Chapter Text
Waking up to Twilight’s face in his chest brought back memories of nearly the same position with Wolfie, and Wild’s heartbeat was suddenly very easy to feel. He extracted his limbs from Twilight’s embrace, letting the man sleep more, and went to see if anyone else was up. He was cautiously happy to see Zelda was already awake with Purah, both sitting and drinking some energizing tea. He sat with them.
“Hi, Linky! Dinner was excellent last night.” Purah complimented.
“Thanks, it was nice cooking with the others, to be honest.” Wild grinned in his good mood.
“Link. I’d like it if we could talk about yesterday.” Zelda asked cooly. He knew she meant her confrontation with Wars.
“It was a surprise to me too, Zelda. I had no idea he’d say anything like that.” Wild reassured. She hummed.
“Be that as it may, it’s clear you will be travelling with them after their work in our time is completed,” she looked up from her drink to stare into his eyes, “I implore you, do not let any of them talk to you like that again.”
“I- I wasn’t planning on it, Zelda.” Wild reassured her.
“Good. That one, Wars, I believe? Reminds me too much of how my father and his generals acted. Talking as if a decision is only the right one if they are the one making it, or suggesting it.” She grimaced. Purah was making a pinched face, one saying she didn’t disagree, but did not want to voice something so close to treason, even of the dead. Wild rested his hand on her shoulder, to turn her toward him, and she looked up, eyes defiant, angry, but worried.
“Zel, I promise I won’t let it get out of control. It won’t just be me that I’ll be standing up for, either, so-”
“Oh good, then I won’t need to worry after all. You’ll be standing up for someone else, and I know you would do that in a heartbeat, and an age before you stood up for yourself.” Zelda smiled gently, in contrast to her sharp words.
“I wouldn’t say an age…” Wild trailed off, his weak defense falling apart under its own weight. Zelda was kind enough to say nothing, just smile with a dangerous, warning quirk in her eyebrow. Purah nodded, and giggled before clearing her throat, getting Wild’s and Zelda’s full attention.
“I found out a little bit more from the robot scout. They didn’t spot any monsters, so coming from the mountain won’t help, they did find several guardians, somewhere between two and four of them, but the way they moved was sporadic and strange. There are also plenty of blind spots more guardians could be hiding.” She summarized. Wild nodded.
“Thanks Purah, I think I’ll teleport us to the Katah Chuki Shrine, it's right outside Castle Town Ruins, but secluded from the immediate surroundings so it's a safe landing spot.” Wild explained.
“Sounds like a good plan. Why choose Legend and Twilight, though?” Zelda asked.
“Well-”
Oh wait. I can’t just tell her. Not my secret to tell.
“-I just think they’d be the most versatile, Legend is fast in reactions and wits, and Twilight is strong. I can run through everyone else’s issues if you like?” Wild raised an eyebrow, hoping she won’t call his excuse out.
“Really, and it's not because you're quite…friendly, with both of them?” Purah grinned mischievously.
“I mean I get along with them, sure, but why did you say it like that?” Wild asked, confused.
“Link, I know you don’t have much experience in relationships…” Zelda beat around the bush.
Wait, where is this going?
“But you and Twilight were positively cuddling in that bedroll last night.” she finished.
“I- what?” Wild asked, baffled.
“You two were snug as a pair of bugs in a rug, getting some snug.” Purah chimed.
“What are you two talking about?” Wild was genuinely confused about what they were asking.
“Link, are you two together, like boyfriends?” Zelda asked, a gentle smile on her face.
Wild froze entirely at the question.
I mean we are already so close, but she doesn’t know that Twilight is Wolfie, but is that how it looks to other people? And…is that something I’d want? But surely he wouldn’t- he’s scared of something or someone, and I’m friendly and familiar. But if that looks like- do the others think-?
Wild felt a hand grab his at his hand dangling at his side, pulling him out of his head. Zelda smiled up at him.
“If you two haven’t named whatever you have, that’s fine, it was just a bit of teasing. You two looked so comfortable, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen you sleep so deeply or peacefully, it’s nice to see. You deserve that.” She reassured him. It quieted a few thoughts, and others, he would have to examine, later. Purah cleared her throat.
“But seriously, for this mission, going with reinforcements is good, and better if you know what they can do, but remember these are guardians, still. They will still pose a significant danger. Be careful, Linky.” She said, her tone serious and grave. It’s a tone that reminds him that she is older than she appears.
“Yeah. I’ll go start on breakfast, any requests?” Wild asked to lighten the mood.
“Oh, no thank you, I’m finishing that pie!” Zelda beamed, Purah chuckled.
“I’ll have whatever you make, Linky.” she answered, Wild nodded and went to the fire to start a proper breakfast. He decided on omelets and bread. He didn’t have time to make fresh bread, so he’d cheat a little and use some stored in his slate, with some butter. He pulled a medium sized pan from his slate and started cracking eggs on the rim of the pan to start them cooking. He let his mind wander to what the girls had said again, but letting himself just feel it, instead. Twilight was comfortable, nice, and fun. Being with him would be... amazing. But he probably has someone else. Before he could get into spiraling, he had plated omlettes for himself and Purah, with two more nearly done by the time Twilight came trundling over tiredly, rubbing his eye. Wild chuckled and handed out a plate of food, and he took it with a soft smile and sat down nearby to be comfortable. Legend and Hyrule came over for food as they awoke to the smells. Wild broke out the bread to warm it by the fire, and the butter as well.
“Eggs are a delicacy in my world, cuccoos are hard to keep, so eggs are always really expensive, even though they’re one of the only sources of protein people can really get.” Hyrule told them, reverently taking the omelet.
“Is that why you inhaled those two eggs the other day?” Legend asked, cutting into his own food with the fork.
“Well, that was because of the teleport hating me.” Hyrule corrected, cutting into the food, trying to mimic Legend.
“Well I have plenty of eggs, and actual meat for protein.” Wild mused, cracking open a few more eggs on the pan, and checked the bread.
“You sure you have enough? You’ve been going through it pretty fast the past few nights feeding all eight of us.” Legend asked. Wild chuckled.
“It’s a good use to actually use the stuff I’ve gathered, I am frankly extremely overprepared.” Wild admitted. Zelda snuck over quietly to listen in, with a slice of pie.
“Is that what you call your hoarding?” She jabbed.
“Hey, my collecting is how you got a pie.” Wild pointed his spatula at her.
“I didn’t say it wasn’t useful hoarding.” Zelda snarked back, eating a bite of pie.
“Anyway, my food stores will hold up for quite some time before it’s a concern.” Wild rolled his eyes.
Time came over, stretching up to the sky, Wild was pretty sure he heard his back crack.
“Bit early, isn’t it?” He chimed. “Wars is getting his stuff on, still.”
“Oh yeah, he doesn’t wear all that to bed.” Hyrule mused, pondering while he chewed his food.
“He wears a lot of metal, can’t be good to sleep in.” Twilight added.
“Can confirm, it’s terrible.” Wild contributed.
“Sheikah Gear is actually quite cozy.” Zelda added.
“I don’t even know what a Sheikah is” Legend inputted.
“They’re the ones who built all the shrines, and the towers, ages ago. They’ve returned to a simpler life since then, but I’ve been working with Robbie and Purah to try to bring some of that knowledge and expertise back into the world.” Zelda explained. Wars walked over, fiddling with his shoulder plate.
“Sounds like quite the job.” Wars interjected, jostling his pauldron into place.
“It is, but we are making progress analyzing the composition of the guardian parts, figuring out the materials required for the technology.
“Here, two more.” Wild called to Time and Wars, who took omelets and bread.
“Thank you, Wild.”
“Thanks.”
Humming an acknowledgement while making three more omelets for the last few people, Wild started to explain his plan.
“So Legend, Twilight and I will teleport to a shrine near the Castle Town Ruins, it’s in a secluded spot so it’ll be safe right around that area. From there we can scout the area and gather info. Figure out what’s going on. Reassess from there.” Wild explained, visually mapping it in his head.
“Not much of a plan.” Wars pointed out.
“Plans never survive contact, so simple plans are better. Get in, check it out, get out. Kill or slow down anything that chases us.” Wild countered.
“I like simple plans.” Legend added.
“I’ve never been one for plans. Just charge in and swing.” Twilight chuckled sardonically. Wild squints at him.
Liar. You’ve followed plenty of complicated plans. Really I should have figured out you’re a Hylian way before the Plateau.
Time elbowed Wars.
“Really adds use to your maps, doesn’t it?” He jibbed at him. Wars huffed.
“Honestly a good map is a perfectly valid way to plan a battle!” He returned. Purah sounded intrigued.
“In a large battle line, yes, maps are good for coordination and planning. But in small scale skirmishes they’re often just more data than you need. Like taking the genetic metadata of an entire forest ecosystem when you only need the genetic data of one single particular flower.” She lectured. Everyone just blinked at her. Even Zelda was a bit baffled.
“Purah, I don’t think anyone understood that comparison.” Zelda pointed out.
“Ah! That’s fine. The point is, a big map is only for big battles!” She simplified and a flurry of a hand.
“Better said.” Legend nodded.
Wind and Sky walked toward the group, stretching and yawning. Wild handed them Their food, before handing out the rest of the buttered bread to anyone who hadn't gotten any or wanted seconds.
“She’s got a point.” Wind chimed in, “you only need information about what is going to affect the battle ahead, terrain plays into that, but outside of battlefronts or navigation, maps are too much. You can get all you need from observation of your surroundings.”
Wars starred at Wind a moment, the others looking at Wind in mixed faces of surprise and satisfaction.
“Which of you taught him that?” Wars asked. Wild didn’t say anything, but noticed a barely-there twitch of Wind’s right eye.
“Can we get back on topic?” Wild interjected.
“Seriously, we are going in with a local expert, and probably going to be grossly overprepared as is.” Legend pointed out, “trying to detail a plan based on assumptions is only going to burn daylight.”
“Sure. When are you two good to go?” Twilight looked at Wild and Legend, who both nodded.
“I’m ready now.”
“Let’s go.”
With that, and their meals finished during the brief, Twilight and Legend gathered near Wild. He pulled up the map and panned the map to the Katah Chuki Shrine, looped his arms through the other’s, and clicked and confirmed ‘travel’, and they floated up and glowed shrine blue.
“Huh, I really hope this teleportation doesn’t make me sick.” Legend mused, right before they dematerialized into streams of light and energy.
They rematerialized at their destination, Wild and Twilight both glaring at Legend.
“Huh. Not sick, cool.” Legend smirked before laughing.
“Spirits, don’t do that!” Twilight scolded while Legend laughed. Wild nudged him, and he was off balance from laughing so hard, he let himself fall off the platform into the grass, still laughing.
“You should have seen your faces! No, you should have seen their faces!” Legend cried in between bouts of laughter. Wild pulled out his slate to send a message to Zelda.
‘Arrived safe. Legend is fine, just a jerk’ he snapped a picture of a laughing Legend, and hit send, clipping his slate back to his belt.
“To think I was actually worried about you.” Twilight sighed, slapped a hand on his own face as Legend slowly climbed down from his laughter.
“I appreciate the concern, but after everything, the least I’m worried about is some magic sickness.” Legend finally got out, and wiped tears from his eyes.
“Hyrule might kill you, now, though.” Wild pointed out, “he seems to really hate people hiding injury.”
Legends flashed a nervous face before brushing it off.
“He’ll be fine once I say I was pretending. We’ve talked about portal sickness before, and how I don’t get it the way the others do. ‘Rulie thinks it's cause I’m just used to it so it doesn’t affect me as much.”
“How have you had portal sickness enough to not have it affect you?” Wild asked.
“Adventures.” Legend shrugged.
“Plural?” Wild clarified. Legend smiled mischievously.
“How about we trade one for one. Stories, that is.” Legend offered. Wild scrunched his face.
“Pass for now. I’ve already had to answer more than I wanted, the other night. Don’t feel up to more.” Wild clarified.
“Fair enough.” Legend nodded, “Offer stays open if you change your mind, though. Sorry if I stressed you guys out. I was mostly trying to get a rise out of the others, anyway.” He shrugged.
“Guys, can we-?” Twilight asked awkwardly.
“Uh, yeah, sure. Sorry for the sidetrack.” Wild apologized.
“No need for apologies” Twilight smiled softly.
Wild found a stick and patch of dirt to describe to them his plan.
"So like I said, we are secluded here for the moment, right outside Castle Town Ruins, Purah's scout reported two to four guardians, but no monsters. They are weak to my ancient weapons, but otherwise you just have to hit them a lot. Their lasers are scorching hot, and they're fast on their six legs." Legend nodded along. Wild doodled a simple image of the guardians.
"How tough are those legs? Cutting a few off would make them unbalanced, wouldn't it?" Legend asked.
"Not very, a few good swings will break them. That is how I usually deal with them, too." Wild smirked.
"Okay, good. Charge time, alternate firing modes?" Legend asked.
"Targeting time varies, they use a red guide beam to target, charge time is about one second normally, but they can fire bursts instantly, too." Wild explained.
"Versatile, and fast, then." Twilight interjected.
"Exactly. They get confused if you get up close, though. They can't turn their heads fast enough." Wild elaborated.
"Pegasus boots should be effective, fast, sudden strikes with a good chance of severing limbs, low risk of return fire." Legend mused.
"Okay, good. Let's go take a look, then." Wild felt confident about this mission.