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Chapter Text

Link burrowed his face deeper into the covers, the warm form of Zelda curled up next to him. It was a chilly morning, and he didn’t want to get out of the warm, comfortable bed. Despite this, he sat up, gently shaking her awake. 

“Mmmph,” she grumbled, blinking blearily up at him. “Five more minutes…” she went to roll back over, but link spoke. 

“We were going to run the final experiments on the duplicate Purah pad today, but I’m sure we can manage without you-“ 

Zelda was up in an instant, throwing on her work clothes before he could blink. Chuckling, link changed with his pad, his nightwear disappearing, replaced with his Hylian tunic and trousers. He grabbed a sword, just in case, and pulled out a few meat skewers for them to eat as they walked. 

Together, they made their way towards the workshop they shared with Purah and Josha. They had several homes, one with each people, plus one in tarry town, hatano, and here, in lookout landing, where the workshop was. 

Link had discovered he liked learning and science as much as Zelda- he just preferred to experiment to learn instead of study. So, the two of them were lab partners, working with Purah, josha, and Robbie to rebuild Hyrule, better than ever with the help of ancient technology and magic. 

Today was the day they would test out the second ever Purah pad, which he was very excited for. Once it was finished, he and Zelda could travel together much easier. 

They had to do a lot of traveling to organize the rebuilding, but they had to go by foot, horse, or Zonai device, since the Purah pad still couldn’t transport more than one person. And since they refused to be separated, another pad was the best option. 

Entering the workshop, the duo beelined for their table, where Purah and Robbie were already sitting, talking with Josha. 

“Linky! Zelle! Perfect timing!” Purah exclaimed, bouncing on her stool. “We were just about to start!” Link grinned, and Purah and Zelda grinned back. 

***

Seven hours later saw link and Zelda covered in soot, with scorch marks on their clothes, the smell of burning cloth thick around them, leaning on each other as they walked. 

They made their way to the bath house, grabbing a few towels, wash cloths, and soap on the way in. Then they went to the pool for ‘really dirty’ people, which was specially designed to filter and clean the water in it, that way the water stayed clean. 

With the help of Sheikah technology and Zonai magic, they had installed a water system and bath house in each Hylian village, plus Kakariko, Gerudo town, Kara Kara bazar, and lookout landing. It allowed for easy water transport, as well as heated water for bathing and cooking. 

“Well, I think that went well,” link said, scrubbing at his skin. 

“You set yourself on fire!” Zelda protested, splashing the water slightly. Link raised an eyebrow. 

“And you didn’t?” Zelda laughed. 

“I suppose you’re right.” comfortable silence filled the room as the duo cleaned themselves. 

After bathing, they sat in the heated pool, which mimicked the hot springs at death mountain. Finally, they headed to their small, one room home, chatting about this and that, only to stop short upon spotting their door. 

Standing in front of it were a group of 8 strangers, all heavily armed with armor and traveling packs. In the dim lighting, with their backs to him, link couldn’t make out much else, but his instincts screamed at him that something was off about them. 

Silently, link signed to Zelda. 

‘I’ll confront them, you be ready to shoot.’ Zelda nodded, pulling out a bow and silently retreating not the shadows. Meanwhile, link crept forward, stoping behind the group to listen. 

“I’m telling you, he isn’t home!” One man said, clearly frustrated. 

“Lege, calm down. This is our only lead so far, and you are not helping our chances,” said another. 

“Oh! Do you think they’ll be younger than me?” Said a third, much younger voice. 

“I hope not, That’d be depressing,” said a fourth. 

“I wouldn’t put it past Her, we all know how Hylia loves her child soldiers,” the said first voice, tinged with anger and sadness. That caught link’s attention, so he cleared his throat, trying to get their attention. The entire group whirled around, most reaching for a weapon of some sort, only to move their hands away upon seeing him.  

He crossed his arms, taking in their appearance now that they were facing him. They were all remarkably similar, each with short blond or brown hair, blue eyes, and light skin. The tallest and oldest, a man with only one eye, stepped forward, smiling kindly. 

“Hello, you wouldn’t happen to be link, would you?” Link frowned. 

“Why’re you lookin’ fer ‘em?” He asked, slipping into the Hateno accent easily.

“We’re his relatives, lookin’ to reunite,” said a second man, the one who told the youngest that it would be depressing. He wore a dark pelt on his shoulders and had strange markings on his face. “We ‘eard our cousin was the hero, and wan’ed to reconnect.” Link’s eyes narrowed, and he reached for his sword, when he suddenly had a thought. He paused, before calling on his magic, looking at the group through different eyes. 

He scowled, blinking as he let his magic go. 

“Zelda!” He called. The group looked around wildly. “They’re safe. Not telling the truth, mind, but safe.” Out of the shadows behind him, Zelda appeared, putting her bow back in her new Purah pad and coming to a stop next to him. 

The entire group bowed, and Zelda rolled her eyes. 

“For the love of Nayru, I’m not a princess anymore!” Link grinned, before standing still and straight as a wooden board, moving a step behind and to the right of Zelda. His face went blank and he spoke in an emotionless voice.

“Yes, Princess.” Zelda made to smack him upside the head, but he ducked, laughing as he did. 

“You little shit!” Zelda said, also laughing. Link was about to remind her of the frog incident, when he remembered the group of goddess blessed people in front of their house. 

“Come on, we have guests,” he said. “Also, they owe us an explanation.” Zelda sighed, but followed him as they entered the house, the crowd of people parting in front of them. 

There wasn’t much room in their house at Lookout Landing, it was simple, one room with a large bed and a small kitchen, with some storage to the side, so Zelda awkwardly moved some wooden boxes over to make chairs and a table, while link pulled out some pumpkin soup from his pad. 

The strange group sat, eyeing their soup apprehensively. Eventually, the smell got to them, and the shortest one took a bite, instantly gobbling it up. Upon seeing this, the others began eating as well. 

Once everyone was done, link sat back. “So. Why were 8 goddess blessed people standing on our porch?” They blinked at him. 

“Goddess blessed?” One asked, clearly confused. Link sighed. 

“You know, blessed by a goddess? You all smell like summer sunshine and wildflowers, the smell of Hylia’s divinity. You all clearly have a connection to her, and I want to know what it is, and why you were looking for me.” The youngest, who was wearing a light blue shirt with a lobster on it, grinned.

“So you are the hero!” Link rolled his eyes. 

“Yes, I am. Can we get to the point?” A man with a weird cape thingy and a mint green tunic leaned forward. 

“I go by Sky, but my name is link. All of their names are also link. We are heroes of courage from across time, drawn together by Hylia to defeat some evil. You are the next to join us. Put your hand on the master sword and she will tell-“

“No,” link said simply. Sky blinked, and the one with pink hair spoke up. 

“You don’t get a choice. You think I wanted to go on my seventh adventure? Fuck no! The portal will appear and you will be forcefully pulled through if you don’t go in willingly.” Link stayed firm.

“No.” The eldest frowned.

“Like legend said, you don’t get a choice. It’s best to just accept that you’re going, and say your goodbyes.” Link shook his head. 

“No.”

“Well too bad because-“ Zelda stood up, knocking her crate over. Fury was clear on her face and venom in her words as she spoke, horns flickering in and out of existence on her head. 

“Link has given both life and limb for this land, and he will not give more. I have given body and soul, and I will not give more. Now get the fuck out of our house.” 

***

That night, both link and Zelda had the same dream. They were having tea with a young woman with long golden hair in a field full of wildflowers. 

Link sighed, setting his teacup down.

“We really can’t refuse, can we.” The woman shook her head. 

“I am dearly sorry, my hero, my daughter, but it is true. If you do not join, the monsters infected with gloom will continue to spread to other eras, corrupting them and their inhabitants.” The woman bowed her head. “Hero of Tears, I ask you once more, go forth, and bring peace to every Hyrule.” 

Link’s chin wobbled and he bit back tears, trying to put on a brave face. 

“I will,” he said as the dream faded.

***

When he woke up, he was cradling Zelda in his arms as she was holding him, both crying into the other’s chest. They stayed like that for a long while, until finally they ran out of tears to cry. 

They separated, the duo beginning to pack whatever supplies they could into link’s pad. They moved slowly, stalling, until they ran out of things to pack. They stood at the door, just hugging. 

A knock sounded in the door, and Zelda opened it on autopilot, staring blankly at the group from the night before. They hugged again. 

“Promise to comeback in one piece,” Zelda whispered. Link nodded. 

“Promise to not eat any rocks.” Zelda let out a choked laugh, tears spilling from her eyes as she hugged him tighter. 

Someone cleared their throat behind them, and they pulled apart, taking each other in, committing the other’s face to memory, before link turned and exited the house. 

A golden portal smelling of Hylia appeared, and link waked backwards into it, not breaking eye contact with Zelda as he disappeared. 

Chapter Text

When Link exited the portal, There were noises of throwing up and groaning all around him, but he simply stood numbly, not really taking in anything. He had just lost his sister and best friend, the only other one who knew what it was like to be displaced. 

He felt empty and hollowed out, like a rotting tree, dead on the inside but still standing. 

someone tapped him on the shoulder, startling him so badly he almost skewered them, blade stopping inches away from their chest. After a moment of awkwardness, the person told him something. Link nodded, not really knowing what he agreed to. 

The master sword was in front of him then. He reached for her out of habit, brushing her hilt, and a warm feeling spread throughout his body, filling his chest once more, if only for a moment. 

“I am truly sorry I could not serve you as I did the others. I have grown old and weary in your time, though, that is no excuse. I hope you have it in your heart to forgive me, Hero of Tears.” Link- or he supposed he was Tears now- nodded. 

‘It wasn’t your fault,’ he thought at her. The ‘it was mine’ was left unsaid. 

People talked to him, but he couldn’t hear anything, his brain was full of static, like the Purah pad’s map in a sandstorm, Blank and unhelpful. 

When the others started walking, so did he, trailing behind like a depressed ducking. None of his usual urges to explore and discover were present. What was the point if he had to do it alone, Like it was before? 

He had promised Zelda that they wouldn’t be separated again, and now here he was, breaking his promise. 

Somehow, that hurt the most of all. 

They eventually made camp, and Tears hoisted himself into a tree on autopilot. It’s what he always did when he needed to sleep on journeys, and the familiarity was comforting, even if the reason it was necessary was not. 

He wished that this was all a dream, and that he would wake up in bed with Zelda, and everything would be fine again. 

With that thought in mind, he drifted off into an uneasy sleep. 

***

Twilight frowned, staring at where their newest link- Tears- disappeared into the foliage. He honestly wasn’t sure what to make of him. At first he was evasive, then stubborn, then emotional, and now he was just… sad. Depressed, more accurately. 

Twilight wanted to help his new brother, but he wasn’t sure how. He hadn’t spoken a work since they left, and no one could get him to respond to anything.

And there was his hero title. Why in Hylia’s name was it ‘tears’? Not to mention the scars and the arm-

Suffice it to say, twilight was beyond concerned. Tears needed help, and he needed it fast. 

“Pup?” Twilight looked up, starring into Time’s face. “What’s in your mind?” Twilight sighed. 

“I’m worried about Tears. He clearly needs help, but I can’t give it until he tells me what’s wrong, except I can’t know what’s wrong until he tells me, which, by the look of things, won’t be until he gets help. He’s hurting and I feel helpless to do anything about it, and I hate it! But I can’t force him to do anything, that would make things worse.” His voice progressively grows louder and more emotional as he speaks. 

“I just… I don’t know what to do,” he finishes in a whisper. Time nods, sitting down on a log next to twilight. 

“Before I married Malon, I was the same way. I shut myself off from the world to protect myself from my own feelings. I couldn’t speak, couldn’t hear over the voices in my head.” Twilight frowned. Time was typically very tight lived about himself.

“And then I met malon, and everything changed. Suddenly I had a reason to speak, to listen, to learn. I wanted to connect with her, and so I started breaking down my walls. Everything was going well.” 

“Then, the first time I had to stay over in an inn since getting together, I had a relapse. I kept wondering if she was just a dream, or if I was still just a lonely little boy living in a nightmare.”

“Having someone to lift you out of the darkness is an excellent first step, But it can’t be the only step. As soon as the metaphorical rope holding you up breaks, as soon as the person leaves, you fall right back into the abyss.“

“Right now, Tears is in that darkness. I’ll bet his Zelda was the one holding him up, and now that she’s gone, he’s falling back down. What you need to do it help her hold him up, coax him to climb his way out.” 

“Thanks, Time,” twilight says after a moment of comfortable silence. “I’m not sure what I’ll do, but that really helped.” Time smiled. 

“If you’re going to call me ‘old man’ then I should at least be wise, shouldn’t I?” Twilight chuckled, before heading over to his bedroll to sleep. 

In the morning, he could plan, but right now he was exhausted.