Through the Terminal
Requested: nope
Premise: Time deserves to be childish more often
Warnings: none
Words: 940
Extra: AU belongs to @/linkeduniverse I simply put these characters in this situation
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The next second between the whirling portal and the land that lay beyond was spent preparing. While none had stepped foot in their world, only ever being hunted by familiar monsters, nobody wanted to run the risk. Certainly not after the ghost stories shared by open fire. And so, swords were drawn and courage reeled with excitement for what could lie just out of sight. When the Chain stepped through, however, they were met with dry grounds, dead trees, and massive, untouched buildings.
“Does anyone know where we are?” Warriors had asked. Everyone shook their head, except one.
“Time?”
The old man spared no one another glance, instead racing into an abandoned building with a strange sense of purpose not felt in many years.
“Oldie’s finally lost it,” remarked Legends, nudging Traveller with a teasing wink. One would think they’d placed a bet on this before.
Twilight stepped forward, pausing as a wretched scent hit his senses. Wherever they were, it reeked of death and desperation, which was enough of a motive for him to guide the others after the Hero of Time.
Though, that was never his only title, now was it?
Before it all, he was “Mr. No Fairy.”
By the end of time, he was a hero.
By the end of the day, he was a childish scrub. A volcanic beast. An oceanic musician. A fearless captain. A fierce deity.
But most of all, Link had been a friend.
🌑 🌔
🌒 🌕
🌓 🌝
The mere moment the heroes set foot inside that old fortress, they knew something was wrong. Despite the presence of contentness floating throughout the halls, the entire build felt alive. It wasn’t until a cry of panic alerted to them the cause of their discontent.
“Stalfos!”
Sky, among others, was widely accustomed to the boney fiends, though some, like Wild, lagged slightly behind, and the more they did, the more rampant the monsters seemed to rage. One by one, courage fell beneath the hallowed joy of their enemies. Time and time again, the heroes would miss, and in their folie, the Stalfos would laugh and dodge. No matter their simplistic maneuvers, the monsters remained winning, compared to the winded heroes.
Yet, in a moment of despair and frustration, Four knocked out the ribs of one skeleton he had been targeting since the very start.
“Yes!” A fallen hero exclaimed, others cheering as they saw the sudden advantage. As soon as it was gained, however, an unforeseen presence made itself known. With the crest of a captain and the body of a war-torn soldier, the creature stepped past its stalled allies, picking up a discarded knight’s blade. In its ease, it threw the blade into the hands of the wild hero, a hidden encouragement laced in its action.
Swiftly following this action, Warriors and Twilight alike charged for it, yet it made no move, only subtle noise.
Suddenly, the foe in front of them was nothing more than a hollow husk. Empty, and looking just as dismayed as they felt.
“Perhaps I’ll need to personally train you all on defense against magic.” Time’s voice seemed to bounce around them, only it wasn’t in his typical serious tone. There was a hint of jesting.
When the heroes finally caught sight of him, entrapped beneath his arm was the helm of that ghastly general they tried so fearlessly to defeat.
“You killed it,” Sky huffed, catching his breath against a pillar. His relief only lasted so long, as a skeletal shoulder nudged his own, and he had to stifle a scream.
Time only laughed. “You could say that,” then he turned his focus to the Stalfos—no, Stalchildren—urging them to lay off the heroes.
Legend, who was tugging the fire rod away from such a child, was flung backwards upon their sudden release. “What,” he coughed at the intake of dust and other debris he’d rather not think of flooding his lungs. “Just happened?”
Gruffly, a voice boomed from behind him: “Entertainment!”
He couldn’t stifle a shriek.
Though, who could? That was a floating, skeletal head. Despite an arrow being lodged in its left eye (courtesy of Wild), the monstrous thing continued floating, making its way towards Time with a glimmer of glee.
“You were right, young captain, they are certainly masters of their own worlds, just as you are. And as such, they are useless flailing in a realm they have yet to grasp.”
Time nodded, a roll of his eyes being evident at the taunt towards his few days spent here. It wasn’t till Traveller spoke up that all focus shifted back to the broken, weary Chain.
“Wait, wait, wait! So you have been here before.” He tested the waters (or lack there of), continuing only with a smile from the old man.
Wind, in turn, gasped. “Traitor!”
Legend was in quick agreement, alongside Four, and made for his fire rod, though Twilight was quick to freeze that move. “And who are you, skeletal . . . king,” the aforementioned hero tilted his head, curious in a possible further connection between him and his mentor hero.
“Nobody of your time, son,” the head shook, roaring with laughter. “I am Igos du Ikana, last ruling king of the land you have stepped foot upon: Ikana.”
Then the king turned towards the Hero of Time, knocking around his hair as though to ruffle it without hands. “Until this young man came along. He’s healed not just me and my men, but this entire kingdom. And as such, he is a brother to us all.”
Time, for once, looked absolutely embarrassed, which was only bolstered by a unified exclamation of his fellow incarnations.
“WHAT?!”
— 🌙 —
Personal Headcanon in Relation to this Story: Time spent a lot of time post-Majora’s Mask trying to ease the burden of the curse in Ikana. Though he couldn’t break it, the spirits were grateful for his company, and consider him a brother in their struggles, even teaching him old tactics that he still uses in battles today!