Archive of Our Own

Lance watches them coming, dumbfounded as they approach him. 

His morning had been relatively calm. He had woken up, gone fishing with his dad and Marco, went to the market and bought a few Warm Saffarinas for Sylvio and Nadia, considering the nights were getting chilly in Lurellin Village and he didn’t want his nephews catching a cold, and it ended with patrolling the borders of the town for any Bokoblins that might’ve been lurking around.

That’s when he saw them. 

It was a group of three. There was an older man, frail and curved, and a bit too jittery to be walking around in the middle of East Necluda with no protection or armor around his body. Besides him, there was a Rito, a healthy young male, wings spotting black and white streaks over the feathers, with a chipped beak at the end, and a jagged scar running down his left eye. And their last member consisted of what seemed to be a Hylian.

He was shorter than Lance, by a few inches at least, with black unruly hair that pooled around his shoulders. The young man was wearing a bright blue tunic, hems decorated by a weird set of patterns Lance had never seen in his life. Even with all of his knowledge in ancient clothing and sewing, he had never seen anything like it. 

Lance keeps staring at the Hylian, watching how heavily equipped he was; a golden bow was stripped to his back, quill full with different kinds of arrows, and a satchel that seemed to be carrying all sorts of ingredients inside. He’s used to seeing travelers further inside the land, it was a mystery what they were doing so far into the coast. 

But the longer he kept staring, the longer he started to feel a sense of recognition. His eyes couldn’t look away from the Hylian, lingering on his pale face, how his hair moved and for some reason he looked oddly familiar. But from where? 

Lance sidesteps, his legs giving out for a second, making him yelp. Three pairs of eyes turn to him. 

He tries not to screech in embarrassment, quickly looking away as he regains his footing, cheeks dusting pink. Lance tries to distract himself by looking out into the sea, heart quickening as he wills his pulse to slow down. He breathes in and out, keeps looking out into the horizon, it was none of his business what these people were doing around the outskirts of the village. 

There’s a rustling of grass, sudden and brash and Lance turns, expecting a Slime or a Bokoblin to appear. Instead, he’s met with the Hylian sprinting down the hill in his direction. Lance blinks, barely registers the other two calling out to the young man, as he keeps running straight towards him. What was going on? 

For a moment, he’s tempted to take out his bow and arrow. Lance could easily shoot the patch of grass next to him, just a warning to slow down, he still had momentum, enough distance to force the other to take a step back. But the moment he even thinks about reaching out for his weapon, he feels a tug. 

Lance almost gasps at the force. He takes a breath and something is twisting at his insides, making him stop. The Hylian comes closer and Lance can faintly see the shade of his eyes, a mix of violet and deep indigo. There’s a sense of recognition, a familiarity that Lance can’t shake away. Something is tugging at him not to harm this man, telling him to let him approach. 

Almost as if Lance was greeting an old friend. 

But Lance has no recollection of him. He has never seen this man before in his life. 

So why do I feel like I’ve known him my whole life? 

The Hylian reaches the outcrop, stops a few meters away from Lance, panting and out of breath. Lance doesn’t move, hands still at his sides and it’s too late to reach for his bow. If it came down to it, he could always call to the Water, the jug at his hip still full and ready for any danger that might arise. But well, it wouldn’t help Lance’s case in keeping his powers hidden, now would it? 

“You…” The Hylian breaks the silence, voice low and rough. Lance’s fingers tingle, shiver running down his spine as those eyes keep looking at him. The Hylian’s gaze is unwavering, deep and heavy as he keeps staring at Lance, drinking him up. It was unnerving, but so comforting. “You’re here.”

Lance keeps staring, trying to make sense of the question. This man seemed to know him, and was talking as if they'd met before. He takes a breath, coughs out a weak mutter, “I am?” 

His nerves start acting up, making his hands tremble. Lance looks away, the sea breeze rustling his hair as he adds with a giddy laugh, “Was I supposed to be anywhere else?” 

The Hylian doesn’t say anything, eyes widening for a fraction and Lance gulps. Was it the wrong thing to say? He tugs at his long sleeve, tries to think of what else to say but nothing comes to mind. This is a confirmation that he has never met this man in his life before, hell Lance has hardly journeyed outside of the Faron region, there was no possibilities of them even crossing paths. 

“Ah, apologies youngling!” The older man comes forth, and Lance notices that he’s a Hylian as well. There’s a long mustache over his lips, streaks of white and orange adorning the edges of his mouth. “We didn’t mean to make a fuss. You just remind us of a very dear friend.”

Lance nods, tries to quell his nerves as he says, “It’s all right. We’re not used to many visitors this time around. With the Blood Moon coming up, we’ve been having a lot of Bokoblins sightings around the coast. It’s a bit dangerous to travel all the way down here.”

“Indeed, we’ve endured a long journey,” The Rito speaks up and Lance can hardly remember when was the last time he saw one of his species. Lance watches as he places one of his wings over the young Hylian’s shoulders, as if offering support. He doesn’t think much of it until the Rito's eyes soften a tad bit when he looks back at Lance. “We’ve come a long way from Rito Village.” 

“That far?!” Lance cries, aghast at just the implications, “It must’ve taken you weeks. How rude of me, do you need to rest, eat something? I can-” 

“How kind of you my boy!” The older man gives out a hearty laugh, easing some of Lance’s nerves. He smiles in response as the older man continues, “On another occasion we would’ve graciously accepted these kind offerings, but we’re on a tight deadline over here. We’re looking for a fellow Hylian residing in this village, think you could help us?”

“Of course,” He nods, “I know everyone around here, who are you looking for?”

The man sighs, exchanging a quick look with both the Hylian and the Rito and Lance catches onto the glances. There’s something they’re not telling him. He stays in his spot, but quickly looks back at the Village. Most of the townsfolk have already gone out to fish for the day, if needed the only people left around town would be Luis and Rachel. So not a lot of people who can fight if necessary.

“That’s the tricky part, we don’t know his name,” The Hylian finally says, “But we’ve heard tales about him.” 

Lance frowns. “What do you mean?”

“Stories about magic,” The man answers, awe dripping from his voice. He coughs for a moment, entire body shaking as he takes a step forward and spreads out his wrinkly hands towards Lance. His eyes gaze towards the attire, the softness of the fabric and Lance realizes that this is no flimsy clothing. It had the markings of the royal family, the deep rich blue etched in the corners as the symbol of the Triforce glinted right in the center of the man’s vest. Who were these people?

“There’s a story…about a boy who can control the water.” 

Lance’s heart stops. 

“We’ve heard that this child,” The older man keeps looking at him, motioning around with his hands towards the stretching sea before them, “stopped a hurricane from ravaging this whole town. Without any weapons, just his two hands and a small canoe. He was one with the sea, commanding the waves at his will until the storm passed.”

They’re looking for me.

He quells down the panic, the twitching of his hands as he tries to think of anything. Lance is racing, trying to come up with a lie, with anything to cover up the story, but the question keeps popping up: How do they know? 

Lance takes a deep breath and he feels the young Hylian’s eyes straight on him.

“We believe he’s a distant descendant from the Zora Royal Family,” The man shrugs, “It happens, the bloodlines get mixed up somewhere along the way and one ends up with powers unbeknown to them. And we believe this young man can help us in our quest.” 

“Quest?” Lance gets out, shaking his head and adding, “You must’ve heard wrong, there’s no one here who controls the water. You should go to the Zoras if you’re looking for a descendant, Lurelin has nothing to do with them.”

He turns and the younger Hylian is still looking at him, mouth set on a thin line. He must know that Lance is bluffing. But Lance has kept this secret for his entire life, hidden away from most of the townspeople at Lurelin, only letting his family know. His grandmother made him swear he would be careful, wouldn’t stray too far away from the village and never show his power to strangers. And Lance has done just that. 

But apparently it wasn’t enough. 

“I’m sorry but it seems you’re wasting your time here,” He says, shooing them away with his hand, already taking a few steps back, “It’s best if you leave before sundown, the Bokoblins won’t get to you if you take the road to Lakeside Stable, you’ll be okay there.” 

“You’re deflecting.” 

The young Hylian speaks up again. Lance blinks, and then anger overtakes him. 

“I am not!” He bristles, turning to face him head on, “I’m telling you what I know and there’s no one here that does that!” 

“We know there is,” The man insists, walking forwards, shortening the distance between him and Lance. It’s involuntary, but Lance takes a step back, trying to think of how to get away from these people. The Hylian obviously notices and his mouth turns up in a scowl, “We’re not going to hurt you.”

“How do I know that?” Lance asks, “I don’t even know you! Hell, you could be members of the Yiga Clan for all I know!” 

“Lean-” The man stops himself, biting down the word and Lance’s frown deepens. They keep staring at each other, neither one moving an inch. 

Lance hears the waves below, could probably jump off the small hill and land safely into the beach without too much trouble, but well to soften the blow he would probably have to call to his powers. So it left him with almost no options. He gives a tiny glance to the ledge. It was just a few feet away. 

“Don’t think about jumping.”

Lance gapes, scoffs at the implications and is this dude reading his mind now?! “I-I’m not gonna do that!”

“You’re one foot in the water.” 

“Hah?!” Lance exclaims, now fully looking back towards the cliff. Two steps and he can jump. “What if I am?! What’s it to you, mullet?!”

The Hylian’s face fully morphs, shock and annoyance as he growls, “For the millionth time, it’s not a mullet!”

“Hylia help me,” The Rito mutters under his breath and Lance is just about done with these people. He takes a step, makes the Hylian’s eyes zero into the action. He also takes a step and Lance knows it’s now or never. 

“Don’t you dare!”

“Leave me alone!” Lance yells and dashes towards the edge. He sees the outcrop of the beach, can see the sand below, and with another single step he could easily jump off and land safely into the water. His mouth breaks into the smile before he’s being smothered to the ground. 

He falls with a thud, the ground cushioning his fall and Lance groans against the grass. He pushes himself on his elbows and there’s a heavy weight settled on his back. He heaves, tries to crawl over but the man on top of him, grabs his arm. 

“Oh Hylia!” Lance coughs, struggles on the grass, snatching his arms away, “You’re heavy!” 

“Don’t jump!”

“I do what I want!” His scream veers off into the ocean. He yanks at the grass, legs kicking at the ground, but the Hylian stays rooted on top of him, not even moving an inch. Lance yells, arms trying to push himself but the Hylian quickly manages to turn him face up and pin his wrists over his head. Lance’s hips buckles, tries to throw the man off balance but it doesn’t work. “Help! Someone help me! I’m being kidnapped!”

“I’m not kidnapping you!” The Hylian hisses, giving his wrists a squeeze. Lance only screams harder, legs kicking at the ground. 

His lungs ache for breath, scream after scream leaves his throat, and of course no one in town hears him. Lance keeps trashing, knocking his head back as he struggles to get off the Hylians’s grip but to no avail. His stamina is running low now and Lance fears no one might come to his rescue at this point with most of the people still fishing past noon.

“Stop it,” The Hylian says, sitting right over Lance’s chest and easily pinning him down, “Calm down, we’re not going to hurt you.”

“Don’t you dare tell me to calm down!” Lance shrieks, limbs growing tired as he tries over and over again. God, why was this happening to him?! “You’re insufferable! You’re the worst Keith!”

There’s a beat. 

Lance blinks, swallows down his next scream as he slowly registers the words he just uttered. Keith? He gulps, racks his mind for an answer, but nothing pops up. He stops struggling, body growing lax as he takes in a breath, still processing.

How does he know that name?

The grip on his wrists loosen. Lance looks up, sees the Hylian on top of him leaning back. Surprise is written all over his face, eyes wide and mouth open. Was that really his name? Keith? They keep staring at each other, neither one of them daring to say anything until Lance notices the faintest trace of a smile on his lips, barely visible to the normal eye, but Lance catches it anyway. 

His heart skips. 

Lance takes his chance. In one swift motion he pushes the man away, successfully getting out of his grip and crawling a few feet away. The Hylian is still in trance, not really registering the change in positions as he keeps staring at Lance. 

“W-Who are you?” Lance stutters, hugging himself as the edge of the cliff is mere centimeters away. 

“My apologies youngling, we never properly introduced ourselves,” The older man interrupts with a heart laugh. Lance turns to him as the man gives a courteous bow, body folding in half as he says, “My name is Coran de Altea, counselor of the Princess of Hyrule and Leader of Kakariko Village. My companion here is Takashi Shirogane, leader of the Rito Tribe, and…”

The man named Coran signals to the young Hylian. He in turn stands up, dusting himself off from the ground. He keeps staring at Lance, violet eyes dancing over his face and Lance doesn’t know what to do with all of the attention. 

Slowly, he offers his hand. 

Lance looks down at it. The first thing he notices are the callouses. His fingers are rough and grainy, nails trimmed down and unkept in the worst way possible. He’s wearing leather gloves, worn out by the hems and Lance assumes he must be good with a sword. 

Without a word, he takes his hand. 

Instantly he feels the tug. Lance swallows his shriek, feels himself stand up in a swift motion as the Hylian helps him stand. It’s weird now, having him this close, but Lance doesn’t exactly pull away. 

“I’m Keith.” The Hylian says, “Keith Kogane.” 

Something stirs in his mind. Lance frowns, keeps looking at him and there’s a weird sense of familiarity. So his name was really Keith. But why did Lance know it? He keeps thinking and thinking, but the longer he looks at Keith, the longer an ache starts spreading over his chest. It starts off as a pang on the left side, as if his heart was being pinched the longer he looked at him. And as the minutes pass, Lance can’t even start to comprehend it. 

What was going on? 

“Keith?” Lance repeats, senses that familiarity as the name leaves his lips again. The Hylian, or in this case, Keith, perks up, gives their joined hands a slight squeeze and maybe they did know each other. But if they did, Lance knows he never would’ve forgotten someone like him. 

“The Champion of Hyrule.” Coran finishes and Lance feels the click. 

The voice of his grandma appears in his memories, weaving tales of old myths about Hyrule before the Calamity struck. Stories passed from generations to generations of peaceful and prosperous times, when Princess Allura was the next in line to become Queen. How four Champions of the different tribes were appointed to her alongside a Champion, tasked to be her personal knight. 

It was a story of a lonesome farm boy, rising above the horde of soldiers, striking them all down with ease. How he was the only one capable of wielding the Master Sword, the mythical weapon destined to end all sorts of disgraces in the world. How the boy, merely a sixteen year old, carried with all of that weight and endured it all next to Princess Allura when everything fell apart. 

Lance remembers how his grandma always skipped the part of the Guardians, the machines that suddenly turned sides and wiped everyone in Hyrule Castle with their beams. He never heard those tales from her mouth, he had to dig his way through old journals and encyclopedias, discovering the truth about what happened 100 years ago. How the princess vanished and her knight ceased to exist. How their world turned to chaos after that. 

There were no paintings of these figures, Lance only saw loose sketches and descriptions, each of them different from the other. The only constant was a pair of striking violet eyes adorning the knight’s face. 

“No way,” Lance shakes his head, snatching his hand away from Keith’s. These people were mad, playing tricks with him, “You’re not him.” 

Keith lets him go, eyes stormy as he keeps looking at Lance. He flexes his hand at his side, breathing uneven as he keeps his mouth shut. Lance waits for him to say something, anything, but only the wind howls between them. 

“He is,” Takashi pipes up. Lance turns to him, sees that he has his wing raised up, “I’ve been alive before the Calamity passed. He came to our Village with Princess Allura to meet with the Rito Champion.” 

“What?” He bites out, “T-That was real?”

Lance looks between the two of them, trying to process the information, piece by piece. Ritos usually live between 50 to past 100 years, so Takashi could’ve been a child when it all happened. Lance sees the Rito nod, almost as if confirming his very thought and then turns to Keith. 

He takes a breath, mind whirring with the old stories, now fully understanding what happened, how the world came to be. If this Keith was truly the Keith Kogane, the Champion of Hyrule and the appointed knight to Princess Allura from 100 years ago, how was he alive? 

“H-How?”

Keith doesn’t say anything for a moment. He sighs, looks away from Lance as he says, “I was sealed inside the Shrine of Restoration. I don’t remember how I got there, but we assume it was Princess Allura’s doing. I was put in a suspended animation where my injuries healed and I stayed there since then.”

Lance can’t bring himself to say anything, not even comprehending how that would even work, but Keith’s steady voice makes him want to believe.

“I woke up a few months ago…” Keith continues, “I heard Allura’s voice calling for help and when I left the Shrine I met up with Coran. From there we set out to visit the Rito Village.” 

Lance nods and before he can even ask the question, Coran continues, “We’re looking for Princess Allura.” 

The word turns over in his head. Lance’s eyes widen and then he looks at the three of them, all perfectly serious with the response. Lance believes he’s about to lose his mind. 

Hylia, help me.

“The princess?” Lance asks, aghast and unable to comprehend anything. If he hardly believed Keith Kogane was a real thing, how was this compared to Princess Allura the next Queen of Altea?! “You’re looking for the Princess of Hyrule from 100 years ago?!”

No one responds. 

“Are you mad?!” Lance exclaims, “What makes you think she’s still alive?! No offense, but buddy if you’re the real deal, then you’re more than 100 years old! She’s probably already gone!”

“Maybe,” Keith nods, gulping as he continues, “But the Calamity is still here, trapped inside the castle. If Allura was really gone, then Hyrule would’ve been destroyed long ago. She’s the only one keeping it at bay and I have to find a way to help her.”

A pause stretches between them. Lance turns to look at Coran and Shiro, the two of them entirely sure of what Keith was saying. How was this possible? Those stories and myths slowly come back to life before his very eyes. 

“So…” He says, voice wavering, “if what you’re saying is true…you’re going to fight the Calamity?”

“Yes.” 

And Keith says it without an ounce of a doubt. It’s devoted, honest and completely true, as if he was stating a fact and not a mere hypothesis. Lance turns to him, mouth agape and his mind can’t even begin to comprehend what was unfolding right before his eyes. 

“Y-You’re going to die,” Lance argues, because it is the only response he can come up with. Many had dared to face the Calamity, years and years have passed since that and there’s a reason why Hyrule Castle is off limits for everyone. To just declare you’re going to fight it, and even more to think you even have a chance at winning, Lance thinks they must be mad. 

“I committed to that risk a long time ago,” Keith reasons, eyes steady and resolute. There’s not an ounce of fear or hesitation in him. Lance looks into his eyes and for a moment he really believes he’s the Keith from the stories. “When I accepted the role as Allura's Appointed Knight, I knew of it. Wouldn’t you do the same for the one you care about?”

Lance’s face flushes at the words, heart stuttering for a single moment before he turns away. 

He looks at the water, hears the waves crashing on the shore and thinks back on that day. The hurricane came out of nowhere, it had started off as a light rain then continued to develop into a storm as the minutes passed. His family and the neighbours all ran for shelter into the city center, palms and houses falling as the waves crashed into the wood. 

Lance remembers the tremor in his hands, how his fingers shook when they couldn’t find his dad and Marco, when they heard they were still out at sea, looking for more Mighty Porgy and crabs to sell on the market the next day. Lance didn’t think twice, he simply ran out of the shelter, Vero crying out his name as the rain pelted his skin. 

The canoe was just floating there, not even properly hoisted into a mast and Lance jumped into the raft and simply flickered his hands and the water took him. The wood creaked under his feet, the waves trying to unbalance him as he pushed deeper into the sea, his hands controlling the currents to take him deeper and deeper, into the eye of the storm. 

He had promised his grandma he would never show his powers to anyone, that he would keep them hidden, to never be seen in the light of day. And he kept his promise after she passed, for 12 years he never uttered a single word on how he was so fast at swimming, how he managed to catch so many fish in one sitting, how Nadia and Sylvio never drowned when they were out at sea. 

Until that day. 

He believed no one in the village knew it was him, only his dad and Marco had found him afterward, shaking after the storm had passed. He was soaked to the bone, arms dead tired but still standing. He had to explain, and tried to reassure them that this was a normal occurrence. And of course they told his mom. And his mom told his sisters. 

Someone else must’ve known.

“And how are you going to take it down?” 

“We need to deactivate the Divine Beasts first,” Shiro intervenes, stepping closer as his wings motion towards Keith, “Rito Village had been plagued by an eternal winter and Keith helped in turning it back to normal. The Divine Beast Vah Medoh was being controlled by a monster sent by the Calamity, and it trapped us in that hellish climate for years. After Keith defeated it, everything went back to the way it was and a beam,” Shiro points now to the sky, “is now connected from the Beast towards Hyrule Castle. We believe if he deactivates the rest of them, they will help when he faces the Calamity.” 

Lance has only seen the drawings, the ancient designs of the Divine Beasts, the mighty machine that were promised to protect Hyrule, to keep it safe. He has never seen one in real life before, he can hardly imagine entering one and exploring the whole thing. 

“Now, Keith’s traveling up to the Zora’s Domain in hopes to infiltrate the Divine Beast Vah Ruta,” Coran continues with a light cough. He steps forward and says, “It is believed to be underwater, not even the Royal Zora Family has seen it in years. Hence why we’re looking for that special young man.” 

“It’s not-” Lance growls, “For the last time, he doesn’t exist!”

“What do I have to do to get you to admit it?” Keith bites out, stomping closer towards him and Lance doesn’t back down. They stand closer now and Lance can see that he’s just a few inches taller than him, can see the paleness in his skin, how gaunt he looks around his eyes and something twists in his gut. 

“Admit what exactly?” Lance seethes, pulling on a brave façade even though his nerves are betraying him. They know it’s him, they wouldn’t have told him all of this if they didn’t believe it was Lance. Hylia, what is he going to do?

Keith glares, mouth turning up into a scowl but he doesn’t say anything. Lance pulse drums, feels the tension in the air rise as they keep looking at each other. He knows what he must do, keep playing the fool, lay low and stay in his town, keep protecting the border for every Blood Moon and lure out any monsters that come his way. 

He can’t help them.

“I have a long day ahead of me,” Lance mutters, stepping back and fully turning back to the town. He’s not going, not even going to entertain the thought of what if. He made a promise to his grandmother and the less people know, the better. “If you want to keep asking around town, be my guest.”

A hand grabs his wrist and Lance jolts. 

Electricity runs up his limbs and churns his insides. Lance turns instantly and sees Keith’s hand wrapped over his wrist, covering up the entirety of it. He tries not to gasp, sees how they’re connected and then feels the way Keith’s hand gives him a light squeeze. For a second he can sense the callouses in Keith’s fingers, the coldness of the leather gloves as they stay connected. 

Lance doesn’t know what to say, so he only looks at Keith. 

There’s that determination again, that endless devotion flashing through his eyes and Lance is floored. He gulps, a flush creeping up his neck and he’s embarrassed all of a sudden at the intensity in his gaze. Keith keeps looking, never straying away as if trying to convince Lance with only his eyes. 

“A competition.” 

Lance blinks, floats out of his state of mind as Keith lets go. He has to open his mouth once, twice, before the words come out, “W-What?” 

“To show off our abilities,” Keith says, plain and simple. Lance blinks and honestly has this guy gone mad while he was sleeping? And as if on cue, Keith adds, “Or are you not confident to compete against a 100 year old?” 

Lance scoffs, “You wish buddy. I’m not competing against you on anything.”

“Too scared?” Keith’s mouth tugs up in a smirk that makes Lance’s blood boil. He recoils, another scoff falling from his lips as he side eyes the supposedly Champion of Hyrule. This guy just strides onto his village, demanding answers and everything, and now he just wants to humiliate Lance for the gist of it?

“In your dreams.” 

“Then there’s no reason for you to decline,” Keith continues, shrugging his shoulders as if it was nothing. This was a terrible idea if Lance ever heard one. He rolls his eyes, and Hylia, he knows he’s competitive but there’s no way he’s even considering this. “We can decide who’s the best.”

Lance frowns, “That’s a little dumb don’t you think?” And then after a sigh he’s inclined to ask, “What’s in it for me?” 

Keith’s smirk turns up even further, already triumphant. 

“If you win, we’ll leave you alone.”

Shiro sharply turns to Keith, eyes close to bulging out. Coran on the other hand, starts laughing, a deep rumble from his chest as he chortles over Keith’s words. Lance looks between the three and honestly this was a bad idea from the start.

“That’s it? I win and you leave?” Lance shakes his head, “What about your plan to bring the princess back?”

“I’ll find a way around it,” Keith shrugs as if it wasn’t an issue at all. His attitude is pissing the fuck out of Lance, all suave and knowing, makes him want to punch him in the face. “But if I win, you have to come with us.” 

Lance knew it and it still catches him by surprise. He sighs, shakes his head and says, “That’s a bit unbalanced don’t you think? I win, you leave me alone and you win and I have to take this journey with you? Are you insane?” 

“Already thinking you’re going to lose?” 

Lance bristles, “Fuck off, as if you’re so good hot-shot.” 

“I know what I can do.” And Lance has to catalogue as Keith’s smirk being the most insufferable thing in all of Hyrule. Fuck this guy and his whole plan, there’s no way he backing down from this, someone has to knock him down a peg or two. “So, what will you choose?”

He takes a breath and then deeply apologizes to his grandma in his head. If this is really the supposedly Champion of Hyrule, the all mighty chosen by the gods to protect Princess Allura and whatnot, Lance needs to humiliate him a little bit, just a few jostles until his ego runs down. 

Sorry meemaw

“What’s the plan?”

A flash of white catches his eye and Lance sees as Keith’s fang makes an appearance, flashing as his grin ever so widens. He’s so fucking screwed. 

“Three rounds. We pick the challenges” Keith says, “Pick the first.”

“Any type of challenge?” Lance asks and Keith nods. He doesn’t even have to think about it as he says, “Archery.”

It is then that Keith’s effusiveness dims for a brief moment. Lance catches onto it, sees the way his lips tugs down a tad and his eyes linger over Lance’s face. It’s weird, almost nostalgic, the way Keith keeps looking at him, the way their interactions keep going. Almost as if Keith somehow knew what he was going to say. 

“I choose horseback riding.” 

Lance blinks and for the love of Hylia-

“How is that a challenge?” Keith rolls his eyes and Lance’s voice turns up an octave, “The horses are the ones competing not us!” 

“Any type of challenge, remember?”

“You-” Forget everything he said, Keith is being back to a miserable asshole. Lance can’t wait to start and drag his ass in the mud. “What’s the third challenge then? Going fishing?!”

“A duel,” Shiro interrupts them, already looking defeated as Coran simply hums a soft melody beside him, “If you both tie in the other two challenges, we’ll have a duel.” 

Lance is a fairly good dueler, maybe the best in town when it comes to long distance and drawn out battles. He sucks in close combat, his nerves always getting the best of him whenever an enemy jumps too close into his space. Either way, Lance is confident in his skills, he should be able to win this.

But then again, if Keith is really who he says he is, Lance wonders about his chances.

“All right mullet-head,” Lance is the one smirking now. He’s gonna end this silly little charade in the first two competitions and then head home to forget all about these weird made-up stories. “You’re on.”

Keith’s mouth curves up again, fire dancing in his eyes.

“I didn’t get your name,” Keith says, holding out his hand to Lance. 

He stops for a second, looking down at Keith’s gloves and wonders about that weird jolt he felt when they touched. It was probably nothing, just a weird sensation all in all. Lance nonetheless, takes Keith’s hand and shakes it. There’s no jolt this time.

“It’s Lance,” He smirks, “Lance McClain.”

He really should’ve slept in.

Lance was panting, chest heaving in after he blocked another heavy blow from Keith. For being 100 years old, Keith was in top shape, heck in his prime. He was miles better than Lance, that was a fact, maybe even better than all of the teachers in the village. Keith could easily duel them all and win. 

Sweat clung to him like a second skin. Lance rights himself up again, his white tunic painted to his back, body aching everywhere. His thighs were close to shaking, who knows how long they’ve been at it at this point, Lance can still see the sun in the horizon, slowly descending over the ocean with every beat that passes. If they continue like this, it’s going to be sundown soon.

“We can stop if you forfeit,” Keith calls from the other side. They had moved to a secluded area of the beach to finish their little silly trials, away from any watchful eyes from the townspeople. The sand was heavy, always a hassle if you had to fight in it, but Lance was born here, it was like his second nature. And yet, Keith had the upper hand.

“And let you win?! Fat chance!” Lance calls out, “This is just my warm up!”

Lance had won the archery contest without a hitch. He knew he had it in the bag from the beginning, he wasn’t the town’s marksman for nothing. He had hit all 5 targets dead in the center, no matter the distance and no matter the height of the object. Lance had grown up like this, easily slinging his bow and releasing the arrow without hesitation. 

Keith was a good shot, Lance knew he was experienced in using the bow. He had hit all them as well, but always away from the mark, the arrow etched too carelessly and too rushed. Lance figured Keith was used to using the bow in a more urgent manner, not so precise and calculated. Hence, Lance was declared the victor. 

As for their second challenge, horseback riding was never Lance’s forte. He was well acquainted with the horses, but commanding them to go faster or forcing them to gallop always made his heart crumble. He would much rather give them apples and brush their hair endlessly, only riding them when it was extremely necessary. He simply let the horse do as he pleased during the challenge, going with the flow and miserably executing the track. 

Keith was, much to Lance’s dismay, one with the horse. He had adapted quickly, easily sliding into the saddle and guiding the horse with an efficient voice. They had galloped across the small circuit they had limited for the challenge, both of them flawless as the horse jumped over a small crevice Lance couldn’t even pass through. Keith had completed it all in 25 seconds tops. Lance took around 2 minutes. 

And of course, since they were tied, that meant they had to duel. 

Keith dashes forward, his image a mere blur as he heaves his sword upward, a clean arch aiming straight for Lance’s hands. He barely has time to step away, rolling onto the warm sand and gripping the handle for dear life. Lance twists, body heavy and barely reacting as he jumps up, facing Keith, swords clashing instantly. The force almost makes him tumble. 

“Tired?” Keith taunts, pressing his entire weight on the blade. Lance’s knees are starting to buckle. 

“In your dreams!” 

Lance manages to push him off, blocking the sword and twisting away from Keith’s personal space. He has to create distance between them, enough for Lance to catch his breath. His lungs scream for oxygen, chest rising and falling quickly as his mind races for a strategy. Lance doesn’t know how he’s going to win this, even less how he’s going to last another minute with this type of fighting. 

Keith is on the other side, lips tugged upwards and hands twirling the sword in his hand. It almost seemed as if he was letting Lance catch a breath, letting him get his energy back, before charging again. Hylia it makes his blood boil, the suave confidence, but Lance is so fucking tired, he can’t even roll his eyes at the display. 

“Y-You’re cheating,” Lance points his sword at him, arms aching, “You’re not fighting as someone who’s supposed to be 100 years old.” 

“Then you definitely wouldn’t have lasted when I was in top shape.”

Lance bristles, obviously, and even more so at the smile Keith sends his way. Taunting and so cheeky that it feels as if he’s sharing a secret with Lance. 

What has he gotten himself into?

Gasping, Lance lunges, sprinting across the sand as he raises his sword, ready to disarm Keith. It’s blocked easily, making Lance’s arms tremble at the force, the tension traveling all the way up to his shoulders and making him wince. Lance steps back, blocking Keith’s sword with another heavy breath. 

“Better stop before you hurt yourself.” 

There’s a slow drawl to Keith’s voice, a faint accent just at the last syllable that makes Lance’s head flicker with recognition. He blinks, tries to refocus as Keith steps back, eyeing him with a waited breath. The words ring in his mind again, almost as if he had heard that same line before. Lance frowns, his mind searching for the memory, but how could there be when this was his first time meeting Keith?

Focus.

Lance shoves it into the back of his mind and he’s done playing this stupid thing. He dashes towards Keith, quickly parrying Keith’s cut and in a mere second he sees a small gap. If he thrusts the sword upwards, he might be able to grace his cheek, enough to get him to back down and lose the duel all together. Lance can’t waste this opportunity. 

He doesn’t think twice. His hand moves on its own accord, stepping forward and jamming the sword with all of his strength through that small crevice. Lance pulls all of his weight into that jab, feeling his own body tipping forward. For a second, he believes he has won, sees the way Keith’s eyes widen, mouth opening as Lance’s blade catches his attention.

But then Lance feels the sand on his back. 

The impact doesn’t register in his mind at first. Lance sees the endless blue of the sky, a few clouds and then the pain spreads all over his back. His head is spinning, eyes going out of orbit as he finally sees a sea of raven black hair looming. As a matter of fact, there’s a body pinning him to the beach and a sword buried next to his head. 

Keith is on top of him, one hand clutching the front of his shirt and the other jabbing the sword into the ground. What the fuck just happened?

“That was impressive,” Keith says, a single bead of sweat scurrying down his forehead. Lance was still reeling on the last five seconds of their interaction. A moment before he was close to winning and now Keith had him pinned down. What? “But you misjudged your window. It gave me enough time to duck and then shove my body against yours.” 

“Eh?!” Lance exclaims, eyes wide and Keith smirks. 

“I win.” 

There’s a tenderness in his eyes that makes Lance pause. Keith looks smug, too proud of himself, but at the same time, there’s a twinge of melancholy in there. Lance can’t place it quite right, doesn’t even know what to do with it until he sees Keith’s eyes linger on his face. A tingle spreads over his chest and Lance knows this feeling all too well. 

“Get off!”

Lance pushes him back to the sand, scrambling back as his heart thunders. What was wrong with him, he was getting way too into his head with this. He must look like a mess, hair disheveled and curls twisted between twigs and sand particles. He needs a shower asap before the rest of his family finds him like this. His entire body strains when Lance tries to stand, thighs aching as he manages to right himself up as Keith is still kneeling on the beach, eyes locked onto him. 

“I’m still not going with you!”

Keith sighs, rolls his eyes, almost as if it was a common occurrence, “I should’ve known you’d react like this.”

“If you’re the Champion of Hyrule, then of course you’d have an advantage over me!” Lance bellows, “And besides, am I supposed to just leave everything behind and accompany you?! You’re walking into certain death! I’m not going!” 

Keith licks his lips, doesn’t say anything as he stands. Shiro and Coran finally walk over to them, faces a bit grim as they look between each other. Neither say anything as Keith dusts off the sand, face unreadable as Lance crosses his arms over his chest. 

Even if what they’re saying is true, even if they do find a way to defeat the Calamity, to bring peace back to Hyrule and restore the land as how it was before, what could Lance do? His whole purpose was to stay in Lurelin Village, protect his family and keep his secret, nothing else. He can’t go risking his life for someone he just met. 

The sea breeze tickles Lance’s cheeks, makes him shiver as he continues to look at Keith and finally he looks back. His eyes now take on a purple hue, almost violet, as the light reflects on the iris. And in this moment, Lance can see the resemblance, can see the clear distinction that Keith is the splitting image of the one he had seen all those years ago in that book. 

“You’re right,” Keith says, “I can’t force you if you don’t want to come. Everyone is trying to do their part in defeating the Calamity, but it is my responsibility as Allura’s Knight, and as her Champion to make sure it is done. No matter if it costs me my life.

“I can’t ask more of you or any of the Hylians to help. You’ve already suffered enough in my absence, it is my turn now to make sure I fulfill my duty. It is mine and mine alone.” 

It’s like a stone sinking in Lance’s stomach. The hollowness that leaves behind, makes his chest ache, it makes Lance gulp over the knot in his throat. He blinks away the mistiness in his eyes, and a part of him understands what Keith is saying, what he is implying, and another part of Lance really wishes that he could help him. In any way, but not like this. 

Lance breathes, tries to make his voice work when there’s a slight flicker. 

It comes in a flash. It’s fuzzy around the edges, a bit blurry everywhere, but Lance can distinguish the center of whatever his mind is showing him. It’s Keith’s face, almost as if Lance was looking at him from the side. He’s wearing a different clothing, more polished and refined suit, a beautiful ivory hem peeking from the necktie and his hair is shorter. There’s a pool of starlight beside him, a girl with beautiful brown skin and an elegant blue dress. They’re not in Lurelin, a structure of concrete and cement envelops them and Lance has never seen this place, has never been outside of his own village. 

And as quickly as it comes, it vanishes. 

“We won’t take more of your time,” Keith’s voice pulls him out. Lance takes a step back, tries not to gasp as Keith’s face appears before him again. He can’t say anything, mouth unable to work as Keith adds a quiet, “...Goodbye Lance.”

Keith turns away, not looking back once as he makes the trek back up the slope leading out Lurelin Village. Shiro sends Lance another look, clearly holding himself back before simply giving him a quick bow and joining Keith back up. Coran on the other hand keeps smiling, humming to himself as he approaches Lance and gives him a nice tap to the side of his arm. 

“It’s all right son,” His voice is gentle and warm, “Your secret is still safe with us.” 

Lance’s eyes water as he only nods back. Coran smiles once more before heading in the same direction as his comrades. He watches them go from afar, sees as they are reduced to mere specs and soon after they’re entirely gone from Lurelin Village. The moon is out and the breeze is turning colder. Lance can hear the townspeople returning to their homes, bringing the collection of fish and crabs they’ve found out in the ocean. 

Somehow he drags himself back home, body aching and mind a muddled mess. His mother had almost forced him to take a bath outside with how filthy he looked but one mere look into his eyes made her stop. After that no one bothered him for the rest of the day. 

Lance tried sleeping, twisting and turning in his bed before finally giving up and going out into the porch, looking out into the endless sea and admiring the moonlight. It comes naturally, the slow flick of his wrist. Instantly the water moves, creating a small current that heads out into the sea. Lance does it again and then there’s a bigger wave, the noise blocking out all of the jumbled thoughts in his head. 

“Lance?” His mom calls out from the door, “Is something wrong dear?”

He doesn’t even know how to answer that. 

“Mom…” Lance mutters, “I don’t know what to do.” 

Keith slashes at another bush, pushing the wet weeds as he makes his way through Inogo Bridge. 

Yesterday had been a fiasco, a whole disaster if he said so himself. The Gods were playing with him, punishing him for falling asleep and leaving his duty to protect Hyrule to Allura. There was no other explanation for such a blatant move. 

Shiro had tried talking to him after they reached Hateno Village, convincing him to go as his companion to meet Queen Acxa of the Zora’s. Keith had declined, obviously, there was no point in making him come all the way up to the Zora’s Domain and play sitting ducks with Keith. He would find a way to get into the Divine Beast one way or another. 

“How do you know it was him?” Shiro had asked before Keith left, “Maybe there was another villager, we can go back and ask.”

It made him stop, a knot sitting heavily on his throat as he mulled over the answer. 

“It’s a hunch,” Keith had said, eyes glued to the dirty road ahead, the image of Lance replaying in his mind for the thousandth time that day, “The Gods wouldn’t taunt me like this if it weren’t him.”

And the rain was only making things worse. 

Keith stomps through the mud, follows the stream of the river and instantly catches onto the movement in the water. He barely has time to duck before a boulder is projected right towards him, destroying as it hits the cliff beside him. An Octorock peeks his head out before diving back into the murky water, leaving Keith growling. 

“Coward.” He bites out. If it weren’t raining he would easily climb over the cliffs and get to the palace, but his gear isn’t suited enough for the heavy rainfall. Keith bites another growl as the same Octorock shoots another boulder and before the monster hides back into the water, he etches an arrow to his bow and shoots, instantly killing him. 

He huffs, pushing his messy hair away as he stands. He’s soaked to the bone, body chilled with the water that’s still coming down and yet his mind keeps racing. With every moment that passes, every second that ticks by, the longer Allura fights to keep the Calamity in control. Keith can’t waste his time with mindless stuff, he needs to deactivate the Divine Beasts as soon as possible and get this over with. 

His eyes scan the horizon, more and more rain continues to pour but he can already hear a couple of Lizalfos further ahead. Keith curses under his breath, already taking out a Shock arrow from his quilt before he hears another ripple in the water. 

Another Octorock jumps out of the water, mouth already powering up and aiming right for his head. Keith doesn’t think and points his bow right at his bulbous head, ready to let the arrow fly and hit its mark when the river comes alive. 

A big wave comes over, rises out of nowhere and drowns the Octorock in mere seconds. Keith is left standing there, looking at the place where the enemy once stood as the wave simply reincorporates the lake, leaving behind only small ripples on the surface. Keith keeps looking at it, and sees the Octorock’s leaves at the top of its head float into the water before disappearing into a purple mist.  

He lowers his bow and then his ears catch onto faint footsteps. 

Keith turns, raises his bow again and then a yelp. 

“It’s me!” 

Leandro, no, Lance was standing a few feet away from him, hands up in surrender completely untouched from the rain. It is then that Keith notices a sort of force field over Lance’s head, the water droplets not even touching his skin. The longer he looks, the longer he starts to see how Lance’s fingers are moving, making delicate patterns and then it all clicks in his mind. 

I just wished I had something special, y’know? Leandro’s voice comes to his mind, eyes soft and misty as they sat on top of one of the castle’s towers, overlooking the Romani Plains and the sun setting just behind them. Keith couldn’t come up with what to say, to think on how to properly comfort him. That way I could help you and the princess.

You’ve done enough, Keith wanted to say, insist that there was nothing more than he could’ve done, he was a Hylian, a soldier of Hyrule, they couldn’t ask much more of him. And yet, Leandro, the youngest of 5, the top soldier from his battalion, was always the most selfless of them all. 

You got what you wanted, Keith thinks as he lowers the bow, trying to swallow the lump forming in his throat, Hylia granted your wish. And now, you’re here.

“I thought you said the person who controlled the water didn’t exist,” He says over the rain as Lance carefully walks over. Lance’s lips are pulled down in a grimace and Keith notices a twitch on his brow. The same one he had from 100 years ago. 

The same ache from yesterday, the same pain he felt when he first saw Lance, spreads all over his chest in an instant. He blinks his eyes, forces himself to keep a neutral face, as his fists clench. From the moment he woke up, questions kept plaguing his mind, about Allura, about the other Champions, about the Castle, but most of all about Leandro. 

Seeing Lance is just a confirmation that Leandro is long gone. 

Keith had come to terms with it, had accepted it after Coran told him what happened, how the last 100 years had passed. But he never thought he would see Leandro’s reincarnation right in front of his very eyes. The Goddess Hylia had brought him back in a way, in the body of a boy who looks just like him, who shares the same smile and those mesmerizing ocean eyes, but at the end, isn’t him. 

Why must you torture me this way?

“I-I didn’t know if I could trust you,” Lance argues, shortening their distance. He’s still controlling the water and with a quick flicker his small force field enlarges. Keith stops feeling the rain on his skin, sees the way Lance is now covering him from the rain with his powers. Keith gives him a look and Lance scowls, “You could thank me, y’know? That Octorock was about to pummel you to the ground and I saved you!”

Keith smiles despite himself. They were more alike than he thought. “I thought you weren’t coming.”

Lance bites on his bottom lip and Keith takes his time to marvel at his face. His hair is curlier, the strands longer and thicker, and he had more freckles over his nose and cheeks. There’s a faint rosiness on his cheeks, so different from Leandro’s, but endearing all the same. 

“I reconsidered.”

“Why?”

Lance fiddles with the string of his cape, a simple indigo fabric wrapped around his shoulders. Over his back there’s a very elegant and intricate wooden bow, probably handmade if Keith could guess. He has a backpack ready, boots on his feet and Keith is beginning to realize that Lance isn’t just accompanying him to the Zora’s Domain. 

“I promised you I’d help if I lost, remember?” Lance huffs, rolling his eyes. This is something that’s very different from Leandro and it snaps Keith back into reality. This is Lance, Lance McClain, a different boy and a different person. Lance and Leandro are two different people and Keith has to come to terms with it. 

“I didn’t want you to leave behind your family,” Keith says, “I meant what I said back at the beach. This is my duty, you don’t need to feel forced into helping.”

“I-I know,” Lance nods, voice quieter now over the heavy rainfall. He sighs and then continues, “My family will understand…eventually. And you’re not forcing me into anything, if this is going to bring things back to normal…then I want to help.” 

Keith gulps, forces himself to look away. Lance was different from Leandro, but they were as selfless as ever when it came to helping him. He nods and reaches out his hand towards Lance. 

“I promise, I’ll bring Hyrule back to the way it was.”

Lance looks at his hand and then the loveliest smile spreads on his lips. Keith’s breath is stolen for the second time by this boy from Lurelin Village. His heart thunders, pulse quickening as Lance takes his hand and shakes it. 

Those feelings from 100 years ago resurface all at once. Keith knew he loved Leandro back then, had promised himself that once he and Allura came back from Mt. Lanaryu, he would confess his feelings regardless of how Leandro felt for him. This time feels no different, the same words are threatening to slip out but Keith knows it’s wrong. This is Lance, this isn’t Leandro, they’re not the same person. 

“I’ll hold onto that.” Lance says with that cheeky tone of voice and Keith can’t stop his own smile, “Besides, what would you do without me, hmm? You need my powers to get into the Divine Beast, correct?”

Keith chuckles and lets go. 

Slowly he’ll come to terms with Leandro’s death. He doesn’t think he would ever forget about him, not really. His memory filled Keith with guilt and impotence, the realization of not knowing what happened to him, of not being there when he passed. Had he died fighting? Had he been crushed by one of the Guardians? Had he managed to escape and live a peaceful life outside of Hyrule Castle? His mind spinned with the possibilities but ultimately he couldn’t come up with an answer. 

But seeing Lance now, the splitting image of Leandro, a boy from Lurelin Village, the bearer of a great power gifted by the Goddess, made something swell in Keith. It felt like a second chance, another opportunity to do right by him, to keep him alive and well, breathing and smiling. 

As they trekked up their route Keith made a promise, to Lance, to Leandro, and to himself. He would do everything in his power, give up his own life if it came to be, to ensure Lance survived and lived a well and happy life. He owed it to Leandro, that and so much more. It was the least Keith could do, make sure his reincarnation lived the life he couldn’t.

“Are you coming?” Lance calls out, a few steps ahead as he points, “There’s some weird lizards up ahead.”

I’ll protect you, Keith thinks, with everything I have. Even if it costs me my life. 

And with that Keith marches on, a goal etched into his soul and a heaviness wrapping around his heart.