Chapter Text
Traveling through a portal was never easy, but prolonged exposure has caused a sort of numbing; similar to an immune system reacting to diseases, Sky mused. When he first joined the Chain, portals would always leave him disoriented and queasy. It was like a sharp tug of vertigo or the feeling of falling right before you were asleep, except somehow all-encompassing. Sky was never the most affected of the group (sorry, Four) but the first few portals definitely drained him. Luckily, this newest portal wasn’t as bad. It was still strange and uncomfortable, don’t get him wrong; despite going through them countless times, stepping through a portal always felt like it was the first time he was experiencing the foreign sensation. But now it was only a brief dizzy spell that would last for the first few minutes of everyone getting acquainted with the new Hyrule.
The portal had dropped them off on a sort of grassy mountainside, a few trees dotted around but mostly open fields. It was cool but with high humidity, a faint breeze running through the dew covered grass. Heavy clouds appeared on the horizon, which might be a sign of a storm later, but the sky was a crystal blue, its endless expanse stirring Sky’s heart. How long has it been since he was up in the clouds? The Chain were only able to get up in the air when they were in Sky’s era, and even then they never spent much time flying given everyone else’s lack of loftwings. He didn’t know why this world in particular was making him feel it so acutely, but Sky was overcome with a wave of homesickness.
Before he could fall deeper into his thoughts, the sounds of seven other Links snapped him out.
“Alright, everyone sound off,” Time said, falling into the post-portal routine.
“Here, and Four’s here too,” replied Warriors, supporting a nauseous Four. The rest of the Chain confirmed their presence in varying amounts of enthusiasm.
“Just...just give me a second,” Legend moaned, “Damn, what’s with the magic in this place? It’s intense, but not like anything I’ve encountered. Like something took nature magic and twisted it into a knot and threw it in a pot with some weird shit,” The veteran sighed while rubbing his head.
Sky frowned, and not just at Legend’s colorful language. Now that he mentioned it, there was an odd feeling to this place. There was an uncanny stillness, a thick tension in the air clashing with the tranquility of creatures scurrying beneath the grass. Peace, but with an ever-looming threat. “Does anyone recognize this Hyrule?”
A chorus of ‘no’s rung out.
“Guess we should just walk until we find a lead,” said Twilight. With no obvious landmarks in sight, the Chain started walking in search of civilization. It was pleasant enough, and while there were fortunately no monsters, there were also no signs of people. Sky was grateful for the quiet, but it was starting to be a bit unnerving.
Wild would love it here.
The thought struck him out of nowhere, and Sky’s breath stuttered. He unwillingly thought back to the night when they had last seen him. The moon had risen and they were preparing to go to bed when Wild violently lurched and doubled over. Their eyes were wide in fear, but their mouth was set in a grim line.
“I’m so sorry, I thought I had more time. I think I have to go back. I’ll miss you all,” he had said before a swirling portal opened next to him and swallowed him whole, and despite all of their efforts, none had been able to follow them through before the portal disappeared in a flash of light. It all happened in less than three minutes.
Looking back, Sky could see that in the days leading up to his departure something had been wrong with Wild. He was more skittish and jittery than usual, always looking off into the distance as if expecting an attack. They took up even more night watches than the already concerning amount they did normally. Everyone noticed it, but Wild didn’t say anything, and so everyone gave them space. There are few things that Sky regrets more than that.
It’d been almost two months now, and the grief was still consuming. Wild’s absence was felt like a phantom limb. Sky was always expecting to see the cook in the corner of their eyes, getting into mischief with Wind, or receiving another lecture from Four after breaking another weapon, or climbing up a sheer cliff and almost giving Twilight a heart attack. Sky instinctively checked to see if Wild had wandered off the path and away from the group, wondered what new photos they had taken on their Slate, was prepared to comfort them when they had another memory. Despite being the hero to join the Chain last, they fit in like they had always belonged.
And now there was nothing. Now there was only a missing piece. Now there was only the weight of his absence.
Sky had to ignore the hurt, though. Sky buried his grief over Wild the same way he buried all the other grief and anger he’d accumulated over his life. Not out of a lack of love, but because there was no other choice.
A sudden gasp was heard behind him, and suddenly Hyrule was sprinting ahead of the group.
“Damnit, ‘Rule, what are you doing?” Legend yelled after him.
“I think I saw something - there!”
Hyrule scrambled to the top of a slope and the seven others followed bewilderedly. The traveller nearly slipped on the wet grass before pulling himself up to the ledge and smiling brightly at the sight.
When he reached the top, Sky understood why Hyrule had run. In the distance to the west stood two mountains scraping the heavens, illuminated by the sun of late morning. The twins leaned towards each other, pulled in by some unseen gravity yet jaggedly sundered, unable to reunite. He almost couldn’t believe it, but there it was. For the first time in months, Sky laid eyes on the Dueling Peaks.
“This is Wild’s Hyrule!” The traveller announced.
Time couldn’t help but frown, though Sky could hear his voice quiver, “Are you sure?”
“No, Hyrule’s right. Look, there’s one of his stables way down there” Four pointed at a colorful blur in the nearby valley towards the base of the Peaks. Although it was vague, it resembled a large tent built with a tall wooden structure, along with smoke puffing out of the top.
Wind let out a breathless laugh, “That means he’s here! Wild’s here! C’mon, c’mon, what are we waiting for?!” The sailor nearly threw himself down the mountainside while Warriors let out a yelp, quickly trying to catch up to make sure he didn’t hurt himself, with the rest of the Chain quickly following.
Sky turned to follow the rest, but stopped when he realized Twilight wasn’t moving. Honestly, Sky was vaguely surprised that Twilight hadn’t recognized Wild’s Hyrule sooner, given the time he spent guiding Wild as Wolfie.
“Twi? Are you alright?”
“I didn’t… I didn’t let myself hope,” he murmured. “Weeks of fear and confusion and now we’re back in his era? Out of nowhere? I… I don’t understand. Why now? It can’t be that easy.”
Twilight was still staring at the landscape below, posture stiff and fists clenched. Sky didn’t know the full story of what happened when Twilight was Wild’s companion, no one did except the two of them, but if Wild’s stories were any indication, it was no surprise that the rancher was terrified of what could have happened to his cub.
Sky sighed and attempted a smile, “I don’t know, Twilight. But we’re here now, and that’s what matters. Let’s go, we should catch up to everyone else before Legend and Wars rip each other’s hair out.”
Twilight huffed and tore his eyes away to look at Sky. “You’re right, you’re right. Alright, let’s go.”
As the two followed the rest of the Chain down the mountain, Sky took one last look at the sky above and felt the familiar determination of reuniting with one of his loved ones, no matter what.