled on a dull bluish-grey color and he hummed to himself as he played with the string of kinstones hanging off his belt, while the vet began to carefully remove his headband. The green fabric was soaked with blood, turning it a nasty rust-like color. Legend grimaced and gently placed his fingers on Four’s chin, garnering the smith’s partial attention.

“Just gonna look at your head, ‘kay? Stay still,” he informed him. And stay still he did, his whole body going motionless; Legend huffed a laugh and turned his head to the side, using his other hand to push his hair back. 

A long gash stretched across Four’s temple and slightly curved behind his ear, making the veteran’s nose scrunch up in another grimace. “Hey, Wars?” he called over his shoulder, deciding he’d need Warriors’ help cleaning and bandaging the wound. When a blue scarf entered his periphery, he heard a hiss of discomfort and scooted aside to let the captain observe the wound closer.

“It’s not bad enough to need stitches, but it still looks nasty. Did anyone see how he got this?”

“I think he almost got hit by an arrow during the fight. I thought he’d avoided it, but I guess it still got ‘im,” Twilight announced from his own bedroll, sipping on a mug of tea that Wild made and was passing more around. The Champion pressed one into Legend’s hands, gesturing to Four.

“It has minor healing properties. It should at least ease any pain he has and maybe help him relax,” he stated, and Legend nodded. Four seemed to understand that the tea was for him and he quietly slurped at it while Warriors cleaned the gash and wrapped bandages around his head.

“Everyone should try to get some sleep. Sky and I will be taking watch,” Time said from across the camp. Wind, Twilight, and Hyrule took that as their cue to lie down and rest, whereas Time and Sky sat around the fire with Wild. Warriors finished wrapping Four’s head and leaned back.

“Four?” he asked, watching for any reaction. The smith didn’t seem to hear him, his eyes changing colors again as he breathed in the tea’s aroma. “You with me, Smithy?”

“Eh?” the smaller man looked up, his eyes briefly flickering green then red. “Sorry, I’m… reading the grass. Or… no, that’s not it…”

“Keep him awake for a while longer until Wild finishes making one of those red potions,” Warriors instructed Legend. “If he’s this incoherent, it could be dangerous.”

“No shit, you act as if I don’t know how concussions work,” the teen rolled his eyes, his tone heatless. Warriors pursed his lips briefly before he stood and went to his own bedroll to lie down. Four had stopped drinking the tea and just held it in his hands, so Legend took it from him and set it aside. 

Four was a clingy bastard when he was injured; Red often seemed to be the one in charge and sought out anyone close enough whom he would make the victim of his cuddly demeanor. Legend actually found it rather endearing (he would still bite off the hand of anyone who suggested it), and he allowed Four to play with the rings that adorned his fingers. Four rambled incoherently to himself as he ran his fingertips along the bands, twisting them around Legend’s fingers and having a quiet conversation to himself. Carmine eyes glazed over and refocused randomly, which clued Legend into guessing that the tea was doing its job.

It wasn’t long before Wild brought over a freshly made red potion, giving Legend a smirk as he flicked his eyes towards the smith now absentmindedly petting his blue cap as though it were an animal. Legend scowled and took the potion.

“Shut it,” he grumbled, making Wild laugh and raise his hands placatingly as he walked away. Sighing, he leaned over to retrieve his cap and placed the potion in Four’s hands. “Can you drink that for me, buddy?”

“But m’tired,” Four whined, his eyes drooping. 

“If you drink it, we can go to sleep, yeah?”

“Leeeeedge, it’s groooooooss, ” came another whine, and Legend shook his head with a laugh. 

“Keep hesitating and it’ll only taste worse.”

Four huffed and glared at the potion as though it had personally offended him, then raised it to his lips and drank with a glower. His eyes already looked more focused as he stuck out his tongue and wiped at his mouth.

“Can I sleep now?” he pouted. Legend almost made to ruffle his hair but remembered the injury on his temple, instead reaching out to swipe a smudge of dirt off his cheek.

“Yeah, Smithy, we can sleep,” he nodded. With a hum of contentment, Four scooted closer and slumped against Legend, swiftly falling asleep. Legend wrapped his arm around his shoulders and eased them both down to the bedroll, letting Four use his arm as a pillow. Sleep quickly overtook him, and he tightened his grip on his brother. 

Chapter Text

As soon as dawn broke through the trees, the Chain was mostly awake and enjoying breakfast— Wild’s signature strawberry and chocolate pancakes with delicious sausages. Legend wouldn’t admit to being obsessed with them, but anyone could tell by the way he scarfed that shit down. Four’s concussion had gone down significantly, thanks to the potion, and Legend gave him back his cleaned and dried headband. 

Sky was, strangely, awake earlier than usual. Even though he pulled watch with Time for most of the night, he was wide awake and chipperly talking with Wind over their pumpkin and egg porridge— neither of them had wanted pancakes, so Wild was happy to make them something else. It was Hyrule who was last to rise, and Legend could see that his face was slightly pale, with dark crescents that hung under his eyes. He also moved much slower than normal as he packed his things before joining the rest.

“You look like you didn’t sleep very well,” Twilight commented with a concerned look in his eyes, earning a weak shrug from the traveler as he sat between him and Warriors. When Hyrule quietly and politely turned down the porridge that was passed to him, stating nausea being the reason, the rancher placed the back of his hand against the traveler’s face. 

“I’m alright,” Hyrule mumbled, lightly batting away the outstretched hand. “It’s just magic fatigue.”

“You sure?” Time asked, receiving a hum of confirmation. “If you need to rest, you can ride Epona until we get to Legend’s village.”

Hyrule hummed again and leaned into Warriors’ side, closing his eyes. Warriors paused his eating to wrap his scarf around the healer, and Legend watched him burrow deeper into it. He knew Hyrule’s magic reserves had been depleted from the fight yesterday, but usually rest would restore them. Not to mention the half fairy hadn’t even been able to heal himself. Worried, the vet finished his breakfast and went to kneel in front of his successor.

“Rulie?” he whispered gently, watching darkened blue eyes flutter open and focus on him. “How’re you feelin’?”

“Drained and tired…” Hyrule sighed. “I think I went far over my limits.”

Legend’s frown deepened and he placed his own hand on Hyrule’s cheek. It was much warmer than normal, and Legend then moved his hand to his chest; he couldn’t feel the usual feathering traces of magic that buzzed under his skin after overuse, and he bit his cheek. He didn’t like that at all.

“Yeah, I’m not sensing any magic, not even wisps of it,” he shook his head, ignoring the seven pairs of eyes watching them. “You’ve completely exhausted your magic. You’re not walking to Mabe.”

“Ledge-” Hyrule started, but he held up a jeweled hand.

“I mean it, Rulie, you’re not walking in this state. Even now, I can see you fighting to stay awake.” Hyrule withered under his sharp gaze and feebly tried to protest, but Legend stayed firm despite feeling bad for the traveler. “You’re not. Walking. End of discussion.”

“Vet’s right,” Time jumped in. “You need your rest.”

“You can wear my cloak. It’s nice and warm, and very comfortable,” Wild was already going through his slate, and Hyrule sighed in acquiescence. The cloak was passed across the camp, and Warriors helped Hyrule wrap it around himself and clasp it around his shoulders. 

Breakfast finished shortly after, and camp was packed up as the sun climbed above the trees. Sky assisted Hyrule in climbing up into Epona’s saddle and patted his leg as he slumped against her neck. It was clear to all of them that their traveler was very unwell, and Legend wanted to get to Mabe Village as soon as possible so Rulie could rest and recover. Taking the front, he led the group through the woods in the direction of his home.

“I wonder if we’re gonna get to see Legend’s boyfriend~ ” Warriors’ voice drifted up from behind, and Legend’s jaw tightened. He threw up a middle finger, drawing his shoulders up to his ears and refusing to look back at them.

“Ravio and I are not boyfriends!” he snapped, annoyed that the captain just had to make a jab at his very fucking complicated relationship with the sly merchant. “There’s nothing fucking there!”

“You sure~?” Wind jumped in, the smirk audible in his tone. “We’ve seen the way you look at him when you think no one’s looking!”

“I don’t look at him like anything!” he scowled, feeling his face heat up all the way to the tips of his ears. What the hell did they know? They didn’t understand the complex situation that linked him and Ravio, and he wasn’t gonna share, thank you very fuckin’ much.

“Alright, that’s enough. Let’s not give the vet a hard time, unless you want him to drag out this trip.”

“Awwww, c’mon, Old Man,” Wind groaned, but the topic was dropped shortly thereafter. 

                                                                                                  =================

A few hours later, they’d finally left Faron Woods and were now in the middle of Hyrule Field when Hyrule suddenly made an uncomfortable noise, forcing Legend to stop and turn around. 

“T-Twi, I-I’m gonna-” he whimpered, trying to slide off of Epona as he gagged, and the rancher swiftly pulled him off the mare. He collapsed to his knees and heaved the contents of his stomach into the grass. 

“Easy, buddy. Don’t fight it, just let it come,” Twilight rubbed his back. Legend quickly ran over, and as he got closer, he could sense dark magic hanging heavily around them, and it wasn’t from the Shadow Crystal that Twilight wore. 

“Let me see him,” he commanded, and Twilight scooted away. Hyrule was clutching his arm as he vomited, and he reached out. “Hyrule, can I see your arm?”

“H-Hurts,” he sobbed, spitting into the grass.

“I know, I need to see if you’ve got an infection,” he replied, relieved when Hyrule extended his bandaged arm. Deft fingers unwound the bandages and Legend felt his heart skip a beat.

Along his successor’s forearm was a massive wound that practically radiated heat and dark magic, and Hyrule’s veins looked a dark purple. Black and red lines spiderwebbed out from the epicenter of the cut, worming their way up his arm. 

“Din’s tail, what the fuck is that?” Four gasped from behind Twilight. Legend shook his head, his eyes wide.

“Poison, maybe?” Time suggested.

“No,” Wild said grimly, coming to kneel beside Legend and bringing Hyrule’s arm closer to his face. “This is Malice. Pure Malice. Whatever weapon caused this injury was probably coated in it. Hyrule’s been infected.”

“Infected?!” Legend felt his blood run cold. It was starting to make sense why Rulie woke up looking pale and refused to eat. With Malice already beginning to work its way through his system, he understood why he wasn’t feeling well. 

“I’ve seen this only once before when I was working to defeat Calamity Ganon. It happened to a goat I came across. Once it’s in the bloodstream, it makes the infected incredibly sick and attacks their immune system. Shortly after that, it’ll start shutting down their body, and then it starts to take control of it if you don’t treat it by then. The victim will start to hallucinate, becoming violent and unpredictable,” the Champion rattled off, his face unreadable.

“Is there a cure?” Time asked. Wild hesitated, chewing on his tongue.

“The only cure I can remember is Light Magic, if my shattered memory is correct. I shot it with a light arrow to put it out of its misery and it ended up surviving. I don’t have any more though.”

A tense silence fell over the Chain. None of them knew what to say, what to think. To have one of their own slowly taken over by the very essence of Demise and Calamity Ganon… Legend grit his teeth. 

“Of course the one thing I don’t have is Light Magic, when we fucking need it the most, I don’t have it,” he hissed. “We need to see Fable, maybe she can give us something to help.”

“How far is Hyrule Castle from Mabe Village?” Warriors asked, now working on rebandaging Hyrule’s arm and helping him back onto Epona.

“Another day’s walk. By horse, maybe just over half a day.”

“So this is what we’ll do,” the captain put on his Command Voice. On the surface, Legend wanted to be a snarky little shit, but deep down, he knew that Warriors had the most experience putting together a strategic plan. He straightened up and paid attention. “As it stands, we’re on borrowed time, and we still have another day or so of travel before we reach Mabe Village. At this point, we don’t have much choice but to pull an all-nighter and travel through the night. Twilight and Time with go ahead far enough to scout for any monsters in our path, and they’ll find a way around them so we don’t have to risk getting into battle-”

“I can howl to lead you in a safe direction,” Twilight interjected with his hand holding the necklace up, and Warriors wagged his finger at him with a nod.

“Good, we’ll listen for the howl. Four, if you want to split so you can stagger your Colors between us and make listening easier, it would help substantially,” he glanced at Four, to which the smithy nodded firmly in assent. “Once we get to Mabe Village, Legend, Wind, and Twilight in wolf form will take Epona to Hyrule Castle to speak to Fable. Let her know exactly what’s happening; don’t leave anything out. The rest of us will stay behind and take care of Hyrule until those three get back.”

“It’s the best plan we’ve got,” Twilight put his hands on his hips, and the others all nodded. “Let’s save our brother.”

Chapter Text

All of them were exhausted. Walking through Hyrule Field in the middle of the night wasn’t the problem- they had plenty of light thanks to the full moon and were able to avoid altercations with monsters. What was the problem was having to stop several times throughout the day due to Hyrule having to throw up. The traveler was beginning to sport a fever, and each time they stopped, he grew less and less willing to get back up on the horse so they could continue. Time, Warriors, Twilight, and even Sky carried him for a while in between them. 

As the horizon became alight with color, Legend– the most awake of all of them– could just make out Mabe Village ahead of them, and he swiftly stomped up to Time, who cradled their half fairy in his arms. A tired expression sat upon his face, and his one blue eye regarded Legend with curiosity.

“Give him here,” he raised his hands with a firm tone. Time’s brow furrowed and he glanced at Hyrule’s sweaty face for a moment. Legend almost wanted to kick the older man to make him hand him over, but Time needed no encouragement. He knelt down and placed Hyrule into the veteran’s arms, and Legend adjusted his arms for a moment, thankful that he was wearing his power bracelet and one of his strength rings. “Mabe’s just ahead. I’m gonna take him and get him changed and in bed. I’ll see you guys there.”

“Vet, wait-” he heard Wild call, but he didn’t bother to give him a chance to speak before taking off in a sprint. They really didn’t have time to waste, and with how bone tired all of them were, he wanted them to be able to sleep a little before they made the journey to Hyrule Castle. While he ran, he looked down at his successor, squeezing him to his chest. 

“You’re gonna be okay, Rulie. I’m not losing you to this Malice shit,” he whispered. The house he and Ravio shared quickly approached and Legend sped up, barging through the door a little more harshly than he’d intended.

“Mr. He-”

“Not now, Ravio!” he barked, taking the stairs three at a time. He used his hip to shove his bedroom door open and swiftly placed Hyrule onto his bed. Behind him, Ravio entered the room with a perturbed frown.

“Legend, what in the world is going on?” he demanded, and Legend could practically feel his worried gaze following him as he dug through his clothes to find something clean to dress Hyrule in. Settling on a pair of loose shorts and a white cotton tunic, he frantically undressed him and set his dirty clothes to the side.

“It’s…” he faltered, not sure how to explain what was going on to Ravio. He carefully pulled Hyrule’s arms through the sleeves of the tunic before laying him down and dragging the duvet over him. “It’s complicated, Rav. Rule’s really sick right now due to something from Ganon infecting him or some shit like that and… it’s only gonna get worse if we don’t heal him.”

“He can’t heal himself?” the merchant questioned. Legend shook his head, sweeping Hyrule’s bangs out of his face. He turned, keeping his eyes down as he made his way out of the room. 

“This is powerful dark magic, the very lifeblood of Demise from Sky’s era and Calamity Ganon from Wild’s. It’s called Malice. Stupid shit is blocking his own internal magic and attacking his system like a fuckin’ virus as we speak.”

The vet could hear his friend following him down the stairs, sputtering in confusion, but he didn’t know how else to explain. He grabbed a bowl from a cabinet in the kitchen and filled it with water, looking for a washcloth. 

“Hold on a minute, so he’s cursed or something?” 

Legend only gave a quiet nod, and his eyes were brimming with tears when he felt hands grabbing him by his tunic; he was abruptly dragged into a firm hug, and he buried his face into Ravio’s shoulder.

“I’m so scared to lose him…” he whispered, fisting purple fabric in his hands. “He’s… He’s so strong, Rav, but I would feel like a failure of a predecessor if-”

“Now you see here, Link,” his friend scolded, and Legend involuntarily flinched at the use of his given name. Ravio pulled the blue cap off his head and started to run his fingers through his hair in an attempt to soothe him. “You are not a failure, and Hyrule is not gonna die to this. I know you’ll do whatever it takes to save him.”

The merchant pulled away then and held Legend’s face, smiling softly at him. “That’s what you do. You’re a hero, as exhausting and stressful as it is. You may get annoyed, but I know you, and I know you’d do anything to help those who matter to you, right?”

Legend sniffled and nodded, closing his eyes. Ravio brushed the tears away and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead. The door opened then, and the rest of the Chain wearily filed in; Legend couldn’t be assed to pretend like he and Ravio weren’t sharing a tender moment, and to his relief none of the others commented.

“How is he?” Sky asked, looking for all the world that he was about to collapse. Legend guessed it was sheer spite and concern for Hyrule that was keeping him on his feet. He dragged the heel of his hand across his face.

“Resting,” he replied, having to clear his throat when it came out hoarse. He jerked a thumb to the bowl of water and rag sitting on the counter. “I got him changed, and he’s up in my bed. This is to cool him down; his temperature’s only gotten higher.”

“I’ll take it. You need to get some sleep; you’ve got another trip to the castle later. Gotta be well rested,” Sky gave him a smile and picked up the water and the washcloth. Legend almost wanted to stop him, to ask him for just a bit more time with the traveler, but he relented and made his way to the living room. 

Twilight and Wind had already dropped themselves onto the couch; Wind knocked out the second he flopped on top of Twilight, and the rancher was not far off himself, his arm resting on the boy’s back. Both of their swords and shields were haphazardly left on the floor, but he decided to leave them be. The vet yawned, dragged over a large throw blanket and tossed it over both of them, then curled up in the armchair with a smaller blanket, feeling the tendrils of sleep wrap around his body and pull him under.

Chapter Text

When Legend was finally nudged awake, his eyes fluttered open to see Wolfie’s muzzle in his face. His tail lightly swayed behind him as purple irises settled on him, but Legend was quick to close them again and burrow deeper into his blanket. The wolf chuffed, giving his cheek another wet nudge, which made Legend grumble in annoyance.

“I’m gettin’ up, fur ball, chill,” he waved him away. Just as he sat up, Time approached with a grim expression and a plate of rice and steak. Legend’s jaw set and he took the plate. “How’s Rulie…?” 

“Not good. He’s barely able to stay awake for long, and the wound on his arm doesn’t look good,” the old man scrubbed the right side of his face; Legend could see how exhausted he was from both little sleep and anxiety for their healer’s health. “Wild said it’s progressing far too quickly, and Sky suggested we try the Master Sword before you three leave.”

“D’you think it’ll help?” He asked through a mouthful of rice and steak. Time looked like he was doubtful, and he gave a shrug.

“I don’t want to be pessimistic, but I really don’t think it’ll do much of anything. I’m willing to try anything though.”

Legend sighed, trying to quickly finish his food so he could be there for this test. Some part of him shared Time’s sentiments, but he had to keep faith.

“Well, let’s give it a try,” he stood up and went to place his plate in the sink. One of the others could wash it later, maybe Ravio would. 

Time led him up the stairs to his bedroom, where Legend saw Wild on one side of Hyrule with the washcloth in his hand. Sky sat on the other side with his back to him, holding Hyrule’s hand in his and grazing his thumb across his knuckles. Hyrule, now without the white cotton tunic (Legend guessed it got too sweaty) looked ghostly white and far too small in his bed. His eyes were closed, and his chest moved with small, stuttered breaths.

Legend cursed Hylia, Ganon, Demise, any of the gods that still had the decency to hear him. Don’t you take my successor, you fucking assholes.

Sky looked up at him as he came up to stand by the side of the bed, and the knight silently vacated his seat. Gratefully, the veteran gave a weak nod and settled into the chair, taking Hyrule’s hand.

“Hey, Rulie… I’m right here,” he whispered, leaning in closer. Slight relief pooled in his chest as Hyrule’s eyes opened just barely and focused on his face.

“Ledge…” he rasped, managing a smile. The pink-haired teen smiled back, squeezing his hand.

“Look like a Wizzrobe gotcha,” he tried to joke, and thankfully received a huff of a laugh, even if it quickly turned into a coughing fit. “Easy, buddy.”

“F-Feel like it too,” Hyrule responded once he’d caught his breath. “My arm feels like it’s on fire.”

“We wanted to see if you would be okay with us trying to expel the Malice with the Master Sword,” Sky spoke up. Hyrule tried to turn his attention to the Skyloftian, but he could barely move, and all his efforts did was make him close his eyes. Legend’s heart ached at how weak the traveler was.

“Think it’ll work…?” the half fairy whispered.

“We’re not sure, but if it does, then a trip to Fable won’t be necessary.”

Hyrule seemed to have fallen asleep again, and Legend was about to nudge him when the traveler wet his lips and fought to take a breath.

“Try whatever you think might work… I trust you guys,” he reassured them. Sky’s shoulders relaxed a bit and he reached back to take out the blade.

“I’m just gonna touch the blade over the wound on your arm, okay?” He looked down at their ill brother’s face. The traveler nodded, just barely, and Legend turned his arm over. 

The wound made Hyrule’s arm look almost necrotic from how dark his veins looked beneath his skin. It was pulsing, with thick red and black lines that fanned out from the wound and started to twist upwards towards his bicep. The infection was definitely spreading, and Legend could only watch in mute horror as those thick lines began a steady crawl up Hyrule’s arm. The traveler sucked in a breath and gripped the sheets, letting out a strangled cry through clenched teeth. 

“It’s getting worse,” Wild whispered, his eyes looking hauntedly at the spiderweb of Malice that finally stopped its crawl across Rule’s body. His entire arm was now a throbbing mass of dark magic in Legend’s hands, and now, it was starting to spread across his chest. “Sky, do it now.”

“We don’t have time for-” Sky began to protest, but Wild was suddenly on his feet, his expression a twisted snarl. 

“We don’t have time to ARGUE about this! Hyrule is rapidly losing this fight and we have to try all avenues to save him! Fucking do it or I swear to the gods, I’ll take that damn sword and do it myself!” he snapped. Legend couldn’t help but flinch at his harsh tone, and he couldn’t stop the tears from falling as he glanced up at the Chosen Hero.

“Sky, please, ” he choked. Sky looked down at him, and Legend saw the way his face melted and he lifted the sword. 

The moment the flat of the blade touched the wound, things went to hell instantly. Hyrule let out a shriek of agony and arched off the bed, nearly pulling Legend onto it with a sudden burst of strength. He thrashed and fought to get away, sobbing uncontrollably and spitting curses. Legend gripped his arm as tight as he could, but when he smelled smoke and saw that the blade was only burning flesh, he threw his hand out.

”Stop, STOP! IT’S HURTING HIM!” he pleaded, and Hyrule’s thrashing stilled as Sky quickly stepped away with wide eyes. Legend leaned over him, trying to pull Hyrule back to him. “Breathe, breathe , I’m right here! Rulie, we’re here, it’s okay!”

“Th-That shouldn’t have… I don’t-” Sky was lost for words, staring down at the Master Sword in his trembling hands. Legend heard swift footsteps and Wild’s hushed voice as metal leaned against the wall, but his focus was on Hyrule. 

The traveler wept openly as his body trembled; he was partially twisted away from them and half hanging off the bed. Legend could see the burn mark from the sword seared into his flesh, and he swallowed down the taste of bile.

“R-Rulie, c’mon, you gotta relax,” he coaxed, pulling him across the bed and letting his successor rest bodily against his chest. The trembling was even worse, and Hyrule could barely get a breath in. The veteran could hear Time’s voice just barely over the sound of his own heart in his ears, and suddenly, Ravio’s worried grey eyes were in his face. 

“...e Legend? Look at me,” the merchant cupped his face, and Legend felt his arms wrap tighter around Hyrule’s body. “There you are. You’re okay.”

“I-It hurt him, Ravio. The sword, it-”

“I know. Just calm down, okay? You’re starting to hyperventilate, and we don’t need another unconscious hero,” Ravio smiled softly, letting their noses touch just gently. The vet took slow, deep breaths, taking in the scent of soil from their garden and the cologne he’d bought the ravenette for his birthday one year. It held good memories for him, and it calmed him quickly. “There you go. You okay?”

“Yeah. We still have to go see Fable,” he pulled away, laying Hyrule back on the bed. As he stood, Time suddenly dragged him into a hug, and Legend nearly froze for a moment before he reciprocated the embrace, burying his face in the old man’s chest. They sat there for a long few minutes, and Time’s hand ran along Legend’s back in comforting circles before he released him. A silent conversation passed between them as their eyes met, and Legend swiftly raced downstairs where Wind and Twilight sat waiting.

“Let’s get moving,” he spoke curtly and affixed his sword and shield to his body. “We don’t have much time left.”

Chapter Text

The ride into Castle Town was faster than any of them expected, though Legend knew from watching Twilight ride that Epona was an excellently fast horse. She lent herself well to instruction and was easy to handle, not to mention she was careful with her riders. 

Wind sat in front of Legend, with the older boy’s arms encircling the youngest to keep him from falling off, and Wolfie sprinted alongside the bay mare. The sun was at its peak in the sky and blared down on them as they traveled, but a sunburn was the least of their troubles– not when they had a dying brother to save.

“Let’s stick to the outside of town so people don’t freak out,” he called to Wolfie, who boofed in confirmation. The last thing they needed was a public spectacle over a wolf in the middle of town, and being on the outskirts would allow Twilight more coverage to transform. The downside was the number of guards they’d have to evade. Even if Fable had been working to undo the mess that that witch had created, he still wanted to avoid being seen, due to a good majority of the Royal Guard still perceiving him as a criminal.

Once they got close to Hyrule Castle, Twilight shifted back into his Hylian form, and Legend tugged on the reins a bit to ease Epona into a trot. 

“So what’s the plan with getting Fable to help us?” Wind asked, but Legend had only just opened his mouth when a few guards approached.

“Halt!” one barked, jutting his spear at Twilight. The rancher raised his hands, though he couldn’t stop a snarl from escaping his lips at the threat. “What business do you have here?”

“We come to speak with Princess Zelda,” he glared at the soldier and gestured to Legend. “Surely you recognize Link, Hero of Hyrule?”

“You bring a fugitive to Hyrule Castle and expect an audience with Her Highness? Arrest them!” 

“Are you fucking kidding me?!” Legend yelped as he and Wind were forcefully ripped off Epona’s back, and Twilight was shoved down to his knees. All three of them were shackled, and Twilight looked like he wanted to tear their throats out with his teeth. Wind simply looked stunned as he was dragged to his feet and pushed forward. “I thought we were past this!”

“Silence! Criminals and their accomplices do not have sanctuary here!” the knight barked, and Legend could have sworn he saw red as he and his brothers were led into the castle grounds. “You are a fool if you think you’ll have a chance to speak with Her Highness!”

“I’m her brother, you asshole! You so-called 'Hylian Knights' are such dipshits, couldn't outwit a fucking Lizalfos with a map, a compass, and a goddess-damned fairy screaming directions in your ear!” He hissed. Beside him, Wind began to cackle.

“Yeah! Hyrule’s Royal Guard, a galley of cod-brained landlubbers! The only thing more vacant than your heads is the space between your sword swings. I've seen smarter combat tactics from a Moblin with a head cold!" the boy jeered, and both Legend and Twilight found themselves howling with laughter. The knights’ jaws clicked as they closed them, and the rest of the walk was filled with uncontrollable giggles and more insults. 

“Well,” Twilight finally managed to catch his breath once they’d been thrown into a cell. The knights didn’t even bother leaving someone to guard them, and Legend guessed it was because the three of them had been reading them for filth for the last twenty minutes. “I guess we have to find some way out of here now.”

Wind stepped up to the bars of the cell and tilted his head, seeming to examine them from all angles. Legend wanted to cross his arms, but the shackles prevented him from doing so, and it was so fucking annoying. Behind him, a sharp snap made his ear flick and he turned to see Twilight had snapped the fucking shackles and was now searching his person for something to pick the lock.

“How the fuck-”

“You lot forget that I’m the strongest of us all. I sumo with Goron and herd goats, this is all pure muscle,” the rancher thumped a fist against his chest and Legend couldn’t help but snort. Twilight held out his hands then for the veteran, who took a moment to register what he was offering before he presented his own bound wrists and watched in silent awe as Twilight easily snapped his shackles. “Wind-”

“I’m good! We have company!” the boy called, and Legend turned to find Wind outside the cell– what and how the fuck– and grinning at a very pissed off Fable. 

“Zel-” he began, but she raised her hand to cut him off. Her bright maroon eyes were sharp like steel and her mouth was set in a hard line. She produced a key from a pouch on her hips and removed Wind’s bonds, coming over to open the cell door.

“I think it’s about time I conduct a complete overhaul of my Royal Guard. This lot is so unbearably useless and I’m getting real sick of it,” she said stiffly and took one of her brother’s hands to free him of the cold metal encompassing his wrists. He rubbed his wrists once the cuffs were removed and gave her a sympathetic smile.

“You’re doing your best, okay? It’s not your fault they’re not retaining shit,” he tried to soothe, but she fixed him with a glare that had him withering like a flower in the heat of summer. Despite being a princess, she was terrifying, and he often found himself wondering what would happen if she didn’t alter her demeanor to be proper in the public eye. 

“It’s been two years, Link! Two Goddess-damned years and I still can’t get through to them that you’re not a threat! Over 80% of my Guard still believe you’re a criminal and I’m beginning to think that they’re just being willfully fucking ignorant and obtuse! What the hell else am I supposed to do with these morons?” Fable swore with a scowl, removing the chains from Twilight’s wrists and making her way towards the prison stairs. He ignored the bemused smile thrown at him by the rancher and jogged to catch up to her, where he grabbed her by the hand.

“Little Sister, listen to me,” he urged, and he waited until he had her full, undivided  attention before he wet his lips and spoke. “I know you’re upset for my sake, but I promise you that you don’t need to be. I’ve been in far worse situations than this. Right now, though, I come to you not as the Hero of Hyrule, but as your big brother.” 

He clasped her hands in his, feeling his brows pinch in a rare display of desperation, and he watched his sister’s scowl morph into one of concern. “Link…?” she whispered.

“Fable, we need your help. It’s Rulie; he’s sick and infected with the lifeblood of the Demon King of old. He doesn’t have much time before we could lose him forever, and I need your help. Your Light magic.”

Fable’s eyes took in his face, her ears twitched at the cracks in his voice. Her expression set into one of determination and she nodded firmly.

“To my study. Come.”

                                                                                              =================

Fable’s study was just as messy as Legend remembered it. Books of all genres littered the floor, some opened and some piled in towering stacks that he worried would be easily felled by a simple sneeze. Papers were also strewn about, and Legend had to stifle a laugh as Wind nearly ate shit after slipping on some.

“Sorry about the mess. Had I expected you, I would have cleaned up,” his sister apologized sheepishly. 

“Nah, don’t worry about it. Messiness just means it’s well used and lived in,” the vet waved his hand. Fable gave him a knowing grin and he winked at her.

“So, tell me everything that happened. I want to understand exactly what we’re dealing with.”

“We got here a couple days ago and immediately got into a fight with a bunch of monsters. We’re not quite sure how it happened, but Hyrule got injured during and exhausted his magic, so he couldn’t heal himself,” Twilight began, his voice firm as though he were giving a patrol report to Time or Warriors. 

“Yeah, and all of a sudden he got sick real quick, and Wild recognized it as Malice,” Wind added with a nod. Legend watched the boy sheepishly fiddle with his Gossip Stone on a chain around his neck, realizing he must have felt awkward talking to his sister. Fable also seemed to recognize this and gave him a gentle smile. “He said that uhm… that it would make him sick and start shutting down his body. He said it would take over his body and eventually kill him if we don’t heal it.”

“And this is where you need my Light Magic?” the princess queried, and Wind’s face went a bit red before he nodded. Her attention turned to Twilight then. “Have you got arrows?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” the Ordonian nodded and swiftly pulled out a set of arrows, passing them to Fable. Legend watched curiously as his sister examined each one of them and handed a few back, likely deeming them unfit to carry her magic. With five in her hands, she closed her eyes and began to silently utter a spell, and the three observed the golden glow that took form in her hands. The glow flowed from her palms into the shafts of the arrows, then, in a brief flash, the fletchings and arrowheads suddenly changed into curved golden designs. 

“The most you should need to do is touch them to his skin for a minute or so. The magic that I’ve poured into these arrows is potent enough to not require anything more,” Fable handed the arrows to her brother, and Legend nearly reared back from the sheer strength of the magic that ebbed from them. He passed them to Twilight and threw his arms around his little sister.

“Thank you so much, Sister. You have no idea how much this means to all of us. I’m thoroughly indebted to you,” he whispered into her hair. She simply scoffed and squeezed him lovingly.

“Don’t be a dumbass. Family helps family, and I can see how important Hyrule is to you. Please do send me a letter and let me know he’s well, then your debt will be paid.”

“Consider it done,” he pulled away, giving her a bright grin. He glanced at Twilight and Wind, jerking his head towards the door. “Let’s get going.”

Chapter Text

Warriors was worried, and everyone knew that when the captain’s calm and stoic demeanor cracked, things weren’t looking good. The man was restless; pacing the entire house, stalking the front yard, repeatedly checking in on Hyrule even when he was meant to be resting. He was a mess, and everyone was on edge. 

Hyrule’s condition was getting worse. His sickly pallor was difficult for all of them to look at, and by sundown, a mere five hours since the three left, most of his body was covered in the Malice that coursed through his system. Twice his heart had stopped, along with his breathing– the first time, Four had fallen into hysterics and had to be guided out by Sky to calm down while Time and Wild fought to bring him back. It took twelve minutes of CPR and one of Wild’s yellow Chu jellies to restart his heart, and after that, tensions were higher than before.

“Captain,” Sky ground out from the couch as Warriors again stood to pace fitfully across the lower level of the house. Even their calmest was at his limit and fighting an intense stress migraine, and Wars’ restlessness was not helping. “If you’re going to continue to pace, please do it outside where your boots aren’t so insufferable to listen to.”

Warriors paused, his shoulders drawn up to his ears. He slowly rounded on the Skyloftian, who had his hand pressed to his forehead and a taut scowl across his face. “Insufferable? How dare you! Is my worry and anxiety insufferable to you? Is it such a problem that I am concerned for the well-being of our brother and cannot sit still?”

“Now you’re just twisting my words. Not once did I say that your worry was insufferable. I said your boots were insufferable and to go elsewhere so I didn’t have to listen to them,” Sky bristled, standing from the couch as Warriors stomped towards him. The two knights stood chest to chest, and neither were intent on backing down. 

“So what, you can get your little beauty sleep? So the rest of us can worry about if the others are going to make it back in time? That’s just like you, isn’t it? To worry about getting enough rest while Hyrule is fucking dying upstairs!” 

“I’ve been awake just as long as the rest of you, asshole! Don’t paint me out to be some uncaring villain; we’re all doing the best we can and right now, all we can fucking do is wait!”

Warriors sneered, jutting his chin out as he glared down his nose at Sky. “Then it’s a good thing we didn’t send you, isn’t it, Mr. Always Late? ”

Sky’s stormy blue eyes lit up with inhuman rage as he lunged at Warriors, sending both of them to the floor. His fist struck the captain’s cheekbone, and the man retaliated with a knee to his stomach. Neither of them paid any heed to Four’s desperate pleas for them to stop, and eventually they both were ripped apart by a very angry Time. 

“You both should know better than this!” he snapped, shoving them away from each other and twisting his head to glare at both of them. “I understand that things are dire right now, but this childishness will stop right here and now, or so help me, I will lay you both out! Do I make myself clear?!”

Sky gave a grunt of affirmation, feeling dizzy from getting an elbow to his already throbbing head. Warriors noticed then just how cruel his words had been, and he hesitantly reached out to the Skyloftian. 

“Sky, I…” he drew his hand back and clenched it around his scarf. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean any of what I said. I-I don’t think of you like that at all.”

“I know you didn’t mean it,” the other replied, taking a frosty jelly from Wild and slumping back down onto the couch. He placed the ice Chu against his temple and winced at the cold. “I’m sorry I got heated. I just… My worry is giving me a migraine.”

“I didn’t realize…” the war captain grimaced, and he sat beside Sky on the cushions, accepting another ice Chu for his own cheek. Sky slumped into his side, letting the blob rest against his head. “You should rest your eyes. It’ll help.”

“I don’t wanna fall asleep,” he whined, a noise that made Warriors snort. But their shared comfort wouldn’t last long; a heavy thud from upstairs startled all of them, and Warriors watched as Four crept up to the stairs. He only got halfway before he was thrown back down into the wall with a sickening crack, falling to the floor and lying motionless.

“Four!” Time raced to him, suddenly being tackled by a screeching Hyrule. The half fairy’s eyes were blood red, and they could all see the tendrils of Malice snaking themselves along his body pulsing ominously. Time only just barely managed to kick him off and gathered Four in his arms, bleeding profusely from a busted lip. Hyrule crouched against the floor, hissing and spitting as his brothers backed away while their horrified eyes shared a similar look.

They were out of time.

                                                                                               =================

At an inn in the heart of Castle Town, Legend, Wind, and Twilight struggled to get any semblance of rest. Wind couldn’t even bring himself to lay down and sat on his bed with his arms slumped in his lap. He rocked himself in a side-to-side motion that they’d all seen him do before; he stated that it made him think of being at sea and it soothed him, so none of them ever stopped him. Twilight was curled up as Wolfie behind him, using his warmth as a comfort and grounding tool so the youngest hero wouldn’t dissociate into oblivion.

Legend found himself repeatedly tracing the patterns of the Blessed arrow fletchings, feeling out each curve and groove under his fingertips as they ran along the designs. All of them collectively agreed that staying at an inn would help them be rested for whatever mess they were likely to face in the morning, but neither of them could calm their nerves enough to actually sleep.

A sudden dinging noise ripped them all out of their silent stupor, and Wind looked down as his Gossip stone flashed bright blue against his chest. He lifted it up and watched as Wild’s face fizzled into view. “Hey, Wi-”

”Where the fuck are you guys?!” the Champion barked as soon as he heard Wind’s voice. All of them could hear the sounds of screaming and crashing in the background.

“At an inn in Castle Town for the night. We were gonna come back early in the morning. What’s all that noise?” he replied, watching as Wild looked back behind him and ducked out of frame for a moment. Wind and Twilight could see a chair had been thrown at him, and there was more screaming to follow. When he came back up, his eyes were brimming with tears.

“The Malice! It completed its override of Hyrule’s body! He just attacked us!”

Legend’s blood ran cold and his heart leapt into his throat. They had run out of time. They were too late. He jumped out of his bed and ran to Wind, throwing himself into Wild’s view.

“We’ll be there as soon as we can! Just hold him off as long as you can! Hang in there!” he pleaded. The image fizzled out again and the three rapidly began to gather their things. Legend had hoped they would have a little bit more time, just a little bit more, but of course Hylia wanted them to suffer further. 

“When we get back, we’ll need to help them pin Hyrule down so we can use these Light Arrows. Be prepared to use force if absolutely necessary; we aren’t facing Hyrule anymore. This is just Malice,” Twilight spoke firmly as they rushed out of the inn and down to the stables to retrieve Epona and Salem, one of Fable’s personal stallions. He was an ornery bastard who only seemed willing to let Legend anywhere near him, and the veteran swiftly threw the saddle and bridle on, making sure they fit snug enough. He led the horse out of the stable and mounted, not bothering to wait for Twilight and Wind. Epona was fast, and he knew she would be able to catch up.

The chill night air stung at his eyes as he rode Salem hard, gripping tight to the reins as he dug his heels into the animal’s flank. He wondered just how long the Malice had gripped Hyrule, just how much damage had been done. He wondered if any of his brothers were injured, and he cursed himself for not being back in time. Thundering hooves behind him back his head snap back, and he saw that Twilight and Wind had caught up to them. Twilight leaned forward as Epona easily came alongside Salem, and their eyes met briefly.

“You have the arrows! Try to keep your distance in case he attacks!” He called out to the rancher. “If those arrows break, they’ll lose their magic and we’ll lose Hyrule!”

Twilight nodded firmly, reaching back to pat Wind’s leg in what Legend guessed was an attempt to soothe the poor boy. Wind clung to the elder man’s tunic with his face buried in the fur pelt on his back, and the vet felt his heart break for him. 

The sounds of crashing and feral shrieking filled the night air as they reached Mabe Village, and the three could just make out Warriors stumbling out of Legend’s house with Four’s limp body slung over his shoulder and Ravio hanging off his arm. Warriors’ tunic held a dark stain at his side that looked like blood, and Ravio was limping as they fled the house. Their heads whipped up as the horses approached, and Ravio threw himself towards Legend.

“Ravio!” The teen launched off the stallion and rushed to catch the ravenette. Ravio clung to his red tabard with shaking hands, fighting to catch his breath. It was then that Legend could see blood lazily trickling down his face, and one of his eyes was closed against the crimson flow. Legend bit his lip hard enough to hurt as the usually calm merchant broke down into sobs, and he held him tight while Warriors stumbled to them.

“Th-Thank the Goddesses you’re here,” the captain wheezed, and Twilight quickly took Four off his shoulder while Wind made him sit. His face was scratched up and his tunic torn; Four was unconscious with a head wound similar to Ravio’s, but he was thankfully breathing. “H-He’s out of control! T-Time and Wild are trying to hold him off, b-but he’s so fucking strong! A-And Sky’s trying to avoid him because he keeps going after him and the Master Sword! I think h-he’s trying to kill him!”

Legend looked up at the house with terror in his eyes. He could feel the violent dark magic that erupted from it like the volcano that was Death Mountain, and the sheer force of it nearly made him throw up. He lowered Ravio down beside Warriors and grabbed Twilight by the hand, rushing towards the house.

“Wind, stay here! Start administering first aid, and no matter what, do not come to the house!” he barked over his shoulder. Wind hesitated, looking like he wanted to disobey, but he nodded instead and quickly set about tending to the injured. 

The inside of the house stunk with the smell of blood and dark magic, and it made Legend gag. Twilight’s nose scrunched up and he pressed his hand over his nose. Across the room, Sky sat slumped against the wall, his chin resting against his chest and the Master Sword clutched loosely in his hand. Twilight pulled away from Legend and knelt in front of him, and Legend watched the Chosen Hero’s head slowly lift. His face was also scratched up and bleeding, and one of his eyes was blackened. Upstairs, they could still hear Time and Wild trying to fend off their corrupted traveler, the latter howling and shrieking inhuman noises. 

“Take Sky out to Wind,” Legend ordered Twilight, removing the rancher’s quiver full of Light arrows. Twilight grabbed his arm, letting out a whine that sounded more wolf than Hylian.

“Legend, please. He might hurt you,” he spoke urgently, and his eyes were pleading for Legend not to go up. Above them, Wild let out a cry of agony, and Legend could feel tears forming in his eyes. “Ledge, please!”

“I have to do this, Twi. He’s my best friend, I can’t lose any of you,” he choked out, gripping the strap of the quiver. “I have the arrows, as long as they touch him, we can still save him!”

“You’re risking too much! Just-” another cry, Time’s voice, made the pair flinch. Twilight lowered his head, but he released Legend’s arm and dragged Sky onto his back. “Please don’t get hurt.”

Legend nodded, but he knew he couldn’t promise that. Equipping his own bow, the veteran nocked a Blessed arrow and ascended the stairs with his heart pounding in his ears. His eyes followed the massive trail of blood into the spare bedroom, and he drew the bow as he kicked the door open. Inside, Wild was unmoving on the floor by the desk, lying in a pool of blood. Mipha’s Grace glowed against his skin, but he made no move to get up. On the other side of the bed, Legend could just barely see Hyrule’s Malice infested body straddling Time; he could see the blood around Hyrule’s mouth and watched as Time managed to throw him off. Legend swallowed around the lump in his throat, aiming the arrow at Hyrule.

”RULIE!” he roared, and both Time and Hyrule froze. Time had somehow gotten to his feet, and Legend could see now that he’d been bitten on the shoulder– his arm was also broken and his armor was stained crimson, but despite his clear exhaustion, there was a flicker of relief in his one cerulean eye. Hyrule, on the other hand, bared his teeth and hissed, blood dripping from his mouth. Solid red eyes locked onto him with unwavering desire to maim, and Legend kept the bow drawn. “Your fight is with me! You wanna go?!”

“L-Legend…” Time wheezed, leaning against the wall to keep himself upright. Legend shook his head and began backing out of the door.

“Come on! Fresh meat right here!” he taunted, then turned and ran as Hyrule lunged for him. He didn’t even bother using the stairs, instead sliding down the banister. Behind him, the infected traveler practically flew down the stairs, narrowly missing the vet’s tunic as he scrambled for the door. He’d have better luck with shooting if he had more space and taking it outside was a far better option than destroying his home further. Hyrule followed him out like a Wolfos hunting prey, and he was just as fast as one. He tackled the veteran and began to claw at his shoulders, making him cry out and buck the traveler off. He could feel blood soaking into his tunic and tabard, but his focus was on Hyrule.

“C-Come on, Rule, I know you’re still in there! Please, don’t make me hurt you!” he sobbed, only earning an animalistic bellow in response. He drew the bow again, aimed, and loosed, clenching his eyes shut as Hyrule let out a wail of pure excruciation. When his eyes opened, he saw the arrow had lodged itself in his successor’s shoulder, and he pulled out another one. “Fight it, Hyrule! Fight it!”

Hyrule snarled as he ripped the projectile out of his shoulder, then lunged at Legend. Another arrow found its mark in his thigh and sent him sprawling to the grass, writhing as more wisps of Malice escaped his body. It burned like several hot needles pricking his flesh, and suddenly Legend was on top of him, pressing the flat part of the arrowhead to the wound on his arm while another pressed against his chest. Hyrule thrashed, bellowing and jerking in a futile effort to throw Legend off, but the veteran only pressed harder, and soon Hyrule stilled. From his skin, Malice fled like steam off the waters of a hot spring, and Legend watched as those thick lines receded until they were nothing. All that remained now in their wake was Hyrule’s sickly pale complexion, and Legend crawled off his successor to pull him into his arms.

“H-Hyrule…? Rulie…?” he whispered, placing his fingers under his jaw. He found his pulse, thready and weak but there, and fresh tears poured from his eyes. “Oh Goddesses, you’re okay. Fuck me, you’re okay!”

“Legend!” Time staggered to him, dropping to his knees on the other side of Hyrule. His eye took in the traveler’s body, watched his chest as it minutely moved, and felt his heart beating. A sigh of relief escaped him, and he reached out to press his hand to Legend’s face. “You did it… You brought Hyrule back.”

“I-I was too late, we-” he hiccuped, cradling the limp body in his arms. Time shushed him and swept away a tear, offering a tired but proud smile.

“Don’t disparage yourself for that. What matters is he’s alive, thanks to you.”

“But everyone got hurt! Y-You, Four, Wild, S-Sky-”

“We knew what we were getting into. It caught us off guard, but we were expecting it to happen so suddenly. This was not your fault.”

Legend exhaled shakily, turning his eyes back to Hyrule’s face. His hand gently pushed away sweaty bangs, and he leaned down to touch his forehead against the traveler’s. Silence befell him, save for his sniffles ever so often. He truly had saved them all; had they not gotten there when they did, it would have become a bloodbath, and he didn’t know if he could have handled that. As he sat there, he felt his tunic draw around his waist tighter, and he jerked back as Hyrule began to cough. The traveler’s fingers weakly fisted Legend’s tunic, and the vet huffed a laugh of relief. Those deep blue eyes he missed much more than he was willing to admit fluttered open and blearily focused on him.

“Ledge…?” Hyrule wheezed, his grip on the fabric tightening. Legend laughed again through his tears and nodded, wrapping his arm around Hyrule’s shoulders and drawing him into his lap.

“Hey, dingus. Gave us a goddess-damn scare, yanno that?” he teased. The younger boy hummed in acknowledgement, taking a moment to draw in a deep breath. Legend could tell he was still not fully coherent, nor was he out of the woods yet, and he removed Hyrule’s hand from his clothes to thread their fingers and grip his hand firmly. “Take it slow, ‘kay? You’re safe.”

Hyrule nodded and turned his eyes to Time, who, despite the scratches on his face and blood on his neck from where Rulie had taken a chunk out, gave the younger hero a warm smile. 

“Welcome back.”

“T-Time… did I…?” Hyrule’s eyes widened in horror. Time shushed him and ran his fingers through his hair to soothe him. “E-Everyone-”

“It wasn’t you, Rulie. It was the Malice that took control of you. Everyone’s okay, just a little beaten up. Please don’t blame yourself for what you couldn’t control. Rest now, you’re safe.” Reluctantly, Hyrule’s eyes slipped closed again, and his body sagged into Legend’s hold. Legend laid his hand on his stomach and slipped his arm beneath his successor’s knees, getting to his feet.

“C’mon. We have wounded to tend to,” he jerked his head back to the house, and Time stood with a smile.

Chapter Text

“How was that?” Hyrule turned to Legend and Warriors with a nervous smile. After a long week and a half of recovering, he had been strengthening his magic reserves and his atrophied muscles. He wanted to get back to his full power so he could heal his brothers’ wounds, but all of them were insistent that he focus on himself before worrying about them.

Legend stood with his arms crossed and a warm smile on his face that made something bloom in Hyrule’s chest. Proud. Legend was proud. It normally wasn’t something their veteran showed openly, but after everything that had happened, he was much more expressive and wore his feelings on his chest. He laughed more, smiled bright enough to light up the darkest room, and would spend equal amounts of time with each of them. They all noticed this change, and it was welcomed warmly.

“You’re doing a lot better today,” Warriors came to stand beside him, placing his hand on his shoulder. “I’m very happy to see you recovering so fast. How are you feeling?”

“I feel a lot better. I still get tired quickly, but I can tell I’m getting stronger.”

“I can sense your magic getting stronger too. It’s even stronger than what it was before all this mess,” Legend added, ruffling Hyrule’s hair. The half fairy giggled and batted his hand away, being squeezed against Legend’s side. “I’m really proud of you, Rulie.”

“Does this mean…?” he began, but he trailed off. Sure, he was getting a lot stronger now, but would trying to heal one of their brothers take a lot out of him? Would he be thrown right back to square one?

“I think you’ve proven yourself today, Rulie. Let’s see if you can heal Four’s wounds first, and if you still feel okay after that, we can do someone else. Sound good?” Warriors rubbed a hand on his chin, and both him and Legend laughed as Hyrule bounced on the balls of his feet with a giddy nod.

Most of the Chain was lounging around the house when the three returned; Wind and Twilight were snuggling on the floor, both deep in sleep from helping take care of those who suffered worse injuries. Time and Four sat on the couch, with Time’s arm held to his chest in a makeshift sling and Four’s head bandaged. Time quietly read to Four to keep the smaller hero out of a panic attack (the whole situation had seriously traumatized him), and Wild sat in the armchair with his slate in his hands. Thanks to Mipha’s Grace, his injuries had been healed, but it broke all of their hearts to know that Hyrule had essentially killed him. The Champion spent a lot of time reassuring their traveler that he held no resentment against him. Upstairs in Legend’s guest room rested their Skyoftian, who’d suffered several broken ribs and a head wound that left him dizzy and mostly out of it. When he was awake and coherent, he would ask about their resident healer, but Hyrule never believed he was ready to see him just yet.

“Four?” Hyrule called as they entered Legend’s house. None of them missed the way the smith’s body tensed and how his head snapped around with a tinge of fear evident in his eyes. Time’s reading tapered off as Hyrule came to kneel in front of Four, watching him draw his legs tighter and cling to the eldest’s arm with blazing red and violet eyes studying Hyrule intensely. “Is it okay if I try to heal you? I want to test my magic.”

Hesitantly, Four glanced up at Time, who gave him a smile and nodded. He glanced back at Hyrule and slowly sat forward, just enough for Hyrule to gently place his fingertips over the bandages. Hyrule took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and dipped into his magic. His hand began to glow a light shade of blue which seeped into Four’s wound. The others in the room watched silently as Hyrule drew his hand away, and Four opened his eyes with a small smile.

“My head doesn’t hurt anymore… thank you, Rulie,” his voice was soft from misuse. He suddenly threw his arms around the traveler, which startled everyone due to the fact that the smith had mostly avoided the other hero for the past week. Hyrule beamed and hugged Four back, giving him a light squeeze. “How do you feel after that…?”

“I don’t feel tired, and my magic is still going steady. I’d like to try some bigger wounds,” Hyrule replied, pulling away and looking down at his hands. His eyes flicked up and caught Time’s, and the eldest scooted across the cushion towards him. 

“I would be honored to have you test the limits of your strength with my injuries. But you must promise me that you’ll replenish your reserves to their fullest before you attempt to heal Sky,” he admonished. Hyrule nodded in agreement and set his hands over Time’s arm. Once the glow diminished, Time removed the makeshift sling and flexed his arm down to his fingers. “Just like new. Thank you, Hyrule.”

It took a little bit more time before Hyrule was able to heal Sky’s wounds, but once everyone was back on their feet, a portal was quick to scoop them up just outside of Legend and Ravio’s house. While the others gathered their gear, the two took time alone to talk with each other outside, and all of them pretended not to notice the veteran pull the merchant into an embrace and subsequent kiss. 

“Are we all set?” Twilight asked with his hands on his hips once the Chain congregated in front of the portal. Legend gave one last longing glance at Ravio, then linked his arm with Hyrule’s and nodded. 

“We’ve got everyone here, all is well and good in my eyes. I’d like it to stay this way, thank you very fuckin’ much,” he chuckled, throwing his other arm around Wind’s neck. 

“Hear, hear!” Wild cheered in agreement. With one final wave goodbye to Ravio (and a blown kiss from Legend), the Chain passed through the portal, on to their next adventure.