"Look, just because I'm immortal doesn't mean I'm a vampire!" (4590 words) by prosie_alt
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Vampires SMP
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Characters: Scott Major | Smajor1995, Owen | OwengeJuiceTV (Video Blogging RPF), Jack | Pyroscythe, AvidMC (Video Blogging RPF), Shelby Grace | Shubble, Legundo (Video Blogging RPF), ZombieCleo (Video Blogging RPF), Martyn Littlewood | InTheLittleWood, AbolishRegret (Video Blogging RPF), Apokuna (Video Blogging RPF), Pearl | PearlescentMoon, Mentioned Jack Massey Welsh | JackSucksAtLife, Mentioned Callum Knight | SeaPeeKay - Character
Additional Tags: Canon Compliant, Scott Major | Smajor1995-centric, Empires SMP Season 1, Last Life SMP References, Witchcraft SMP - Freeform, Canonical Character Death, Harmony Hollow - Freeform, Elf Scott Major | Smajor1995, kinda a crack fic, taken seriously tho, gratuitous headcanons, like a lot, I have many thoughts about scott smajor, Assumptions, Scott Major | Smajor1995 is a Good Friend, Past Jimmy | Solidarity/Scott Major | Smajor1995, Champion of Aeor Scott Major | Smajor1995, everyone is a bit dumb, And I do mean everyone
Summary:
What if Scott woke up in a tomb after being cursed to sleep for 600 years, and when he escaped and found other people, he was accused of being a murderer, vampire, etc.? And more importantly, what if he wasn't a vampire?
Instead, he's just an elf/mimic who is couple thousands years old and although technically he should just be a near-immortal, through a series of unfortunate events (his birth), he's fully immortal and really doesn't want to think too hard about why his new housemates are talking about sires, blood, revenge, or Big Foot. He just woke up from a cursed sleep, can he just build his spooky castle in peace without the accusations? Please?
---
AKA: Vampires but Scott isn't a vampire, just immortal. This ultimately changes nothing.
Four doesn't care what Legend knows, he cares about what Four himself doesn't know. On the other hand, Legend has to learn how to breathe on the road again without the ability to reset or know what is to come. Good thing Wind and Twilight are good big brothers--they all are, but the Triforce Heroes stick together.
Finale! Only took... a year. And because every other chapter has been posted on Tumblr in full, this will (maybe, probably) be the last fic I post in full on tumblr.
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"So," Four asked as Legend joined him outside, "what dirt do you have on me?"
"Dirt? Really Smithy?"
"Am I wrong?"
"I'd put it more like, 'what of your past traumas did you dump on me while on your deathbed', not dirt." Legend shook his head, honestly more amused than anything.
Four shrugged. "Same difference. Oh, can you recite from memory?"
He sighed. "Well... Splitting, for one. That came out real fast when people started dying. Your second adventure as a result of splitting, so all four of you, the craziness, your fifth, etc. You definitely trauma-dumped a lot about your Dad and would info-dump about your Gramps, which for the record, I will be punching your Dad in the face next time we're in your era."
Four snorted. "Nothing surprising there. Is that it? I figured there'd be something worse."
"Well--the reason why you’re so short."
"Huh, better, still nothing crazy. I was hoping for some life-changing secret that only me on my deathbed would even be aware of."
"I think the number of times I heard one of you confessing some kind of thievery or something to another might make up for it," Legend said. He winced slightly, the number of times that he'd only be able to protect or save part of the Colors... their screams for their counterparts. Theirs were the worst. No one else's compared, not Warriors' cries when Wind and Time were both dead, nor Wild begging Twilight to stay awake. Wind's shaky push of Twilight's shoulder or Warriors' or Time's, Twilight catching Wind as he fell, Sky's call for Wild, Hyrule's hand reaching for Legend--
"Vet?" A hand gently grabbed his, pulling it from his mouth. "Hey, you with me?"
Legend inhaled sharply, falling back. He couldn't breathe.
Four knelt in front of him, squeezing his hand and then loosening, and squeezing again. He hummed, some kind of gentle folk song. A walking cadence.
Squeeze, inhale. Let go, exhale. Repeat.
After too long, Legend squeezed back when his breathing steadied.
"What'd I say?" Four asked softly. "Will you tell me what triggered it?"
Legend grimaced, shaking his head. "N-Nothing you have to worry about."
"I'll worry about whatever I want, thanks... you sure?"
He squeezed his eyes shut. "I'm sure. I just--mind wandered too far back, that's all."
Four hummed, noncommittal, not believing him. Legend supposed it would be a long time before anyone believed he was okay.
A portal eventually came.
They were back on the road.
And in all honesty? That probably was the best thing for Legend to do. He could breathe fresh air, and while it felt no different from the ranch, his mind had shifted.
The ranch was safe--the road wasn't. He couldn't risk panic attacks, and even if he knew objectively that he couldn't bottle things up, he also knew that his way of dealing with things worked. It wasn't the same as suppression, but it was... it was working through them one drop at a time, and in safe spaces, he couldn't limit the flow. On the road, he could.
He didn't react well to their first fight though.
An ambush hit, and body moving on instinct, he was meeting the first monster before it even swung.
There were less than a dozen monsters. Maybe half.
Once they were dead, Legend spun to look at the others and Wind grabbed his arm.
"You’re okay, App'." He stared at Legend, daring him to contest. "No one's injured... we're alright."
"Right--Yeah, right. We're alright," Legend found himself repeating, a bit dazed.
Wind nodded.
He didn't let go of Legend's hand. Their group kept walking until they found a good camping site.
Legend's hand twitched as he noted how it was exposed. He wanted the Ocarina--He never want to see that instrument again.
Wind squeezed his hand. Twilight came up on his other side, shoulder brushing his.
Legend let out a single breath.
He was fine.
They sat around the fire, light laughter echoing around it. A bit of teasing. Legend got himself back at ease for the most part, but he was mostly just hanging out on the edge of the camp with Wind, who had refused to leave his side since the ambush.
"How come you haven't asked about your stuff?" Legend found himself asking.
Wind snorted. "You, of everyone here, you’re probably the only one I'm alright with knowing everything. I don’t care what you know, and I don’t need to know what you know. I trust you."
Legend looked over at him. Wind fiddled with some kind of carving--Sky had started teaching him a couple months years weeks ago. It looked... kind of like a bird.
"You trust me with the knowledge of your--"
Somehow Wind knew exactly what he'd say and his little whittling knife was in Legend's face. "I said I trust you, Apple. You ain't gonna make me regret that, are ya?"
Legend shook his head, smiling softly. "Nah, I suppose I'll honor that trust."
Wind backed off, eyes glittering with mirth. "I got my eye on you."
"I'm pretty sure the entire group does, but thanks."
"Yeah cause you’re traumatized."
"We all are, idiot."
"Well yeah but you got bad at hiding it."
"Give me like a week."
"Fair enough."
"What are you two talkin' about?" Legend and Wind both jumped as Twilight literally appeared behind them.
"Nothing!"
"Nothing!"
Twilight gave them both a look.
Legend glanced at Wind.
"We were talkin' secrets," Wind said, "ya know, the ones the Vet's got on everyone, I was tellin' 'im he ain't gotta tell me because I don’t care how much he knows about me and my bullshit."
Twilight raised an eyebrow.
"Alright," he conceded. "If ya say so. An' Kit, the same goes for me."
Legend tilted his head. "Hmm?"
"Don’t worry about tellin' me whatever I told ya. Ordona, tell Ocean if ya want, I don’t care... You two already know the worst bits, the rest don’t matter to me if ya both know it."
He moved back to the rest of the camp.
Legend propped his chin on his leg, smiling a little to himself.
He hadn't lied, within a week, he was functioning fine on his own. Had a few panic attacks and breakdowns along the way whenever someone got injured but after a week, he was fine.
He could handle it.
And if he told Wind how Twilight had a major crush on Ilia and then Twilight how Wind had a huge crush on Tetra, then well, that was just his duty as the youngest in their dynamic--to sow chaos.
Brothers being brothers and a couple more secrets revealed
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He woke up bundled in cloth against a warm chest and it took a while to draw his hazed mind from the dregs of sleep and recall what happened.
He very much was still a bunny.
He nudged the blankets away with his nose until he could squirm out, thankfully not held captive by the sleeping Rancher. The morning sun filled the small room--Legend normally roomed here with Hyrule, he wondered when Hyrule had left.
He noticed Twilight's wolf pelt in a heap across the room... He genuinely had no idea why.
He gingerly moved to the edge of the bed and tried to gauge the drop. The problem with bunnies were that they were extremely fragile, he'd learned dropping a rabbit just from holding them at your chest could kill them, or just injure them enough that euthanasia was the only option left.
He didn't know what was a safe distance to fall. He really didn't want to find out, but his bag was on the ground and he needed his moon pearl.
He could try... goddesses knew he wasn't fragile, no matter his form.
He moved closer to the edge and began to slide his front paws down the edge, trying to lessen the gap before he completely dropped--
A squeak escaped him as a hand the size of him pulled him back.
"Careful," Twilight rumbled, voice slightly strained. "Bed ain't that low to the ground, Apple."
He twisted and glared best he could at the Rancher, who'd apparently awoken just in time to stop him from jumping. He would've been fine! Maybe.
Twilight—who looked a little pale—leaned over the edge and set him on the ground before he sat up. "What're ya up to?"
He bound over to his bag and with some struggle, nudged it open and promptly stuck his body into it.
"Need help?"
He scrabbled further into his bag and out of pure memory of location his nose brushed the little pouch which held his moon pearl. Teeth catching the fabric, he kicked himself back out of the pouch and sort of flopped back onto the wooden floor.
Twilight made a noise that Legend would've hit him for. It was soft and almost cooing.
He glared up at him and tried to pull open the pouch.
"Oh Ordona help me," Twilight rasped, his voice too strained. Legend didn't deign that with a response.
He startled as the air shifted and Twilight's hand entered his vision. He darted back on instinct. Twilight slowed, then continued to open the pouch and let the pearl roll out onto the floor.
Legend darted and grabbed it, everything twisted and he found himself sitting back on the floor, bright pink bangs falling over his face.
Twilight laughed softly, knelt in front of him and he mussed his hair.
"Ge'off!" He shoved him, scowling and glaring.
Twilight just grinned. "You’re adorable, Kit."
"Don’t you start calling me that," Legend threatened, throwing that demented pinecone at Twilight. It hit his chin but he just laughed at him.
"Too late, you’re a little kit, a baby bunny, you’re smaller without that cute little tunic."
"Go die in a hole!"
Legend huffed, slumping into the floor and base of the bed, holding his moon pearl tightly.
"Alrigh'," Twilight said, smiling softly and he offered his hand. "Come on, it's probably about time for breakfast."
"You say a word about this and I will kill you."
"Aw, we both know ya ain't gonna do that. All bark and no bite, ehh, Kit?"
"I'll show you no bite!" He lunged at him and Twilight laughed, easily wrestling him off and pinning him to the ground. That didn't stop him from kicking his stomach and shoving him off.
Legend jabbed his fingers into Twilight's ribs.
He squawked. "You little rat!"
Legend managed to escape his returning attack and he ran out of the room, shutting the door behind him for the seconds it gave him on his escape.
"You want to go that way?" Twilight challenged.
Legend darted down the hall, far more agile than the rancher who pursued him. He slid down the stairs and called a good morning to Malon and Wild in the kitchen, both looked startled for the brief moment he saw them but next thing he was doing was jumping overtop the sofa and skittering to the side as Twilight tried to follow.
By the time Twilight landed and adjusted himself in the living area, Legend was darting out the door to the side.
"Catch me if you can, Rancher!" He taunted.
"Items?" He called back.
Legend debated with how he would handle a wolf chasing him and decided, fine, let's play cat and mouse--or rather, wolf and rabbit. He may lose a bit of sanity, but he trusted Twilight not to hurt him.
"Sure!"
And he was gone.
Running around the farm was easy, he was familiar with escaping responsibilities by doing so, and this wasn't too different.
He got out to the overgrown, unused training paddock as he saw Wolfie sprinting down the path from the house toward Legend.
He grinned.
The shadows--not darkness, not the twilight--wrapped around him and he was in full control of his transformation.
He heard the startled yelp from Wolfie as he ran back toward the stable through the untamed growth.
Legend slipped through a gap in the wooden walls, a gap Wolfie wouldn't be able to follow through, and he hid in a corner of crates and hay bundles, flopping down and letting the warm, content feeling simmer as he held onto it.
In time, he heard the doors open and he hid further behind the crates, deciding on his escape route.
"How did you even get away?" Twilight questioned aloud. "You just disappeared."
Oh if he wanted to do disappearance acts, Legend could accommodate.
"Kit."
His voice was far closer.
"You expectin' me t'move the hay ta find ya? It ain't that heavy."
Legend moved to the edges of the crates.
Twilight was about to grab one of the bundles and as he did, Legend darted out past his legs.
"What the--How?!"
Legend transformed back, the shadows guiding his form and he landed neatly atop the railing to keep the hay from falling down the stable.
He grinned at the rancher, knowing his magic--his innate magic that was normally left untouched--caused his eyes to gleam just a little.
"Ain't ever seen a shadow magic user before, Rancher?" He taunted.
Twilight stared at him, then his eyes sharpened. Legend had to give it to him, his lunges were fast. He yelped as they both fell to the first floor of the stable. They rolled and tumbled, he got up faster but Twilight stayed down as he instead dragged Legend back down by the ankle and tried to pin him.
Legend knew exactly what would be coming for him if Twilight successfully got him down, and he was not about to give in to that. Instead he fought him off, kicking and snarling.
Unluckily for him, even if he was a fairly decent boxer, Twilight was a certified wrestler.
"No--" Legend was cut off as he snapped his mouth shut to hold back the burst of laughter as Twilight danced his fingers under his ribs. He screeched and squirmed.
"Ge--het--stohohop!" He scrabbled at his hands but to little effect.
"Nuh-uh, you made me run 'round the whole farm, I'm gettin' my revenge."
"Don’t you--Forest! You--You jerk!" He screeched, forced laughter drawn from him.
"Jerk? Jerk?" Twilight sounded scandalized by the insult. “I ain’t a jerk, this is a jerk move."
Instead of going for his upper ribs, he went for where his ribs stopped and Legend made some embarrassing, high whine-squeal sound. He tried to kick him off, shoving at his chest and hands, but to his luck he was significantly weaker than the rancher.
Eventually, thank the three, Twilight let up and Legend whined weakly as he collapsed into the ground.
"Not even barking now," Twilight teased.
Legend glared at him, breathing heavily.
"I... I hate you," he wheezed.
Twilight just grinned. "No ya don't."
"Yes I do. Now get off me."
Twilight snorted. “A'ight."
He got off him and offered him a hand, Legend had half the mind to ignore it but he, stupidly, took it.
Twilight pulled him up and then over his shoulder. Legend yelped.
"Hey! No--"
"Boys."
Legend went quiet and he dropped his head so he could see past Twilight's hip to see Time in the doorway, amusement clear on his face.
"Yeah?" Twilight's grin was audible in his voice.
"Breakfast is ready. And the Champion wants to talk with the Collector."
The warm feeling from screwing around with Twilight had faded by the time breakfast was finished, and Legend was left alone with Wild in the kitchen to clean the dishes.
"So..." Wild began hesitantly. "What... do you know?"
Legend hummed softly. "I know about the spirits and their gifts, I know what happened by..." he thought carefully, picking through various memories of his own, "the fort. Hateno, I think. I know that. And how many years Calamity Ganon held Hyrule Castle under his power. I also know about how you got into Gerudo Town, and the snow and sand boots."
"You--" Wild stared at him, jaw agape. "Gerudo Town? How did that come up?"
Legend ground his teeth, clenching his jaw for a long moment. He redirected his gaze down at the dried plate in his hands while forcing his jaw to loosen before he spoke. "I didn't reset the moment the battle was over every time."
Wild frowned, he looked over at Legend with confusion in his eyes. "Huh?"
He inhaled carefully before he met his eyes. "It was a 72 hour cycle, Champ. Sometimes it was mid-battle that it happened, sometimes it was hours after, sometimes I was caught in shock to use the spell and..."
"And...?"
"There was so much blood," he murmured. "So… so much blood." Legend saw blood blurring the edges of his vision, he could almost see that forest and not the kitchen they were in. "Goddesses, there were a number of times it was just the two of us left and you—I… Neither of us were very… present. Sometimes you told me stupid stuff just to make me laugh, even if you were still crying. Like Gerudo Town and that guy you snagged those shoes from."
Legend had one job the second time he was dragged on a quest that involved time travel and ancestors, and the second time a quest involved meeting other heroes: Don't get attached.
Thankfully, the other heroes seemed to believe the mask he wore, and most of them didn't bother with him as a result except to argue, especially Twilight and Warriors. Now, if only someone could tell the kid behind the mask to stop reaching out to the brothers he lost after Hytopia, that would be great.
And if they could stop the frigid downpour so Legend wouldn't get even sicker, that would also be great.
Febuwhump 2024 | Prompt 13: "You weren't supposed to get hurt"
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Warnings: mild swearing
Legend knew the role he was playing.
His whole life was just one role after another, his main one of "the hero" constantly being reprised, but changing with each installment.
His first casting, he had been a terrified child, doing his best, trying to fulfill his uncle's last words. His second, he was an excited, bubbly child gaining two older brothers who shared separate yet similar pasts. His third was a kid with too big a heart and a burn to protect, giving everything he had including the clothes on his back to a dimension traveler who helped him in turn. His fourth and fifth was of a kid in a new land, wearing his heart on his sleeve, helping everyone he met even when it burned him. His sixth was the turning point for his role, he began it as the sweet kid and ended it heartbroken and begging to never feel such pain again.
His seventh was starring him as a broken teenager doing everything he could to fix things, to do the right thing and help people, without getting attached and heartbroken again.
Like any other tragedy, that teenager failed in the end and Ravio went back to Lorule, their worlds closing.
The next reprisal, lucky number eight, was of a slightly older teenager who was determined to get through this without opening his heart to a single soul, even if it hurt those around him.
So that's the role Legend played. He was the hoarder, but he coveted items and people were a danger to those belongings, he was the scholar, providing information to those who asked, who found solace in books and scrolls, and he was the veteran, tired and done with the lives they led.
The longer it went on, the harder it was for Legend to suppress that terrified child who just wanted to help out. The longer it went on, his mask was trying to crack from overuse.
It's a shame for that mask that he was a hoarder and always had something to hold it back together.
It was also a shame for the excited, bubbly child inside to watch as his older brothers failed to even recognize him with the mask he wore and the many new years he bore.
Legend recognized Ocean and Forest immediately, the moment his eyes landed on them, he knew who they were. Ocean hadn't changed much, but Forest was taller, bigger, more muscular and he had face tattoos interestingly enough.
He met their eyes and saw not a flicker of recognition appear in theirs, he supposed that was fair, he looked different and he had changed. He'd be surprised if they figured him out by anything but the fact he wore the same tunic.
They went weeks into this adventures, Legend doing whatever he thought helped him maintain that distance, strengthen that wall, that kept the other heroes out of reach of his internal child and kept his heart safe.
He couldn't do Ravio again, or, he supposed, this was more like Raven all over again. He refused to do that again.
But that child really wanted out, it was begging to be released, to call out to the two heroes he once called brothers.
No, Legend reminded himself. They don’t even remember us.
So he shut up and kept to his corner, he stitched and bandaged his own wounds and snarled at anyone who dared to approach. Especially the ones who he knew he would trust easier--the Sailor, the Rancher, the Traveler, and the Skyloftian.
Legend was sick. He knew he was and he blamed that cold storm they'd got caught in not two days ago for it. When they'd made camp, most of them bundled by the fire but Legend had stuffed himself away out of stubbornness and pride, using his fire rod for heat and wrapping an extra blanket around his soaked self.
He wasn't surprised by the turn of events, but he wasn't certain how to approach it.
Clearly, as they walked and he focused hard on keeping steady steps and maintaining pace with the others that he'd missed the entirety of Wind's story, he wasn't great. He usually listened, even if he feigned otherwise, it was a good distraction and he liked stories. It was the only thing he granted to himself, listening to Ocean ramble on about events he'd already heard the stories of. Now he was struggling and normally he would've stayed in the cave from the other day or even backtracked to it to rest and maintain a safe space, but that wasn't much of an option.
The cold of Warriors' Hebra region was piercing, and darkened clouds still rolled overhead but didn't open for much more than a sprinkle. Though humid, all the humidity did was prevent their clothes from drying, it didn't further soak them. Frankly he preferred the cold storm over a blistering, tropical hot storm.
But goddesses, he needed to take a break or he'd pass out and he didn't know how to say that. His mask was cracking, he knew it, and he was running out of energy to fix it while also trying not to stumble and fall in the mud.
To his luck, Sky called for a break, explaining the wet air was getting to his high altitude lungs. Legend didn't bother trying to understand that, which was rather telling. Instead he followed to the side they'd went to and tucked himself under a tree, letting his eyes shut and block out the painful, headache-inducing light.
Too soon, someone called to him.
"Hey Hoarder, get off your ass and let's go," Warriors snapped at him.
Legend dragged up his energy to shoot a glare at the knight. "You'd know all about sitting back on your ass, wouldn't you, soldier boy?" He snarled, pushing off the tree. The rest was helpful, but not sufficient. He really hoped he wasn't assigned a watch tonight, he wouldn't stay awake.
"One of these days, you’re going to get what's coming to you and that goddess-awful attitude," Warriors warned him.
Legend rolled his eyes. "Whatever comes for me for "this attitude" is going to get the exact same treatment as everything else that has come for me. A sword through its heart."
"Oh right, how could I forget, the Hoarder just kills everything that comes near him," Warriors spat.
Twilight got between them, shoving his way in and accidentally helping Legend hide the flinch that broke through from Warriors' words.
"Alrigh', that's enough. We have a lot of ground to cover and not enough patience to deal with you two."
Legend scoffed and he trudged off after the others who had already began to leave them, probably at Twilight's suggestion and Time's agreement. His boots threatened to get stuck in the mud and he feared his dwindling strength would have him unable to pull them from the sucking sludge, but he had the strength for now.
He heard Twilight mutter to Warriors. "Look, yer not wrong, the Scholar's f'r sure quick t'fight an' his whole personality leaves much to be desired, but none of us wanna listen t'ya two hurlin' insults no matter how much truth is with them."
Warriors groaned lowly. "You better not even try to lecture me, Rancher. I won't start a fight, but I'm not going to just take it."
Twilight backed off, surprisingly. Those two were at each other's throats just as often as Legend was with either of them.
The bubbly kid held back a sob hearing Twilight's--Forest's-- words. Legend trudged through the mud and plastered over the crack in his mask.
He wouldn't let them see how much that hurt.
He didn't kill everyone who came near him, he thought to himself pleadingly. Then names flickered through his mind and the plaster cracked too.
He was too exhausted from the growing fever to actually try and fix it back, it began to pour again and he had to keep moving.
Keep going, Link. He told himself. Keep going, then when they finally say stop we can rest. It'll be fine, just hold out a little while longer... please.
They couldn't make camp early enough. Hyrule found a cave again and Legend went as deep as he could until Time told him to not go that far. He came a bit closer and rolled out his bedroll.
He tucked his two fire rods in the blankets, then promptly collapsed, ignoring the others set up their camp.
He never usually helped, helping meant interacting and interacting risked attachment.
He wouldn't risk getting attached. He just had to hope the heat of the fire rods and the blankets would burn out his growing fever before dawn. With their chatter, they didn't seem to hear him down a health potion before passing out without dinner.
Dawn came and he felt no better, but he wasn't worse. It took way too much energy to get up when he heard the others rousing, it took too much focus to realize the sounds he heard was the others rousing.
He dragged himself to his feet, packed his things away and pulled on his mud covered boots. Nobody bothered him aside waiting at the entrance until they were all gathered, him included, to leave. Sky, as usual, greeted him with a good morning and Hyrule tried to fall into step with him, but a glare and a snap had the other hero retreating to Wild reluctantly.
It was raining the moment they left and continued to rain throughout the whole time.
He wasn't the only one slipping and stumbling through the mud, Four was struggling bad, as was Wind and Sky. Wild seemed to stumble but had a certain step of understanding, like he'd had to do this before, and Hyrule was similar though struggling far more. The three tall heroes, Time, Twilight, and Warriors, still slipped a bit but the knee deep mud for Legend was only halfway up their shins.
He lost his battle with the sickness and he nearly fell, barely catching himself and kneeling.
Distantly, he was aware of someone calling for him to keep moving over the roar of the heavy downpour.
He couldn't stand. His vision was bad and his body was trying to give out. He couldn't stand. He couldn't hardly move.
Come on, Link. Just a couple more hours, you've made it through worse!
Except the worse was fighting Ganon with an infection blossoming. Except the worse had adrenaline pumping through his veins and Raven at his side to help out. Except right now, one step took as much energy as a whole spin attack back then.
He had to stop. He had to breathe--
A hand landed on his shoulder and he flinched, but it tightened before he could fall back.
"Hoarder. Get up," Warriors ordered and it sounded like he was underwater. "There's no way with how much you slept you’re this tired, even the Skyloftian and the Sailor are handling."
Legend wheezed softly. He knew that. He knew he had to stand.
His body wouldn't cooperate, but he managed to smack Warriors' hand away and push against his knees to painstakingly stand.
The blur of green moved away, Warriors going on ahead. He tried to drag a foot ahead again but collapsed again. This time falling face first into the mud was a near thing, only barely avoiding such a fate.
Stand, damnit! He wanted to cry. He couldn't get his body to move, he couldn't find safety. This was why he took sanctuary whenever he got sick, so he wouldn't be a sitting duck.
He hated this. He hated it all. He hated them, those damned heroes, their stupid, stupid idea of correct and good. He hated everyone who left him, everyone who'd abandoned him. He hated himself for being so damned soft and attaching himself way too easily to others.
It wasn't supposed to hurt. Loving people wasn't supposed to hurt. He wasn't supposed to get hurt for caring.
Yet here he was, close to tears because he couldn't stand. Because he couldn't admit to weakness, because being weak meant needing help, and needing help meant letting people come close.
And he was too soft, to quick to care, to let anyone come close and not get attached. He couldn't get attached again, he couldn't lose someone again.
He glanced up briefly, just enough to know none of the blurs were approaching and were in fact moving away. He shakily took out a green potion, took way too long to uncap it and drink some, and used the forced energy to stand again and keep moving.
He'd never had to drink a green potion to keep moving before, but as it turned out, this whole quest was just a mess of "do this" so they wouldn't notice him, so they wouldn't get close, so he wouldn't get attached.
Goddesses, being alone wasn't supposed to hurt.
Legend genuinely didn't know how he made it through that day, but what he did know was that he wasn't getting up from where he had collapsed in the wet cave they'd once again made camp within.
He pressed his burning head against the cold stone and just let out a shuddering breath, eyes slipping shut and staying shut. He had made it to the back of the cave again and Time hadn't yet made him move closer.
He just needed to rest. He had to rest. His whole body ached, his insides twisted, and nausea rolled in his stomach and wound around his throat. He could hardly inhale through his mouth without wanting to throw up, but he couldn't breathe through his nose either, so this was what he had to deal with. He didn't even try with getting out a blanket or his fire rods for some heat, just curled up and hoped to the goddesses it passed tonight because he wasn't getting up until it was.
He slipped asleep quickly, but was startled back awake.
A haze settled over his mind but that didn't prevent the world from shaking and then someone grabbing him, or maybe it was the other way around and the grabbing shook him? He didn't know.
All he knew was that the light of the fire was gone, his body hurt, and he had been tackled or something by someone.
There was talking--no, yelling but he couldn't bring himself to actually process the words.
He just blinked dazedly up at the darkness and the barely-visible silhouette above him, they were shaking him. His brain rattled in his skull and the shaking grew painful fast.
"--t! Link! Come on, wake up--"
He whimpered. "St'p... 'urts."
"Oh. Link, hey--" cool hands brushed his face and he inhaled sharply, only to exhale softly. The coolness pulled away fast and he whined at the loss. "Oh Ordona, yer burning up."
The cool hand returned and he managed to lean into it.
"Sweet Ordona, Link, how long have you been sick?" They said, and the sound echoed almost painfully. He tried to curl back up into the ball he had been in before he'd been disturbed.
He slipped back asleep, finally just resting, finally letting the exhaustion take hold.
They'd made camp in a cave again, and Twilight was a bit relieved by that. He was tired of the rain and mud, the hard rock walls was a boon.
They'd made a fire, Wild was just beginning to start it when the ground trembled.
"The ceiling's caving in!" Four yelped, his eyes flashing purple. How he knew that, Twilight really didn't need to know nor did he care to.
They all moved fast, but Twilight spotted Legend still unmoving and curled up deeper into the cave.
"COLLECTOR MOVE!" Hyrule screamed, clearly having seen the same.
The cave ceiling began to break. Twilight ran and he managed to pull Legend deeper into the cave as the ceiling in the area they'd begun camp in collapsed.
Thankfully, the cave in ended far enough back that Twilight got them far enough away. He just had to hope the others got out on the other side.
To his absolute surprise, Legend had barely startled at the tackle and was currently limp beside him. Twilight's night vision was improved due to being attuned to his wolf form, but it was not perfect.
Legend's eyes fluttered open part way, half lidded and looking dazedly.
"Collector?" Twilight prompted, hoping the other hero didn't have a concussion. "Collector!" He called again when he didn't even respond, shaking his shoulder. "Link! Come on, wake up--"
A whimper, an actual whimper escaped the other hero and Twilight faltered as he heard the quiet plea for it to stop, that it hurt.
"Oh. Link, hey--" Twilight tried to move his bangs to check his eyes, to look for a concussion, but the skin he felt was far too hot for the frigid caves and storms they've been in for the past three days. He'd jerked away from the unexpected heat on instinct before it set in what was going on.
Suddenly it made sense, how quiet Legend had been the past couple days, the way he had struggled to keep up and stand. Twilight had taken it as just having a restless night and being tired, he'd clearly been exhausted the other day with how quickly he'd gone to sleep and he wouldn't have been surprised if he'd been caught unable to fully rest with how soaking wet and cold it had been. However this just... Why didn't he expect someone to get sick with how cold and wet it's been?
"Oh Ordona, yer burning up," he breathed. He placed his hand on Legend's forehead and the collector leaned into it. "Sweet Ordona, Link, how long have you been sick?"
He watched Legend's eyes slip shut and then not open. He'd passed out, oh that was not good.
Twilight tug the smaller hero closer and picked him up. He... He never realized how small Legend was until he had the Scholar curled up in his arms, shaking like a leaf and whimpering.
He delved deeper into the cave, hoping for an escape or at least for the cave to get warmer.
Light Spirits, was he so blind by his own judgment and dislike of a person as to not notice them get so sick they had struggled to stand?
He didn't find an exit but did find an underground river but a dry shore, probably a lot higher of a shore than it normally was considering the amount of rainfall. He managed to set out enough blankets, decently dry, that he thought he could bundle the collector up.
Muttering an apology, he stripped Legend of his soaked clothes, leaving his shorts, and wrapped him tight in four dry blankets. He did take the time to try and clean both their boots of mud, but was careful with Legend's precious Pegasus boots, he knew the Hoarder would kill him if he messed any of his items up.
Then he settled on the dry rock, Legend's bundled form in his arms as he tried to provide what heat he could to lessen the amount of shivering the other hero was doing.
He let himself fall asleep at some point, only to wake up a few hours later with an inkling of light above.
He looked up and there turned out to be an opening in the ceiling, rainwater a steady trickle into the cavern. From what he could tell, he could probably hookshot out, but definitely not with Legend.
So he waited.
Legend was remarkably warmer but he woke up, with the light Twilight could actually see his glassy red eyes fill with confusion.
"Where..."
"It's alright," he murmured on instinct, if Legend was more coherent he probably would've been hit. But as it stood, he had someone small and sick in his arms so he acted instinctively, pulling them closer and promising safety. "It'll be alright, just rest, kid. I got you."
Legend twisted a bit, dazed and distant eyes settling on his face. He frowned, and Twilight was struck by how much younger Legend looked when he wasn't glaring and snarling at anyone who neared like an injured animal.
"Oh..." he muttered and he went limp again, curling willingly into Twilight's chest. "It 'urts," he mumbled and Twilight felt his heart constrict.
"I know," he promised. How sick was he? Why didn't he say anything? Was it out of pride? "It'll be alright."
"Where's Ocea'?" The hero in his arms asked and Twilight froze.
Oh goddesses no.
"Apple?" Twilight croaked.
"Mm... yea?"
No, no, no.
"F'rest?" he called, voice weak, and Twilight struggled to breathe out a response.
Legend hummed. "M...M'kay."
No. Twilight felt his blood run cold, his heart beat too fast and too hard, because suddenly everything went extremely wrong. Legend --the group's Collector and Scholar, the harsh, rude, snappy, violent one who had nearly bit Hyrule's head off only that morning-- was Apple, the kid that had broken his leg in Hytopia after slipping off a roof that he'd climbed on a whim. The nine year old kid who sang songs, hummed tunes, who fooled around while Twilight and a younger Wind who they nicknamed "Ocean" did the walking. The same kid who earned his keep and, when given the chance by the two older heroes, absolutely slaughtered any monster in his path so long as he had a blade and a magic rod in his hands.
Legend, the distant, snarling, cold, bully of a hero... was his sweet little brother. Legend was the same kid that had asked Lady Maud nicely to not make Styla wear clothes she didn't like, because he said it was mean to make people do things they didn't like even if someone else was doing something to you that you didn't like. That kid was Legend?
For a moment, Twilight couldn't believe it. There was no way that Legend could be Apple.
Then, he looked at the hero in his arms and the fact he had to be at least ten years older had probably embarked on a third quest after Hytopia...
Twilight's own quest changed him for the better, he'd been a prideful brat of a teenager and became... well he wasn't sure, but he hoped he was a better person now. So who was to say Legend's didn't turn him from a bright kid to a violent and harsh man.
"You weren't supposed to get hurt," Twilight croaked. "You were supposed to go home and be happy."
Legend didn't respond, after all, the collector was out cold. He couldn't give Twilight any explanation for why he was so jaded and... and so angry, why he was so harsh.
"You weren't supposed to get hurt," Twilight repeated weakly, because that sweet, bright little kid was supposed to go home to that aunt he spoke the world of and be happy, not go on another adventure or whatever had happened that turned him into this... broken, cold, harsh hero.
Legend (Dev) and Four (Spectrum) settle into their acting careers as their past selves!
Wind reveals just how well he knows and can recognize people despite differences, ages, etc., Legend is still emotionally compromised when it comes to Hyrule; Wild pre-Calamity is not a totally different from current Wild but now he knows it.
Read On AO3
For mental stability reasons—I will no longer be putting the entire chapters on Tumblr, just A03. Thank y'all for your patience for updates.
Lana is desperate, the war has been going on for a while and she needed someone good. Someone who could help Link beat not just Cia, but also Ganondorf and Volga and all of them.
Who better than the Hero of Legend who killed Ganon four times? Wait a second--That's not the hero, that's a merchant. Second try, surely this time--nope, that's a girl from an island. Third time is the charm, right?
Wind saw that portal forming and he knew it was after his brother. There was no way he was letting it have him.
TLDR: Wind gets yoinked into the War of Eras during the Linked Universe adventure. This results in some emotional struggles, some mischief, found family, and a lot of violence.
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Warnings: Graphic Violence, Implied Attempted Non-Con (Cia and Warriors), Swearing
----
Legend was having a very normal day, thank you. Nothing insane or abnormally absurd (aside from Wild deciding to try and test the group's spice tolerance for literally no reason this time, what the heck, Champion) happened, no ambushes or anything.
They were literally just walking when a portal--a different one than normal, blue and bright and not quite divine in nature, but powerful--tried to rip open.
Wind and Legend had been at the back, and both had spotted the portal. Legend went for his sword on instinct, but Wind shoved him just as the portal lunged at them.
Someone cried out. The portal was gone as quickly as it had formed and Wind with it.
Legend breathed an islander curse, one taught to him by their now missing hero and one he got scolded for saying by a red haired, bird-loving girl.
"What was that?!" Wild demanded, his voice higher than usual.
"Sailor?" Twilight called. As if that wasn't a portal filled to the brim with pure temporal magic, purer than Nayru's Harp.
Legend, still on the ground from getting shoved, stared at the place Wind had been not seconds ago.
He never thought he'd get angry at the protectiveness Wind displayed over him--it was understandable, he had been younger than him when they first met and even if he was older now by about three years, Wind was still his big brother in a way--but in that moment he felt it. Because of that, Wind had been taken alone. At the very least they'd both would've been taken or just Legend.
"You alright, Kit?" Time asked while Warriors tried to calm Twilight, who grew hysterical.
"Y-Yeah," he forced out, taking the offered hand to stand. "Just--" he cursed again, "I wasn't expecting that."
"To be pushed out of the way, or the... ambush?" Time asked, if Legend wasn't still staring at the spot Wind had been he would've noticed the worried look he was given.
"Both, honestly... he doesn't usually do that."
"Sailor, can you hear me?" Wild shook his slate, holding it to the sky to try and get a signal. "Sailor? Link?"
"LINK!" Four was yelling, Twilight transforming and running into the woods, Four giving chase and calling out.
Sky and Hyrule disappeared another way, Wild following them after only a moment.
Wind hadn't been expecting to see a portal--one he had never seen before--appear behind him and Legend. But some part of him told him that it was after his little (older) brother.
He shoved Legend just before the portal tried to snatch him, taking him instead.
It was disorienting, dizzying, and far worse than any of the other portals he had gone through. He internally apologized for every time he complained about any method of transportation, this was worse than taking tornadoes across the Great Sea.
He slammed into the ground and couldn't help but groan into his teeth, keeping silent as he tried to reorient his mind and get aware of his surroundings.
The ground was cold and hard--stone--and he could hear the chittering of bokoblins. He dazedly looked up, staying low and realizing where he was roughly.
A storage room, the light coming from the door meant it was an outdoor storage room, or one connected to a courtyard. Beside him was an overturned, empty barrel.
He heard footsteps, heavy and imbalanced, monster, approach and he quickly scrambled and pulled the barrel over himself. He needed to get a complete grip of himself before he fought if he wanted a good outcome. He could fight dizzy, hell, he has fought concussed before, but it wasn't his favorite thing to do.
Soon enough, he heard the door shut again and the footsteps fade, still hearing the chittering and snarls of monsters.
"Okay," he breathed. He internally thanked the goddesses or whatever it was that Legend and Twilight usually revered for not letting whatever it was that took him get a second try and drop any of his brothers on him.
He had all his supplies, he had a fairy and a red potion healing wise, and a week's rations for two people in case he was separated from Wild and needed food. He had his weapons, he could handle it, he'd be fine.
He had forged his hero's spirit, he could handle anything the world threw at him and he knew it. Besides, sneaking around in a barrel was familiar enough.
He managed to sneak out of the storage room--the door turned out to be a push/pull door and not needing a knob, lucky him--and just froze whenever he heard a monster nearby.
Then he heard distant battle. He rolled his eyes and after getting his balance standing, he shoved the barrel off.
He heard rapid footsteps and turned quickly.
A woman--scary woman, tall, easily taller than Time--with a huge blade stood there. One look at her and he knew she was dangerous, her eyes promised that, and she readied her blade toward him. She had the same symbol that Wild had on his slate, on her face.
He quickly drew the Phantom Sword and Hero's Shield.
There were monsters all around, but they didn't immediately attack. Wind figured that meant this woman was in charge of them. Wild had mentioned that there were some people who used to be Sheikah who betrayed Hyrule and became servants of Ganondorf (or was it Ganon?), he would guess this woman was one of them.
She attacked him first, and she was fast but extremely powerful. Wind yelped, falling back on his feet and fending off powerful, violent, reverberating blows that made his spinning head infinitely worse.
She dented his shield.
Wind evaded her and fought back, focusing on his evasive attacks and slashing at her whenever he could.
He could see her flagging, but he had a feeling he couldn't win this one.
No. He couldn't risk that. He had to get back to his brothers, he had to make sure--
He slammed into the wall as her blade hit his shield and threw him back. She came at him just as quickly as Warriors could lunge right after an attack. He barely blocked his skull in time, only to get hit in the head with his own shield.
His shield cracked. He rolled on the ground, pain flaring through his bruised body.
He couldn't move, he tried but that hit to his head was awful. He couldn't get to his feet.
Damnit, get up, Link! Get up!
He could hear the screeches of the monsters, bokos he's pretty sure, and the sounds of battle echoed. He got to a knee but swayed and almost collapsed again.
It's okay. Twilight's voice rang in his head. Jus' breathe, Ocean. Head injuries are bad, ya can't always push pass them.
He needed to this time. He was dead if he didn't. Better or worse, he could be captured. He had to push past it!
Black pressed at the edges of his vision.
A weight settled on his shoulder and he froze a whole moment late, seeing the weapon he had been fending off moments before.
"Stand down." The woman's voice sounded underwater.
He grabbed his sword, shaking and he tried to channel his Triforce. Legend said it would help them if they used it.
He could feel its strength flare through him, giving him the briefest moment of clarity and stability.
He slashed at her, throwing himself forward at the same time as she jumped back. She dodged his first slash, but had to block his second.
Be fast, begin your next move while you are doing your current one. Warriors' advice rang through his head, his Triforce flared once more as he cut the woman's side.
She landed one more hit and sent him flying across the stone courtyard.
He was out before he hit the ground.
Quiet chatter, wary sounds, distant grinding and warm laughter.
His body felt heavy, but not hurt. Something scratchy was over him, he felt it on his arms and his hands.
When he pried his eyes open, the soft light of a candlelit lantern greeted him. It took him a moment to adjust and focus, seeing multiple other beds, most of them occupied, and the woman who he fought talking with someone in a white tunic and chain mail armor beneath it. Beside her was...
"Cap'n," he murmured, not even loud enough to travel to them. None of them heard him, clearly, but he did get a better look.
That wasn't Warriors. That was a seventeen year old soldier, it looked like Warriors sure, but distinctly younger, face completely impassive and blank, lacking the scar along his jaw that Wind was familiar with.
Time travel. Wars' quest involved a lot of time travel and people displaced from their times.
He let out a soft breath. If that was where and when he was, he would be fine. He just had to convince them he wasn't against them, and considering the cuff around his left wrist, they didn't know that.
He sat up, noting his head didn't hurt anymore. They healed him, nice.
"You know," he spoke up, keeping his voice light enough that it wouldn't bother the injured soldiers sleeping around the tent, "it's rude to ignore your guests."
The woman who had beat him up turned and glared at him, mini Warriors gave a confused look, and the medic made a surprised noise.
"Who said you were a guest?" The woman asked.
"I did," he replied, grinning at them as he propped his chin on his fist. "Considering someone here snatched me from my time, and considering you attacked me without reason, I'd say that gives me at minimum guest status. How's the war going?"
They stared at him.
"If you truly are displaced in time," the woman said lowly, eyes narrowing. "You would not know of the war."
Wind gave her a wry smirk. "But I do. How about this? My name's Link and I'm the Hero of Winds." He looked at Mini Wars. "I know that my story is still told in this era."
They stared at him.
"Captain," the woman looked at Mini Wars, "bring Lana here, and the kid, he said he could sense your shared spirits?"
Mini Wars nodded and Wind only just noticed the fairy beside him.
"Yes, General," the fairy said and Mini Wars left the tent. The woman approached Wind and he met her eyes unflinchingly.
"You are a skilled fighter," she said. "You fight like a Sheikah."
"I fight like my older brother, who was trained by a Sheikah, the royal army, and someone else he met when he was younger."
He studied her, she was strong, he experienced that firsthand. If she was acknowledging his skill after fighting him concussed, he wondered if he could win in a fair fight. Unlikely, but he'd do better.
"You've experienced time travel before," she stated.
He nodded. "Yeah, and I'll tell you that your portals fucking suck. Even a lizard could do better."
"Excuse me?!" A woman with bright blue hair had just entered the tent. "My portals do not suck!"
"Lady Lana--"
"Yea, they do." Wind argued, noticing a syringe on the table beside him. "Your portals are worse than flying across the ocean on a fucking tornado."
She made an affronted noise, the tent door swished aside as Mini Wars reentered with... a kid.
At first glance, he was reminded of Apple. Second glance, the kid couldn't have looked less like his little brother. Brighter hair, same shade and style's as Time's, a familiar green cap but also a yellow mask on the side of his head... a mask that Time had shown them before. He looked young, younger than Wind even, but his eyes...
He was tired, he had experienced a lot and his confident stance, his dangerous, angry eyes, the way he met Wind's eyes...
"He doesn't have it," the kid declared. "He doesn't have our spirit."
"Of course I don't," he spoke up, gaining their attention again. He didn't look away from the kid's eyes. "You have it. I don't need your special little spirit to be a hero, I forged my own. I made myself the hero when nobody else could."
He was honestly surprised nobody noticed, but he held up his unlocked, picked cuff that no longer clasped around his wrist.
"So, why don’t we talk about how I can help you guys in this war of yours, and you can make sure I get back right to the place and time I left when it's over. I was a bit busy."
"So you are not the famed Hero of Legend?" Lana asked him when they finally sat down to have an actually civil conversation. "The hero who slayed Ganon multiple times?"
"No, but we've met and if you try to drag him into this then we will have a problem," Wind warned her, glaring.
"We are seeking additional support and power," Lana argued.
"And you got me, try and touch my brothers and we'll actually start having problems," Wind retorted, standing from his chair.
Lana glared at him. "Fine." She held her hands up. "You are a renowned hero, I suppose you will suffice... even if you are young."
"I killed Ganondorf by driving my sword through his skull," Wind spat. "I can handle a war."
"If you say so," she sighed. "It has already been ongoing for a year."
Wind hummed. "Good thing I'm a fast learner."
The war apparently picked up soon after Wind arrived. Battles taking place near daily, monsters sieging military camps and towns. Wind found himself fighting beside Link and Mask, who he internally dubbed Mini Wars and Mini Time.
Both were skilled, Mask more than Link, but Link was... He needed help. After a particularly brutal battle not a week after Wind arrived--he hadn't had any time to talk to anyone, he had seen Legend's merchant friend, a familiar wolf who gave him a knowing look--he decided to make Link learn how to fight faster.
He was surprised Impa hadn't taught him it by now, but she seemed busy and everything Link did screamed 'soldier' in a way Wild did on bad days.
"You move too slow," he told Link after they left Mask in the medical wing.
Link flinched, it was hard to notice but Wind could read Legend and Time and compared to them, this kid was as obvious as Aryll.
"You fight like a soldier," Wind corrected before Proxi could yell at him for Link. "You fight like you have people at your side, giving blows when you’re planning your next move."
He frowned.
"Link is a soldier," Proxi said, fluttering in front of Wind scoldingly.
Wind rolled his eyes. "Yes, he is. But the thing is, he's expected to be a hero." He met Link's eyes. "People won't think to fight beside you and cover your mistakes." Sky had said that it was hard to adjust when he began to fight with the other knights. "You have to cover yourself, you have to follow up yourself."
There was a deep rooted sadness, a plea that Wind couldn't decipher in his eyes, and Link nodded.
"How?" Proxi asked.
Wind thought about it and recalled the clearing outside the camp.
"We'll train," he said. He recalled what Warriors had told him once. "You can't fight and expect to think at the same time, especially when you fight alone. You have to always be moving." He headed for the clearing, close enough to camp they weren't missing, but far enough nobody should see them. "My older brother taught me how to fight like a Sheikah," he informed them, "so I'll show you how to do the same, and then we'll see if Impa can help us get better."
"Us?" Proxi asked.
"Eh, I don’t mind learning more."
Between battles, Link--through Proxi--asked Wind to train more, especially after bad battles. Mask started following and throw in in advice, but neither Wind nor Link fought with heavy, two handed weapons like Mask did. So his advice wasn't bad, just didn't go very far.
Wind found himself missing his brothers fast. It was like Hytopia all over again, but this time he had them right there... they just didn't know him yet.
He slipped away from the camp at the end of the second week in this war and ten consecutive battles, and he found a spot to just sit.
He found himself humming, not quite singing but the wind sang with him. Trees rustling to the tune.
He felt someone disturb the breeze and looked over to see Wolfie padding over.
"Hey, Forest," he murmured. Wolfie lowered himself beside him. "Can't change back?"
He boofed.
"Good," he sighed. "I know you hate that... goddesses, when are you? Have you met the captain before?"
Wolfie bobbed his head in a nod.
"Okay, have you finished that quest?"
Wolfie boofed softly.
Wind hummed. "You’re older then... are you even displaced? You live until the Champion's era, right?"
Wolfie gave him a look and Wind wasn't sure how off he was.
"So Midna's displaced. Does she think you’re displaced?"
Wolfie nodded again.
"That must suck ass," Wind laughed, he knew it came out bitter but oh well, he couldn't keep face at the moment. His brother was doomed to live millennia beyond his time, they didn't even know if he'd finally rest after Wild, just that he would be there until him.
They fell silent and he messed with the winds, letting a soft song that he used to hear Wild hum all the time ring through the trees and between the branches and grass.
He buried his face against his knees, just trying to stop thinking. The worst part was that he was hardly anytime into this thing. Warriors said once the war had gone on three years. Time said it was the shortest three years of his life, which both Four and Legend had gotten upset over because how could a stretch of time take longer or shorter than another?
He was two weeks into this, and he was tired. He wanted his brothers back but they were right there.
The wind that brushed over Wolfie suddenly ran into something else. Wind didn't get the chance to look up before he was pulled into strong arms.
"I can't stay like this long, Sailor," Twilight murmured quietly. "They can't know 'bout me."
He wanted to cry. "I want to go back."
"I know, it'll be okay though," Twilight promised. "I'm right here, an' so's the Captain and the Old Man."
Wind laughed. "Ain't much of an old man, isn't he?"
"No, never really has been," Twilight said and Wind was certain there was something deeper to his words. "Alright. Listen to me, Ocean." Wind met his eyes and noticed the blue was much, much sharper than before. "Yer a hero, if you could remake the Triforce you can win a war." He laughed a bit. "You can train our Cap'n into the warrior we meet."
Wind swallowed and nodded.
"I'm gonna to change back now, an' I'm gonna go back to Midna, she ain't gonna be happy I left in the first place, but you come find me if you need me... I think ya'll be fine though."
Wind hugged him one more time before he transformed back into Wolfie.
"Link!" He jumped and saw Mask climbing over a log from the camp. He was glaring at him. "What are you doing out here?"
Wind looked to Twilight, but he was gone, he had disappeared.
"Just..." Wind trailed off. "Thinking."
Mask scoffed. "Right. Well the big Link wants to talk to you about you being here."
He tilted his head. "What do you mean?"
"You’re what, fourteen?"
Wind nodded.
"It's not legal to do anything as a kid here," Mask spat, "anything important at least. He's eighteen, almost nineteen. He had to fucking adopt me when I showed up so I could legally help in this stupid, fucking war that dragged me from my time. I'm guessing that's what he's going to do with you, or if you don’t like him, someone else from here and an adult will need to or you have to go to some orphanage 'til the war's over."
Wind stared, in part of what he said and in part of what he said. "That's--sorry, aren't you too young to be cursing?" That's what Time always told him.
"Fuck off. I'm older than I look," Mask snapped. "Look, three days can very easily become three years, that's all I got to say on that."
Wind blinked, then he shrugged. "Fair enough. But either way, their laws on kids is utter bullshit. I've fought Ganondorf, I killed Ganondorf, I sailed across the entire ocean when I was twelve!"
"And I've killed Ganondorf twice, and I fought the moon," Mask said bluntly, "they don’t care."
He groaned. "Fine. Fine! If it makes things easier, I don't mind the Captain adopting me."
Mask made a face--he must get better at controlling his face in the future--and Wind could tell he didn't like that.
He frowned. "Unless you don’t like that."
"I didn't say I did, fucking--"
"You didn't need to." Wind realized even if he claimed to be older than he looked, he was definitely still a kid. "Do we need to go back now?"
"No..."
"Why don’t you join me then?" Wind gestured to the forest floor beside him. "I was listening to music."
"What music?"
Wind grinned. "Listen."
He twitched his fingers, he didn't need the Wind Waker anymore to control the winds, it was a part of him. Soon, the wind sang around them. A song that Time taught him when he pestered the old man into playing his ocarina--the wooden one, the non-magic one--reverberated around him.
Mask froze, eyes widening as he looked up and listened to the upbeat song. The forest itself seemed to like it. Wind had noticed this particular song did well in forests.
"How..." Mask croaked. "What..."
"My older brother taught me," Wind said and Mask snapped his head toward him. Wind gave him a smile. "He said it's a gate to the past... a past we can't return to, but that doesn't mean it has to be sad, there's a future we can go to instead."
Mask was trembling a bit, his hand rested on his pouch. "Can you make it keep playing?"
Wind smiled and nodded. Mask sat down beside him and just listened.
"Do you know any other songs?" Mask asked, quiet as if he feared disturbing the song that was literally in the airs
Wind orchestrated with his fingers, small, imperceptible movements.
The song changed to the one Tetra taught him, a song she only vaguely remembered as the one her mother sang to her. He learned the whole thing from Legend.
"How... How do you know this one?" Mask asked.
"My best friend taught it to me," he said. "She only knows part of it, her mom sang it to her as a lullaby but she died and now my friend can't remember the whole thing anymore. My little brother knows the whole thing though, he taught me the rest."
"Little brother? How many do you have?"
"Ah, technically I only have a little sister. Blood-wise at least." He smiled up at the sky, thinking of Aryll and teaching her those constellations that shone overhead. "But I've got eight brothers, most older, one of them was younger than me but time travel made him older, he's still my little brother though. I'm not related to them though."
Mask nodded. "So the little brother is who taught you this song?"
"Yeah."
"Is he a prince? Because this song is for the royal family. Ima guess your best friend is your Zelda, we found out both Captain Link and I have a Zelda."
Wind smiled. "Her name is Tetra, actually, but yeah she's my Zelda. As for him... I don't know, if he is, he never told me. He did mention having a sister though."
"Maybe you should've asked," Mask said. "If he is... well, at least I know it's not completely impossible for the goddess to have sons."
Wind had no clue what he meant by that but he left it alone.
The song kept playing through the air, and a moment later, Wind felt Mask fall asleep against his shoulder. He couldn't help but smile softly, brushing curtain bangs aside.
He knew Mask would look like the little kid he clearly was if he just stopped scowling.
He felt someone draw near and he lightened their footsteps to force them to be quieter, and reached for his sword in case it wasn't someone he could trust.
Wolfie entered, ridden by Midna, followed by Link.
"There--"
"Shh," Wind hissed. Midna almost argued but fell quiet when she saw Mask asleep.
Link, who Wind had only seen tense and firm since they... met, lost all tension in his shoulders as he approached.
"He's fine," Wind whisper before Proxi could say a word. "I was playing some tunes and I guess the lullabies were too good."
"Tunes?" Link repeated, smiling softly and Wind startled a bit at hearing his voice. "Odd word. Suits you."
He stared at him for only a moment before smiling. "Thanks... I guess." He glanced at Mask, then at Link. "I think you'll have better luck taking him to bed than I will."
Link hummed. "Thank you, Tune."
Tune. He liked that.
"It's nothing," he promised quietly. "Kid needs his sleep."
Link laughed quietly. He reached over and Tune clapped silently when he managed to pick up Mask without waking the kid. Link rolled his eyes and lightly kicked him.
"Come on," he whispered, "you need sleep too."
Tune grinned at him and bounced up to his feet. He was about to retort when Mask shifted in Link's arms. They froze.
Tune mimed zipping his lips shut and Link nodded. They left the clearing and Tune flicked his fingers to bring the lullaby back to the air, Midna and Wolfie followed them while Proxi settled on Link's head.
Midna floated around Link to coo mockingly at Mask, he gave her a pointed look. Tune smiled softly as Proxi hissed warnings at Midna.
He startled when Wolfie nosed his hand. Then he just smiled and pet his head for a second, not enough to be petting him, but as an acknowledgment.
He wasn't alone. He had his brothers here. Some a bit younger--some a lot younger, and some much, much older, but they were still his brothers.
He wondered how long he'd be gone from the quest... he wondered if he'd ever return.
Warriors glared at the fire after everyone gathered again. They spent the whole day searching on the off chance that Wind had only been displaced in space and not time.
"Maybe we're not going far enough?" Sky tried.
"He should be getting a signal from my slate," Wild sighed. "He could call me all the way from Lurelin when I was in the Akkala Research Lab. Opposite sides of the country."
"I..." Sky sighed, dropping his head into his hands.
"Can I cook?" Legend asked suddenly. Warriors looked over at their veteran, who had hardly said a word since Wind was taken. He was flexing his hands and fidgeting.
Wild handed over his slate and Warriors shifted away from the fire as Legend knelt by it.
"What even happened?" Four wondered aloud. "That portal had a purpose. It wanted one of us, obviously, and Wind was just the one who it got. But why?"
Warriors wondered that too. It had looked a lot like Lana's and Cia's portals, but the war was over, Lana didn't do portals and Cia was gone. Nobody could form those portals anymore, so obviously that wasn't it.
An hour later, they were eating cookies.
Nobody knew how Legend made cookies in a cooking pot, but none of them decided to question it. Though Warriors was a bit concerned when he saw the veteran handing Wild a... a whole pie?
Tune was fifteen and staring at the carnage of their camp.
No, they weren't post battle, but he almost wished they were.
"Why?" He asked, voice strained.
Mask grinned at him. "Because."
"You dyed Impa's hair bright green."
"Yep."
"She's going to kill you."
"She doesn't know it was me."
Tune inhaled carefully. "Look, kid, I--Never mind. Just, next time get that guy who told Link--"
"That all he is is a pretty face?" A hysterical scream echoed through the camp as Mask's grin grew. "I already did."
Tune looked over and lo and behold, a soldier was on fire.
"Good job," he said. Mask grinned brighter and he disappeared to oceans knew where.
Tune didn't know how Link couldn't tell it was Mask responsible for those incidents--Tune called them Mask Incidents--but he didn't and it was the funniest thing ever.
Mask hoped the war wouldn't end some days, the nice days, the ones he could pull tricks on Link and run off with Tune only for Midna and Wolfie to drag them back.
Other days, he almost wished he was back in Termina, at least it never got that bad there.
He never knew where Tune stood on that scale, he knew his big brother fellow hero missed his brothers and his family back home, but Tune never seemed to show that.
He noticed him start drawing, and for the first few months, Tune's scrapped sketches that Mask never got full view of were thrown into a fire. Almost an entire year went by like that until Tune stopped and then would hug his sketchbook to his chest.
Mask never thought Tune could be sad, not truly sad. He'd seen the older kid get mad, usually when someone was hurt, he'd seen him happy and everything else. Never upset or sad.
Not until one late night he woke up to screaming and crying.
Mask shot up. He saw the swish of Link's scarf and then saw the source of the screaming in Tune, who was now just sobbing in his bed.
Mask had felt fear before, but not often for another person. Usually he was the one in danger, this war had changed that to an extent but still.
In that moment, he feared to his core that Tune had been poisoned in the night or something. He scrambled up as Link wrapped Tune up in his scarf.
"Shh--it's okay, you’re okay, it's alright, Link," Link murmured softly into Tune's temple. Tune sobbed and cling to him.
It clicked. A nightmare.
"Please," Tune begged.
"Its okay. We're right here. Mask is with us, I got you, you’re right here. It's okay," Link promised. "You’re okay. It's okay."
"It's not," Tune sobbed. "I want to go back."
Mask frowned. What?
"I know," Link promised, and that just cut Mask deeper. "It'll happen eventually, don't worry, it'll be alright."
Several more minutes of crying and quiet platitudes, Link didn't talk to anyone except for Tune and Mask much and Mask almost worried all the talking would hurt his throat as bad as Tune's sounded.
Then Tune went quiet, his shaking slowly ceased. Link wrapped him tighter in his big scarf and looked over at Mask.
Link frowned. "Sprite? Are you okay?"
"Huh?" Mask blinked, startling as he felt a tear fall. "I-I'm fine!"
"C'mere," he said softly. "We'll have a cuddle pile."
Mask huffed but he climbed onto Tune's bed with them.
"What's on your mind, Sprite?" Link asked quietly.
Mask sighed. "He wants to leave us."
Link squeezed his arm. "It's not that, it's... it's not us, it's them. You know he loves us, he's adopted you just as much as I have at this point." Mask snorted. "It's just... he misses those siblings he talks about all the time."
"But we're right here," Mask insisted, letting Link pull him close and feeling his interrupted sleep tug on him.
"I know, Sprite," Link whispered against his head. "I know, but we only miss what we don't have."
Tune was sixteen and staring at his Sheikah stone. He had tried to call Wild maybe a thousand times since he ended up here.
He was exactly sixteen, actually... it was his birthday. He was officially the same age as Four.
He had spent hours and hours learning how to draw well, and it got him a sketchbook full of pictures of the others. He stared at the group picture he'd drawn, then flicked a few pages, tracing the dark lines of Wild's scars, Four's eyes, Hyrule's ears, Legend's smirk, Twilight's tattoo, Time's nose, Warriors' smile.
He was so engrossed in memories he didn't even notice someone sit beside him until they spoke.
"Is that Captain Link? You messed up, he doesn't have a scar there." Mask pointed at the scar against Warriors' neck.
Tune jerked his sketchbook back against his chest, hiding the drawings from the kid.
Mask gave him a narrowed eyed look. "What? You've shown me your stuff before."
"Not them," he said, clutching his sketchbook tight. "Look, I... It's not our Link, that's my older brother."
Mask stared at him. "He looks a lot like Link."
"I know," Tune let out a strained, bitter laugh. "Oh trust me, I know."
He frowned. "Does... Does that bother you?" His words were careful and very strained. It didn't take a Mask expert to know he was uncomfortable with saying them.
Tune snorted. "Don’t hurt yourself. We both know that comfort ain't your thing."
Mask huffed. "Oh fuck off. I'm trying."
Tune laughed a bit. He trailed off, the dancing and crackling fire almost letting him pretend he was in a very different camp.
"A little bit," he admitted. "Sometimes I'll... Sometimes I look over and I think it's him, I think it's my brother--and yeah, Link is my brother, adoption or not. I wouldn't trade either of you for anything, I just.." he sighed. "I miss them. I miss Aryll and Tetra and my Grandma. Aryll's almost fourteen now."
"How... How old are you?"
Tune looked at the sky. "Sixteen."
"Wait really? As of when?"
He smiled sadly. "Today."
Mask made an affronted noise. "And you didn't say anything?! Okay, no more moping!" He grabbed Tune's arm and dragged him up. "Link!"
They had a whole, thrown together party after the others found out it was Tune's birthday. Between Marin's familiar islander singing and dancing, Ravio's ability to just have everything you need when you need it, and everyone else's just...
It was a good night; a good birthday.
Tune searched the battlefield, the blood and carnage around them, and more particularly, Link's absence.
"Mask!" He barked, turning the corner of the dark palace and spotting the young hero stumbling back after prying his sword free of a ribcage. "Where's the Captain?"
"He chased Cia somewhere," Mask spat, glaring at the bodies. He fixed his Keaton mask on the side of his head. "I couldn't keep up with all the monsters."
With Cia? Tune cursed Link's insistence on keeping Mask out of the loop on what Cia really wanted, even if he wholeheartedly understood and agreed.
"Which way?" He demanded.
Mask gestured down the hall. "That way, don't know from there."
"Keep up," Tune snapped. He pulled the Wind Waker from his pouch, he'd need the--what did Legend call it, a focus?--extra help from the baton. He extended his senses into the wind and blew it outward, running down the hall.
A moblin was blasted out a window and he finally sensed where Link--and Cia--was.
He stopped by a broken window, eyes narrowing. "They're on the top floor. Get there fast, I'm taking a shortcut."
"A shortcut? How--TUNE!"
A tornado flung him out the window and up into the sky.
He spotted the large windows to the top floor, and as they drew closer he could see the glint of Link's sword, the Master Sword, on the ground. He twisted in air and shattered the window as he dove right through it.
Cia snarled as she stepped away from Link, who was on the ground with his back against the wall.
"You little brats--"
"Get the fuck away from him!" Tune lunged at her. She cursed violently, stumbling back and swinging her wand at him. He batted it aside with his shield and tried to slash at her.
Between their anger, neither was quite losing to the other until Tune finally took a hit and wasn't able to get away before Cia grabbed him by the chin.
Link screamed. "No!"
Tune had never heard Link speak outside of safe moments between mostly just the three of them.
Tune froze with the wand pointed at his chest. "You’re... You’re not a hero," she said. "You lack that gorgeous immortal spirit."
"No. No--Stop it Cia!" Link begged, getting to his feet. "Let him go, please!"
Tune snarled. "My spirit is my own. I made it. You can go fuck yourself."
"Please," Link all but whimpered, "please, let him go."
Cia grinned slowly, her eyes slipping to Link.
Tune didn't let her keep her eyes on him long. He kicked her exposed stomach, kneeing the wand in the process. She gasped, falling back and he lunged right at her.
She fell back, but he had the advantage suddenly and she couldn't handle it.
Tune snarled when she used her magic and vanished. But that wasn't what was important.
He turned quickly and ran over to Link, sheathing his sword on his back.
"Link! Are you okay? Are you hurt? Did she touch you?" Tune demanded, Link collapsed back to the ground, shaking.
Link made a strangled noise. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. It's all my fault--"
"No." Tune knelt down in front of him, ignoring the pain flaring through his knee. "No, don't you say that. You didn't ask for this--Link, look at me," he lowered himself to force Link to meet his eyes, "look at me. You didn't ask for this, you didn't ask for any of this. Now talk to me, are you hurt? Did she touch you?"
Link slowly lifted his chin and moved his hand away from his neck. Tune saw the line of blood from the edge of his jaw down to his collarbone.
He pulled out a cloth and a red potion from his pouch, uncorking the potion and letting Link handle drinking it and holding the cloth to the cut.
"Alright, let's go," Tune said softly. "We're going to find Mask and go back to camp, you’re going to clean up and rest, we'll keep watch."
"You need rest too," Link protested weakly.
"I've stayed up longer," Tune promised. "Trust me, I'll rest later. Do you want a hand?"
Link shook his head. Tune nodded and got up, he went and gathered Link's sword and shield as the captain stood unsteadily. He handed the weapons over and led the way out.
Mask was running around the corner just in time.
"You missed it!" Tune teased him. "Too slow I guess."
"You left me!" Mask shoved him. "Brat."
"Older than you."
"I'll kill you."
"And get left behind again?"
Tune kept Mask effectively distracted as they got back to the ended battle and then to camp.
Getting Midna and Wolfie to continue distracting Mask was easy, Tune left with Link and began his vigil for the shaking teenager.
"TUNE!" Mask screamed.
Tune rolled across the rocky battlefield, pain shooting through his head and body.
The battle had been going on for what felt like weeks but was probably only a day or two. It didn't matter either way, Tune had made a mistake that may be costing him his life.
He couldn't get up. He couldn't see. His left arm was broken for sure, he had no chance--
He felt the ground shake as the heavy monster he had been fighting lumbered toward him.
He shouldn't have messed that one up. He could handle big monsters, that was how he handled things. He used his size to his advantage. It shouldn't have caught him but a blade had caught his face right before the thing's mace caught his side.
Now he was laying injured on a battlefield without any support nearby. He was so dead.
An apology went out to the stars, a plea for his families to know he wouldn't come back.
His vision was already dark, but even then it slipped away as unconsciousness took hold.
Link hadn't expected Tune to be the first one down that day, but he heard Mask scream at the same moment he heard the cracking of bones. He saw Tune tumble across the battlefield.
He rushed to get close, but he couldn't manage it.
A burst of power fell over the field, a flicker of Lana's magic too, and Link saw the Fierce Deity unleash its and Mask's fury onto the battlefield.
He ran to get to Tune, slashing through the hordes, but when he reached the area, someone was already there and fending off the horde.
A teenaged girl wielding a cutlass was standing over Tune, Lana's magic around her and her unsteady movements showed she had only just been brought here, Link had thought Lana agreed not to displace more people, but he wouldn't complain when this girl was the only reason he could hope that Tune wasn't dead.
He fought his way to them as Fierce Deity cleared the rest of the field in minutes. The girl turned on him, raising her cutlass.
He halted and held his hands up.
"Who the hell are you and why the fuck is Link hurt?" She demanded.
Proxi flew forward. "We're trying to help him, he's our friend and a dark stalmaster got the drop on him!"
The girl hesitated. "Do you have healing supplies?"
Link nodded.
She moved aside and Link rushed to Tune's side. He called a healing fairy while pouring his water onto a clean cloth and wiping at Tune's blood-covered face.
The girl inhaled sharply. "Great Oceans," she breathed, "Link..."
Link couldn't blame her. Tune's eye was gone. The healing fairy murmured her apologies but she couldn't restore his eye. Otherwise, she healed him, even the broken arm, and he'd wake soon.
Link cleaned the blood from Tune's face. Closing the eye again.
"I... He'll need an eyepatch," the girl said. "To keep things from getting into it."
Link felt the power oppressing the field fade, he looked over and saw the Fierce Deity vanish...
Mask collapsed.
"Mask!" Proxi cried. "Watch him!" She ordered the girl.
Knowing a friend of Tune's was watching him, Link ran to Mask's side.
How had this battle gone so wrong that both his little brothers were hurt? Why was Mask's face covered in blood too?
He skidded across the dirt and pulled Mask into his arms. He shouldn't be injured, Fierce Deity swore to Link once that any harm that comes to Mask is only from the transformation itself, never anything else.
So why was blood gushing from Mask's eye when he hadn't been injured like that before he put on the mask? Why was he passed out?
Link looked over and saw the girl helping Tune to his feet. Tune wobbled a bit, but he was clearly distracted as he just stared at her.
Link shifted his hand to his sword, ready to run to Tune's aid in case this girl wasn't the ally he assumed she was--
Tune tackled her with a cry. "Tetra!"
Tune was a completely different person with Tetra around, Link noticed. Not in a bad or weird way, he just... seemed happier.
Mask was quiet for several days after that battle. His eye was white now, and he had colorful markings on his face. But when Tune was finally allowed to introduce Tetra to the kid, the two teenagers got Mask right back to high spirits.
It felt like ages since the day they both lost an eye, but Tune was glad they were able to make up for each other's blind spots. He was panting, breathing heavily as he and Mask searched for their next opponent yet.
A flash of white came and Mask was lowering his Fierce Deity mask, Tune tensed at seeing the familiar markings on his face and scar over his eye.
"Link!" Tetra jogged over with Midna and Wolfie in tow. "Is it over?"
"Not sure," Tune said. "We should go find the Captain. He'd be at the center of anything if it's not."
They nodded.
Soon enough, they did find Link, and they found Lana holding Cia's unmoving form.
The moment Tune met Lana's eyes, he knew. He grabbed Tetra's hand. She startled and shot him a glare but didn't pull away.
Tune looked over at Mask beside him, at how different he was since they first met. He was a decent bit taller now but not yet even taller than Tune. He was fifteen, Tune knew, the three years of war and three years in Termina put his mental age a year younger than Tune. Physically though, he was only twelve.
He tried to commit the kid he knows to memory. His face, the still red scar over his eye, the lack of sight in that same eye, the markings... the softer look he didn't have when they first met. He wasn't as jaded and exhausted anymore.
"Mask! Tune!" Link ran over to them. "Are you guys okay?"
"We're fine," Mask said dismissively. "What about you?"
"I'm okay," Link promised. Tune was proud of how much he grew since they met, how much more he spoke. "It's--"
"Link," Tune spoke, letting go of Tetra to move forward. "We're leaving."
Mask spun to look at him. "What?!"
Link stared.
Tune nodded to Lana, who was pressing her forehead to Cia's and not looking at them yet, whispering something.
"It's time for us to return," Tune said quietly. "Their magic is growing right now, I can feel it, can't you?"
Mask stared, then tears bubbled in his eyes. "I..."
"Yeah," Tune said. "We're leaving soon." He stepped closer. "I'll see you soon."
"Don’t say that," Link whispered and he pulled Tune into a hug, Mask too.
"Time's a weird thing, Captain," Tune laughed. "Who knows, maybe Mask here will be the oldest of us next time."
"I hope not," Mask grumbled. "I like being the youngest, even if being a kid sucks ass. Being the oldest means responsibility."
Link laughed. "And we all know you hate being responsible," Link teased.
"I... I don’t want to go," Mask admitted.
"I know," Tune sighed. "But hey, isn't there anyone back home you'd like to see again? An old friend, someone who helped you out? What about that horse of yours?"
Mask gave him a more vulnerable, sad look than he'd ever seen on the young hero's face. "But you..."
"Here." Tune suddenly pressed his Wind Waker into Mask's hands. "Keep this safe for me. Give it back next time I see you."
"Wha--but--"
"Nope. No arguments. Maybe you'll have some fun with it and the Song of Storms."
Mask clutched the baton to his chest. Link ruffled Tune's hair.
"You’re a good brother," Link told him. "Be safe, okay, sailor?"
Tune grinned. "Of course."
They could all feel the moment Lana and Cia were righting and returning everyone to their times. Tune quickly hugged Wolfie before he grabbed Tetra's hand.
"Wait!" Mask suddenly ran and shoved something wooden into Tune's chest. Tune startled and he stared in shock at the item he was given. He saw Mask wipe a tear from his face. "So--So you know I won't use it anymore."
"Mask--"
"No. Keep it--we'll trade back next time."
Tune laughed softly. "Alright, fine."
Link pulled them both into another hug, he signed a goodbye to the others as well, and Tune clutched the Fierce Deity mask against his chest.
Everyone waved goodbye, and he waved back as the world vanished around him, Tetra included.
Tune knew he was different from how he was before the war. He was older, for one. Two years older.
He looked more like a pirate, eye patch for his right eye, a scar along his lower arm, he couldn't fit his lobster shirt anymore--it got torn up beyond their ability to repair it, but he kept it in case maybe Legend could--but he still kept blue, though it was a darker shade and more of a jacket than a shirt, he thought he looked more like a pirate... the jacket definitely didn't look like Linebeck's either.
As he found himself standing in a forest, alone, he looked down at the mask in his hands, brushing a finger over the markings it shared with his little brother.
He sighed softly, put it away, swiped the tears from his face, and started to look around for any path or sign of hylian or human life.
It was dark before he spotted anything, and that was a fire.
He wandered toward the fire, moving as lightly as possible and not making a sound as he did so.
He came up to a fire where a familiar--painfully so, his art never did them justice, suddenly his heart hurt at seeing them--group of hylians sat around a fire.
He took a breath, backed up, made certain the closest person was Warriors who would attack but would hesitate when he saw him--he trusted that--and he entered the light of the fire.
The camp was quieter than usual. Legend knew exactly why.
Wind was still missing, a week and one new era later, their youngest was still gone.
Legend didn't ever know he could... bake with a cooking pot, but somehow he could and did. He also didn't know that he stress baked still, but apparently yep, that too.
He wasn't sure how to keep morale up either, not anymore. Wind always helped in that regard.
Suddenly he heard branches cracking and someone stumbled into their camp. He grabbed his sword and was ready to attack.
"I have been looking for years--" the newcomer with extremely familiar magic began, "and I still haven't figured out where you got the gall to pretend you're responsible!"
There was a brief moment of silence before Warriors burst into laughter and Time groaned.
Legend blinked. "SAILOR?!"
Warriors cackled louder, Time held his head in his hands, and the newcomer--messy blond hair, an eyepatch over one eye, a dark blue coat with a lobster sewn onto the chest pocket, a huge, familiar smirk--gave Legend a bright smile in replacement of that smirk.
"Knew you'd recognize me, Apple." Wind laughed. "Honestly, how did you convince everyone you’re actually responsible, Mask? Myself included. You're an absolute menace and I have the scars to prove it."
"I never scarred you."
"Mentally you did!"
"Please. You were just as involved."
"Boys."
Sky made a surprised noise as both Time and Wind shut up at Warriors' voice, but Warriors was grinning like an idiot and Legend was so confused.
"Honestly, not even ten seconds back together and you’re causing problems."
"He's the one who set Impa's tent on fire!"
"You--" Time clicked his jaw shut and glared at Wind. "You're lucky I'm an adult now."
"As if that stopped you before," he retorted. He crossed his arms and redirected his gaze to everyone else. "So, it's been two years for me, I can tell you that war sucks and I'm still younger than my little brothers. Someone wanna remind me what shit is going down again? I have no clue what I've forgotten."
"I give up," Four declared, falling back onto the ground. "I think that makes me the youngest now. Yayyyyy."
"I don't even..." Wild trailed off.
Legend couldn't help but agree with all of them.
Twilight looked genuinely exhausted, Sky confused, Time seemed like he very much wasn't the annoyingly vague and mysterious sage person and instead an annoyed kid who got called out, Warriors looked rather content, Four and Wild seemed done, and Hyrule had visibly checked out at some point. Legend felt like he was some mix of all of the above with the exception of Warriors and Time, since they apparently knew what was going on.
He sighed heavily and scooted a bit closer to Twilight. He pat the open ground beside him. "Sit down, update us and we'll update you."
He knew that was the right move as he felt Wind's magic swell and envelop his like a tornado. Wind did sit beside him and immediately launched into a story about how he ended up in some storage room and got beat up by some "badass Sheikah lady" who was apparently Warriors' Impa, and who helped Wind teach Warriors how to fight like he does... because Warriors was the one to teach Wind how to fight that way.
He also talked about how Time was not responsible and was literally faking it til he made it because they put him on a pedestal, and Wind was certain that every time they turned to him for advice, Time internally panicked and gave some vague response to escape it.
He supposed he'd have to get used to it, Wind was back, Ocean was back... and older now. He wasn't so much younger than Legend anymore...
He also had dirt on Time and Legend was looking forward to how things changed from here.
"Hey, Tune."
Everyone glanced at Time as Wind tilted his head.
"Yeah?"
Time threw something at him and Wind caught it. Legend's eyes widened as he saw Wind holding his Wind Waker and smile softly.
"You actually kept it," he said, holding the baton carefully. He grinned at Time. "Thanks. Want your mask back?"
"Keep it safe for me, just a little longer," Time told him.
Wind nodded firmly, a certain look in his eyes as he glanced at his side where his pouch was, as if warning it to stay put.
The chain gets to meet one of their own's sister… Hyrule and Legend also get adopted and neither is complaining.
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The next shift, which arrived before they could reach Hyrule Castle, took them to Warriors' era.
It seemed whatever was throwing them from era to era only brought them to Legend's for him to arrive just when it was too late to save his grandparents.
Legend took about a week to get a hold of himself, then he was able to act as normal again, throwing off most of the group.
He didn't care if it confused some of them, or if they may have thought him heartless for not mourning his grandparents longer. Frankly he let their deaths affect him longer than usual... yeah, he was shoving the pain down until the quest eventually ended so he could break down and adjust himself to all the pain, but... He couldn't risk remaining compromised, emotionally or otherwise.
Epona couldn't cross through the portal, though Legend had anticipated that, and in the few hours between leaving the remnants of his grandparents’ farm and coming to the next portal. In that time, He enchanted an old flute of his with the three whistles from Holodrum as inspiration.
Epona assured him that it was as if the flute rang in her mind and his location was a homing beacon when they tested it. She promised to come find him when he called.
They went through the portal, and on the other side, Warriors claimed the land as his own. Soon enough, they were wandering some small town filled with people who clearly knew their resident hero.
Legend hadn't paid that much mind, his own era's towns were always filled with people who knew him, it came from helping them out all the time.
He lingered at a stall with some magic items, Hyrule pointing to one and asking the merchant about it. They received a decent sales pitch and description of the item. An ancient ring forged in dragon fire with the power to protect the wearer from flames.
Legend noted the magic itself was just basic flame protection and made a comment that it must be expensive if it was so rare, asking if he could see it. He was allowed to hold it, and then they were told it was a thousand rupees.
Hyrule frowned. "You know, that's so odd... See, we're something of magic users ourselves, and that's..."
"That's a basic fire protection charm on a... plain gold ring and those rubies have several visible imperfections," Legend finished. "I'm also a bit of an artisan, so between the two of us, we know our stuff."
Hyrule smiled sharply. "Sorry, give me your name again?"
"Uhh, Ar--"
"Arthur, right!" Hyrule's grin sharpened even more. "Why don't you put some time and effort into being honest and not selling fakes."
Legend snorted as the man tripped over himself to remove the fakes from his stall, and he nodded Hyrule to move on.
"Not bad, Rulie."
"Thanks. I hate liars, there's no way you could even forge anything short of steel in Dragonfire, unenchanted gold would turn to ash!" Hyrule huffed.
Legend snorted. "Not wrong there--"
"Hey! You!" Legend knew that voice. He turned and Linkle was there. "I didn't think you'd be back here! You look a lot better than last time I met you."
"I was half dead last time you met me," Legend deadpanned. Hyrule glanced between them. "Oh! This is Piyoko!"
Piyoko happily let Linkle pick her up.
Link! Link! She's like you! Piyoko declared. Hello, miss!
Linkle grinned. "Hi there!"
Hyrule tapped Legend's shoulder and he looked over. "Oh, this is Linkle. I ran into her last time I was in this era... I didn't actually know it was the captain's but yeah. She helped me out."
"Kid showed up half dead on my doorstep," Linkle said, cradling Piyoko in one arm as she held out her other hand to Hyrule. "You must be one of his time-traveling brothers then?"
Hyrule smiled and nodded. "Yep! Well--We're not brothers, but that's the easiest to say."
"Hey, brothers-in-arms is a term, it's not lying if you don’t specify," she responded. "I'm glad this guy actually has some gear now. Don’t you take after him, kiddo, he showed up on our doorstep covered in blood with only a knife--a single knife--as his defense."
Hyrule snorted. "His magic too, actually. And I'll take after him as much as I want, thank you, ma'am."
Legend rolled his eyes. "First of all, it was mostly monster blood, and secondly, I slaughtered two whole hordes of monsters with that knife and my magic. Also, don't tell him what to do--and you, don't copy me."
Hyrule just had this blinding grin while Linkle rolled her eyes.
"Hordes? Yeah right, gimme numbers over twenty and we can chat--"
"Fifty-seven with horde one, I remember somewhere around three times that, mass wise, with the second, but I also had some help there and I got my hands on a sword part way through."
Linkle whistled appreciatively. "We could've used your help with the war, and if this brother of yours--" Hyrule glowed a bit brighter, Legend noted that his successor definitely liked being connected to him, "--is anything similar, he would've been an asset too. Shameful of y'all not to show up back then."
"Ah, we've been busy."
"Time travel ain't restrictive, now, is it?"
Legend had to give that to her. However, before he could respond, he heard a familiar whistle. Wild was calling them to regroup.
"Ah, we have to go," Hyrule said. "Nice to meet you, miss Linkle."
"Nah, I'll tag along. Can't hurt to meet the rest of the time travelers, Lana would kill me if I didn't," Linkle waved them off. Legend swore he heard that name before, but he shrugged.
Hyrule frowned and looked at Legend, but he shrugged. "Piyoko likes her, and I trust her." As much as he could trust someone he didn't actually know. "Worst comes to worse, we meet with the others and Pretty Boy tries to kill her, so we help."
"One of your brothers are gonna try to kill me?" she asked bluntly.
"If he knows you and you're an enemy, then yeah, and we'd side with him," Legend admitted easily as Piyoko squirmed from Linkle's arms and landed on Legend's shoulder. "But I think you’re a good person so by all means you should be fine."
Linkle sighed. "And here I go, doing the one thing I told Momma I wouldn't do: risk being killed."
Hyrule snorted as they headed off toward in the direction Wild had whistled from. "Okay, no, I like her too. Can we keep her?"
"Eh, sadly she doesn't fit the whole Triforce of Courage, Master Sword, killed Ganon, or is a reincarnation of Sky's previous incarnation, and she wasn't dragged to join us by the goddess, so I don’t think so. Unless she is?" Legend raised an eyebrow at her.
She blinked. "Wait--If those are your "brothers-in-arms" group's requirements then--"
"Vet! Traveler!" Warriors called as they reached a market street. "What took you-- Linkle?!"
"Link! You absolute bastard! You told Ma you were on a sanctioned mission out west! Not some goddess-driven quest!"
Warriors tried to backpedal but Linkle was fast. She grabbed his collar and threw him into a nearby merchant's stall. The merchant, though startled, saw who it was and just sighed heavily... as if this was normal.
"Hey!" Sky reached for his sword.
"No! No--It's fine!" Warriors said quickly, getting up fast. His nose was bleeding, and he was holding it with one hand while his other rapidly waved Sky off. "She's my sister!"
"The sister you lied to!" She screeched. "Oh, Ma is gonna be so pissed! You lied to her! Yer out here time travelin' again an' recruitin' actual children?!" Linkle gestured to Legend and Hyrule, the former of which scooped Piyoko up from where Linkle had dropped her. "You told us it was a damned political venture to re-negotiate borders!"
Legend shared a wide-eyed glance with Hyrule. Then the others seemed equally shaken, yet most of the townsfolk seemed unsurprised, guards included and just gave them a wide berth.
"It was!" Warriors argued. "I just... Got portal-napped on the way and didn't tell you in the letters."
"You said the negotiations were going well in those letters!"
"They might've been! I didn't know!"
"Oh, you--!"
Legend stared with wide eyes as they fought. He leaned toward Wind.
"Is this what having siblings is like?"
Wind snorted. "Oh yeah, only when one of you fucks up."
Legend nodded slowly. Maybe he shouldn't tell Fable...
They watched as Warriors and Linkle argued, fought--bruised and bit arms-- and hurled insults 'til they turned blue. Then at some point their... altercation paused, and Legend decided to put all his bravery to the test to intervene, despite Twilight's and Wind's verbal protests to not.
"Linkle?" Legend entered the five-foot radius everyone gave the siblings.
"What?" She whirled onto him.
He held out Piyoko. "She didn't want to yell."
Link wants you to stop beating up the blue one! Piyoko chirped.
"Hey, snitch," Legend hissed.
"Vet, please put the psycho poultry away--"
"Psycho?! Piyoko is not psycho!" Linkle snarled. "She is an angel!"
"She actually tried to pluck the eyes out of Ganon," Legend admitted.
"Yeah! She actually... she what?" Linkle looked at him confusedly.
Legend grinned. "You heard me. But uhh, it is getting kinda late and I'd rather not be bothering the locals, despite how clearly used to this they are. So, inn and food?
He looked over at Time, who nodded. He seemed a bit surprised but mostly amused.
"Yeah, to the inn and get dinner," Legend repeated then held up Piyoko again, "or I'll sic' her on you and I promise you, she'll win."
Linkle blinked while Warriors just stared. Then the woman grinned. "I like this kid, Link. You found some good ones, but I claim these two."
After a string of particularly nasty battles, resulting in a deficit of healing items, the heroes end up in Legend's era just outside Kakariko.
Only… the supposed relationship Legend has with the town turns out to be just a bit different than what they thought. Warriors especially isn't happy with what he discovers, and he knows Sky and Twilight won't be either.
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Legend had Hyrule slumped against him, his arm looped over his shoulder. The others were staggering behind as he led the way to the closest town and safe settlement despite how much panic it sourced in his head.
His hair was still pink, it hadn't faded since Twilight begged him to change into a bunny while the rancher was sick. He was in his red mail—it was stronger and better protection than his hero's tunic—his hair had grown out significantly—Ravio and Wind like to braid it so he grew it out for them— and he didn't have his contacts in—he lost them in his fight with Yuga.
The panic about his appearance thrummed in his mind as they arrived at Kakariko Village and where it was nestled in the mountainside.
"Is that... Link?"
Legend looked up and spotted the woman who stood at the path, holding a crate of books.
“M—Miss Purah!" He called. "I have wounded, is there—"
"Come!" She said quickly, already rushing further into town. "I'll have the infirmary ready for a dozen."
"There's nine—" he sighed as she disappeared from view. He shook his head.
"Purah?" Wild asked. “I have a Purah too.” His voice was pained, most likely due to the rather deep gash in his side which he couldn’t even rest a bit as he helped Four, who had a broken leg.
"My... An old friend," Legend said. "I grew up in—near Kakariko. Come on. They'll help us."
Please don't let them call the elder.
They filed into the infirmary. Legend made sure everyone got to a bed as the medics quickly began to fuss over them. Just as he got Time into one of the beds, Purah dragged him to the last one and sat him down herself.
She wrapped his bleeding arm in a bandage as they spoke in quiet whispers. She didn't give him a potion—they both knew the elder disapproved of that—but she ran a hand through his hair.
"Link..." she breathed, worry filling her eyes.
"I-I haven't been able to fix it," he whispered. "I became a bunny again and last time it faded to blond but my roots are coming in and—"
"I'll fix it. I'll fix it, Kit," she promised. "Your clothes too, I’m sure I have some spare somewhere. Sahasrahla may be on his way if anyone mentioned your return—"
The door swung open.
Legend knew who it was before he even looked, it was the way the door was opened, the way they stepped into the room with a step, step-thud. Purah shifted to block him, but they both knew it was no use.
"Ah. Link."
Legend forced himself off the medical bed—ignoring both Twilight and Warriors telling him to not to—and dropped down on one knee, propping an arm on it and bowing his head.
"Elder Sahasrahla," he greeted blankly.
He didn't hear a response, but he also wasn't given permission to stand. Pain burned through him, his rib was still injured and his knee in bad condition too, his—Purah hadn't had time to help him bind it, but that wasn't something Sahasrahla would care about.
"So who are our guests?" Sahasrahla asked, moving further into the infirmary. Legend didn't dare move his ears to listen easier, keeping them straight back and hearing the medics continue to work with the other heroes. He begged one of them to speak up, knowing he wasn't granted permission to say a word.
"Kit, please," Purah whispered to him as Warriors spoke up and introduced them. "You’re badly hurt."
He barely glanced at her, meeting her worried eyes and saw her reluctantly give in.
The others spoke up, thank the goddesses, and explained the situation to Sahasrahla. They explained the time travel and the portals they all followed, Legend had hoped they'd mention how sometimes they had no choice but to enter a portal, but nobody did and he knew that dug his grave deeper.
Purah slipped a new bracelet over his wrist, almost silently pleading with him not to lose it in their tongue.
Once Sahasrahla was satisfied by the information he was given, he made that clear.
"I see. I will not bother you all any longer, though I must speak with Link."
"No—"
Purah went silent when Legend hit her leg.
"Was there something else you wished to mention, young Purah?"
Legend needed her to stay quiet, but of course she didn’t. "Elder, Link is still injured. He requires healing—"
"Purah," Legend spoke, daring to break his silence. He didn't raise his head. "I'm fine."
"Link—"
"See, he's fine. Let's go, young one."
Legend rose. He nearly fell back again but managed to play it off as bowing again as Sahasrahla left. He forced himself back to his feet and followed without looking any of his companions in the eye.
The villagers looked sad when they saw him, blood soaking the side of his tunic, the slight limp in his step from rolling his ankle on a rock while fending off a monster.
Sahasrahla led him to the elder's home and Legend promptly dropped to a kneel as soon as they entered, hoping his blood didn't drip to the carpet floor.
Sahasrahla moved around him and he held his breath, preparing for the oncoming scolding and pain.
And like clockwork it came. A hand grabbing his hair and forcing him to raise his head.
"What is this?" Sahasrahla hissed. "And amongst heroes too? I do not know why some wore blue, or red and purple in addition to it, or why one wore full armor, but this is not the look of a hero."
He pulled his hair painfully and suddenly he was ten again, fresh after his first adventure.
"This hair must be fixed," the elder said lowly. "Burn this wretched pink out, and cut it too. This is far too long for a hero. And your eyes—"
Link only barely kept his face impassive and kept the tears from forming as Sahasrahla grabbed his chin now, grip punishing, and further forced his face up so he could see his eyes.
"Red is not the color of the hero. Green or blue are his colors, we were kind enough to allow you to choose blue for your eyes. And that goes for your clothing too."
He practically threw Link's face aside, the kid teenager barely managed not to fall over with the force.
"What was that the woman said? You required medical attention? And that cut in your arm... do not think I didn't see your limp either, Link. Tell me."
"My injuries are shallow and unimportant, they will heal by dawn," he forced out.
"Bah!" The elder's cane smacked his face, breaking open his lip. He barely kept himself from making a sound, or reacting to the hit. "You should not have been injured in the first place! You were trained better than that, boy."
"Yes, Elder."
"You will fix your hair, and your eyes, and your clothes. I best see a real hero next time you enter my village."
"Yes, Elder."
"And remind that woman, Purah, that you are nobody to her. Remember, Link. You are a Hylian, an average nobody, you have no ties to this village other than visiting to sell produce."
"Yes, Elder."
He managed to get back to the infirmary without collapsing, but that meant nothing for the moment he reached the bed.
Legend woke up pained, but to his shock, he didn't see the ceiling of the Kakariko inn.
He saw the ceiling of a room he hadn't slept in since he was eight.
It took him a second to realize it, and the moment he did, he shot up.
Any pain that flared through him was promptly ignored as he pushed himself onto his feet and leaned against the tabletop that was once covered in papers and pencils and paints and oils, it still was but far neater and organized.
He knocked over a chair and he knew it, he leaned back against the table, breathing heavily and blinking spots from his eyes.
The door opened and he froze up.
"Schol—Link? Are you alright?" Warriors. The blur of color brought the familiar voice toward him. He shook his head to try and clear the daze of injury and overnight healing.
"Captain?" He had to make sure.
"Yeah—You gave us a bit of a scare there, Scholar," he said and gloved hands guided him to sit on the bed he had near leapt from. "Miss Purah let us stay in her house, she said the old man—the elder, I mean, isn't allowed to enter a home unwelcome no matter his status."
Legend nodded. "It's against tradition, the home is to be protected against all evils, even emotional ones. If someone wished to enter, they can't cause any distress or lead others in the home to feel in danger, and as hosts we had to make sure any guests felt protected."
"The Sheikah are secretive in my time, I didn't know that," Warriors said and finally his vision was fully cleared and he could meet Warriors' eyes. "We need to talk, Link."
Legend grimaced. "Do we?"
"You walked away from the medics while extremely injured. We've had this talk before—"
"I didn't have a choice," Legend snapped, dropping his gaze and avoiding eye contact. "It won't happen again."
"Link," he flinched back from that damned name, Warriors reached out to grasp his arm, "what did that man do to you? You came back with a fresh bruise on your face and a cut on your lip that I know for a fact wasn't there before."
Because Warriors had been the one to check Legend after the fight, because Warriors was their field medic and knew every single injury shown or mentioned.
Legend refused to look at him but Warriors was moving so he'd meet his eyes. What was worse was he met those bright blue—a soft cobalt color, almost metallic or maybe aquatic in shade—eyes, he felt a surge of fear at the reminder of the absence of contacts in his own.
He brought a hand up to cover them, forcing out a breath and ignoring the small flare of pain when he brushed a sensitive bruise.
"Look, the Elder has certain expectations and I—"
"So he did that to you."
"Captain—"
"No. Did he or did he not hit you?"
Legend didn't respond but Warriors pulled his hand down from blocking his eyes. Piercing metallic blue eyes cut through Legend as Warriors forced him to meet his eyes.
"Link—"
"Stop it," he tried. "It's not—It's not a big deal, I know better—"
"Vet, you’re a kid."
"I'm not!"
"You're underaged in every era that has an age of majority!"
Warriors squeezed Legend's shoulders, trying to get the younger hero to just see what he was talking about. He was one of the few people who Legend actually told his age, which was surprising seeing as they were the least close for a while there.
Warriors had seen how dynamics played out from the beginning. Wind and Legend were a pair from the start, likewise Sky and Wild seemed to get along well while Twilight and Four were near inseparable. Warriors had been happy to have his baby brother—even if he wasn't a baby anymore—at his side again, and Time didn't seem to mind sticking closer, besides, his Sprite seemed to have gotten a Sprite of his own as Hyrule always seemed to follow after Time.
As time went on, Warriors had noticed the dynamics shift. Wild gravitated more towards Legend, who also attracted Hyrule into their little trio. Wind latched onto Time. Warriors found himself finding a strong feeling of camaraderie in Twilight and Sky. Four flitted around each group with ease.
And things kept shifting, generally reverting back to their very first pairings, but they came to a balanced mix where everyone was mostly comfortable with everyone.
Yet, it took a long time before Warriors could actually connect with Legend. After he did, it was a night they needed to gather information and they were paired off, that Legend confided his age to Warriors.
The captain never expected their veteran to be seventeen, much less sixteen when they first met and turning seventeen within a couple months of gathering together, but that was the case. It became more obvious with time, but nonetheless, the teenager sitting in front of him was mature beyond his years...
That didn't mean he wasn't still a kid, and people who'd known him since he was little would know that.
Even if he didn't, the elder had no right to strike Legend.
Warriors squeezed Legend's shoulders gently and spoke fast enough that Legend didn't get a chance to argue without interrupting. "I'm not calling you a child, but you’re still a kid and even if you weren't, he has no right to raise a hand to you."
Legend scowled. "It was a cane, first of all—"
Warriors gaped. "A cane?!"
Legend seemed to realized that was not the right thing to say if he wanted Warriors to stop worrying or pushing. "It doesn't matter! It's not a big deal and it was perfectly avoidable if I was just—"
To the captain's surprise, Legend floundered for a moment, scrambling to find words, which was extremely uncharacteristic of their scholar.
"—if I just—I know better than to come to Kakariko like this." He gestured vaguely.
Warriors frowned. "Like what, Link."
He didn't like how Legend recoiled at his own name.
"Like... red and-and... not... not green," he said weakly, trying to hide his head in his hands again but Warriors quickly caught his face in his own hands. He was careful not to touch his injuries, but gently made him look up.
Red. Red like his eyes, dark and deep like rubies, in certain light they looked like fire, lava at the depths of volcanoes, and in other light they glinted like pools of blood.
He brushed his thumb under Legend's eye, gentle and careful. "Red like these?"
Legend grimaced and nodded. "I... I have contacts—I had contacts, blue ones, I lost them when I fought Yuga and Ganon last time but... I-I thought... I hoped I didn't need to replace them."
And if he wasn’t supposed to come here without them, he didn't intend to come back to Kakariko at all.
"Red like your tunic too?" Warriors added, raising an eyebrow and Legend nodded. "Why can't you wear red or let your natural eye color be there?"
He winced. "Because heroes don't look like the shadows they defeat."
"Who told you that?" Warriors asked.
Legend gave him an incredulous look. Warriors sighed.
"Did others than the elder tell you that?"
"Most of the old folk," Legend huffed. "Only Momma and Aunty said I shouldn't need to change to be a hero."
Warriors studied his face, the way his shoulders were drawn in and how he avoided eye contact. The way he spoke, quiet and almost hushed rather than just soft.
"Okay—Listen, your appearance doesn't define how much of a hero you are," Warriors told him firmly, well aware he was being hypocritical. "We can get Sky and everyone else who came before you, whoever they're making you emulate, talk to him and handle this."
"You can't—"
"You've never mentioned a mother before, Link."
Legend flinched again and Warriors wondered if he just shouldn't call him by his name.
"I... I don't have a mother," he corrected himself firmly.
“Then who told you that you didn’t need to change to be a hero?” Warriors needed him to stop holding onto this now-obvious lie he was expected to tell. Someone, the elder, had done something to make Legend deny his own mother. “Kid, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we aren’t exactly the most homogenous group, goddesses, the only ones with blue eyes are the Rancher, Champion, and Sprite. The Sailor has green, Traveler’s and Smithy’s are brown, mine are gray, and the Sky Knight’s, I swear, jump between blue and white.”
Legend snorted. “White? He isn’t the Old Man.”
“There’s a difference there and I stand by my words.” Warriors grinned a bit, he got him to laugh. “My point is, would you expect any of us to change our appearance for the sake of… what? Tradition?”
“No…” He almost smirked at how petulant Legend looked for a moment there. “But that’s—That’s different! You’re all—You…”
“We’re what?”
“You’re hylian,” he near whispered. “I…”
“I’m part Gerudo,” Warriors admitted. “My great grandmother was a Gerudo. Not to mention that the Skyloftian is human, and the Traveler’s half fairy. Kid—“
“But you’re part hylian, both you and the Traveler. Sky founded Hyrule, he’s the Chosen Hero, you think anyone debates whether or not he’s a hero?”
“Why does our blood matter? Why does our heritage matter?” Warriors pressed. “Come on, we both know that you don’t care that much, you’re just trying to justify it. Why are you actually worried about this?”
The long beat of silence that followed proved Warriors was right, the way Legend hunched in on himself.
He whispered something, far too quietly for Warriors to hear much less understand.
“I can’t hear you, kid.”
He glanced at him, then—still quiet, still barely a whisper, but just loud enough that Warriors could hear—repeated himself.
“He said he’d exile them… my mother and my aunt… Aunty could survive, she’s a warrior, we—they’re trained for survival. But Momma…” Legend trailed off. “She’s a scholar, not a warrior, she knows the theory but… Not to mention, Sahasrahla has all of the warriors under his thumb, Sheikah assassins, and if I… if I go too far, he’d send them after them.”
He was being threatened. His kid brother was being threatened, forced into this role by an old guy in power.
Warriors held back his fury to push pink locks back, and guide Legend to stop looking down at his lap to look him in the eyes.
“We won’t let him, you hear me? I’ll take Sky and the Rancher, and we’ll have a talk with him. We won’t hurt him, but we’ll handle it.”
“You’ll handle it?” Legend looked almost scared, eyes going wide and staring at him. "You can't hurt him. He's not--He isn't a bad person, Captain, he's just... set in his ways."
Ignoring that Legend was literally defending his abuser. “We’ll handle it, and I swear, he won't be... physically harmed, I can't vouch he won't take a hit to his ego though." He knew the other two would be absolutely ecstatic to… talk to the elder. “Do you trust me?”
“I do! I do, you’re—Of course, I trust you, all three of you, you’re my—But—you can’t just… Can you?”
He gently squeezed the back of his neck, pulling the younger hero closer and pressing his lips against his forehead. Legend went slack, inhaling sharply.
“We’ll take care of it," he said softly against his forehead, pulling away to look him in the eyes, "just trust me.”
“I… Okay,” Legend nodded slightly, something sad and resigned in his eyes. “Okay. I trust you.”
