Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

            Time was awake at the crack of dawn, a habit he could never shake. He knew there weren’t any cuccos around, and yet, he could almost hear Old Wyn’s squawk telling him it was time to get up. He deserved a vacation – this wasn’t fair. And yet… he could hear a couple of the boys shuffling in their blankets. His boys.

            Well, no. Not his. Just the boys. The boys he’d met a month and three days ago.

            With a sigh, Time slid a hand down his face and pushed himself up. Scanning the camp, he saw Wind lazily poking the fire with a thin branch while his other hand held his sword. He wasn’t keen on the younger ones taking the later watches, but he couldn’t deny that they all could and have done that – and much more – before they’d ever met. So, he couldn’t argue with Wind when he declared he would take it, and he didn’t let anyone else.

            Warriors acted like he was asleep, but Time knew better. The captain had the same bad habit he did, and he was probably keeping an eye on Wind and the rest of the group while he rested his eyes against a nearby tree. Sky, on the other hand, was clearly and obviously dead to the world. He was sprawled out in his own corner, near enough to the group to be safe but far enough to create a large circle of space around him. Twilight was nowhere to be seen, but Time wasn’t worried when he spotted a conspicuous Wolfie curled up next to Wild. The younger one probably had a nightmare.

            Legend had pushed himself up earlier, realized most of them were still asleep, and flopped back into his blankets. Especially with the constant switches from rain to sun they’d been having recently, he was probably sore and didn’t want to get up. Hyrule and Four were waking up too. They took their time, stretched, and took in the peaceful morning. Eventually, Four stood to join Wind. Hyrule, noticing the quiet groaning across from him, naturally went to check on Legend.

            And that was all of them. All of his boys. Even when Wind (surprisingly quietly) complained about Four poking him to keep him alert, even when Legend waved away Hyrule’s concern only to grudgingly hold the healing hand that took his; even when the captain feigned ignorance to Wild self-consciously scooting away from Wolfie’s warmth, and even with Sky’s unfortunate tendency to take up three bed’s worth of space they didn’t really have…

            Well, perhaps it was more accurate to say “especially when.” Especially when the boys did all of this and more… Time couldn’t help but feel a warmth in his chest. Pride and –

            I can see it in your face! Don’t deny it!

            Several days prior, they were all at Lon Lon Ranch. Time (scowling) was forced to face his wife (smirking) as they finished up the last of the chores and caught up on each other’s lives.

            “No. Malon, it’s not like that –”

            “Oh, really? Link, it’s been long enough – they all look up to you! They listen to and respect you. I wouldn’t be surprised if they all felt just as happy with you as you do with them.”

            Time shrugged, taking his wife’s rake with his own to put away for the day. “Perhaps. But they’re also strong and independent. I don’t… I can’t expect them to think of me like that.”

            “Why not?”

            “Hey, old man! Y’know the name’s gonna stick if you keep acting like your ears need a cleaning.”

            Time almost jumped when Wind’s suddenly-close voice interrupted him from his thoughts. Four and Wild were looking his way, the latter waving his slate in a silent question.

            Ah, yes. Breakfast.

            “Hm… Something quick. We should get moving soon.” They’d landed in Wild’s Hyrule the night before, and the faster they made it to one of the stables, the faster they’d know what they were dealing with.

            Wild paused a moment in thought before nodding and swiping through his slate, conjuring up what looked to be some berries, bread, and eggs. That would do.

            Seeing their meager breakfast, Wind sighed dejectedly, waddling back over to where Four was and flopping down on the log next to him. “Wake me up when it’s done…”

            “You know that’ll only make you more tired.” Despite the warning, the smith didn’t stop Wind from leaning his head on his shoulder with an apathetic hum.

            The morning was relatively quiet after that. One by one, each of them got up to join the group at the fire. Time was first, joined quickly after by Warriors. Twilight was after that, startling the resident captain and consequently starting up a heatless argument between them. Hyrule sat across the rancher and watched them go with an amused smile. A few minutes later, when breakfast was just about done, Legend and Sky trudged over to complete the chain.

            Wind (unsurprisingly) and Four (surprisingly) took up most of the chatter with a story about their last patrol that Time desperately hoped wasn’t true. Something about the smithy’s grin – this in reaction to the sailor’s describing their “portable bomb cannon,” whatever that was supposed to mean – told him that he’d rather not ask.

            “Wait, so when Sky and I heard that loud boom, and you both were prancing back to camp practically covered in soot…”

            “We weren’t lying when we said it was nothing to worry about,” Four said, coolly meeting the captain’s gaze.

            Warriors pinched the bridge of his nose, most likely for dramatic effect more than to fend off an actual headache. “…Time, could you please explain to them why they should never do that again?”

            Time looked at the captain, then at the two youngest boys. He kept his face void of emotion as he spoke. “Sailor, smith. I expect better from both of you.” They both deflated immediately. After a moment, Time continued. “Next time, clean up before returning to camp. The captain clearly can’t take seeing that much dirt in your hair.”

            Eight sets of heads whipped back to look at him, several faces shocked, many more amused, and one reflecting absolute betrayal. “Time!”

            Amidst a handful of chuckles, he simply answered Warriors with a small grin that had the young man’s face shifting from horrified to suspicious. Before he could say anything, Time turned back to the group. “Wind, Four. Though your stunt was reckless, I understand it helped you escape a dangerous situation. Try not to make it a habit.”

            Wind victorious grin fell to a disappointed frown. “Aaand he’s back.” Four just shrugged, handing his plate to Sky as he came around to collect them.

            Once everything was cleaned up and packed away, the group moved east. Once they had passed through a small patch of trees, Wild pointed to a cracked mountain. He flicked down two fingers by the side of his forehead before finger spelling the rest of the phrase, then pointed his thumb to the side and waving down an open palm. “That way. Stable on the other side.”

            “Lead on,” Time said, patting the boy’s shoulder with a small smile. Then, he gestured towards the mountain, letting Twilight take his place as he moved back. Three, four… five, six, seven… eight and himself made nine. The boys were all accounted for.

            Which only meant it would naturally go downhill from there.

            Suddenly, Wild froze, drawing a sword at the same time Time heard a loud poof right beside him. The large, masked stranger holding an even larger sword barely moved before the rest of them had weapons drawn.

            “Assassin! Be careful!” Warriors shouted, jumping towards the one Time saw just as several more poofs sounded all around them.

            “More incoming!” Sky warned, jumping to the other side at the same time Legend did, the latter groaning in frustration.

            “There’s only six of ‘em!”

            “Don’t underestimate them, Wind – the blademasters are strong!”

            Time faced two of them at once, trying to ignore the deep laughter echoing around him in favor of his boy’s shouts. It was suspiciously easy, what with his own opponents circling around him rather than actually fighting. So far, no one was hurt.

            Finally, the one to the left charged forward with a heavy swing, Time blocking the blade and shoving it down when another blade flew right for him. The two Yiga blades collided, prompting both assassins to disappear just before Time’s sword could strike the both of them. Instead of pulling back, he let the weight of the sword turn him around completely, and it slammed into the oncoming blade of a Yiga.

            Only one.

            Time kicked him back, raising his sword to block a blow that never came. Instead, a gust of air from below him was the only warning before his feet were swept out from beneath him. Then, he was flying, flying until a silent force slammed into his side, throwing him right back to the ground. To his horror, he felt something get caught behind him with a quiet gasp just before he hit the ground. Beneath him, a body went limp. Distantly, he heard a scream, a name.

            In a flash, Time rolled over and – no, no, Four, NO…!

            The smith secure in one arm, Time lifted up his other in time for a sword to slam into his brace. Before, the Yiga had been chuckling. Now, he was completely silent as he tried and failed to force Time’s arm to drop. Instead, he could only meet the cold, furious eyes of the Hero of Time.

            “Run.”

            And run the blademaster did, dropping his sword and disappearing into the wind before the old man could touch him. The small victory was hollow, partially because he could see the rest of the boys still fighting. Sky was facing a Yiga alone, Legend on the ground and trembling a few feet away. Warriors and Wild were facing two assassins now, none of them giving each other an inch. Twilight was struggling to protect Hyrule while he tried to wake up the unconscious sailor lying motionless on the ground.

            That was the last thing Time saw before a heavy pain burst from the back of his head, and he wished he couldn’t feel Four slipping from his grasp before everything went black.

~

            His head was throbbing. Everything felt like fire. Still, it didn’t stop Time from shooting up as soon as he felt the slightest bit of lucidity, looking around like a madman and trying to figure out where he was. Dark. Small. Too light – where were his things? Dirt and dust, thick wooden bars, traveler in the corner –

            Hyrule.

            With a pained grunt, Time dragged himself towards the front of what must’ve been a cell, gently pulling Hyrule into a sitting position and patting his cheeks. “Hyrule. Hyrule, can you hear me?” There was a quiet groan, but no other response.

            “Old man? That you?”

            Time couldn’t tell if it was anxiety or relief that filled his stomach when he heard Warrior’s muffled voice to his right. “Yes. Is anyone else with you?”

            “I got Four.” A new wave of pain shot through Time’s skull when he remembered, he remembered – “He’s hurt, but it’s just surface cuts and bruises. He’s okay, Time. He’s okay.”

            A moment of silence. Then, “Time? This might sound weird, but… are you –”

            “…Guys?”

            “I think we’re all here. Everyone alright?”

            “Ugh. This is exactly why I retired.”

            Now it was relief Time could feel, taking away some of the emptiness in his stomach and calming down the headache if only a little. He was curious to know what the captain wanted to ask, but it was then Hyrule was finally waking up. Which he almost found out the hard way with how fast the traveler shot up and threw a fist towards his face. Barely, just barely, Time somehow found the small fist in his much larger hand. “It’s alright, young one.”

            That was all he needed to say. Hyrule blinked once, twice before his eyes widened, and he scrambled away from him. “Time! Oh, I’m so –”

            “As I said, it is alright.”

            “Oh. Um, ok… thank you.”

            Time could tell he wasn’t sure what to do with himself after that, making it hard not to smile. With nothing else to do, he scooted next to him in a silent invitation. For a moment, it was quiet between them. Then, a hesitant weight leaned against him, only fully relaxing when Time put his arm around Hyrule’s shoulders. He could hear the others talking as they sat in silence, and it seemed even the captain got pulled into a different conversation. Eventually, the traveler’s voice quietly added to the mix.

            “That was an awful fight.”

            “It was.”

            “We messed up really bad.”

            “Yes.”

            “How’d we get so… we got distracted, we could’ve died!”

            Hyrule was almost too stiff now, sighing in frustration as he curled into himself and rubbed his eyes. Slowly, Time pulled the boy closer, unable to hold back his own sigh. “Yes. We were careless.” And Malon’s words came flooding back.

            I can’t expect them to think of me like that.

            Why not?

            Time avoided his wife’s gaze. “What if they’d rather not? What if… what happens if they do think that way and get distracted?”

            “Distracted?” she asked, her tone bordering on amused. “You’re worried about the boys being distracted?”

            “I don’t want them to die, Malon!”

            His voice wasn’t loud, but it was sharp and frustrated, more than enough to make the barn animals nervous, and he regretted it as soon as he’d heard it. He expected the silence that followed after, but he didn’t expect Malon to march right up to him so he couldn’t avoid her eyes.

            “I know that. I want them to be safe too. I want you to be safe. But that’s rarely the case when you’re searching for dangerous creatures, now is it?” She then crossed her arms. “It’s so hard, Link. Hard not knowing where you are, hard to wait for your next letter, and hard to think that one day it might not come. But never, ever will I regret marrying you. Never.”

            Time jumped when she suddenly dropped her arms to hold his hands. Her palms were warm and firm. “I love you, Link. I’ve always enjoyed the simple life I have, but it’s not right without you. Being alone scares me; I worry about you when you’re gone. But thinking about you? Reading those letters, seeing those boys, remembering the moments we shared together? That makes me feel brave. You and those boys make me feel brave. Sometimes, that’s the one thing that keeps me going.”

            Malon let go of one hand to wipe a tear that ran down her face. “You’re not a distraction, Link. Those boys aren’t distractions, and I really hope you don’t think of me as one.”

            “What?! No –”

            “Then tell them, Link. Let them be the same source of courage and strength for you that I am, that you all are for me. I love you, Link, and I know you love them too. Please tell them.”

            “Don’t regret never saying it.”

            “I would’ve preferred to avoid this at all, but… perhaps there’s good in our carelessness today.”

            Hyrule huffed. “Good? Like what?”

            “Well,” Time began, giving the boy a small smile, “like the fact that we’re all still alive, that we can learn from this and come out stronger. And… knowing that you boys are always looking out for each other. A wise woman once told me that this is what makes us strong.”

            Even now, he could hear them. Twilight seemed to be talking with Sky, both of them trying to find a way out of their cell. Four must’ve been awake because the captain was describing the room around them. He heard what sounded suspiciously like Legend’s exasperated scoff earlier, but he was oddly quiet otherwise. He hoped the veteran was with Wild or the sailor, because those were the two voices he couldn’t hear.

            “Ugh, this is stupid!” A pitiful thump, followed by a string of curses. Well, that answered one question.

            “Hey! Don’t start, sailor,” Legend finally snapped. “Champion couldn’t break these and you won’t either. I don’t want to see another broken toe.” And that was that. All the boys were accounted for.

            “Wait, was that the vet I heard being all worried?”

            “Can someone please punch the captain in the nose for me?”

            “No! No punching, and no standing on that foot, Wild!”

            Time could only chuckle when Legend’s inconspicuous comment immediately registered with the group’s resident healer, causing Hyrule to shoot out of his arms faster than he thought possible. After a moment, Time joined him at the edge of the cell.

            There were at five cells in the hall, all of them only separated by a few feet or so. They were in some sort of cave system going off the rocky walls. Warriors said something earlier about the area clearly being a ‘traitor’s base of operations,’ but Time hadn’t seen any of the Yiga clan since they’d been there. Where were they, anyway?

            “Wait. Twilight, wait!”

            CRACK!

            The chatter went quiet. The captain swore. Someone gave a low whistle, and Time could see exactly why.

            One of the cells now had poles full of cracks and sharp, broken wood.

            Before another word was spoken, there was a deafening crash, and Twilight flew out of his cell – and right into the opposite wall. The chosen hero stepped out in awe as the rancher slumped to the ground.

            “You’re insane,” Sky said, his voice sounding far too impressed for it to be insulting.

            “On… rare occasions.”

            Time could almost feel the hackles rising off of Hyrule, and he nervously put his hands on the boy’s shoulders before he hurt himself. “Sky, do you see any levers? I didn’t notice any keyholes, so I suspect these bars act more like dungeon gates.”

            Sky, after making sure Twilight was okay, stood and quickly searched the room. A quiet “Ha!” had everyone scrambling to see what was going on, but the dejected “Ah.” was met with disappointed groans.

            “There is a lever here, but you need a key to use it,” Sky finally reported. Wild started to ask him a question, but he was interrupted when Twilight suddenly pushed himself to a stand.

            “Someone’s coming.” The rancher was barely up for two seconds before Sky had to catch him on the way back down. “Sorry, sorry. Just got dizzy, need a second.”

            “Lure ‘im over here! Wild’s got something,” Legend hissed, right as a low grunt of surprise sounded in the distance. A blademaster.

            “I gotcha!” Sky grabbed Twilight and pulled him back right as a burst of wind burst up from beneath their feet. Too close. The two practically stumbled back to Legend’s cell, Wild already at the door and waiting for them.

            The blademaster scoffed, holding up his blade and charging forward to meet them. Just as he swung it down, an orange light suddenly appeared. In the same moment it encircled the boys, it shattered with a loud crash, and the Yiga was thrown right into the wooden poles of a cell. Time’s cell.

            He didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around the blademaster’s neck and trap him. He didn’t have to say a word before Sky shoved a fist under the assassin’s chin, and the body went limp. Time let him go without a second thought.

            “Here!” Hyrule called out, pulling off a small, grey key from the guard’s belt and tossing it to Sky, who jogged over to the lever.

            “Another one,” Twilight warned at the same time the gates slowly moved upward. Even before they made it to the top, everyone was eager to duck out into a wider hallway, and Time purposely put the boys behind him. The complaints were instantaneous, but when he saw who was coming, he knew they were thankfully unnecessary. He knew a Gerudo when he saw one.

            Before he could wave, a hand suddenly grabbed his arm, and he looked over to see Wild beside him. As soon as the woman was close enough, the champion shot her a venomous glare, and she stopped in her tracks.

            “The Hero! Sa’oten, what –” The champion started growling at this point, which made the woman hold up her hands. “I’m not interested in bananas, young voe. Our scouts saw a number of Yiga with prisoners, and we came here to see what we could do. Unfortunately, it seems we were expected.”

            When Wild finally relaxed, Time finally spoke. “Thank you. Even if we have to fight our way out, it’ll be much easier with friends beside us.” In the moment he had, he finally glanced back behind him.

            To his relief, his boys looked well and ready. The older boys looked none the worse for wear, especially with Hyrule fussing over Twilight’s shoulder. Wild must’ve been healed already. Legend and Wind were both a little too eager to move on. And Four…

            Four was the only one with visible injuries. He didn’t doubt the others had something hidden beneath tunics and chainmail, but one side of the smith’s face was red with cuts and scratches. It was true – most, if not all of them were minor injuries. They would heal eventually and probably wouldn’t leave much scarring at all, but…

            Time’s thoughts were interrupted when Four gave him a small smile. The smallest hero then raised an open palm and tapped his chest with his thumb. “I am fine.”

            For now, that would be enough.

            With a nod, he turned back to the soldier in front of him. “Have you seen our weapons and equipment?”

            The woman nodded, turning towards the hallway stretching out in front of them. “One of our teams found several unfamiliar bags and weapons in a hidden room. Mind your step – there are traps on the walls and the floors here.”

            With that, they all ran to follow the woman down the hall. The further they got, the more Time could hear the sounds of swords clashing, muffled calls and commands echoing in the distance.

            The first open area they walked into was full of Yiga footsoldiers and Gerudo warriors. For better or for worse, there were still plenty of both. Two thick pillars of rock hid some of the room from view, but they couldn’t hide a large group of Gerudo struggling to push their way into an entrance behind the nearest pillar.

            “Ugh, your things are in there,” the woman muttered, gesturing towards the mob. “I know you are all capable, but it would be foolish to –”

            She couldn’t finish before a flash of red appeared in front of her, and she just barely caught the sickle of a Yiga assassin with her own scimitar. Time barely managed to hold himself and the boys back from helping her.

            Both fighters were fast, their weapons more like streaks of light that were constantly shifting, constantly trying to block each other’s path. It took maybe five seconds before the woman managed to take the Yiga off guard by slamming her blade into his, sending the curved sword flying towards Time. Just as he picked it up, the woman swung her scimitar across the Yiga’s chest, and her opponent disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

            “The smaller ones aren’t strong – it’s the groups that are dangerous,” the woman said with a small grin. “Will that be enough for you to get through?”

            “I can go without it.” Time was surprised when Hyrule had already pushed his way to the front, and the younger met the eyes of the elder with firm determination. “I have a jump spell. I can get my sword and everyone else’s. If they’re together, we can all be armed in thirty seconds flat.”

            A tug on his other arm had him meeting the champion’s gaze, the one he expected. The champion in question simply pointed to the sickle Time was still holding.

            “Do you have a plan?”

            A grin, a nod, and a gesture that looked similar to how he took pictures with his slate.

            “You two are sure about this?”

            “We’ll be looking out for each other. Right, Wild?” Hyrule and Wild exchanged smiles and a quick fist bump, then turned back to Time.

            He sighed, rubbing each boy’s head with a small smile. “Using my words against me, I see.” Then, he gave Wild the scimitar. “Better hurry, Traveler. I’m already counting.”

            In a flash, the two boys were already running. As promised, Hyrule bent down and leapt over the entire group, disappearing in the next room while Wild started taking out the footsoldiers in the way. It didn’t take long before Hyrule was already flying back over the group.

            “Wild!”

            One moment, the boy was in the air, dropping what had to be Wild’s slate down to the champion. The next, he was running towards Time carrying three other swords.

            “Finally!” Wind cheered, grabbing his and immediately rushing into the fray.

            “I've got him,” Twilight said, accepting his sword and tailing the sailor.

            “We appreciate you, Traveler,” Warriors said, patting Hyrule on the shoulder before turning back to the group with a grin. “Stay out of trouble.” Time couldn’t tell if that was meant for the group or for specifically for him since the captain’s gaze was focused specifically on the elder hero. With a quick salute, he ran out to help Wild. He made it to his side at the same time a yellow glow surrounded the Yiga, freezing them in their place. “What the –?!”

            “Less than thirty seconds,” Hyrule said, waving the rest of them along. “Let’s go!”

            Time let the others go ahead of him, keeping an eye on the room as he ran. Though a few footsoldiers noticed them running, none of them had the chance to get close before one of the Gerudo warriors forced them to stay where they were. It was almost too easy.

            The next room had more Yiga than Gerudo, but the magic keeping the ones by the door in place paved way for the tide to change. As soon as Hyrule pointed out where their things were, Legend rushed ahead and made it to the pile first. “Four!”

            The smith caught his sword easily, then turned to defend the rest of the group as they rushed ahead. Sky caught his next, and Time made it to the pile just as Legend was working to pull out Biggoron’s Sword.

            “Sheesh! What kind of gloves are you wearing to carry this thing?”

            “Brown ones.” Time quickly tied the large sword behind his shoulders, meeting Legend’s unimpressed stare with a small smile before accepting the gilded sword with a nod of thanks. “Need some time?”

            “Nope.” The veteran stood up, sword already in hand and effectively showing off his array of jewelry. “Need a break, old man?”

            “Eventually. Perhaps you could do my share of the chores when we next set up camp. Give these old bones a rest.”

            Legend scoffed. “They better not touch our stuff.” Then, he was flying right back into the action, and Time was right behind him.

            With so many allies so close together, Time mostly stuck to his smaller blade, sometimes taking on his own enemies and sometimes taking down others’. Whenever he could, he looked for groups to use his larger sword on. Most of the grunts gave up easily, disappearing as soon as his sword slammed them into the nearest wall. Some were more determined, switching from swords to bows and forcing Time to switch back to the gilded blade to chase them down. With the help of the Gerudo soldiers, he sometimes had a moment to reorient, to check on his boys.

            Twilight and Wind were a force to be reckoned with, taking down groups of assassins with ease. Wild and Warriors were often surrounded – in fact, a lot of the Yiga had started targeting Wild specifically, now that he thought about it – but the champion’s resourcefulness and the captain’s wide attacks were doing well at keeping the enemy at a distance. Sky was with Four now, the smaller hero taking advantage of Sky’s height to sneak on enemies that didn’t notice him. Hyrule and Legend were similarly shaving down the Yiga with careful attacks, weaving around the cave as they took down one enemy only to move onto the next.

            And Time would find himself spotting reinforcements on the way. A flood of footsoldiers with a group of blademasters right behind them. This would be dangerous.

            “More coming, on your guard!” Time warned, switching back to Biggoron’s sword to meet them halfway. He knew he couldn’t take them all down by himself, but he would at least slow down the bl–

            Several Gerudo warriors flew past him with a loud cry, some of them taking down the footsoldiers while groups of others dealt with the larger ones. For a moment, they were at a standstill.

            “You, swordsman!”

            Time looked back to see one of the women pointing him back towards the room he was in before. “Our chief needs help further inside. Your companions are already on their way; we will clear out these rooms here.”

            He looked back towards the incoming Yiga only for a moment before sheathing his sword with a sigh. With a nod of thanks, he ran towards the other room.

            Now, there were more Gerudo than Yiga, making it easy to run past the room and down the hall. Though the floor traps were easy to avoid, a wall trap shot out just as he ran past it, the spook almost making him trip on the stairs that were right in front of him. Thankfully, none of the boys were there to tease him about it.

            Up the stairs, to the left, and out the door was open air, clear blue skies and… several blademasters. Way too many. No wonder the lower rooms were so easy to navigate.

            “No, this one’s different. He’s not the Kohga we know,” a young woman’s voice said. On her right and left were two Gerudo captains with spears at the ready. The young woman, then, must’ve been the chief. Behind her was some sort of animal with large flippers and larger teeth, slapping the ground in agitation.

            The boys were grouped together, not far from the entrance with swords drawn. They were looking at the one Yiga not in the group of blademasters. He was shorter than those behind him. Broad, but not as obviously muscular. On his back were the hilts of two thin blades.

            “See? I always said it would confuse people if were all Master Kohga!” The lone Yiga in the open crossed his arms with a huff. “But nooo, I had to take the name. Fine. Whatever. See if I care. I’ll take it and make it the stuff of legends.”

            The veteran gagged, prompting a few chuckles from the group. It only caused Kohga to sharply turn towards them. “What? Think it’s funny, do you?”

            Time hardly had a chance to breathe before Kohga drew his swords and flew towards Legend. Naturally, the veteran was more than ready, catching the two blades with his own. Sky and Four were the quickest to retaliate, thrusting their swords forward and forcing the assassin to jump back.

            “He’s fast…” Warriors muttered, keeping his sword at the ready.

            “So, we done here or what?” Kohga asked, putting away his weapons and meandering back to the chief. “I just want Gerudo Town and the bazaar. I’m not even gonna mess with the rest of Hyrule… for now. Look, you and your people can still do whatever it is you do, you can work, you can travel, you can donate your bananas –”

            “Are you even taking this seriously?!” the girl snapped. “People have homes there. My people have homes there, they earn their living there, that’s where they go to enjoy each other’s company in a safe place. I cannot simply give all of that away.”

            Kohga tsked, moving back towards the group of Yiga with a long shrug. “Welp, I tried everything. Asking, bribery, threats, direct attacks, a trade – I was gonna trade!” He shot a glare at the group of Links. “Couldn’t you just stay put for ten more minutes?”

            “Hey!” Wind would’ve said more, but Twilight was quick to cover his mouth.

            “I was trying to be reasonable, but now I’m bored.” With that, Kohga lifted up his hand to snap his fingers… and was suddenly surrounded by bright, glowing chains.

            He was frozen.

            “Boys! Let’s go!” Time leapt out of the hall with Biggoron’s Sword and quickly made his way in front of the Gerudo Chief, his boys doing the same. “Miss, you should leave.”

            “And leave it all to Link again? I don’t think so.” The young woman grinned, holding up a leather rope connected to the animal behind her. “Patricia and I will fight!”

            The chains broke, and a quick snap was buried under a loud crash and deep battle cries.

            “Bring it on!” Wind shouted, charging ahead with Wild, Four, Hyrule, and Legend right beside him. Warriors and Sky circled around to the side, the chief and her guards going around them to separate the Yiga further still.

            That left Time with the rancher. The two met each other’s gaze with a nod and a smile. Then, they charged forward to meet their opponents.

            Four this time. Two for Time, two for Twilight. He didn’t like it, but he at least knew the rancher was ready. It didn’t take long for them to find themselves back-to-back.

            Time caught one of the Yiga’s blades, using that to block the sword of the other. Pushing them back, he jumped forward and swung. Just before his sword hit them, they disappeared.

            Without hesitation, he took several steps back, just enough to feel a familiar presence behind him. It was comforting, admittedly, and useful.

            The two blademasters reappeared on either side, trapping him between them as they lifted up their swords. A flurry of wind was all the warning he got before he was forced to nudge Twilight back and roll forward. One of the blademasters managed to teleport away from the attack, but the other was thrown back several feet before he landed crouched on his feet. Just before he could stand up fully, he suddenly yelped, arching his back and disappearing in a cloud of red smoke. On the other side was Four.

            “He’s not done yet!” the smithy yelled before disappearing back into the chaos.

            Time nodded, already seeing two glowing balls forming in front of him. This time, his attack didn’t miss, and sending both Yiga staggering back. He ran forward just far enough to catch them both in a heavy spin attack, letting his blade strike them once, twice until they finally fell to their knees on the third hit. When they disappeared, they didn’t come back.

            Turning back, he saw Twilight slam into the blademasters in front of him with a spin attack before leaping up, his blade held high, and dealing a fatal blow to the first one. Flipping back, he brandished his sword and pointed it at the second one.

            “Hey – aagh!”

            All three of them looked over to see Wind being thrown across the air. His sword was missing, and he was heading right towards Twilight’s eager opponent.

            Time and Twilight acted simultaneously. The latter growled, ramming the hilt of his blade into the blademaster’s stomach and sending him reeling back. It left an empty space for Time to sprint to just in time to catch Wind in his ready arms. He wasn’t expecting the sailor to be as heavy as he was, and he stumbled a few steps before he could stop and let the the boy down.

            “Thanks, old man!” He would’ve charged right back in if Time hadn’t grabbed his arm.

            “Pace yourself, sailor. Are you alright?”

            Wind was noticeably breathing, but each breath was light and controlled. A few cuts on his sleeves and pants were lightly stained with red, brown marks and streaks caking his pant cuffs and legs. When the sailor turned back to face him, it was with a wide grin. “I’m just getting started!”

            “Wind!”

            Time let him go, watching him race back to where Hyrule was holding his sword.

            “Think they need help?” Trotting to his side was Twilight, who was watching the younger group of heroes.

            Wild was constantly freezing enemies, Legend and Wind having a little too much fun hammering into them while Four and Hyrule kept the other Yiga busy, aiming for weaker, more exposed areas and hitting them hard. Time turned away when he saw five blademasters flying back into their allies, knocking them down like dominoes.

            “Another time. The others?”

            “Sky and Warriors are fine. I think they met up with the chief.”

            A conspicuous flutter of wind interrupted their conversation. Time was quick to raise his sword – Twilight doing the same – and they both easily stopped the Yiga in his tracks when his blade slammed into theirs. To his credit, he did try to push them back, but a low kick from Twilight made him drop his sword, leaving Time to deal the final blow. They were making progress!

            Time looked around, counting. One, two, three… four, five… six and seven, indeed working keep a few blademasters away from the chief. They were fine. They were all still up and fighting. And yet…

            “Something’s wrong…” Time muttered. He counted them again. One, two, three, four, five –

            “Behind you!” Twilight snapped, shoving him away just as a small dagger flew between them.

            “Gah! Come on, I was so close!”

            Time spun around to see Kohga aggressively spinning a small dagger around his finger. The leader of the Yiga clan huffed before disappearing in a cloud of smoke. He instantly reappeared right behind Twilight with a knife to his neck.

            “These your kids or something?” Kohga asked, his voice a strange mix of curiosity and apathy. “Maybe we can do a trade just between us.”

            “Uninterested. Let him go.” Time pointed his sword at the Yiga to further his point, which only made him laugh.

            “Oooh, the big, scary man’s got a big, scary sword! What am I gonna do?” Kohga only pressed his sickle closer to Twilight’s throat.

            “Step away from him!” Time commanded, resisting the urge to step closer to him, to Twilight. The rancher had been silent the entire time, eyes moving from the sword to the Yiga to Time and back again. It was… familiar. Something about all this was…

            His eyes. The rancher’s eyes. They were not afraid. They were not confused. His eyes were ever watching, waiting. They were the eyes of someone who was focused, ready, and fearless. They reminded him of… well, himself. Long ago.

            And yet, he saw her too. He saw Malon. He saw her tenacity, her strength, her tendency towards kindness and mercy.

            These your kids or something?

            “Hey! At least pay attention to when I’m threatening you, jeez! You got wax in those ears, old man?”

            Time blinked, realizing all at once that this is ridiculous! Now more than ever, I cannot afford to be distracted! …Unless…

            Unless?

            Unless… he could turn it into something to fight for.

            Time flipped down his sword, leaning onto the hilt and letting the blade dig into the ground. “I go by Time, if you would. What is your offer?” He couldn’t help but notice Twilight frown in confusion, and oh, why was it only now that he saw how much it looked like her?

            Kohga nodded his head back towards the chaos. “Gotta admit, your shrimps are doing a number on the big guys. Thinking it might be time to split, you know? But! If you get that little girl out of the way, maybe we could make Gerudo Town our new base. Men and boys only – you’d be invited! Good deal, isn’t it?”

            Time hummed, turning back to watch the skirmish. They’d all made a little more progress on the blademasters, but the fight continued. He could see signs of fatigue on both sides. Biding for time would be dangerous, then. What he needed was for Kohga to make a slip.

            “That sounds fair,” Time said, trading the larger sword for the gilded blade.

            “Right?! Finally! I just had to talk to a guy to –”

            Time noticed at the same Twilight did. Kohga’s sword arm relaxed just enough for the rancher to yank it down, flipping the Yiga over his shoulder and slamming him into the dirt. Time was there in a flash, sword at Kohga’s neck. “Tell your men to stand down.”

            “Agh, that hurt! And you want me to be nice to you after that?”

            “Tell them now.”

            Time’s glare must’ve done the trick, because the man went silent. Then, he sighed. “Fine, fine. Get off, I gotta whistle to get these idiots’ attention.”

            The two heroes backed away to give him space, but they both had swords pointed at Kohga’s neck. Once he’d pushed himself up to a sitting position, he put two fingers beneath – wait, he’s wearing a mask, how – and gave several sharp whistles that had everyone freezing in their tracks.

            “Callin’ it quits, men! We lost,” Kohga shouted matter-of-factly. Then, he gave two more quick whistles. Several things happened all at once.

            Wild yelped in surprise, a blademaster having suddenly grabbed his arm. Said blademaster threw him towards an empty patch of ground, dangerously close to the large hole.

            Kohga disappeared and reappeared. Right where Wild landed.

            Everyone screamed the champion’s name when Kohga dragged him to the hole and pushed him in.

            Time and Twilight were sprinting side-by-side, trying to get to Wild even if they knew they wouldn’t get to him. Several of the boys were tackled by the blademasters, the quicker ones still unable to get past a wall of them that blocked their way.

            There was a distant explosion. At the same moment Time made it to the edge and Twilight was holding Kohga by the collar, Wild… flew up and out of the hole, landing flat on his face right in front of him.

            For the second time, Time felt himself frozen in shock. Wild groaned, not lifting his face as he dejectedly waved a hand in front of his fist. …What? Just happened?

            “Okay, I’m really annoyed now.” Kohga snapped, grabbing a knife from his boot slashing it across Twilight’s shoulder. Time braced himself to catch him as soon as the rancher dropped him, but the Yiga suddenly disappeared, reappearing next to Wild.

            Time didn’t hesitate to jump over the boy to tackle him, shoving him towards the edge of the pit. He was just starting to get Kohga over the edge when the Yiga suddenly grabbed the collar of his shirt. It would be both of them or neither.

            The eldest hero grinned, grabbing the wrist that held him. “Have it your way.” And they both went over.

            “C’mon, get off!”

            Time only held the man tighter as he struggled to escape his grip.

            Then, he wasn’t holding the man at all.

            Wild had slammed into them both, separating them and grabbing something from his belt. Before Kohga could teleport away, the champion flipped over his slate and clicked a yellow lock, freezing him in place. Then, he spun around and put his arms firmly around Time. A moment later, a burst of wind flew out from beneath them. Kohga, still glowing a faint yellow, silently fell into the abyss.

            Time could only watch as a tornado of green surrounded them, led on by what looked to be a bird-like creature. He could’ve sworn he heard someone – the bird? – say, “hurry it up!” He would’ve said something, asked Wild what he was doing and why he thought it was a good idea to jump down what seemed like an endless hole… before he realized they were starting to slow down.

            The bird flew around them a few more times before shooting below them and flying straight up. The wind obediently followed suit, giving them one last push before it all disappeared. Then, it was silent.

            But, they were still moving up.

            It was then Time found himself holding Wild in a death grip, and he eased his hold on the poor champion. Wild, however, didn’t let go. If anything, he held on tighter, so Time kept his arms firmly around him. After a long moment of silence, he finally looked up. Above them were several purple… balloons? All of them seemingly attached to his back. That… would explain some things.

            Slowly, but surely, they were floating higher and higher towards the top, towards the light where Sky and Warriors were kneeling down with arms stretched out. A few more purple balloons floated up to join the cluster, and Time could feel Wild pulling out more. His unasked question was answered when a balloon suddenly popped, then another. He couldn’t help the nervous feeling that settled in his stomach as he watched, but by the time they stopped popping, they still had enough to keep them floating up.

            A few minutes later, they were close enough for Warriors to grab Time’s hand, holding it a little tighter than he really needed to as he glared at the elder hero. “You trying to get yourself killed? There’s no battlefield down there! We can’t come help when you do something stupid!”

            At first, Time didn’t know what to say. By then, Sky was grabbing his other arm and pulling them back to solid ground, back to safety. The rest of the group was already there and waiting, and it seemed the rest of the Yiga were gone. It was when someone started pulling balloons off his back, and Warrior’s glare never wavered, that he finally realized. The suspicion, the question, the quip… the captain finally knew who he was. That he was the young boy he’d fought with in the War Across the Ages.

            “I didn’t do it without reason, captain,” Time said. “I’m sorry for worrying you. I don’t plan to make it a habit, but I can’t promise I won’t do it again.”

            Warriors didn’t budge, even after Time was free of balloons. Neither of them had the chance to say anything else before Wind barreled straight into him and Wild, giving them a tight hug. When Four came next, and Sky right behind him, the captain finally let go to hug him properly.

            “You scared me, Sprite. I missed you.”

            “I missed you too.”

            One by one, the rest of the boys joined the hug until they were all together and warm and safe. They were alive. All of his boys were alive.

            “Thank you, young champion,” Time eventually said. “All of you, thank you. I’m glad you’re okay. I’ve… found myself becoming quite fond of you all, and I’m so proud of you.”

            Though he couldn’t see the rest of them, he could feel it. A subtle wave of something causing all of them to stiffen. Immediately, he was ready to take it back – they were uncomfortable, he told Malon, he told her –

            “Didn’t think you were the sappy type, old man.”

            “Shut up and take his love, Vet.”

            “You guys are ruining the moment!”

            “I’m… actually starting to get a little squished…”

            A collective sigh ran through the group as they all separated, pointedly looking away from the chief and her two guards who were apparently still there.

            “Friends of the Hero, we thank you,” the young girl said, and the two women beside her bowed in their own silent thanks. “If there’s anything we can do for you, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

            Finally, Wild stirred. Even after they were safe, he’d refused to let go of Time and was still on his lap even after everyone left. The champion gave him one last squeeze before pulling back, wiping what had been silent tears. Time couldn’t even begin to ask if he was okay before Wild waved it off. Instead, the boy just punched him firmly on the shoulder before getting up and walking towards the chief. After his own bow, he started rapidly signing something he couldn’t see.

            “Ah, slow down, please!” The girl yelped, flustered for the first time since they’d seen her. After a few more moments, she nodded with a small smile. “Of course! Follow me.”

~

            It was almost surreal how quiet the cave system was after that. There were no footsoldiers and no blademasters to ambush them as they made their way out. To the heroes’ relief, everyone’s bags were still right where they left them, and they were much more at ease with all their things. Once they were back outside, the chief – Riju, Time would learn her name was – gave them all potions that instantly made the air a little cooler. Closer to the open desert was a group of Gerudo women next to animals that were much like Riju’s.

            “The oasis is a little far, so our sand seal friends can help us get there quicker!” Riju explained, gesturing for them to each grab a leash.

            Five minutes later saw Wild, Twilight, Warriors, and Riju racing across the sands to get there first. Time hung back to keep watch over the rest of his boys, and most certainly not because he was pretty sure he’d fall flat on his face if he tried moving.

            Ultimately, Riju made it to the bazaar first, Wild hot on her tail. Twilight managed to slip into third place, much to Warriors’ annoyance, and the rest of them came in together. After setting up camp and changing into lighter gear, Time gave the boys the rest of the day off. Though they all took a break after the long battle, it wasn’t long before a few of them got restless and wandered off to explore. Time himself stayed at camp, not willing to lose the opportunity to take a short nap.

            Which naturally meant that the next time he opened his eyes, it was to Sky shaking his shoulders with a small smile. “Almost time for dinner. You’ll want to see this.”

            Even before the chosen hero stepped away, Time noticed the difference. Colored lanterns were being hung throughout the area, many being lit as the sun began to set. Surrounding the small lake were several blankets with one or two people at each preparing some sort of food. While most were cooking, others were chopping fruits and vegetables that went into wooden bowls. Apparently, Wild had his own blanket and was stirring something in a pot.

            Quite a few people were waiting throughout the bazaar, groups of people chatting excitedly about the food. When a few muted dings echoed through the air, they all started moving towards the blankets, getting a little food from one before moving on to another.

            After a long stretch, Time sat up and accepted a plate from Sky as he stood. “Thank you. Shall we?”

            Sky beamed, happily walking at his side. Together, they grabbed all kinds of food, some familiar, some not, some that looked as delicious as they smelled, and some that looked suspiciously inedible. “Have to try,” the chosen hero chirped, grabbing a couple red, needly balls before moving on. Eventually, they made it to Wild’s blanket.

            When he saw them, he gave them a sheepish smile, circling a fist above his chest as he lifted up a half-filled cup. The pot below him was completely empty.

            “Looks like everyone else beat us to him,” Sky said with a sigh, stepping back to let Time take the stew.

            “As I would expect,” Time replied, taking the cup and adding it to Sky’s already precarious pile of food. “Thank you, Wild. Do you need help cleaning up?”

            Wild huffed a quiet laugh, shaking his head and shooing them away. As they were making their way back to their campsite, Time spotted the rest of the boys already there, eating and chatting away. He also couldn’t help but notice some of the boys subtly handing Hyrule whatever they didn’t want. No matter what it was, he’d either eat it with a shrug or store it in his bag. Time wasn’t sure if he should be concerned, impressed, or amused.

            He ended up sitting next to Sky in the exact spot he’d taken a nap in. For a while, the two were content to eat in silence, listening to the chatter around them. It was sometime after Wild returned and Twilight shoved a plate into his hands that Sky spoke first.

            “Hey, Time. Do you think we’ll be together like this for a while?”

            If that wasn’t a loaded question, Time wouldn’t know what was. He set down his plate beside him, trading it for his cup of water. “Perhaps. It’s hard to say. Is there a reason you ask?”

            As he suspected, Sky was quiet for a moment. While he took a long drink, the younger man cut open the spiked casing to reveal an opaque, round fruit inside. “No. Well… I don’t know. I think… this is nice, is all. Even if I’m tired a lot or we face dangerous enemies, I’m glad to be on this journey with everyone. I like being a part of this group; I trust you guys. I hope… is it wrong to hope that we can be together for a while?”

            Time hummed, forgoing an immediate answer to wrap his arm around Sky’s shoulders. He found his eyes wandering between the boys, his boys, as they ate. Four, smiling and full of energy, face clean except for one thin scratch. Hyrule, shy and quiet but still allowing a lively sailor to hold his arm. Wind, laughing loudly and trading friendly quips with the captain. Warriors, trying to look offended even if his smile said otherwise. Legend, not quite alone but not quite with any group, watching over them all with a small smile. Wild, trying and failing to eat while teaching the rancher signs. And then, there was Twilight.

            Twilight was an honest man. Time could see that the day they met. He could sense the shadows that pulsed around him, but when he realized they were only part of the friendly wolf, he decided to keep the rancher’s secret. The young man was kind, charismatic, strong, and always strove to do the right thing. But, beyond that, he felt familiar. How he did, Time couldn’t say. But if some of their small group of heroes were simply separated by time, then…

            These your kids or something?

            It was possible. And something about that made him feel… right. Deep within himself, he felt small, warm ball of quiet joy. If this boy was his descendant, Time thinks he would proud to call him family.

            If this boy was his descendant, that is. And to know that would take time. He’d have to get to know the rancher better.

            Finally, his gaze drifted back to the chosen hero. Strong, soft, and bright Sky. He’d like to get to know him better, too. He’d like to get to know all of them. A month is a long time for some, but it's not really enough for a group of boys still getting used to not being alone.

            “I suppose that would make us both wrong.”

            Sky’s eyes widened at his response. After a moment, his face softened to an easy smile, and he made himself comfortable as he turned back towards the horizon. It was dark now, the beginnings of stars twinkling in the sky as the festivities continued around them. A small gust of wind carried specks of sand across the air.

            The breeze was nice, even if the captain would complain later about sand in his hair.

Chapter Text

            Usually, the portals the group travelled through were relatively safe.

            Usually.

            Today, when Sky walked through this particular portal, he felt whatever ground the gates usually had disappear beneath him. And he was falling backwards into swirls of purple, pink, and black. This is why you’re not supposed to mess with dark magic!

            When he finally managed to flip himself over, he was almost blinded by the light below him. He felt the heavy aura of darkness slip away as he rubbed his eyes, trying to get them to focus. By the time he could finally squint, it was too late.

            “Incoming!!!”

            Wind’s yell was barely warning enough before he slammed onto thick wood. He would’ve stood up, but he realized with a very physical jolt that whatever was beneath him was moving. Several more slams came far too close – more yelling – and Sky could feel himself spiraling downward as one more body flew into him with a loud squawk. He couldn’t even try to check on Warriors before they crashed into solid ground. The warning of an oncoming headache was not far behind.

            “Sky!”

            In half a second, the captain was kneeling in front of him, brushing the hair away from his face. “I am so sorry! Are you alright? Here, follow my finger for a second.”

            Sky blinked once, twice. Though it was painful, he could indeed keep track of Warriors’ moving finger. Headache, yes. Concussion, no. “…We’re on a flying house.”

            “Aiiieeeee!”

            Oh no. He knew that frustrated screech. Sky was on his feet in a fourth of a second, headache forgotten as a lanky man marched out of the now poor-excuse of an entryway.

            “Do you know how hard it is to keep this thing in the air?! I pedal hard enough without a group of numbskulls thinking it would be funny to jump on at the same time! What kind of knight tries to pick on an innocent merchant?! You all should be ashamed of yourselves! Look what you’ve done!”

            Indeed, the tiny house Sky knew to be Beetle’s shop was pathetic. Upright, by the mercy of the goddess, but barely. When it was clear it was safe, Warriors stepped out from behind him with a chuckle, patting him on the back as he went to check on the others.

            “Beedle?!” Wind, despite being caked with dust and woodchips, leapt to his feet and circled the shopkeeper with a wide smile. “Whoa, you look just like him! Are you related? This ain’t my Hyrule, you’ve gotta be like, his cousin or something! Or great grandpa? How’s business? Got any apprentices?”

            “Oh, aren’t you a curious one!” Beedle gushed, crouching down to be face-to-face with the sailor. “Well, before I answer your questions, how about you answer mine… how do you expect to pay for this?!”

            Any pretense of kindness was gone, and the merchant was back to his previous glare so fast, the sailor himself backed away. “Geez, it was an accident, okay? We fell out of a portal.”

            Sky found himself looking up to follow where the sailor was pointing and found, to absolutely no one’s surprise, clear blue skies (“Aw, come on!”).

            “Hey! What’s going on over here?!”

            Oh, thank goodness –

            “These hooligans wrecked my shop!”

            On second thought, he could only see this going downhill.

            “Pipit!” Sky shouted with the brightest smile he could muster, waving to the senior knight and his girlfriend. “Karane! It’s been a while! You’ll never believe what happened –”

            “Link. Tell me this wasn’t you and… new friends, I’m guessing?” Pipit looked the group over, his frown only getting deeper. “Are they knights too? It doesn’t matter where they’re from – they should all know better. And it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been gone; you especially should know better.”

            “Pipit! Link just got here, be nice!” Karane said, sharply elbowing his stomach. “Besides, it sounded like he was just about to explain what happened – maybe you oughta listen before judging him.”

            “But this mess…”

            “Will be taken care of, rest assured.”

            Sky found himself straightening up at the same time Pipit and Karane did, making way for Instructor Owlan. By then, the rest of the group was on their feet and mostly dust free. Owlan looked them over with a small smile. “I saw the portal, travelers. You’re lucky you weren’t hurt more.” He then nodded to Time. “You lead these young men, I presume?”

            “When necessary,” Time replied, walking over and extending a hand. “But, you’ll find they are more than capable alone. For simplicity’s sake, you may call me Time.”

            Owlan shook his hand. “A strange name. You’ve found yourself with an interesting company, Link.”

            It took a moment of silence before Sky realized he was the Link being spoken to, and he felt himself scratching the back of his head when he noticed everyone staring. “Uh, yeah… as strange as they are, they’re all good people. They’re just as honorable as our Skyloftian Knights, and I’m glad I met them.”

            There was a knowing hum, a few smiles, an audible “aww,” and an unimpressed scoff among other quiet reactions.

            “Ah-HEM.”

            Whatever mood the group was feeling disappeared when Beedle impatiently tapped his foot and gestured pointedly to his broken shop.

            “Yeah, yeah. The guy said he’d pay for it, so relax.” Legend brushed past the gawking shopkeeper to address Owlan. “Any monster sightings in the area? We’ll take care of it.”

            The instructor gave him a rare grin in reply before turning to the Skyloftian knights. “Pipit. If you would inform the headmaster of this development as well as the travelers’ arrival. Karane, please stay and help the shopkeeper until his return.”

            The senior knights saluted simultaneously. While Karane moved back to ask Beedle about the damage, Pipit immediately sprinted towards the academy.

            Owlan turned back to Legend. “Quick and to the point, I see. Unfortunately – well, fortunately, really– there’s not much I can tell you. Skyloft is a peaceful city. Any monsters you would find here are quickly dispatched by the knights, though, we haven’t even seen them for quite some time. But the headmaster may have more information for you.”

            “Skyloft? Ain’t that yours, Sky?” Twilight asked.

            Sky smiled in reply. “Welcome to my home. I’d show you around, but we should probably visit the Headmaster first…”

            Owlan gestured for the group to follow him, turning away to lead them. “Indeed. Or, perhaps there’s someone else you hope to find?”

            Sky could almost feel the group’s grins even without looking behind him to see. Thankfully, none of them could see his face getting hot. “Well, I wouldn’t mind saying hello to any friends we pass by, of course…”

            “More like ‘say hello to Zelda if we pass by!’”

            Wind’s comment had even Owlan chuckling at his expense, but Sky refused to give in. “And Zelda, of course!”

            “Friends ‘and Zelda?’ So, Zelda isn’t a friend?”

            “Sky, how could you be so cruel?!”

            “Unless she’s more than that…”

            “Instructor Owlan, is there really nothing strange going on here?” Sky asked, trying to act unfazed as he blatantly changed the subject. “Nothing different, even if it’s not dangerous?”

            Owlan turned back with a small grin, knowing exactly what he was doing but having the decency to not call him out. Unlike some people. “Please, Link. I may be your senior, but I am no longer your instructor. You may call me Owlan. And no, we haven’t seen anything of note. The headmaster has been keeping in contact with the surface scouts, so he may have more information for you.”

            Sky nodded with a hum, following him as the rest of them tried and failed to get him to admit anything tell them about Zelda. They’d figure it out when they met her as far as he was concerned. If they were able to meet her. Wait, wasn’t she on the surface?

            “Instructor Owlan, isn’t Zelda on the surface? Did something happen? Is she okay?”

            Owlan slowed just enough to put a hand on his shoulder. “Zelda is fine. In fact, I thought it a strange coincidence that you and your friends arrived on the same day she happened to come for a visit.”

            “Strange…” Sky murmured, suddenly hit with the realization that Zelda was here. She was here, in Skyloft. He could actually see her!

            Pride forgotten, he sprinted ahead with a smile he couldn’t wipe off his face. Zelda was here! He was gonna take advantage of every second.

            He couldn’t help but laugh hearing the cheers and whoops behind him as he took the stairs up three at a time. It didn’t seem like anyone was in a hurry to follow him, but Owlan would make sure they didn’t get lost.

            Knowing Zelda would probably be with her father, Sky dashed up the stacked boxes and pulled himself up the ledge that would bring him to the academy’s second floor. In the blink of an eye, he was back inside the Knight Academy halls. At the moment, no one was in around. Probably because of the whole Beedle situation…

            Shaking his head, Sky jogged over to the headmaster’s office. To his delight, he could hear two familiar voices inside, and he didn’t hesitate to push open the doors.

            As he suspected, Headmaster Gaepora and Zelda were both inside. Both of them were suddenly silent, turning to see who’d interrupted them. They were both understandably skeptical, but their frowns immediately became wide smiles when they realized who it was. After a beat of silence, Zelda jumped over the table and threw herself into his ready arms.

            She was warm and safe and smelled like the forest. It was perfect. She was perfect. They were both laughing and holding each other as tightly as they could while Sky spun her around in the empty hall. After a few moments, he finally let her down, but he didn’t let her go. In his defense, she didn’t really let him go either, and that’s exactly what he was planning to say when he heard several sets of footsteps stomping up the stairs.

            “Ah, it seems he found you already.”

            “Ugh, get a room.”

            “Oh, hush you! They’re young and in love!”

            “Link…” Finally, Zelda took a step back, not letting go of his shoulders as her smile suddenly became a steely glare. “Where. Have. You. Been?!”

            Ohhh, this was bad. How long had he been gone? Several weeks to him, but how long had it been for her? He should’ve tried to contact her somehow... Wait, he wrote, didn’t he? He wrote her letters when the postman constantly ambushed the group, didn’t he?!

            “Uh…” was his only eloquent response. The group behind them burst into laughter, and he was relieved when Zelda’s glare softened to a mischievous giggle.

            “I got your letters, silly. Did you forget about that, too?”

            “No! I just – you know, thought I might’ve – well, you know –”

            “Is anybody gonna help him, or…?” Wind asked.

            “If I may,” Gaepora interrupted, a warm smile betraying his own amusement as others snickered around him. “I heard from Pipit that you’re in the business of monster hunting. I can’t say whether that surprises me or concerns me, but I can safely say I haven’t heard of anything of the sort. Here or on the Surface.”

            There was a moment of silence as the group exchanged glances, faces ranging from confused to tentatively hopeful.

            “If I remember correctly Sky, you mentioned there were not many people on the Surface? Not many creatures unfamiliar with the monsters they could come across?” Time asked.

            Sky looked back to Zelda, who shook her head. “We know a lot more than we used to, but the Surface still isn’t a good place for Hylians yet. I haven’t heard of any trouble from anyone else.”

            “Hm.” For a moment, Time’s response had everyone silent. Even the headmaster was quiet, responding only with a raised eyebrow. Eventually, Time looked up with a small smile. “Well, if there’s nothing of immediate concern, then I think our small group is long overdue for a break.”

            “YES!” Wind threw a fist in the air, immediately running over to Sky and pulling on his sleeve. “First things first – you gotta show us which room’s yours!”

            “Or, you can let these fine folks catch up,” Warriors said, grabbing Wind’s collar to pull him away. “And we can explore the city outside.”

            “No, it’s fine. My room is just downstairs.” Sky turned to Zelda as he spoke. “Should we go together?”

            With a bright smile, she linked her arm with his. “I think I could spare a moment or two. And you have to introduce me to the rest of your friends!”

            The clearing of a throat had everyone turning back to the headmaster. “Zelda. Do take your time, but please return when you have a moment so we can finish our discussion. Until then, Instructor Owlan, if you wouldn’t mind…”

            The instructor in question gave the group a nod and a smile before following Headmaster Gaepora into his office. Then, it was quiet.

            “Well? They aren’t gonna find your room themselves!” Zelda said, pushing him towards the stairs. “Oh! And you can all call me Zelda. Link and I are fletchings.”

            “You’re what?”

            “Like I just said –”

            “What d’you mean, ‘like I just said’?”

            “You’ve all used arrows, haven’t you?” Zelda explained, leading them down towards his room. “The feathers on the bottom are what make an arrow’s “fletching.” They’re part of the same arrow. They follow the same path.”

            “Oh!” Hyrule smiled, the second of the group to catch her meaning. “And just like an arrow, no matter where your path takes you, you’ll always be together!”

            “I knew it!”

            “We all knew it, sailor.”

            “I assume we’ll be invited to the wedding, Sky?”

            Sky shot Time a look of betrayal, his only response the laughter of the rest of the group, a few dissolving into cackling when they saw his beet-red face. He at least felt a little better with Zelda at his side.

            “Only if you tell me to whom the invitations are going,” she replied without missing a beat, stopping the group outside his door. Time was the first to walk forward.

            “Forgive our rudeness. For simplicity, you may call me Time.” He then walked over to Twilight, putting a hand on his shoulder. “This young rancher is Twilight. Beside him is the champion, Wild. Then we have Hyrule, the traveler; Wind, the sailor; Four, the smithy; Legend, the veteran; and Warriors, the captain.”

            “A pleasure to finally meet you all,” Zelda said. “And thank you. For taking care of Link.”

            “The pleasure is ours, Miss Zelda,” Warriors replied with a bow. Any smooth pretense was instantly broken when he was elbowed in the side by Legend.

            “It’ll be a little tight for all of us,” Sky warned, opening his door and inviting the group in before the vet and captain caused a scene. While the younger ones filed in excitedly – Warriors being dragged in by an enthusiastic Wind – the older ones in the group looked in from outside.

            “This is really nice, Sky!” Hyrule said from the edge of his bed, looking around as he felt the blankets beneath them.

            “Kind of messy in here, though. Don’t you ever clean it?” Wind barely had the chance to finish his question before the captain dragged him away from his now-open dresser with a disapproving glare. “Hey, he invited us in here – I didn’t even touch anything!”

            “Have you always done woodcarving?”

            Sky smiled as Four carefully picked up one of his hawk carvings, turning it around in his hands. Though it was small, an approving grin became wider and wider with each turn. It was actually kind of nice seeing the younger boy smile like that. “Not always, but a long time, yes.”

            He gave Zelda’s arm one last squeeze before letting go to walk to his shelf, pulling down some of the harder-to-reach figures. He passed them out among the group inside, leaving those outside to curiously poke their heads in to see.

            “This is incredible!” The captain said, showing a remlit carving to Time while Wind showed a parrot to Twilight and Legend.

            “Right?! He even made this one for me!” Zelda pulled out a small figurine of her loftwing to show the others.

            “Woooah!” Wind passed the parrot to Legend in favor of seeing the loftwing up close. “Could you make one for me? But, like, a dragon instead of a bird. I’ll pay for it!”

            “With your own rupees?”

            “Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?!”

            Sky laughed awkwardly, absentmindedly scratching the back of his head. Beyond knowing that Wind would absolutely stoop to stealing from the group if he knew it wouldn’t be a major loss… “I don’t know if I could make a dragon, but I could make something else if you’d like? Maybe a –”

            “Wait, wait! Don’t tell me – I want it to be a surprise!”

            Sky traded a look with Zelda, who smiled in amusement. “It seems like you have a fun group of friends with you. I’m glad.”

            With a smile, he simply shrugged as he gathered some of his tools that were strewn about the desk. “They’re good friends and good people. I wish you could be with us, Zelda, you’d get along great with Wind.”

            The sailor proudly put his hands on his hips and opened his mouth to reply, but a quick set of footsteps had everyone turning towards the door. Legend and Twilight both had to jump back to make way for Pipit. A frustrated glare quickly shifted into something more neutral when he saw the rest of the group.

            “Hi! Sorry to interrupt.” He took a few breaths before straightening up to salute. “Link, I’m really sorry, but that merchant is really starting to get on Karane’s nerves. I tried to calm things down, but… well, I’m pretty sure I made things worse.”

            Sky grimaced. That was definitely code for ‘he got mad and started yelling.’ Which also meant Beedle would be causing a scene. Shouldn’t the merchant have gotten his money by now? “Alright, I’m coming. Don’t worry guys – let’s meet up back here for lunch later today, okay?”

            There were a few shared glances of concern before the group reluctantly nodded. Once all of them put away the carvings and shuffled out of his room, Sky took Zelda’s hand, waved goodbye to the group, and jogged back to the wreckage.

            By then, the mess was a lot more contained. The largest cart Sky had ever seen was carrying Beedle’s house towards the plaza, Jakamar leading the way while knights and villagers worked together to pull the cart.

            Still arguing near the river were Beedle and Karane, and both of them only seemed to be getting more and more heated.

            “Whaddya mean, there’s nothing else you can do?! I’m losing rupees here!”

            “I realize that and I’m sorry, but at least you didn’t lose your house! We’re already providing you a place to stay in the meantime – the Lumpy Pumpkin always has great service! We can’t just give you more for no reason!”

            “My livelihood is ‘no reason’ to you?! Losing everything I had to sell is nothing?! Do you know how much it cost to get everything?!”

            Hoo boy.

            Sky had to physically hold Pipit back from stomping right back into trouble. “Zelda and I’ll take care of it. Get Karane back to the Academy; make sure she’s okay.”

            “…Fine.”

            When they were sure Pipit wasn’t going to do anything reckless, Sky and Zelda both went over to Karane. Before he could say a word, Zelda put a gentle hand on her shoulder. The glare she got in return immediately had Sky putting up his hands to placate her, but the anger quickly shifted into a much safer expression of tired frustration.

            “You can go back to the academy for now, Karane,” Zelda said, ignoring the merchant’s offended squawk behind her. “We’ll make sure he gets what he needs.”

            Karane didn’t even try to argue. With a lazy salute, she trudged back to Pipit and the two slowly made their way back to the Knight Academy.

            “Oh! You’re the headmaster’s daughter, aren’t you?” The merchant’s earlier anger disappeared completely when he realized who he was talking to. “You’ll help me, won’t you?!”

            Zelda nodded, gesturing towards the plaza. “I’ll do what I can, but let’s get you to the Lumpy Pumpkin first. We can –”

            “Oh, but I really need those extra rupees before we go! You see, those hooligans didn’t just wreck my shop, they destroyed everything I was selling. It’s such a huge loss, and I just can’t let it slide!”

            “What kind of loss?”

            “100,000 rupees worth, that’s what!”

            “HA!”

            Sky’s eyes widened. Beedle and Zelda looked back at him at the same time he covered his mouth. It just came out!

            “Hey, he was with the punks that jumped on my shop!” Beedle pointed an accusing finger towards Sky. “And I thought you were supposed to be a loyal customer! We were best buddies!”

            Sky tilted his head in confusion. “Um… I appreciate that you sold me a lot of useful stuff, but I don’t know if I could call someone who ripped me off a ‘buddy.’”

            “What?”

            “Yeah, he –” Suddenly, Sky went quiet. He couldn’t see Zelda’s face, but from her rigid posture and clenched fists, he could tell she wasn’t happy. If her posture wasn’t hint enough, Beedle’s suddenly pale face gave it away. Maybe he should’ve just kept quiet…

            “Link. Tell me what he did.”

            Was there a way he could take that back? He didn’t really like Beedle all that much, but he didn’t want the poor sap to actually get hurt. He could almost see the fury radiating off of Zelda.

            “LINK!”

            “It’s not a big deal,” Sky insisted, going to the merchant’s side – oh, she was angry alright – and waving his arms to placate her. “He did what he had to do! Sure, it was annoying when he raised his prices on me without warning, but he had a lot of useful things that I used to help you!”

            “Ah, yes, what he said!” Beedle added, nodding almost frantically.

            “How dare you?!” Zelda pointed a threatening finger at the sweating merchant. “Link worked so hard to save me and protect you! And you took advantage of that?! Neither of us would be here if Link hadn’t had the courage to fight a literal god to save us all! And all you could think of was how many rupees you could squeeze out of him?!”

            With every jab of her finger, Beedle tried to back away from her only for her to follow him step for step. Sky sighed, knowing there was no way to stop her now that she was on a roll. May the goddess have mercy on the merchant’s soul.

            “You too, eh?”

            Sky looked back just in time for Twilight to walk up to his side and give him a hearty pat on the shoulder. “She looks like Ilia when I came back from the ranch with Epona injured. I would’ve taken care of it, but she couldn’t wait.”

            It only took a few minutes before Beedle was dejectedly meandering towards a knight who suddenly jolted upright, double-checking the saddle on his loftwing. Zelda, once the merchant was actually interacting with the knight, gave a satisfied hmph and walked back over to Sky.

            “Howdy, Miss Zelda,” Twilight said with a slight bow. “I don’t mean to interrupt; I just wanted to make sure no one was hurt, if y’all know what I mean.”

            Zelda smiled innocently. “Oh, no, that sort of thing doesn’t happen here! Not yet.”

            Sky met Twilight’s eyes, and both silently nodded. May the merchant rest in peace…es.

            Tweeeeet!

            The shrill whistle had everyone turning towards the bell tower. A knight was blowing long, loud signals that had knights running towards a yellow-clothed knight reading some sort of report. Sky couldn’t catch most of it, but what he did was enough.

            Lanayru. Infected. Mines.

            Of course it would be there.

            “Sounds like our type of job,” Twilight said, waving to the both of them and jogging towards the ever-growing group.

            Sky felt a reassuring hand squeeze his, and he looked up to see Zelda with a smile and a raised eyebrow. “Hey, it’s only a few monsters. We can have a big dinner with your friends when we get back!”

            Sky nodded absentmindedly, noticing some of their group running towards the crowd. “That sounds nice. It might take longer than you think, though, if they’re the monsters we’re looking for.”

            “Well, it’s a good thing you’ll have extra help.”

            “…Zelda –”

            “Hey, no. Don’t ‘Zelda’ me – I’m coming. I can fight!”

            “I know! I know, just…” Sky held her closer, lowering his voice. “Not Lanayru. Please.”

            For a moment, they were both quiet. He knew she’d probably gone there multiple times while he was gone. He wouldn’t be surprised. But now that he was here, and they were probably going to that temple because monsters always had to disturb holy places…

            “One day.”

            Sky looked back to Zelda just in time to get a threatening finger pointed at his face. “You get 24 hours, Link. If you’re not back, I’ll drag your sorry butt back home! Without giving you a potion first.”

            That should’ve been threatening. Well, it was, really. But more than that, it was comforting. Zelda would wait for him right here, where she would be safe. Where she wouldn’t be –

            “Sky?”

            He didn’t realize until Hyrule had spoken that the rest of the group had made it. Time and Warriors were both talking to the knight from before, and it looked like Pipit was starting to wave some of the knights away. Apparently, this would be a job for them.

            “I’m really sorry to take you away from Pr—uh, Zelda, but I think we’re about to leave,” Hyrule said with a frown. “Do you guys have a portal around here?”

            “Something like that.” As the knights whistled for their loftwings, Sky gave Zelda a warm hug. “I’ll be back soon. Don’t get into trouble.”

            “You’re one to talk. You’ve got less than 24 hours now – I’ve already started counting.”

            Sky tried to let go of her, but she stubbornly held on. It was when she giggled that he picked up on her ploy, and he couldn’t help but grin as he frantically tried to escape her arms. Eventually, he let out a dramatic sigh before lifting her up and waddling over to the group. Poor Hyrule didn’t seem to know whether to smile, laugh, or pretend he couldn’t see.

            Once the group of Links were together (plus one Zelda), Sky nodded his thanks to Pipit and turned towards the more decorated of the group. “You might want to pack up any loose items you have.”

            “Why…?” Warriors asked, looking up towards the incoming loftwings in suspicion.

            “Wouldn’t want to drop anything, right?”

            With a wink, he swept Zelda off her feet and sprinted towards the bridge, much to the group’s very verbal shock. Before they could even manage half a question, he jumped off. At the same time, Zelda grabbed his hand, drifting to his side as they both plummeted towards the clouds. Two sharp whistles and a moment later, maroon and lavender streaks swooped below them and carried them back upwards.

            Wild would’ve loved this.

            At the same time they both spiraled back above the bridge, the group was just getting settled on the knights’ other loftwings. It took a couple circles around Skyloft before they finally took off. Sky gave the group a few sharp whistles before veering to the south. Despite his adventure being over, the light beams marking the three main realms of the Surface were still there.

            The minutes went by too fast. As the other knights guided their loftwings beneath the clouds, Sky stayed with Zelda, both of them slowly spiraling downwards. At first, neither of them spoke. Anything that could’ve been said were things the other already knew. Be safe. I’ll be back soon.

            I love you.

            Then, Sky was at the edge of the clouds. He gave Zelda one last smile – she gave him a nod in return – before he had Crimson bring him down. Unsurprisingly, the others were heading towards the Lanayru Desert, right in front of the mining facility. He was still pretty high up when the first of the group made it to the ground…

            Yeah, he was diving again.

            After giving Crimson a couple pats of thanks, he jumped off with a loud whoop. It drew the attention of Four and Wild, former covering his eyes and the latter grinning mischievously. Just before Sky passed him, Wild leapt off his loftwing with the knight watching over him shouting in surprise.

            The ground came closer and closer. Sky met eyes with the champion, who’s eyes sparkled with a silent challenge. 200 feet. 150 feet. 100. 80. 60. Closer… closer…

            “HEY!”

            As soon as he heard a flap beside him, Sky grabbed his sailcloth and swung himself forward. The ground came not a second later, and he managed a couple steps before he fell… and managed to land at a kneel, using one hand to steady himself. Even after all this time, he still got it.

            “Twilight, I had it!” Wild landed a little more gracefully than his opponent, but his pout was proof enough that he conceded defeat.

            “Yeah, you both had a hankering for pancakes from what I saw!”

            “A what for what?”

            “You could’ve died!”

            “Boys.” Time shot them a look before turning back to the knights. “Thank you for taking us here. We’ll take care of this.”

            “Be careful,” one of them replied, putting a fist on his chest in salute. Then he signaled to the rest of the knights, and they were all flying back towards the clouds.

            “Sky, you’re crazy!” Wind shouted with a bright smile. It gave him a weird feeling of déjà vu…

            “Who knew the Chosen had a reckless side?” The captain gave him a slap on the back, looking up the flight of stairs in front of him. “That mean you’re leading the way too?”

            “Is no one gonna talk about what just happened?!”

            Sky turned back to the group with an innocent smile – the looks on their faces! – and gestured to the mining facility. “I can lead the way. Follow me.”

            It took a few beats before he could hear the rest of the group following behind him. There was definitely a hushed comment about him being secretly evil, but he would neither confirm nor deny that statement. The answer was obvious, anyway.

            “If you have any wooden shields, I would use those here. Almost all the monsters here have electric weapons or abilities.”

            “Could’ve told us that earlier, birdbrain…”

            It took Sky a moment before he realized the implications of that statement, and he suddenly spun back towards the group. “Oh, feathers…!”

            Despite the veteran’s complaint, all of them were holding up wooden shields with wry and amused grins. Some of them looked unfamiliar, but a handful of the group were carrying Skyloftian shields.

            “The knights gave us these when we landed,” Hyrule explained, patting his shield with his sword. Of course they did.

            “Right. I knew that, obviously,” Sky said with a small laugh, turning back towards the dark hall ahead. “We should get past the first couple rooms just fine, but keep a lookout for chuchus after that. They’ll zap you before you can even wonder where they came from.”

            A few knowing hums were given in response. Then, the group was off.

            Just as before, the first room had nothing but bugs. There was a violent shudder behind him (“You okay?” “What are you, a dog?” “They’re just bugs!” “You’ve never had ‘em crawlin’ all over ya.”), but no other hint of more danger. The staldra in the next room didn’t even phase the group. The open hall, however…

            “Gyaaah!”

            All nine of them sprinted towards the first square, barely dodging the electric chuchu that sprung out of the floor below. Sky took care of it before joining the rest of them.

            “More knights in the back!”

            “Sky, tell me you didn’t walk on this death trap –”

            “It’s for minecarts – duck!”

            Despite being surprised by the armored strangers, the Skyloftian knights were quick to understand whose side they were on. Before, there were eight monsters against three knights. Two more were shielding themselves in a corner, a corner Hyrule immediately ran over to. Now, there was more than enough people to each monster. The first two bokoblins went down easily, but there was a trio of skuldra constantly forcing them to defend. Add onto that two sentros and an armos –

            Sky just managed to grab Four and jump out of the way of an oncoming beam. There was a lot to pay attention to, almost too much.

            “Thanks,” Four said quickly, jumping up and pulling Sky to a stand. “I saw four knights in the back with more monsters. That cart won’t get here fast enough.”

            It’ll be too late.

            “Go! I’ll take care of this!”

            Sky met eyes with the captain, who confidently held his shield at the ready. A warning hum had the scarfed Link turn back just in time to block a beam from one of the sentros, and he quickly revealed a bow in his other hand. It took him a few shots, but he managed to get one down before a skuldra shot towards him. Just in time, he jumped away, allowing one of the knights to take his place. One of the injured ones from before?

            “Sky. How fast can we get across?”

            Time now. The older man was eyeing the timestone cart with a fair amount of skepticism, but the hand keeping the group out of Warrior’s way was sure. If he wasn’t worried, then Sky wouldn’t be either.

            “This way, idiots!”

            Surprisingly, Legend was already halfway down the eastern route, Hyrule close behind him. Apparently, they both noticed the shortcut even before Sky had to say anything.

            “Captain!” Sky, as soon as he had his attention, tossed him the gust bellows. “For the big one!”

            No more words were necessary.

            The veteran was halfway across the hall with the traveler halfway up to the ledge by the time the rest of them got to the metal crate. The younger ones flew up first, followed by Time, then Twilight, and Sky at the rear. By then, Legend was eyeing the timestone cart before taking several steps back. No… he wasn’t…

            Before Time could manage half of a warning, Legend was sailing over the gap, flipping a few times before landing gracefully on the other side. He turned back just long enough to shoot them a knowing grin before leaping down the stairs.

            “Hyrule, Wild, wait –”

            And this is why Sky was starting to get grey hairs. Thankfully, they both made it to the other side with more than enough ground to spare, and neither of them looked back as they joined the fight below. At least Time and Twilight were suffering with him.

            “Ugh, this is heavy! What kind of item moves this?!”

            Sky was already dying by the time he’d made it to the cart, but he died just a little bit more when he saw Wind trying and failing to turn the bright red-and-blue machine.

            The gust bellows.

            Warriors had the gust bellows.

            He was an idiot.

            “Looks like those little windmills in my forest temple. Will this help?” Twilight, thank all the deities watching them, was holding… a boomerang? “I reckon it’s got enough magic to spin this thing around. Thing is, it won’t exactly help with that,” he said, pointing to the fans that were still somehow functioning after all this time.

            “Uh, easy answer right here, guys,” Wind said, gesturing to himself and pulling out a white baton.

            “Let’s move,” Time said, wasting no time asking for explanations as he gestured for everyone to get on.

            It was a tight squeeze, but they all just barely managed to fit. Sky, Four, and Time were holding onto the pole, their hands tied securely around it. Twilight and Wind were on opposite edges, the former hanging onto Sky and the latter’s tunic in Time’s firm grip.

            “Ready whenever you are!”

            “Trustin’ you to keep me safe, Sky,” Twilight said. Sky nodded in reply. Then, the rancher looked up. “And you can trust me not to hit you.”

            “We’ll see.”

            Sky and Four both held back snorts at the rancher’s offended squeak. Thankfully, he quickly shook it off and held up his boomerang. “Alright, sailor. Going in three, two, one, hyah!”

            At one, Twilight drew back his arm before throwing the boomerang sharply to the side. Sky helped to keep him upright, but he was surprisingly stable even as most of his weight shifted forward. In one fluid motion, he rocked forward and came back.

            As the boomerang started turning around, a soft melody came from behind them, and he heard the telltale sound of wind shifting. Before anyone had a chance to prepare, they were hit by a literal tornado of wind that flew away as soon as it hit them. The platform started moving as the boomerang came back around, and Twilight caught it effortlessly in one hand.

            With a satisfied hum, he turned back around only for his eyes widen, and he quickly turned away. He was able to hide a lot, but he couldn’t stop his shoulders from shaking.

            “Twilight? Are you okay – what’s wrong?” Sky asked nervously.

            The rancher in question could only answer with a wheeze, but he at least managed to wave away the concern. It was when the sailor’s unabashed laughter came from behind him that he started putting some pieces together. Looking back only confirmed Sky’s suspicions.

            Time’s hair looked… creative?

            Sky didn’t laugh. Definitely not.

            “Have you seen yours?” Time asked, unamused. Despite the flat look he was giving them all, it was very difficult to take him seriously with his hair shooting in five different directions. His two sharp locks were now somehow six, all of them shooting in different directions.

            A dull thud brought them all back to reality, and each of them quickly got off the platform. Wind immediately ran down the stairs, Twilight hot on his tail. Time took a moment to do what had to be some sort of magic to his hair, because it stayed down and out of his way as he followed suit. Four thankfully stayed back long enough to dig in his pockets and offer Sky a small hair tie.

            “I’m assuming you don’t want your hair looking like a loftwing tail when you get down there.”

            “Yeah… better not.”

            Once he had his hair tied back, they both joined the fight. Somehow, the group was facing even larger monsters here – a few moblins, an annoying amount of lizalfos, and some sort of hooved creature. While most of them were taking care of the moblins and lizalfos, Hyrule, Legend, and Wild were all trying to keep the horse-creature distracted.

            It was when it shot out a giant fireball that he knew why.

            “This seems excessive!” Hyrule yelped, helping Wild stand and pausing when he saw champion’s flurry of hand movements. “Wait, wait!”

            Sky couldn’t watch more before he was charged by one of the moblins – his moblins. Despite their giant spears, he’d broken enough of them to know they weren’t actually that strong. And they definitely weren’t stronger than Fi.

            “Ready?”

            He wasn’t really expecting an answer, but a friendly hum came from the sword at the same time he knocked the spear aside with his shield. As soon as he had that opening, he sliced the spear apart and took out as much of the wooden shield as he could.

            Even though the moblin was determined to smash him with the small piece of wood it had left, it only took a few quick slashes to its stomach before it collapsed. That was it?

            “These ones are normal too,” Four said, joining Sky’s side after taking care of a couple lizalfos. “Not sure about the lynel, though.”

            The three Links seemed to be doing fine so far, but the lynel didn’t seem fazed at all.

            A growl brought Sky back to the rest of the monsters, and he brought up his sword just in time to stop a lizalfos blade. Without missing a beat, Four ducked beneath him and stabbed it, pulling out his sword to shove it into the lizalfos behind it. Time, noticing the monsters stumbling towards him, finished them off with one powerful swing. At the same time, another moblin fell with Wind grinning on top of it.

            Only a couple lizalfos left. Twilight had his sights on both of them, but swing after swing kept bouncing off their arm guards. Behind him were four Skyloftian knights. They were all exhausted, but thankfully only one was down.

            Wind was the first to run over to the lizalfos, and the sudden back attack was enough to distract one of them. The other was smart enough to leap away as the rancher completely obliterated his foe. Did no one else feel mildly terrified?!

            “More past the door,” Twilight shouted, he and the sailor just barely keeping up with the lizalfos. “No knights, just monsters!”

            Sky sighed, looking back towards the lynel. They were all looking tired now, but Wild was waving Hyrule and Legend away, gesturing towards the stairs to the exit.

            “HAAH!”

            A lizalfos screech was reassurance enough that the sailor’s sword swung true. Only one monster to go.

            “Are you stupid?”

            “Wild, look ou—!”

            Sky couldn’t even try to process what happened before a body flew right into him. He wasn’t sure if he was glad or stressed when he felt Fi leave his hand, but he at least knew he had a split second to act. He could catch himself.

            Or he could catch Wild.

            His head slammed on the stone floor as he and the champion rolled back. From the muffled shouting, Sky knew he wasn’t as… lucky as? Something? But what…?

            A round, silky object jerked out of his hands. The world spun – how could it spin when everything was grey? – and the former comfort in his hands was replaced by something cold. Thankfully, something warm held him not a moment later, bringing the object closer to him. A red object. Wasn’t red bad?

            But the warmth was gentle. It pushed on his hands and his head – ow, that actually kind of hurt – and urged him to drink. Drink…?

            Before he could process what was happening, cool warmth was flowing down his throat. Bitter sweet. Harsh, but healing. His head hurt less.

            The world around him grew clearer; greys were mixed with yellows and sprinkled with red and blue and streaks of green. Swords were clashing, monsters were roaring, and someone was talking –

            “…et up? Sky, can you hear me?”

            Oh. That was Time looming over him. Or… holding him?

            A tsk was enough to have Sky sit up. Everything started feeling real again just for him to receive a glare from Wild, who threw a fist up to his forehead. Then, the champion stood and stomped off towards the lynel.

            “That… was rude,” Sky said, still trying to figure out how talking worked.

            An amused sigh. Then, “Yes. But I imagine he will rectify that later. How are you feeling?”

            “Better.” More lucid, anyway.

            “Didn’t you hear me the first time?!”

            “We can trust him, Legend, let’s just go!”

            Time helped Sky up to a shaky stand just as Hyrule was dragging Legend towards the stairs. Four and Twilight were hesitantly backing away as well with Wind shooing them back. And then, there were six.

            “You’ve got a temple that way, right?” Twilight asked Sky, looking between the champion and the sailor with a frown.

            “Yeah.”

            “Let’s go, then,” Time said, pushing the group ahead.

            All of them were quick to follow his lead, but all of them – with varying degrees of subtlety – looked back at least once. When Sky stole a look back, he saw Wild and Wind flanking the lynel. The sailor was easily keeping most of its attention, jumping away from a fireball that flew towards him. That was when Wild took the chance to mount the beast and attack. By the time Sky had to turn back, he could hear the lynel’s angry roars, but the clomps of its hooves were still clear. It wasn’t done yet.

            He hoped they’d both be okay. The captain should be joining them soon.

            Once the group was through the door, they were sliding down the latter one by one. Sky could only be glad no one rushed in and fell off the small platform. Still, going down one by one was going to take a while. Especially with the concerning sound of growling and deep thuds down below.

            “I’ll meet you all down there,” Sky said before diving off the platform. Just as he thought, there was a horde of monsters at the bottom, and they were getting uncomfortably close to breaking down the door to the temple.

            A little further up from the ground than the last time, Sky grabbed his sailcloth and carefully landed on his feet. Before the moblins and bokoblins could turn around – of course, they had those stupid electric clubs – he drew his sword and did a quick spin attack. Everything around him flew back, giving him the chance to do a skyward strike on a few bokoblins that were conveniently lined up to receive it. Inconveniently, their wounds were bleeding in black.

            Total number of monsters: 15. Four moblins, eleven bokoblins.

            Number of black-blooded ones: Unknown.

            Time until Hyrule made it to the bottom: roughly 30 seconds.

            Chances of getting injured before he did: 70%. If he couldn’t get rid of any monsters before then: 99%.

            This was gonna get tight real fast.

            Sky decided to focus on the three bokoblins from before, throwing two aside with a few hard swings and stabbing the third. Something was starting to stomp towards him.

            With a wide swing, he practically threw himself into the moblin behind him. While he caused it to stumble and trip, the monster was shaking the attack off even as Sky was picking off two other bokoblins – not black-blooded. Then, he was running towards two more ramming themselves into the door.

            Suddenly, pain. Everything went tight and he couldn’t move even as he shook. But he’d been here before. His shield slipped out of his hand, but his sword was firmly in his grip.

            “Sky, look out!”

            As soon as he was able to move his body, Sky flopped forward and felt a heavy whoosh way too close behind him. When he turned around, a colorful streak slammed into the bokoblin, another one slamming into the ground hard enough to send a moblin flying into the wall. Both of them stood up with hammers, somehow looking both menacing and comical at the same time.

            “Just get the door!” Legend shouted, switching out the hammer for his sword and charging towards his moblin.

            “We’ll keep them out of the way,” Four added with a sharp grin, tossing the fallen shield back to him.

            Sky waved a thanks before turning back to the other monsters. While several heavy landings were something of a relief, they were covered by a loud crash and bokoblin screeches.

            The door had collapsed, and a handful of bokoblins were already heading up the stairs.

            Why can’t they just leave it be?!

            Sky shoved his way through the monsters and ran up the stairs. Hopefully, there wasn’t anyone up there…

            A familiar buzz made him stop in his tracks. He barely had time to lift up his shield before a club slammed into it and effectively set his veins on fire. Why did they still have those stupid clubs lying around the mine?

            This time, his sword did slip out of his hands, but he let it in favor of grabbing the electric death stick and chucking it – absolutely nowhere with Hyrule not three steps behind him. The young traveler flinched, but easily let down his hands and shot him a steely stare.

            “It’s dangerous to go alone.”

            Sky took a breath and sighed, carefully setting the club aside and grabbing his sword. Unlike some people, he wasn’t opposed to getting help, which is probably what Hyrule was miffed about. But that was a misconception they could deal with later. “Sorry. Let’s go.”

            Together, the two flew up the stairs and out of the mine. Sky had his sword at the ready, looking around for any dangerous creatures. Thankfully, the area seemed empty of innocent people. The wind and the sun also helped him to relax. But the bokoblins were nowhere to be found.

            “This is supposed to be a temple, isn’t it?” Hyrule asked, taking a few tentative steps towards the entrance with his own sword in hand.

            “Yeah. It’s more of a sacred open space than the buildings we usually see,” Sky said, joining him at the head of the stairway leading out to the desert. Even outside, it was quiet. What were the two bokoblins hoping to accomplish? “There used to be a time gate here that led to thousands of years in the past, but it was destroyed during my adventure. Were they hoping to use it…?”

            Turning around, he saw Hyrule already standing near what used to be the gate. Now, it was a small alter with a mini statue of the Goddess. And yet, the traveler’s gaze was fixed on the triforce standing proudly above them. “That’s the triforce, isn’t it?”

            “Yeah. Careful over there; I’m not sure if –”

            Behind the loftwing statue, both bokoblins. One of them had a bow, the arrow already drawn back.

            Sky immediately flew towards them. “Hyrule, look out!”

            Hyrule spun back, slashing with his sword. A focused glare became confused when his sword only sliced air. At the same time, a startled bokoblin released the arrow a little higher than it meant to. Instead of being aimed at Hyrule’s stomach, it flew towards his neck.

            He wouldn’t make it.

            He was too late.

            Sky could barely scream before a gust of wind flew into the traveler, sending him flying away from the rubble. He didn’t stop to see what happened to the arrow, instead going straight for the scrambling bokoblins. He didn’t care if they were black-blooded – without weapons, they were defenseless.

            It took several hits to bring them down. How many was hard to say. Any time he saw movement, any time they even flinched, he didn’t hesitate.

            “Sky.”

            He whirled around instantly, but he didn’t have the chance to swing before sacred flame bit his wrist, causing him to drop his sword again as he was brought back to reality.

            It was Twilight. He’d called his name quietly and calmly. His gaze was neutral, but it was knowing.

            Furious heat was doused by shame. Sky could barely bring himself to talk. “Twilight! Hi, sorry. Um, I can – I’m not –”

            “I know. Let’s get to Hyrule.”

            Sky barely processed the next few moments. His sword was given back to him before they both ran over to the young traveler’s side. Thankfully, thankfully, he was alive. But he had an arrow in his arm.

            “Oh, feathers, Hyrule!” He didn’t let the boy respond before he carefully pulled him into a firm hug. “You scared me.”

            “Sky, this isn’t a great angle…”

            With a quiet sigh, Sky pulled back. He couldn’t help his gaze shifting towards Hyrule’s bleeding arm. The arrow was deep, almost out the other… ugh.

            “Hey, Sky? I’m okay.” The older was gently forced to look away by the younger. Somehow, Hyrule had a small smile. “Been here, done this. I’ll take it out once we’re all safe and drink a potion. It should be healed up pretty quickly if I drink a little extra.”

            Sky tried to offer a smile in return, but even he could feel the grimace on his face. So, he turned away, keeping an eye out for danger. Twilight was doing the same, and his ears flicked as he grabbed his sword. “Incoming.”

            Though they were both ready for whatever came out, they both sighed in relief when their fellow heroes and friendly knights ran out into the open. The large group spotted the trio immediately and, after Twilight and Sky helped Hyrule to his feet, they all met at the foot of the stairs. Unsurprisingly, several pairs of eyes landed on the arrow with mixed reactions of shock and horror.

            “Now or later?” Time asked, much to the knights’ surprise.

            “In a moment. It’s not actually bleeding now,” Hyrule answered, leading a few of the knights to look at Sky with varying degrees of concern. “What now?”

            “I actually have a question,” Warriors said, gesturing towards the alter. “And I hope you won’t mind me sounding blunt, but… is that statue what they were after? It doesn’t seem magical, from what I can tell.”

            “I don’t know,” Sky admitted. “There used to be a time gate here, but... well, you can see for yourselves it’s not here anymore. Even then, there were only two monsters out here in the end, and they hardly…”

            Hardly avoided killing Hyrule.

            “Hardly did a thing,” the traveler finished firmly. “So…?”

            “So this was a decoy,” Time said, crossing his arms. “If there was nothing here of interest, then we were dragged here to distract from something that is of interest.”

            “Like the time gate at the Sealed Grounds?”

            Oh, please no…

            “Heron, get the knights back to Skyloft and let the Headmaster know,” Sky said quickly. “We’ll fly over to the Sealed Grounds and make sure nothing’s wrong.”

            “Got it.”

            Almost simultaneously, the knights each pulled out a small whistle and blew out a sharp, piercing sound. Sky had his own whistle that he blew, waving an apology to the other Links that were startled by the sudden sound. Then, they waited.

            When it was clear they had a moment, Warriors pointedly walked to Hyrule’s side with a bandage and a potion. Several of the Skyloftian knights turned away when the arrow was taken out and the wound cleaned. All of them were impressed – and a few somewhat saddened – when Hyrule easily went through the process with only a short grunt. Sky hated it as much as they did.

            “Hey, you okay?”

            Sky turned to Four, intending to kindly brush it off, but the caws in the distance caused him to sigh in relief. And maybe a lot of pent-up stress.

            “Yeah, I’m fine. Not a fan of how close our friend came to dying, but… he’s alive,” Sky finally responded. “And so are the rest of us.”

            When Crimson finally landed next to him, the rest of the birds following suit, he couldn’t hold back a tired, but genuine smile. Despite everything that happened, the day was turning out okay. Granted, there was the uncomfortable chance that 10,000 years of hard work was about to be undone by one stupid lizalfos, but otherwise…

            Everyone was still here.

            Once the group was ready, they set off. The Skyloftian knights led the way to the clouds above, and the group would split off from there with Sky leading the Links to the Faron realm. It only took a few minutes to reach the edge of the cloud barrier.

            It only took seconds for everything to go wrong.

            They were halfway through when Sky suddenly heard several sharp whistles – all warnings. To the left, a swarming swamp of clouds instantly became a tornado, and it only grew bigger as it shot towards the group.

            He quickly gripped the harness of his bird, twisting away, trying to bank down and out.

            The tornado, instead of passing by, followed him. In one moment, it was grey, dusty with the dust and dirt of the air. Then, it was black.

            It was happening again.

            Sky grit his teeth as he urged Crimson down. But instead of going down, he was going up. He was being dragged away from his friends, many of whom were falling. They were falling, and he was being tossed away again!

            Not again!

            He had Crimson spin as fast as he could take it and whipped himself off his loftwing. Dust, rocks, and rain shot into his lips, his cheeks, his eyes, but he didn’t dare close them. He needed to see them, he needed to catch who he could and trust the rest.

            As soon as he passed the clouds, he saw Legend closest. He shot down to him, but just before he could, Legend shot towards the captain. Classic veteran. Two accounted for.

            Further down, Wild went for Twilight while Wind went for Hyrule. That left Four… and Time. As much as he trusted the smith, even he had trouble carrying the Hero of Time.

            So down he went.

            Sky flew past red and green, past green and blue, and angled himself towards the tallest and the smallest. Four had put himself below Time, and was digging through his bags. He wasn’t actually trying to…?

            To his surprise, Four didn’t pull out a cape, but a hat. The boy showed it to Time – a short moment passed – before putting it on the elder hero. And Time disappeared.

            What?

            Four grabbed at the air a couple times before cupping something in his hands with an inaudible sigh of relief. Then, he looked up towards Sky. He heard the message loud and clear.

            Dipping down, he caught Four and quickly pulled off his waist wrap, tying it around himself and the smithy. Then, he pulled out his sailcloth.

            Once he was able to catch his breath, Sky looked up. Wind and Hyrule, Twilight and Wild, and Legend and Warriors were all safe, floating down to the sands below.

            He silently thanked Hylia before looking down. Estimated landing time: 90 seconds.

            “Have you ever wanted to see Time as tiny as a bug?”

            Sky looked down, shocked hearing a question like that from Four of all people. Above him came distant chatting. Further up, some complaining. Almost at the same time, a loud, squawking argument broke out. And he couldn’t help but laugh. They were all insane.

            But he was 100% going to see that tiny Time if the smithy was serious about it.

            With a wicked grin, Four opened his cupped hands. And there on his back, shielding his eyes from the light, was a tiny Time.

            Time groaned. Then, “I trust you’ll both treat this situation with the maturity it deserves.”

            With how tiny he was?

            With that squeaky voice?

            Both of them burst into laughter, leaving the group above him going quiet. Personal conversations were replaced with shouted questions, but neither of them answered. They may have been enjoying the moment, but neither of them had a death wish.

            Sky quickened their descent, allowing Four to set Time down before the rest of the group noticed his new appearance. In an instant, the Hero of Time was back to his normal size, holding a small cap. After examining it with a wry smile, he gave it back to Four. “Very interesting cap you have here.”

            “Thanks. It’s actually pretty handy.”

            “I have no doubt.”

            It wasn’t long before the rest of the group made it down to the entrance of the mining facility. The sky above them was no longer hazy and blue, but completely grey. The area around the cloud barrier was conspicuously dark and murky.

            “So… what now?”

            Sky smiled wryly, gesturing for the group to follow him towards the entrance of the mines. Zelda was definitely going to kill him when he made it back to Skyloft.

Chapter Text

            Going through the Lanayru mines to get to the cave leading to Faron wasn’t hard, but it was a process. The area was usually hot with a breeze to make the heat bearable. Apparently, all that wind was being put to use in the sky, so it was just hot. And depressingly dark. The cave was still fairly new, so light sources were few and far between.

            “This cave is surprisingly… not complicated,” Wars said after a few moments of silence.

            “He means it’s boring!” Wind added, kicking at yet another rock that tumbled out of his reach.

            “More ‘straight forward.’”

            “Better boring than dangerous,” Time said firmly. And that was that.

            The path ahead had some branching paths, but there were never any complicated twists or, as it were, unmarked paths. Every branch had a sign. “Sand Sea” in one spot, “Eldin Volcano” in another, “Alternate Mining Facility Route” – was that one really necessary? But any Faron-related signs just kept them moving forward. And forward some more.

            “This feels… like a trap,” Legend said lamely, glaring at one of the signs with a fair amount of skepticism.

            “Have you never taken a route with a clear, straight path before?” Four asked him, almost successfully hiding his small grin.

            “Not one that wasn’t a trap.”

            Sky, meeting Wild’s eyes, watched as the cook pointed at Legend and twisted a finger beside his nose. He almost thought it was an insult, but then, Wild used two fingers to point back and forth between himself and the veteran. Both of them? Were… bored, if his flat look was anything to go by. Well, that made half the group.

            Sky certainly didn’t see his day ending like this. He would’ve rather been home with Zelda. And the group, of course! But… at home. Not in a dim cave that felt more and more suffocating the further they went.

            After who knew how long (Time said a few hours, but even he looked unsure), the group called it quits and set up camp. It was gonna be a long night if this kept up…

            The group had a simple, quiet dinner before going to bed. Time took the first watch, Hyrule the second, and Four the last. Which meant Sky could get some extra sleep!

            In theory.

~

            It was sandy all around him. Anything else was obscured by the dust and dirt of a sandstorm. It was hard to move, much less walk, but something told Sky he needed to move forward. So, he did.

            One foot after the other. Was he even moving?

            Some of the storm started to clear up. Apparently, the answer was yes going off the footprints behind him. And ahead of him was…

            An alter. Standing in front of it was Hyrule, who was turned away from the bokoblin archer about to –

            A snap.

            A whistle.

            Hyrule’s neck, red with –

            Sky, wake up!

~

            “Hrl!”

            Sky shot up, barely managing to cover his own mouth to keep from waking anyone up. Beside him was the captain, leaning away from him with both hands clear to see. Four was by their lantern collection, frowning in understanding, but turning away when he met his eyes.

            “Hey, Sky,” Warriors said. “Breathe with me every three beats, okay?”

            And then he was humming the Ballad of the Goddess. How did the captain know that song?

            “Hey, hey.” Warriors paused, patting Sky’s foot. “Eyes on me, soldier. Every three beats.”

            Oh feathers, air was way too heavy, his chest was starting to hurt. He might puke. But Warriors started humming again, offering his hand. Sky took it without a second thought, trying to breathe, trying to focus on the song.

            It took a while. Every three beats turned to six, then nine with a twelve-beat exhale. By then, the pain was gone and his breaths were much steadier, but he kept following Warrior’s song anyway. It was familiar, in a way he hadn’t felt in a long time. It felt like performing with Fi.

            In the middle of a verse, Warrior’s met his eyes. Sky smiled tiredly, but nodded in thanks. With his own smile, the captain finished the song. Then, he was quiet. For a moment, they sat in silence. Then, in a low voice, “I talk, you talk, or quiet?”

            Sky almost started describing his dream, but stopped himself. This wasn’t Fi, this was Warriors. The captain was nice, of course, but… not really someone he talked to about this kind of stuff. What would he say? “…How’d you know that song?”

            The captain blinked, then huffed a quiet chuckle. “Sky. Chosen hero of the goddess. You are absolutely smitten with Princess Zelda. That song? You play it all the time because, and I quote: ‘it reminds me of my most precious and dearest love.’”

            Did he? Now that he thought about it, Sky vaguely remembered a conversation he had with Time. It definitely didn’t go like Wars’ made-up quote, but he wasn’t completely wrong. Still, that conversation was a while ago. With Time. “You heard that?”

            “I didn’t mean to pry, but you were very – ah, passionate – when you were explaining that to the old man.”

            Translation: he was loud and easy to hear.

            Sky couldn’t hold back a weak laugh. He was exhausted, but feeling a lot better. The captain was okay, he decided. And… he was kind of hoping… “Um… how’s Hyrule?”

            The captain’s smile fell slightly as he looked towards the traveler, then back at him. “Completely fine, Sky. Between the potion and his own magic, he’s good as new.”

            “His injury is gone?”

            “Yeah. I checked it out earlier with the old man – the kid’s fine.”

            Sky nodded, fidgeting with his blanket. It didn’t surprise him that Hyrule was already better. Judging from Warriors’ confused frown, he knew he wasn’t surprised. But, the captain didn’t say anything right away. It was only when the silence stretched for a few minutes that Sky felt his hand being squeezed – oh, he never did let Wars go yet, huh? – and the captain asked again: “You want to tell me what you saw, have me change the subject, or wait a little longer?”

            “Um, give me a minute?” Sky let go of his hand to rub off the tears threatening to fall. It had been a while since his last vivid nightmare. He hated seeing Zelda taken away from him. And he hated seeing his friends hurt. Especially if... “I, uh, couldn’t get to him fast enough. Hyrule. And, well, they got him. The bokoblins, his neck –” the image flashed in his mind, and he physically shook it off. “I just… wish I wasn’t always late. I’m never fast enough, never there when I need to be –”

            Warrior’s didn’t interrupt him, but he offered back his hand. Sky huffed a self-condescending laugh as he took it, but Wars just put another hand on top of his with a look as firm as his grip. There was no judgement and no expectation, just a silent promise that Sky understood immediately, and he finally couldn’t hold back the tears.

            Slowly, Warriors pulled Sky in for a hug, and the two stayed there. There was no question this time, just quiet. There was an occasional hiss from the small flames, muffled tinks from a stick lazily poking at the lanterns, and slow, steady breaths from the group around them. On occasion, there was a little snore – the kind that was annoying when you were trying to sleep, but kind of cute when you were just listening. It was familiar, safe. It was nice.

            Eventually, Sky pulled away, wiping his eyes while Wars respectfully looked away. There was a pause before the captain spoke. “I don’t think you have to worry about this specifically – you have the power, the will, and the understanding you need to protect this group as you are – but, if you’re interested, I used to do a lot of sprinting back in my Hyrule. Do you want to do drills with me in the mornings?”

            Drills? Sprinting drills? What… even was that?

            Warriors, having turned back to see his reaction, quietly laughed. “It’s exactly what you think. I can give you a few pointers if you need them, but it’s really just practicing over and over until you feel at your best.”

            “That sounds awful.”

            The captain grinned, clapping Sky on the back before crawling back into his blankets. “Sometimes. I’ll wake you up in a couple hours – try to get some sleep.”

            “Wait, you can’t just assume I’ll wake up with you.”

~

            A couple hours later, Sky was meandering beside Wars, who was… actually also ambling along. “Yeah, this was always the worst part.”

            “We could go back to camp and sleep.”

            “Nope, we are not turning back.” And the captain’s firm grip on Sky’s shoulder kept him from doing just that.

            Once they were far enough to be somewhat out of view, but not completely out of sight of camp, Warriors patted Sky again and stepped to the side. “Stretches first. This might seem stupid, but if we were running long-distance, it wouldn’t be.”

            So, they stretched. The captain had him stretch his legs, his feet, even his toes before nodding. “Okay, that’s fine for now. Ready for the fun part?”

            “This is the fun part…?”

            Warriors just laughed as he jogged several yards away, putting down his pack and a lantern before jogging back. “Ready? I’m racing you there and back.”

            With a sigh, Sky nodded, keeping his eyes on the sack.

            “One… two… go!”

            And they were off. Sky tried to stay focused on his goal, but he was shocked when the captain immediately sped ahead of him, almost flying to the sack. In a few beats, the captain was already heading back when he still had several paces to the bag.

            “On your left!” Wars said, his bright smile only visible for a moment before he was gone.

            Sky could barely process the rest of the race. He made it to the sack alright, but got about halfway back before he was running out of steam. By the time he made it back to a grinning Wars, he fell to his knees. The captain was crazy! He used to do this every day?

            “I’m kind of amused, but I’m genuinely asking – you okay, Sky?”

            He nodded, attempting the most reassuring “ugh” he could muster. Going off of Wars’ laugh, it was passable.

            “Okay, yeah, I’m sorry. I guess I’m still kind of used to messing with the other soldiers a bit. Think you could do a few more? I’ll try and see if I can pace you.”

            Against the whining in his mind begging him to stop, Sky got up and did exactly three more runs. The first one was kind of awkward with Wars constantly getting ahead and behind him, his smile more of a focused frown. The second time was better, especially with the suggestions to steady his breathing and slow down for the time being. The last time, the two were side by side almost the whole time. It was towards the end when Sky’s burning legs had him slowing to a sluggish walk while the captain ran ahead.

            “Hey, that was really good!” Warriors said when he made it back, putting an arm around his shoulders. “You’re actually doing a lot better than most of the soldiers I worked with – most of them were farmers or cobblers or the like. You’ve got some good experience from your travels. And I don’t know if you realize this, but you’re pretty fast, Sky. All you really need to do at this point is improve your stamina and your reflexes. If that’s what you want, anyway.”

            It took several moments before he could respond, enough time for Warriors to grab his things and jog back to his side. As soon as breathing didn’t feel like being stabbed, Sky straightened up and smiled. To his own surprise, it was genuine. Despite the pain taking its sweet time to fade away, he actually felt pretty energized. Or, at least energized enough that it didn’t feel as early as it actually was. “Thanks, Wars. I think I’d like to.”

            With a smile, Warriors gave him a thumbs up. Then, they walked back to camp. Surprisingly – or, maybe not all that much – Four was still the only one awake by the lanterns.

            “Done already?” the smith asked.

            “Our resident sky dweller needs a little time to get used to using his legs,” Warriors replied, elbowing Sky in the side.

            “I can walk, you know.”

            Several quiet moments later, the group finally began to stir. Wild ambled up to the light first, sitting next to it and grabbing his slate, but his lazy swipes were hint enough that he wasn’t actually awake yet. Hyrule was next, stretching his arms as he sat next to the champion. “Good morning, everyone.”

            “Morning.”

            Next was the veteran, silently taking his spot across from the small group. Twilight’s heavy footsteps were close behind.

            Sky almost jumped when the rancher silently tapped his shoulder, pointing behind him. When he leaned back, he audibly “aww”ed seeing the sailor snuggling against the Hero of Time. The reaction had everyone else looking back, and the inevitable ‘click’ came only moments later.

            “So… who’s gonna wake ‘em up?” Legend asked.

            “We can’t!” Sky quietly retorted, giving the veteran his best pout. He received a raised eyebrow in response, but it surprisingly didn’t last long before Legend looked away.

            “Well, they’ll have to wake up eventually.”

            There was something bitter in that sentence, something Warriors and Twilight apparently caught too. But, there was no chance to ask about it before the young man turned towards Wild. “So, got any ideas for a cold breakfast?”

            Wild shook his head, swiping back and forth on his slate. “Requests?”

            “Got any apples?”

            A few minutes later, everyone had small bowls of some sort of salad made with apples, oats, nuts, and honey. Then, he was passing out milk and spoons. “You can drink the milk separately, but you should try mixing it with everything.”

            “Is that supposed to be fruit soup or something?”

            Wind basically flew into the group, plopping down next to Legend with his own bowl, skeptically eyeing the food. He only had it for a moment before the veteran snatched it back, trying the concoction with a warning glare towards the sailor.

            “No! It’s not soup, it’s…” Wild loosely waved his hands around before doing a series of signs Sky didn’t recognize. In a matter of seconds, the cook was sliding a hand across his palm that came to a thumbs up, fingerspelling oats, pinching two fingers together and quickly twisting them next to his mouth, and finally cupping two hands to scoop them towards his mouth.

            “Did you… just list the ingredients?” Twilight asked.

            “No, no,” Legend said at the same time. “You can’t just call this a ‘creamy salad’ – at least, like –” He mimicked Wild’s scooping sign a couple times before leaving one hand down like a bowl and scooping the other, pointedly repeating his new sign to the champion. “Do that. Or something. But if you call this a soup or a salad, I will fight you.”

            “But it’s literally just cold, sweet soup!” Wind retorted. At the same Legend narrowed his eyes at him, Sky noticed Time slinking in to sit at the veteran’s other side.

            “I believe ‘cereal’ is the word you’re looking for,” the older man said, accepting a bowl from the champion with a nod of thanks. Despite the calm addition to the argument, most of the group jumped when Time interrupted them.

            There was a short pause – most of them choosing to use that moment to eat their breakfast – before Sky finally asked what no one else would. “What’s a cereal?”

            After a weirdly long discussion about wheat and milk, the group packed up and continued onwards. Sky absentmindedly slowed down to be in the back of the line, but Time put a hand on his shoulder. “Someone needs to lead us.”

            “Down a straight tunnel?” Wind asked with a grin.

            “Even his dungeons are easy to navigate,” Legend muttered, walking ahead a few paces before pausing to look back. The rest of the group hadn’t moved yet.

            Sky nervously smiled when everyone’s eyes were suddenly on him. “Well, I can lead if you want, I guess.” So, he waddled to the front and continued on with Time at his side.

            It only took a few minutes before conversation started behind him. It was weird, being in the front of the group and hearing voices, not seeing faces. He missed seeing the smithy’s curious observations, the rancher’s fond smiles, the traveler’s wandering around the group –

            “Something on your mind?”

            At the same time Sky jumped, Time slapped a friendly hand on his shoulder. The elder Link had a companionable smile. Very alike to Twilight’s, now that he had a closer look…

            “Nothing, really. Weird being up front,” Sky admitted.

            “I see. It’s not so bad when you do it often enough.” Time then turned to face him, never losing that small, calming smile. “Would you be interested?”

            “In walking up front?”

            “That.” Then, more quietly, “And perhaps more.”

            Sky didn’t answer immediately, sensing some unspoken meaning. Thinking back through the past couple days, he suspected… well, no, he saw it immediately, now that he thought about it. Being a little irresponsible diving off the loftwing, forgetting wooden shields, not doing much at all in the mines. Or outside.

            “Sorry. I, uh, haven’t done much here yet, huh?” Sky said, avoiding the elder’s gaze. “I can lead the group a little more. Especially since… well, that’s not really –”

            “You have room to grow, Sky. I say that as a statement of fact, an invitation, and a word of reassurance.” When Sky looked back up, he saw Time’s face hadn’t changed. “If you’ll pardon my intrusion, I couldn’t help but notice you with Warriors this morning.”

            “Wait, weren’t you sleeping?”

            “More or less. As I was saying, I also noticed you’ve been somewhat subdued since yesterday, and I suspect these two events are not unrelated.”

            Sky did smile at that, checking the sign they passed by just to make sure they were still on the right path. Then, he replied, “Yeah. I wanted to help the group more. If I could.”

            “And I imagine your efforts will not be in vain, just as they haven’t been so far.” The two walked in silence for a moment, listening to the chatter behind them and keeping an eye out for any monsters. Then, Time continued. “You have been a great source of fun for this group while we’ve been here. You’ve been quick to organize and send out your fellow men when needed, and have done well protecting us here. Don’t undersell yourself.”

            “But –”

            “But nothing, Sky.” Now, the smile was gone. “You may lead us if you wish, but that is not something I expect of you now. I suspect you will do much of that later in your life. For now, I expect you to continue doing as you have been and growing where you see fit. You will find that much of that is leading, and that it does support the group. More than you know.”

            Sky looked away, his throat going tight as his stomach filled with a mix of knots and warmth. “Okay.”

            There was a pat on his shoulder, then a small hug with a little shake. Then, the old man finally let him go.

            They continued on side by side in silence. There was a burst of laughter behind them – Wild getting into trouble, if Twilight’s grumbling was anything to go by – and the casual conversation helped loosen Sky’s throat and stomach. This was good. This was nice, being here with everyone. Next to Time. The elder Link wasn’t just a good leader, he was very… fatherly. Sky would never say that out loud, though it seemed the old man enjoyed being with the group as much as he did. He was always looking out for everyone and keeping the group together.

            He was, as one might say, the one who kept them linked together.

            Sky snickered at his own bad joke, but didn’t respond when Time silently asked him about it. Instead, he plotted. After all, the old man couldn’t be the only one looking out for everyone. Sky wasn’t the type to tell people what to do, but he liked to think he was pretty good at making people smile. Since he promised anyway, he decided to do some wood carvings for everyone. Something that linked – pun technically not intended – to a fun memory or that represented them.

            He had an idea for the captain after those crazy fast drills – he wanted to give him a bird of some sort. For Time, he was thinking a chain, and… wait, how was he supposed to carve a chain? Uh, come back to him. For Wind, maybe a wind emblem? Or was that too obvious? Maybe something he could use to pull pranks?

            Okay, this was actually going to take some thinking. Which he couldn’t do long before Time started another conversation with him, this one a little less dread-inducing and more humorous. A little questionable, but humorous.

            Wild had managed to crawl up and onto the rancher, and said rancher was trying and failing to pull him off. Time bet Sky 20 rupees Twilight would give up. For the sake of the game, Sky bet against the older man. Subtly, of course. Neither of them looked back, just listened.

            “Would you geyt off?!”

            “Hey, the accent’s back!”

            “You said you wanted to keep a leash on me – rather ironically, I’d add – and –”

            “This is not a practical substitute!”

            “I mean, it does keep him out of trouble. Mostly.”

            Sky and Time met eyes, sharing a private grin as they walked onwards. The fact that they could with all that racket was pretty impressive, actually.

            “Hey, wait.”

            They all stopped simultaneously, the bickering going silent as all eyes turned to Four. The smith had his eyes closed as he knelt down and felt the ground. Seeing that, Wild slipped off Twilight and joined Hyrule, the three of them feeling the ground below them.

            “Earthquake?” Hyrule asked.

            “Feels bigger than that,” Four muttered.

            “Angrier.”

            Sky looked around, but there weren’t any nearby markers.

            “We last passed a ‘Faron Woods’ sign,” Time said. “We haven’t passed any other signs these past couple times.” Well, that was unfortunate.

            “If we’re that close to Faron, that might be coming from the Sealed Grounds…” Sky muttered. Were monsters there after all? Were they trying to get into the temple? But feeling something like that this far out… was that possible? “We might want to pick up the pace.”

            Everyone nodded, faces serious. Despite the distance they covered, they didn’t see the end of the cave by the time Time (ha) called it a night. They’d passed several more Faron Woods signs, but none of them showed how close they were. Something to mention to the gorons next time they met…

            By the time they had dinner, much of the tension had left the group. The earthquake-sensing trio didn’t announce any more tremors, so the conversations, stories, and light teasing eventually returned. Sky listened to one of Wind’s potentially true tale about the time he was apparently saved by a whale when a heavy storm threw him off his ship. And he was apparently inside it for three days? He shot the sailor a skeptical glance, but the boy only grinned, giving nothing away. Dinner that night consisted of warm veggie soup courtesy of Wild’s apparently-not-magical slate. Then, the group slowly trickled to bed.

            Sky volunteered for first watch. Time and Wars both gave him a questioning look, but a small grin satisfied them both, and they went to their blankets. Hyrule took second watch, and Legend took the last.

            Once he was kind of sure most of the group was asleep, he dug through his bags and pulled out some wood. Since he had at least one clear idea, he went to work on Warriors’ owl.

            It took some fiddling with the position of his tools and more than a few sticky scrapes before he found his rhythm. Without really thinking about it, he found himself quietly humming the Ballad of the Goddess. It not only helped to keep him focused on his work, but it kept him focused on why he was carving in the first place.

            This was Zelda’s song, of course, but it also reminded him of things he was grateful for. Zelda, obviously. His home. His friends in Skyloft. Fi and Impa. His new friends. Being part of a group where he felt more understood, that he could say only a few words before at least one person was nodding along. That he was in a group that truly could support him as much as he strived to support them. It was so refreshing.

            He loved helping people and loved being a part of the Skyloftian Knights, but there were things he could do that other people couldn’t. He didn’t need help all that often – not much at all, really – but… there were times he wished Zelda wasn’t the only one who knew him. Granted, the group wasn’t really there yet, but they could be. They really could be.

            Sky couldn’t wait for that day. If being with them had been this fun and this interesting already, he could only imagine what they’d be like once they were truly united. Considering Time and Malon’s insisting on watching over them, they were… kind of like a family, weren’t they?

            He smiled to himself, quickly finishing up the captain’s owl and storing it in his pocket. If they’d heard what he was thinking, they’d never let him live that down. Or, at least they’d tease him for using that specific wording – it was mushy even for him.

            …But it was kind of what he’d been thinking ever since the Yiga incident. Especially when Time, for the first time, admitted that he really cared about everyone. Even Sky noticed him taking more time to just be with everyone instead of listening to them from afar or busying himself with some sort of task that needed to be done. He tried to get to know everyone, actively.

            Is it wrong to hope that we can be together for a while?

            I suppose that would make us both wrong.

            Once he found a suitably round piece of wood, Sky started carving. For Time, he would make a lantern, just like the ones that were hung up during the feast in Wild’s Hyrule. A part of him doubted whether the elder Link would realize what it meant, but it would be kind of cool to explain it. To thank him for supporting him even then.

            He managed to carve out the base and some basic shapes before he had to put it away. As much as he was hoping to finish it, he actually couldn’t remember what the lanterns looked like. He’d have to ask Wild for a reference. And pray they were actually round like he’d carved.

            Shaking his head, he pulled out his last piece of wood. He’d have to find some more when they were in the woods. Now, what to make out of it…

            He didn’t realize he’d been staring at the lamps until a set of light footsteps caught his attention. As he sat up, Hyrule appeared on his left, waving and sitting a little ways away from him. For a moment, they were silent.

            “…Carving something?”

            Sky shrugged, rolling the piece of wood in his hands. “I was hoping to, but I don’t really have any ideas yet.” A pause. Then, “Hey, shouldn’t you still be asleep?”

            Hyrule smiled, pointing to the lamps. “That candle in the middle is mine – it lasts three hours.” Said candle was starting to get pretty short. “Is this you saying you fell asleep in the middle of your shift?”

            “No!” Sky said quickly. “I wouldn’t do that at a time like this!”

            “So you do sleep on purpose during the day!”

            “Not all the time!”

            Hyrule snickered at the same time Sky shrugged, not bothering to hide a small smile. A bit of shifting behind them was the only thing that kept either of them from saying more. It was only after it was silent for several moments when the traveler spoke again.

            “I heard you last night,” he said. “Um, I thought you’d want to know. And the captain’s right – I am fine.” He pulled up his sleeve to show a small scar on his arm to prove it.

            Sky nodded, looking back at his wood. It didn’t surprise him that Hyrule wanted to bring it up, and he honestly wasn’t surprised that the light-sleeping traveler had woken up the night before. He just hoped he didn’t bother everyone too much. “Yeah, I know. I’m glad.”

            “I was… kind of embarrassed, when you first hugged me that day. And a little annoyed.”

            Sky’s face shot up to see a wry smile on the traveler, but he couldn’t respond before the boy continued. “But when I saw your face, I couldn’t say anything. I knew you were afraid. Not just worried, but really scared. I knew you felt guilty, but it wasn’t because you pitied me. I… heard the bokoblins, Sky. I saw your sword.”

            Sky looked down at the wood in his hands. If Twilight hadn’t been there, he didn’t know how long he would’ve been lost in his own rage. He’d cleaned up Fi the day before, and she was now safe at his side. Still, he didn’t like what saw. It was… not something he was proud of.

            “Thank you.”

            A pause. He didn’t register the words right away. But when he did, he looked up to Hyrule’s sincere smile with a confused frown. “Uh, I don’t – I didn’t really… do anything?”

            Hyrule quietly laughed, slowly scooting towards him. When Sky didn’t push him away, he eventually sat at his side. “I’m guessing you didn’t like what you did, but… I guess I’m just saying thank you for warning me. For caring, in general. Listening to and trusting me now. And… reminding me that I’m not alone. I don’t have to deal with stuff like that by myself anymore – not because I can’t, but because I just don’t have to – and it’s… so nice. To be with people that understand and really care.”

            A small tap on his arm had Sky looking over to see what it was. At the same time, Hyrule grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly in both of his as two more drops fell from his chin. They were tears. “You’re not alone either, Sky.”

            With his ‘get out of crying free’ card already used up during his chat with Time, he couldn’t stop his own tears. And how could he? Hyrule was holding him so firmly, almost desperately. How could he not feel when they were all so kind?

            “Thank you.” Sky said quietly. “Thank you. I know exactly what you mean. And I promise I’ll remember that.”

            For the second night in a row, he was wrapped in someone’s arms. It wasn’t Zelda’s warm embrace or Warriors’ firm hug, but the traveler’s sincere hold. It didn’t last as long as theirs would’ve – the young boy started pulling away only after a minute or so. But when they had separated, he stayed to share one last smile with him before going to his blankets and digging through his pouch.

            Eventually, Hyrule was back with a… doll? That was both similar to and mildly creepier than the traveler. It seemed a little worn, however, so Sky wasn’t about to judge out loud. Maybe it was a gift of some sort? He almost thought Hyrule was going to show it to him, but the younger Link instead looked at him with a small grin. “My turn. Get some sleep.”

            Sky smiled, shaking the traveler’s shoulder in lieu of the second hug he desperately wanted to give him. Then, he left him alone to go to bed. Unsurprisingly, sleep came quickly.

~

            Darkness, all around him.

            Great. A nightmare then.

            Sky looked around, wishing he had his – oh! He did have Fi this time. That didn’t happen often. Nor did it bode well.

            Almost on cue, there was a deep, low grumble behind him. In a blink, Sky had spun back with his sword in hand. In front of him was The Imprisoned. Because of course.

            Clenching his teeth, Sky charged forward. With each step, the world around him filled with color. The dirt beneath him, the grass and the cliff around him, the geysers in front of him. Just like it was before he finished his adventure.

            Just before he could get crushed, Sky leapt towards the gusts and let the wind carry him up. As soon as he could, he ran for the next geyser. Then, he dove for The Imprisoned’s head. It only took a few swings of his sword to drive the spike in.

            Just like the last few times, it’s pained roar threw him off. But he’d been through it enough that taking out the sailcloth was second nature. As he floated down, the behemoth flopped to the ground and slithered his way up. It was getting uncomfortably close to the temple. The temple had several tents, boxes, tables, and building supplies scattered near its entrance, but no people. Just one.

            “Veteran?” Sky muttered, pausing only for a moment before shaking it off and dropping to the ground, the heavy landing sending a shock through his legs. “Ugh!”

            Just barely, he managed to stumble forward, throwing himself into a run as soon as he could. In the distance, he heard the veteran shout. “Fine, come on, then!”

            A loud roar slowly shifted into something different. The closer Sky got to them, the smaller The Imprisoned became. Then, the roar wasn’t a roar anymore. It was a deep, mocking laugh.

            “Is that all, Legendary Hero?”

            In that instant, the skies were grey. Lightning flashed within the clouds, but one struck the ground in the distance. Another came too close to the veteran, who stumbled back and fell. When he looked up, there wasn’t disgust or annoyance in his eyes. They were filled with fear. He didn’t move even when Demise came closer and closer to him.

            “Legend, snap out of it!” Sky shouted, running as fast as he could. He was still too far when he felt himself getting tired. Too far from Legend, too far from Demise.

            With a hum, Demise lifted his sword to the sky, a streak of lightning hitting his sword and filling it with power. There was no hesitation before he swung it, the magic streaking right towards Legend.

            He didn’t miss.

            “AAHHH!”

~

            Sky shot up with a gasp, the veteran’s pained screams still echoing in his head. Or… laughter, apparently?

            “I just washed this a few days ago!” The veteran’s voice snapped, his words doing nothing to stop the laughter around him. “See how you like it on your scarf!”

            The noise quieted down to chuckles and snickers, though the high-pitched squeal only brought it all back. “Back, foul demon, back!”

            Sky rubbed his eyes, taking a moment to focus on the scene in front of him. Everyone was gathered by the lanterns, but Legend was chasing Warriors around the group with something in his hand. Mud? Or a big bug?

            At one point, Warriors noticed Sky and brightened up, quickly running towards and ducking behind him. “Sky, save me!”

            Legend easily caught up – ah, that was some sort of bread in his hands – but he stopped in front of them. Though his tunic was a very dark green, the suspiciously large stain on his shoulder was easy to see. “Birdbrain’s barely awake. Any last words?”

            “You can’t touch me.”

            There was a sudden whoosh behind Sky, and the captain was… hiding underneath his sailcloth, if the weird pull on his neck had to do with it.

            The veteran rolled his eyes, walking back to the group and eating his breakfast. After a few moments, the captain deemed it safe and rolled out from behind Sky. “You’re a true friend, Sky.”

            “I feel like… I should be insulted.”

            “Probably, but it’s also true!” Warriors sang, strolling back to the group only to get a swift, red splat on his scarf. “Hey!”

            Tuning out the ensuing argument, Sky stretched, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and fixing his sailcloth. Once he felt mostly awake, he got up and tentatively walked towards the chaos, smiling when Four patted an empty spot next to him. He’d barely sat down before he was offered a similar lump of bread that the veteran had.

            “It’s a strawberry tart,” the smithy said. “Count yourself lucky the sailor didn’t eat them all.”

            “I heard that!”

            “And yet, he’s still eating…” Twilight muttered from Sky’s other side, dodging a small bit of bread. “Don’t waste food!”

            “Hey, they did it first!” Wind retorted, pointing to the captain and veteran, both of whom were suddenly silent.

            “Actually, the captain started it,” Legend said casually, meandering away from the lanterns and towards his blankets.

            “And I’m happy to end it regardless of who started it,” Time said firmly, standing up. “Eat quickly if you can, Sky. The rest of you, let’s finish up and pack our things.”

            Four shared a flat look with him before getting up and following the rest of them towards their bags. Wild came over to offer another tart – obviously, he accepted – before going to his own. With no one to talk to or hear stories from, Sky finished quickly and followed suit with the rest of them. Once they were all packed, they were off.

            Sky had taken the front again, keeping an eye out for any signs. There was another ‘Faron Woods’ sign not far from where they were, but that was it for a while. At least the path was linear. It was about a half an hour before he spotted a hint of bright light ahead.

            “I think we’re close!” Sky announced, feeling the same relief he heard everyone sigh out behind him. But he couldn’t suppress his own sigh when they finally made it back outside. Though there were tall hills blocking most of the view, he could still see patches of the cloudy sky above the trees, feel the faint wind around him, and smell the damp woods. It was so nice to be back in a place that felt alive.

            “Finally!” Wind cheered, spinning around with his arms open wide. “I don’t really mind caves, but that one was long! No offense, Sky.”

            He just shrugged. “I don’t really like caves in general, so I understand.”

            There was a short moment of silence before Four spoke. “So… where are we going?”

            Sky took out his map for Faron Woods. To his surprise, the north-eastern part glowed faintly, a small section of land scribbling itself onto the paper. The area was labeled ‘Surface Cave Systems.’ It’d been a while since he’d seen that.

            “Looks like we’re in the Deep Woods – the Skyview Temple isn’t that far,” he explained, turning around his map and pointing to the temple in question. “So, we got a ways to go southwest before we end up here, the Sealed Temple.” He dragged his finger down towards the temple on the bottom of his map. “This is where we’ll eventually end up. There’s a huge goddess statue outside, so we should be able to see that once we get closer.”

            “Cool, let’s go,” Legend said, immediately walking off. Sky frowned, hesitating for a moment before following the veteran a few paces behind him. Was he still angry about the tart stain? He didn’t seem like the type to hold those kind of grudges, but he’d been surprised before.

            Eventually, Four caught up to him. “He’s been like that since before breakfast. I don’t think he slept well.”

            “That or he regrets taking last watch.”

            “You… do realize it’s really not that bad?”

            “Waking up before everyone else? Pass.”

            Four snorted, but didn’t respond. It didn’t take long before they made it to the Skyview Temple, and the shortcut back to Faron Woods made the trip feel a lot faster than walking through the caves. Then again, Legend’s brisk pace had a few of them jogging just to keep up. After walking through the small ridge leading back to the lighter part of the woods, Sky pointed towards the Great Tree. “We can stop there for lunch if anyone’s hungry. The Sealed Temple isn’t much farther, so we can get ready there too.”

            A handful of Links perked up at the idea of food, but the rest of them nodded at his last statement. Even though they hadn’t felt any tremors since the cave system, they knew better than to expect an easy fight.

            After the taller ones in the group helped everyone climb their way up the wall – Sky couldn’t help but look back towards the rope he often used in his adventure with a certain bitterness – the champion pulled out another quick meal. The rest of the group started digging through their bags to grab potions and trade out tools. Sky didn’t have much he needed, so he sat off to the side to eat. With some extra time on his hands, he pulled out his harp and fingered a few notes while the rest ate.

            “That song again, huh?”

            Sky blinked, looking up and surprised to see Legend of all people. “Oh, hi Legend. Uh, which one?”

            The veteran rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms. “That one you always play when you’re thinking of Zelda. Shouldn’t you be doing something more productive?”

            His arm froze, the familiar melody of the Goddess’ Ballad going silent. Shaking his head with a small smile, Sky put his harp away. Guess he really did do that a lot. He missed Zelda. “Well, I already have everything I need. Whenever you’re all ready, we can head out.”

            “And see Zelda, right?”

            There was a challenge in his tone, something that had Sky cocking his head. “Uh, if she’s there? Which would be nice, but –”

            “Of course. Can’t think of anything else, can you?” With a huff, he walked off towards his bags. “Birds, sleep, and Zelda. Unbelievable.”

            The exchange left him more confused than anything, but a disapproving hum had him turn back. Twilight was there, his arms crossed and his face holding a frown. “I don’t know what his problem is, but you shouldn’t let him push you around like that.”

            Sky blinked. Was he… worried about him? “Oh, it’s fine.” In the past, he would’ve said something like that to avoid conflict more than anything. But now, with his dream coming back to mind and Legend’s bad mood lasting all day, he couldn’t really be mad at him. “It’s harmless. He just doesn’t give a second thought about his attitude is all.”

            Twilight looked skeptical, but it only served to make Sky chuckle. It was true anyway – the veteran was always a bit distant from the group. But aside from that, he’d been through a lot worse. “Trust me, people like him aren’t bullies.”

            Apparently, something in his words clicked with the rancher, because his arms suddenly fell and his frown became a soft, knowing smile. “Hmm… that’s very true.” There was a pause. Then, “You have a good heart, Sky. I think everyone’d agree you’re easy to be around.”

            Sky smiled. Well, even if Legend did actually hurt his feelings, it’d be hard to stay upset with the rancher around. “Thank you. I think everyone would say the same about you, even if you are a bit of a mother cucco.”

            “Ha! Like you’re not the same… when you’re actually awake to be.”

            “Hey, I think you all could –!”

            His stomach suddenly clenched as a heavy wave of something flew right through him. Not an attack – nothing hurt – but energy. It felt evil, angry, almost like…

            “Malice,” Sky muttered, quickly standing up. “That’s impossible.”

            Everyone had tensed from the wave, but his words had them quickly packing their things. Surprisingly, or maybe not considering his slate, Wild was the first to stand at attention. “Lead the way, Sky.”

            After running to the edge of the hill, kneeling down, and pushing himself off to the forest floor below, he ran as fast as he could towards the temple. When he could feel himself tiring only a few moments later, he could hear the captain’s words in his head. Slow down, steady your breathing. You’re pretty fast, but you’re pushing yourself too hard – it’ll just make you tired faster.

            There was another wave that flew through the forest, causing the birds and critters to scatter. It only made him more nervous. The lack of air wasn’t helping.

            He made it to the edge of the forest before he couldn’t run anymore. Bending down to catch his breath, he pointed down the path. “This way… temple to the right.”

            There was a beat of hesitation before the veteran and sailor were sprinting down the road. Time and Warriors came up to him, the latter putting a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll stall for time. Trust us and don’t push yourself. We need you at whatever you can give.”

            Sky managed a wry smile. “Knew you’d say that… I’m right behind you.”

            The two shared a grin and a fist bump before the elder Links led the rest of the group down the path. The rest of the group except for Wild, who subtly waved at Twilight before turning back towards Sky, swiping through his slate. After a moment, the champion handed him a green stamina potion.

            “Thanks,” Sky managed, downing half the bottle in a single gulp. Just as he’d hoped, that was enough to settle the stabbing pain in his stomach.

            “Yeah. No problem,” Wild responded distractedly. He was avoiding his gaze, still holding onto the slate, but not really doing anything with it.

            Sky took in a deep breath and exhaled. He was good to go. “That works wonders, Wild, truly. Ready?”

            He looked away for a moment before nodding. There was clearly something else he wanted to say, but maybe he needed some time to collect his thoughts? “Hey, you waited for me. The least I can do is wait for you if you need a minute.” His offer was met with a small smile and a shake of the head, so they both jogged down the path to the temple. There was another wave of malice, this one stronger. Further down, clashing swords and shouts could be heard in the distance.

            Sky sighed, trying to ignore the sick feeling in his stomach. He knew they were going to start fighting before he got there. He knew something happened before any of them got there. But it still left him feeling frustrated when he was late.

            When they made it to the fork in the path, Sky gestured for Wild to follow him forward. “If everyone went to the temple, we can flank the monsters going this way.” He nodded, and they both made their way to the Sealed Grounds. Once they got up the hill to the wooden platform, he immediately saw the problem.

            Outside the temple doors was a horde of bokoblins. They were just barely being driving back by Skyloftian knights and the various Links. Sky quickly made his way to them, Wild close behind, but a deep growl to his left had him looking towards the goddess statue courtyard. He froze in his tracks with a gasp.

            The black lizalfos was there along with three large moblins. They were guarding the statue, much of which was surrounded by swirling blue and murky black. But that wasn’t the only thing thing. There was a person down there, trying to fight their way through the moblins. They wore dark blue clothes with various orange designs, a short scarf wrapped around their neck. They were Sheika clothes.

            “Impa…?” Sky muttered, looking back to the group at the temple. Looking back, he realized something was off. Along with the lower half of their face, much of their hair was covered with a white head wrap. It took a moment, but he realized the figure’s hair wasn’t a pale yellow like Impa’s, but a golden blonde. The person had a broader stature, moved a lot slower than the strict woman. They didn’t just use the techniques of a Sheika, but the skills of a knight.

            “Zelda!” Sky almost jumped off then and there, but Wild just barely held him back. There was a painful moment of silence – not long, just there – and Sky shook his head. “She shouldn’t be alone; I’m supposed to be there for her, but I never –”

            Wild gripped his arm, almost growling as he turned him around. With shaky hands, he signed. “Me, two years. You, weeks. Zelda is strong.” There was a beat before more signs came, most he didn’t recognize. When Wild saw his confusion, he shook his head and lightly pushed him towards the courtyard. He put a hand on Sky’s chest, pointing towards Zelda. Then, the champion took his right hand and pulled it up into a firm grip. He held it there for a moment, his eyes looking straight into his. Then, he let go.

            Without waiting for a response, the champion stepped back and ran to the entrance of the temple. His silent words left Sky reeling, but another dark wave and Fi’s warning chime brought him back to reality. After taking another breath in and out, he leapt off the platform. With the courtyard entrance in the front packed with monsters, he decided to go around to the back.

            Bringing out his sailcloth at the last second, he started running as soon as his feet hit the ground. There was thankfully not much in his way except a few rocks and bushes, but the walls stretched all the way back to the cliff. He’d have to climb his way in from there.

            As soon as he made it over the wall and into the courtyard, another wave slammed into him, this one almost making him feel sick. But Zelda’s pained cry in the distance had him stumbling forward in an instant, pointing his sword skyward. As soon as he rounded the goddess statue, Sky swung his blade towards the first moblin he saw. Except it wasn’t a moblin, but a lizalfos.

            The lizalfos looked back just in time to get slammed by the beam and thrown across the courtyard. Zelda, who was lying on the ground, quickly flipped herself up and looked over to him. “Li—Uh, Chosen Hero!”

            Sky ran to her side, keeping his sword at the ready. “You okay, Zelda?”

            “Huh?!” The supposed Sheikah didn’t know how to respond, couldn’t when the lizalfos slithered back to them. It slammed a sword into the ground just as the couple jumped out of the way.

            “Hero, you must go to the goddess statue!” Zelda shouted, running to the lizalfos and ducking its sword to slam a heavy kick to its face. “This creature is trying to bring back Demise!”

            Sky shook his head, forcing the lizalfos back with a stab of his sword. His swung was easily dodged as it jumped further back. “What about you?”

            “I’m nothing to you, Hero, don’t –”

            “Zelda, you’re everything to me!” Sky grit his teeth, blocking the lizalfos’ blade with his. They both exchanged a flurry of blows, neither of them able to hit the other until Zelda flew in and struck its side.

            In the moment that it staggered back, she threw her arms around him. “You’re the same to me,” she whispered. Then, she pushed him back and everything went white.

            Sky almost didn’t realize his eyes had adjusted until he saw a streak of blue amidst the darkness around him. Though it was a little difficult to see, he recognized the open chamber, the triforce against the wall, and the pedestal in front of him. He was inside the goddess statue.

            A chime from his sword urged him towards the pedestal. Unsure of what exactly he was doing, Sky flipped his sword around and inserted it. The sword glowed for a moment, the light traveling down and spreading across the room. Then, the light faded. For a moment, nothing else happened. Sky almost reached for his sword before light burst from the blade, filling the room and blinding him again. Still, he felt warm and safe. Was that it?

            As the light faded, he could feel the ground shaking. Sky took back his sword and dashed up the stairs just in case. He hoped Zelda was okay.

            When he finally made it back to the courtyard, he saw Zelda on the ceremonial circle. Her back was towards him, but he could tell she was straining to hold a bright spell onto the ground in front of her. The lizalfos was gone.

            By the time he made it to her side, he realized why the ground was shaking. The ceremonial circle was cracking, darkness oozing out from it in the form of a large hand. It was pushing against Zelda’s spell as she tried to force it down. Was the sword not enough?!

            Following Zelda’s lead, he ran to the shadowy hand and stabbed his sword down into it.

            Or tried to.

            A dark blast threw them both back, Zelda’s spell fading as the sky somehow grew darker. The hand jerked out of the cracks, a shoulder and head following it. The creature’s body was shadow, swirling into itself until it created an all-too-familiar figure. It was Demise.

            Sky slowly pushed himself up, putting himself in front of Zelda. She hadn’t gotten up yet, but she was breathing. He had to trust that she’d be okay.

            Demise was looking around the courtyard. There was confusion in his frown, but it disappeared as soon as he met Sky’s eyes, replaced with a dangerous smile. “Unexpected. But it matters not.” The demon put out his hand, a dark sword appearing within it. “I’d be honored to keep the promise I made to you myself.”

            Then, he charged.

            Sky ran forward to meet him, blocking the first powerful blow and countering with a quick one of his own. It just missed, but the demon’s grin was proof enough that he was close. Sky jumped back as Demise tried to circle around him, the latter’s eyes finally spotting the woman behind him. He didn’t let Demise get any closer, slashing his chest as soon as he charged, forcing him to stumble back.

            Demise’s chest blurred for a moment, the wound only a mass of shadow that slowly came back together. When the color returned, there was no scratch to be found.

            Of course.

            Despite coming to a shaky stand, the demon’s sneer returned in full force. It only became a laugh when Sky met it with a growl. “Crude for the goddesses’ puppet.”

            “Leave her out of this.”

            Demise’s only response was to immediately charge again, ramming into Sky’s shield. The attacks came over and over, even with each and every counter. Sometimes a shield bash, sometimes a swift swing of his sword. Neither would stop the demon despite its form getting darker, more scratches covering its body. Neither of them had a chance to breathe.

            With the shadows not fast enough to heal him, Demise eventually slowed. Sky took the chance to bash him back and thrust his sword for a final blow. He didn’t miss.

            The demon roared in pain, unable to move as Sky pushed his blade further in. He wouldn’t let him move. He stared the demon in the eyes as he spoke. “No matter how many times you come back, no matter how powerful you are, I will kill you. Every time. You won’t lay a single finger on Zelda, and you’ll never, ever, live long enough to –”

            A flash. Pain shot into him, going through his entire body. Sky barely registered being slammed back – floating? – and crashing into cold, unmoving stone. The world around him grew dark and muffled. Something was missing, something felt unnaturally empty. Slowly, but surely, the courtyard came into focus.

            Demise was screaming as he threw aside a sword. The sacred sword. Fi clattered to the side as more lightning flashed. The Demon King slowly came to a stand as rain poured down around them. Then, it locked eyes on something beside him.

            Sky turned his head to see Zelda, scarf and headwrap both now unraveled, slowly pushing herself to her knees. She saw Demise, tensed, looked around, and met eyes with Sky.

            “Zelda, go.”

            Demise charged towards them.

            “No!” Zelda snapped, jumping in front of him. Without warning, the courtyard was filled with light. It was a shield, one Zelda held with her magic as Demise struck it over and over.

            “You’re not… safe here!” Sky managed, pushing himself to his knees.

            “I’m not leaving you!”

            “I’m not asking, Zelda!” Sky shouted, shoving himself up to a shaky stand. “Get out of here, now!”

            Zelda froze at the same time Sky did, and the shield began to crack. With each passing second, it crawled across the shield, growing larger and larger. After a moment, she huffed and reinforced the spell. The light still had cracks, but they suddenly became fainter. Without looking back, Zelda quietly spoke. “It’s happening again, Link. You’re letting anger poison you.”

            He knew. He knew before she said it. He could feel it in his stomach, in his mind, clouding his thoughts. He never wanted her to see it, was always afraid it would scare her. And yet… “Link? I’m okay. I’m still here. And I’ll always be with you, okay? So let’s fight him together.”

            Sky didn’t get a chance to speak before a ball of light appeared in front of him. Instinctively, he reached out to take it. As he did, swirls of light created a hilt, then a blade. A few moments later, he was holding the Master Sword.

            “Link!”

            The shield shattered, the light fading to stormy darkness. Sky jumped forward at the same time Zelda fell back, catching her in one arm and Demise’s blade with his other. As much as he wanted to hold onto her, it was an awkward position, and he felt himself being pushed back. He grunted from the pressure, his sword starting to dip back. Then, Fi chimed.

            Demise roared, arching his back. The pressure was gone, and Sky took that chance to strike his chest and force him back. At the same time the Demon King dropped his sword, three figures behind him jumped out of the way.

            “Backup has arrived!” Wind declared, brandishing his sword and pointing it towards Demise. Four and Hyrule ran forward and slashed at the demon’s sides, turning back and readying their next attack.

            Sky could cry. He almost did, what with the rain on top of the storm of emotions he was feeling. Frustration, anger, mostly at himself now. Doubt, and yet, relief that Zelda still trusted him, that Fi believed in him. That he didn’t have to do it all by himself again. He would have to thank everyone later.

            Zelda hugged him before stepping away. The five of them surrounded Demise, who was growling in frustration with his hands on his knees. He was vulnerable.

            “All at once!” Sky shouted and, using his sword to guide them, led the group into a charge. As he ran, his sword, then Wind’s, then Four and Hyrule’s swords glowed with a divine light. Then, their swords stuck true.

            All of them moved away when Demise screamed. Several bolts of lightning struck the ground around them, almost deafening the demon’s cries. He fell to his knees as his body went black, then burst into shadow.

            Wind whooped, turning to Four for a high-five. But the smithy wasn’t paying attention to him. He didn’t seem relieved at all, only more worried. “He’s not done yet.”

            As if in response, a quiet huff echoed through the air. “Five sacred swords and the goddess reborn. Interesting.” Then the shadows, instead of floating up and disappearing as they usually did, came together and shot towards the temple.

            A familiar feeling of dread filled Sky’s stomach as more lightning crashed. Memories replayed themselves in his mind – running up the hill, seeing Legend alone, the lightning hitting him – they wouldn’t beat Demise on foot. “Zelda, Legend’s alone over there!”

            He could feel questioning gazes from the others, but Zelda simply nodded, pushing them all together. “Stay safe.” Just like last time, the world around them suddenly became white.

            When his eyes mostly adjusted, Sky saw Legend towards the edge of the courtyard. He seemed okay – he had had his sword at the ready. And yet, Demise’s shadow was just above him, lifting his sword to the sky and calling lightning to it. The Demon King left himself open, but the veteran just stood there. What was he doing?

            “Legend, look out!” Sky shouted, sprinting towards the unmoving Link. He tried to keep his sword forward, lengthening his strides without losing speed, keeping his breathing in check. But Demise swung his sword before he could make it to the veteran’s side, something grabbing him from behind and slowing him down. “LEGEND!”

            Suddenly, everything was silent. There was no screaming, no thunder, and no rain. The grass, the courtyard, even the veteran and the wave of lighting in front of him – everything was grey. Sky would’ve been gaping if his stomach didn’t suddenly feel like it was being stabbed.

            “You’ve only got a few seconds, hurry!”

            To his shock, Wind was behind him, pushing him towards Legend and Demise. “C’mon, weren’t you the one trying to rush over here?! You have a plan, right? Right?!”

            The pushing suddenly stopped. Before Wind could freak out, Sky turned around and hugged him. “You are… the best.”

            “Yeah, I know. Also, you ran like two feet and sound like you’re dying.”

            “You’re now the second best.”

            “Wait, who’s the best?!”

            Sky laughed weakly, putting Wind down. Then, he jogged in front of Legend and held out his sword. It was just in time too – he jumped when the lightning suddenly slammed into him, and he almost ran right into the veteran in the process. Concerned yells came from behind him as the rain continued to dump on them. The color was back, too.

            When Demise noticed him, he growled. “Irritating mortal.”

            Sky only responded with a glare. Then, he swung his sword. The lightning shot towards the shadow, slamming into it and enveloping it with light. Another light beamed in the distance – Zelda, he guessed – pulling the trapped demon back to his prison.

            He watched the light as it flew away. It only took a moment before he saw it float beneath the ground, and a wave of light flew through the grounds. The storm slowly disappeared, replaced with bright, blue skies. The ground was soaked with mud and loose grass, but the flowers finally stretched back up and the birds returned with their curious chirping. The sacred grounds were safe.

            With a loud sigh of relief that may or may not have sounded like a dying guay, Sky plopped to the ground and looked back. Still behind him was a perfectly fine, if not slightly miffed, Hero of Legend. The other younger heroes were a few feet behind him, and the older ones were just squeezing out of the temple doors. Apparently, a bunch of loose stones and rocks were blocking the way. Did the lightning hit the temple?

            “Is anyone hurt?” Time shouted from the distance.

            “Nothing serious!” Hyrule called back.

            “Sky’s dead!” Wind shouted at the same time. Sky met eyes with Four, who promptly shoved the sailor aside for him.

            “I hope you realize that was stupid.”

            Legend had put away his sword earlier and was now standing with his arms crossed, staring Sky straight in the eye. Four, as soon as Legend spoke, took Wind and Hyrule’s arms and dragged them away. Sky couldn’t tell if the smith was impressively observant or too snoopy for his own good.

            “You would’ve done the same,” Sky finally answered.

            “Yeah. I sure –”

            “You would’ve,” he said firmly. Even if he did have an attitude, he was a good person deep down. He’d seen it before. He knew it, Fi knew it, and he was sure Zelda could tell too. Whatever his issue was, it couldn’t take away his hero’s spirit. “You couldn’t make me doubt if you tried.”

            Legend scoffed, but didn’t respond immediately. It was silent between them for a long moment before, “Aren’t you going to check on Zelda?”

            If that wasn’t deflecting, he didn’t know what was. But, he was right, and Sky stood up to dust himself off. “How’d you know that was her?”

            “Unless you’re telling me Hylia herself visited us – and that definitely wasn’t her – then that was Zelda over there.”

            Sky shrugged. Of course he’d know something like that. With a small wave, he sheathed his own sword and ran to the courtyard. Thankfully, Zelda was just fine and already walking towards him. When she spotted him, she ran to meet him. Just like before, she jumped into his arms, and he twirled her around.

            “You’re crazy, and I love you so much.” Sky said.

            “You’re crazier, and I love you too.”

            With no danger nearby, they just stayed like that, taking advantage of every second. He’d missed her. He was so glad she didn’t get too hurt. He was so happy she was here.

            “So… Father doesn’t know I came here.”

            On second thought, this was gonna be so much worse than the Pipit incident.

            Eventually, they both walked back to the temple – Zelda back in her “indiscreet” outfit – and helped with cleanup efforts. Once the rocks were cleared away from the temple doors and everyone received a lookover from Warriors, Hyrule, and Zelda, the group of Links returned to Skyloft. Professor Horwell met them in the square, guiding the group to the academy. Along the way, Sky felt Zelda step away from his side. When he looked beside him, she was gone. So that’s why she wanted to walk in the back of the group.

            Inside the academy, they were led to the headmaster’s office where the rest of the professors were waiting. They barely managed to squeeze in with everyone, but as soon as they were settled, Sky and the rest of the group gave their report. Zelda burst in during the middle of it all – now in her usual dress – making a beeline for Sky. He could hear a few chuckles, but Gaepora’s raised eyebrow was much more intimidating. Thankfully, they took extra time to talk with Zelda about additional protections for the Faron region and potential plans for something like that happening again. Hopefully, it wouldn't. But, if it did...

            “Then Link and his new friends will be there to help. Right?” Zelda asked.

            Sky smiled, nodding without a second thought. Which reminded him... “Um, everyone? Thank you so much. Uh, you too professors, but, I mean -”

            “Spit it out already!” Wind interrupted, earning an elbow from both Warriors and Twilight. “What? I already know, so he might as well just say it!”

            “Yeah, but you ruined the moment,” Four said subtly.

            “I heard that too!”

            Sky didn't think he could smile any wider. The professors all seemed amused, thankfully, watching the chaos around them just barely being contained. He drew out the moment just a little longer before adding, “You all are true friends, and true brothers. Thank you all so much for helping me protect my home.”

            “It's what we do.”

            Everyone's eyes were drawn to the veteran, the only Link who had been quiet the whole time. When Legend noticed everyone staring, he looked away. “What? That's what it is. Or at least what we try to do.”

            The professors nodded. The Links exchanged grins with each other, Four meeting Sky's eyes with his classic subtle smile. Sky nodded back to him. He heard the veteran's message for what it was. Hiding it all under some aloof pretense was something they would have to talk about at some point, though...

            To move the pressure off of Legend, Sky then turned to Wild, who was standing next to Twilight. Milking it just a little bit, Sky put a fist on his heart, and raised it towards him. Maybe he didn't know everything the champion said to him back at the sealed grounds, but he knew it was something to ground him, something to keep him focused. Another thing to ask about later, Sky supposed, as Wild repeated his gesture with a grin.

            “Well, I think that's more than enough for now,” Gaepora said, nodding to the group. “Thank you for your time. You are all dismissed.” With that, the group nodded, exchanging thanks and farewells as they shuffled out of the door.

            “Link, Zelda.”

            The two in question both froze just as they got to the door, turning back to see a very stern Gaepora. “We’re not finished.”

            The last thing Sky saw was Time’s knowing bow to him and Zelda as the doors closed behind them.

~

            If no one had seen Link and Zelda in the headmaster’s office, no one would’ve assumed anything was wrong. There was no yelling or slamming or anything indicative of an argument or lecture going on. But Time saw Gaepora’s face during the meeting. Whatever the young lovebirds did, the headmaster was not impressed.

            Time left them alone for a while, exploring the city and checking in with the boys. He passed by the academy occasionally, but he couldn’t tell when it was safe to go in. It was after a couple hours had passed that he finally forced himself to push open the doors. The boys weren’t the only ones impatient for news.

            As he walked up the stairs, he was startled to see the headmaster himself going down. When Gaepora finally noticed him, he let out a quiet, but hearty “Hoo hoo!” that was almost too familiar. “Young man, your timing is impeccable. Come, come!”

            With a certain amount of hesitation, Time followed the headmaster to his office. After an almost giddy gesture to stay quiet, Gaepora slowly opened the doors. Sitting in two chairs in front of the desk were Sky and Zelda, their hands clasped between the chairs. Both of them had their heads on the desk and were fast asleep.

            “Zelda too, I take it?” Time asked with a small smile.

            “No, she tends to wake early and do what she needs to until the evening,” Gaepora quietly responded. “But, from what I’ve heard, she pushed herself quite heavily earlier this afternoon. I wasn’t surprised to lose the boy only ten minutes into the lecture, but to see my daughter so easily follow his lead… I suspect they could both use the rest.”

            Time nodded soberly. “I could feel Zelda’s divine power even in the temple. I imagine she did what she needed to with the goddess’ support. And Sky – Link…” He paused, watching the younger hero breathe for a moment. He was very lucky. He mentioned being struck by lightning when the captain and traveler checked on him, but he had no scars. If Zelda wasn’t with him, he might’ve…

            “It’s certainly different from Zelda’s efforts, but I know he pushed himself just as hard. He and the rest of your young men.” Gaepora put a hand on Time’s shoulder. “Thank you for looking after Link. And those other boys of yours. I can tell they mean a lot to you.”

            Time’s smile returned. “Thank you. I'm not as great as you think, but it has truly been my pleasure to be with them and watch them grow.”

            “Hoo hoo! Never underestimate the keen eye of an old man, young one. I suspect you are exactly what I think, but that is up to you to decide.”

            Time didn't respond, mainly because he wasn't sure how to. The two older men watched the couple sleep for a few more moments before quietly closing the door. Gaepora excused himself as he went to the nearby classroom, greeting the students and joining their lesson. Time subtly listened to some of it himself before taking his leave.

            Going down the stairs, crossing the bridge, and hopping across the platforms to reach the quiet side of town, he sat under a tree and decided to take a short nap himself. One of the boys would certainly interrupt him at some point, but that would be an issue for later.

Chapter Text

Dear Aryll,

These past couple months were crazy! You know that portal we saw in the woods? Apparently, it led to another world! I met these eight other guys who are apparently me? But not me? We’re all named Link, we all have the triforce of courage, and we all know a Zelda! But we’re all different Links from the past and the future. And other worlds or something? We decided to call ourselves based on our titles, so I’m Wind, which is really weird. But, the longer we hang out, the more it feels normal. And it makes more sense. For instance, there’s this guy named Wild who is an awesome cook, but he’s a little… wild when we’re on the road. And Four is shorter than I am, but he’s older??? And way more mature. Sky’s name makes sense because his head is always in the sky. But he’s really nice. And there’s this guy named Legend who has the coolest name, but he’s kinda grumpy a lot. There’s a captain here too, his name is Warriors and

            “Who’s Aryll?”

            Wind yelped, pulling the letter to his chest when he realized Warriors was looking over his shoulder. “Haven’t you heard of privacy?”

            Warriors grinned. “That’s ironic coming from a shrimp who has a bad habit of digging through other people’s purses.”

            Wind shoved him back. “I don’t do that!”

            “You literally stole candy from Legend ten minutes ago.”

            “He was being a jerk and showing them off without actually sharing! I know you wanted to try some too.” Just to make his point, Wind pulled out the amber-colored candy from his pocket and offered it to him.

            Warriors took it and put it in his pocket. “Not the point.”

            “Says the guy who literally took ‘stolen’ candy to eat later.”

            “Who says I’m eating it?”

            Wind and Warriors had a staring contest for about ten seconds before the latter wimped out and turned around. Or, at least, Wind thought he was giving up before the captain was facing Legend. The veteran had his stuff all over the ground and was reorganizing his bag. “Hey, Legend!”

            “Hey, what?”

            When the veteran turned around, Warriors took something out of his pocket and threw it at him. Wind couldn’t even try to stop him. That was his!

            “Wind, you thief!”

            “What – why me?!”

            “You’re both as subtle as a brick wall,” Legend said bluntly, popping the candy in his mouth before going back to his things.

            A handful of the group chuckled at the exchange. Wind groaned, flopping back to the ground. Killjoy captain. Good thing he still had a couple more…

            “We actually have a break for once, Sailor. Try to stay out of trouble.”

            “Sounds boring.”

            Warriors rolled his eyes with a small grin, playfully kicking Wind’s foot – the younger Link kicked him back – before walking away. The sailor gave it about five long seconds before he swung himself back up and checked on his letter. It got a little bent, but not super crumpled. Phew.

            A nearby shuffling of bushes caught the group’s attention. It was loud and obvious, settling any nerves even before Twilight stepped out.

            “Wolfie found a few bokoblins, but they weren’t infected. He pretty much took ‘em all on his own,” Twilight reported with a small smile, wiping a fist across his mouth. “Anyway, I’m starved. What’s for lunch?”

            “What, bokoblins not enough for you?”

            Wind cocked his head when the rancher put a heavy hand on Wild’s shoulder and laughed a little too brightly. He saw the rancher’s lips move again, but couldn’t hear what he said. He would’ve asked, except his stomach growled loud enough for the whole group to turn his way.

            “Hey, Twi said it first!” Wind said quickly. “And I thought you were cooking, Wild!”

            “I was waiting for Twilight to get back.”

            “Oh, right! Here, take these…”

            Wind grimaced when Twilight pulled out plain grass, then cute grass, then colorful grass – what was with all the leaves?! Then, he finally pulled out some small mushrooms and blue berries. Thank goodness.

            “That’s it!” Wild shouted with a bright smile. “I’ve got a new recipe for everyone, here, just gimme a minute and I can…” Any clarity at that point was lost to quiet mumbling interrupted by happy humming as he put everything aside except for the mushrooms, which was thrown in a pot with some meat – wait, where’d the pot come from?

            Wind shook his head with a grin. “He’s kinda crazy when he cooks.”

            “He’s passionate,” Hyrule rephrased beside him, a different kind of smile on his face. “It’s beautiful.”

            Wind wasn’t going to pretend he knew exactly how the traveler was really feeling, but he couldn’t help but grin wider. He had such a cool way of seeing things; even a tiny rock could make the guy happy. But it was pretty infectious.

            “Doesn’t make him any less crazy,” Wind finally said, giving Hyrule a friendly punch in the side.

            “Well, his name is Wild.”

            With lunch now being prepared, everyone started putting away their things to get ready for the next leg of their journey. Once there was enough space, a few of them passed the time sparring. Wind, eager to join in on the fun, grabbed Hyrule and challenged him.

            “I don’t think we’ve fought each other yet, have we? C’mon, best two out of three!”

            Hyrule grinned, shrugging out of his grasp and pulling out his sword. “Oh. I didn’t think you were the type, but if you really need that second chance…”

            “Hey!” And the fight began. Since neither of them were smart enough to switch out their swords beforehand, their moves were more careful than energetic. Wind matched every one of Hyrule’s jumps with his rolls, occasionally coming close enough to swipe at him, but not quite fast enough to hit his mark. They both danced around each other until a whistle broke them both out of their concentration.

            Several feet away was Four, holding two wooden swords. Understanding the gesture, Wind quickly put his away and just managed to catch the one tossed to him. He looked over just in time to see Hyrule holding out his sword with a small grin. Oh, it was on, now!

            This time, Wind charged, ducking out of Hyrule’s swing and rolling around for a back strike. Hyrule jumped out of the way, smacking his sword in retaliation.

            Back on his feet, Wind charged again, feinting right before swinging left. Blocked. Thrust, dodged. Right, counter – duck!

            Wind rolled away, unable to hold back a grin. So maybe that was a pretty obvious move, but at least he was fast! With a burst of excited adrenaline, he went in for a flurry of blows. Hyrule smoothly blocked each one, stepping back every so often. Wind tried again and again, probably more than he should’ve, until he was running out of steam. Carefully, he aimed one last swing to the right – blocked – and jumped away.

            And promptly felt a jab in his side.

            “Ow!” Wind whined, rubbing his left with one hand and keeping his sword up with the other. “Aw, come on, I totally thought that would work!”

            “Maybe with the ‘blins,” Hyrule responded with a grin, bringing his sword back up even as he was still catching his breath. “One more and I win!”

            “Bring it on!” Once again, Wind charged, meeting Hyrule’s swing with his own. The two traded a few blows before Wind ducked under one, aiming a stab at Hyrule’s leg. Just barely, the traveler leapt away, unable to counter before the sailor was back up and running. He moved around Hyrule before ducking down. Instead of a roll, however, he kicked out his foot.

            And tripped over the shocked traveler.

            With a triumphant shout, Wind pushed himself up and stabbed his sword down. He missed by inches.

            The sailor backed away as Hyrule jumped back up with his sword at the ready. For a moment, they circled around each other, catching their breaths. But just a moment.

            As soon as the idea came to mind, Wind charged again, swinging at Hyrule over and over. None of his blows hit, but the traveler was gradually moving back like last time. The sailor kept up the attack just long enough for Hyrule to get used to it. Then, he put his whole body in one heavy swing. Hyrule surprisingly held it for a brief moment, but Wind had timed it during one of his back steps, and it easily overpowered the traveler. Hyrule wasn’t even on the ground for a second before Wind had his sword at Hyrule’s chest.

            “Glad for that two outta three offer now, huh?” Wind asked, breathing heavily.

            “You’re looking tired,” Hyrule said casually, also breathing heavily. “Sure you don’t want to quit now?”

            “What, you scared?”

            “Of the next one lasting less than ten seconds, yeah.”

            “I could win in five flat.”

            “I’ll do it in three.”

            “Now, you two are just being ridiculous,” Legend said, watching them from beneath a tree. “You’re spending way too much time with the kid and the captain, Hyrule, you’re getting a little sassy.”

            “And yet, not as much as you,” Hyrule replied as Wind helped him up. “You gonna join us?”

            “Nah. Food’s almost done anyway.”

            “Already?!” Wind shouted, looking back towards Wild. Indeed, the cook was already setting up nine plates. “Aw, yes!”

            Challenge set aside (but not forgotten), Wind made a mad dash for the plates. He thoughtlessly reached for one, remembered what happened last time, and snatched back his hands just as a spoon whipped towards him.

            Wild didn’t even look up from garnishing a plate as he threateningly pointed his spoon at him. Rude.

            By the time he was done, everyone had gathered around and dinner was served. For today, a serving of chicken with herbs on one side and a red-ish sauce on the other. Wild always put new combinations to the side of piece of food in case the group didn’t really like it. Along with the chicken was some sort of green vegetable with that same sauce confidently overlaying it, though it looked like there was also a type of spice sprinkled on top.

            “I’m pretty sure most of you will like the vegetables, but I put the sauce on the side for the chicken in case you prefer a heartier flavor,” Wild said with a small smile.

            Even before he’d finished explaining, Wind tried the chicken with the red sauce. To his surprise, it actually didn’t taste all that foreign to him! It was like the ham and pineapple he’d occasionally have at home, but the chicken had a bolder taste and the sauce Wild made was actually quite subtle. The combo made the chicken taste even better!

            Wind couldn’t get to the veggies before an arm wrapped around him and firmly guided him to a log. He looked up to see Warriors, who was grinning even as he sat beside him. “You know, you really should breathe between bites.”

            “Yeah, but then you could do this –” Wind swiftly stole one of the captain’s thin, green vegetables and popped it in his mouth. Nice and sweet! Though, there was a bit of water from the food that dulled the flavor. “And then I’d have less of Wild’s’ awesome food to eat.”

            In the blink of an eye and a flash of silver, Warriors had one of Wind’s vegetables on his fork and quickly popped it in his mouth. “Only if you don’t know any better.”

            “Hey!”

            “Pretty sure I should be the one saying that.”

            The scarfed Link somehow managed to defend his plate from Wind’s stubborn efforts, but a raised eyebrow from Time quickly had them both sitting and eating properly. “Although, you’re not one to judge,” Warriors muttered with a small smile. The old man’s neutral face gave nothing away.

            After taking their time eating and clearing the camp, the group continued onwards. All in all, it was a bright and beautiful day, if not a little dull. When the walking became too tedious, Wind poked Warriors in the side.

            “Yes?”

            Another poke.

            “Yes, Wind?”

            Poke.

            “You’re just being obnoxious, aren’t you?”

            Wind’s next poke got slapped away as the captain countered with two pokes of his own. Somehow, he dodged the next attack and managed to get one more poke in, making them even… to any fool who didn’t know better.

            “Hya!” Wind managed to get one more jab in before dancing away from the captain’s next poke and running circles around the group.

            “Get back here!”

            “Careful!” Twilight’s warning was more amused than annoyed as Wind and Warriors ran around him.

            “Hello,” Four said, not looking to either Link nor slowing his stride as Wind tried using him as a shield. Then, realizing there was an even better one in the front of the group, Wind dashed behind the largest shield he could find.

            “Captain.”

            “Time.” Wind snuck a peek out from behind old man, but quickly hid back behind him when he saw Warriors’ determined grin. The captain was competitive! “If you don’t mind, I have business with the gremlin behind you.”

            “I haven’t a clue what you’re talking about.”

            “Are you really siding with the kid?!”

            “As a legendary hero once said, you’re not one to judge.”

            “I feel like you don’t understand how that phrase is supposed to be used.”

            Wind grinned when Time shrugged, giving no response either in word or action. He was officially safe!

            “Alright kids, behave. We got a city ahead of us,” Legend drawled.

            True to the veteran’s word, they all saw the beginnings of a city wall. Though the city small, it was protected with a cement wall and a warning bell easily accessible by the watchmen on guard.

            “Hm. My Hyrule,” Warriors said with a small smile. “Not sure I recognize this place, though.”

            “Wait, how do you know this one’s yours if you don’t recognize it?” Hyrule asked.

            “The wall,” Wind replied, and he felt Time’s face suddenly turn towards him in shock. “Uh, what?”

            “Well, he’s not wrong,” Warriors said behind him. “During my adventure, cities were attacked by hordes of monsters – hundreds and even thousands – so small cities like this one had to have strong defenses.”

            “Thousands?!” Sky asked worriedly.

            Warriors nodded. “I’m not completely sure, but I think my Hyrule allows people to fight with greater strength. That, or the monsters here are weaker.” Here, the captain smirked. “I’ve taken out fifty with one attack before.”

            “Bull,” Legend immediately replied.

            “Ah ah, don’t be crude in front of the children, Legend.”

            “Says the twelve-year-old.”

            “Says the what?!”

            The outburst was more shocked than angry, but it promptly began an argument anyway. Deeming it safe, Wind stepped out of Time’s protection to walk beside him.

            “Thanks, Time.”

            “You are always welcome, young sailor. Though, I am wondering if there is a reason you’ve taken to messing with the captain more recently?”

            I’ve… found myself becoming quite fond of you all.

            They’re true friends, and true brothers.

            There’s a captain here too, his name is Warriors and he’s a menace. But he’s pretty cool too. I think you’d like him.

            “We’ve been fighting a lot lately – someone’s gotta make sure we have fun too!” Wind reasoned, not sure how to put his thoughts into words that didn’t make him want to gag. Besides, messing with the captain was too fun to pass up. It just felt natural at that point.

            Time hummed thoughtfully, but otherwise didn’t reply. It wasn’t long before the group made it to the outer walls, and the guards on duty nodded to them amicably – though, they were shocked when they saw Warriors – and stopped them before they passed by.

            “Captain Link?” one of them asked quickly. “Is something the matter?”

            “Oh, no, not at all! We’re just passing through,” Warriors said in a confident tone. “Though, I suppose we’re wondering if you’ve heard any news of strange monsters?”

            “Nothing to report, Sir,” the other responded. “But we will be sure to report to you if we do hear something.”

            “Please do, though be sure to send word to Princess Zelda or other nearby cities in any other case,” Warriors said. “I’m… on a special mission with these men, so I can’t guarantee it will be me specifically who responds.”

            “Understood. Please take care.” They both saluted – the captain saluted back – and the group continued onwards.

            “Wow, Warriors. I’m pretty impressed,” Twilight said, a little obvious with his thoughtful look. “You actually looked like a real captain back there.”

            “I am a real captain farm boy,” Warriors easily shot back, smoothing back his hair with one of his classic dazzling smiles. “Don’t be jealous if I get all the girls in this Hyrule.”

            “Get all the girls running away, he means,” Wind whispered conspiratorially, hearing an aborted snort behind him. It sounded a bit like Legend, but he couldn’t tell for sure.

            “Link, the Hero Captain?”

            One of the townspeople stopped the group in the middle of the street, and Wind immediately put a hand on his rupee pouch. This guy’s bright smile looked too much like an overeager tour guide… or a peddler.

            Warriors was startled from the sudden question, but easily returned to his suave persona. “You’re well-informed, Mr.…?”

            “Fagin, Dodger Fagin.”

            “Mr. Fagin, it’s a pleasure! But I’d appreciate it if you didn’t broadcast my name too loudly here.”

            The man laughed heartily, grabbing Warriors’ hand to shake it and sliding himself into a half-hug with the subconscious captain. “Of course, of course! I imagine you and your fine friends are on some important mission. However,” he added, moving to Twilight and patting his shoulder amicably. “Surely you realize your appearances alone would draw attention. If you haven’t visited this city before, Captain Link, I’d be happy to guide you and your friends to the nearest tailor.”

            Wind narrowed his eyes. Neither a guide or a peddler – this was a common thief. He could see small things slipping into the man’s sleeves and around his belt. He was careful, then, not taking more than he thought he could get away with.

            “My friend, the offer is appreciated, but we surely couldn’t take away more of your time than we already have –” Warriors tried to say, but the man shook his head, moving along to Time.

            “Oh no, I’ve nothing better to do! Though now that I think of it, this armor must be heavy, yes?” Dodger circled Time, as if fascinated by the armor. “Perhaps a pointer to the nearest inn, first –”

            “Hey!” The group jumped when Legend suddenly interrupted, glaring daggers at the talkative stranger. “What was that?”

            “Pardon?” Dodger asked, a perfect picture of innocent confusion.

            “What’d you take from him?”

            Wind took a few steps back, unable to hold back a small grin. Go vet! At least one person in the group wasn’t clueless, though, Legend’s conspicuous anger created an air of suspicion in the group.

            “‘Take?’ Young man, I may be bold, but I’m not a thief,” Dodger declared, stepping away from the group. “And I’m frankly insulted you’d suggest that to my face. I’m happy to leave you be if that’s what you want, but I refuse to tolerate abuse.”

            “‘Abuse?’” Legend actually snorted this time. “I asked a question, and that’s abuse?”

            “Captain Link, will you not intervene?” Dodger asked loudly, now out of range of the group. His question drew the attention of a handful of townspeople, who were looking at them with faces ranging from suspicion to concern.

            “Okay, okay, let’s calm down,” Warriors said placatingly, “Legend, how about we –”

            “Woah, what’s this?!”

            Wind could barely hold back a laugh when Dodger’s face paled. With the conversation taking everyone’s attention, the sailor had easily managed to sneak beside the thief and pull a familiar wooden trinket off the man’s belt. Held up high for everyone to see was none other than Twilight’s horse whistle.

            “Ah – that’s – it’s one of my –”

            “That’s mine,” Twilight said darkly, crossing his arms.

            Wind held onto the whistle for the time being, turning back to Dodger with an innocent smile of his own. “Sir, you’ve also got a little hole in your sleeve –”

            “Kid, wait –”

            Wind eagerly pulled down his arm to “show him the hole” only for several rupees to fall out of the hidden pocket of his jacket. Those were probably from Warrior’s pouch.

            “Oh no! I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to –” Wind started rambling, kneeling down to gather the rupees only to stop halfway. “Your front pocket? Seriously, you put something that big in your pocket?”

            “Hey, whaddya mean –?!”

            Wind wasn’t even subtle when he quickly reached into the startled man’s pockets and pulled out a familiar blue ocarina. “Don’t even bother saying this one’s yours. It’s got the triforce on it – only the royal family has stuff like this.”

            Dodger laughed uncomfortably when nine pairs of eyes as well as several more were staring right at him. A woman in the distance with leather armor who was probably watching the whole thing started making her way towards them. The man noticed and stepped back – right into Warrior’s waiting arms.

            “Captain Link! My good friend, we seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot –”

            “Yes, we have,” Warriors said, all traces of kindness gone. “I might’ve let you go if you simply stole my rupees, but to steal from my friends, to steal things that are very important to them… I will not tolerate that.”

            At that point, the woman made it to his side with a couple more armored people on the way. Warriors easily handed Dodger off to her. “I trust you and your companions can easily handle this man.”

            “With pleasure,” the woman responded with a sharp grin. “We’ve been watching him for several days, now.”

            “You could at least use my name!”

            “Bye, Mr. Fat-in!” Wind said cheerfully, eliciting a long sigh from both the thief as well as the group of Links with him.

            “That… was unnecessary,” Time said, drawing a hand down his face.

            “But he was a creep!” Wind shot back, giving the ocarina to Time and the whistle to Twilight before picking up the rupees. “Why’d you guys deal with him for that long?”

            “Well… innocent until proven guilty, and all that,” Warriors said with a sigh, dusting off his shoulder. “People like me can't just go around accusing people of crimes without proof - it puts the Hyrulean Guard in an awkward position.”

            “Yeah, and that’s why I could never be a soldier,” Legend stated flatly. “That guy was obviously shifty.”

            “Not all shifty people are bad,” Hyrule countered quietly. “Some are just hungry.”

            There was a weight in those words that had everyone suddenly quiet, but it was surprisingly Legend that interrupted first. “Yeah, you got a point. So, where are we going, anyway?”

            Wind rolled his eyes. The vet was as bad as him with his lack of subtlety. Still, it helped lift the mood, and a lot of the group had small smiles at the veteran’s efforts.

            “This way, friends!” Warriors announced, leading them deeper into town. “Pretty sure I saw a sign near the entrance pointing towards an inn. We can rest up and check for information there.”

            And they were finally on their way, thankfully uninterrupted, until they made it to the inn. While Time and Warriors checked in, the rest of the group either waited nearby or wandered around the entrance of the dining hall. Though there were few patrons in at the in-between hour, there were a group of musicians practicing in the front of the room.

            “Did Warriors just pass over twenty red rupees?”

            Wind looked over to see Four and Sky both looking towards the counter with pale faces.

            “This isn’t some secret royal inn, is it?” Sky asked quietly.

            “I don’t think so…” Four muttered.

            Wind just snorted. “This Hyrule just has really expensive stuff. It’s really easy to find rupees here though – definitely break a pot if you see one!”

            Both of them turned to him with confused looks. “Wait, that’s normal? How do you know?”

            “Trust me, I learned… the hard way?” Now that Wind thought about it, he had no idea how he knew – the last time they were in Warriors’ Hyrule, they were in Castletown and didn’t need to buy anything.

            Sky smiled tentatively. “Should we be worried that you look just as confused as us?”

            “I don’t think so. Yet.”

            Four rolled his eyes, but the three of them couldn’t say much else before a whistle caught their attention.

            “Boys, gather up!” Time’s call had everyone back together, and Warriors held out four keys. “Two for each room except the last one. Volunteers for the group of three?”

            “I could.”

            Wind burst out laughing when six collective voices easily volunteered. Legend and Wild were the two quiet ones – not all that surprising, really – but the surprised looks the rest of them gave each other were priceless.

            “For the sake of simplicity, let’s put Four and Wind together if you both are amenable to it,” Time said, and the two younger members met eyes and grinned. Wind was pretty sure none of them realized how much of a gremlin Four could be when no one was looking, but no one ever seemed to remember! “And one of the older boys.”

            Wind pouted. “We don’t need a babysitter…”

            “I’ll go with them,” Twilight casually suggested, earning a suspicious glare with Wind. “Between you two and Wild and Hyrule –”

            “Dibs on Wild,” Hyrule said, stepping by the cook’s side. The cook in question had a small, pleased smile. If not Twilight, then he generally preferred to be with the traveler.

            “I’ll take the blame for that one,” Twilight said, though his tone wasn’t all that apologetic. “But I’m pretty sure all four of you are ones to keep an eye on.”

            Okay, so Four didn’t have as much slack as he thought.

            “I’ll go with the veteran,” Sky chirped happily, which made Legend narrow his eyes at him. He didn’t complain, though.

            “Which leaves me with the captain,” Time said, exchanging smiles with Warriors. “Let’s take some time to settle in, but while we’re in town, let’s stock up on supplies. I’m generally comfortable with everyone traveling with those you’re rooming with, but I’ll have the captain join the resident wanderers of the group.”

            Wild and Hyrule both pointedly looked away from everyone else.

            “Alright, I wanna check out these rooms!” Winds said, taking a key from Warriors and dragging Four upstairs.

            “I can walk, you know.”

            “Yeah, but that’s less fun!”

            Four shrugged, accepting his fate. Wind, without letting go of him, unlocked the second room to the right and pulled him in. It was a small, simple room with two beds on either side of a square table. Above the table was a window with curtains pulled aside to let a sunbeam rest on a small, potted flower. In the corner of the room was a dresser and a coat-hanger.

            “This is nice!” Wind declared, finally letting go of the smithy to flop onto a nearby bed. 3 out of 10, it barely bounced. But it at least looked warm.

            “Not bad at all,” Twilight agreed, walking into the room. “Unless you two run around through here like a herd of wild goats.”

            “Tell that to Legend.”

            “Tell that to Wars!”

            “I don’t know how they can tell their things apart when they’re next to each other…” Twilight muttered.

            The three continued to chat, setting their things to the side and relaxing for a little while before heading downstairs. Time was sitting at one of the tables in the dining area, nodding to the trio when they walked in.

            “Hyrule and Wild already left with the captain – they’re on potion duty,” Time said, taking a quick drink out of his mug. “You three can look for food if you can, but you may want to do some odd jobs or sell unwanted items first.”

            “Because of the ridiculous inflation rate?” Four muttered, earning a small huff from the old man.

            “Time,” Twilight interrupted, raising an eyebrow. “Considering we were just robbed moments ago –”

            “Yes?” Time asked with a grin, holding out his mug to Wind. “Care to try?”

            “What?!”

            “Whoo!” Wind snatched the mug and took a large gulp. With a sigh, he handed the mug back to Time, barely holding back a grin from Twilight’s flabbergasted gape. “It’s plain apple cider, isn’t it.”

            “It is.”

            “Aaaand we’re leaving before I have an existential crisis,” Twilight said, guiding Four and Wind out the door.

            “Keep them out of trouble, rancher.”

            Twilight shot Time a look over his shoulder, one Wind didn’t need to see to laugh. Four grinned at Wind, sharing in his mirth.

            It was surprisingly easy to find people who wanted simple things done – some had deliveries to make, others had quick fetch quests that they paid for with interest, and a lot of people just wanted cleaning jobs done.

            “This feels unintuitive,” Four muttered, piling more junk on the wagon Twilight had borrowed from one of the townsfolk.

            “Which is probably why they want someone else to do it,” Twilight said with a laugh, pulling ahead with the cart.

            “Some of this stuff is just gross though…” Wind whined, leading Twilight from the front to the nearest disposal area.

            “At least it ain’t goat manure.”

            After a couple hours of chores and returning the wagon to its owner, the trio took their earnings to the nearest market to get some food. Twilight almost fainted when he saw the price of bread. Four almost started a fight with an armorer when he saw the price of a simple sword. And Wind had to hold himself back from taking all of the shiny jewelry on display. Seriously, more than half of the sellers just had jewelry. They didn’t need all of it – it’s not like any of it was magical.

            Eventually, Twilight dumped several bags of food into Four and Wind’s arms, forcing them to head back to the inn. He was close behind them.

            “We don’t need a babysitter,” Four muttered angrily.

            “That weapons dealer was a little too close to saying otherwise,” Twilight shot back with a grin.

            “He’s practically stealing!”

            “Not in this Hyrule,” Wind said sadly, looking back towards the necklaces. There were a pair on sale – a purple and blue one – that he’d really liked. Tetra would like them too. Maybe he’d trade some of his treasures for them, but mostly for himself. He'd just get the other one for the two-for-one deal. And since Tetra liked the girly color purple, he might as well give the other one to her. Because it was practical.

            By the time they made it back and put everything in Wild’s slate, everyone was ready for dinner. Thankfully, it was included in their room fee, so they each got a pretty decent stew just minutes after they all sat down. It was more salty than savory, definitely not as good as Wild could make it, but it would do.

            “Y’all seem like a nice family,” the waitress said, passing everyone cups of water. “It looks like ya fight too. I hope you don’t get into too much trouble?”

            “We’re not family,” Legend stated, earning a heatless smack from Sky.

            “No need to worry Ma’am – the youngest are some of our best,” Warriors said with a bright smile.

            “Oh, it’s good to see a Hero like yourself so humble!”

            “Hardly,” Twilight said in his cup, earning a not-heatless jab in the ribs from Warriors. Who immediately rubbed his elbow with a grimace.

            “Your crew got a name, or are y’all just nameless fighters?” The woman asked kindly, stepping away after setting down the last cup.

            There was a brief moment of silence as everyone shared hesitant glances. Wind was very close to calling himself “Wind” just to see the look on her face. But, then again…

            “Ma’am, you’re a genius,” Wind declared, looking to the group with a wide smile. “We need a name. Like a group name!”

            “No,” Legend said, earning another smack from Sky. “No, Sky, I don’t need another name!”

            “How humble,” the captain said, earning a jab from Twilight that made him turn away to hide a cough.

            “Perhaps they can give you a proper answer by the time you return,” Time said with a smile, nodding towards the rest of the dining area, which was now packed with people. “We understand you’ve got a lot on your hands.”

            “Aww, appreciate the kindness, Honey,” she said with a wink, turning and walking to the adjacent table.

            “Easy Time… you’ll upset Malon,” Warriors wheezed, not able to pass up the chance even as he was still clutching his side.

            “I barely touched you,” Twilight muttered.

            “Wait, guys, don’t get off topic!” Wind shouted. “What’s our name gonna be?”

            “We could just be The Nine Travelers,” Sky suggested.

            Wild cleared his throat, gesturing to a waving Hyrule.

            “The Black Blood Destroyers!” Wind shouted eagerly. The mixture of kind smiles and flat looks were not as eager.

            “The Linked Heroes?” Hyrule asked with a small smile.

            “Is that a pun?”

            “The Chain,” Four said.

            Everyone turned to the smithy with a range of emotions from pained resignation to excited amusement.

            “I vote for The Chain! The ultimate pun and the coolest name that wasn’t mine,” Wind declared, holding up his cup. “All in favor, say ‘aye!’” His cup was silently joined by Four’s.

            “Aye,” Hyrule said happily, holding up his cup at the same time Wild held his up with a large grin.

            “Aye!” Sky cheered, holding up his cup with his own smile.

            “We’re already outnumbered, might as well take it before it gets worse, vet,” Warriors said, holding his up with Time and Twilight.

            The veteran looked at everyone with a suspicious glare. “You’re all getting a real kick outta this, aren’t you?”

            “It’s a strong name,” Time said, his neutral face betraying… all kinds of gremlin intentions, actually.

            “Whatever,” Legend said, rolling his eyes and lifting his cup. “There, I lifted my cup. Now we’re all a bunch of idiots with cups in the air. Happy now?”

            “Very!” Wind declared, tapping every cup he could reach in one swing. “To the Chain!”

            “To the Chain!” They all cheered, with varying measures of enthusiasm.

            “Don’t worry, Four, Legend likes it too,” Hyrule whispered quietly over to them. “He’s just trying to hide it.”

            “Brick wall, Hyrule,” the veteran loudly said to them. The traveler pretended he didn’t hear.

            “Sounded like y’all agreed on something over here!”

            The captain was the one to introduce the group, and the waitress laughed and curtsied as if meeting them for the first time. Once she set down extra napkins and fresh bread, she let them be.

            Despite any earlier exasperation, the mood was light and the minutes went by quicker than Wind expected. By the time everyone was settling back with only cups left on the table, half of the dining area was empty. After Time made sure there was no need to leave (“Take all the time you need, Hon, there’s no rush at all.” “…Time, Malon can flip you into a pile of horse manure, you know!”), they stayed there for a while just chatting and telling stories. It was when most of the room cleared that they finally stood up to head to their rooms.

            “Hey, are you okay with sharing a bed?” Wind asked Four while they were taking off their armor. “It’s okay if not – I’m just used to it with Aryll, you know – I just thought –”

            “That’s what Time was going for, so Twilight could have his own bed?” Four smiled in understanding. “I’m used to it too, so I’m okay with it if you are.”

            Wind beamed, his smile quickly turning to a confused frown when the smithy’s words hit. “Wait, what do you mean you’re used to it? Do you have brothers or sisters you never talk about?!”

            Four shrugged, turning away with a small smile and saying nothing. Rude! He wasn’t gonna be able to sleep if he had to puzzle that out all night!

            Unfortunately, he didn’t have time to complain before Twilight grabbed the back of his shirt and straight up tossed him into bed. “No fighting. Time for bed.”

            “That was awesome!” Wind cheered, fixing his hair. “Even if you sound like a mom.”

            “Kids in the village said the same thing – what am I doing wrong?!” Twilight bemoaned, flopping onto the other bed as Four climbed in with Wind.

            “Trying to make us be responsible,” Four stated, closing his eyes as he put his hands behind his head. “Even though you just threw Wind across the room.”

            Twilight chuckled, but didn’t respond. He sounded eerily like Time…

            “Night, guys,” Wind said, leaning over Four to turn down the lantern on the table.

            “Night,” two voices echoed back. And the room became silent.

            Not unsurprisingly, Wind found it hard to sleep at first. It’d been a while since they’d been at a real inn, and he was actually more excited than tired. It was basically a sleepover, and the other two were wasting it actually being asleep! What about the late-night stories? The backstory reveals?! Next time, Wind would have to convince them to actually stay awake.

            Of course, he too fell asleep eventually. Between the soft wind outside, his friends’ steady breaths, and Four’s familiar presence, Wind was lulled into a restful sleep.

            It was hard to say how long passed before jarring bells suddenly woke him up, and he jerked up at the same time Four did. Twilight was throwing on his armor and tossed them theirs when he saw them.

            “Sounds like an alarm. Get dressed fast.”

            Wind and Four nodded at the same time, rushing to get up only to fall on the floor right on top of each other. When Wind pushed himself up, he realized why.

            He’d been holding Four’s hand.

            “Oh! Uh, sorry,” Wind said with an awkward laugh, letting go and grabbing his tunic as he moved towards his bags. “Habit.”

            Four shrugged. “It’s okay. Been there.”

            “You can’t just say that and not explain!”

            There was a hurried knock on their door, and Warriors poked his head in. “Good. Try to be down in two minutes. They don’t usually use bells for something small – bring everything you’ve got.” He met eyes with Wind, paused, then sighed as he shook his head and shut the door.

            The Chain was downstairs in the next minute. Once they were together, Time nodded towards the inn’s door. “Let’s see what we can find.”

            They all rushed out, careful to avoid panicked groups of people as they made their way towards the gate where a group of armored townspeople were gathering. Wind stuck close to Four and Twilight. Something about all of it made his stomach fill with dread. He knew they were running to something bad.

            A firm pat on his shoulder startled him, and he looked up to see Twilight giving him a reassuring smile.

            “Captain!” Someone shouted.

            Ahead of them, the townspeople turned back and instantly parted, making a path for the Links to the front of the group. The woman up front had a mixture of leather and iron armor, her arms crossed and her face serious. “Captain Link. It seems you and your friends have impeccable timing. It’s a horde.”

            “How many?” Warriors asked.

            “Hundreds. Hopefully not more than a thousand.”

            The captain swore, meeting eyes with Time. “If they’re black-blooded, this won’t go well.”

            “They’ll need to evacuate the city.”

            “Will that be safe?”

            “Wait,” the woman said. “Don’t tell me you’re trying to fight them yourselves.”

            “We’ve seen infected monsters on our journey – they’re much stronger and much more dangerous,” Warriors said seriously. “If your people aren’t trained for battle, they will not return home tonight.”

            “If they have one to…” Legend started muttering, but sighed before he finished. Still, it was more than enough to add tension to the group.

            “We’ll do what we can,” the captain declared, turning towards the Chain. “If my guess is right, we’ll be able to do more here than we can in other Hy- uh, places.” Then, he turned to the city guard. “Get everyone to a safe place. We’ll hold off on evacuating just in case, but if it’s not safe, we’ll send a signal.”

            “Which will be?”

            Warriors turned to Wild. “Do you have bomb arrows left?” An affirmative nod. “Put copper in one of them and it’ll blow up green.”

            Wind gulped, turning towards the closed gate. This felt weirdly familiar. Even their first moments in this area of Warriors’ Hyrule felt familiar. Had… he done this before?

            “Silver Team, stand by!” the woman said to the larger group. “Green Team, Blue Team – your number one priority is the people! Gather them towards the western gate, and be prepared to move. Fall out!”

            Instantly, most of the city guard bolted away. They were left with a group of six people.

            “Are you sure about this?” Warriors asked.

            “This is our home,” the woman stated. “We’ll defend it with you. But if you need to, fall back!” This, she directed towards the Silver Team. “The war is over – I don’t want anyone dying here!”

            “Yes, Ma’am!”

            “I dunno, this kind of feels like a war…” Hyrule muttered nervously.

            “But we’ll all be close by,” Wind found himself saying, a brief flicker of courage urging him to the traveler’s side. “It’ll be just like always, just a few more monsters this time.” He paused, then had an idea. “I’ll bet I could take out fifty-five in one swing.”

            Hyrule’s small smile told him he knew what he was trying to do, but he played along anyway. “I could do seventy.”

            “You two are ridiculous,” Legend said, pulling out his fire rod. “I could take out eighty.”

            “A hundred,” Wild interrupted, grabbing his slate with a wide smile.

            “I’m pretty sure that’s cheating,” Wind accused, pointing at what he knew was an endless supply of bombs.

            “Do these… children fight?” the woman asked Warriors, more than a little concerned. Warriors himself had a frown, and Wind caught his gaze again. The sailor felt a little indignation at the captain’s obvious doubts, and he would’ve said something if Time didn’t speak first.

            “You’d be surprised,” the Old Man said with a small smile. “If we’re ready, let’s go before they get too close.”

            “Hold it,” Warriors said, digging through his bag and pulling out what looked to be several small earrings. “You of all people should know, Sprite. Everyone take one.”

            Wind barely held back from asking the obvious question – Sprite? – mostly because no one else asked. Once the Chain equipped their earrings, he turned to the woman in charge. “I’m sorry, I only have three left –”

            “No need,” the woman said with a small smile, pointing to her own ears. “Though, perhaps you should take one of ours, Captain.” After one last check, the woman turned back and whistled sharply, signaling the guards to open the front gates.

            As soon as the gates started moving, Warriors moved everyone forward. “We’ll take the front, Ma’am. Any support is appreciated, but don’t get too close to us.”

            “So, the legends are true then.”

            No one responded to her as they rushed out. Outside the city, it was much darker, but it was still easy to see the massive blob of black headed towards them. Wind huffed out what nervousness he could. There were more monsters in one spot than he’d ever seen in his life.

            “Let’s go!” Warriors shouted, and together, the Chain charged. Once they were a little closer, Legend and Wild split in different directions and slowed down. A moment later, a sizzling sound flew into the distance followed quickly by a loud explosion and mobs of monsters flying to the side.

            “Whoa,” Sky muttered, sharing everyone’s thoughts as several more explosions rocked the ground ahead of them. Huge groups of monsters went flying, some of them disappearing before they even hit the ground. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all!

            “We’ve got this!” Wind whooped, charging ahead. Something inside him suddenly clicked and, in his mind’s eye, he could see himself flying across a battlefield, throwing monsters into the sky and slamming them back down. He’d definitely done this before.

            “Hya!” Wind shouted, slashing the nearest group of monsters, slashing again and again. He could feel magic around him, and he swung his sword up as he jumped. Just like in the vision, several monsters flew up with him several feet in the air, and he whipped his sword down to send them all slamming into the grass. A few of them disappeared with a muffled poof.

            “Holy crap, sailor!”

            “Everyone, spread out!”

            “I’m going ahead!”

            Several streaks of bright blue flew past Wind, slamming into monsters again and again, carving a path farther forward with each one. The chosen hero ran past him then, doing a spin attack to make more space and move forward.

            “Hey, Sky!” Wind shouted, trading his sword for a hammer. “You’re gonna be surrounded!”

            Sky took down several groups of monsters around him before turning back towards him. Wind couldn’t see his face, but he was pretty sure he wasn’t imagining the grin on the chosen hero’s face. “I’m not worried if you’re behind me, Wind!”

            “You don’t need to yell,” Warriors said, and Wind jerked back only to see more bokoblins behind him. “Just speak loud enough to be heard over the fighting.”

            “Whoa, where are you?!” Wind yelled, getting rid of the monsters before turning back towards Sky. He was a little further away, but not too far to be concerning.

            “Easy!” Warriors’ voice complained. “You haven’t changed one bit…” A brief pause, then, “These earrings are supposed to be a tool! And I’m about thirty paces to your left.”

            “Next to me,” Four added.

            “Twilight and I are together – we went right!” Hyrule announced.

            “I got Wild,” Legend’s voice said, though it had a nervous edge on it.

            “What’s wrong?” Twilight immediately asked.

            “Nothing! Just keep these things away from the city, would ya?!”

            “Take care of the champion,” Time’s voice commanded. “The rest of us need to get rid the monsters. I can see them getting bigger towards the back of the horde – pace yourselves.”

            “Aye aye!” Wind responded, smashing his hammer into a few lizalfos to send them flying towards Sky, who sliced right through them.

            “I’m getting a lot of energy buildup over here,” Sky said, picking a fight with a moblin. “Feels prickly… is there a storm?”

            “I think it’s you, Sky!” Wind replied, moving back juuust in case.

            “Use it, Sky!” Warriors’ voice added. “If any of you feel magic around you, that’s normal. Call it to you, and let loose!”

            Several things happened all at once. Wind heard Sky’s sword chime, and he pointed it upwards, causing a beam of light to shoot skyward. Off to the left, another beam of light broke through the darkness, though it didn’t go up as much as it sliced through a horde of monsters that screeched in pain. Behind him, Wind felt a warm breeze burst past him, replaced just as fast with a sharp chill. For that moment, the battlefield was brightly lit.

            And boy did they have a lot of work to do.

            Wind got rid of a few bokoblins before forcing a few more towards Sky, whose blade was suddenly slammed into by a bolt of lightning. The chosen hero yelled out as he did another spin attack, sending lightning streaking towards those unlucky monsters that got too close. It shocked them all in place, allowing Wind to strike down those that didn’t just disappear outright.

            “Awesome!” Wind cheered, running up to Sky to give him a fist bump.

            “So was your wind attack,” he replied humbly.

            Together, they stopped a heavy swing from a moblin’s claymore. Wind, after a moment of straining, shoved the moblin back into a stumble, opening it to Sky’s lethal attack. At the same time, Wind spun around and slammed his hammer into the incoming monsters. The two of them continued like that for what seemed like forever. Wind slamming, Sky slashing, trading spots, taking out a group, aiming for a big one, shouting encouragements, throwing out a burst of wind, summoning a paralyzing streak of lightning, the field was bright, the field was dark –

            “We’ve taken out a quarter of their forces,” Warriors’ voice reported. “Fall back if you need a break, but keep pushing where you can!”

            “Only a quarter?!” Wind whined, smacking away a group of tektites. “This is crazy!”

            “At least we’re making progress!”

            “Wild!” Multiple people had shouted his name, making Wind flinch and earn a scratch in the arm.

            “Are you okay?” Hyrule asked.

            “Just remembered something,” Wild said, his voice bright with mischief. “I think, if I…”

            The rest of what he said was too quiet to hear. Wind fought off more tektites, a bunch of stalfos, and more bokoblins before he heard a bright chime behind him. A little too curious for his own good, Wind did a spin attack and looked back.

            It was far away, but he could easily spot Wild’s time-stopping chains in the distance. A small figure was jumping above the group of monsters – Wild, not above the monsters, but on a platform – and he flipped off just as the platform exploded, sending a bunch of bokoblins flying.

            “Kinda starting to feel bad for the ‘blins,” Wind muttered, taking out several more bokoblins himself. He wasn’t expecting a response, especially after the long silence that came afterwards. He managed to take down two moblins with Sky before someone replied.

            “Makes you human, Wind,” the captain said. “Hang onto that as long as you can. And if you’re ever overwhelmed, just remember why you’re fighting.”

            Wind nodded, knowing no one was there to see, and dove head-first into the next group of monsters. They were getting bigger – more lizalfos and stalfos now. He was getting a little tired, but he wanted to get rid of a few before he stopped. Beside him, Sky was breathing heavily too. He’d push it just a little, then drag the chosen back with him.

            For the chosen hero’s sake, of course.

            With the mobs never ending, they fell back into their rhythm. Slam and slash, slam and slash, “Okay?” “Okay.” Trade – evade! Pave a way. Hit and run, let them come, feel the breeze and get it done. Call the wind to lift them up and use the gale to slam them down. Hail the lightning, round them up, spin attack, send them to town. Figuratively, of course.

            Their strong attacks left them exhausted enough for Wind to grab Sky’s sleeve to keep himself upright. Sky took a few steps back, bringing Wind with him and wrapping an arm around him to carry him.

            “No… I’ll walk,” Wind managed, pushing Sky’s hand away and pulling him along. “Let’s take a break.”

            Together, they stumbled away. Being as deep into the horde as they were, they had to carve their way to the open clearing, forcing them to run a good hundred meters back before they allowed themselves to catch their breaths.

            “This… is awful,” Sky panted, a shaky hand moving for his bag.

            “Could be worse!” Wind said, laughing breathlessly when Sky smacked him – probably a little harder than he meant to – for potentially jinxing them. Though, he barely got through his own sentence before he felt a wave of sore fatigue. He looked down, not really seeing as much feeling the bruises and scratches throughout his body. He actually didn’t remember where most of them came from – whether it was his mistake or simply an injury he just didn’t process – and hoped that was a good thing.

            “Here.”

            Looking back up, he saw Sky holding out a bottle for him to drink. “Green or red?”

            “Green. Do you need red?”

            “Nope,” Wind said, taking the bottle and downed the potion in one gulp. Instantly, he felt a lot of the fatigue disappear. And he could actually breathe! “That stuff is awesome.”

            Sky laughed. “As long as you don’t rely on it. It’ll mess up your lungs.”

            “That stuff is less awesome.”

            “Probably a good mindset to have. Besides, you’ve been doing fine without it. You’re an amazing fighter, Wind. Thanks for backing me up.”

            The sincerity of his words threw him off guard, but it still made him smile. After taking a couple more moments to breathe, Wind leapt in for a hug, which Sky easily caught.

            “You’re awesome too, Sky. Thanks for the potion.”

            Wind didn’t stay too long before letting go, and together, they jogged back towards the fight. A couple stragglers that spotted them in the distance and made the mistake of separating from the group were quickly dealt with.

            “City captain says we’re about halfway through!” Warriors’ voice reported. “Everyone okay?”

            “Still alive,” Time’s voice replied first.

            “We’re okay!” Twilight reported.

            “Kinda better than okay, actually!” Hyrule said. “If you need healing, just call me – I think that’s my special ability here!”

            “Making progress here, slow but steady,” Four said.

            “Coming back from a break,” Sky said at Wind’s side. “Don’t push yourselves, guys.”

            “He means don’t be stupid!” Wind translated, trading his hammer for a sword and forging ahead with the chosen hero.

            “Alive and kicking!” Legend said.

            “And getting way more than you guys,” Wild added.

            All nine, still up and fighting. Wind smiled. Everyone was so cool! They could definitely win this fight.

            “Hya!” Wind shouted, striking three, six, twelve stalfos in three swings. Several them went flying back, and Sky rushed in to finish the job. Rushing in behind them were a pack of wolfos, and Wind hung back, letting Sky’s quick swings take most of them out while he circled around to attack one or two of them at a time. Stalfos after stalfos after moblin after tektite all tried to overwhelm them, but none of the monsters succeeded.

            Even apart, the Chain would not broken.

Chapter Text

            “Keep it up, sailor!” Sky shouted, taking out a moblin just seconds after Wind had.

            Wind was glad he was with him. The older hero was quick and focused, but he was always present, always reminding Wind he was there with a brief word of encouragement or a grounding nudge. It made him feel…

            “Keep it up, Windwaker!”

            He looked beside him and saw Warriors. He was younger, sporting the Hero’s tunic instead of his armor, but he still had his classic blue scarf. He had a grin on his face – it was full of adrenaline, but full of pride. He was determined.

            “Let’s get Sprite and go home!”

            “Get down!”

            Wind blinked, yelping when a heavy weight shoved him down. It came down with him, and he would’ve stabbed whatever it was if he didn’t suddenly smell something light and comforting. It was Sky, and it was Sky who immediately jumped up and swung his sword behind him.

            Wind flipped up, taking down nearby enemies, but not seeing any new threat. “What happened?”

            “Pretty sure I should be asking you that!”

            “Captain’s estimating less than two hundred left!” Warrior’s excited voice announced. “Let’s wrap this up and head back to town!”

            “Don’t get too excited over there – we’re getting bigger ones now,” Twilight warned.

            “Aww, don’t be a downer, Twi!” Wild chided. “Excitement’s good for morale!”

            “As long as you ain’t going crazy.”

            “Like the arson-prone Sprite?” Wind muttered, the memory of a younger, grinning Time surrounded by flames coming back to him.

            “What?”

            Several voices spoke at once, but Wind couldn’t reply before a sharp whistle cut through the air.

            “Hey, there’s a group of them – they’re storming ahead!” Legend shouted. A moment, then, “Oi, whoever can get back here, they’re heading right for the gates! They’re not even fighting anymore – we can’t stop all of them!”

            Warriors swore. “We’re all separated!”

            “We can’t move back yet!”

            “I’m too far.”

            “We’ll make it!” Sky had been the one to say it, and he immediately went for his pouch. “Cover me, Wind!”

            Wind nodded, keeping away any monster that got too close. Surprisingly, there were only a few that tried – the rest were actually starting to back away from them. Were they… surrendering?

            “Okay, let’s go!” Sky shouted, grabbing Wind and pulling him into a run. Both of them weaved around patches of monsters, making their way to a stream of monsters that were getting uncomfortably close to the city. Large bursts of fiery explosions and icy storms were taking out groups at a time, but the horde wasn’t stopping.

            “Just a little!” Sky shouted, and Wind was greeted with another bottle being handed to him. “Green – just enough for us to make it and keep going!”

            Getting the message, Wind took it and drank a couple gulps. It might’ve been a little too much with the buzz that suddenly filled his body, but he took advantage of it by handing Sky the bottle back and sprinting ahead. He could feel the wind beneath his feet, and he let it carry him forward. As soon as he was close enough, he threw a cyclone into the monsters to throw them up, then leapt up to slam them back down in the middle of the horde.

            With nothing but enemies around him, Wind took a breath and did a spin attack, letting his blade do most of the work. He went around once, twice, thrice – more and more monsters getting caught up in his attack – creating a storm of monsters that he eventually flung away as far as he could. Most of them disappeared in a puff of smoke.

            Some didn’t. Some weren’t even caught in his attack.

            “Wind, look out!”

            For the second time the same battle, Wind was straight up tackled by someone, and he could feel the heavy footsteps of a very large creature running past him. He barely had a moment to process anything before he was pulled back up, and he looked up to see the captain’s concerned frown. “You okay there, sailor?”

            “Yeah,” he said, turning towards what looked to be one of Wild’s hinoxes. “You don’t have hinoxes like Wild’s here, do you?”

            “No.” Warriors held onto Wind for a brief moment, scanning him and probably looking for major injuries before he let go. “Let’s catch up with the others.”

            Wind didn’t miss the look of we need to talk in his eyes, but both put it aside to sprint towards the hinox. Legend, Wild, and Sky were slowing it down some – it was bleeding black – but it was clearly not about to stop. It was going to crash into the gate.

            As a last-ditch effort, Wild and Warriors pulled out as many bombs as they could and unloaded as much as possible on the hinox. It roared in pain, but it didn’t stop, even with the other three unloading their own projectiles.

            Finally, finally, before Wind and Warriors could make it, the hinox roared in pain and fell to its knees. Unfortunately, hinoxes tended to fall forward.

            And it smashed right through the gate.

            “Everyone to the gate!” Warriors shouted, slamming his sword into the group of cheering moblins that tried to rush ahead. “The townspeople are in trouble! Wild, fire that bomb arrow, now!”

            Wind stuck to the captain’s side, trying to take down as much of the monsters as he could and hoping the others would get the rest. A loud explosion rang in his ears, and a green light colored the sky for a brief moment before it disappeared.

            “Ugh, this hinox – they’re getting inside!” Sky’s voice warned.

            “Not happening!” Legend snapped. There were more explosions, another wave of warm and cold, slams of what sounded like lightning and the roar of an earthquake.

            “Legend, stop, you’ll exhaust yourself!”

            Wind wanted to respond, but the wave of monsters was too many for just him and the captain. Even with their magical attacks, there were stragglers they didn’t have time to stop. They just kept coming and coming – Wind tried to turn around and see them, but was forced to turn back by the screech of another moblin – and they didn’t stop. He could see the last of the mob now – Time, Four, and Twilight doing what they could to shave down numbers. Hyrule was sprinting ahead with a worried look, zooming past Wind without a second glance.

            “LEGEND!”

            Wind growled, taking out anything that got too close with a vengeance. The captain was the same way, and the three Links in the distance were using whatever magic they could to completely obliterate the monsters in the back. Five seconds passed, ten, twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two –

            “Go to Legend!” Warriors shouted, glaring down the last five moblins and brandishing a glowing sword. “I’ve got this.”

            Wind didn’t hesitate. Along with Twilight and Four – Time stayed behind – he ran as fast as he could to the veteran. Wild and Sky were gone. Hyrule had a limp Legend in his arms, carefully feeding him a magic potion.

            “Wild and Sky are inside with the other guards,” Hyrule said without looking up. “I saw ten or twenty monsters go in, but there might be more. Legend got most of them, though.”

            True to his word, the area was still thick with monster dust floating to the sky and disappearing with the wind.

            “Is he gonna be okay?” Twilight asked, kneeling down and putting a hand on the veteran’s shoulder.

            “He should be okay in the long run,” Hyrule said with a sigh. “I just… he did a lot. I don’t know when he’ll wake up. If it’s after all this…”

            “He’s gonna beat himself up,” Twilight finished.

            Four and Wind exchanged silent frowns. Neither of them had spent a ton of time with Legend, but neither of them had any question about the rancher’s statement. At least, as far as Wind knew, he earned his veteran status for a reason.

            “And he’ll hate it more if he wakes up and sees you all here,” Hyrule eventually said, finally looking up at them. “Go help the villagers. I’ve got Legend.”

            Wind didn’t hesitate where Four and Twilight had, and he was sprinting inside as fast as he could. If there were bigger monsters in the city, he wasn’t gonna stand around and wait for a reason to find them, especially when he was already smelling a very good reason already.

            Soot and burning wood. Fire.

            Wind froze only for a brief moment, then ran to the right. He wasn’t sure where the others went, but if they went further ahead to help the townspeople, then he would stay back to make sure no one was left behind. This was a weirdly familiar feeling, but no less heavy in his gut. For the first time in a long time, he was alone.

            Not without help, but alone.

            The source of the first fire was still nearby, cackling as it swung its lantern to set fire to another house. A wizzrobe. He hadn’t seen one until now.

            Magical enemies weren’t Wind’s strong suit, but he wasn’t about to cower away. He flew to its back and charged from behind. He was hoping to catch it off guard, but it turned around at just the right moment and spotted him.

            Wind rolled beneath the fireball it threw and jumped up to slash its front. The wizzrobe screeched, shrinking to a cloud of purple and retreating back.

            “Hey!” Wind shouted, running after it. It was surprisingly fast, speeding through alleys and twisting around the houses. It was in a long stretch of alleyway that the purple mass suddenly returned to its wizzrobe form and immediately threw out a ring of flame.

            The sailor ducked, charging the wizzrobe and getting a few hits in before jumping away from one of its swipes. It was then he realized how hot it was.

            “Are you serious?!” Wind groaned, seeing streaks of flame already climbing higher on the houses beside him. He didn’t have anything to put it out.

            “Hold on!”

            A sudden burst of cold was the only warning he got before the wizzrobe in front of him – as well as the houses beside him – were encased in ice. A moment later, the wizzrobe shattered, leaving a smiling Four in its place.

            “Where do you guys get those?!” Wind asked, hugging the smithy in thanks. “Thanks by the way.”

            Surprisingly, Four easily returned the hug with a pleased hum. “Got it from my adventure. And you’re welcome! I saw the fire and came to make sure you were okay.” Then, the smithy stepped back with a frown. “You shouldn’t have gone off alone like that.”

            Wind shrugged. “I wasn’t planning to go this far, if that makes you feel better. And since you’re here… know where anyone else is?”

            Four returned Wind’s innocent smile with a deadpan look, but neither of them could hold it for long before they started chuckling. The sailor let the moment settle before asking, “Hey, what’s that cloak, anyway? Is it magical?”

            Four cocked his head in confusion, then looked down. In an instant, he grinned. “Nope, no magic! Just a good cover against the fire. Which reminds me –” He grabbed Wind and led him out of the alleyway, pushing him towards a random group of houses. “A few of us are that way. Some people haven’t left yet, so we’re checking to make sure everyone got out. I’ve got some magic items that make me fast, so I’ll finish checking around here. I’ll catch up with you later!”

            Before Wind could yell at him about running off alone like a hypocrite, Four clicked his heels and sped away. At least he’d be able to run if there was trouble? Or call for help.

            “Hey, Four!” Wind shouted, then realized how quiet it was and toned it down. “Call for help if you need it, okay?”

            He turned back and ran the direction he was pushed in, trusting the smithy of all people to not be stupid. There was a brief moment of silence before he finally heard Four’s reply. “I will, sailor! You stay safe too!”

            Wind smiled. This was cool – they really should wear these things more often! Or maybe they only worked in Warriors’ Hyrule… That would explain a lot. “Everyone else okay?”

            “Doing good!” Sky replied.

            “Still alive! Legend’s okay,” Hyrule added.

            “Hanging in there,” Twilight said.

            Wind spotted more smoke in the distance and ran towards that, eventually passing by the now-nonexistent front gate along the way.

            “I’m guarding the western gate with Sky – and Wild,” Warriors reported. “Understandably, everyone is hesitant to leave even with the front gate collapsed, so we’re standing by to make sure they’re safe.”

            “Thank you for checking on us, sailor,” Time said after a moment of silence. “It seems we’re all well enough. Be careful, everyone.”

            No one had to respond for Wind to feel the collective affirmation of the group. They were almost done.

            The sound of clashing metal caught Wind’s attention, and he followed it to see Twilight and Four fending off a group of moblins. How’d Four already get there?!

            There were five moblins trying to trap his friends in a circle. Since none of them noticed him yet, Wind tried again to sneak a strike in unnoticed. This time, it actually worked.

            “Hyyt!” Wind rolled in, leaping up for a backslash. The moblin in his way roared in pain, turning around along with two of its other buddies. He didn’t give them time to strike back, rolling to the side and striking another moblin. Now on his feet, he slashed again and again, never giving it a chance to make a move before it staggered back – right into Twilight’s sword.

            The moblin to the left arched its back as a small blur – Four – darted out from behind it and swung his sword at its side. That left the moblin in the middle for Wind, who ran back a ways and pulled out his bow. As fast as he could, he pulled out an arrow, nocked it, pulled back, and shot it between the monster’s eyes. It reeled back, but he still pulled out another, set, pull, release. It charged him angrily, but he already had another arrow set – pull, release, oh shoot –

            With a yelp, Wind just barely managed to roll away when the moblin collapsed, finishing what hadn’t already been done. Its skin turned black before it became a puff of smoke.

            “Thanks, sailor. Got that done much faster with you around,” Twilight said with a smile, walking over to Wind and purposefully messing up his hair.

            “Oi, get off!” Wind complained, smacking away the hands and fixing his hair even as he was grinning. “Aren’t you supposed to be making sure no one’s in trouble or something?”

            “Yes, we should move on,” Four agreed, cleaning his sword and looking around. “I haven’t seen anyone yet, but there’s a lot of ground to cover. Assuming everyone is checking each direction, we can cover the city in fifteen minutes. Ten if we’re quick.”

            “Better make tracks, then,” Twilight said with a grin, gesturing towards the area to his left. “We’re heading this way. Stick together.”

            “Rancher, even you should know it’s unnecessary for us all to stay together,” Four stated, taking a few steps to the right. “If I go this way, you continue ahead, and Wind takes the left, we can save time.”

            “But – hold on. Four, we shouldn’t be alone.”

            “Would you say that if I were Warriors, or Sky?”

            Twilight seemed taken aback before he gave Four a firm look. “I would.”

            “So why were you here by yourself?”

            “Guys!” Wind shouted, getting in between the two. In all honesty, he was a little startled when two of the easygoing members of the group were dangerously close to a shouting match, especially when… didn’t Four suggest staying together just a bit ago?

            Something was up. Specifically, Four was up. But as long as the smithy was focused on helping people, and there were people that needed helping, they had to deal with that later.

            “We have these earrings for a reason, don’t we? Let’s split up – BUT –” Wind said loudly, interrupting Twilight before he could interrupt. “Let’s meet up in five minutes where I’m going. If any of us gets into trouble, we call for help right away. Deal?”

            The rancher and smithy glanced at each other – one uneasy and one stoic – but they both nodded. “Five minutes,” Twilight said, pointing his sword at the both of them. “I’ll come find you if I don’t see you then.”

            Four nodded and dashed away. Wind flashed Twilight a reassuring smile before running off himself. He felt a small breeze pushing him onward, and he let it carry him through the town. More buildings were on fire, moreso from the lack of stopping them than from any monsters, but he used them as landmarks as he looked around. It didn’t seem like anyone was here…

            A minute passed, then two. No monsters, no people. None of the Chain were around, but Wind knew someone would’ve said something if they were in danger. He ducked into another alleyway, then searched the streets. He checked houses, shops, an inn – the inn they’d stayed at that night, he recognized – and found no one there. Maybe they were done!

            “Not seeing anything over here,” Wind said, broadcasting his voice to the group as he ran. “Me, Four, and Twi are checking the southwest side. Are we done?”

            “Nothing in the northwest,” Time’s voice replied.

            “Southeast is okay – I’m almost at the west gate,” Hyrule said between breaths.

            There was a long pause. Then, “Northeast is clear,” Warriors added. “Did anyone check southeast by the gate?”

            “I’m pretty close!” Wind offered, doing some last checks before heading towards the gate.

            “Sailor, we had a deal,” Twilight reminded. “Is there trouble, or can you wait for us?”

            “I’ll meet him, rancher,” Warriors replied. “Think you can help put out these fires?”

            There was another pause before, “Yeah. Just gimme a bucket and a well.”

            Wind tuned out the rest of the conversation, heading further down with a small grin. Even if there were a few monsters left, he and the rest of the group could take them easily. He wasn’t worried.

            He did the same thing as last time – checking the streets where there were large groups of untouched buildings and cutting through alleyways when he saw fire. Actually, he only did that twice before he came out to a street full of burning buildings. Even in the quiet, it was a little unnerving to see. Or, maybe it was because of the quiet.

            He skipped down the street as fast as he dared, not seeing anything out of the ordinary. A part of him didn’t like the idea he had next, but he tried anyway to smell the air around him. Just ash and fire. Nothing… out of the ordinary.

            Seeing more houses on fire in another street, he cut through another alleyway – hot, hot, hot! – and took in the wreckage. A lot of the houses here had collapsed. A few that hadn’t were well on their way. There was cracking behind him, and he jerked back to see the houses behind him starting to fall too. He hoped they could save most of them.

            He went down the street, looking left and right, not seeing anything off… until he did. Well, not see, but hear. He heard distant cursing. But, he wouldn’t… actually be here, would he?

            Wind booked it past the houses, following the sound and trying to find him. “Hey, anyone got Legend?”

            He hated waiting, dreading the inevitable answer. One that came too quickly as –

            “He’s resting here at the west gate,” Sky answered, his voice a mix of confusion and concern. “Why, is everything okay?”

            Wind almost tripped. That wasn’t the answer he was expecting. But then, who…? “I think there’s someone here!”

            “On my way, Wind, where are you?” Warriors asked immediately.

            “Um. Pretty deep in. I think close to the corner?” Wind turned a corner and finally saw someone. They were trapped underneath a partially-collapsed house. “I passed a bunch of burning houses, but there’s a group here that looks okay, just damaged. Someone’s stuck!”

            “I’ll get there as soon as I can!”

            By the time Warriors had responded and Wind made it to the house, he froze. Looking up at him was a very frustrated and very stuck Four.

            “Four?” Wind blurted. His friend was lying between a partially open door, furniture and wood and rock blocking any sort of path inside. “How are you here too?”

            “Long story,” Four grumbled. “Actually, no. Some idiots here needed help, I saved them and made sure they got away, then got stuck under all this crap. Which now makes me the idiot.”

            “Wait, wait, wait.” Wind knelt down, trying to figure out a way to pull him out. “I mean, that’s kinda what I meant, but I mostly meant how you got here. To this part of the city. When I just saw you going east. And if you were stuck here, why didn’t you say anything?”

            The sailor pulled on his power bracelets as Four groaned in frustration. “Lost my earring.”

            Something in his tone put Wind on edge. It happened again, this… weird shift in the smithy. First, he was upbeat and energetic, then he was all emotionless and strategic, and now… weirdly grumpy. It was all weird. “You know, this kinda reminds me of when we all got stuck in that crazy cave-in in Sky’s time.”

            Four finally met his gaze with a raised eyebrow. “Cave, sure. But not a cave-in.”

            Okay… so he at least knew that much. “Yeah, right. Um, but we had to fight a bunch of moblins, and that almost caused a cave-in.”

            The smithy’s gaze hardened. “This a test or something? There weren’t any moblins and there weren’t any cave-ins. You suck at lying, by the way.”

            “And you suck at acting like Four!” Wind accused, keeping one hand on his sword and using the other to point right at the boy. “Who are you actually? Are the other guys fake too? How many of you are –”

            It clicked so suddenly, Wind’s mouth froze open. The boy just snorted, resting his head in one hand. “Get it, yet? Great. Can you get me out now?”

            “There’s four of you?!” Wind finally blurted, ducking down to get a good look at the Four in front of him. “You look just like him! Are you, like, quadruplets or something? Wait, is this what Four meant when he said he was used to –”

            “Wind. My legs. ARE ON FIRE!” grumpy Four snapped.

            “What?!” Wind looked up as he dove for the house, completely forgetting for that brief second that the house was in fact not on fire. But he did quickly realize what the boy actually meant and positioned himself to pull up a dresser with a pile of stuff on top of it. “Okay. On three. One… two… three!”

            At the same time he pulled up the really freaking heavy dresser, the Four lookalike rolled out from the rubble. Wind only managed a couple seconds before it slipped from his fingers, and something grabbed him from behind and pulled him back. The mess slammed back down in the doorway.

            Wind, stumbling back, tripped and fell on –

            “Oof!”

            “Four!” The sailor immediately jumped up, the smithy letting go of his shirt at the same time. “You okay?”

            “You’re heavier than Vio, but not as bad as Time,” (Not) Four said with a wry grin. “I’ll live.”

            “Vio? Who’s that?”

            A series of cracks silenced them both, and they looked up to see the house in front of them starting to tip forward. Towards the two of them.

            “Get up, get up!” Wind blurted. He tried to pull the boy up, but froze when he grunted in pain. Crap, his legs –!

            Something slammed into him, taking the smithy with. The house fell with a heavy crash, and Wind instinctively found himself protecting his friend while someone else covered him. A whoosh of dust, ash, and rocks shot past them, and it took a few seconds before the air eventually cleared. It was then he noticed blue, both around him and in the tear of the cloak beneath him.

            “Sailor, you’re gonna give me grey hairs if you keep pulling stunts like this,” Warriors’ exasperated voice said above him. “Rancher’s gonna lose all his.”

            “Hey, I was fine!” Wind said, ducking out of the captain’s arms. “Four’s messed up, though.”

            “I’m fine.” The boy grumbled. He didn’t move, though.

            “Is that so?” The captain asked, sitting up and crossing his arms. “Stand up and walk, then.”

            The boy glared at the scarfed Link, but didn’t move or respond. Warriors sighed, lowering his arms and offering him a hand. “Come on, I’ll carry –”

            “No way!”

            The harsh interruption shocked them both. Wind looked back and forth between the captain and the smithy, the latter of whom was gripping his cloak like a lifeline even as he was trying to scoot himself back. It only sort-of worked.

            “I’ll carry him,” Wind decided, kneeling down in front of Four. “I don’t think I’d want you carrying me back either, seeing as everyone else was already mother cuccoing me.”

            Warriors cocked his head thoughtfully, but didn’t reply right away. After a brief moment, he shook his head with a small grin. “Hard to help, Wind. All of us wish those younger than we are didn’t have to deal with this.”

            “Well, it was awesome, and I was fine,” Wind declared. “This is still awesome, and I’m still fine.” He knew he didn’t remember everything, that he might be missing something. But for now, he meant it. He wouldn’t change where he was now, and he wouldn’t change them.

            Warriors nodded, a small gesture of trust even if he offered no other obvious reaction to his words. Then, he looked behind Wind. “Well, smithy? If we’re all going to get back to the others, you’re going to have to be carried. I can’t promise anything about the others, but I won’t judge you. Every soldier has been dragged to safety at least once in their life. So, who’re you going with?”

            There was another brief pause – Wind suspected the two were having some sort of silent argument – before Wind felt two hands grasp his shoulders. He backed up a step to keep his balance and, after a bit of maneuvering, had the smithy in a piggy-back carry.

            “We’re heading back to the East Gate,” Warriors called out as they walked on. “How is everyone?”

            “Time cheats, in case no one knew,” Hyrule’s grumble responded.

            “I haven’t a clue what you mean,” Time replied casually.

            “Wild’s with me. Most of the fires are out here,” Twilight said. “I think Time went towards you two for the rest of it.”

            True to his word, as they walked on, Wind felt the tell-tale drops of oncoming rain and a light, bouncy melody in the distance. Looking up, he saw an unnatural patch of storm clouds and felt a memory tug at the back of his mind. Something about a song and a prank involving a magic storm…?

            “I’ve been keeping an eye on Legend,” Sky said, his dejected tone putting Wind on edge. “Um, could everyone wrap it up quick? The townsfolk are all scared and confused. Most of the city guard are patrolling to make sure the monsters are gone and a few are looking out for people who might’ve ran out of the city. I don’t… I don’t know if everyone made it.”

            The earrings went silent after that. Wind found himself quickening his steps just as the captain had, and though the Four he carried hissed at the sudden jostle, he didn’t complain.

           “Sorry, Four,” Wind whispered, trying and failing to keep his friend still as he ran.

           “Blue,” the boy muttered just as quietly. “Call me Blue when the others aren’t around.”

            “Uh, sure,” Wind said, a little taken aback. “You all have different names, then?”

            “Can’t all be Link.”

            It didn’t take long before they made it to the West Gate. A large group of people were talking over each other, some pacing, some yelling, some keeping the children together, and others alone on their knees.

            Sky was weaving around the group at a slow jog, checking on as many people as he could. Twilight was staying close to the louder group, looking frustratedly between them and the children as he and a few other guards tried to reason with them. Near the gate was Hyrule, who was healing the wounded and keeping an eye on a still-unconscious Legend. Off to the side was Wild, who was hesitantly approaching a sobbing woman.

            “Hold on – let me off here,” a sharp whisper came behind him.

            Wind, unable to look away from the group, knelt down next a nearby alley. After gently letting Blue down, he could hear him crawling away with muttered curses. Knowing he’d be okay, the sailor jogged to catch up with the captain.

            If he were being honest, part of him wished he didn’t.

            “No!” The woman Wild approached jerked away from him, slamming the ground with her fists. “I shouldn’t have let him go, I let him die!”

            Wild froze, then knelt down beside her. He was trembling, clenching and unclenching his fists as he closed his eyes. He tried and failed and struggled silently, until finally, “Not… your fault.”

            “She was my daughter!” In the distance, one of the yelling men shoved back a shocked Twilight. He threw punch after punch, all of them getting caught. “She was barely grown, barely! And she’s gone!”

            Eventually, his swings slowed until they finally stopped, both of his hands in Twilight’s as he wept. The rancher just held them, saying something only the man could hear.

            A wail, this one further still. By the gate, Hyrule’s head hung low as a woman pulled a limp body close to her. When someone else was laid in front of him, the traveler looked up with clenched teeth and glowing hands.

            No matter how many people he talked to, no matter how many smiles and shoulder pats he gave, everyone around Sky was shattered. The chosen hero’s smile became more and more strained, and whatever words of comfort he had to offer were becoming choked.

            “You didn’t see a lot of this back then.”

            Wind jumped, looking up to see the captain. His face was stoic and held high, his body pressing on through the weight of the sorrow around them. “We didn’t fight near settlements, mainly in fields or dungeons,” the captain continued. “But once in a while, when a fight got bad, you’d see this among the soldiers. Sometimes I was the crying woman, or the angry man. Sometimes, you were.”

            Wind swallowed, not responding as he looked away from him. For the first time, the memories that came to his mind were harsh and cruel. A soldier getting stabbed, Sprite getting crushed by falling rocks, the captain caught in an explosion –

            “Sorry. I suspected you didn’t remember; I shouldn’t have pushed.” With those words, arms wrapped around Wind as Warriors knelt down to hug him. “You and Sprite shouldn’t have had to deal with this. You were so strong. And I know you’re even stronger now. You’re amazing, Wind. And I’m glad you’re here. You help me to be strong.”

            It was when he had to gasp for breath that Wind realized he was crying. He clutched the captain as hard as he could, letting the older Link turn him away from the crowd. It didn’t do much to block the noise or the memories, but it was enough. Being with him was enough.

            They stayed there for a while. Not especially long, but minutes had passed, enough for some of the louder people to finally quiet down as what had happened finally sunk in.

            When he finally caught his breath, Wind sighed in frustration. “I thought… didn’t we get them all? How did anyone get hurt?”

            There was a moment of silence. Then, “We just got unlucky. Between the people who ran and the people who stayed, both were attacked. The city guard did what they could for the people outside while Sky and I were here. Even with just a few enemies, they were all larger and… they got past us with some of their attacks.”

            And suddenly, the weight on him felt so much heavier. Warriors didn’t slump or tighten his arms, but the will he had to carry himself was falling apart. Wind knew this wasn’t the first time the captain faced this exact situation.

            Wind pulled away, rubbing away tears and glaring at Warriors straight in the eye. “And you’re blaming yourself for all this, aren’t you?”

            Warriors’ eyes only flicked down for a brief moment, but it was answer enough. Wind set his jaw and pulled the captain to his feet, giving him another hug. “This isn’t your fault. I’m pretty sure you don’t believe me, but I’m saying it anyway. And I’ll say it as many times as I have to until you actually do believe it. You make me strong too, you know. So let’s share it.”

            The captain didn’t respond right away, but he eventually sighed and returned the sailor’s hug. “I’ll try, Wind. I’ll try.”

            Several minutes passed before a group of city guards returned, the woman from before calling the people together and giving words of instruction and consolation. Though there were a few places that needed checking – mainly stores with food and medicine as well as government buildings – most of the people were sent home to get some rest. Those who couldn’t return home were offered rooms in neighbors’ homes and still-standing inns.

            Wind and Warriors eventually made their way to Hyrule, who was barely fighting sleep to keep an eye on Legend. When Four joined them, sharing a knowing nod with Wind before sitting next to Hyrule. In seconds, the traveler fell asleep on his shoulder. By the time the rest of the older Links made it to them, Wind was barely awake himself.

            “I haven’t seen any more monsters,” Time reported with a tired smile. “You all fought well, and I’m proud of your efforts to support everyone after the fact. Let’s get some rest.”

            A warmth spread through Wind that had him smiling even as he was nodding off. When he pushed himself up to an unsteady stand, an open pair of arms appeared in front of him, and he accepted the hug without a second thought. Without warning, he felt his feet leave the ground, and he was held against a comforting warmth.

            “I can take’m if ya want.”

            “Yeah, not if your country brain is as thick as that accent. You’re exhausted.”

            “Like your heavy steps’re any better than mine – that city brain a yours’ll get you stepping in some sort a pot hole at the rate you’re goin’.”

            Wind was pretty sure there was more to that conversation, but he wasn’t awake long enough to hear more of it.

~

            When Wind woke up, he was wrapped in arms way too long to be Four’s. He jerked up and reached for his side, trying to untangle the blue around him and startling whoever was holding him into letting him go before –

            “At ease, you two. You’re safe.”

            The familiar voice made them both freeze. Warriors – oh, he was with the captain – and Wind both looked towards Time with wide eyes. The old man was on a bed at the other side of the room reading what looked to be a letter. The captain relaxed immediately as he put the pieces together, but it took the sailor a little longer. “Wait… did you kidnap me?”

            “I did n– you came to me!” Warriors sputtered, his hands still raised from earlier. “Are you hiding a knife in that pocket?”

            “No.”

            “And at least one more,” Time corrected. Wind glared at him like the traitor he was.

            “You were going to stab me!”

            “Not on purpose!”

            “Alright, boys. It’s a little early for this level of noise,” Time said, putting aside his letter and turning to face them. “Are you both alright?”

            “You of all people should know,” Warriors said, stretching his arms before messing up Wind’s hair. “I’ve done this hundreds of times. I’m fine.”

            “Same,” Wind declared, fixing his hair and crossing his arms. The adrenaline from being in the wrong room was starting to wear off, but he was otherwise just fine.

            “Oh? Is that so?” Time asked casually, crossing his own arms.

            “Yeah. With Wars and Sprite. Uh, a kid – who was younger than me!” Wind said with a huff, jabbing the captain’s side. “You all get on Four’s and my case, but you literally fought with a 9-year-old kid!”

            “And three quarters,” Time added.

            “Yeah, whatever, but he wasn’t even –! Wait.” Wind only stopped poking at Warriors to face Time and his crypic grin. “How do you know how old he was?”

            There was a moment of silence. “Give him a minute, he’ll get it,” Warriors said, taking the opportunity to poke Wind’s arm and start their battle over again.

            “Whaddya mean, ‘give him a minute’?! It’s not that hard of a question, he could just tell us he knows who –”

            He knows Sprite.

            The only people who could’ve known him were in the War of Ages.

            All of the fighters back then were soldiers, companions of the Hero, and three Heroes of Courage.

            Three of them.

            “You!” Wind shouted, pointing suddenly at Time, much to both of the older Links’ amusement. “You’re Sprite! You’re the kid with the masks!”

            “All correct,” Time agreed easily.

            “But… you’re so old now!”

            “Watch it.”

            “And how do you remember the war?! I totally forgot about it until yesterday!”

            “Actually, I’m wondering that too,” Warriors said, silently calling a truce before turning to Time. “I didn’t think about it then, but… Lana told me no one would remember it. I can understand Wind getting bits and pieces from being on the field, but… you remembered even when we first met, didn’t you? I figured you out at Wild’s Hyrule, at least.”

            Time nodded. “That explains a lot for me too, actually. I remember walking through Hyrule Field – my Hyrule – and wondering how I’d gotten there. My memories insisted I’d gone for a walk after breakfast, and yet, there were masks at my head and side that I hadn’t touched in ages. I was very attached to my memories then, so I tried to remember how they got there. It didn’t happen right away. It took going through my things, reading books, a lot of unnecessary trips to various places around Hyrule and sneaking around the castle.”

            Here, the old man smiled. “I don’t think you have any right to antagonize the sailor for grabbing his blade when your first reaction to me was trying to stab me.”

            Wind’s eyes widened as he suddenly turned back to Warriors. “You what?!”

            “No, wait, hold on,” Warriors said sternly. “First of all, you were a stranger in our barracks when we first met! And second of all, you attacked first! With a sword just as big as you were! And then you transformed into some evil-looking adult god –”

            “Deity.”

            “Who then attacked me ruthlessly! And quit interrupting!”

            “Yes, I suppose that was unnecessary, looking back. I believe… I thought you might’ve been one of Ganon’s false heroes.”

            “They’re shadows!”

            “It was dark.”

            “Sprite, don’t even try to –!”

            A knock at the door interrupted their argument, with Wild walking in nervously. After an apologetic fist circled across his chest, he pulled at the air between his hands and swung down an open hand closed beneath a sideways palm.

            “Someone’s missing?” Warriors asked, getting up immediately.

            “Legend,” Time supplied, nodding to Wild. “Thank you for telling us. I suspect he’s not in danger, but we should at least know where he is.”

            Wild nodded in return and left, presumably heading downstairs. Wind hopped out of bed, dusted himself off, and went immediately for the door.

            “Call us if you see him, Wind.”

            Wind looked back to the two slowpokes getting dressed and grinned, saluting before heading out. It felt weirdly tense over what probably wasn’t anything to worry about, but… maybe something happened before Legend left?

            When Wind made it downstairs, Twilight and Wild waved at him as he passed by. The former put a hand on the sailor’s shoulder before he got too far. “You have that magic crystal on you, right?”

            “Yup!” Wind pulled it out from under his shirt to confirm it.

            “Then it’d probably make more sense for you to go without us…”

            “Don’t worry rancher, I’ll keep an eye on him.” Coming out of the dining room was Four, who stood firmly by Wind’s side.

            “I’m actually more worried now than I was before,” Twilight said with a small grin. “Well, seems fair to me. Stay out of trouble you two – no marketplace.”

            “Pretty sure there isn’t one right now.” Wind meant for it to be a snarky retort, but the implications had everyone standing a somber silence.

            “Don’t worry about it, sailor,” Twilight said with a reassuring smile. “Let’s figure out where our resident veteran got to.”

            With an awkward laugh, Wind followed Four out the door. The smithy pulled him in one direction, so the other two went the opposite way.

            “So…” Wind began, not wanting to walk in silence any longer than he had to, “Are you Four, or someone else?”

            “Oh, you see Blue one time and assume I’m split again?”

            “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude or anything –”

            Four chuckled lightly. “I’m just messing with you – I really don’t mind. As long as you don’t treat me like some sort of weirdo or monster or something.”

            “Whoa, I wouldn’t do that!” Wind waved a sheepish apology when a few confused townsfolk looked his way. A little quieter, he asked, “Um, you haven’t actually… experienced that, have you?”

            Four shrugged. Apparently, saying ‘yes’ without actually saying it was a thing in their small group of heroes.

            “I’m sorry. Seriously,” Wind said, moving around Four to face him head-on. “But I think it’s cool. I mean, you get to have four of you, and they all seem pretty cool! Well, I only really got to meet two of them – one of them ran off by himself and I never saw the other one. But I feel like they’re probably pretty cool! And anyone who says otherwise can have a taste of my fist in their face.”

            “I’ve decided he’s alright.”

            Wind jumped when a cloaked kid – oh, it was another Four – ran into his other side and punched his arm several times with a grin. “Three out of four, majority rules.”

            “Are you crazy?!”

            There was only a beat of silence before Wind and Four 2 laughed at the simultaneous shout, the sailor helping Four 1 drag the other into the nearest alleyway.

            “What? Twins aren’t that rare,” Four 2 said, shoving them both away once they were out of sight.

            “Well, quadruplets are, especially when only one came in!” Four 1 shot back. “Where are Vio and Red, anyway?”

            “Vio didn’t want us getting too close, but I couldn’t hear. So there.”

            Wind grinned. “Hold on. Red, Vio, and – you’re Blue, aren’t you? So, you’re… Green.”

            “Yup.” The two Fours answered together.

            “Out of all of the names you could’ve had, you chose colors.”

            “It was kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing; we really didn’t have time to talk about it,” Green said quickly.

            “Riiiight…” Wind was giving him the smarmiest grin he had. It was returned with a deadpan look.

            “I still have my doubts about this.”

            “But at least it’s Wind! He’s trustworthy!”

            The trio looked up to see two more Fours walk down the alleyway. One of them had his arms crossed and the other had a bright smile he wasn’t used to seeing on Four.

            “Whoa, it’s kinda weird seeing all of you together,” Wind said with a bright grin. “You’re all totally different!”

            “Well, we are different aspects of Four’s personality,” Vio muttered.

            “Wait, so I’m right?! So Red’s the nice one –”

            “Aww, thanks!”

            “—Vio’s the serious one –”

            “I prefer calm and collected.”

            “—Blue’s grumpy –”

            “Hey!”

            “And Green’s… normal?”

            There was a round of snickering before Red grabbed Green’s arm. “No way, he’s the leader!”

            “Well, he’s Four’s leadership,” Vio said, looking away as he crossed his arms. “Green is Four’s determination to do the right thing. I’m Four’s analytical side. Red is his sentimentality, and Blue is his passion. We’re not really our own people, just parts of Four.”

            “But you’re not totally just Four, are you?” Wind asked, looking around at the now-awkward Fours around him. “I mean, when you’re apart like this, you… kinda do seem like your own people.”

            There was a moment of silence. One by one, the Fours shrugged, and Green let go of Red to rejoin Wind’s side. “Well, we’re still figuring that out. But you’ll have Four’s back in the meantime, right?”

            Wind smiled. “Yeah, of course. And I’m always up to punch someone in the face if you need me to.”

            Blue snorted, Red shook his head, and Vio cracked his first smile. The three looked to Green, who took his sword and held it high. The four Fours began to glow and, after a brief burst of light, there was only one cloaked Four in the alleyway.

            “Oh. I know where the veteran is by the way,” the smithy said, walking away with a small smile.

            “What?!” Wind yelped, jogging to catch up with him. “Wait, where is he? When did you find him? When were you gonna mention it?!”

            “Southeast corner, my sentimental side found him, and when it was relevant.”

            “It was ‘relevant’ a long time ago – hey, slow down!”

            What started as a slightly faster walk suddenly turned into a sprint as Wind chased Four out of the alleyway. Their footsteps echoed loudly across the streets, and the sailor instinctively slowed down only for a moment. The still-running smithy forced him right back into their little race, though Wind felt a lot more self-conscious.

            There were more people walking around now. Most of them were carting supplies and furniture to other places in town. Even children were either helping escort the elderly or sitting quietly outside their homes. It left a sour taste in Wind’s mouth, and the morning breeze from their run quickly became a welcome distraction.

            Four led him through a couple more alleyways before they finally heard muffled talking in the distance. Hyrule’s voice.

            “…should head back now.” A long moment of silence. “Legend, you can’t sit here and brood all day!”

            “Watch me.”

            That was when Wind turned one last corner with Four. In front of them was a little back alley with a couple boxes and barrels outside one of the houses. Legend was sitting on one such barrel, his back against a wall. Hyrule was in front of him, glaring impatiently. Both of them looked up when the younger Links rounded the corner, and Legend huffed.

            “Really, a search party? Fine, fine! I’m coming.” And he hopped down and briskly made his way out of the alley. Wind made eye contact with Four, who nodded and quickly followed after the veteran.

            Wind turned back to Hyrule, who was rubbing his face. “Ugh! He’s so… different sometimes! This isn’t him!”

            “Uh… you are talking about the vet, right?”

            “Yes! At a time like this, he’d…!” Hyrule gestured helplessly towards the barrels before lowering his hands in defeat. “No, never mind. I guess I don’t know him that well yet.”

            Wind wasn’t sure if he was supposed to respond to that, but a few beats later, Hyrule just shrugged. So, Wind did what he did best and linked his arm through the traveler’s with a smile. “Well, everyone’s up now. How ‘bout we check in with them and see if we can’t brighten up this city a little? It’s way too quiet.”

            Hyrule offered a little smile in return and nodded. Together, they caught up with the other two and made their way back to the inn. Wind used his crystal to let the others know they were on their way. They ended up getting back before the others, meeting Sky at the door.

            “Legend!” he blurted out, going for a hug, stopping halfway, then putting his hands on the veteran’s shoulders instead. “Feathers, tell a guy when you’re leaving!”

            “I wouldn’t go that far without telling everyone, jeez,” Legend said, brushing off the hands on his shoulders. “Was the search party your idea then?”

            “No. It was Hyrule’s.”

            Wind and everyone with him turned to look back at the traveler, who met their gazes head on. “You hurt yourself last night, Legend. I was worried.”

            “Well, don’t be.” Legend’s words were apparently sharper than he’d intended, because he sighed and backpedaled immediately. “I’m fine. I wouldn’t be stupid and run off if I was actually injured. Just needed air.”

            No one responded to that. Distant footsteps had Wind turning to see Twilight and Wild as well as Time and Warriors jogging towards them. “Guys, we should probably get in before it gets even more crowded.”

            With that, Wind followed the group inside. Before Legend could walk up the stairs, Sky grabbed his sleeve and pulled him – and the rest of them – towards the dining hall. They were seated at a table just as the rest of the Chain walked in.

            “Finally decided to join us, vet?” Warriors asked, sitting next to him.

            “Never actually left.”

            “Just let someone know next time,” Time said, taking a seat next to Wind. “The captain and I talked with the city guard. We’re welcome to stay and help with cleanup, but they have enough veterans from the War that can take care of this city. I leave it up to you boys if you want to move on.”

            For a moment, there was silence. The waitress from the night before came by to drop off water and some food. Wind smiled and waved a silent thanks, and she returned it with a sad smile of her own before walking away. He couldn’t help but deflate just a little.

            “I want to help,” Twilight said first. “But, I know yesterday was hard for everyone. I wouldn’t force any of you to stay.”

            “I can stay,” Hyrule said firmly.

            “Me too!” Wind added.

            Around the table, there was a unanimous consensus. Wild simply put a hand on Twilight’s shoulder. With that settled, Time nodded. “There are a group of guards coordinating relief efforts at the East gate. We should be able to get carts there for cleaning and transport. For the younger ones, you may want to go west for brooms and hammers – they’re facilitating rebuilding efforts.”

            Everyone nodded and started getting up. Wait, was that it?

Wind quickly shot up before they left. “Wait, wait! What about the kids?”

            Time offered a small smile. “They’re with friends and family. The children are alright.”

            “Well, yeah, but I mean – no one’s playing!” Wind said, trying to find the right words for how he felt. “I mean, all the cleanup stuff is really important, but they’re all just sitting around. No one’s there to help them feel better. Can’t we do stuff like that too? For everyone, not just the kids!”

            There was another moment of silence before Warriors spoke. “I think that’s really sweet of you, Wind. You might find it hard to make people feel better right now, but I wouldn’t stop you from trying before we go.”

            Wind shook his head. “No! Well, yeah, I will, but what about you? We’re not… leaving after this, are we?”

            This time, Twilight stepped towards him to give him a pat on the head. “I’m not real keen on it either, sailor. But we should probably move on if this could be a problem elsewhere.”

            “So, we just leave everyone like this?”

            “Not much we really can do,” Legend muttered. Wind noticed Hyrule look at the veteran for a split second before looking away with a sigh.

            “But we’re heroes!” Wind insisted. “What’s the point of saving people if we can’t leave them with smiles?”

            “Can’t smile if they’re dead,” Legend said flatly.

            Time stepped in front of him. “Veteran –”

            “No, no. Let the shrimp talk,” he challenged, stepping around the elder Link.

            “Hey, I’m not a kid!”

            “Guys, this isn’t the time –”

            “You literally are.”

            “But I’m not stupid!” Wind shouted, feeling more and more frustrated. “You think I don’t get what’s going on?! That’s why I wanna help these people!”

            A slam on the table had him looking over to Wild, who was outright glaring at him. He harshly circled his hands in front of him with a thumb between two fingers before sharply flipping two flat hands. Then, he pointed at Wind, flicking that finger against the nail of his other pointer before cupping a hand and roughly smacking it over in front of the other. His hands trembled as he clenched his eyes shut, and the rest of his words were slammed on the table.

            Wind didn’t know what he said, but could feel tears welling up in his eyes anyway. He didn’t respond as Warriors put a hand on his shoulder and Twilight put his hands on Wild’s. Sky stepped beside Legend, but didn’t touch him. It wasn’t much, but it helped to slow everything down. It brought Wind back to the times he fought with Aryll, and his grandma would literally step between them. Even now, he could almost Grandma’s voice. Take a breath, Link.

            “I’d be okay with staying longer.” The group turned to face Four, who looked back at them with no obvious emotions. “It’ll take a while if we’re going to help out. I don’t really want to sleep on the ground after it all.”

            “I want to stay too. Maybe help out Wind later, if I can,” Hyrule added.

            I know you’re only fighting because you really care, and the people we care about most have the potential to hurt us most without really thinking about it.

            “Cool. I’m going to East Gate. Lemme know what we’re doing after, doesn’t matter to me,” Legend stated, turning to leave.

            “Hey, wait!” Wind snapped, wiping his eyes and moving Warriors’ hand off his shoulder.

            Legend paused. “What.”

            Anger is often a wall that hides what people truly feel. You must go beyond that wall, Link. For the people you love.

            So, he took a long breath to settle down and think. Legend wasn’t angry. He was… hurt. All of them were hurt. They’d fought hard together and, for the first time, they didn’t completely win. People died. And that… wasn’t just something you moved on from.

            Wind moved around the group so he could look at the veteran properly. “I don’t wanna force anyone to fake being happy. I don’t wanna force you either. I just… you guys are so cool, and I kinda think of you as my heroes, you know? I thought other people would too and… I wanna try to do something real. I met a lot of kids in my adventure, you know. They were scared and sad sometimes, but they always felt better when I played with them. I just thought with all of us, we could do more.”

            Legend turned around with his arms crossed, looking Wind up and down. But he didn’t respond before turning away and leaving.

            Wind looked back towards the rest of the group. Wild huffed, following after the veteran. Four surprisingly went next, but his nod to Wind was reassuring as he left.

            “I’ll make sure they’re okay,” Sky said, rubbing the back of his neck and going after them.

            “Right behind you,” Twilight said, taking a few steps towards him before turning back and surprising Wind with a hug. “You’re amazing, sailor. Wish I had your optimism right now.”

            “Still not a – urk – kid!”

            They were both surprised with a bear hug from Sky. “I think we can get there,” the chosen hero declared. “We just need to blow off some steam. Maybe we should come back to this conversation later.”

            Then, the two older heroes left. Hyrule and the captain were next, both looking back at Wind with smiles. And then, there were two.

            Wind finished wiping his face when Time knelt down in front of him. “I’d prefer to avoid arguments in a place like this, but I think the group needed to hear that. Thank you, sailor. I hope we can make the kind of impact you have before we go. But let’s at least make sure everyone is comfortable staying before we set that plan in stone. We of all people know what it’s like to feel trapped in this kind of heaviness.”

            Flashes of memories came back to him. Soldiers mourning and drinking their troubles away, heroes of companions wrestling with hurting one of their own, the three of them – a sailor, a sprite, and a captain – suffocating in their own warm hug. They couldn’t run away from that then. But now…

            “Okay.”

            Time nodded, standing back up and looking to the door. “Well, I hope you came prepared, sailor. I don’t think the city guard have any ‘morale potions’ or toys to share.”

            “I think I figure this out on my own,” Wind shot back, sauntering out of the room without a second thought. And immediately stopped once he was outside.

            Adults were everywhere, sure. But there were no kids in sight.

            This was awkward.

            But, he wasn’t going to back down, so he went up the street to find his first target. He had to weave around a few groups with carts, but most of them were quickly walking alone or in pairs to their next project. He was almost at the west gate before he finally found two kids – two he’d seen earlier – sitting together restlessly outside their home.

            “Hey!” Wind called to them, waving to them before running over and pulling out a small sack from his bags. “Wanna play with me?”

            The smaller one looked up curiously from his brother’s arms, but the older one just looked away. “Right now?”

            “Yeah, right now!” Wind said cheerfully, tossing the sack between two hands and kicking it up with his feet. “Everyone’s all bummed. I think that’s a good thing, but no one really likes being sad. I thought it’d make some people feel better if they heard a little laughter.”

            The older boy didn’t seem convinced, but the younger one moved away from his brother’s arms to tentatively hold out his hands. With an encouraging smile, Wind tossed him the sack, and he clumsily caught it. Then, he tossed it back, and Wind kicked it up before catching it with one hand.

            “Cool!” The boy cheered, holding out his hands again.

            “Artee, we’re s’posed to not talk to strangers,” the other boy grumbled. He didn’t move though.

            “But he’s a kid too!” Artee argued. “And he’s sad.”

            That shocked his brother and Wind, the former staring Wind down and the latter chuckling nervously. “Uh, not – not like that, uh –”

            “Artee, he isn’t from here,” the other boy said, finally getting up to walk right up to Wind. “So why’re you sad?”

            “Well, uh… I had a fight, I guess. With my friends.”

            “That’s it? Nobody cries when they get in a fight with their friends. Maybe with their brother,” the boy muttered, looking over to his own.

            “You can with your friends too,” Wind shot back, stepping back to (carefully) chuck his sack at the other boy. “But they’re kinda my brothers too.”

            The other boy caught it, then tossed it to his brother. “What do you mean, ‘kinda’? And what’s in this thing?”

            “Sand. And it’s… complicated.”

            “No it’s not! They are your brothers or they aren’t!” Artee insisted, throwing the sack right at Wind’s chest. Wind just barely caught it.

            “Whoa! I mean, they’re pretty much my brothers, I guess.”

            “So they are!”

            The three of them kept tossing the bag between them for a while before the older brother caught it and held onto it. “This is boring with just three of us. Let’s go to Tessa’s house – she has brothers too.”

            “You just wanna see Tessa!”

            “No, I don’t!”

            And just like that, Wind was dragged across the city by two boys he didn’t know, unable to hold back laughter at their constant bickering. It took several minutes before he was brought to a house that was missing a corner of its roof. The side was charred black by fire.

            “Tessa!” the older boy shouted, letting go of Wind to dash towards a pair of elderly women carrying blankets out of the house.

            “Westley, hold on!” one shouted. “She’s not –”

            The other woman deftly shifted blankets to one hand to grab the back of the boy’s jacket with the other. “Now, Wess. If you’d listen with your ears, you’d know Tessa and her brothers are fine. She’s staying at the Porters’ home until that roof of hers is fixed. Now, come along.”

            Wind and Westley helped carry the blankets a couple streets over and a few houses there. Just as the woman said, a young girl with two younger boys were carrying small baskets of food and toys into the house. All three of them looked over when Westley and Artee called them and, after a blanket and basket delivery, were given permission to play with them.

            Now with six people, Wind introduced the version of the sack game he always played with the island kids – it involved kicking or smacking the sack to different players without it falling to the ground. While they all gave it their best shot, they all often dropped the sack or kicked it way too far away from the group. The latter always provoked some sort of groan or laugh, but everyone was smiling. Eventually, the younger boys settled for just catching and throwing it, but Artee and Tessa didn’t give up.

            “You’ve almost got it!” Wind said, smacking the sack to Tessa. “Just aim your kick more upwards than forwards!”

            And with almost perfect form, Tessa eyed the sack as it sailed towards her and gave it a firm kick high into the air. It soared through the street towards Artee, who grinned, took a step back, and… missed his kick completely.

            “Hey, it’s not like you guys are doing any better!” Artee pouted, his words doing nothing at all to quiet the laughter around him.

            “It’s okay, Artee, you’ll get it next time!” Tessa reassured, grabbing his arm much to his embarrassment and turning to the group. “Hey, I have some friends who might like this game. Can they play too?”

            Wind grinned. A few moments later, a small army of them were gathered in the main road. And they just played together. For the first time that day, there was genuine laughter. They were having fun. Even the adults walking around them smiled at their antics, and Wind could see a little more purpose in their steps. A few people even stopped to look on as they took a break from their work, chatting with each other as they shared drinks and snacks.

            One girl watching on came a little closer, smiling as she watched one of the younger girls playing. Maybe her sister? She stood there for a while, but she didn’t say anything or try to join the group. She was a little older, but not exactly an adult – not someone that would intimidate the kids or anything.

            “Hey! You can play too!” Wind invited, cheating just a little as he grabbed the sack and threw it high enough for the newcomer to catch. The little girl in front of her squealed in surprise, trying to jump high enough to grab it. She missed by a mile, but it still startled the new girl enough to make her jerk back in surprise.

            And the sack flew right through her.

            “Hey! That was too high!” the little girl whined, turning around to go fetch the sack. Just like the toy, she ran straight through the other girl.

            “Pfft, your aim’s worse than Tessa’s!” Westley teased.

            “Is not!”

            As they bickered and the little girl began a new round, the older girl behind her looked at Wind with an apologetic smile. “Thanks for helping her smile.” With that, she disappeared.

            And an open-mouthed Wind got a sack straight to the face, inciting a new round of laughter. He glared, sticking his tongue out at the lot of them before juggling the sack between his hands and feet, tossing it older his shoulders and under his legs. Then, he smacked it towards Artee to start a new game. This time, he kept his eyes on the sack. Partially to not get hit in the face again, sure, but partially to avoid thinking about whatever that was. Because that girl… was definitely a spirit. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that.

            Wind and the children went through several more rounds before another ball suddenly flew towards one of the other boys. With a yelp, he caught it, smacked it up a couple times, and passed it to one of his friends with a mischievous grin. Another one flew in, this one towards Tessa, and she just barely kicked it up into the air before smacking it towards one of the younger children. Wind could barely keep track of the chaos and, unsurprisingly, all three sacks were on the ground in seconds.

            “Okay, who did that?” Westley shouted, looking around before settling on something behind Wind. He, in turn, spun around to see… Legend. With a barrel in one arm and a bowl of sliced apples in the other.

            “You had the hang of one, thought you could handle a couple more,” Legend said casually, setting the barrel down and the bowl on top. “Also, it’s almost lunch. Wild couldn’t cook yet, but he gave me apples.”

            The group cheered, eagerly rushing towards the bowl – towards Wind, who had to roll out of the way – and taking some of the apple slices.

            “Thank you, Mister,” Tessa said, looking pointedly at the rest of the group.

            “Thank you!”

            Legend snorted, crossing his arms. “Not me. These were from a cook I know, but I’ll pass on your message.”

            As the kids took a break to eat, Wind stepped back to stand with Legend. “Thanks.”

            “Still not me, but whatever, kid.”

            “Well, maybe the apples weren’t you, but you being here is you.”

            Legend gave Wind a flat look, and Wind returned it with a grin. They had an impromptu staring contest for about thirty seconds before the veteran looked away. “Didn’t like how our conversation ended. Don’t think Wild did either. So…” he gestured towards the group before walking away towards the East Gate. “Bring the bowl back when you’re done.”

            Wind grinned. “I’m sorry too! Wanna hug it out?”

            “Yeah, no.”

            The sailor laughed as the veteran walked away. Eventually, he rejoined the kids and took a couple apple slices before they were all gone. They did get together to play a few more rounds – with all of the sacks – but groups of adults walked over to call their children over for lunch. Wind’s own stomach was growling by then, and he quickly put everything in his adventure pack before heading back to the inn. He hoped he could apologize to Wild before too many of their group came back. Before too many of the Chain came back.

            He was definitely going to write to Aryll to see how much she remembered this place.

~

            Just as Wind left the inn, Time turned back with a sigh to clean up the boys’ mess. It wasn’t outrageous or anything, but there was enough water and crumbs on the table for him to feel bad about leaving it there. He was sure they would’ve cleaned it up if they’d noticed it. Probably.

            “Don’t you worry, Honey, your boys are much more civilized than some of the company we get here.”

            Time looked up from wiping the table. On the other end was the waitress, who set down a wet rag and gathered up the dirty dishes in a basket.

            “More civilized than what you probably heard, I assure you,” he said, helping her gather the plates.

            “Oh, I have no doubt. I never knew how scary silence could be!”

            The two of them finished cleaning up in silence, and the waitress hoisted up the basket on her hip with a nod of thanks. “Appreciate the help, Honey. Especially when you’ve got your own handful to deal with. The little one especially seems to have a lot of energy.”

            Time smiled. “It’s my pleasure on both accounts. Even - and perhaps especially - with the young one. His energy invigorates the boys, I think. Even if it does get on their nerves.”

            The waitress laughed. “And yours too, I imagine. You better take good care of those boys of yours, or I think I’ll have to adopt them all!”

            Without waiting for a response, she winked and walked away. What that meant exactly, Time wasn’t sure. He was just glad Malon wasn’t there. Not because she would be worried about the waitress, oh no.

            Malon’d get an absolute kick out of the adoption idea, and she’d probably try to get him into it just to prove her own point. Thankfully, he didn’t have to worry about being a father just yet. Hopefully, not for a long while.

            He definitely wasn’t ready for that kind of chaos yet.

Chapter Text

            Twilight sighed when the next portal came up right after a big battle. Everyone was exhausted, bloody, stained with mud and grass… and it just popped up right in front of them.

            “Everyone alive?” Time asked.

            “No,” Wind groaned, struggling to sheathe his sword.

            Twilight met eyes with Warriors, who quickly walked behind the young sailor. Twilight himself stepped to Four’s side, who had just pulled himself out from under a moblin. “You alright, smithy?”

            “Ugh,” he replied, accepting Twilight’s hand and pulling himself up. “If I had a rupee for every time something crushed me… I’d be as rich as the captain.”

            “The pull’s getting stronger already,” Hyrule warned. “Anyone need healing?”

            “Half a potion,” Legend announced, wiping his mouth and offering it out. Time raised his hand, and the veteran tossed it to him.

            “We’re okay here,” Sky said, bumping a fist with Wild. “We’ll go first just in case.”

            Twilight glanced around the group, double-checking for hidden injuries. He noticed Time and Warriors doing the same, and the three of them met eyes to exchange a nod. The group was okay enough to move on.

            Once they were ready, the group walked through the portal. Dirt road and trees became dark purple and blue swirls that became… dirt road again. The sun shone brightly in the clear blue sky, but there wasn’t much else to see with the rock walls blocking the view on either side.

            Wind, who was dead to the world on Warriors’ back, suddenly jerked up with a tentative smile. “No way.”

            The young sailor practically flew off the captain’s back to look around. Even with the only view being a dirt road inclining up and that same road going back down, he turned enough times to be practically spinning. His smile only got wider each time around.

            “This is my home,” Wind finally said, stopping his spinning if only to grab the captain and pull him up the hill. “Come on, you guys have to see this! The best view of Outset is right here!”

            The genuine excitement radiating from the young hero was more than enough to convince Twilight to follow, and the rest of them eagerly followed suit. It didn’t take long before rock walls finally gave way to a little clearing at the hill top. Beyond a couple trees, there was a beautiful view of a small island. A handful of huts dotted the lower region of the island, the upper part mainly consisting of a forest on one side and the small clearing they stood at on the other. There were bridges and piers that connected various areas of the island and jutted out to the sky-blue waters surrounding it. There was a beach area, a grassier section, a couple boats floating by the docks, and a handful of people wandering around.

            “Come on, the view’s just as good down there!” Wind said excitedly, pulling Warriors with him back down the hill. The poor captain had to have whiplash from the sailor’s antics.

            “Ugh, slow down. I’m exhausted already,” Legend muttered, dragging himself back down the hill.

            “I’m kinda curious!” Hyrule said cheerfully. “I’ve never been to an island like this before – all the beaches in my Hyrule had too many tektikes and leevers.”

            “Too many… what?”

            “Tektikes and leevers. You know, big jumping spiders and giant worms that –”

            “Please don’t finish that,” Sky squeaked, much to the amusement of the rest of the group. Twilight just patted the poor guy on the shoulder. Maybe he’d tell the skydweller about his not-worm-like leevers another day.

            Once they all made it down the curved path, Wind led them across the across the island. He waved at the few people he passed by, who looked back at the group in shock before it became fond amusement. Apparently, the sailor had a reputation for bringing strangers to the island.

            Twilight looked back to Wind as he led them across a bridge, pointing to a hut at the far end of the island. He may have been the youngest of the group, but here, he was as confident and bright as ever. The happy energy radiating from all around them made Twilight smile. Even the rest of the group walked with a little more purpose, a little less fatigue than they had just moments earlier.

            When they reached the last hut, Wind let go of Warriors to knock on the door. Or, at least, he tried to. He didn’t get one knock in before it flew open, and a blue blur jumped on him, sending them both tumbling to the ground. Twilight couldn’t help his hand twitching towards his sword, but the cheer that came from the newcomer was more than enough to make him relax.

            “Brotheerrrr! You’re home!”

            Twilight heard a quiet sigh beside him, and looked over to see a good handful of the group silently sheathing swords and casually dusting a whole lot of nothing off their shirts. Paranoid, all of them.

            “Link? Is that you, Dearie?”

            The sailor and a young girl who had to be his sister were back on their feet by the time an elderly lady made it to the door.

            Still holding onto the girl, Wind smiled softly. “Hi, Grandma.”

            The woman smiled, clearly aching to give her grandson a hug, but she turned her gaze to Twilight and those beside him. “Hello, boys. Usually, Link comes with his pirate friends, so you’ll have to forgive my not knowing your names. But it’s a little bright outside, and I wouldn’t want you all getting sunburnt. Please, come in.” With a bright smile, she patted Wind on the shoulder and shuffled back inside the house, pulling the door back for them.

            “Aryll, we’re kinda in the way…” Wind whined.

            “Then carry me in!”

            With a roll of his eyes and a longsuffering sigh, Wind let go of Aryll long enough for her to jump back into their hug, and he carried her inside. It was a different side to him for sure, but it was sweet to see him in big brother mode. It made Twilight smile in pride as he followed after him, the rest of the group coming in behind him.

            Somehow, the hut felt bigger on the inside. There was more than enough space around and above them – a latter led to a second floor, which had a small table below a simple wreath. The bottom floor had a living room space with a large kitchen area in the back, the stone floor complimenting the wood walls surprisingly well. It was more than enough room for the sailor’s family, though Twilight had to rethink his first conclusion when the rest of them just managed to squeeze in.

            “Please, make yourself at home,” Wind’s grandma said, walking into the kitchen and disappearing to the right. “Would anyone like a drink? We have water, coconut, and orange juice.”

            It was very easy to feel comfortable in Wind’s home. Once everyone settled down with their drinks, the resident sailor immediately started telling his family all about his adventures. Occasionally, the group would chime in to clarify or correct something, and Twilight found himself trying to downplay some of his more intense details. It was on his third attempt that Wind’s grandma laughed softly.

            “I worry about my grandson, young one, but I’d rather know what he gets up to,” she said to Twilight with a knowing smile. “I know you all do your best to protect him, and that is more than enough reassurance for me.”

            “Grandma, you know I could’ve totally kicked butt in that fight even without Sky’s help!”

            “Of course, dear. But you are no less capable when you ask for help.”

            Wind grumbled, but didn’t respond. Twilight couldn’t help but smile at the exchange, but knew they all had the same question now that Wind had finished his stories. “Miss, we’re looking for black-blooded monsters. They’re much more dangerous than normal ones, and we tend to be brought to where they are. Have you seen any?”

            The older woman paused in thought before shaking her head. “After that whole bird fiasco, we’ve been keeping an eye on the forest up the hill and the rest of the island. I don’t believe I’ve heard of any issues at all since Link came back from his adventures, or anytime since then.”

            “Bird fiasco?” Sky instantly asked.

            “You’re able to keep an eye on the whole island?” Legend asked simultaneously.

            Wind’s grandma smiled in amusement, but it fell to a somber frown as she looked to Aryll. “Link’s sister was kidnapped by a giant bird. That’s why he left – he couldn’t just stand by not knowing where she was. And he brought her back to us.” She paused to hug both of her grandchildren, who smiled in her embrace. She continued after she let them go. “That’s why we set up the Community Island Watch, so that would never happen again. Everyone keeps an eye out, and everyone has a shell horn if they need it. Mine’s in the kitchen. But, as for your question, our island is very small. The children easily run from one side to the other in minutes. If anyone spotted trouble, help would be there as fast as the wind would take them.”

            “But our island’s pretty safe,” Aryll said. “My friends and I go exploring all the time!”

            “Everywhere but the forest, of course?” her grandmother asked with a pointed look.

            “Uh, yeah! Everywhere else!”

            By the looks of it, no one believed her. But Twilight noticed her grandma smile with a sort of relief. She must’ve known for a while.

            “Anyway, now that you’re here, we should go play at the beach!” Aryll said quickly, pulling at her brother’s arm. “We haven’t been down there in forever!”

            “So, since yesterday?”

            “Nuh uh! You weren’t there, so it’s been forever!”

            “You’re welcome to relax here or join those two down by the water,” Wind’s grandma said over their argument, shooing them into the kitchen. “Or, perhaps you’d like to be alone. Link tells me you’ve all been together nonstop since you’ve met. There’s a lot to explore, as small as our home is! There are lots of nooks and crannies the kids get into around here.”

            Twilight was taken aback at her statement. She must’ve had a lot of confidence in the community watch if she thought they could wander around so freely! But, even more than that…

            Having some time alone? Truly alone, without the rest of the group?

            The idea of it was…

            “Well, I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m going out.” Unsurprisingly, the veteran was the first one to stand, nodding at their host. “Thank you for the drink, Ma’am.” He went to the kitchen to wash his cup, put it to the side to dry, and promptly left the house.

            “I wouldn’t mind being alone for a while either, if that’s alright?” Four was second, but he didn’t move as he looked to Time for permission.

            The eldest of the group looked away with a small smile. “I will lead you as best I can, but you’re not bound to my rule. If this wise lady says it’s safe, then I encourage you to spend your time as you wish, especially since that opportunity has been limited.”

            Four nodded, following Legend’s example and walking out. Wild and Hyrule were out next, and it didn’t take long for Warriors to take a long stretch and stroll out himself. He was almost run over by Wind and Aryll as they raced each other out the door. That left three.

            “You three are welcome to stay, but I’m curious what makes you two less eager than the rest of your friends,” Wind’s grandma said, this directed to Sky and Twilight. “Knowing Link, and hearing about your connection, I thought all of you might like a moment to yourselves. Still, you’re all much more different than I expected! Not that I didn’t believe Link’s letters, of course, it was just so surprising to see you all!”

            Sky chuckled. “Yeah, that tends to be the case when we introduce ourselves. As for your question, well…” he looked at Twilight, then Time, chuckled awkwardly, then pressed on. “I guess I’m just not used to being alone. I’ve got a bit of energy left from our fight earlier – maybe I can walk it off and take a nap…”

            “Or,” Twilight jumped in, putting a hand on Sky’s shoulder, “We can both walk off a little energy since I’m not really used to being alone either. Too used to keeping an eye on mischievous kids.”

            The chosen hero smiled. “Are you talking about actual kids, or wander-prone Heroes of Courage?”

            Twilight gave him a toothy grin. “Both.”

            After shedding some unnecessary clothing layers and bidding their host goodbye, the two of them walked out of the hut and took in the island. It was calm, bright, and breezy. Just as before, there were some people walking around and enjoying the weather. Wind and his sister were unsurprisingly splashing each other in the water, and also unsurprising was a probably-not-sleeping captain keeping an eye on them as he laid against a tree. The others were nowhere to be found.

            Twilight gestured for Sky to lead the way, who started back the way they came from. For a while, they were both quiet. Well, Sky was humming to himself as they walked across the grassy fields, but he didn’t start any conversation. He suspected the sky-dweller wasn’t really one for silence, so he started a conversation for the both of them. “Finished that carving for the sailor yet? When’d you start doing those, anyway?”

            Sky did stop humming when he spoke, but he still had a look of slight confusion before he smiled, grabbing a small pouch at his side. “Yeah, I have some trinkets for Time, Warriors, and Wind. I want to wait until I do everyone’s before I give them out, but do you want see?”

            Twilight stopped, allowing him to more easily dig around in his pouch. “‘Everyone’s?’ You doing one for the lot of us?”

            Sky nodded as he pulled out three small carvings: a Gerudo lantern, an hourglass, and an owl. All of them were simple but charming pieces. Little details like a sun on the lantern, little curved edges on the hourglass, and individual feathers on the owl told of a slightly rusty but skilled woodcarver.

            “These are amazing, Sky!” Twilight said sincerely, clapping him on the shoulder. “Not what I was expecting, though, for the folks you named. Who are they for?”

            “This is Wind’s,” Sky said, holding up the hourglass. “This is Warriors’,” he added, lifting up the owl. Which meant…

            “You made a Gerudo lantern for Time?” Twilight finished, looking back up to Sky. There was definitely a story to all of them, but the lantern seemed most out of place.

            “I don’t know if he remembers, but he sat with me during the celebration in Wild’s Hyrule. Said a few things that made me smile. He might deny it if you ask him, though.”

            “Why, was he acting all Father Time again?”

            “…You think he does it too?”

            Twilight smiled, trading theories with Sky and taking care to avoid stepping on startled fireflies as they walked across the rocks. Sure, he noticed little things like the elder Link helping Four set up his tent and listening to Legend when he ranted and even sitting with Sky at the Gerudo festival. He saw him help the captain through his plans, add to Wild’s ever-growing collection of plants, support Hyrule when he really believed in something, and praise Wind both as a hero and as a kind young man. Whether he believed it or not, Time would make a good father.

            After all, he didn’t just support all of them now. Twilight knew that even in death, Time would stay long enough to help him on his own journey. As soon as he saw the Hero of Time, he knew. This man would one day become the Hero’s Shade. And that… that gave him mixed feelings, especially as he got to know his ancestor more and more.

            His ancestor. Twilight knew he’d felt a kindred spirit within the Shade, and he grew to respect and enjoy being with his mentor each time they’d met. But the last time, when that same mentor called him his “child”… he saw the same man that walked out of the twisting purple portals and resigned himself to another long quest.

            Why? Why did Time have regrets? Why did he stay back in this world so long after he should’ve been at rest?

            “Look out!”

            Twilight’s hand jerked towards his sword, but Sky held him back just long enough for a small beetle to fly out from below them. Together, they watched it zoom into the air, high enough for Twilight to nab it before it got too far.

            “Lots a little fellas out here today,” he commented, taking a look at the beetle in his hands and showing it to Sky. “They keep trying to snoop in on us.”

            To his surprise, the sky-dweller wasn’t simply amused, curious, or even grossed out – he was outright beaming when he saw Twilight’s catch. “Amazing! You caught that with your bare hands? Beetles are fast – I barely manage to get them under a net.”

            “You use a net?”

            And that was how, five minutes later, they were in a nearby patch of forest racing to catch the most bugs. One was armed with a net and the other with two bare hands.

            “Think I’m at five already! Having a big net is pretty handy!” Sky said cheerfully, waving his net for emphasis.

            “I’m only at four, buddy – don’t count your goats yet!”

            “Uh, don’t you mean ‘don’t count your cucoos?”

            “Nope! Five!” Twilight declared, holding up a bright green dragonfly.

            “Six!”

            “Don’t you be cheating now!”

            “What does that even mean in this context?!”

            Twilight just laughed, jumping for another ant trying to scuttle away. He hadn’t had this much fun in a while. Good thing no one else was there to watch – they’d never let him live it down!

            Thirty seconds became fifteen that became ten, five, three, two…

            “Time!” They both shouted, holding up one last bug. Sky had what looked like a ladybug while Twilight was barely keeping some sort of centipede from crawling out of his hands.

            “12,” Twilight declared with a grin, adding his catch to his collection. “And you?”

            “Ah.” Sky looked away rubbing the back of his head. “I guess that means I only caught… 125% more than you did.” A defeated look immediately became a wicked grin when he looked back up. “15 for me.”

            Twilight did his best impression of Time’s thoughtful look. “I ain’t much with math, but I’m pretty sure you had 100% more net than I did.”

            “You’re the one who insisted on it!”

            With a long, dramatic sigh, Twilight walked over and stretched out his hand. “Guess you win this one, Sky.”

            The chosen hero shook his hand with a demure smile, gesturing for him to take the lead back down to the beach. “It was fun. Happy to crush you anytime you need a little distraction.”

            “First of all,” Twilight said, playfully shoving him to the side (a little farther than he meant to, whoops), “you didn’t ‘crush’ me. And second of all, what’s this about a ‘little distraction’ supposed to mean?”

            Sky laughed as he steadied himself, looking to him with a sly smile. “You looked a little down by those rocks. Thought you could use a little fun before you started acting like the old man.” With that, he sped down the hill and didn’t stop as he booked it for the beach. Twilight was actually kind of impressed.

            But, the sky dweller had a point. They were supposed to relax for once, he could worry about time shenanigans (and Time shenanigans) later. Which meant his next task was simple.

            Revenge.

            Twilight quickly caught up to Sky, who kicked up a cloud of sand at him in retaliation. It didn’t go very high, but it was high enough to get in his boots. “Hey!” Twilight yelped, jumping away. “Sand’s a nuisance to clean, you know!”

            “Isn’t that the point?” Sky asked with a wicked grin.

            “Don’t you dare.”

            A couple handfuls of thrown sand, some wrestling and rolling around in said sand, and one Sky trapped in Twilight’s firm grip later, the Sky in question was chucked into the ocean. A large splash had Wind quickly spinning to block his sister from the wave it caused, and he shot an exasperated glare Twilight’s way. The glare became a poorly-concealed snort hardly a second later.

            Twilight, in lieu of immediately responding, tried the best he could to dust himself off. It took taking off his boots to get the mounds of sand out of them. “Not a word, sailor.”

            “I didn’t say nuthin’!”

            “‘Didn’t say anything,’ sailor.” From behind, Warriors strolled to Twilight’s side and grinned in Sky’s direction, who was on his back floating lazily in the water. “I think you killed him.”

            “I think he’ll live,” Twilight responded casually.

            “What got into you two anyway? I thought you were a couple fourteen-year-olds with the way you were rolling in the sand.” An offended squawk was quickly silenced by a splash and a mischievous giggle.

            “He called me old.”

            “The captain just called you a child,” Sky called out from the water. Hm. That was true.

            Twilight was dusting off his hands and considering stealing Warriors’ resting spot when Hyrule quite literally flew down and sprinted towards them with a potion in hand. It would’ve been worrying if he didn’t already know why the traveler was there, and Hyrule seemed to be putting some of the pieces together himself as he looked between everyone in confusion.

            “So… no one’s hurt?” Hyrule asked, putting the potion back in his bag and looking pointedly towards Aryll. “I heard a girl screaming.”

            “What?!”

            “Nope,” Twilight said with a grin, gracefully refusing to join the other three in their laughing at a soaking-wet Warriors. He’d never seen his hair so flat! And longer than he expected, huh. “Just a city boy with no sense of respect getting his comeuppance.”

            Hyrule’s face was a mixture of shock and amusement as he turned towards Warriors, who was slogging his way back to dry land. “That was you?”

            Warriors gave him a dry look, then turned it towards Twilight. “You would too if you were manhandled and thrown ten feet like a ragdoll.”

            “Uh, no... I usually just focus on trying to stab the moblin’s hand before it throws me.”

            Twilight and Warriors both shot Hyrule a flabbergasted look. He, in response, shrugged and walked towards the water.

            “We’re gonna finish this conversation later, right?” Twilight asked, watching the younger Link take off his boots and dip a toe in. With a happy hum, Hyrule walked in and made small waves with his hands.

            “Hm. I know what you mean, but… what would we say?” Twilight turned to face the captain, who was absentmindedly wringing the water out of his hair and pulling it up to tie back. “We can take them away from the fight, but we can’t take the fight out of them. We all have the same spirit.”

            “That feels… wrong to think.”

            “Maybe. But they can take care of themselves better than you think. Trust me, I had a brat to take care of during the war, and he refused to stay behind in any fight. We butt heads over it constantly but… he was one of our best. And I think he’s still trying to show me that, that these kids here are some of our best.”

            “I guess so.” Twilight was quiet for a moment, watching everyone floating around the water in a rare moment of peace. Which also gave him the opportunity to realize how wild the captain’s story was. “Wait, did you say you had a kid during a war? And he’s here?”

            “Rancher. For the love of all that is good and holy, do not say it like that.” The captain’s face was redder than a fresh tomato as he forced Twilight to turn away from Wind. Twilight couldn’t help but laugh as the captain punched his shoulder. “No, I did not have a kid, and I’m not talking about the sailor. A few portals opened up during the war that led to various Hyrules across the ages. And out of one of them came a little kid with a green tunic.”

            That… explained a lot, actually. Why the captain kept a close eye on the younger ones, why he followed them whenever they charged into the fray but never got in their way.

            “The worry isn’t going to go away, Twilight,” Warriors said, patting him on the shoulder. “But if you show them that you trust them, I think you’ll find it makes them an even greater force in and outside the battlefield. But that doesn’t have to mean they can’t be kids too.” The last part he said gesturing to the group swimming around in the water.

            “…When’d you get the Triforce of Wisdom? Feels weird for you, Captain.” Twilight did dodge Warriors’ second punch with a small smile. “But, I think I get it now. Thank you.”

            The captain smiled and nodded, turning back towards the water. Just as before, he watched the scene before him with a focus hidden behind a casual smile. Watching, but out of the way until he was needed. Or thrown back into the water, whichever came first.

            “So, you gonna tell me who that kid you had was, or do I have to guess?”

            “For the second time – you’re doing that on purpose, aren’t you?” When Twilight gave only an innocent shrug in reply, Warriors rolled his eyes. “As for the kid, well, I haven’t seen him since then. But, I think he’s happy. Since the war, he was never alone again.”

            There was a proud look in the captain’s eyes that was hint enough that there was much more to the story than he was saying. But, between the group’s ‘no pushing for adventure stories’ rule and Warriors’ carefully vague explanations throughout the conversation, Twilight wasn’t going to push it.

            Instead, he nodded to the captain and took off his boots and socks, sitting at the edge of the beach to let the water glide over his feet. It was comfortably warm – he’d probably go in later – and just looked out into the distance. The sun was still high in the clear, blue sky. A few seagulls were flying about, some chasing the beetles and dragonflies that dipped towards the water to escape. A lone beetle circled around Twilight before soaring away again, its shiny green wings reflecting the sunlight as it zoomed past the sailor and his sister. They both yelped in surprise, and Wind leapt up to catch it only to splash back into the water empty-handed. Aryll giggled at his antics, diving under to join her brother.

            A few paces away, Sky was still floating with his head facing skyward, and the only time he moved was to push himself back towards shore when he started getting too far out. It was hard to tell if he was sleeping in between said movements, though it couldn’t have been that deep if he was taking care not to drift away. Further away from him was Hyrule, still experimenting with the water as he drifted his hands above the waves, dove them beneath, and splashed streaks of water as high as he could. Even now, the traveler’s eyes held a bright wonder. Was this his first time at the beach?

            …When was the last time any of them had genuine, innocent fun?

            “I can’t tell if I’m impressed or if I want to call you the biggest nerd I’ve ever seen in my life.”

            Twilight jumped, looking beside him to see Four next to a few large blocks of sand. Above him was Legend with a raised eyebrow and hands on his hips. Four, without missing a beat, replied, “I feel like you just established both.”

            “…You know Veteran, you could just give the compliment straight,” Twilight said, scooting to the side to see Four’s creation better. Now that he was further behind him… “Is that a forge there, Smithy? You’ve got an anvil and everything!”

            “Think you skipped the oven, that sword mold, a water bucket, the air system…” Surprisingly, it wasn’t Four, but Legend who spoke, walking around the smithy’s setup with a hint of a grin. “I almost want to give you a sword and see you patch it up for me.”

            Four rolled his eyes. “Not with these tools I wouldn’t – your sword would be more bent out of shape than it was before.” Then he turned to Twilight with a glint in his eye. “I appreciate your earlier gesture Twilight, but that nerd over there gave a much better compliment than you did.”

            Both Twilight and Legend shot him a look, the former in shock and the latter in…anger? “Ha ha, very funny. Have fun with the dirt.” With that, Legend walked away from them and took off his boots to do much the same as Twilight was and pointedly looking away from them. No, the veteran wasn’t angry. He was sheepish just then, albeit aggressively so.

            Four, without a word, went back to building his forge with a victorious grin. Somehow, Twilight felt they both just learned a lot about the stoic teen in the span of a twenty second conversation. The smithy was kind of scary, he decided. That boy could see way too much.

            Now hearing, on the other hand – Twilight turned away and quickly spotted the source of quiet but familiar footsteps. The champion.

            “Back already?” Twilight asked, patting the sand beside him in invitation. “Thought you’d be jumping off cliffs where I couldn’t see you.”

            “I heard noise here and got curious,” Wild said lightly, already barefoot and sweeping the sand with his feet before sitting down. “I did jump off the east side cliffs –” (This, Twilight choked at.) “But most of the landing spots were water, so I’ll have to check out the west side sometime.”

            “You really don’t have to, actually.”

            Wild merely responded by sticking out his tongue and leaning against his shoulder. And that was that. Twilight let him relax in the quiet, suspecting he would also be jumping in the water at some point. The only ones who really didn’t seem to be thinking about it were Four, Legend, and Warriors, all of whom were simply content to just be there.

            And how interesting was that, Twilight thought, as a warm feeling bubbled up his chest and escaped in a quiet laugh. They were pretty much told to go out and do something by themselves, and yet, here they all were. Perhaps not all together, but together nonetheless. Looks like they were starting to get used to each other.

            Twilight and Wild sat with each other for a while before he could feel Wild getting fidgety. He smiled at the champion’s silent indecision before the younger Link finally pulled himself away and started taking off his tunic. “How warm do you think it is in there?”

            “Feels warm enough to me,” Twilight responded, adjusting his feet to be more comfortable in the water.

            “Yeah, but that’s just the shoreline. It could be way colder out there.”

            “I could help you find out real quick.”

            “…That sounds like a threat.”

            And then, for the third time that day, Twilight picked up one of the resident Links and threw him into the ocean. Unlike his previous two victims, Wild flew through the air with a shocked but excited whoop, splashing both Hyrule and Sky when he flopped into the water. The traveler managed to avoid most of it, but the chosen hero shot up spluttering. Oops.

            When Sky recovered, his focus was mainly on Hyrule, who was chuckling at the chosen hero’s suffering. A moment later, Wild bounced out of the water with eyes as wide as his smile. “Oh, you’re totally doing that again!”

            Twilight, with a sigh and a shake of his head, took off his sword, shirt, and wrap – he very thoroughly wrapped his necklace in the middle of it all – and opened his arms in invitation.

            He ended up throwing Wild out three more times. Hyrule he threw out once and learned very quickly that the traveler couldn’t swim. Thankfully, the water was shallow enough for Hyrule’s head to burst out of the water shortly after, but the surprised conclusion the traveler came to just moments later was enough to make Twilight’s stomach drop. And the kid still asked to be thrown again!

            “Rancher, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but you cave easy to those kids.” The captain, having been relaxing in his previous spot, teased him with a small smile as Twilight tentatively tossed Hyrule out again.

            Watching to see the traveler pop out next to Wild, Twilight pointedly avoided Warriors’ gaze. “Wasn’t it you who told me to trust ‘em? Besides, it was popular with the village kids too when they went swimming, and it got them excited to learn.”

            “So, caving?”

            “Encouragement. And good exercise for me. Came in pretty handy when I had to wrangle up the goats, and even more when I wrestled a goron.”

            His words were met with a disbelieving chuckle. “Right, I see…. So, was that ‘goron’ a big goat or some other animal we haven’t seen yet?”

            “Nope, just a regular goron,” Twilight replied, turning to face the captain with a grin. “Large rock creatures intimidating on their own, but actually pretty friendly? Surely, even you’ve seen them.”

            “I know what a goron is,” Warriors said, sitting up if only to cross his arms. “They’re sturdy, heavy, and strong. You’d break bone if you punched them, let alone try to pick them up.”

            Twilight laughed. “Well, I don’t pick ‘em up in these fights, I just shove them back. Our rules just involve pushing someone out of the ring, or knocking them off their feet. No real punching allowed, no carrying necessary. They throw out some mean slaps, though.”

            Warriors looked at him with a skeptical, calculating eye. Twilight’s smile only grew wider. “Yeah, loads of other folks don’t believe me either. But none of them have the guts to show it.”

            The captain’s slight frown immediately became a sharp grin, and he slowly pushed himself up to stand. “You’re challenging the wrong soldier, rancher.” After taking off a few of his own layers and weapons, Warriors cracked his fingers and purposefully sauntered over.

            “Don’t destroy my forge,” Four’s voice said from beside him. It was sharp, but less from anger and more from concentration. He was still adding details to his small workshop, and Twilight walked a few paces away to give him space.

            Then, he stood his ground and awaited his opponent.

            He could feel a few eyes looking his way, but he kept his focus in front of him. It’d been a while since he wrestled, but he could already feel himself moving his feet to a more balanced position. He was ready.

            As soon as Wars was close enough, Twilight ducked to the right, narrowly avoiding the captain’s grasp as he grabbed Warriors himself. A spark of excited energy rose as Twilight pushed him back towards the water. When his opponent slipped in the sand, he almost thought he’d had it right then in there.

            He was a little too arrogant with that assumption.

            Without warning, Warriors dug his foot into the ground and shoved Twilight away, quickly circling the rancher. Subtle glances quickly became shouts of teasing and encouragement as Twilight tried to find a way around the captain. With his back to the water, he was at a disadvantage.

            Suddenly, Warriors charged. Twilight ducked right at the same time the captain moved left and slammed into him, pushing him further into the water. Twilight almost slipped himself as they got deeper, but he took a page out of Wars’ book and dug his foot down, shoving his opponent back. Everyone was cheering now, and the energy was infectious. Both of them were grinning at each other now, and both of them held a confident challenge in their eyes.

            “You’re not bad city boy, but you don't got the right muscle,” Twilight said casually.

            “Takes more than muscle to win a fight country boy, and I’ve had my fair share of scraps to deal with,” Warriors easily responded. Then, he leapt forward and rammed an open palm on his chest, making Twilight stagger back. He pushed on without hesitation, reaching out to grab him.

            Twilight ducked right, away from the water and away from – he felt a heavy hand slam the back of his neck. Before he fell over, Twilight grabbed Warriors’ arm and used it to ram himself into the captain’s stomach. The pressure came off instantly, and the rancher quickly hooked an arm under Wars’ leg to pull it out from under him.

            The captain easily crashed back into the water, and loud cheers roared out from around them.

            Shaking off the last attack, Twilight looked up to see not just the other Links, but several of the locals applauding their small battle. They hadn’t even been fighting that long – when did they get there?!

            Feeling himself flush, Twilight turned to Warriors and offered a hand. “Good fight, captain. You’d lose against the gorons, though.”

            “I’m still calling horse manure on that story.” Warriors accepted the help, grinning when he saw the crowd they’d attracted. “All yours, country boy.”

            Rolling his eyes, Twilight turned back around and bowed. At the last second, he quickly grabbed the captain’s hand and lifted it, renewing the cheers much to his friend’s amusement. It was then he noticed two more figures watching from a distance.

            A small but amused woman was covering her mouth as she turned her head to the large man with folded arms beside her. Wind’s grandma had apparently been watching, as had Time. Though he was clearly listening to her, Time held Twilight’s gaze with a bright smile. What exactly it was supposed to convey, Twilight wasn’t sure, but he couldn’t help but feel a warmth in his chest that made him smile in return.

            After a few more moments, Warriors was back on shore using a shirt to dry his face. He was replaced with some island children and locals who enjoyed the cool water to contrast the afternoon heat. Surprisingly, Wind and Aryll were the first ones out, but they were only on shore long enough to eat some oranges and drink some coconut juice before jumping right back in.

            Twilight ended up floating around Wild and Hyrule, the former trying to teach the latter to swim. In theory, the traveler should’ve been making some progress, but he always sunk below the water whenever his feet left the ground. They all triple checked and were sure the boy’s boots weren’t weighted in any way, and he didn’t have anything in his pockets that would make him sink. They kept at it for a while with little success, and it wasn’t until they were all called out to eat that they finally gave up. Temporarily.

            “I’ll see if I can’t figure something out for tomorrow,” Wild said to Hyrule as they all walked to shore. “There’s gotta be something that can help you floa— Wait, octoroks!”

            “That is something you can test when your fingers ain’t wrinkled,” Twilight said, grabbing both of their shoulders before they sped right back out into the water. Both of them shot him a pitiful pout, but that wouldn’t change his mind. Especially not with the smell of grilled meat wafting in their direction.

            It was delicious. Wind’s grandma and some other parents had prepared ham and chicken, honey and some sort of dark tangy sauce that was popular with just about everyone, pineapple and coconuts, a couple types of salad, and a variety of grilled fish. It felt like Kara Kara Bazaar again, just on a much smaller scale. Everyone enjoyed their meal on blankets along the shore.

            Twilight sat with Wild just as before, wiping the stickiness off his fingers to review today’s new set of words. Ocean, both hands mimicking the waves they were all watching. Beach, a wave of his hand above the sand his other arm formed. Sand, something he was quite literally wiping off his fingers with his thumb. Fish, a cute little wiggle of his hand just like a fish would do.

            And then, the champion’s challenge: The fish in the ocean swam onto the sandy beach.

            “Champ, you did not teach me some of those words,” Twilight accused, starting the sentence with a wiggle of one hand, then bringing up his other to sweep it above his arm, then pointedly pausing before flipping his palms up and moving them away from each other.

            Wild laughed with a shake of his head, signing “beach” as the first part of the sentence. Then, after a little boop to Twilight’s forehead, he put two palms down in front of him and drifted them back. Kinda like he was swimming.

            “Okay, sure, I do remember that now, but what about…” Twilight cupped a hand and used the other to dip an invisible piece of bread into it. “Into,” which was the sign he remembered, probably wasn’t the sign for “in.”

            Wild just smiled, crossed his arms, and waited. His message was loud and clear.

            “You have everything you need, rancher,” a familiar voice translated aloud, sitting next to the both of them with a soft oof. “Now, you simply have to put the puzzle together.”

            Twilight huffed in amusement, partially from Time’s repetition and partially from Wild’s frantic waving of his arms. As if the elder Link would give any hints that weren’t either already obvious or ridiculously cryptic.

            “Give me something to push, pull, or break – I’m better at those ones,” Twilight lamented, already using the sand to write some things down. He knew he just needed the important words; all the rest didn’t need signs.

            First, the subjects. Fish and beach were both subjects in the sentence, but Wild revealed that “beach” came first. Which meant sandy, or rather “sand,” had to come after that since it was being used to describe the beach.

            So, BEACH SAND were the first words he wrote.

            Next was the fish. It was in the ocean, so that had to come next: Fish in ocean. Except apparently, he didn’t need “in,” since Wild refused to tell him how to sign it. “Fish,” “ocean”? Now, it just looked like “ocean” was another subject. But “ocean,” “fish” was also – wait, was that it, since ocean was being used to describe the fish? But shouldn’t the subject go before the description?

            Twilight shook his head, deciding he’d come back to that. BEACH SAND OCEAN FISH. Which left one more thing: the action. Swam onto. He knew he didn’t necessarily need to worry about “onto” – wait, was that why he didn’t need “in”?! They were both directions, of course – which just left swam. Or, since he just needed to use the basic word, “swim.”

            BEACH SAND, OCEAN FISH, SWIM.

            Twilight was definitely not confident with this one.

            Turning up to Wild, he gave it a shot. He waved one hand above the other flat arm, holding his arms in place as he wiped his thumbs over his fingers. BEACH SAND. Then, he used both arms to make waves, keeping one arm up as he used the other hand to make the fish. OCEAN FISH. Finally, he swept his hands to both sides. SWIM.

            Time and Wild had surprisingly straight faces through the attempt, but Twilight knew he was off when the eldest Link finally failed to hide his small smile. Wild smiled too, his a little more encouraging as he gave Twilight a hint and had him try again.

            They went through other words he’d learned in the past – sword, a back-and-forth swish of his hand just as if he was holding one. Shield, a wave of his hand in front of his arm. Potion, swinging up his arm to drink as if he was holding one. Pass a sword to Time –

            “Wait, what was that first sign?” Time asked, just after Twilight swung his invisible sword. It made both champion and rancher pause, but the former had a mischievous grin on his face.

            Wild slowly repeated Twilight’s earlier gesture, tapping the thumb of an open hand on the side of his head, tucking the thumb of his other hand between two fingers as he circled it around his open palm.

            Time didn’t react immediately, which already made Twilight nervous. It was much, much worse when the little traitor pointed his way, tapping a finger on his forehead.

            Listen, there was a perfectly good explanation for the sign as Twilight clearly wasn’t the only one who thought it since Sky brought it up earlier that day, just ask him, and would it be unfair to say the old man technically started it –

             Finally, finally, Time smiled, putting a hand on both of their shoulders. “I suspect that’s my name? I’m honored to have it, if you’re happy to give it to me.” Then, he gripped their shoulders, gave them a firm pat, and ungracefully used them to push himself up. “If you have names for the rest of the group, you may want to consider sharing them. It would be useful for all of us in battle.”

            With that last suggestion, he walked off to sit with Hyrule and Legend, who were having a surprisingly passionate conversation about what looked to be fish. That’s what Legend kept holding up in front of the traveler, anyway.

            Twilight just finished off his own when Wild nodded, his signal that they were done for the day. “Good job. You’re getting better!”

            It was simple praise, but he knew the champion had much more he was conveying in those words. He heard it every time. “Thank you, Champ. Always fun learning, and always happy to find more ways to talk with ya.” It was the same sentiment he said every time, but Wild always smiled.

            That was true since the first time they really clicked.

            Nine strangers were gathered around a firepit. It was the third day of such a gathering, but little had changed from the first two. They were all as quiet, some eating around the fire while others were scattered further away. One of the further members of the group was Wild.

            Unlike the rest of them, the silent hero dubbed “the Champion” always had something that smelled good in his hands at the end of the day. At first, no one asked. They didn’t talk much to each other back then, but the champion was one of the few who really didn’t at all.

On day three, Twilight had the guts to finally ask him what he was eating. Surprisingly – or maybe not? – he got an immediate response. The champion’s answer: a hesitant look before he slowly offered his bowl. It looked like soup, so Twilight shrugged and took a small sip.

            It was heavenly. And he said as much, asking him where he got it from. The boy shyly looked away before he pointed to himself.

            “You made that?! Champion, that’s amazing!” Twilight’s loud shout attracted quite a bit of attention, which he noticed the younger hero squirm away from. So, he blocked their view of him as he crouched down and spoke a little more quietly. “Sorry. Just… how did you make that? Or, could I trade you something for a little more? It’s okay if you’re not comfortable or don’t want to – I ain’t got much, but I’ll happily pay ya if you want.”

            The champion narrowed his eyes, lowering his brows as he circled flat hands around each other. At first, Twilight didn’t respond. Was that the champion asking for rupees? Tentatively, he pulled out a small cup, a rupee, and a nicer cut of his dried meat from his pouch, holding them towards the younger. The champion didn’t move, tilting his head in confusion.

            “Um…” Twilight gestured giving him the rupee and the meat, holding up his small cup before setting everything down and circling his hands around. He didn’t get to do much else before the champion coughed and looked away. Or, at least he thought the boy had coughed until he saw the look in his eyes.

            Mirth. Perhaps a smidge of disbelief, but it was amusement that eventually turned backed to Twilight and pointed towards his hands. The champion’s purposeful placement of the rancher’s fingers and careful movements of his arms was their first lesson.

            Twilight was content to stay with Wild as the sky slowly changed from blue to orange to red. He could see their little group, the “chain” they called themselves, scattered around the beach. From the talkers to the eaters to the one that was unsurprisingly drifting off, they all seemed more relaxed than they’d been in a long while. Sure, they had little breaks here and there, but this might’ve been their first day since their stay at Lon Lon Ranch that they’d had a full day of genuine rest. It was nice seeing their small smiles. Even the veteran seemed less huffy than he’d been earlier. Still… they’d have to move on soon.

            They’d all have to move on one day. This adventure wasn’t supposed to last forever – in theory, they were all going home one day. Would their worlds be connected, or would that link be broken too?

            “You’re doing it again,” Wild complained, waving a hand in front of his face.

            Twilight rolled his eyes, slapping the hand away. “Let a guy think for a moment – someone’s gotta make up for you.”

            “Hey!”

            They had their own little wrestling match before a whistle cut across the beach. Both of them looked up sharply, but quickly relaxed when they simply saw parents collecting children and rolling up their blankets. Seems like they were used to early mornings here too.

            After dusting themselves off, they joined the rest of the group as they helped clean things up and eventually followed Wind’s grandma back to her home. With a little help from Time and Legend, blankets and pillows were brought out for the group.

            “You’re welcome to sleep outside if you don’t mind the bugs, but my home is always open to you boys. It has been such a pleasure meeting you all.” She gave them all a warm smile. “I do hope you can stay for a little while. I’ve missed my grandson, and it’s always exciting to have visitors on the island.”

            “We’ll stay as long as we can, Grandma.” Wind, who was currently carrying a sleeping Aryll, gave his grandma a little side hug. He looked as tired as his sister.

            “You gonna make it holding onto her?” Twilight asked him with a smile.

            “Mmmmhm.” And true to his word, Wind waddled away.

            With that cue, everyone else got comfortable in their own blankets. Twilight ended up between Wild and Four, both of whom were writing in their journals. It made him feel like he should probably be writing more than he usually did – which was not really at all – but he figured he could do some good journalling when he was more in the mood for it. Whenever that would be.

            As Twilight relaxed and slowed his breathing, he listened to the quiet activity around him. While he was more familiar with the chirping crickets and hooting owls, he slowly got used to pencil strokes, harp strumming, sturdy brushes on iron armor, quiet cursing and thread snapping… these were the sounds that slowly lulled him to sleep.

            He awoke to near-silent footsteps and an opening door.

            Twilight quickly looked over to see the last beams of a lantern disappearing behind the door, which closed with a soft click. The house was filled with a darkness permeated only by a small lantern in the middle of the floor. Still late, then.

           He looked beside him. Unsurprisingly, Four was still asleep. Somewhat surprisingly, so was Wild. Everyone around him was asleep. Except…?

           No, wait, no. They were all at Wind’s house. The village was safe, and there was a night patrol out at all hours. There was no need to worry.

           So, Twilight closed his eyes and tried to relax. Probably a bathroom trip. Or a restless night. Not that either one was his business.

           Everyone was fine.

           It wasn’t a big deal.

           …Ugh, but who? Who left?

           As silently as he could, Twilight pushed himself up just high enough to see everyone in the room. Not counting Wind, who was probably in his own bed, there should’ve been seven of them, not counting himself. The older Links were easy to spot, all of them sleeping soundly. Wild and Four were next to him. That left Hyrule and Legend. Those two were hard to tell apart in the dark, and it really could’ve been either one of them.

            …Which meant it was fine because neither of those kids were stupid and how did the captain deal with this on a daily basis during a war?

            With a silent huff, Twilight lowered himself back down to his pillow. Bathroom trip. That was it. He closed his eyes and determined to keep them closed.

            Several minutes passed. Then, several more. It was getting a bit long for a bathroom trip. Any chances of sleep were getting lower by the minute.

            …Aaaand he eventually gave up and got up. He would just make sure nothing was amiss – it’d take a few minutes. Especially as a certain wolf.

            After moving a few small things from his bag into his pocket, he took hold of his necklace and felt himself shift, quietly padding around Four towards the door. Bless the island residents for having handles that were easy to grab. Twilight easily put his paws on the door and bit the handle. What he didn’t expect was the door opening so quickly, and he slipped back on his paws as the door flew open. He was able to grab the side before it slammed into anything, but…

            He looked back in the house to make sure he hadn’t woken anyone. And staring right back at him was Time.

            Twilight froze. His fur shot up as his heart pounded in his ears. Why wasn’t the eldest yelling or attacking?

            Instinctually, Twilight lowered his head and sat down. Not a great position for avoiding an attack, but it was all he could do. Wild eventually got the hint, surely the old man would too… but what was he waiting for?

            Realizing his eyes were squeezed shut, Twilight tentatively opened them and looked up. Time was still there, still looking at him. Did he not realize what he was looking at? Or was he just asleep?

            Any hope of the latter shattered when Time lifted his hands to his chest and firmly moved down into fists. The movement made Twilight flinch, but the eldest had no weapons or items in his hands. Instead, an empty hand continued to move, confidently twisting into practiced gestures. Practiced signs.

            …N – C – H – E – R.

            Ncher? What kind of word had –

            Rancher.

            He knew.

            Time knew. When did he –?

            Twilight stood up, a little abrupt in his shock, but he didn’t have the chance to communicate so much as a confused whine before more letters came.

            V – E – T – E – R – A – N. Where?

            The shock hadn’t left him, but Twilight could at least attempt to answer the question. Using his nose, he pointed outside behind him. It was then he realized he probably should close the door soon.

            Looking back, Twilight was a little relieved when Time gestured for him to go, nodding in understanding. Now this was a conversation he would finish later. When it wasn’t the middle of the night.

            Carefully closing the door and checking the beach for villagers, Twilight spotted one figure in the distance sitting on the sand. Next to them on the rocks was a small light that looked pretty lantern-like. Probably Legend?

            He quietly walked down the path until he made it to the sand. Whoever was there didn’t move, facing towards the sea. They were shorter than most adults and wore dark, long-sleeved clothes. A slight breeze gave his light hair a slightly tousled look, and a familiar pair of winged boots were set off to the side.

            Yes, this was the veteran. The young boy seemed physically fine. He didn’t show any signs of being hurt or especially distressed, even if there was something keeping him awake. Still, he was strong and independent, and he could probably figure out whatever was eating at him by himself. He’d earned his name for a reason. He’d be fine.

            …But even so. Twilight didn’t feel right just leaving him there without saying anything.

            Once he was decided, Twilight pulled the magic around him into a single point, fur and paws becoming clothes and arms. Pushing himself up, he used his boot to scuff the ground along the grass before stepping out on the sand.

            Legend stiffened at the noise, but he didn’t look back. “I’m fine, Sky. Or is that the traveler? Kinda dangerous sneaking around like that, you know.”

            Twilight paused. Was Legend guessing, or maybe he was hoping for one of the others? Maybe this was a bad idea after all. “Sorry, Legend, just thought I’d check up on ya.”

            The veteran quickly turned back as soon as he spoke, something akin to surprise and – it probably wasn’t disgust, but it kinda looked like it – on his face. “Rancher? Not gonna lie, didn’t think you were the quiet type.” With that, he turned back towards the sea. “Still fine, though. You can go back to sleep.”

            The conversation was awkward already. How did the Sky deal with him as a roommate? He was so closed off; it reminded him of Malo. Both of them had some attitude issues, but the latter was at least trying harder to connect with people if only for his business. The veteran didn’t really give the impression that he wanted to.

            …But was that actually true? Or did the surly Link just have trouble showing it?

            “I couldn’t sleep either,” Twilight said innocuously, standing next to him and gazing out at the stars. “Saw you when I walked out – thought I’d say hello.”

            “Hello back at’cha.”

            Another moment of silence. Twilight wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but the casual reply was not it. Legend’s tone didn’t necessarily scream ‘go away,’ but it didn’t exactly encourage conversation either.

            “…Mind if I sit here? Won’t bother ya or nothin’.”

            Legend gave him another weird look that was difficult to translate. “Why?”

            “Why not? Unless ya really want to be alone, but it’s pretty late to be out by yourself – you can brood out of sight just fine in Wind’s house.”

            “Wha – I’m not brooding!”

            Twilight smiled. The air instantly felt a little lighter between them despite the veteran’s sputtering. “Vet. You n’ Time are the worst of the group.”

            “Like you weren’t brooding earlier today, you hypocrite!”

            Wait, he saw that? With a shrug, Twilight sat down next to him. “Didn’t say I never did. Just said you’re worse.”

            “Whatever, goat boy.”

            This time, the silence between them was a little more comfortable. The stars twinkled brightly above them and the waves softly brushed the shore. It was now Twilight noticed a small light in the distance, up in the island lookout. That must’ve been one of the night watch – thank goodness they didn’t see him transform. That would’ve been really hard to explain.

            Eventually, his attention drifted back to Legend. The young Link didn’t strike up another conversation, instead sitting silently cross-legged, holding his head in one hand and drawing lazy swirls in the sand with the other. Despite his posture, however, his eyes were sharp and focused. Something was on his mind, then. But with his blank face, it was hard to say what. Maybe he would’ve talked more if the chosen hero was out here instead.

            Then again, talking wasn’t the only way to help someone relax. Distractions sometimes worked just as well, and Twilight had some items for that.

            The rancher eventually laid back, digging a couple pieces of honey candy out of his pocket and offering one to Legend. “You like honey?”

            Legend looked over and, after a brief moment of hesitation, tentatively took the candy. “Thanks.”

            Twilight nodded, unwrapping his piece and popping it in his mouth. It wasn’t long before Legend followed suit, and the younger hummed in surprise. “Hm. It’s a lot richer than the ones in my Hyrule. Yours tastes like actual honey.”

            “Sure hope so, seeing as it’s right from the hive.”

            “…So, is there something you want or did someone send you here? Because I was under the impression you didn’t like me.”

            Twilight choked on his own honey-flavored spit, provoking an amused snort from Legend. A careful drink of water and a couple throat-clearing coughs later, he turned towards the veteran. “Sure, I’m doing just dandy, thanks for asking.” Legend shrugged. “And I don’t dislike you, Vet, even if you got a sour attitude. What makes you think that?”

            Legend looked back out towards the water. “Sure seemed like it back at the Chosen’s Faron Woods. Didn’t you call me a bully?”

            Oh. That… wasn’t far off, even if it wasn’t true. He wasn’t exactly hiding his distaste for the younger Link’s attitude then. He'd always been a bit distant from the group, but he'd been on Sky's case almost the entire time they were in his Hyrule. Still, even the chosen hero changed his mind about it. And the veteran himself, well… Twilight sighed. “I’m sorry. I think I’ve had the wrong impression of you for a while. I never disliked you, but you didn’t seem much a friendly type. Didn’t really get why you were traveling and fighting with us.”

            Legend huffed. “You say that like I have a choice.”

            Oh? There was something to it then, but he wasn't about to dig into that now. “Maybe not. But you don’t have to help us. You could be bitter n’ stubborn, avoiding us whenever you could and not lifting a finger you didn’t feel like moving.” Twilight smiled. “You help anyway, though. You worry too, even if you don’t admit it. You’ve done stupid stuff to keep everyone safe.”

            “Are these supposed to be compliments?”

            Twilight laughed, messing up the boy’s hair and getting swatted away in the process. “Stubborn goat, you know exactly what I mean! And you know that last one’s true – you ain’t getting off easy from that stunt you pulled in the captain’s era. Pretty incredible magic, I’ll give you that, but you had us worried sick when you collapsed.”

            Legend didn’t respond right away, and the silence drew out long enough that Twilight was worried he’d said something that offended him. Just before he could apologize, Legend shook his head. “You don’t have to worry about me. My dumb choice, and I dealt with it.”

            The mood instantly grew sour. There was something more to his words, something self-deprecating Twilight didn’t like. Even more, though, was the boy's attempt to distance himself from him. The veteran didn’t complain about the conversation or really attempt to send him away, so why? Why was he so guarded?

            Twilight quietly let out a long exhale. He didn’t know what was going through the boy’s head, much less how to respond to it. But if there was one thing he was pretty good at that generally turned out okay, it was being honest. “Bad choice of words on me. Your choice back then wasn’t ‘dumb’ – it just scared us. You can act aloof if you want, but that ain’t gonna stop us from caring about you. I can’t speak for everyone, but I’d say you’re at least a friend to me. Wild likes you too. I don’t have to be your friend, but I hope you at least know I have your back just like you have ours. It’s who you are, Vet.”

            This time, the long silence felt a lot less heavy. There was still an uncomfortable air in it, but not as hostile as it was before. The two of them watched the waves for a little while longer before Legend stood up with a long stretch and several concerning pops. “Alright, I’m going to bed. What about you?”

            With a small smile, Twilight pushed himself up with significantly less joint-cracking and joined Legend on the walk back to Wind’s house. Just before opening the door, Legend paused as he held the handle. “You worry too much, but it suits you.” Before he could reply, the veteran pulled open the door and silently stepped in. What was that supposed to mean?!

            Shaking his head, Twilight followed suit. Legend slunk back to his spot between Sky and Hyrule while Twilight just managed to squeeze himself back in his own spot. The champion had managed to get himself halfway into the rancher’s blankets, and it took a lot of careful maneuvering to push him back. No one was the wiser.

            Unless…?

            Just before Twilight fully laid down, he looked up to see if Time was awake. It was difficult to tell with Hylian eyes – the lantern in the middle of the room was nearly out now. The room was quiet with sounds of chirping bugs and deep sleep. The only movement around him was the rise and fall of his companion’s sleeping figures. His friends. All of them were asleep, and even the eldest Link didn't show any signs otherwise.

            In the safety of their quiet company, Twilight finally slid down and drifted off to a comfortable sleep.

Chapter Text

            The next morning started with the sound of sizzling and distant chatter.

            By the time Twilight was pushing himself up, the room was noticeably emptier. The captain, the traveler, and the eldest were all gone. The veteran and the champion were both awake as well – the former sorting through his items and the latter scrolling through pictures on his slate.

            Partially to announce his presence and partially out of nosy curiosity, Twilight scooted himself closer to Wild and looked over his shoulder. The pictures ranged in subject and quality from detailed plant close-ups to wide shots of various Hyrules to blurred pictures of the group. One such blurred picture was of himself mid-yell, running away from a giant skulltula they found in a dungeon.

            What the picture didn’t show was that thing staring him down for a solid ten seconds before suddenly making a beeline for him.

            He was not scared of spiders.

            “Thought you said you got rid of that, Champ,” Twilight grunted, very much feeling the morning voice as much as he heard it.

            Wild just snickered, zooming in and out of his face. Twilight gave him about three seconds before he snatched the slate out of his hand, pretending to delete the picture himself. Wild raised his eyebrows. “You still have no idea how to use that, do you?”

            “I never got fancy stuff like that in my adventure.” Twilight easily gave the slate back, stretching out his arms and cracking his back. “But I’ll bet you ain’t got nothing like my spinner.”

            “…A spinner.”

            “You’re s’posed to sound curious.”

            “I think us normal people call those ‘fans.’”

            “It ain’t a fan!”

            A quiet clearing of the throat interrupted them before Wild could respond, and they both looked up to see Time leaning on the wall to the kitchen, a small smile on his face even as his hands were crossed. “Perhaps a little less.”

            They were both cowed immediately, though Wild had a little glint in his eye that earned him the noogie he deserved. “Sorry, old man. Won’t… happen again.”

            “Y’all know Time can hear you say that?”

            “Wait, he can?!”

            The immediate comeback was purposefully quiet, but Twilight shoved Wild anyway, looking up to see if Time heard it. The eldest Link’s face gave nothing away as he turned to Legend, who was putting a literal armful of canes in his bag. “You could keep them in line too, you know.”

            “No thanks.”

            Twilight shared a small grin with Time, who shook his head and turned back towards the kitchen. “Stay out of trouble. Breakfast will be done soon.”

            At the same time he walked away, the front door opened to reveal the captain, who stretched with a happy hum as he sauntered in. “Gooood morning! Smells great in here!”

            The chorus of shushes came too late as a tired groan came from Twilight’s left.

            “Twilight, flip over the captain for me,” came Four’s muffled request.

            “Will do, smithy,” he said, shooting the captain a sharp grin that had him stepping back towards the door.

            “I see I came at a bad time…” Warriors’ tentative escape was foiled when the door behind him opened again to reveal the traveler, who effectively blocked the way.

            “The island sunrise is beautiful!” Hyrule said with a bright smile. “You all should definitely see it if we can stay another day.”

            “I’ll be happy to see it with ya, traveler.” Twilight couldn’t help but share Hyrule’s enthusiasm with sincerity like that.

            “Caving,” the captain poorly concealed behind a loud cough.

            “Wild and captain’ll come too!”

            “Joke’s on you, country boy, I’ll be up early anyway!”

            “Someone should wake up Sky; we need to make room for breakfast.”

            “Ugh, I got it.”

            “Four, you need to get up too.”

            The light banter and shuffling of various blankets and bags put Twilight in a good mood. It wasn’t unlike getting the kids up and ready for the day at Ordon. Or a certain imp feigning impatience when they camped outdoors and had to clean up.  

            What was she doing now? Did she have her own group of friends, or was she alone?

            “Twi, it’s way too early for you to have that look on your face.”

            Twilight lightly smacked Wild (‘s face, whoops) away before moving up to help Time pull out a small table. Various breakfast foods from rice and eggs to sausage and bacon were set out as well as foods like sliced green vegetables, long thin ones, and colorful slices of what he was pretty sure were peppers. Alongside those were round slices of flatbread.

            “Please enjoy, boys,” Wind’s grandma said with a smile. “Wind and Aryll can always whip up more if you’re still hungry.”

            “Oh, the sailor cooked for us today, eh?” Warriors asked with a grin. “Pass me whatever Miss Aryll made – I think I trust that more.”

            “Why, you –!”

            Wind’s grandma somehow managed to grab Wind in midair as he lunged towards the captain and very firmly sat him next to Legend, who barked out a shocked laugh. Wind just stuck out his tongue at everyone looking in his direction before turning back to his grandma with an innocent smile. “Sorry, Grandma. It won’t happen again.” Almost everyone snorted at that, including the grandmother he was talking to.

            Twilight, to avoid any fighting in favor of digging in, grabbed a piece of flatbread and passed the plate to Wind. “Alright, eat before it gets cold.”

            Surprisingly, he did, and the rest of the group followed suit. It was as casual a meal as one could be with that many Links in one room. More than once, Twilight spotted Time stealing something off of someone’s plate just as they reached over to grab something. Some people noticed, some didn’t. Warriors ended up being the main target of his shenanigans, though it seemed the captain stole just as much from his plate. It was a quiet but fierce competition.

            Twilight also ended up being a target even though Wild sat between the two. Time ended up getting two smacks on the hand for his attempt, which just made him laugh. “Never get between a cook and a rancher and their food.”

            “Feel like you should know that more than anyone,” Twilight shock back.

            “I do indeed,” Time said sagely, smacking the captain’s hand when it got too close to his plate. The slap was loud enough to attract the attention of Wind’s grandma, and Time immediately apologized with a demure bow. Twilight hid a snicker behind a long drink of water.

            After everyone was done eating, extra food was stored and put away. Dishes were cleaned, the table wiped and set aside, and the floor swept. And the youngest were already raring to go.

            “Link! I wanna show you my new base!” Aryll declared, grabbing Wind and pulling him towards the door. “Tetra helped me make it too.”

            Wind narrowed his eyes at her. “…What base.”

            Aryll rocked back and forth on her feet with a sweet smile. “Just one I made with Tetra.”

            “Where?”

            “You’ll have to come see!”

            Twilight smiled at Wind’s exasperated sigh as he looked at his grandma out of the corner of his eye. But before the sailor responded, he turned towards Time. “I haven’t seen or heard of anything strange around here. If you want to look at other islands for monsters, we’ll have to wait for the next ship – I think it’s coming tomorrow. But if you have any other ideas and you wanna go…”

            The poor boy’s face was just as crestfallen as his sister’s. It was easy to see how much he’d missed his family, and it made Twilight think of Collin. If they ever made it to Ordon village, it was gonna be hard to leave it again. It made him wonder how much the other Links longed for home.

            Time, wasting none of his namesake, knelt down and put a hand on Wind’s shoulder. “I’m inclined to follow your judgement, sailor. I suspect none of us could transport the entire group anywhere even if we wanted to. So,” at this, he turned back to everyone else. “I cast my vote to stay as long as we can.”

            Twilight gave him a thumbs up, almost at the same time as Sky, Warriors, and Hyrule. Four and Wild nodded at the same time Legend shrugged. And so, it was settled.

            “Yay!” Aryll cheered, jumping onto Time for a quick hug before grabbing Wind’s hand and dragging him to the door. “This way, this way!” In the blink of an eye, they were out the door.

            A few of the group went out themselves while a couple ran to their bags to grab things. Time, meanwhile, was still on his knees in shock. A little emboldened and a little amused by the display, Twilight walked over to give the eldest a pat on the shoulder. “Good kids, aren’t they? Thinking you might have one or two someday?”

            It took a beat before Time looked back with a small smile. “Someday.”

            Twilight smiled in return, but when he took Time’s hand to pull him to a stand, the older man’s gaze never left him as his smile widened. After patting Twilight on the back, he lingered just a moment before walking away to follow the others. It almost felt purposeful, and this time, Twilight was the one taken off guard. Did Time… did he know? Did Time know they were family?

            …Did that mean he was happy about it?

            The thought forced a quiet laugh from Twilight as he rubbed the heat away from his cheeks. He would talk about it with him someday, but not yet. His courage was not as boundless as people seemed to think, and he was not ashamed of that. Much.

            Oh, but that did remind him –

            Twilight quickly grabbed his bag before bidding Wind’s grandma goodbye and running out. Time wasn’t far – just a few steps away from the house – and Twilight ran up to his side. “Sir, about last night – the wolf… you knew?”

            Time uncrossed his arms as he looked towards him. This time, his smile was more mischievous. “I see all truth, rancher. I’ve known for a while.”

            Cryptic old man. “You like doing that on purpose, don’t you?”

            “Doing what?”

            The classic blank stare that Time often gave was as hard to read as ever, and Twilight eventually admitted defeat with a shake of his head and a small smile. “Never mind. I’ll see you later.”

            Twilight waved goodbye – Time nodded back – and set off towards the other side of the island. Swimming the day before was fun, but seeing groups of people at work around him and not doing anything to help didn’t sit right with him.

            The first woman he talked to laughed and waved him away. “We’ll take your sword if we need it, young man, I can get this done myself.” The second woman was much the same, but the man he visited next grinned as he waved him over. Twilight quickly found himself next to a field with budding plants and leaves.

            The man used a sickle to point to the dirt. “The sticks with little leaves on ‘em are fruit trees. I’ll move ‘em when they’re big enough. Everything else is weeds and old plants. If you wanna help me, you can get those out of the way.”

            There was a challenge in his voice that made Twilight finally realize why everyone kept laughing at him. Unbeknownst to the man, however, weeding was child’s play to him. “Can do, Sir,” he said, rolling up his sleeves and getting to work.

            The soil wasn’t as contaminated as the man suggested. That didn’t mean it didn’t take time, but he had combed through the field in maybe fifteen minutes. And that was mostly from being more careful than he probably needed to be. Twilight stood up with a stretch, looking back towards the now-smiling man with a smile of his own. “What else can I do for ya?”

            The man lifted up his hands. In one was a bucket of wood chips and leaves with the other hand holding an empty bucket. “The plants could use some water. The well’s behind Link’s house, so it’s a bit of a trip.”

            “No problem at all,” Twilight said, taking the empty bucket and starting the trek back. He waved at a couple kids passing by, one of which desperately needed a handkerchief, before crossing the bridge. Along the path was Four, who looked at his bucket with a raised eyebrow.

            “Are you doing side quests in a Hyrule that isn’t even yours?”

            Twilight just laughed. “It’s an easy chore, and I’m happy to help.”

            Four smiled. “I understand.” Then, “Does anyone else need help?”

            He shook his head. “I got lucky with this job; I don’t think the farmers here will let you help. Besides, you should enjoy the sun. It’s good to relax.”

            The younger Link rolled his eyes. “Take your own advice, rancher.”

            “I will. Later.” That response just got him another raised eyebrow. “What?”

            Four just slipped his hands in his pockets and turned around. “Nothing. You’d better get that bucket filled up before that farmer thinks you left.” Then, he walked away with a little wave goodbye.

            Twilight waved in return and took the bucket behind Wind’s house. It took a few minutes for him to fill it as high as he dared, putting the water about an inch from the top and making the bucket about as heavy as a baby goat.

            It didn’t take long to carry it back to the field. With Twilight doing one side of the farm and the man taking care of the other, it wasn’t long before everything was properly watered and the mulching was done. There wasn’t much conversation between the two of them then, but the man cheered when everything was finished. “Yes, finally done! Thanks for the help. I’m Mesa, by the way. You a farmer too?”

            “I’m more of a rancher, but I help out folks around town when they need it.” After dusting himself off, Twilight shook Mesa’s hand.

            When he let go, the farmer looked towards the cliff above them. “I think some of the kids went to the forest earlier, and they have a knack for being late for lunch. Mind reminding them to come down soon? I usually go up there, but if you’re offering, I won’t say no.”

            Twilight did his best not to snort when he very suddenly realized why this man let him help with the farm. Still, he wasn’t opposed to a short walk with an actual purpose, so he nodded. “Sure thing. Could you let the parents know?”

            “Oh, I can do that! Thanks again for your help.”

            With a nod, Twilight set off towards the cliff. The path up was a refreshing and easily climb, and he smiled when he remembered being dragged down the same road just the day before. If Wind was in the forest, then he was looking forward to turning the tables.

            Once he reached the top and crossed the bridge, he ducked into the small cave that led to the forest. It was easy to hear and see some of the bugs and birds flying around the area, but it was otherwise quiet. Suspiciously quiet for a place where kids should’ve been playing.

            He looked around trees and a few oddly-placed logs, but no one was there. In fact, while the area was a nice place to lounge around, it didn’t seem like there was a specific area for younger children. Where would they go in a place like –

            A distant snap had Twilight turning around and taking his sword out in one fell swoop, just in time to cut something in half. A small, red piece of... food?

            “Sneak attack!”

            Bless Wind for the obvious ambush. Just in time, Twilight dropped his sword to catch not one, not two, but four small bundles of energy. He was pretty sure he was actually holding onto only three of them.

            “Ahhh, I give up! You win, you win!” Twilight yelled, staggering around much to the glee of whoever was hanging onto him. He eventually dropped to a kneel, but there was no way he could actually fall over without hurting someone.

            All of the children quickly slid off and stood in front of him. He recognized Wind and Aryll in pirate costumes, but the other little pirates were unfamiliar. Surprisingly, Aryll was the one to step forward with a wooden sword. “You thought you could sneak into our base, huh? Well now, you’re our prisoner!”

            Twilight shook his head, keeping his hands in the air. “I would never, miss… Pirate Queen?”

            Aryll gasped, looking to Wind with a bright smile. “I wanna be a pirate queen!”

            Wind rolled his eyes. “Okay fine, but your prisoner’s gonna run if you don’t keep your eyes on him.”

            She immediately turned back without missing a beat. “Alright, prisoner. You may address me as Pirate Queen. So, what do you have to say for yourself?”

            Twilight hid a laugh behind a small cough. “Your majesty Miss Pirate Queen. I come with a message from Mesa. He says –”

            “Whoa, whoa, you’re with Mesa?” One of the other kids crossed his arms and looked at Aryll. “Then he definitely doesn’t have permission to be here.”

            “Wait, wait!” Twilight leaned back as more wooden swords were drawn and pointed his way. “I also have gifts!”

            Aryll’s eyes flashed with interest, and she lowered her sword ever so slightly. “What kind of gifts?”

            With a contemplative hum, Twilight reached down for his bag. He had a few ideas of things to pull out, but the only one he really knew was the sailor. Hopefully, he could impress the other three in the next two seconds. “How about… these?”

            He pulled out a handful of small things. Seeds and rocks, shells and charms, most things from his Hyrule, but some from others that he’d picked up on a whim. He almost pulled out some bugs before he realized most of what he had was native to the island. He was hoping to give the rest to Agitha next time they were in his Hyrule.

            The kids all stepped closer to see his hands and, with nigh simultaneous “ooh”s, each immediately went to grab something. One of the unfamiliar kids who tried grabbing his own handful got a light smack from Aryll’s sword. “We’re pirates, not thieves – don’t be greedy!”

            Both Wind and Twilight snorted at that – the sailor earning a glare from his sister – but pointedly didn’t say anything about it. The other children eventually settled with a blue rock and mini acorn, and Aryll had claimed a little compass charm. Wind surprisingly didn’t jump at the opportunity to take a trinket for himself, but he just stood behind the rest with a grin. “That’s cute and all, but I’ve got real treasure.”

            “Yeah, but you don’t share!” One of the other pirates said, sticking out his tongue and walking back towards the rocks. “Come on, he’s one of us now, right? He should see our base!”

            Aryll looked at Twilight with a comical skepticism, moving her gaze back and forth between him and her charm before she finally nodded. “You’re no longer prisoner, so you need a name.”

            “He already has one!” Wind grabbed Twilight just as he put his things away and pulled him up to a stand. “He’s the Twilight Pirate!”

            “Oooh!”

            Twilight laughed and let himself be dragged towards a large cliff forming the wall around the woods. Beyond some large rocks beside it, fallen trees leaning against it, and a series of vines that stretched across the rocks…

            Hm, okay, he saw what was happening now. That was a pretty good hiding spot.

            It was easier to tell when they were up close to the nonexistent wall, which Wind swept aside to let everyone in. The hideout was surprisingly filled with tables and chairs, old sofas and hammocks, barrels and boxes and training dummies and darts and two very familiar faces staring back at him –

            “Hey!” Hyrule called out from the back of the cave, waving from a small hammock he was sitting on.

            “You too, huh?” Four asked almost simultaneously, reading a book at the foot of a pile of barrels.

            “What – you let them in, but attacked me?!” Twilight stared at his supposed new friends with the most betrayed face he could muster.

            “Adults have to pass the captain – uh, Pirate Queen’s test to come in!” one of the children said, quickly correcting himself when Aryll shot him a look.

            “Yeah, rancher. No adults allowed, didn’t you know?” Hyrule asked with a small smirk.

            “He’s saying you’re old,” Four added without looking up.

            “…I could throw you both in the ocean, you know.”

            “You couldn’t,” both said simultaneously. Both heads shot up and met eyes before nervously looking back to Twilight. He just grinned and stretched, letting his silence speak for him.

            “This is a nice place,” Twilight eventually said, picking up one of the large darts. “I can see why you like it here.” He aimed towards a painted stack of leaves with a blue circle in the middle of it. After a moment, he flicked his wrist, and the dart shot right into the edge of the circle. Not bad.

            “It’s the best spot on the island!” Aryll declared, picking up a towel and a small bag. The others also picked up various things and started scooting some of the other things to the side. “But we’re not allowed to cook by ourselves yet, so we can’t stay here all day. Everyone ready?”

            “We’re heading back?” Hyrule asked, hopping to his feet at the same time Four put away his book.

            “It’s been a while – it’s probably time for lunch,” Four answered for him, shouldering his own pack.

            “Yo ho ho, to Grandma’s fried fish we go!” Wind declared, charging out of the cave first. The children followed after him and the other Links took the rear. The chatter made Twilight smile, especially when Wind grew conspicuously louder and more excitable in the small cave. Aryll and one of her friends both held hands with the boy between them, and they easily let go once they were back in the sun.

            “Heyyyy!”

            A familiar voice had everyone walking faster to the bridge up ahead, and Mesa was there waving at the other side. “Took you long enough! You really need to get back!”

            Everyone started across the bridge at the same time Mesa did, meeting him in the middle.

            “You don’t have to drag us, we’re coming!” Wind groaned, trying and failing to get around him. “C’mon Mesa, what’s –”

            Twilight heard a gasp behind him at the same time Mesa disappeared, a keese-like creature in his place. Yelps and screams overlapped, Wind tripping backwards when the keese suddenly rushed towards him. He ran into one of the children who ran into Aryll, and Twilight quickly jumped forward to grab all three before they fell over. Wind thankfully landed on the bridge, but the keese was right in his face.

            “Wind!” Twilight shouted, completely useless with his hands full. A whoosh sounded from behind him, and Hyrule landed just behind the creature and quickly slashed it with his sword. It disappeared with a pathetic poof.

            “An ache spy,” Hyrule said, looking around. “But why is one here?”

            Almost in answer to his question, a lizard-like creature suddenly appeared on the end of the bridge. A metal shing behind Twilight told him there was one more on the other end.

            “Off the bridge, back to the forest!” Wind shouted, grabbing his own sword.

            “Twilight, switch with me!” Four yelled behind him.

            “Hold on to each other, okay?” Twilight whispered to the bundle in his arms before letting them go and just managing to squeeze past Four. The bridge rocked a little more than he would’ve liked, and he could hear the children whimpering behind him as he grabbed his shield. “Ready, Four?”

            He just heard the smithy’s response over the clashing of swords when the lizard in front of him stepped on the bridge. Not letting it get any closer, Twilight charged ahead with his shield and shocked the monster by completely tackling it. He could hear Four rushing past him with the other children, and it was only then he allowed himself to jump back to his feet.

            “What kind of lizalfos are you?” Twilight muttered. The creature jumped up much like he did – it was fast, but nowhere near the speed of the lizalfos he was used to. Their tails were much thinner and their bodies were a little thicker. Which meant what they lacked in speed, they made up for in power.

            He was proven right when the monster swung a mace at him, and the blow sent an uncomfortable shiver down his arm. Not the worst he’d felt, but tough enough for him to growl in annoyance. He hoped Four and the others were safe.

            Grabbing his sword, Twilight charged first and went with a heavy swing. The lizard caught his blade and countered with its own, and they both traded attacks, trying to find an opening. When he couldn’t find one, Twilight went for speed, jumping to the side and dropping to a roll. The move shocked the creature just long enough for him to jump up and slice its back, the creature flying to the ground with a loud screech. Without waiting to see if it was enough, Twilight ran forward and leapt, driving his sword deep into the lizard’s back before flipping away. The monster’s cries disappeared into the wind.

            Twilight looked back to see Hyrule driving his own sword into the other creature. Despite the shaky terrain, both Wind and Hyrule were both on their feet and turned towards the cave the instant the lizard disappeared.

            “Aryll!” Wind was flying towards the cave faster than Twilight could check on him. Hyrule wasn’t far behind, and Twilight ran beside him.

            “The geru have different forms – the blue ones are the most dangerous,” the traveler said quickly. “Usually, you need magic to block them, but I guess they’re weaker here. Just be careful.”

            Twilight nodded. They both rushed into the forest clearing to see two more geru – naturally the blue ones – both holding maces. Four was facing one with Wind facing the other at a distance. The rest of the children were nowhere to be seen.

            “Do you think the rest got away?” Hyrule asked.

            “I’ll check,” Twilight said, rushing ahead towards Four and drawing his sword. With the smithy confidently jumping forward to attack and quickly leaping away, Twilight waited behind him in case he needed to take his place.

            Eventually, Four landed back at Twilight’s side. “They got away,” he said quietly. “These should be the last of the monsters.”

            There was a clash behind them, which made the geru in front of them roar in determination as it charged. Four ducked away, so Twilight lifted his shield and took the brunt of the hit, leaving the back open for the smithy to strike. The geru arched its back in pain, surprising Twilight by heavily swinging his mace towards him. He managed to catch the attack with his sword when he ducked, but couldn’t stop the mace from ramming into his shoulder. Hard.

            With a grunt, Twilight instinctively dropped, using his sword to shove away the mace before slamming his head into the monster’s stomach. The geru staggered back while Twilight checked his wound, slowly moving his shield arm. It hurt worse than being hit by a zoomie goat. Which was honestly surprising, those guys honestly should’ve taken one of his arms a long time ago –

            “Rancher, roll!”

            Twilight didn’t hesitate to jump out of the way, just barely stopping himself from landing on his shield. He heard the slam of a heavy weapon at the same time he flopped into the grass, an uncomfortable tremble shooting up his chin. A loud roar sounded above him, and Twilight took that chance to hop back on his feet.

            The geru was facing away from him. This was it.

            Charging ahead, Twilight stabbed his sword forward and straight into the middle of the monster. It easily collapsed and became one with the dust. He looked up to Four with a smile and a salute of his sword. The smithy replied with his own.

            “Aryll!”

            Wind. He sounded scared.

            Twilight and Four immediately spun around at the same time. There in the distance was one more geru, this one red with a dagger. Held in its arms was Aryll, still in her pirate costume. And everything went quiet except for a ringing in his ears.

            There was muffled galloping, strong and heavy. A slam, a distant cry. Children? Someone was screaming, Collin was caught, again, a sword at his throat –

            No.

            Twilight forcibly shook himself. Collin was never threatened with a weapon, this wasn’t Ordon or Kakariko. This was Wind’s island, Wind’s sister. And yet, he could feel the hackles rising more and more each second. Why? Why did they always target the children?

            The geru growled, threatening them with words he couldn’t understand as it held the knife closer to Aryll’s throat.

            “Which one?”

            Four didn’t look away from the monster, but he was already letting go of the sword he’d put on the ground. Several paces away from it was a small pile of dried meat, and even further away was a pile of rupees. Four himself slowly backed away from it all, pointing to the piles, then at Aryll. “We’ll trade. Take what you want.”

            At first, the creature looked at the piles and tilted its head. When it didn’t move, Four slowly walked forward and grabbed a handful of rupees, carefully offering it up. Still, the geru didn’t move. And why would it?

            It wasn’t holding Aryll for gain. Twilight knew, he knew even before the creature burst into a screeching kind of laugh. It never moved, just held a terrified child in its arms as it ignored everything in the clearing but them. Just like the bulbin.

            Twilight took a long breath and unbuckled his shield, letting it drop as he pointed his sword at the geru holding Aryll captive. It was a risky move, but it was one that would lead to something happening. He refused to let Wind’s sister stay trapped longer than she needed to; but if he was going to get to her, he needed the monster to move.

            “Rancher,” Four hissed, “What are you doing?!”

            “Let her go!” he demanded, pointedly moving closer with his sword in hand. “Your fight’s with us!” Whether it actually understood his words he wasn’t sure, but the subsequent hiss was answer enough, especially when it was accompanied by a dagger to Aryll’s throat. Her muted whine made the geru gurgle in amusement.

            “Hey!” Twilight could feel his hair rising, and he barely stopped himself from growling. “Look at this!” He slowly swung his sword down and shoved it into the dirt, showing empty hands as he inched closer.

            The monster looked at the sword, then at Twilight. He made it about a foot closer before it hissed at him, and Twilight stopped. The geru looked at the sword again, cocked its head, then slowly lowered its knife. And several things happened all at once.

            Aryll stomped on the geru’s foot, dropping out of its grasp with a yelp and jumping forward. The geru, unaffected by the attack despite being shocked by the sudden escape, roughly caught her and dragged her back, sending her falling to her knees. Her forehead and shoulder were bleeding with fresh cuts from its claws.

            The geru screeched into the trees as it lifted its dagger right back where it was before. Aryll sniffled. The monster looked straight at Twilight and gurgled a victorious laugh.

            Twilight was done.

            “Let. Her. Go,” he snarled, taking one step forward. His fists were clenched, one reaching into his shirt where a dark power lay just out of sight. He couldn’t do it as a Hylian. But as a wolf, it would be quick and easy. Take out the monster, move her out of the way. One leap, one shove, and one strong snap of its neck. Or maybe he oughta break it just right, just barely keeping it alive so it knew how it felt to be –

            Afraid. He could see it in Aryll’s eyes, and she was staring directly at him. Her eyes were wide and quickly filling with tears.

            No. He didn’t want to save her that way.

            He physically shook himself, lifting his hands so the geru could see and making eye contact with Aryll. “It’ll be okay, Aryll. Promise.”

            She immediately squinted at him in confusion, blinking away tears. “Mr. Twilight?”

            Twilight smiled reassuringly, trying to think of a plan as he looked around. Four’s idea of a trade was a good one, but it wasn’t interested. He briefly met eyes with the smithy, who looked just as confused as Aryll did. “What are you planning?”

            There weren’t any trees or logs nearby to surprise the geru with, and it probably wasn’t a safe bet anyway. He could try to get the monster to attack him, but that also wasn’t ideal.

            It might work, though.

            “Something stupid,” Twilight answered honestly, sighing as he shifted his gaze to the geru. How does one provoke a monster that mainly wanted to scare its prey?

            …Act like it wasn’t working?

            “Is this it?” Twilight asked the geru, loosely gesturing towards Aryll. “No fighting, just trapping a girl? Kind of pathetic.”

            The monster cocked its head. Twilight took a couple more steps towards it, stopping only when it growled and pointedly shook its knife. And then, nothing. Twilight shook his head as he gestured towards it again. “That’s all? Where’s the…?” He punched the air a couple times and took another step closer. “Or is there a reason you’re avoiding it?”

            He grinned. That was it, wasn’t it? The geru was trying to scare them because it was scared of them.

            Oh, that changed things.

            The geru sensed it too, growling even when Twilight stretched out empty hands in invitation. His smile never waved, but its smile had disappeared.

            “Easy, rancher,” Four warned behind him, but he was on a roll.

            “No sword,” Twilight teased, shaking empty hands as he took another step closer. If he had a sword, he could’ve jumped forward and tried a strike. “And I’d still beat you in a wrestling match any day.” He made a show of cracking his knuckles and winked at Aryll as he showed off his muscles. It made her giggle, and that just made him smile wider.

            The geru, however, went from growling to hissing. Something was working, but it still had its sword towards Aryll.

            “Try me,” Twilight challenged, moving to a fighting stance as he reached out and gestured for it to approach. A classic taunt, and one that worked almost immediately as it roared and threw Aryll to the side.

            “Rancher!”

            The geru jumped and yeah, he was definitely getting stabbed.

            “Get back!”

            He sure tried, but ended up tripping more than jumping away. In that moment, the geru screeched in pain, arching its back as its sword hand went limp. It slammed into Twilight and they both went down. He slammed into the grass with the monster right on top of him, and he groaned when the monster disappeared right after. Holy mother of goats, his arm –

            “Rancher! You okay?”

            Twilight saw two faces above him, but couldn’t quite get a name to either. “Mmm… yeah, prolly.”

            “Woah, it’s coming out thick. Hey, captain, think we could use you over here!”

            “I can’t believe I let you do that – I thought you had a plan!”

            Two sets of hands were helping him sit up, but one let go when he mumbled a quiet, “Ow.” A sharp pain bounced up and down his shield arm and grabbing it did not help.

            “Is it broken?”

            “No idea. Rancher?”

            Just sitting up helped a lot in getting his wits back, and it was then he recognized Sky holding him up and Four waving a hand in front of his face. “You with us? Can you tell if your arm is broken?”

            Twilight looked down and tried moving his arm. It hurt, but it kinda moved. It felt more tingly than anything. “Don’t think so. Not bad, anyway.”

            “That’s two very different answers…”

            “Two lucid answers, though, that’s good.”

            “Alright, what’d country boy get himself into this time?” Warriors asked, squeezing himself between the other two. “Hyrule’s taking care of Wind and Aryll, but they’re all okay. Sailor’s concussed. I heard something about a broken arm?”

            Sky quickly said something about checking on the others and was gone in the blink of an eye. Four pointed to Twilight’s right arm and, before he could say something about it being just fine, the captain poked it hard enough to make him yelp.

            “Yep. Broken,” Warriors said, dodging Twilight’s slap just in time. “Not bad though, a potion should fix it.”

            “I could’a done that without the jab,” Twilight muttered, ignoring the captain’s laugh as he snatched the potion from his hands.

            “Maybe, but if it was bad, you would’ve needed the traveler first,” Warriors said, standing up and looking around. “Seems clear here. I’m going back to check on Wind’s house – I think it’ll be fine, but have your sword ready.”

            Twilight nodded as Four got up. “I’ll go with. You might want to help the traveler.”

            The two of them quickly ran off while Twilight let the potion do its work. The sharp pain in his arm slowly eased as he slowly pushed himself up to his feet. He grabbed his shield and slipped it on his back, breathing in the fresh air and listening to the leaves rustle in the wind. Alright, he was back!

With that, he made his way to the other three, who were helping Wind to stay upright. The sailor was pretty steady on his own feet, but the other two occasionally pulled him back from wandering off. And Sky was watching it all a few steps away, trying not to laugh.

            “I got it, I got it,” the sailor grumbled, trying to walk by himself and getting dragged away from a tree by Aryll.

            “Nope! Come on, big brother, this way.”

            Twilight fell into step beside them, keeping his sword in hand. He noticed Sky look in his direction and put a hand on his own sword, but he otherwise looked relaxed as he hummed along the way. It reassured him more than he would’ve thought.        

            Eventually, the path took them behind Wind’s house where a large group was waiting. Time, the tallest of everyone and spotting them first, quickly weaved through the crowd and met them halfway. “We haven’t seen anything here; I suspect the threat was focused on the forest. Are you all alright? Rancher?”

            Twilight jumped when Time addressed him specifically, but couldn’t answer before Wind scoffed. “Please. Even Aryll got a hit on ‘em – we’re fiiine.”

            Time smiled, looking back towards the cliff. “The others are doing one last check, but I think you’re right. And you’re concussed, it would seem?”

            “Meh,” Wind replied elegantly, shrugging and grimacing in the same second. “It’ll go away. Eventually.”

            “The children,” Twilight interrupted. “There were two more with Wind and Aryll. Did they make it back safe?”

            The eldest Link looked back with a small smile, stepping to the side and gesturing to the crowd. Indeed, the two little pirates were right in the middle of the group, play-fighting with one pretending to be a geru and the other presumably being one of them. They were as upbeat as ever.

            A passing shadow overhead had Twilight look up, and Wild landed on the ground ahead of him just before Legend did. “All clear,” Wild reported with a salute and a grin.

            “For now,” Legend muttered, dusting himself off. “I can double-check the island later tonight.”

            “Fear not, friends! The island is safe.” The captain jogged towards them from the other direction. “But I’d be happy to do another round tonight if the veteran thinks he missed something.”

            “If I missed something?!”

            Before Warriors could respond, Sky stepped in to save the day. “I think it’s about time for lunch! I’m sure the kids are getting hungry too.”

            As if on cue, the two children started running away as a couple adults followed after them. The crowd dispersed quickly after that, leaving Wind’s grandma alone. She eventually looked over and joined them with a small smile. “I’m too old for all the excitement. Are you all alright? Link and Aryll – they were with you, weren’t they?”

            “We’re all well, and your grandchildren are safe,” Time reassured her. Twilight took that as his cue to step aside and gently nudge the younger ones forward. It didn’t take much before Wind’s grandma immediately pulled them both into a warm hug.

After stepping back, she gently took Wind’s shoulders and looked him straight in the eyes. She didn’t say anything, but didn’t linger long before moving over to Aryll and gently placing a kiss on her head. “My little heroes. You’re both so brave.”

            Wind and Aryll grinned in reply, the latter immediately launching into her version of the tale as she walked back towards the house. The rest of the group followed after them, but Twilight was startled when a small hand grabbed his sleeve to hold him back. Looking down, he saw Four with a violet glint in his eye. Where had he been this whole time?

            Still, he got the message and waited with him until everyone went inside. Then, the smithy spoke. “I feel like you should know that Aryll could’ve gotten really hurt with that stunt you pulled. You shouldn’t provoke someone – or something – that has a hostage.”

            Oh. This is how it was going to go. Twilight found a nearby rock to sit on and nodded to Four, whose arms were firmly crossed. “You’re right. That was stupid of me and I plan to apologize later. To all three of ‘em.”

            Four squinted, taking a step closer to him, but lowering his arms. He didn’t say anything, and the silence drew on even as the younger Link got closer. Twilight had no idea what he was doing, but made no move to stop him. The smithy was a little intimidating, but not exactly someone he’d shy away from. Unless he had a hammer.

            “Two questions,” Four finally said, inches away from his face. “‘Why’ is the first one. But I also want to know ‘what.’ As in, ‘what were you planning to do to that thing’? Because I’m making the assumption that making yourself the target wasn’t your first idea. You can decide whether that assumption is kind.”

            Ohhh. That… was a little unexpected. But the kid was probably smartest of all of them, not counting the vet’s worldly experience. And this was his version of a veiled threat. Twilight looked him straight in the eyes. “I’ve been there before. A monster took one of the village kids – all of ‘em, actually. I didn’t see the first time, there was nothing I could do. But the second…”

            “He… he pushed her!”

            “Collin, why…?”

            “Link, please! Save him!”

            “Those type don’t kidnap to get somethin’. They do it to scare us,” Twilight finally spat. “Kids don’t deserve to be scared like that. I’ll always try to get them back fast as I can.”

            “Even if they get hurt?”

            “What – no! Not if I can help it.”

            Four huffed as he stepped back, not-so-slyly putting a hand on his sword. “Was that your plan, then? Using dark magic to avoid hurting her?”

            A jolt ran up Twilight’s spine as Four pointed straight at him. “Your shirt,” the smithy continued, “You were about to grab something. Your necklace? What is it? How dangerous is it?”

            With each question came a new emotion. Shock. Fear. Anger. And… relief. Thank goodness they were having this conversation now, because Twilight knew it wouldn’t have gone well in other circumstances. With everyone safe and happy and more ready to eat lunch than anything… he could think. He could slow it down.

            “Alright smithy, that’s a lot more than two questions,” Twilight said first, holding up his hands. “Give me a chance to breathe, would ya?”

            “Should I?”

            Okay, that one hurt. It must’ve showed, because Four immediately looked away. The look that returned had a softer edge even if the focus was sharp as ever.

            Twilight looked back towards the house. The back door didn’t have a window, but there was one on the side that was currently covered by curtains. There was enough noise inside that gave the impression of people being busy and occupied. He was pretty sure that window looked into the kitchen, and the person most likely to push those blinds aside…

            He already knew the secret he had to tell.

            “First off,” Twilight started, looking back to Four, “My necklace doesn’t have dark magic. It’s shadow magic. It ain’t evil like you think, it’s just from a different part of our world. One we can’t really access right now, so don’t worry about that.” Worry isn’t really the word he’d use in this situation, but he wasn’t going to have that conversation right now. “I won’t lie – it was basically a curse when I first got it. It was stuck inside me,” Twilight continued, pointing to the mark on his forehead.

            “Has no one actually asked you about that?” Four interrupted, stepping back closer for a better look. “It definitely gives a ‘curse’ vibe.”

            “Nope.”

            “We’re all so dense…”

            “Or, maybe we all have secrets. Can’t be as lucky as you, smithy.” If Four had a response to that, he didn’t say or show anything, so Twilight kept going. “When I got the Sacred Sword in my adventure – the one Sky has – it cured me. But it didn’t destroy the magic, just made it into a tool.”

            He carefully pulled out his shadow pendant and showed it to Four, gesturing for him to keep his distance. “It’ll still transform you if you touch it.”

            “Transform me?”

            “If I turned into a wolf, would you try to kill me?”

            Twilight hoped that answering his question with a different question would be enough to make him confused, but Four didn’t miss a beat. “If you don’t try to kill me, I won’t.”

            Well. This was the moment of truth. He’d told the kid everything and he barely batted an eye, so maybe…

            Twilight glanced back at the house – the window was still covered – so he grabbed his pendant before he could think twice about it. Four flinched back, but was surprisingly quiet as the shadows surrounded Twilight. Hands became paws, legs and arms became thin and furry, and in the next moment, a wolf sat where a man once stood.

            “Woah,” Four said, his hands twitching towards his sword. “That’s you, right rancher? Can you even understand me?”

            Twilight nodded and, to his shock, Four sighed and dropped to the ground, putting his head in his hands. “Rancher, you idiot. I can’t even begin to describe how stupid you are.”

            Rude! He said as much with a whine, and Four looked up with an amused smile. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry. I just – you know I was ready to attack, right? You told me everything just like that – I couldn’t tell if you were about to do something or – I’ve seen you. I’ve seen this you.” He gestured towards his wolf form with a light laugh. “I’ve seen you near our camps. Mostly scouting, but I’ve seen you get into our fights once or twice. You’re so… not. Sneaky. Twilight, why didn’t you say anything?”

            He almost thought the poor smithy was losing it before he finally asked his last question, and Twilight didn’t want to answer as a Hylian. Instead, he took a few steps back and gave Four a sharp glare, growling in a way that would’ve had anyone either running or reaching for the nearest weapon. The young man flinched, but quickly leaned forward and nodded in understanding. “I’m sorry for what happened to you.”

            There was a depth in those words that had Twilight wondering just how many dots Four connecting. It was then he felt ready to turn back, and the shadows flew to a central point just in front of his chest. Now, a Hylian sat where a wolf once stood.

            “Thanks,” Twilight said, rubbing his ear absentmindedly. “And now you know.”

            “Yeah.”

            The two of them sat in silence for a moment that stretched just a bit too long before Twilight pat his knees and stood up. “Welp. I’m hungry, and if we’re good here, we should get something to eat.”

            Four smiled with a nod, and the two of them went back into Wind’s house. There, Wild was helping Wind's grandma finish up some fried fish and potatoes. It tasted just as good as it smelled, and Wind’s grandma praised Wild enough to make him blush. After everything was cleaned up, part of the group elected to stay inside while the rest went back out. Wind and his sister were among the indoor group, though not necessarily by choice.

            “It’s barely noon, I can’t just stay inside the rest of the day!” Wind whined. “We barely get to see the water on our adventure – it’s stupid!”

            “I can’t heal head injuries as fast as cuts – you need to relax,” Hyrule stated, blocking him from getting up from his chair.

            “You’ll regret going back outside, dearie.” His grandma put out some of the candles they lit earlier. “Why don’t you ask the breeze to sing for us?”

            Twilight was tempted to join Wild outside, but the casual question had him pause at the door. “You can make the wind sing?”

            Wind smiled, leaning back in his chair and pulling out something from his pouch. It was a white baton with swirls at the bottom that made it look like his namesake. “This is the Windwaker,” he began, then yelped when Hyrule was suddenly behind him with glowing hands on his head. “Warn a guy, would ya?! Anyway, this is really what controls the wind – watch this! And keep the door open.”

            Twilight stepped back, keeping the door open as requested. It was just the five of them inside and, with Hyrule mostly focused on his spell, Twilight felt like the only one unsure of what to expect. He’d seen the sailor fight with wind, sure, but…

            When Wind lifted the baton, there wasn’t any sort of vigorous swinging or flicking. It was a slow, controlled movement that vaguely resembled a triangle. The gentle movements from the usually-boisterous Link were a surprise alone, but even more surprising was how fast he heard it.

            The air was shifting around him and… it was singing!

            It sounded like a quiet choir. The music drifted past his ears, around the table and back out the door. Some of it swirled around Aryll’s hair and made her giggle. Wind’s grandma smiled at their antics, drinking from a small cup as she listened to the song. Even Hyrule was briefly distracted from his spell, reaching out toward the invisible strands that flew past him.

            The breeze sang a light and bouncy melody that was somehow both soft and adventurous. It fit the sailor’s personality perfectly. There was a certain nostalgia to the song – it could’ve been for a hopeful beginning or a cheerful end. This particular performance was slow and thoughtful, but it could’ve easily been a fast-paced jig with the right instruments.

            Twilight smiled when the breeze circled around him before flowing back outside. Slowly, the wind and the music became softer and softer before it was finally silent. Nothing could be heard but the sounds of the sea in the distance.

            “Wind, that was amazing!” Hyrule finally said, leaning over his shoulder to give him a smile. “How come you’ve never done that before? I bet the group would love it!”

            The sailor shrugged, unable to hide a blush as he stowed his baton away. “It never came up, I guess. We’re usually pretty busy.”

            Twilight closed the door and joined Wind at the table. “You ain’t wrong sailor, but I think you could definitely bring that out in our camps. I’m surprised you haven’t used it to beef up those stories you tell!”

            Wind grinned. “Hey, that’s a pretty good idea! Think I could scare the vet with it?”

            “Without consequences? Definitely not.”

            The sailor grudgingly agreed, though there were definitely still wheels turning in his head if his little smirk had anything to say about it. Their next campout was going to be full of trouble.

            The five of them ended up staying together for a while. Aryll and her grandma joined them at the table with a few cups and a bowl of grapes which, instead of eating, they used them to play a memory game. Wind’s grandma hid a grape under a cup and, after giving it a little spin, moved the cups around with a dexterity that made Twilight wonder where she learned how to do that. More than once, he saw a brief flash of green fly from one cup to another, and that was mildly terrifying.

            “Well, children? What do you think?” Wind’s grandma finally asked, resting her hands on the two outer cups with a mischievous grin.

            “You always cheat, so I’m going with this one,” Aryll declared, pointing to the middle one. “Otherwise, it should’ve been in the left one.”

            “Wow, I thought I saw it go to the rightmost cup,” Twilight admitted with a sheepish laugh. “I’ll bet you’re right though, Aryll, you’re pretty clever!”

            “And you two?” Her grandma asked, looking to Wind and Hyrule with a smile.

            Wind looked up and Hyrule while he looked down at him. Then, they answered almost at the same time. “Yeah, it’s none of them.”     “The cups are empty.”

            With a nod, she lifted up the left cup. Empty. Then the middle. Empty. Then the right –

            “WHAT?! No way!” Wind shouted, shooting up from his chair fast enough to ram into Hyrule’s chin.

            “Oof!”

            “Cheater!” Aryll declared, pointing accusingly at her grandmother as the grape under the rightmost cup rolled right into her hand.

            Twilight was a little worried about Hyrule, but he couldn’t help himself. He burst into shocked laughter almost as loud as Wind’s grandma. Now, that was a trick that’d make even the cleverest of swindlers lose their money.

            “It’s alright dearies, you did very well,” she said with a laugh, standing up and going to the kitchen. “Link, you’d better sit back down before you get dizzy.”

            Wind had been apologizing profusely to Hyrule, who was waving him away even as he was rubbing his chin. Eventually, Wind’s grandma came back with a wrapped piece of cloth, which Hyrule accepted and held against his chin with a nod of thanks.

            “Alright, I’m almost done,” the traveler said, pointing to the chair with his free arm. “I’ll heal you, then I’m staying at least an arm’s length away from you for the next week.”

            “Aww, come on, it was an accident!”

            It didn’t take long for them to settle down, especially when Wind’s grandma did the cup trick much slower than last time. There were a few times when the grape hopped out of one of the cups and almost snuck away, but she caught it just before it fell off the table and continued with her trick. More often than not, they were able to pick the right cup, but there were still a couple times when the cup they chose was empty. It was after the eighth round when Hyrule’s hands finally lost their glow and he sat down next to Wind with a long sigh.

            “You should be fully healed!” Hyrule declared before dropping his head into his arms. “I’m taking a nap.”

            “Whoa, did it take that much?” Wind asked, quickly pushing himself out of his chair. “Hold on, I’ll give you a potion.”

            True to his word, the sailor gave the traveler a green potion that had him sitting back up with a contented stretch. “Thanks. That really helps a lot.” He slid the cloth he’d been holding to the side, rubbing his chin one more time with softly glowing hands.

            “Hey, thank you!” Wind shot back, lightly punching his shoulder. “I’d be stuck inside all day if it wasn’t for you – I owe you that much.”

            “Does that mean we can go swimming again?!” Aryll asked, jumping out of her chair.

            Wind grinned, looking at his grandma. “Hyrule’s really good at healing magic. Check this out!” He hopped out of his chair, did some jumping jacks, a quick cartwheel, and spun around enough to make Twilight dizzy just watching him. But after all of that, he stood proudly with his hands on his hips.

            His grandma smiled and nodded. “Go have fun with your friends. I think I’ll come out myself this time.”

            Aryll and Wind both cheered, rushing into the kitchen with their grandmother following them at a more leisurely pace. “If you two are heading out, bring the grapes with you,” she called out behind her.

            Twilight didn’t have a chance to respond before Hyrule was already holding the bowl, popping one of the grapes into his mouth. “I got it. I’m not grabbing anything.”

            “Are you trying to be nice or trying to eat more grapes than the rest of us?”

            In response, Hyrule grinned, ate another grape, and rushed out the door. It wasn’t long before Aryll and her grandma were back with baskets filled with towels and small toys. “Link was looking for something in his bag,” the elder woman spoke. “Do you mind waiting for him?”

            Twilight offered to carry the baskets instead, but she shook her head. “Oh, I’ll be fine. I’ve got a lot in me yet! You make sure my boy doesn’t knock his head against something again.” With that, Aryll skipped out with her grandmother close behind her.

            He smiled after them before walking to the kitchen area and ducking in. It was a lot smaller than he expected… and yet, it managed to fit a bunk bed? On the top bed was a hunched-over Wind, rubbing his head with a groan.

            Twilight shook his head, leaning against the wall. “Well, that was fast. You ain’t concussed again, are ya?”

            “No! Look, I’ll prove it.” Wind grabbed his bag as he swung himself over his bed and on a latter, sliding down with practiced ease that only gave Twilight a mild heart attack.

            “Hey, sailor, easy! Your head was a hair away from smacking that ceiling again.” Twilight caught Wind as he zoomed by, turning the boy to face him. “Look, I get –”

            Wind was crying.

            “Woah.” Twilight went on one knee without thinking, grabbing a handkerchief from his pocket. He hesitated when his thoughts suddenly caught up to him, and it was just enough time for Wind to turn away and wipe an arm across his face. “What happened?”

            “Sorry, got dust in my eye. Fun part of being on the top bunk, right?” The sailor’s voice had a humorous inflection, but it shook right at the end. A quiet curse told him Wind heard it too.

            “Hey.” Twilight scooted closer, but didn’t reach out. He could almost hear the complaints he would’ve gotten if he tried, and they sounded suspiciously like Talo. “Sailor, it’s alright. Tell me what happened.”

            “Nothin’. Just got dust in my eye.”

            I’m not cryin’, I’m fine!

            “…Okay. Alright, that’s fine,” Twilight said, standing up and slowly walking towards the door. “Ain’t nothing wrong with that. Been there a few times mys—”

            A tug on the back of his shirt was all he needed. He couldn’t help the immediate small smile, but with a quick breath in and a slow one out, he turned around with a more neutral expression. He knelt down in front of Wind who, to his credit, was not crying anymore. Twilight offered him the handkerchief anyway. “What’s eating at ya? I’ll listen if you wanna talk.”

            Wind shook his head at the cloth, crossing his arms and looking away. “What happened to Aryll in the forest?”

            Twilight cocked his head in confusion. “Aryll? Where’d this come from?”

            A shrug. “Smacked my head. Pretty good reminder that I did literally nothing when she was in trouble. I was gonna help move the bed today and she almost lost the chance to sleep in it with the top off. She – I – ugh,” the sailor swore, running his hands through his hair. “How… bad did I mess up?”

            …I messed up real bad, didn’t I? Beth’s okay, right?

            Twilight tucked the handkerchief away before looking back to the sailor. “Sailor, you didn’t mess up. You fought great and got hurt. It happens to all of us. You trusted us to help Aryll, didn’t you?”

            “What if you weren’t there?”

            Twilight shook his head. “Then the whole fight would’ve been different. I don’t know what would’ve happened or where your sister would’ve been, but I know you would’ve kept her safe.”

            Wind scoffed. “Yeah, kept her safe while I was concussed on the grass doing absolutely nothing.”

            When those monsters were coming, I just… they were so scary! Why didn’t she run?!

            “Wind –”

            “What if she died, Twi?”

            Link, I thought she was gonna die! And I –

            “I would’ve been useless.”

            I just ran away like a coward.

            Back then, Twilight didn’t have any words for Talo. Even when he, Ilia, and Renaldo tried to tell him he didn’t have to fight or be brave, he was still determined to do better. He even took on the role of Kakariko Watchman to protect everyone. It didn’t stop him from feeling bad about what happened to Beth, but over time, it seemed to bother him less and less.

            And now, Wind. This was a little different – Wind was used to fighting and being brave. He had the hero’s spirit even at his young age. And that… still bothered Twilight. But both of them, Wind and Talo, they were both growing up. Twilight knew he couldn’t watch over them forever, especially since they both wanted to fill the same roll: a protector of those they cared about.

            “I understand how you feel,” Twilight finally said, sitting down to give his legs a break. “It’s awful. You feel that guilt right in your gut, right? That’s how I feel, anyway. It doesn’t go away easy, and this ain’t gonna be the last time you feel it. But whatever happens, don’t you give up.”

            Twilight scooted forward and, when Wind finally turned to face him, he took the boy’s arms. “You’re amazing, sailor. You’ve got the kind of fight that doesn’t just protect, but makes people smile.” Then, he clasped one of Wind’s hand in his own and lifted it up. “You hang onto that fight, sailor. You’ll take hits and you’ll have close calls, but that’s just how it is. Don’t let it drag you down, alright?”

            He gave Wind’s hand a firm shake before he let it go. There wasn’t even time to move before the sailor jumped into his arms and gave him a hug. With a smile, Twilight returned it. They sat together in silence for a moment before Wind finally spoke.

            “…You’d better not treat me more like a kid after this.”

            “Yeah, yeah, I get it.” A sharp pinch of his ear made him yelp even as he laughed, pulling the sailor away from him. “I do, I really do! Captain gave me an earful about it just yesterday.” He looked Wind straight in the eye. “I meant what I said to you, and to him. I do think you’re amazing, and I trust you. I’ll try harder to show it properly, alright?”

            “Oh, yeah?” Wind challenged, holding out his pinky.

            Was that a test?

            “…I promise,” Twilight eventually said, linking his pinky with Wind’s. It was the right answer if his smile was anything to go by, and Wind backed away to grab his bags. Twilight pushed himself up and followed him to the door, following him out. “Sailor? Thank you for talking to me. I’m not saying that to make ya mad, I’m serious. And I have something to say to you and your folks that… well, I hope we didn’t just have a moment there for no reason.”

            Wind furrowed his brows. “What… does that even mean?”

            Five minutes later saw Twilight on his knees clutching his stomach from a punch he rightly deserved even if Aryll was arguing with Wind about it. Their grandma sighed, kneeling in front of Twilight with a stoic look. At first, he thought she was about to follow her grandson’s example. But, when she lifted her hand, she set it on his shoulder. “You’re an honest young man, even if you are reckless. Be careful not to let it control you. But for now… thank you. For saving my granddaughter’s life.”

            The hug he received from her was gentle, but it was genuine. It helped disperse some of the heaviness in his gut, and he hugged her back with a whispered word of thanks. He wasn’t surprised when Aryll joined them, but he was shocked when Wind flopped down with her.

            “Thank you, Mr. Twilight,” Aryll said brightly.

            “Oh! Uh, you’re welcome. You were pretty brave back there Aryll, I really didn’t do that much.”

            “You were being dumb,” Wind corrected, sitting back with his arms crossed. “But she said you protected her, so you can get off with just the one punch.”

            “That’s not… a regular form of punishment you’re used to, is it?” Twilight asked, a little scared of the answer.

            “Only with Tetra!” Aryll answered for him.

            “No, no, no, no, no!” Wind tried and failed to cover her mouth as she danced away.

            “He’d never punch her, though,” she added just before her brother succeeded slapping a hand over her mouth.

            “Ha!” Wind looked to Twilight with a grin. “Yeah, she’s a liar, no one could punch me if they tried.”

            “If she’s lying, why are you covering her mouth?”

            The rest of the group had been watching their conversation like the nosy goats they were, but the captain and traveler were quickly dragged into the mess when Wind flew into the water where they were both swimming. Twilight was a little more careful with Aryll, and she squealed in delight when she splashed in right next to where her brother went.

            “Hey! We’re training over here!” Warriors yelled, shooting Twilight a raised eyebrow. Hyrule just laughed – both at him and the sailor when he surfaced grumbling under his breath.

            “You can’t predict the spirit of nature herself, captain!” Twilight replied with a grin. “The waves of the sea are unpredictable.”

            “You know what else is unpredictable?”

            “Hmm… Hyrule?” Twilight was pointedly looking at the traveler when he said that. The boy grinned, but didn’t do anything even after Warriors whipped around to face him.

            “I’m training, I can’t prank the captain right now!” Hyrule reasoned, much to the captain’s relief.

            “Good thinking. And good try, Twilight!” He turned back towards the sea and gestured for Hyrule to follow him. “Alright, back to paddling. Let’s see how far we can get.”

            Twilight left them alone after that and easily allowed himself to be pulled into a game of catch when he heard the sailor calling for him. Wind and Aryll managed to drag Sky, Four, Wild, Time, and even Legend in his game even though the veteran was determined to stay cross-legged in the sand. He had a large, yellow ball that looked like a chuchu, and the group was hitting it around to each other to keep it in the air.

            “Sky!” Wild shouted, smacking the ball in his direction.

            “Aryll!” Sky called, passing it to her.

            “Time!” Aryll yelled, jumping and slamming it across the water.

            “Sailor,” Time said, scooping up the ball and tossing it over.

            “Hey, Legend!” Wind rammed his fists into the ball, sending it flying.

            “Yours.” Legend only had to lift up his elbow for it to bounce off and send it flying right towards Twilight, who was only a few steps away from him.

            “Whoa!” Twilight instinctively raised his arms to save himself from being smacked in the face, but just managed to catch the chuchu with his foot before it hit the sand, kicking it up and slamming it back towards the water. He didn’t really have a target, much less any time to aim, and the ball plopped right in the middle of everyone before Wild or Wind could save it.

            “Aww, we were doing so good!” Wind whined, snatching the ball before Wild could grab it. “That was our best one yet!”

            “Aren’t you impressed I kept it in the air in the first place?” Twilight shot back, taking off his shirt and wading into the water.

            “Not if we can’t keep it up!”

            “Seems like you don’t got the skill for it.”

            There was a chorus of ‘ooh’s as Wind smacked the ball in Twilight’s direction. This time, he expected it, and sent it right back towards the sailor. He just managed to bump it towards Aryll, who sent it towards Legend. And the game was back on.

            There was just as much passing as there were challenging spikes and unrelated splashing. Somehow, a couple conversations started as the ball flew back and forth, and it always got a laugh out of Aryll when someone – mainly Sky – got engrossed in thought only to be smacked in the face by the ball. Eventually, Warriors and Hyrule ended up joining them, and they somehow made the competition even more fierce. It was hard to say how long their game lasted, and it was only when Wind’s grandma called everyone out for a break that Twilight realized how hungry he was. The sky had a shade of amber to it when the group sat around a campfire where Wild was whipping something up. Thank goodness there was fruit being passed around while everyone waited.

            Once dinner was ready – a healthy amount of seafood rice balls for everyone with some extra veggies on the side – the group stayed together to hear Wind’s grandma tell stories about the islands and the flood of Hyrule. For once, Wind was quiet as she told her story. Even afterwards, when Sky piped up with how his home was in the clouds, he and the rest of the group listened to their theories and comparisons. It was when a woman walked by lighting torches that Wind jumped back up.

            “I’m totally planning to hear the rest of this at some point, but Aryll, we gotta go night swimming!”

            Wind and Aryll were running back into the water before Twilight could even ask. “Uh… ‘night swimming’?”

            Wild, Hyrule, and the captain followed after them as Wind’s grandma laughed. “Oh, it’s exactly what it sounds like. The kids like to swim in the dark, but we only let them if there’s enough extra people around to keep an eye out. Seems like you young men count for tonight, if you don’t mind.”

            Right on cue, a few extra kids ran out into the water, and Pass the ChuChu was back in full force. One of the older residents walked past the group with a small wave, setting a mat down and getting comfortable.

            “I’m happy to stay if any of you were hoping for an early night,” Time said, looking out towards the water with a smile. “I don’t see anything going awry, but I’m a strong swimmer and have some experience with underwater battle.”

            “Wait, you do?!” Sky asked excitedly, leaning forward. “What kind of item do you use?”

            “Hmm… well, I use a mask.”

            “A mask?” Legend asked. “Seems like a fast way to die.”

            “You’d think so, wouldn’t you?”

            Twilight shook his head at the inevitable onslaught of half-answered questions, and he knew for sure Time was doing it on purpose when he didn’t bother hiding a small smile through it all. Cryptic old man.

            That was how twilight bowed beneath the horizon, making way for the cape of blues and distant sparkles. Laughs and squeals were a sharp but nonetheless welcome contrast to the musical chirps and droning buzz of the bugs skittering about. Another islander brought some smoked meat, bringing back the sweet and savory smell that drifted around the beach yesterday. The sand had cooled off by then, and many people were happy to bury their feet in the soft grains beneath them.

            Twilight himself had his feet in the sand, happy to watch sunset on dry land. When the young swimmers started looking more like shadows in the waves, they were called back out of the water to get dried up and ready for bed. Despite the disappointed chorus of sighs, the group of swimmers was coaxed to shore by none other than the sailor, who looked back out one last time before following his sister back to the group. Those who weren’t buried in towels scattered about to help bring the islanders’ things back to their homes.

            Twilight had helped one bring back the extra meat and towels from before. Their house was on the other side of the island from Wind’s house and, once everything was settled, he waved goodbye and jogged his way back before it really got dark. Thank goodness for the torches on the way – the group would’ve given him an earful for running around without his lantern. He was climbing up the small hill to Wind’s door when he spotted a short, caped figure at the edge of the yard, looking across the sea. It took getting pretty close – close enough for said figure to turn around – to realize one: the fabric drifting in the breeze was not a cape, but a towel. And two: the figure in question was Hyrule.

            “You’re gonna catch a cold hanging around out here,” Twilight chided, itching for his wolf pelt even if… actually, the traveler might’ve taken it unlike some stubborn people.

            Hyrule laughed lightly, pulling in his towel around him. “I’ve been around worse, I’ll live. But you are right, it’s getting cold. Let’s go.”

            Together, they walked back to Wind’s house and joined the rest of the group getting ready for bed. Twilight was surprised to find himself nodding off almost as fast as Sky was. After some light teasing from Wild even as he was helping clean up an area for a bedroll, Twilight fell asleep to the quiet humming of a royal lullaby.

            He woke up to the amused whispers of several gremlins, one of whom was shaking him awake.

            “Twilight, wake up!” Hyrule’s voice. “It’s almost sunrise!”

            Twilight forced himself to open his eyes. He felt the weight of sleep pulling at him, but he wasn’t especially groggy, especially when an excited traveler was smiling so brightly.

            “Up and at ‘em, country boy!” Warriors said, loud enough to be heard but quiet enough to keep from filling the house. “Thought you’d be the one waking us up, and not the other way around!”

            “Yeah, yeah, I’m awake.” Twilight pushed himself up with a satisfying stretch, a little startled to see everyone awake. Well, Sky was barely standing beside Time, but that was still pretty impressive. “All y’all, huh?”

            “Apparently,” Legend muttered, earning a small punch from Wind in response.

            “Alright, let’s go!” Hyrule declared.

            Twilight easily let Hyrule pull him up and out the door, the rest of the group close behind with lanterns and candles to light the path. The traveler led the way with the sailor, taking the group across the bridge and up the hill where they first arrived. When the group spread out, the sky had a distant streak of blue. From there, the lights were extinguished.

            “How long do you think we have?” Four asked, crossing his arms as he watched the sky.

            “Hmm… five minutes, maybe less?” Hyrule guessed. “I feel like that’s how long it took from here last time. We’re a bit later getting up here than I was.”

            “Probably because someone was channeling the sleepyhead,” Warriors teased, putting his arms around Sky and Twilight’s shoulders.

            “I see nothing wrong with that,” Sky declared, resting his head on the captain’s arm.

            “I also see nothing wrong with that,” Twilight agreed, elbowing the captain in the ribs before catching him in his own side hug. “You ain’t one to talk either, Captain Beauty Sleep.”

            Warriors sputtered an unintelligible response, making the rest of them laugh as they waited for the sun. A couple minutes passed in relative silence.

            “Almost there…” Wind announced.

            There was more orange and yellow in the sky, and just enough red to have Wild pulling up his slate. Twilight thought he was taking a picture, but he only pressed a few buttons on his screen before putting it away. “A few more minutes.”

            Warm colors merged with cool as lighter blues stretched across the sky. Then, a burst of yellow leapt from the horizon as the sun peeked over the sea. There was a quiet excitement among the group, and the younger Links moved to the edge of the cliff to sit down and watch.

            “It’s been a while since I’ve actually watched a sunrise…” Wind mused.

            “Really? I don’t think I could ever get sick of watching it here,” Hyrule replied.

            “Yeah, I hear ya. It’s always pretty.”

            “And it’s a gift,” Hyrule added. “It’s pretty, but it’s also a gift to all living things. Even if you don’t see it all the time, the sunrise deserves respect. That’s how I feel, anyway.”

            Wild nudged him, pointing to his own head and waving a y-shaped hand between them. It made Hyrule smile.

            Twilight smiled at the exchange even if his thoughts were a bit different than theirs. It wasn’t the same as sunset, not exactly. He couldn’t quite feel sad when the world around him became brighter and fuller. But it did make him think of home. It reminded him of morning cuccos and a happy horse and noisy kids and a lot of wandering goats…

            Surely, they’d be getting to his Hyrule soon, right?

            “Homesick?”

            Twilight chuckled, almost forgetting about Warriors’ arm around his shoulder. “Ya got me. How about you? I know we made it to your world, but didn’t quite make it to home, yeah?”

            “Yeah. Not this time,” Warriors said sadly, still wearing a smile despite the fact. “You got lucky, Chosen.”

            Both of them looked over to see Sky tearing up, and all three of them burst out laughing.

            “Oh boy, he misses her already…”

            “No! It’s just – the sun’s beautiful!”

            “I think he means ‘she’s beautiful,’” Twilight snickered. All three of them almost fell over when Sky tried to shove them, but it did nothing to dull their amusement.

            “Hey, I don’t see either of you teasing Time!” Sky shot back.

            Hm.

            When Twilight looked over, he saw Time gazing towards the sun with a small smile. “I do miss home. I miss Malon,” he admitted. “But, our small Chain keeps me busy enough, and that is just as well.”

            Twilight met the elder Link’s smile with his own. How was he supposed to tease Time for that? Especially since… well, he felt the same. Twilight was looking forward to the next time he could see everyone back at Ordon, but this was still nice. To be with and fight beside everyone felt right. He’d be happy to stay as long as he was needed.

            “Have to agree with you on that one,” Twilight finally said, looking back towards the sky. It was a bright, morning blue now, and groups of seagulls were casually sailing by around the island. “Different feel being here with y’all. But somehow, it’s still home.”

            There was a beat of silence before a hand mussed up his hair. “You would say that at a time like this,” Warriors said with an air of amusement.

            “Well, it’s true,” Twilight shot back, smacking the captain’s hand away. “And you’re the one who opened that door, so might as well get a real word in before y’all go back to bein’ constipated goats.”

            Several snorts and bursts of laughter burst out around him, and Twilight knew the moment was gone before it even had a chance to set in. But, despite the snickers and the inevitable comments about bringing up goats yet again, one person faced him with a sincere smile: Wild.

            Twilight nodded to him with his own smile just before the champion lifted a fist by his head and pointed upwards. I UNDERSTAND.

            “Oi, you’re totally ignoring us!”

            “Maybe he’s got goat wax in his ears.”

            “Oh no, vet – it’s spreading!”

            “Alright boys,” Time finally said, clapping his hands to get everyone’s attention. “Some of the island folk will be waking up soon, so let’s not bother them with the noise. We’d better be getting back before your grandmother worries, sailor.”

            “Aryll’s gonna be so mad…” Wind snickered, hopping to his feet and pulling out a very large leaf from – oh, he had his bag on him. “Race ya back!”

            With that, he jumped off the cliff and let his leaf slowly lower him down. Shouts of shock and protest came immediately after, some of them disappearing back down the hill and others floating down the cliff just behind the sailor. A sigh from Time made Twilight realize it was just them left.

            “I’m surprised you didn’t pull out some sort of item to catch up with them,” Twilight commented. “I know you ain’t lost your competitive spirit just yet.”

            Time huffed in amusement as he stretched. “Perhaps. But… not this early in the morning.” When he was done, he gestured towards the hill. “Care to join me on the boring path?”

            With a nod, they walked down the hill back to Wind’s house. Even halfway there, they could hear arguing in the distance about who won. Twilight chuckled at the same time he felt a firm pat on his shoulder.

            “If this is home for you, dealing with that is child’s play, yes?”

            “…I can’t believe you’re making me do it.”

~

            Time grinned as he watched the rancher from afar. The young man was quick to not only quiet the group, but get them all inside. It always impressed him how good both the rancher and the captain were at keeping the group in line. Perhaps it came from personal experience.

            “And what has you out here still?”

            Time jumped when a voice came seemingly out of nowhere, but he relaxed when he recognized the familiar laugh of Wind’s grandmother. It was as lively as her grandchildren’s. “Ah, just watching the boys from afar. They’re becoming stronger every day.”

            The elder woman hummed. “So it would seem. But I get the sense you’re not just talking about physical strength.”

            “…I was also thinking of their bonds, but I wasn’t quite sure how to put it.”

            His response earned him a chuckle. “I see. Link is always talking about you all, but never truly told me his feelings until just the other day.”

            Time did his best not to look curious, but the glint in the woman’s eyes told him he’d failed miserably. “Well, perhaps he didn’t tell me. But I can see it in the way he interacts with all of you. It’s not unlike how he spends his time with Aryll… and not unlike the way you watch that young rancher.”

            His eyes widened. “Oh, well, I don’t know if–”

            Wind’s grandma laughed heartily, patting him on the arm. “It’s alright, you don’t have to explain yourself. Those boys are so charming, I can hardly blame you. But you seem to have a different kind of connection with that young man and, pardon an old woman for butting in, but you should tell him. It doesn’t have to be now or even soon, but don’t let him go before you do. You’ll live to regret it.”

            Time looked away with a small smile. “You sound like my wife.”

            “She sounds like a wise woman! Did you at least tell those boys how fond you are of them? Not that you or Link are good at hiding it, if you’re even trying.”

            This time, Time laughed. “I did. Malon told me to say that too. It seemed to go over well, and I’m sensing a trend coming over this group. I hope…” Just as quickly as it came, the smile fell. “I hope I didn’t start something that will only hurt us all.”

            “Pain is inevitable, dear. But don’t let it stop you from loving those boys. You said yourself, your bonds are part of what makes you strong. Strong in here,” she declared, patting her heart. “You’ll find your way. And so will they.”

            Her words brought back the melody of a familiar bolero that made Time smile. It’d been a long time since he’d reflected on the Princess’ words. He’d almost forgotten the lessons he’d learned back then – he’d have to look for one of his old journals next time they were back at the ranch.

            He was pulled out of his thoughts when the elderly woman tapped his arm. “Though I do love the morning breeze, we both ought to be getting back to the children. Would you kindly help me home?”

            Time chuckled, offering her his hand. Their height difference painted a very interesting picture, but she didn’t seem to mind as she leaned on him for support. Together, they slowly made their way up the path back to the house as the breeze hummed quietly around them.