Chapter Text
5 Days, 13 Hours, 30 Minutes and 53.6 Seconds.
That is what Time’s internal clock told him, how long he and 4 other heroes have been travelling across a seemingly endless desert, melting under a shadeless sky as they clambered up and down rippling sand dunes with little to no proper rest. No reprieve from the burning sun or the irritating sand, an endless hell. After the first day they had decided to try only moving during the night but found out the biting cold was only more harrowing than the heat- Time also didnt like the lack of visibility, or the fact that lighting a torch practically made them a beacon for anything and everything. So they stuck to the day, somehow being the lesser of the two evils.
As the oldest, Time had taken it upon himself to lead…well he was the lead for a while until the Sailor -Or Wind, the youngest of all of them- decided he was ‘too slow’ and overtook him.
He swore he even heard the boy mumble something about old man bones before skittering off.
Thankfully the kid never goes too far before waiting for the rest -its not like he could get lost but Time did not like having large gaps between them all-, seemingly in his element even though he supposedly came from a flooded world. Which, honestly, had Time questioning a lot of things, but it was hard to find a moment to ask about it when he's focused on making sure no one is left behind and the quickly dwindling supplies. Thinking now, he didnt know much about the young sailor. When they all had woken up in the strange sand, Wind was the last to stir, leaving the others to talk amongst themselves. Speaking of which…
Looking over his shoulder, Time looks for the three younger heroes.
Shuffling down the rather steep sand dune, Sky leads them with an arm out- likely to catch someone if either of the two slips- taking it step by step.The pace seems too slow for one of the younger hero’s, Legend, if the boy’s gesturing hands and general attitude says anything but he made no attempt to over take the caped hero. Instead he keeps looking behind him to make sure the last hero wasnt struggling, Lynn. If Time squints, he’s certain he’ll be able to see her ever present smile on her face. One of Lynn’s hands was on the vet’s shoulder, keeping her balance while she spoke to the boys.
Though he’s certain the trio hasnt put much thought into it, Time has noticed how easily they relied on each other, even with their polarizing personalities. Its good. Makes teamwork easier to manage.
Time was about to call over his shoulder to the sailor, wanting to wait for the trio, only to feel a weight lean against his arm.
“Ughhhhh!” Wind groans beside him. “Whats taking them so long?”
“They proceed with caution.” Time hums, keeping an eye on them as they descend. Lynn waves a hand, Wind returns it. “The last thing we need is an injury, no matter the scope.”
“I guess,” The sailor huffs, pushing off and restlessly walking circles around Time. The old man glances at the boy for a second when he wanders farer away only to hear a shout, curse and gasp.
Time snags the boy’s shirt, pulling him close while his other hand reaches for his weapon. But when his eyes search, the only source of movement he sees is…well. In the brief moment he had looked away, one slip from Legend had sent him tumbling into Sky’s back and pulling Lynn down with him. Now the trio are rolling down the remainder of the dune with tangled limps and shifting sand that kicks up in clouds- only adding to the confusing haze of the situation. Time swears he sees someone go air born for a second before slamming back into the sand. Before he knows it, three young heroes slide to a stop and lay about a foot away from him in a pile of twisted bodies, groaning to themselves. Letting go of Wind, the old man relaxes as a sense of bafflement fills that space of adrenaline.
Time…blinks.
Wind, to his credit, is trying to hide his laughter. And failing.
“...What happened?” He asks, walking over and grabbing the person on top.
Lynn, groans, lets the older hero pull her up. “Vet slipped.”
“I did not!” He grunts, pushing himself off of the chosen, rolling to the side. “My foot got caught on Sky’s cape thing.”
“...Thats still slipping.”
Electings to ignore the crude gesture the teen makes at the other, Time turns to Sky who lays face down in the sand. He squatted down and shook the boy’s shoulder, getting a muffled groan in return. “Alive?”
“Alive.” Sky raises his head, sand falling out of his hair like running water. “Are the others..?”
“Fine,” Time fights back a smile, ruffling the kid’s hair to get some more of the sand out before helping him up. “Consider ourselves lucky for that. It was quite a tumble you all took.”
“You guys looked like flying star fish!” Wind cackles, jumping back when Legend swipes at him from the ground before shuffling to his feet and dusting himself off.
“Piss off.” Legend tsked, taking off his hat and dumping the sand out of it.
Lynn, having shrugged off her poncho, was helping Sky check on the sailcloth- shaking the sand off of it and making sure there werent any rips- casting a smile at the grumpy teen. “You have to admit, that was a little fun.”
“Oh yeah, it was so fun getting my ass tossed 10 feet in the air, gettin kicked 30 times and having sand up my–.”
“Alright.” Time cuts him off. “Have we collected ourselves?”
The man gets varying sounds of agreement.
“Legend wasn’t far off,” Sky sighs, rubbing sand off his face. “Im going to be finding sand for weeks after all this.”
“Oh shoot!” Lynn gasps, looking back to the hill.
Time follows her gaze before looking back, he can see Legend’s shoulder sink in a dread. “Lose something?”
“No no..Well yes.” Lynn sighs, turning back and running her hands through her hair. “Nothing serious, just my hair tie.”
Humming, Time squinted up the hill, he couldnt see it from just a glance- which likely meant it was hidden in the sand. From the corner of his eye, he can see Legend casting a similar look as well before rummaging around that pouch of his. Wind pushes forward.
“I can run up and look for it!” He offers. “Im really good at finding hidden treasure.”
The girl smiles before shaking her head. “Its just a hair tie, ill be fine. Besides, it's my own fault for losing it.”
“Do you have any others? I dont think having that much hair down will be good for you.” Sky frowns.
Before Lynn can reassure the chosen, Legend comes up from behind and gathers her hair at the base of her scalp and gently ties it into a ponytail. Time watches quietly as the girl turns to the older boy with a confused look who simply shrugs and shoves a couple of extra hair ties into her hands.
“My sister has a nasty habit of losin them.” He casually offered. “I got in the habit of carrying extra.”
Lynn blinks before smiling wide. “Thank you!”
“Its whatever, dont go makin it one too.” He huffs, closing his pouch and turning to the older hero. “We goin?”
Time gets a nod out before Lynn is linking her arms with the unprepared vet and excited sailor, marching forward into the unknown landscape with a skip in her step. Legend is grumbling about something, probably less than happy about the restriction, but the two sunny heroes beside him pay it no mind. Besides, it didnt look like he was trying to wiggle out of the hold- even when Wind left Lynn’s side to get onto Legend’s.
“He’s not even trying to escape,” Sky remarks with a smile, walking along Time.
“Perhaps they stand as a reminder of his family.” Time offers, watching as Wind avoids a swipe from Legend, detaching to race ahead. Another hill stands before them, a much smaller one. “Or he has finally fallen victim to their…”
Sky jokingly offers. “Charm?”
“Comfort.” He supplies. “We have found ourselves in an unpredictable situation, our purpose here is unknown and we have yet to find…safety. We only have eachother to rely on, depend on and protect. It does not shock me to see even the most fickle of us latching onto any sense of comfort we may find, even if it's one another.”
Ahead, the sailor continues to climb the hill- turning back every so often to check on the group before continuing on- getting a call to slow down from Lynn which he ignores. Legend sighs, pulling the keeper forward as the two now jog to catch up to the boy, following with his own shout of waiting for the rest. Time smiles to himself as the two struggle to run in their boots- holding back a laugh when Lynn slips, almost pulling the hero down.
“You know…” Sky speaks up, looking towards the man. “I never expected you to be so…perspective.”
Blinking at that, Time kept his eye ahead. “Is that supposed to be a joke?”
A startled laugh comes from Sky, who raises his hands in defense. “No! No no. I just meant…I guess I just thought that a well trained eye like yours would just be…keen in battle.”
“Ah.” Time feels his lip twitch up. “I would not have a wife if I only knew battle.”
“Yeah?” Sky presses, his smile growing soft.
It wasnt surprising, even in the short time they’ve known eachother it was clear that the chosen hero was quite a romantic. Always so happy to listen to any stories Time was willing to share about Malon, and thus sharing some of his own.
“Yes. You would know well that love is much more than waxing poetry and grand gestures, it is the art of noticing your lover and the world that surrounds you both. I take pride in my ability to read her, and those skills often reflect well in other circumstances.” Time gestures to the three ahead. “And perhaps it too is a reflection on how I wish to see the world.”
Sky follows his eyes, watching the three disappear past the crest. “...How do you wish to see it?”
The forest boy barely gets a moment to consider the question before a cry rings out. “TIME! SKY! HURRY!”
Both heroes were quick, racing up the hill with drawn blades. He can feel the sand give out underneath his weight but he paid it no mind, not when he couldnt tell whose voice yelled for them- for him. He cursed himself as they reached the peak, he should have taken the front, should have told those kids to wait for them, should have– As the two reach the top, Time has to stop Sky from teetering forward and falling down a second hill this day. But as their well trained eyes scooped the surroundings, Time did not see a battle nor injured companions. Instead at the base of this hill (or what he now realizes is more akin to a crater) is a quiet oasis with green shrubs that casted long shadows across the sand lining the pond of brilliant water, he sees the sailor splashing in the water with his items discarded at the shore alongside the other two.
“ITS WATER!” Wind shouts, spotting the two at the top.
The chosen is bent at his waist, resting his hands on knees as he breathed heavy, surely feeling that same rush of relief that the old man had just felt wash over him. Slowly, he sheaths his weapon before patting the knight on his back, shuffling down the hill towards the duo.
Lynn waves them over with a bright smile. “Come on! We’ve been gathering water, we need to fill any empty bottles!”
“I keep tellin her how valuable they are but she isnt gettin it.” Legend huffs, shoving a couple of bottles into his bag.
“I dont get why you cant just go to a glass blower for more.” She turns to him, a hand on her hip.
“Do you know how expensive they are?!”
“...Okay, true. But like arent you the royal money gremlin, shouldnt you have a bunch of rupees?”
“THE ROYAL WHAT?!”
A bark of a laugh leaves Time before he can catch it, startling the poor teens who all but whip their heads towards him, thankfully he gets ahold of himself quickly but he cant hide that smile. Time hands an extra bottle to Legend as he turns to Lynn. “A Royal Treasurer doesnt have access to the wealth, they are meant to manage and keep track of what is being taken in and out.”
Lynn makes a sound of understanding as Legend grumbles, kneeling by the water to fill up the bottle he was handed.
“Whoever yelled,” Sky huffed and puffed, walking up to the shore as he took off a bottle from his hip. “Needs to never do that again! Or- by the dragons- or at least make it sound less urgent.”
Legend tosses the filled and corked bottle back up to Time, snagging the one from Sky. “Blame Wind, tried tellin him it was a bad idea but noooo. Asshat never listens.”
“Be nice!” Lynn pouts, kicking the squatting teen. “He was just excited.”
“Yeah! And that almost killed Sky- Look at him! Redder than a health potion.”
The man in question lets out a disgruntled ‘Hey!’ at the stray comment.
Watching the girl squint at the vet, Time sees a mischievous idea spark to life her eyes- the man had the ability to stop it, he knew that- all it would take is a cough or stern look- but the girl rarely was as eager to stir trouble like some of the boys. So he quietly watches in slow motion as Lynn raises that same foot that kicked Legend, places it on his lower back and pushes the teen into the shallow water of the pond with a splash.
On his hands and knees, water lapping at his now wet boots and outer layers, Legend pauses for a moment before slowly turning his head towards Lynn.
“Look at you,” She teases, a proud look in her eyes. “Maybe that hot head of yours will finally cool off.”
Legend lunges forward, electing a squeak from Lynn who barely avoids his grasp, the keeper dashes behind Sky as the veteran follows. He barely stops himself from slamming into Sky’s front as Lynn moves the older hero around as a shield, trying to reach around the chosen’s form to grab at her as she giggles wildly. Time steps aside as the trio inches closer and closer towards the water edge.
“Okay okay okay!” Sky tries to raise his hands, laughing as he stumbles over his feet, being pulled this and that way. “I am an innocent bystander! Unhand me!”
“You’re collateral!” Legend tsked, but even Time can see the boy’s growing smile.
The teen’s eyes follow the two, hands still attempting to reach around and snag some part of Lynn, who is only laughing harder. But it seems the teen had a much better plan. Waiting until the two had gotten close enough- Lynn’s foot slipping back in the slick, muddy sand- Legend all but tackles the two into the water with a triumphant sound. They hit the water with a splash, sending ripples across the pond and finally getting the youngest’s attention who ‘Woos’ at the dog piling. Sky is quick to push the teen off him and standing up, the man was dripping wet with a look of displeasure.
“You know what?” Sky says to himself, unclasping his sailcloth and tossing it to shore. “You’re both in trouble!”
“Wha?! I didnt–” Lynn tries to justify but lets out a yelp as she is snatched up and onto Sky’s shoulder.
“Oh shit-” Legend tries to scramble away, only to fall into a similar state as the keeper, lofted to Sky’s other shoulder.
“Wait wait! Skyyy Im sorry! I just meant to get Legend!”
“Sky! Put- put me down! If you dunk me I swear to Hylia!”
Time watches with crossed arms as the chosen carries two squirming teens deeper into the pond, not listening to either of their cries or nervous laughter.
“OLD MAN!” Legend hollers, looking to the man as if he would be the voice of reason in this moment. But why would he? No no…right now he is very focused on the shrubbery around him, far too busy to notice the vet’s pleas for help. “..ILL REMEMBER THIS YOU OLD F–”
Another loud splash fills the air, followed by Wind’s laugh.
Looking back, Time sees the three resurface with flailing limbs, Legend curses the chosen and attempts to wrestle him in the water. It seems whatever battle between him and Lynn has been momentarily called off as she jumps onto Sky’s back to help the vet- and it seems all the commotion has beckoned the sailor closer like a siren’s song, taking Sky’s side as he latches onto Legend. The old man watches these heroes, fighters for the light and land of Hyrule, play in the water with boisterous laughter like children who have no care in the world. He watches from a far, knowing he should tell them to knock it off- to be careful with eachother- but he doesnt have the heart in him to.
How could he?
…He’s known these kids for 5 Days, 14 Hours, 5 Minutes and 7.2 Seconds yet he cant help but wish to see them like this more often. He…To answer Sky’s question, he would wish to see the world like this. Like peace. In its rawest, more childlike form.