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Chapter Text

Index for the chapters, with prompts and warnings

Chapter Text

To you who has traveled to this island, I present you with a challenge. In your travels, you've relied on the equipment you've found along the way. Here, you must cast this equipment aside and face this trial with only your wits and whatever you can scavenge. Offer up the orbs to the three altars on this island. Only then will I acknowledge your skill and return your items.

As the voice fell silent, Warriors felt a cool breeze brush over his suddenly-bare back. He groaned helplessly, his limbs still trembling from the clashing magics that had dropped him here.

"I would like to know," he mumbled into the grass, "Why so many challenges in Wild's era apparently require stripping their victims naked. I think that's weird."

Stick with 'weird'. Don't think about 'violating' or 'threatening'.

His strength was slowly seeping back and he struggled to his hands and knees, looking around for danger. Fortunately, he was on a small, relatively bare plateau dominated by a shrine. Worryingly, the shrine was dark rather than having its usual soft blue glow.

Then he spotted another hylian sprawled half-off the pedestal of the shrine and scrambled up to stumble over. It was Sky, which made sense, also stripped to his underwear and just beginning to stir.

"Sky, can you hear me?" asked Warriors before touching him.

Sky moaned and shifted again, trying to roll into a more comfortable position. Warriors grabbed his shoulders and dragged him to lie flat on the sandy grass beside the shrine.

"Thanks," mumbled Sky, his eyes blinking open. "Wha… where are we?"

"Eventide Island, still in Wild's era, as best I can judge. What do you remember?"

Sky pushed himself half upright and looked around, then looked Warriors up and down. Warriors resisted the instinct to draw back from prying eyes on his almost-naked body, knowing that Sky was checking him for injuries.

"I'm fine," he said. "Really. Are you hurt?"

"No." Sky sighed, looking around again. "To answer your question…" He huffed out a breath. "We were about to go through a portal when a yiga appeared. I guess he was thrown off by the fact that Wild had already gone through because he lunged for me, you intervened - thanks, by the way - and then I think he was about to teleport and… then waking up here."

Warriors nodded. He'd not expected any damage to Sky's memory, but given that it had taken him longer to come round from the unexpected teleport it was good to have some confirmation.

As if picking up on his thought, Sky rolled his shoulders and scrambled to his feet, wobbling for a moment before he found his balance. "I thought Wild had finished all the shrine quests?" he said.

Warriors nodded, looking again at the dark, silent shrine. "I wonder if our arrival has damaged it somehow and has it running the quest again." He shifted uncomfortably. The sun was hot and without the protection of his clothes he could feel its beams beating on his skin, probably already starting to burn.

"In that case we'd better get on with finding those orbs," said Sky, going to the edge of the plateau and looking down. "Do you suppose any of the others were brought here as well?"

"I can't be sure," said Warriors, looking around. "I assume not Twilight, Legend, or Wild, since they were already through the portal, and none of the others were as close to the yiga as the two of us. Four, possibly, since I think he was also coming to help." He was about to point out that they had been dropped together, but if portals could scatter the Chain there was no reason to assume some bad combination of portal magic and yiga teleportation couldn't do the same.

"We'll have to keep an eye out," said Sky thoughtfully, echoing his own thought.

Warriors joined him at the edge of the plateau, looking down at the monster camp below with a frown.

"How good are you at climbing?" he asked.

"Not very good," said Sky. "Normally when I want to go down I either hold onto the edge and drop or use my Sailcloth."

It was too far to simply fall, especially given the hard ground at the bottom, and of course Sky's sailcloth had gone the way of the rest of his gear.

"I'm not good at it either," said Warriors. "But we can't stay here." They could seek shelter from the sun in the shrine, but there was no food or water and no way of knowing how long it would take the rest of the Chain to find them.

Frowning, Warriors picked his way around the edge of the plateau as Sky stayed where he was, shading his eyes with a hand as he looked out over the rest of the island. The cliffs were sheer, but he thought that with care they could make it down to the level below. The monster camp would be a problem, but if they aimed just right they could get down into some undergrowth and hide while they planned their next move.

"They've got some weapons laid out," said Sky, glancing over his shoulder as Warriors walked back over to him. "If we can get to them, that's something."

Warriors squinted, following his brother's pointing finger. Indeed, there were some clubs and battered swords resting on one of the ruined walls.

"Agreed," he muttered. "Well… the slope looks a little easier over there." He pointed to his left. "And fortunately it's not in clear view, but we'll have to move fast." It was a bad tradeoff: moving quickly when neither of them was an especially proficient climber. But they couldn't stay where they were.

Sky was looking at the part of the cliff he'd identified. Judging by his expression he had very similar thoughts, but he nodded decisively.

"I'll go first," he said. "I think I'm more likely to fall."

Warriors had his doubts about that, but he wasn't sure enough to debate, so he nodded and followed Sky over to the edge of the cliff, steadying him as he sat down on the edge and twisted round to lower himself down. For a long moment he watched him climb, then followed, trying not to think about the distance to fall and the possibility that he would take Sky with him.

He was a little over his own height from the bottom when his foot slipped. He gasped as he just about caught himself, a shock going through his left arm as his hand clenched in a slanting crack.

"Wars?" whispered Sky.

"Fine." Warriors scrambled the rest of the way down the cliff and they darted behind a bush. Warriors rubbed absently at his aching left wrist as he eyed the distance to the weapons. So far they'd been lucky. They could probably still escape down the next cliff without being seen, but that would change if they made a rush for the weapons.

"There were other camps," murmured Sky, as if having guessed Warriors' thought. "We're going to need to be armed."

Warriors nodded. That made the decision easier. "For now, we prioritize weapons," he whispered. "Once we have a better idea of what's on the island we can make more of a plan. You didn't see one of the orbs in this camp?"

Sky shook his head. "There's what I assume is an altar, but no orb."

"Then we'll have to come back, but we can work that out when the time comes."

Sky wrinkled his nose, but nodded. "So what's the plan?"

The ache in Warriors' wrist was getting worse and he rubbed it again. "We sneak over there, each grab a sword, and reconvene back here. Then the goal is to get down that cliff." He nodded towards the cliff behind them. "No heroics. If you can't safely get a weapon, leave it and we'll work out something else. Remember we have no access to healing."

Sky nodded again. Warriors looked again at the moblin he could see patrolling and the two bokoblins on guard towers, then led the way towards the little stockpile of weapons.

He grabbed a battered-looking sword, but as his fingers closed a bolt of sudden pain shot up his arm from his wrist, wringing a cry out of him before he was even aware of it. He jerked back, letting go again.

"Wars!" Sky managed to keep his voice to a whisper, but the damage was done. Warriors could hear the grunts of monsters, then an alarm horn.

"Run," he snapped. He didn't wait to see if Sky obeyed; the other knight was intelligent enough to judge his own risks. He just snatched up a sword with his right hand, slung the worn strap attached to its sheath over his shoulder, and bolted for the edge of the cliff. An arrow skipped off the ground by his bare feet. He scrambled over the edge, barely even looking to see what to make for, and clung to a crack for a moment with his right hand, panting, hearing the shrieks and grunts of the alerted monsters. He wanted to go back and check Sky had made it to another stretch of cliff, but he knew he wouldn't be much help with his sword hand so injured he couldn't grip a hilt.

With a growl, he started to edge his way down the cliff, trying to ignore the beating sun and the aching of his over-tense muscles as he eased from foothold to foothold, hooking his left arm over protruding rocks as often as he could so he could safely shift his right hand. Fortunately the cliff sloped back slightly, but it was still a hair-raising climb.

Then he heard a sharp, hylian cry.

"Sky!" he gasped. Instinctively, he lunged up again, grabbing for a handhold with his left hand.

Again, as he grabbed it a jolt of agony seared through his wrist.

His hand opened involuntarily.

Frantically, he scrabbled at the cliff face as he slid down it, fighting to stay upright and avoid falling backwards as much as to halt his fall.

But then the bottom was undercut.

He grabbed the top of the little cave, but one-handed he could do little but catch himself for long enough to look down and see where he was going to land.

Solid rock.

He gasped as his grip slipped again. No time to right himself for a good landing, he landed hard at a bad angle and felt his leg snap .

He was panting desperately on the ground by the time the pain hit.

He could barely even whimper as his vision tunneled to a pinprick and went out.

~~~

Something was wrong. Presumably, Warriors was injured. So when he ran Sky grabbed the nearest weapon - a heavy wooden club - and turned to cover his retreat. A moblin rounded the corner and pointed at him with a roar, but he stood his ground, hefting the unwieldy weapon in both hands. The moblin swung its own club and he parried, grunting as the shock of the blow jarred through him, and clumsily swung at the backs of the moblin's legs, trying to take it down and buy himself long enough to make sure Warriors was clear.

He succeeded in knocking it down, but as it fell it wrenched the club from his hands.

Even as he dived for a sword, a bokoblin rounded the corner, bow in hand, and shrieked a challenge as it nocked an arrow. Sky snatched up a stone and threw it as hard as possible, sending up a prayer of thanks as it hit the bokoblin square in the face.

But behind him the moblin was back on its feet. He cried out in shock as he barely dodged a blow that would have cracked his skull, then had to dive and roll out of the way of another.

No heroics.

Warriors had been right; they had no access to healing. With a frustrated hiss, Sky sprinted for the cliff edge to skid over the edge and catch himself as he had so many times before.

It was way too far to drop.

He took a quick breath, as deep as he could while hanging by his hands, and slowly started to climb down, listening to the confused noise of the monsters above. Suddenly, an arrow skimmed past him and he looked up with a gasp to see the bokoblin, blood running from its nose, aiming another shot at him.

With a curse, he tried to climb faster, his heart in his mouth, trying to focus on finding safe handholds and footholds and not on the occasional arrows.

At last, his bare foot landed on grass and he sighed in relief, taking just a moment to catch his breath.

It was a moment too long.

Something hit his arm and he cried out in shock and pain, leaping instinctively to the side as he looked down. What he saw made his breath catch in his throat.

The arrow hadn't hit cleanly, but had torn a wound right down his upper arm. He swore and stumbled into the cover of the trees, another arrow chasing him. Once he was fairly confident he was clear, he sat down against a tree, pressing a hand to the wound as best he could, breathing hard through his teeth to try to master the pain. He couldn't stay here. He had to find Warriors. He couldn't wait. He couldn't risk being too late…

With a gasp, he lunged back to his feet and set out around the base of the cliff.

~~~

Warriors recovered consciousness as someone shook his shoulder and instinctively grabbed for his dagger, his other arm going up to defend his throat.

As he moved, lightning crackled up him. For a moment he teetered once more on the edge of consciousness. Somewhere in a far-off corner of his mind he knew someone had a hand over his mouth. He scrabbled again for his dagger, tried to claw at his attacker, but there was just more pain pain pain …

"Warriors!" a familiar voice whisper-shouted in his ear. "It's me, Sky! It's OK!"

Despite the reassuring words, Warriors couldn't shake the grip of terror. The fact that the person holding him and hurting him was his brother meant nothing . Where was his knife? Where was his knife ?

"Warriors! Link! It's OK! I'm not going to hurt you!"

He was already hurting him!

"Link! Your leg is broken! Lie still!"

Warriors twisted free enough to bite the hand over his mouth. He tasted blood and Sky released him with a pained yelp of his own. Finally, Warriors took a deep breath and started to lunge upright.

This time, the pain that seared up him from his leg dragged him back into the dark.

***

When he woke again, nobody was touching him. He opened his eyes carefully as a tangled memory seeped back of monsters and pain and someone holding him down. Sky was hovering over him, dressed only in his underwear, and that brought back the whole memory of what had happened.

"Warriors?" asked Sky carefully, his hand hovering a few inches from touching Warriors' shoulder. "Do you know where you are?"

Warriors nodded. "Eventide Island," he said. And the fear of betrayal he'd felt when he'd woken before had been unnecessary. If Sky was going to kill him, he'd had plenty of opportunity.

Sky sighed in relief. "Your leg is broken," he said. "You need to stay still."

Warriors groaned, but just as he was about to let his head fall back in frustration his gaze caught on the blood all over Sky's arm.

"Sky, you're hurt," he said, easing himself up on his elbows.

Sky quickly tried to cover the blood with his other hand, which was also covered in blood. Warriors hoped that was what he'd tasted when he'd bitten him. "It's fine," he said too quickly. "It's not my blood."

Warriors narrowed his eyes at him. "Sky, this is not a good time to hide a wound."

For a moment Sky held his eye, but then he looked down with a sigh. "All right," he muttered. "I was winged by an arrow just as I finished climbing down. It's not deep."

It looked like it was still oozing blood.

"And in any case," said Sky before Warriors could say anything. "We've nothing to dress it with." He sighed. "Nothing even to splint your leg with. I gathered up some branches, but there's nothing to tie them with."

Warriors sighed, deliberately not looking at his leg.

"OK," he said slowly. "Is there any water nearby? We need to clean that wound."

Sky shook his head. "And I'm not moving you until we've stabilized your leg."

Warriors swallowed hard, a sour knot developing in his stomach as knowledge of his own helplessness sank in. "OK," he said, trying to push the feeling aside. "We… if you can find some absorbent moss… and in this climate there are probably some decently strong creepers we can use as rope."

Sky nodded. "And I'll look out for some food," he said with a sigh. After a moment, he added, "How long do you think it'll take for the others to find us?"

"Let's not think about that right now," said Warriors firmly. Wild's Hyrule was big and he didn't know if there would be any sign of where the misfired teleport had sent them.

"What if we can't find the orbs?"

"Not now," Warriors repeated, not quite managing to keep the sharp edge out of his voice. "For now, the priority is to treat our wounds, OK?"

Sky nodded, his back straightening. "Will you be OK here on your own?"

"Is there any other option?"

"No, I suppose not." Sky sighed and rolled his shoulders, wincing as the motion cracked the still-forming scabs on his arm. "All right. I'll see what I can do."

"Try not to move your arm too much. You've already lost a lot of blood and you don't want to reopen the wound."

Sky nodded and got up. "Stay awake," he said. "You… panicked when I had to wake you up before."

Warriors winced. "I'm sorry I bit you. You… your hand was over my mouth." He looked down, a little ashamed though he knew the reaction had been only natural.

"I was worried that if you screamed you'd bring monsters down on us," said Sky.

"It makes sense, just…" Warriors still didn't look up. "You'd better get going. Neither of us should be alone at night."

"OK. Your sword is by you, by the way."

"Thanks." Warriors watched him slip away between the trees, then lay back, moving the sword to be within reach of his right hand. His left wrist was swollen and dark with bruising. A sprain, he guessed.

The thought just increased the feeling of helplessness and he closed his right hand around the hilt of the battered sword. It didn't make him feel better. In this state, he couldn't fight. Having a sword didn't make him less powerless in the end.

The thought - and the memories that came with it - made him feel even more alone.

He took a deep breath and let it out again, staring up at the sunlight gleaming on the leaves of the trees. At least he'd managed to fall somewhere shaded. But the afternoon was drawing on and he'd meant what he'd said; it would be a bad idea for either of them to be alone after dark.

He wished he hadn't had to send Sky out wounded with nobody to help or protect him if it turned out to be more serious than they'd thought.

The knot in his gut pulled a little tighter and he kept trying to ignore it. This wasn't the first time he'd had to choose to send someone else - even a dear friend - into danger. Sky would be all right, just as Zelda and Lana and Impa and the others always had.

He tried not to think about the fact that unlike them, Sky was alone.

He tried not to think about all those who hadn't made it home safe. All the empty chairs at families' dinner tables because of orders he had given.

He swallowed hard and clenched his fist on the hilt of the sword again. He'd always done his best to minimize casualties and if he hadn't made the decisions he had things might have been much worse.

It didn't make him feel any better.

Slowly, the sun moved across the sky. The light started to fade. Warriors lay still, swallowing down the fear and the guilt. What if something had happened? There were other monsters in the woods, what if Sky had been ambushed or outnumbered or that wound had indeed been more severe than it looked or…

He ground his teeth together, knowing he was helpless. That his brother might be dying less than a mile away and there was nothing he could do.

He shivered, remembering Cia's smile, remembering that other time that despite the sword in his hand he had been weak and helpless and alone …

His breath caught on a sob and he let go of the sword to press the fingertips of his good hand against the mercilessly hard rock under him, trying to ground himself.

Overhead, the sky was darkening to twilight.

Warriors eased up onto his elbows again and finally looked at his leg. The sight made bile rise in his throat and he swallowed hard, tilting his head back. He couldn't afford to throw up. He didn't know where he might get more water.

He blinked to banish the lingering image of his foot twisted round to the side, his leg hinged below his knee. No, he couldn't move.

Then he heard something approaching through the undergrowth. With a hiss, he awkwardly drew the sword, determined to at least try to sell his life dearly.

"It's me!" called Sky, pushing his way out into the open.

"Where the hell have you been ?" demanded Warriors, all the fear and relief mingling into anger.

"Excuse me, princess ," snarled Sky, stopping at the treeline. "I couldn't find the right moss or any creepers for hours , and there's a hinox sleeping in the middle of the island, so I had to go around, and I tried to find any sign of those orbs so we can have some chance of getting our gear back and getting off this island ."

Warriors let out a hissing breath through clenched teeth. "I thought something had happened to you!"

"I'm fine ." Sky started to walk again, but now Warriors saw the distinct sway in his step. And as he came out into better light he could see that his entire side was bloody now, despite obvious attempts to wipe it away.

"You're still bleeding," he said.

"I know." Sky dropped to his knees and laid down the armload of things he was carrying.

"I warned you to be careful not to reopen the wound…"

"I know, I'm not stupid," snapped Sky. Then he sighed and rubbed his good hand across his eyes, his breath catching. "I… I'm sorry. You don't need me shouting at you on top of everything else. I'm sorry I was late…"

Warriors looked away. He felt sick. "I thought something had happened," he repeated.

Sky's breath shuddered and he wiped his eyes again. "A-Anyway, I found… I found some creepers in the end. And some fruit. You should… you should eat something and… then I can splint your leg. I'm s-sorry I kept you waiting so long." Now that he was here and his little quest was done, he was clearly exhausted and guilt joined the fear and frustration gnawing at Warriors.

"It's fine," he said. "I'm sorry I shouted at you. Before anything else, we need to at least try to clean your wound."

"I couldn't find any fresh water or anything to carry it in," said Sky.

Warriors picked up one of the pieces of moss and sighed. "I suppose these are hardly clean anyway. We'll need to do some more scouting tomorrow and then we can clean it properly. Can you go and get one of those large leaves?"

Sky took a shaking breath, but nodded.

As the moon came out and started to shine down on their little makeshift camp, Warriors laid moss on Sky's wound and tied a leaf over it. Then it was his turn: he lay back and bit down on a stick in the hope that that would help him brace himself and strangle his screams as Sky braced and splinted his leg.

Luckily, as soon as the broken bones were shifted he passed out again.

When he recovered consciousness, Sky bent over him again almost at once.

"It's done," he said.

"Thanks," said Warriors with a sigh. With his leg stabilized he was a little less helpless.

"Do you think you can shuffle over to the treeline? You've been lying on bare stone all day."

Warriors was well aware of that, especially as the temperature was falling now the sun had set. With a deep breath, he pushed himself back up on his elbows. "If you can steady it, I'll try," he said.

Sky nodded and went to crouch by his leg, steadying it with his good hand as Warriors slowly, gingerly edged down the slight slope until he finally lay on the edge of the leaf litter under the trees. Then he slumped back with a long, aching sigh.

Sky lay down next to him and Warriors realized he was shivering.

"Are you OK?" he asked.

"Yes. Just… cold. And a little dizzy. And thirsty."

Blood loss. "Have some fruit," said Warriors firmly. "Then rest. You did well today."

Sky smiled, a little tension going out of him. "Thanks."

Sky had found some bananas and palm fruit and they both ate a few mouthfuls of each. It at least eased the churning in Warriors' stomach to have some food and some liquid, if not water.

That thought brought back all the anxiety. Given how hot the day had been, water was soon going to become a serious problem. But for now, the best thing to do was to make sure Sky got some rest.

As soon as they'd eaten, the skyloftian lay back down next to him, a little closer than he'd normally have liked. He hesitated for a moment, wondering whether to protest or shuffle away, but then Sky shivered. In the moonlight, he was clearly pale and Warriors sighed, then put an arm around him to draw him close. Sky huddled into the awkward embrace with a sigh.

"Thanks," he murmured. "Sorry I took so long."

"It's fine," said Warriors. "Really, it is. I'm sorry I shouted at you."

With a sigh, Sky fell asleep.

Despite all his determination, Warriors wasn't far behind.

***

He woke with the sun shining in his eyes from above the tall plateau and he winced, berating himself. He had been supposed to be on watch.

Sky was still fast asleep, still huddled against his side. In the morning light, he looked even more haggard than he had the night before and Warriors scowled. Ideally, Sky would rest today. They would clean his wound and properly bandage it and then he would rest. But with no resources, that wasn't an option.

Then Warriors thought he heard something in the distance and gasped, shoving himself up on his elbows. Beside him, Sky stirred sleepily, but Warriors ignored him.

This time, he was sure: Wind's voice, carrying high and clear across the island. "Warriors! Sky!"

He gasped, trying to make a quick decision: call out and risk alerting monsters to his and Sky's whereabouts or stay silent and hope the search party found them?

Sky sat up, mumbling sleepily.

"I think the others are here," said Warriors and pointed in the direction Wind's voice had come from.

At that, Sky's eyes brightened. He still looked tired, with dark circles under his eyes made even clearer by the pallor of his face, but he said, "I can go to meet them?"

Warriors sighed, pushing down the fear of being alone again. It was the best solution to his dilemma.

"OK," he said. "Be careful."

"I'll be back soon," said Sky with a small smile, then he scrambled to his feet and stumbled back into the woods.

Warriors lay back on the leaf litter, reaching for his sword with a sigh.

***

Perhaps he'd fallen asleep again, because it seemed only a moment later that he heard worried voices nearby. He looked up in time to see Time crash through the undergrowth, Twilight close behind him, carrying Sky piggyback.

"Warriors," said Time, dropping to his knees. "Sky told us what happened - how are you feeling?"

"Terrible," said Warriors, forcing a grin.

"Here." Hyrule knelt next to him and laid his hands on his leg.

"Wait, Sky's wounded too -"

"Hyrule already dealt with him," said Legend, folding his arms with a wry smile. "Despite him telling us to heal you first."

"I'm OK," said Sky wearily. "But your leg…"

Warriors winced as Hyrule's magic started to ease the broken ends of the bones back together. This was a feeling he would never get used to.

"Nobody else was hurt?" he asked. "Or scattered?" He looked around the group and noticed that there was a missing face. "Where's Wild?"

"Gone to try to see what's wrong with the shrine," said Four. "It was lucky a second portal opened to bring everyone back after you two disappeared."

Suddenly, an odd sensation of static prickled over Warriors' skin. He shoved himself up on his elbows, about to ask Hyrule if something was wrong, but then suddenly his clothes and armor reappeared.

"I guess he fixed it," said Four, grinning.

Warriors just flopped back with a sigh to be caught by Wind. "I need to ask him why so many challenges in his world insist on stripping their victims naked," he said with a laugh that even to his ears sounded shrill.

Despite that, they laughed with him as he looked up and met Sky's gaze for a moment. The skyloftian shot him a wan grin and he smiled back, then he closed his eyes and sighed. "I'm so glad to see you all," he said.

"We're glad to have you both back," said Time quietly. "Now get some rest. We'll take it from here."

Chapter Text

Legend cut down the last of the attacking lizalfos and hurried over to the wounded hylian he'd just rescued, dismissing the magical shield he'd thrown up in front of the young man - boy, really; he barely looked older than Hyrule.

"Easy," he said. "I'll get you down. What's your name?"

The boy looked up from where he was clutching at the spear pinning him to a tree. He opened his mouth to reply, but all that made it out was a nasty wet cough and a gout of blood. His tunic was more purple than blue and a mixture of black and red blood was matted in his long fair hair.

Legend knew that if someone was impaled it was dangerous to remove the thing impaling them, but he couldn't leave the kid like that. He was already clearly slipping into shock, the color gone from his face, his eyes drifting out of focus. If he passed out and sagged against the spear, it would get much worse.

Legend let out a huff of breath and snatched up one of the lizalfos' jagged blades.

"Hold it as steady as you can," he told the kid, then sawed through the shaft of the spear in a few quick strokes. That would make things a little easier, at least.

The boy whimpered softly, another mouthful of blood spilling from his lips.

"OK, I'm going to cut the shaft behind you." Legend caught the boy's chin and looked him in the eye. "This will hurt. Stay with me, OK? You're going to be fine."

"Get it… out?" the boy pleaded.

"I can't. It'll do more damage coming out than it did going in. One of my friends can heal you, but we need to get you to him first and I can't get the spear out completely until then."

The boy whimpered again, turquoise eyes falling closed, but he didn't protest.

Legend took a deep breath, then slipped a hand down the boy's back, giving himself a bit of space between him and the tree. He winced as the boy whimpered, but moved as quickly as he could to cut the spear shaft and catch him as he collapsed, lowering him carefully to the ground.

"Still with me, Kid?" he asked.

"Still… still here." It was little more than a groan, but audible.

Legend snatched some bandages from his bag and started padding around the remains of the spear shaft, wincing as blood started to seep through the bandages almost at once.

"Stay with me," he kept saying. "You're going to be OK. You did great against those monsters; just stay with me."

The boy nodded, coughing up more blood.

How am I going to get him back to camp? I can't carry him, not with that pole in his guts…

"What's your name?"

"Link."

Legend froze for a moment, wondering if he'd heard correctly, his eyes flying back to his companion's face.

His new brother's face.

"Well…" he said with a laugh that sounded a little hysterical in his own ears. "How about that? My friends and I have been looking all over for you."

Link's eyes had focussed and he was frowning, but then he forced a smile. "How come?" he asked, his voice a little high. "Looking for your bananas back?"

Legend went back to bandaging, his heart beating a little faster. If Link was already getting delirious, he must have lost even more blood than Legend had thought. Perhaps he was bleeding internally too.

Link squirmed slightly with a moan and Legend quickly moved to hold him down.

"Keep still!" he said, trying not to snap and not quite succeeding. "Moving around might cause more damage."

Link looked at him, eyes wide and dark with pain and fear.

"You're going to be OK," said Legend, starting to wonder which of them he was trying to reassure. Maybe a good, loud blast on an ocarina would serve as a signal whistle. "You're going to be OK. I'm going to get you to my friend and he'll heal you. Just stay with me."

Link laughed: a shrill, deranged sound. "No chance!" he said.

With another groan of pain, he snatched a small glowing block of carved stone from a holster on his belt, tapped it twice, and dissolved right under Legend's hands into tendrils of blue light.

Legend stared at the bloody grass where he'd lain for a moment, then buried his face in his hands with a stream of curses. All he could hope was that Link had at least teleported to somewhere someone could help him.

~~~

The shrine jump deposited Link gently on his feet, but as soon as he had fully materialized he collapsed to his knees, clutching at the spear shaft still running through his body.

"Help!" he cried as loudly as he could. "Someone, help!"

Here in Zora's Domain, he knew he was as safe as he could be anywhere. They had the best healers and this was the home of one of his closest friends. He was just grateful he'd been able to get his Slate into his hand before the yiga had realized what he was doing; it would have been easy to restrain him. Holding him down had clearly taken no effort at all. It didn't make sense that someone who wanted him dead had defended him from the lizalfos and saved his life, but he didn't want to find out why the assassin might have wanted to bring him in alive.

Suddenly he was lying on the ground, unsure how he got there. Maybe he'd blacked out for a moment. "Help!" he cried again before breaking down into another coughing fit, trying not to panic at the thick, metallic taste of blood on his tongue.

Finally, he heard running footsteps, the splash of someone wading through the pool that surrounded the shrine.

"Link!" cried a familiar voice. "What happened? Someone go and get Prince Sidon!"

"Bazz…" Link reached out vaguely and one of the Zora guard's large hands closed around his.

"It's going to be OK. We'll have you healed in no time."

Link nodded with a sigh. At least here he was safe.

After that, things were a blur for a while. He was aware of being lifted and carried, a vague impression of Sidon frantically calling his name, the bitter taste of a hearty elixir being forced down his throat, the cool touch of healing magic.

"Mipha?" he called softly before he was even aware he was doing it, pulled back for a moment to those mercifully-few times during his quest when he once more died on the battlefield and Mipha's Grace had brought him back to life. "Mipha?"

He knew she was gone. He knew he didn't really remember her as anything but a gentle presence dragging him back from the edge. But the feeling of dying and her magic washing through him was so familiar he couldn't fully believe it. She was still here. Surely, she hadn't abandoned him entirely.

Another blur. Voices, hands turning him this way and that, bandages wound tight around his body.

Finally, it all settled. He was wrapped in blankets, lying on a soft waterbed, and when he opened his eyes he was surrounded by the soft glow of Zora's Domain.

"Link!" Sidon lunged into his field of vision. "Are you awake? What happened?"

"I'm awake." Link sighed and started trying to shove himself upright. Sidon slipped a large hand behind his back to support him.

"Be careful. You're healed, but only just and the healers said you were to rest at least another day. You lost a lot of blood."

Link nodded, settling back as Sidon arranged his pillows to support him. He examined the Zora's face as he sat back. Zora couldn't cry the way hylians did, but Sidon's usual huge grin was nowhere to be seen and the muscles around his eyes and mouth were tense. That was as much an indication of his feelings as tear tracks would have been.

"I'm sorry," said Link, not sure what else to say. "I didn't know where else to go."

Sidon shook his head. "Link, I told you you would always be welcome. I'm honored you came to us for help."

Link smiled, relaxing his head back against the pillows. "I knew I was safe here," he said with a sigh. After a moment, he explained, "I had another close call with the yiga clan."

Sidon let out a little huff of breath. "A close call? You had a spear shaft through your whole body," he said, his voice raw. "The healers said that with the force it must have taken to drive it through like that you must have been pinned to something. I'm… just glad you were able to get free. And I'm glad you managed to do some bandaging. You'd bled right through, but it bought you a little bit of time. Even so… I think they were worried you wouldn't survive the surgery to remove it… What… To impale you like that… I didn't think that's what they did."

Link shook his head a little. "It's even stranger than that. The spear was from a lizalfos. The yiga could have just left me to the monsters or taken my Slate so I couldn't escape and then stood and watched me bleed out. He killed them, then he got me down and he was the one who started bandaging the wounds." He shivered.

Sidon's expression hardened. "Why change now?" he asked. "They've never tried to take you alive before."

"I don't know. That's what worries me." Link sighed. "He never dropped his disguise, either. He took care of me and insisted that he could get me to a healer. I suppose he hoped that would mean I wouldn't put up a fight, but it was so strange… I might have been convinced if he hadn't slipped for a moment when he found out who I am." He didn't like the thought that the yiga clan's acting was improving and he couldn't shake the memory of the concern in his would-be kidnapper's eyes. It had all seemed so genuine. He had wanted to trust him and accept his help. "I… suppose Zelda and I will have to be even more careful." Much more careful and they wouldn't talk to anyone they didn't already know. He bit his lip, feeling trapped. He loved Zora's Domain, but he didn't want to live a life in which there really was nowhere else he could go to truly be safe and comfortable.

The defeat of Calamity Ganon had been supposed to bring him some peace.

"We'll get word to Zelda. In the meantime, don't worry too much," said Sidon, patting Link's shoulder. "You're safe here for as long as you need."

Link smiled. "Thank you," he said fervently.

Sidon squeezed his shoulder, then let go and sat back in his chair with a sigh, looking up at the ceiling. Link couldn't help noticing that he still looked tired and stressed.

"Is anything else wrong?" he asked. "Is there anything I can do?"

Sidon winced, rubbing his eyes. "It's just… You called for Mipha while we were healing you. It… made me think of her, that's all."

Link looked at his hands. "I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"No, no, you have nothing to be sorry for," said Sidon quickly, lunging forward to enfold both of Link's hands in one of his. "I… I'm sure she'd be happy to know… that you got some comfort from thinking of her."

Link sighed. From what he'd been told and the few scraps he had for himself, that was probably true.

"I barely remember her, Sidon," he said sadly. "I want to. And for a while, during my quest… she was there. Her spirit was with me. She saved me… so many times. But now she's at rest and… I'm still here." He looked down at the large red hand wrapped around his. "It… seems so unfair that I'm still here and she's not."

Sidon squeezed his hand. "Link?"

He looked up. His friend's expression was stricken.

"You don't… want to die, do you?"

Link shook his head. "No, no, not at all. No, I just… I'm not even sure what I mean. I just feel it sometimes: that she was there so many times to save me but when it mattered… I wasn't there for her. I lived and she died and even after she died she kept bringing me back to life. It… feels wrong."

Sidon looked down for a moment, then said quietly, "I barely remember her either. I was so young when she died. But I remember her patience and her kindness and… I think she'd have been happy at least one of the other Champions lived. And I think she'd want you to keep living. Really living."

Link sighed. "I know. I know it doesn't make sense. It's just… while she was here as a spirit… she was still alive in some way. Even if just in me. And now she's gone. It's just… that's why I was calling for her, I suppose. I miss her. Even though I hardly know her. And I wish… I wish I did. She seems like someone I… would like to know."

Maybe even someone I would fall in love with.

"Maybe there's some part of you that does remember," said Sidon with a small, sad smile. He squeezed Link's hands, as if to reassure them both.

Link smiled back. "Maybe." He relaxed back against his pillows, looking up at the ceiling. Maybe he did remember the woman he might have been planning to marry. Maybe that's where this feeling of longing and loss came from.

He wasn't sure about that, but the idea was something.

"Thank you, Sidon. For everything."

Sidon chuckled, not quite his usual laugh but close. "No, Link, thank you." He moved to pat Link's shoulder again.

"You want a hug, don't you?" asked Link, glancing at him.

Sidon didn't reply out loud, but the way his smile broadened slightly told Link what he needed to know and, with a smile of his own, he held out his arms. Sidon grabbed him and squeezed him hard enough to make him yelp out a laugh.

"When I heard the alarm and saw them carrying you up from the shrine, I feared the worst," said Sidon in his ear, his voice rough.

Link sighed. "I'm fine, thanks to you all."

"Good. And if I have any say in it, you'll stay that way. Don't worry about the yiga. You have plenty of friends to keep you and Zelda safe."

Link smiled, relaxing his head against his friend's shoulder. "Thank you."

Chapter Text

Link was trembling in Zelda's arms, not sure what to do, not sure how to stop the tears pouring down his cheeks, not sure what she even wanted of him now. He didn't remember anyone ever touching him like this. It… was almost painful in a way that wasn't due at all to pressure on his injuries or the ache of hunger in his belly or the thumping headache caused by trying to replace sleep with stamina elixirs.

"Princess," he slurred out through a tight throat. He'd called her Zelda before and he wasn't sure that was right.

He wasn't sure about anything any more. Since he'd woken up in the Shrine of Resurrection and heard her voice he'd had one purpose: save the princess. Kill the Calamity and save the princess.

He'd done that.

Now what?

Did he go back to being her dutiful knight? Was that what she wanted of him? He didn't think he knew how to do that any more. He wasn't who she remembered. He didn't think he ever could be again.

Trembling himself, he slowly put his arms around her. She squeezed him a little tighter and a shiver went though him, warm and cold all at once.

He wasn't used to hugs. Since he'd woken up nobody had hugged him.

It… it felt strange. Good, but strange.

She snuggled impossibly closer, still crying into his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry," she mumbled. "I… I'm sorry, I…"

He shook his head. He was the one who had failed. He coughed to clear his throat and struggled to get the words out, hating how difficult it was to be articulate. He hoped the sound of his voice wouldn't disappoint her.

"It… 's not… your f…fault," he managed at last. "You t-t-ried… so hard."

She sat back on her heels, sniffling and wiping fruitlessly at her eyes.

"You… fought all alone… so long," he said slowly, the words coming out so rusty and awkward. "I… I'm sorry. Should… should've… protected you. Took… too long. Sorry…" His breath caught and he swallowed, trying to sniff back his own tears, trying to yet again put aside the hunger and pain and exhaustion. He didn't know who he was any more, but he could try to go back to being her knight. He could try.

"No," she said. "No, don't… don't apologize. I… I don't even have… the right to ask for help… when… it's all my fault. All of it." Her voice cracked into a wail and she buried her face in her hands again.

"No!" he rasped out.

"My father… he always said… I could… if I really wanted… And he… he was right," she said between sobs. "If… If I'd just…"

Tentatively, he put his arms around her again and guided her head back onto his shoulder. He didn't know what to say. He wanted to somehow express that her father's words had been cruel and unfair. That he knew she'd tried as hard as she could. That he had no explanation for why she had finally found her power when she had. He wanted to tell her about the memories of her he had clawed back together and what he'd seen of her pain and her longing, but the words slipped off his tongue and out of his mind as they always did.

At last, as she got too tired to keep crying and her sobs began to ease, he managed, "I remember… the Spring of P-Power. You… really wanted… t-tried so hard… I… believe in you. Did your b-best."

"No." She hiccupped. "No… I was capable of… of using that power… so the… the fact it didn't work… means I wasn't doing my best…"

For a moment a memory sparkled up out of the darkness in Link's mind: listening in helpless silence as King Rhoam berated Zelda yet again.

Father, I'm doing my best! I really am and you said that was all anyone could do!

If you were doing your best, you would have unlocked your power by now.

He blinked and was back in Hyrule Field again.

"Link?" Zelda had pulled back again and was looking at him in confusion.

He shook his head and swallowed hard. "M-Memory," he said. He swallowed hard and scrambled over words for a moment, once again struggling to articulate what he wanted to say.

To his relief, she just laid her head on his shoulder again and said softly, "Take your time, it's OK."

"I… remembered… your father telling… you th-that. That thing you j-just said. And… he was wrong. You always… did your b-best. D-dont rem… remember much, b-but I remember th… that."

There was a long pause, during which she didn't move from leaning against him. At last, she said, "You really think so?"

He nodded. "Did good."

She laughed, though it turned halfway into another sob. "I did good?"

He laughed too. "You did good."

And suddenly they were laughing together instead of crying, though he wasn't even sure what they were laughing about. He was so tired and he guessed she was too. He didn't know who he was any more or what he was supposed to do now, and as he remembered how driven she had been to unlock her power and how much she had been forced towards that as the only purpose of her life, he guessed she felt much the same. There was really nothing to laugh at, but still they laughed and cried all mixed up together until they were worn out, leaning on each other. Link's head and stomach and throat all ached. He felt a little dizzy as the last of the adrenaline faded from his system.

"What shall we do now?" asked Zelda, sounding as lost as he felt.

"Eat?" he murmured without thinking.

She laughed again. "Oh, Link… I… I am hungry, actually. Oh, I'm hungry ." Another hysterical laugh. "A hundred years and I wasn't… but I didn't need to eat." Her breath caught. "I'm going to… I'm going to need so much help getting used to… being alive again."

He pulled back and dug in his pouch to pull out a perfect egg tart that he'd made at the last stable when he was preparing to make this final approach to the castle. He'd thought at the time it was probably a waste of space that he should use for another elixir - and he could have done with another mighty elixir in the battle - but had made this instead, with some premonition that he'd want it. And now he knew what he wanted it for.

"Oh!" she exclaimed as he handed it to her. "For… for me? These are my favorite!" She looked up, eyes shining. "Did you… remember?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. He didn't want to lie to her. "Not… really? Thought… might want… something." He could feel himself blushing. "And thought of… this. It's for you." Maybe he had remembered, even if he didn't know it.

Her eyes were still bright as she took a bite, but then she closed them with a long sigh. "Oh… Link, thank you so much," she said.

He smiled back, his heart full despite his exhaustion and hunger and the pain of his injuries.

He'd done it. He'd fulfilled the oath his former self had made. He'd saved the princess. He'd defeated the Calamity.

He didn't know what to do now, but for the moment it was enough.

Chapter Text

Sky choked as another kick landed in the small of his back. His stomach twisted, but there was nothing left to throw up and all he could do was cough and gasp, reaching for some happy memory he could use to comfort himself and escape this experience.

"Oh, no, Chosen Hero," said the Shadow, kicking him again. "You don't get to pass out just yet."

Sky gritted his teeth and screwed his eyes shut. One of them, anyway. The other was already so swollen with bruises he couldn't have opened it if he'd wanted to.

"It makes sense, though." He heard footsteps walking round him and the Shadow's voice shifted to something like an echo of his own. "You always were a coward."

"If y'... wan' me… g'v… trif'rce… wrong way… go 'bout it." he panted out.

The Shadow snorted. "Do they know? Those two boys I captured you with?"

Sky didn't waste breath on asking what Hyrule and Legend were supposed to know.

"Do they know you're the reason for all their pain?" The incongruously-light footsteps paced around Sky in circles. "The sharp-tempered one… does he know you're why his beloved uncle died in his arms and he's spent his whole life on one quest after another? And your sweet little healer. Does he know you're why his world is, well, the way it is?"

The words sent a chill through Sky's body despite his pain and weakness.

"So much suffering," mused the Shadow, pausing by Sky's head and putting a booted foot on his right arm, just below the manacle on his wrist. "For so many people, but especially the ones you call your brothers. All because you were slow. All because you were a coward."

The words wormed into the wound in Sky's heart that had never fully healed, but he was determined not to show the Shadow that he'd found a weak point.

"I assume you'd like to keep your lie going and let them keep thinking you're a hero just like them." The Shadow leaned a little more weight on Sky's arm, grinding the bones together and finally wringing a whimper through gritted teeth. "Oh, good, I was starting to wonder if you were still conscious."

"Oh… 'm still… conscious." It was intended as a growl, but he knew it came out as more of a moan.

"Good." The Shadow eased up slightly on Sky's arm. "So. Do you want me to tell them the truth?"

Sky didn't, but he still didn't want to show that kind of weakness.

"Not even enough courage to say 'no' out loud, I see." The Shadow stepped off Sky's arm and started pacing around him. "Heroes. You talk so much about goodness and light. Who knew that you would find daylight just as violent as anyone else?" His voice took on the hiss of his lizalfos form even as he spoke.

Sky still didn't reply, trying to ignore the pain in his body and heart, trying not to let the words land.

A scaled hand grabbed the back of his neck to hold him down and he squirmed instinctively, his breath catching in his throat. The Shadow barely acknowledged his struggles except to tighten his grip slightly as with his other hand he released the chain between Sky's wrists from the catch holding it to the floor.

Sky yelped in pain as he was hauled to his feet, still by the back of his neck, and almost before he had found his feet the Shadow had taken hold of his wrists and was dragging him off down the corridor back to their cell, so fast it was all he could do not to trip and fall as he followed, especially as the pull on his arms sent fire chasing through his injured ribs. When they reached the door, the Shadow shoved him against the wall, one hand still holding his wrists high above his head, the other closing on his jaw.

"I want information from you. You want silence from me. I suggest you consider your options," the Shadow hissed in his ear.

Sky knew his options. And giving up the triforce and the other heroes wasn't one of them.

The Shadow unbolted the cell door and hurled Sky in. He cried out as he landed, pain once again shooting through his battered body, and couldn't even try to resist as his chained wrists were once again attached to a tether in a corner of the cell. He had barely gathered up the strength to move when the door slammed and the cell was plunged into darkness.

"Sky?" asked Hyrule's voice. "Are you there?"

Sky stirred, biting back a moan.

"How bad is it?" asked Legend quietly.

"Nothin' new broken," replied Sky. Plenty of new bruises and some lash marks, but nothing deeper. He coughed to clear his throat. "Not too… much blood lost. You two OK?"

"You worry about yourself for now," said Legend.

"You missed a meal," said Hyrule sadly. "We saved you some of our rations. Can you move enough to reach?"

They'd discovered early on that they could just about touch each other if they reached out and strained against the chains on their manacles. Sky didn't have the energy to do that right now. And in any case he really didn't feel right taking any of their meager rations of food and water.

"Finish it," he said. "I… I'll be OK." He coughed again, struggling to find the words he knew he needed to say.

"Sky," said Legend suspiciously, "What's wrong? What happened?"

"There's… something I need to tell you." There. At least he'd started.

There was silence for a moment.

"Sky, we're going to get out of this," said Hyrule at the same time as Legend said, "Save it to tell us after."

"No, I… I have to tell you now. I should have told you before." Sky sighed and winced at a searing pain through his ribs. "There's… a secret I've been keeping. The Shadow seems to know it. I… want to tell you before he does."

Silence. Sky used the time to take another long breath, as deep as he could through a tight throat and broken ribs.

"There's… a curse. On me. On all of us. And it's my fault." Another cough. "It's… I fought… you know I didn't fight Ganon. I fought the demon lord Demise."

Gradually, he told the whole story, bleeding words into the darkness. How he had been too late over and over again. How it had taken him too long to save Zelda and how she had suffered as a result. How when the battle was done and he stood over the defeated demon, he had been too slow once again. The words Demise had spoken, dooming him and Zelda and all their descendents and successors.

"I was too slow," he said bitterly, the words scraping in his dry, worn throat. He ignored the pain and difficulty. It was the least he deserved. "And that's why… that's why. There are thousands of years of blood on my hands, all through time, all across timelines… Everything Ganon has done to any of you or your lands or those you love… ultimately it's because I was too slow." Finally, the words choked off. "I… knew you'd hate me. So I didn't tell you. I… I'm so sorry… "

Then he waited, choking back more sobs, more alone than he'd ever been, for their reaction.

He wished he could see them.

He was glad he couldn't.

Hyrule spoke first. "Sky, drink something," he said softly. "Here." There was a soft scrape of a wooden cup across the stone as it was nudged towards Sky.

Sky stared in the direction the voice had come from. "Dri- What ?"

"He's right," said Legend. "You sound awful."

"Didn't you hear anything I just said ?" That was more than his throat could stand and he broke down coughing.

"Of course we did," snapped Legend. "Now drink something ."

Sky reached out, wincing as he moved his bruised, stiff body, and managed to hook a finger over the edge of the cup and carefully draw it towards himself. The water was stale and dirty, but it was wet and soothing on his dry throat and that was all that mattered. He sipped carefully, not wanting to risk making himself sick.

"Right," said Legend shakily. "Now, you listen to me, Feather-brain. None of this is your fault. You didn't make Demise kidnap Sun and you didn't make him curse you. You did your best to fight to save yourself and your home and your family the same as any of us. It's not your fault you had to."

"It is my fault I failed."

"Stop insulting my brother," said Hyrule, his voice raw.

"I'm… not?" said Sky, confused. "Legend -"

"Not my brother Legend, my brother Sky ," said Hyrule.

"We can talk about what happened and what it means," said Legend. "But right now, stop blaming yourself for everything that happened to us. Even if I thought you did it on purpose for some dumb reason, Goddesses know there's blame to share around."

"And you'd have to have done something way worse for us to hate you," added Hyrule.

"Right," said Legend.

Sky's breath caught again and he squeezed his eyes shut, trying not to cry. He couldn't lose too much water. "You… mean it?"

"Yes," they said together.

"Th-thank you."

"Now get some rest," said Legend, more gently now. "We're going to get out of here, but you need to keep your strength up."

"Eat first," said Hyrule, and Sky once again heard the scrape of something being slid across the stone. "It's going to be OK."

Sky grabbed the plate and nibbled the two small pieces of stale bread, still sniffing back his tears.

It's going to be OK .

He still had his family. And with that knowledge to sustain him, he could hope.

It's going to be OK .