#i knew link would snap a pictures of zelda every chance he get

[achiepy]

[wanderleave]

inquiry…girl talk! what is ittt

This was! (Is?) My post-Tears of the Kingdom get out my feelings fic!! I know many other have noticed that while Rauru had no idea who Link was, Sonia knew EXACTLY both WHO he was AND was comfortable teasing Zelda a little about him, and this was my take on how Sonia found out. (I'm going to post everything I've written because the chance of me actually finishing this is fairly low.)

Zelda is pacing in her borrowed room, trying not to think about what is happening in the future, when she hears a soft knock on the door.

Expecting Queen Sonia, who has promised to bring another dress for her to borrow, she instead finds one of Mineru’s constructs, holding the Purah Pad and chiming softly.

“Thank you,” she tells it, as it returns the Pad safely into her hands. She watches as it turns to travel back down the hallway, marveling at the differences between the Zonai and Sheikah technologies in front of her. Purah would click-snap with joy if she was here.

She wishes Purah was here. 

She wishes she was back home.

Whenever that may be.

Zelda taps the Pad, noting the travel functionality that Mineru has enabled, a chance to learn again the land that she’s spent the past few years relearning, then lets out a cry of dismay.

The camera is broken.

She spends a futile few moments trying to bring it back to life, before quickly examining the rest of the Pad’s contents to ensure their survival.

And that’s when she finds them.

The three photographs she took, showing the last few moments she’d spent in her own time. 

Before the fall.

She remembers the rising excitement she’d felt, the discovery of the Zonai depictions, the images of what she now knows to be Rauru and Sonia. How fortunate she’d felt that she’d remembered the Purah Pad, Link wordlessly taking the torch from her as she giddily snapped away. 

The first two images bring a smile to her face—she’d been so awed at the discovery of the sculpture of a Zonai, and now she has dinner with one every day—but it’s the third one that makes her heart skip a beat.

The mural showing the Imprisoning War.

An undeniable vision of the future—their future, not hers—as long as she can make it back to her own time.

Should she show it to Rauru? To the queen? Tell them of the events depicted before they even occur, prepare them somehow, for what’s coming. Would it change anything, in the end?

“And what’s this?” she hears from over her shoulder.

Zelda jumps with a start, fumbling the Pad, her heart racing as she looks up to find Queen Sonia looking at her with curiosity.

“Oh Zelda, I apologize,” she says with a small grin. “You were just staring so intently—I was just interested to see what could hold your attention like that. I’ve been calling your name for some time now.”

Zelda opens her mouth to stutter out an apology, to find some way to avoid talking about what she was looking at, but Sonia is already peering through Zelda’s fingers to see the image on the pad, the image of the Imprisoning War clearly visible.

“Oh I see,” Sonia says with a glint in her eyes. “I can see now why you are quite anxious to return to your own time.”

Zelda is speechless. How can she know already what is to come, from the briefest glimpse at the mural?

She stammers out, “Queen Sonia, I—”

Sonia continues, “May I ask his name?”

Zelda frowns, then glances back at the Purah Pad, finally noticing the figure in the corner of the image.

Link.

Holding the torch he’d taken from her without her even having to ask, dwarfed by the imposing largeness of the mural. Standing by her side as he’d done for years—decades, centuries—now.

She hadn’t even realized she’d caught him in the picture.

“Oh,” Zelda says.

She doesn’t know how she missed him, not when his well-being has occupied most of her agonized thoughts since she arrived in the past. 

She doesn’t even know if he’s alive.

He’d jumped after her, to catch her, his fingers reaching for hers only to close on empty air. Had he continued to fall? With no secret stone, with nothing to stop him, could he even survive? And what of his arm, covered in gloom, in malice? 

She would know, if he’d died. She’d be able to feel it, even through the ages that separate them. 

This is what she tells herself.

“That’s . . . his name is Link,” she stammers out, feeling the fear and worry she’d tamped down since she’d arrived threatening to spill out and over her defenses. 

“And who is this Link?” Sonia asks, seemingly oblivious to Zelda’s rush of emotions.

Her constant companion. Her loyal subject. Her best friend. Her partner in destiny. Her partner for eternity. Her savior. Hyrule’s savior. Everything.

“A knight,” Zelda says, hearing the words as she says them—how inadequate they are, how strangled her voice is—and tries to clarify. “My knight.” 

“Oh?” Sonia smiles, light and warm and knowing. “Your knight? You must be missing him terribly.”

Zelda nods.

And to her horror, bursts into tears.

Sonia’s eyes widen in distress. “Oh, Zelda,” she says, her voice soothing, and gathers her up in her arms. 

Zelda stiffens and thinks, only for a moment—this was what her mother felt like—but her sobs won’t stop coming, and Sonia’s embrace is so warm that she lets herself be held until her tears slow.

“I apologize,” she says eventually, wiping at her eyes ineffectually. “I don’t know what came over—”

Sonia shushes her, pulling her over to the couch in the corner of the room, sitting her down and taking her hands into hers, saying, “When you appeared before us, falling out of nowhere . . . you were so calm, so collected. I knew it was only a matter of time until it all caught up to you.” She shakes her head. “There is no shame in your emotions, Zelda. You are far from home, far from those you love. I know how much you want to return to them, how trying it must be to still be here.”

Zelda tries to protest, but Sonia goes on. “But it is the nature of my power that I understand this better than most—it is the memories that we hold dear that give us our purpose, our strength, our path forward.” She leans in. “Why don’t you tell me about . . . Link, is it?”

So she does. Haltingly at first—how he’d been appointed as her knight, the Master Sword in its guard mocking her from his back, her powers still dormant—then faster. How she’d spurned him for ages, how he took it all, silently. How he’d saved her life, and her awkward apology, and how they’d started over from there. Learning each other. The countless days traversing Hyrule, the countless nights spent in silence after her prayers failed. The Calamity. How he’d fallen. Her powers awakening. The century after, watching, waiting. Waiting for him.

“When he finally appeared in Hyrule Castle, I didn’t even know if he remembered me, or our journey together. What he’d almost died for. But he saved us—all of Hyrule. He saved me. And he hasn’t left my side since.”

Sonia makes a little noise, then. Zelda looks at her questioningly.

She raises her eyebrows. “I think you may have more control over your time power than you realize. A hundred years of holding evil at bay . . . ”

Zelda blinks. She hadn’t considered that. Had it felt like a century? 

“And your light power, surely, was able to overcome the Calamity.”

She nods, slowly.

Sonia smiles. “Forgive me, Zelda. I have no doubt that your Link is a capable knight. But it also sounds to me that you are more than capable, yourself. It was your powers that were able to dispel the evil threatening Hyrule. Your powers that brought you here, to our time.” She glances down at the Purah Pad, Link’s image still frozen, torch held aloft. “From what you’ve told me, you are each formidable on your own. I can only imagine what you both could do, together.”

Zelda blushes. 

“Now,” Sonia continues, her gaze thoughtful, “tell me more about what caused your powers to awaken. Perhaps there is a clue, there. A way to focus our efforts on your time power. A way to allow you to return to your era.”

Zelda breathes out. She thinks back to that terrible day, of the slow journey down from Mount Lanayru, each step dragging her closer to the inevitability of having to admit her failure. Of what Mipha had been trying to tell her, before the world had started to end.

“One of the Champions, a princess of the Zora, had a healing power. She was trying to explain it to me when the Calamity struck.”

“She said . . . ” Zelda trails off, trying to unravel her complicated feelings around that day, around Mipha, around what she knows caused her powers to awaken. “She never finished telling me, but I knew. I knew what she thought of when she healed. I know why my powers awoke. I knew it for a hundred years. I knew it then, and I know it now.

“Love,” she says, simply. She’s never said it out loud before, but here, now, with everything on the line, she has no reason not to tell Sonia the truth. “I’d lost everyone I’d loved that day. Everyone but Link. I couldn’t lose him too. I couldn’t save my father. I couldn’t save the Champions in their Divine Beasts. But Link was in front of me, and he was about to die.”

She glances down then, at the back of her hand, and stares into the distance, into the past, into the future. “I loved him,” she says, and then corrects herself, because she’s telling the truth now. “I love him.”

Sonia smiles at that, looking almost sad. “Does he know?”

Her eyes flutter closed. “No,” she says, but once again, she’s lying. “Yes.” She presses her lips together. “I don’t know.”

“I’ve tried to tell him, so many times, but  . . . ” Zelda shakes her head.

Sonia waits patiently.

“He’s lost so much. Because of me. Any chance for a normal life. It was all gone the second he found the Sword. And I know even if he hadn’t been chosen, he would have done it all anyway, that’s just who he is! Once the Calamity was sealed, I told him to leave, to live his life, I pushed him out of the house—it’s his house, it’s not even mine—and he was outside the next morning, cooking us breakfast.” She can feel tears pricking at the corner of her eyes again, even as she can’t help but smile. 

She looks back down at the Pad, pressing her fingers to the tiny figure on the screen. “I miss you,” she says quietly, not caring that Sonia can hear her, sending her words through the years, hoping that he’ll receive the message somehow.

“If it was love that allowed you to awaken your powers, then it will be love that will allow you to strengthen them.”

She thinks back to the moment she fell, the anguish, the determination on his face as he reached for her, and she knows. 

[raviotherabbit]

Reunion Tour - Chapter 1

note: this is an extended version of these two posts, with an ending added on.

[first] - [next] read it on ao3!

Chapter 1: Familiar Circumstances Wild and Warriors meet each other again.

- - - 

There were quite a few things Wild wanted to do this weekend. Like maybe sleep in for a bit, maybe cooking a special breakfast. They’d even been planning on visiting little Zelly, a promise that her mother was sure to scold them for not keeping.

Instead, they were rudely awoken by a rough collision with the dirt, and they quickly realized they weren’t in their soft waterbed in Zora’s Domain anymore. Blearily blinking their eyes open, Wild feels like they’ve been hit by Ruta’s Cryonis again.

They’re in the castle courtyard of Warriors’ time. Which, as they seem to recall, is tens of thousands of years removed from their own era.

“Oh great,” Wild scowls as the golden light fades behind them. Ten years since their tearful goodbyes with their fellow heroes, and all of a sudden, Hylia’s playing games again.

Wild pushes themself off the ground, dusting whatever they can off with their one arm. It’s only then, when several halberds are pointed right at their face, that they realize they have an audience.

“Stop right there!” one of the soldiers, presumably a higher ranking officer, shouts. “Put your hands in the air!”

Wild frowns, but some part of their mind still remembers Warriors’ lectures to respect authority in his era. It was always so annoying, especially since he was the only one who cared so much about how they were perceived by the guards, but the anger in his eyes after Wild’s third infraction for trespassing (it’s not like those people were USING their roofs!) was enough to convince them to behave. So, after a moment of hesitation, they raise their arm above their head.

“Both hands!” The guard juts his halberd closer to Wild’s face.

“This is all I’ve got, man.”

A lower ranking guard lifts the side of Wild’s poncho. “They’re telling the truth, sir,” they announce, gesturing to their missing right arm.

“W-well!” the officer stammers, and Wild can’t help but smirk. “Take them to a cell! Trespassing on castle grounds is no laughing matter!”

Wild rolls their eyes as one of the soldiers forcefully grabs their left arm. “You’re gonna regret this, you know.”

“Quiet you!” the senior officer snaps at them. “I’ll have no disrespect from magicians who infiltrate our defenses against the crown!”

“Fine,” Wild scoffs. “Hey, while you’re processing my intake paperwork or whatever, could you tell my brother where I am? He’ll be sooooo worried about me.”

The senior officer’s eye twitches. One of the lower ranking guards whispers, “It is protocol to inform citizens of incarcerated family members.”

“Alright! Alright!” the senior officer throws his hands up in frustration. “Just tell me and get out of here!”

“He’s the hero, Link. Ever heard of him?” Wild forces down a laugh as the officer’s face turns red. “Tell him Wild’s in prison again, and it’s not their fault this time!”

“Take them away!” the senior officer points the guard holding them towards the dungeon. “Now!”

And even though they’re being dragged into the dreaded dungeons of Hyrule Castle, Wild can’t help but laugh the entire time.

- - -

“You’re going to be in big trouble,” Wild lightly scratches at the rusty bars of their jail cell. They’re sitting on the nasty dungeon floor, legs crossed. “Seriously, it’s not too late to let me go.”

The guard stationed outside their cell sighs. “I’m not in charge of that.”

Wild huffs, pouting to themself. A little recognition wouldn’t hurt, would it? They were here all the time a decade ago! And even then, everyone knew they were with Wars. These kinds of theatrics and blunders are just rude!

“So, is Commander Link really your brother?”

Wild’s ear twitches when the guard speaks up. “Commander, huh? Wars got a promotion?”

“Uh, I-” the guard stammers. “I don’t-”

“Yeah, he’s pretty much my brother,” Wild answers. “It’s been a bit since I was in town, though.”

“YOU WHAT?!”

The shout rings through the dungeons, a shrill entitlement that Wild would know anywhere.

Wild clicks their tongue. “That’d be him,” they point their thumb towards the entrance to the dungeon. “You know, it’s been nice hanging out with you.”

“Don’t make it sound like I’m going to die.”

“I’ll put in a good word for you,” Wild promises, standing up and gripping onto one of the bars just as Warriors rounds the corner, flanked by the senior officer, who now looks flustered.

And that’s Wild’s confirmation that it’s been some time for their brother, as well. He’s sporting some well-manicured stubble, obviously, because everything about Wars is well-manicured. His hair is longer, tied back in a ponytail that reminds Wild of themself. Of course, they didn’t have a chance to do their hair before landing in the past, so it’s all loose and tangled.

“Wild?!” Warriors shouts, mostly in shock. “You’re really here?!”

“Oh thank goodness!” Wild feels like they could cry. “Wars get me out of here!”

“What are you doing here?” Wars ruffles their hair through the bars, a warm smile on both of their faces. “I thought we agreed, no more trespassing.”

“It’s not my fault, it was the portals!” Wild explains quickly. “They wouldn’t listen to me. I just woke up here!”

Hearing Wild’s poor circumstances, Wars snaps back towards the senior officer. “You ARRESTED my brother!”

“Your one-armed brother!” Wild pipes up from behind him.

“My ONE-ARMED- wait,” Warriors turns back to Wild, his tone suddenly soft as he looks at them with concern. “You lost your arm?”

Wild stares at Warriors blankly. “Don’t tell Twilight.”

“I’m not-!” Wars sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “How would I even tell him?”

Wild simply shrugs.

“We’re talking about this later,” Warriors asserts, before turning to address the officer once again. His glare is cold, and his fury is burning. “I can’t BELIEVE that you saw a clearly disoriented individual in your courtyard and decided to ARREST THEM, of all things! Who is your superior, I’ll have to inform him-!”

Wild leans over to the guard, who’s standing frozen with fear next to the cell. “I told you,” they whisper.

- - -

“I’m hungry,” Wild whines, tugging at Warriors’ sleeve. “Can we get breakfast somewhere? I didn’t get to eat before I got arrested.”

Wars, in turn, shoots them a look of annoyance. He shrugs them off, continuing down the street. “You aren’t even the slightest bit concerned that the portals are opening again?”

“Please Wars I’m starving,” Wild begs. “I got pulled out of bed.”

Warriors sighs. “Fine. If you’re so insistent on breakfast, you can have free reign of my kitchen-” A sly smile creeps onto his face. “It’s been a while since I’ve had your cooking.”

“Oh, Sir Link, how generous of you, making your guest work!” Wild elbows him with their one good arm. “You see your dear sweet baby brother again after all this time-”

“You’re almost thirty, for Hylia’s sake!”

“Your BABY BROTHER,” Wild continues, “And all you can think about is what they can do for you.”

Suddenly and swiftly, Warriors pulls Wild into a headlock. “Why is it that every hero I meet is such a brat, huh?” he wonders aloud. “First the old man, then the sailor, and now you?”

“Don’t count yourself out, Commander,” Wild retorts, wiggling their way out of Wars’ grasp. “By the way, congrats on that promotion.”

“That was ages ago, it’s like you don’t keep up with me,” Wars scoffs playfully. “But seriously, I need you to cook for me again. I haven’t been the same without your home-cooked breakfasts.”

“Well, if you insist,” Wild relents. “Though I’m going to need a certain sous chef to help me.”

“That’s only fair,” Wars nods in agreement.

Warriors’ home is a townhouse deep in the heart of Castle Town, surrounded by a tall iron fence with pointed tips. The lawn is perfectly manicured, evenly cut grass and freshly trimmed roses. He’s silent as he unlocks the gate, as he leads Wild inside. Wars quickly closes the door behind them both, the sunlight trickling through the windows the only thing illuminating the darkened foyer.

It’s grand inside, that’s for sure. The blue carpet is soft and plush, and the wooden walls are filled with paintings and pictures. But something about it is… empty. Warriors awkwardly rubs at the back of his neck at Wild’s gaze.

“Kinda quiet around here,” Wild comments, but their face goes red when they realize the harshness of their words. “Uh, I mean it’s a really nice place you’ve got, Wars! You must be doing-”

Warriors suddenly places a hand behind Wild’s back, ushering them forward. “Yes, well, Althai is with his mother this week. Come on, the kitchen is this way.”

“Althai?” Wild cocks their head. “Wars, do you have a kid?”

“Yes, but-”

Wild side steps away from Wars. “Wait, I want to meet him!”

“We can’t right now, Wild,” Warriors pinches the bridge of his nose, an irritated scowl on his face that reminds Wild of the old man. “Freya and I aren’t… together anymore, and I’d rather not face her wrath if I showed up unannounced.”

Wild blinks. “Oh, I see.”

“So!” Wars quickly snaps out of it. “How about we avoid all that, and instead, we can make your breakfast?”

“Yeah,” Wild smiles, placing a hand on his shoulder. “I was thinking crepes. You still like those, right?”

The tension fades away from Wars, and he grins back at his brother. “I’ve always loved your crepes.”

- - -

“You know, I never took you as the braiding type,” Wild remarks over a mouthful of honey crepe.

“Don’t talk while you’re eating,” Wars instinctively responds, one hand focused on Wild’s hair while he uses the other to take a bite of his own crepe.

“Aw, you sound like Zelda,” Wild pouts.

“How’s she doing, by the way?” Warriors asks. “You as well. It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other.”

“We’re both doing good,” Wild announces. “I mean, after the whole revival of Ganondorf business—which is long over, by the way, please don’t worry about that—things have been quiet.” They gasp. “I have a niece now!”

“You do, huh?” Warriors says. “We’re getting old.”

“Ick, don’t remind me,” Wild sticks their tongue out. “I’m planning on staying as young and childlike as possible.”

“Again, you’re almost thirty.”

“Shut up!”

Warriors laughs at Wild’s outburst. He finishes the end of Wild’s braid, securing it with a hair tie. “All done.”

“Thanks for that, Wars,” Wild says as Wars loops around to sit across from them. “I usually get Sidon to do it, but with the one arm-”

Warriors raises a hand to stop them. “I get it, don’t worry.” His face sours quickly. “We should address the moblin in the room.”

“Right,” Wild sighs. “I definitely should not be here.”

“You’re not an unwelcome guest, but…” Warriors crosses his hands in front of him. “I haven’t heard of any black-blooded monsters again, have you?”

Wild shakes their head. “Nothing of the sort.”

“So whatever issue this is, it’s new,” he reasons. “How likely do you think it is that the two of us will be dragged away to another time together?”

“Based on past experience?” Wild questions. “That will almost certainly happen.”

“Great,” Wars rubs at his temples in agitation.

“Honestly, I’m just glad to get in at the beginning this time,” Wild admits. “You guys already knew everything by the time I joined! That wasn’t fair.”

“Easy, soldier,” Wars pats their head, much to Wild’s chagrin. “Eat up, it seems like we have somewhere to be soon.”

Wild raises an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“Congratulations, you’re going to meet your nephew,” Wars grimaces, crossing his arms together. “We’re going to my ex-wife’s house.”

- - -

"Just let me do the talking."

Wild shoots Wars a suspicious look. The two of them are standing in front of an ornate wooden door, leading into a nice stone house on the edge of the city. "She can't be that bad."

"Whatever you're thinking, Freya's worse," Warriors insists, practically sweating bullets.

Wild rolls their eyes, before reaching forward and slamming the iron knocker into the door repeatedly.

"Wild!" Warriors grabs their hand, yanking them back.

"You were taking too long!"

"I would have knocked eventually, now I have to rush through this," he hisses, pulling Wild up to eye level. "Don't annoy her, don't break anything. Don't be yourself."

"That's so rude!" Wild squirms in his grasp. "Let go, I've only got the one arm!"

“Link?”

Wars drops Wild onto the stone steps below them as he finally notices Freya at the door. She has long, dark, curled hair, pulled back into a bun. She worriedly looks down at Wild, who’s pouting on the floor at their aches.

“Freya!” Wars immediately has a wary smile on his face. “It’s so nice to see you!”

“Uh, yes…” she claps her hand together, suddenly gesturing inside. “Please, please, come in!” Freya turns over her shoulder and yells, “Althai! Your dad’s here!”

“Dad!” a small voice shouts from elsewhere, and suddenly, a child darts in and latches onto Wars’ leg. “Dad, I missed you!”

“Let me see you!” Wars lifts the kid, holding him up to his face. Aside from his tan complexion and curls, Althai is a little clone of his father, with freckled cheeks and shiny gold hair. “How are you bigger already, Alt? It’s only been a few days!”

Althai giggles, and much to Wild’s surprise, Freya laughs as well.

As Warriors turns to Wild, he balances his son on his hip. “Althai, this is your Uncle Wild.”

“Oh.” Noticing Wild for the first time, Althai almost turns smaller in his father’s grasp. “Hi,” he says, shyly offering a little hand for Wild.

“It’s nice to meet you, Althai,” Wild smiles warmly, shaking his hand.

“Uncle Wild, huh?” Freya abruptly speaks up, a scowl on her face. “Althai, how about you show our guest the garden?” Her gaze turns to Wars, who swallows nervously as he places his son back on the ground. “I need to talk to your father.”

“Um. Okay,” Althai takes Wild’s hand, guiding them past his parents. “This way.”

“Alright,” Wild agrees. Before Althai can drag them away completely, they wink at Wars. A viable alternative for a thumbs up, of course.

- - -

Freya keeps a nice garden, Wild decides. They’re sitting on the stone path, dividing the flowers from the herbs. It’s well-manicured, unlike Wild’s own attempt at a vegetable garden a few years back. Bees buzz by, which they idly watch fly along.

Althai’s got his nose buried in a book, but since he’s a kid, Wild’s willing to let such a faux pas slide. He hasn’t said a word since they left the house, though, and they’re starting to get a bit antsy.

“So…” Wild drums their fingers on their leg. “What’re you reading?”

“Uh, it’s a book,” Althai says.

Wild nods. “Sure, sure. Of course.”

Silence hangs over the two of them again. This kid is nothing like the little firecracker Zelly is, Wild realizes.

“Do you really have one arm?”

“Oh! Yeah!” Wild lifts their poncho, showing off their missing arm again. “See? Pretty cool, huh?”

“Woah.” Althai abandons his book, inspecting them closer. “How did it happen?”

“Ohhhh, what a story,” Wild recounts, putting on their best spooky voice. “I was journeying through some caves with my friend, when suddenly, we came upon this evil man, who was put down there for trying to hurt Hyrule. When we got close, he heard us and woke up! And then, he used his evil, corrosive magic to-”

“Eep!” Althai shouts, hiding his face in the green cloth of Wild’s poncho.

Fuck!

“No, no!” Wild tries to amend, pulling back the poncho to reveal Althai’s face. “I was just- I was kidding! The arm was sick, and we had to get rid of it so I could be healthy. No bad men! No evil magic!”

“Oh,” Althai sits on the ground next to Wild. “Okay.”

Wild ruffles his hair. “You like stories, don’t you, kid?”

“Yeah,” Althai picks at the grass.

“Well, has your dad ever told you the story about his journey with the other Heroes across time?”

Althai perks up, nodding. “Mhm! All the Links!”

“Well, did you know I’m one of those Links?” Wild gestures to themself. “It’s true! I’m from thousands of years in the future!”

Althai gasps. “Really?!”

“Yes, really,” Wild confirms. “You know, I’ve got a few stories about your dad from back then. Stories I’m sure he never told you.”

“Tell me!” Althai jumps up, tugging on Wild’s shoulder. “Tell me tell me tell me!”

“Alright, alright, settle down.” Wild pulls the kid into their lap. “How about… the time we lost him on the coldest mountain in Hyrule?”

- - -

“So,” Freya crosses her arms, looking out the window. Her ex-husband sits across from her at the kitchen table. “That’s the Hero of the Wild in my backyard, isn’t it?”

“Er, yes,” Wars awkwardly scratches the back of his head. “Yes it is.”

“Alright, Link,” she pinches the bridge of her nose and sighs. “What happened?”

"Freya, please, it's none of your concern."

"None of my-?!" Freya is taken aback. "How about this, Link. Is it another journey?"

Warriors nods. "Most likely, yes."

"So then Althai needs to stay with me for who knows how long," she reasons. "Which means I need to get his things from your place, and I'll be making the trip to his school to pick him up for weeks. Not to mention the fact that I'll have to comfort my kid over his father's absence."

"I don't have a choice!" Wars reminds her. "Do you think I want to miss my time with Althai?"

"I'm not saying that, Link!" Freya corrects. "I'm saying that this very obviously affects me, whether you'll admit it or not." She covers his hand with her own. "Tell me what happened, alright? Just because we're not married doesn't mean we can't be friends."

Friends, huh?

"I know you're excited to see Wild, again," Freya smiles. "It's been so long, you're allowed to want to see your friends."

"Even if it means leaving Althai?" Warriors frowns. He flips his hand to hold hers.

"He'll be alright," Freya says. "He's tough, just like his dad. He'll be waiting here when you get back."

"When I get back," Wars echoes. "Yes, you're right! We'll visit when we can, and you and Althai can meet all of them!" Wars suddenly takes both her hands. "I'll be back before you know it, I promise."

"Thank you, Link," Freya sighs in relief. "How about we invite those two rascals back in? I'd love to get to know your brother."

"That's a great idea," Warriors grins. "I knew you were my best idea maker."

"Always have been."

- - -

“I’ll see you soon, Alty,” Wild kneels down to pat the kid’s head. “Remember, if your dad doesn’t let you do something, tell him that Uncle Legend would.”

“Wild, what are you telling my kid?” Wars crosses his arms and scowls. Once again, the image of Time and his disappointing glare comes right to Wild’s mind.

“Nothing!” Wild steps aside. “Just saying he should stay in school! Stuff like that!”

“Sure.” Wild can tell by his tone that Warriors doesn’t believe them, but he instead chooses to scoop Althai up in a hug. “Be good for your mother, my little bookworm. I’ll be back soon! Once this is all done, I’m taking you for ice cream.”

“Alright, Dad!” Althai giggles, wrapping his arms around his father’s neck. “I’ll miss you.”

“And I’ll miss you.” With his free hand, Wars digs through his pockets, producing a key that he offers to Freya. “This is my spare key. Take it, it’s yours.”

“Why thank you, Sir Link,” Freya graciously takes the key. “I’ll be sure to keep all your plants watered.”

And so, Wild and Wars find themselves back on the road, walking side by side as the sun sets. Wild takes a deep breath and sighs, enjoying the fresh air.

This is it.

“You know, Freya was actually very nice,” Wild says, smirking.

Warriors scoffs. “Oh, quiet you.”

“You’re still so dramatic,” they remark. “I can’t believe a word you say.”

“Hush,” Wars wraps an arm around Wild’s shoulder, drawing them close. “I’m trying to enjoy having my brother back, and you’re ruining it.”

Wild laughs, but before they can respond with their own witty comeback, there’s a bright light. Blinking through the brightness, the heroes find a portal in front of them, its golden swirls welcoming and inviting.

“Well, I guess it’s time,” Wild says. “You ready, Commander?”

“I guess I am, Chef,” Wars smiles.

“Aw, it’s cute you think I’m professionally trained.”

And so, once again, two of Hylia’s heroes step through a portal again, with neither an idea of where they’re going nor a care in the world.

[fatefulfaerie]

New (Part 2/3)

Part 2 even though they all kind of stand on their own.

Part 1: https://fatefulfaerie.tumblr.com/post/621364335842820096/new-part-13

“Purah, do you mind?” Link inquired with a gesture of his head and a smile.

“Um...Link…” Zelda warned.

“Oh,” Purah said before she could. “S-sure.”

Zelda handed her the slate hesitantly.

“How about we make it like the picture,” Sidon suggested. “Yunobo in the back, Teba and Riju on the left of the Hylians and then me right here.”

Before Zelda could object, they were already in their places.

It was like no time passed at all. Here she was surrounded by people she was uncertain of, closed off from. She knew, like she did a hundred years prior, that she wanted to bridge the gap, but she didn’t know how. The potential friendships around her were so new.

And next to her, right next to her was Link. The mere inches between them made her heart leap with an anticipation she couldn’t identify a hundred years prior.

She supposed, in that respect, things had changed. She knew now that she loved him, that at any given moment she wanted to leap into his arms and tell him how much she loved him.

But this was new. He was new. The memory loss made everything new for him and she feared that her one-hundred-year undying love would be too old for him, too scary, too much and not enough all at once.

So she stood with a soft smile, bigger, more genuine than a century ago, but not betraying her elegance. She could only wonder, in this slowed moment, if Link was smiling too, if Yunobo would suddenly smash them all together, if this time she would stay in Link’s arms when he instinctively caught her. Not push him away and try to forget it happened, but to stay in the new moment, reveling in what would happen next…

She shook herself out of that train of thought, taking in a deep breath and reassembling her soft smile, her hands clasped low in front of her.

“Good,” Purah said. “Get ready for a click snap on three! One...two…”

Purah didn’t continue, the slate shaking in her hands before she dropped it. She stared with panting breaths at it on the ground, everyone in a state of alarm, concern, and uncertainty until Zelda rushed forward.

“Purah,” she said with a hand on her shoulder.

“What? What is it?” Link asked, cautiously stepping forward.

Zelda turned her head to Link.

“She took the original picture.”

“Oh, I...I didn’t know,” Link said. “I...I didn’t mean to...w-we don’t have to...”

“I saw them,” Purah said, despondent, her hands shaking.

Link bowed his head as Zelda ran her hand gently up and down Purah’s shoulder.

“I know,” Zelda said, a deep sadness in her voice. “I see them too.”

Purah shook her head. Zelda’s expression melted as she studied the girl. Everything about her except for the age and burden in her eyes was youth. No accident but death could erase that burden.

“Symin,” she said, the man’s expression perking from its prior sadness. “Please, the Princess’ request...take their picture. It’s hard for me to let go of the past, but they have a chance to indulge and celebrate the future...please.”

Purah was still so shaken up, Symin smiling as he knelt down in front of her.

“It would be my honor,” Symin said with a hand on her shoulder, Purah handing him the slate.

His hands were steady as he stood up and aimed the slate.

Link’s eyes darted from the readied slate to Zelda leading Purah to sit next to Kass, back and forth.

“Link, what happened to that smile?” Symin asked.

“Zelda?”

“Coming,” she said before rushing to return to his side.

Soft smile, arms in front, deep breath.

SNAP

One normal picture was done and it seemed Symin was aiming for another.

Suddenly she felt Link’s arm around her shoulders, pulling her to his side. Zelda felt herself smile bigger, and from no force at all.

SNAP

His grip still held her tight. Zelda looked to her left to meet his eyes. Blue, soft, locked into hers, she forgot where she was.

SNAP

But she didn’t hear that one, nor did her ears pay attention to Symin’s,

“Just one more.”

It happened quickly.

Zelda felt someone suddenly push her, so fast she couldn’t help her lips landing exactly where Riju wanted them to.

SNAP

Zelda pushed herself away with heavy breaths, frozen on Link’s wide eyes.

If the Princess ever doubted that Riju was Urbosa’s descendant, this was proof right here. Urbosa, if a little more impulsive and a little less refined very well may have attempted to push Zelda into Link a hundred years ago if given the chance.

The current Gerudo chieftain, however, was now covering her mouth trying not to laugh.

“Really?” Teba said with a disapproving glare at the young Gerudo.

It was, apparently, too hilarious for her to even respond to the retort.

“Wait, what happened Goro?” Yunobo said, looking between all of them.

“Riju pushed Zelda into Link so they would just get it over with and kiss. The child is clearly amused and now dinner will likely burn because these two have forgotten how to speak.”

“I…” Link tried.

“Case in point,” Teba said.

They all kept watching to see what would happen next, backing away slightly.

“I don’t get it,” Yunobo said. “What’s the big deal about them kissing?”

“I...I didn’t…” Link tried again.

“N-no, that...it w-wasn’t,” Zelda finally got out.

“I’m not explaining it to you,” Teba said to Yunobo.

“Do you guys want me to delete that one?”

“Aw,” Riju said with a distinct pout. “But that ruins the fun.”

Link and Zelda’s focus on one another finally broke when Link did a double take that landed on Symin.

“I’m sorry, what?”

Symin was looking down at the slate, flipping through the pictures.

“Yeah, it’s right here.”

“Yes, of course delete it,” Link said with a furrowed brow, Symin looking up. “It’s disrespectful to the Princess.”

Zelda felt her heart sink. An inner bubbling rose within her, threatening to start a war where she’d have to fend off tears. She bowed her head.

“Unless,” she said quietly, instantly regretting it.

What was she doing? Why would she say that?

Link turned to her with parted lips.

“Unless what?”

The word was said now, there was no going back. No matter what it would eat at both of them more than it ever had before, to have come so close and not said anything, to disregard the truth.

“Unless you want a do over,” Zelda suggested quietly.

“Zelda, what are you saying?” He asked with a cautious step forward.

“I think you know what I’m saying,” Zelda said as she finally looked up, summoning her bravery. “I think you know about me and what I feel. I think you’ve had every opportunity to find out, from Impa, from Kass...to come to terms with it on your own and that’s great. But I’m so tired of the ambiguity, Link, I...I can’t keep guessing how you feel, it...it hurts so much.”

“Are you happy now?” Teba asked, leaning over to Riju.

Riju now had both hands on her mouth, nodding excitedly at Teba’s inquiry.

Zelda closed her eyes with an exhale, shaking her head back to its downward gaze. She tried to forget how shocked Link looked.

“I shouldn’t have said that,” Zelda said timidly. “Your memory is still fragile...I have no right to complain about ambiguity after what you’ve been through. I apologize.”

“Besides,” she continued. “We have company. They came for dinner, not a show.”

Link nodded silently.

“I mean we’ll take both,” Teba said under his breath, Riju looking at him in surprise.

Link approached Symin, taking the slate back as he tried to continue the pause in that particular conversation that still weighed on him, pressed upon him.

The slate was in gallery mode, Link able to see smaller versions of many pictures. His eyes grazed along random pictures of blood moons or weaponry until he saw the four pictures at the end of the last row, unmistakable by the orange coloration of the sunset behind them.

“Dinner will be ready soon,” Link said, clipping the Slate to his belt. “We should head inside.”

[webarebares]

Queen of Arms Chapter 1

I decided to post my Zelink fic here because I’m lonely on Ao3. Here’s the link to it there and it’ll be cut down below :) It deals a lot of with healing and repressed feelings and also they’re kind of exes that weren’t exes.

Summary:  With Link barely remembering her, and Zelda still living in parts of the past, it's hard for them to know how to interact with each other. As Link starts regaining pieces back, Zelda and him have to figure out how to process everything that they have gone through to be able to regain what they once had. That is, if Link wants to.

-

It ached. Deep inside the cavities of her chest danced fire that would never be put out. The castle she once lived in was still full of malice and all the bricks were loose, easily ready to fall in one quake. Almost every single person she grew up loving was gone forever, and even if it had not taken 100 hundred years to return, the initial explosion of The Calamity could’ve never brought them back.

Zelda clipped back her long hair to keep it out of her face as she read behind the Goddess Statue in Karakiko Village. She hid there, reading on the floor to stay away from people for a while. Important Hyrule officials had all flooded the village the weeks before to start the process of reconstruction and find the way to fund everything. The most civilization they had standing was the stable association and the few towns. After barely surviving Ganon, she was still queen at seventeen. She was going to have to fight her whole life.

People were leaving at that moment and would gather back there in a month to finalize everything, but she didn’t want to say goodbye to every single person. She only said bye to Lady Riju who she formed a good friendship within a short amount of time. Riju helped Zelda sneak out of meetings when they had gone on for too long, and they would talk about Urbosa over sweets the children in the village would make them. They would all go around taking pictures near the Great Fairy Fountain on the Shiekah slate Link returned to her.

Link was off doing a secret mission for Impa that she wasn’t told about until he was gone. Right before the Calamity, her and Link were close friends and although he didn’t say much, he would tell her everything. She remembered every sensation of trust and admiration she had towards him along with… other things.

But now, it was hard to have good conversations with him. They were rare and Zelda would think about every word that left his lips like she could lose him again tomorrow. Zelda knew Link before The Calamity, but the Link that she briefly traveled with before settling in Karakiko? He was just a person she once met in a dream.

Link remembered next to nothing, still. He didn’t ask her a lot about before The Calamity and Zelda didn’t push to teach him. If she had the chance to forget the love for the people she couldn’t save, she probably would take it. It’d make living in this new lifetime more bearable.

Link would remember some things here and there. He recently remembered his father and some memories of them together at the outposts before he died. He said he heard his dad’s voice tell him he was proud of him. It was one of the few things he did ask Zelda about the past- how did his father die?

She wondered if he felt like he was getting the news for the first time again when she was telling him. If he remembered all the love his had for his father even if he hadn’t remembered his face or name just hours before.  Zelda remembered all the love she had for her dad the minute she was whole again and searched for it at the top of the Temple of Time with Link guarding her every step on the ripped up roof. All that was there was wind and the distant bones of Hyrule Castle.

Unable to focus on the book she was reading, she closed it and started drawing in the dirt. She wrote out her name.

ZELDA

She hesitated before she stared writing again.

L

“Queen Zelda,” someone called out. She immediately kicked away the writing her foot, awkwardly standing up. She walked to the other side of the Goddess statue and saw Paya standing with her head bowed. “So sorry to interrupt you,” she said quietly. Zelda didn’t know why Paya was intimidated by her, but she had an inkling it had to do with Impa’s abrasive attitude. “I was told I could find you here.”

“You’re fine, Paya,” Zelda replied with a smile she couldn’t see. “Am I needed?”

“My grandmother wanted me to tell, to tell you that everyone has left. You can come back now,” she bowed once again and ran off in a direction that wasn’t the house where they were both staying. Zelda got her book from the ground and made her way back to Impa’s house. She wouldn’t call Paya out for her for nothing but also, she would.

She closed the door behind her, Impa in her usual seat. Her eyes were closed, but she spoke, “I don’t mean to intrude my queen-,”

Zelda cut her off, “Call me Zelda. Please. We’ve been friends for over 100 years now.” Impa had a small smile on her face, most likely throwing her off from what she was going to say.

She licked her lips, seeming to try to recollect herself. “It seems you’ve gained yourself sense of humor while you were off in the Spirit Realm”

“I had time to think of everything I’d tell everyone when I first saw them.” Link was the only one left to check off.

“As I was saying,” Impa continued, “you have the respect of everyone. You cannot afford to lose it when your kingdom is so fragile. You can’t seem uninterested in the affairs of the people, or the people will lose hope. Nobody will steal the throne from you, but it’ll be harder to govern if you’re not the face everyone sees leading these choices.” Zelda felt like she was getting scolded by her father, the same buzz of shame vibrating through her core. Only difference was that Impa knew. Her father just guessed.

“I wish someone would try to take the throne from me,” Zelda sighed, looking down at the floor.

“You still have fight left in you?”

“No.” Zelda shook her head, looking back at her old friend. “I’d let them keep it.”

“You’re not an heir to nothing, you know that, right?” Impa asked her for the third time since Ganon was taken down. Zelda thought about Riju and all the little kids in Karakiko village who had lived their whole lives watching darkness radiate from Hyrule Castle until her and Link locked it away.

“I’m starting to believe it.”

Link got to Karakiko a few days after the higher ups left. The last time she spent a lot of time with him was when they went to Zora’s Domain to investigate Vah Ruta. They didn’t find any clues before Zelda had to come back to Karakiko to attend meetings. Even then, most of the talking was done by Zelda and pointing out things she saw when she was fighting Ganon. There wasn’t a lot to talk about with strangers.

She saw him early in the morning after leaving the bedroom she shared with Paya. Her hair was in a messy braid and she rushed to let it loose. “Good morning, Link,” she told him. He bowed from where he stood at the wall, and it made her think of when he was her royal guard. He still wore it often even if there wasn’t a team to match with.

Zelda looked around the room but saw that Impa wasn’t in her usual spot and at that time in the morning, Paya would be off cleaning outside. “Do you know where Impa is?” Link asked her. Her head quickly snapped to look at him.

“I’m not sure,” Zelda looked around as if Impa would be hidden in a small corner of the room. “I’m sorry I can’t help you.”

“Don’t apologize,” he said. He went back to resting on the wall. “I’ll just wait here.” She felt awkward sometimes being in Impa’s house and doing things without explicitly asking, but she was sure she wouldn’t mind.

“Do you want to come into the kitchen and have breakfast with me?” she asked with her hair out of its braid. “There’s seafood fried rice left over from yesterday.” He looked at her for a moment, his mouth slanted as he thought. “There’s no need for modesty. I know you have quite an appetite. You might not remember, but we were really good friends once.” It stung to say that. Link just gave her a small smile and nodded before following her into the kitchen that was hidden behind sliding screen doors.

Zelda started a fire under the pot to warm the food up and gestured for Link to take a seat on one of the floor pillows. He did it without question which surprised her because he seemed to tiptoe around her. She got another pot to brew tea. One thing she liked about present time is that she got to do things for herself. Usually, she would get interrupted by a maid to let them do any little thing for her and she felt strange saying no. But now, the most someone would ask to do something for her was when Paya asked her if she needed help, and if she said no, Paya didn’t push it. She wondered sometimes if Paya knew how much she appreciated her.

Zelda sat diagonal from Link to wait until one of the things boiled. She purposely avoided sitting across from him because she wouldn’t be able to help stare. That’s most of what she did as they made their way to Zora’s Domain. Spiritually, she had been close to him for the year it took for him to get to her. That was never enough. Now, he was right in front of her and she could reach out and touch his face with consequences.

“How were the meetings?” Link asked, tapping his fingers on the lowered table. A spark of excitement flashed through her chest.

“Drawn out and boring. I snuck out a few times with Riju I must admit,” she said with a coy smile. Link looked at her with a raised brow. She wondered if he just remembered the parts of her that were all business which is why this confused him. “Impa was a little upset with me, but I’ll make up for it later. Everything is still,” she stopped talking. She didn’t know how to describe everything.

“Too much?” Link tried to finish.

Zelda nodded. “Yes. Too much.” Even then, too much wasn’t enough to describe all the feelings in her body.

“You were excited to start reconstruction,” Link reminded her. She was. The minute she could breathe in the Hyrule air and hold petals in her hand, she knew she was back where she belonged. It was her job and duty to nurture and love her kingdom.

But it got hard. Quick.

Not even a month went by before the reality of everything started to slow her down and now, she could barely lift a finger to do anything. The idea of being queen and bringing Hyrule to glory under her leadership slowly formed itself into a constant reminder that she was queen because her father was dead. There wouldn’t have been a need for reconstruction if she had unlocked her powers sooner. If she had admitted things to herself sooner so many people could’ve lived much longer than what they did.

Zelda looked at Link’s face while his eyes were drawn down to his hands. He had a new scratch on his cheek. It wasn’t deep, and it had scabbed up already in a thin line. Zelda said, “I think I was just a lot more joyful when we first won and now I see the cost of a delayed victory. So many people died.” Zelda sighed as she thought of the census they delivered to her at one of the meetings. “Hyrule has such a low population I could invite everyone to live at the castle once we figure out how to get rid of the malice.” Link smiled like he did a hundred years ago when they’d joke around. It brought so much comfort to her that she didn’t want to take her eyes off of it, even when he caught her looking.

“Maybe start off with Castle Town.”

Impa returned soaked in water. Link and Zelda were in the main area of the house talking when she walked in. Paya was frantically rushing to get her to her room to change, but Impa scowled at her. “Paya, let me greet Link first.” Impa slowly walked to the middle of the room where Link stood, and he seemed amused with the situation. “Good to see that you’re back. Let me get settled and we’ll have a private talk in the kitchen over tea.” Link who unknowingly to Impa just drank two cups, simply nodded. Impa and Paya headed into one of the rooms, Zelda looking at Link who was now stretching.

Zelda couldn’t help but ask, “Is this about your secret mission.” Link let out quick chuckle.

“I guess you can say that,” he said. His mouth fell open in a quick moment of remembrance as he a muttered a quick oh and started to search through his bag. He pulled out a familiar red book and handed it to Zelda, “This is yours.” Zelda stared between the fragile book spine and Link’s eyes. Zelda then took it and opened it to the first page to confirm what it was.

“How?” she asked in awe. “After all these years?” Link didn’t say anything, but he seemed glad to have brought it back to her. Zelda started to flip through many pages at once, recognizing her handwriting that differed depending on her anxiousness or excitement of the peculiar days. It was more than half empty as she just started it a year or so before the calamity hit.

There was one page she had to stop to look at. In the corner of a page, she had drawn an all-too-familiar sword next to a Silent Princess flower, the letter L written in cursive in different sizes all over it. It was one of the last times she had written. She quickly shut it, her cheeks warm. “Did you read it?” she asked, refusing to look at him. There was a silence and then there was Impa loudly making her way into the main room.

“Off to the kitchen with you, boy,” she said, pushing Link away from her.

[jinmukangwrites]

Somebody Different (3/???)

Beginning, Previous, Next (To Be Released)

Summary: Decisions must be made, a life hangs in the balance, Time and Twilight scramble to keep broken pieces together.

Note: Sort of a filler chapter but very important nonetheless. Angst of most kinds can be found here. Tread carefully. And by that I mean enjoy.

-o-o-o-o-

Epona huffs through her nostrils, her body pumps beneath his legs as he lets go of her reigns and aims an arrow made of light at the stomach of the terrible beast snarling above him, trying to find and probably smash him into the ground as a new dish called "the Hero's pancake". He takes a steadying breath and lets the arrow fly, and it's thanks to months of practice that he hits his target dead center.

Calamity Ganon screams and rears its head up, snarling, almost desperately trying to shift so it can get a better look at the one who will defeat it.

Link thanks whatever gods there are—he's still learning—for Epona. The beautiful horse knows how to hold her own in battle, and he hardly even had to steer her towards safety, she did it herself. He rubs her neck and she whinnies. This could be it, he thinks. He could fail here, and he could die here. It's all been leading up to these moments, and it could all have been for nothing…

He shakes his head. No. He can do this. If he dies… Epona will die. Zelda will die. Purah, Impa, Paya, Beetle, everyone, all of Hyrule and the unknown lands to the north and west, all the uncharted seas to the South and east, all of it will be doomed.

He cannot fall here.

Though, true to the theme of his life, everything suddenly goes downhill. A leg of the beast above him moves suddenly and too quickly for him to avoid. Epona stumbles below him and he barely has time to wince at the pitiful noise she makes before he's thrown clear off from her back. He rolls for a long time, limbs flailing and skin rubbing raw to the point of blood each time he makes contact with the ground. His head spins and it takes him a moment to recognize that he's no longer rolling.

Groaning, he curls his hand around the grass and dirt below him and forces his head up, ignoring every pang of pain trying to coax him back down.

In front of him is the beast, smoke steaming from the corners of it's lips, the sky runs a blood red and darkness seems to be closing in. However, he doesn't need Zelda to call out to him that there's a last weakness, that not all is lost. Looking up at the head of Calamity Ganon, he can see light wanting to burst through in a giant, long crack. A single eye opens in that light, wildly looking around as if confused why it's there, why it's exposed.

He has to get to that. How? How does he get all the way up there?! Revali's Gale isn't strong enough to lift him that high, there has to be another way-

The beast in front of his roars and Link quickly rushes to his feet, pushing all pain to the back of his mind to deal with later. It's charging up, a deep purple beginning to glow at the back of its mouth. Before Link can do anything, the beam of malice he has managed to avoid up till this point is firing right at him.

And then he wakes with a start.

His chest is pounding and he's too hot and too cold at the same time. The other man, the one who calls himself "Legend" is still against the tree, resting somewhat fitfully if the wrinkles between his eyebrows are anything to go off from. Link sighs and leans back against his own tree, pulling his Hylian Cloak closer to him to ward away the chill of night. The campfire cracks, still strong, letting Link know he hasn't exactly been asleep long.

What happened… after Calamity Ganon fired at him? He can't remember anything past that, and it tears him apart. Did he defeat it like Legend has said? Did he fall? Was the whole battle actually fabricated? He used to think losing all of his memories was the worst thing that could happen to him, yet it seems the Resurrection Shrine has called his bluff and took half of his memories away.

Now he has three separate lives he must put together, one of a boy raised to be a knight, one of a memoryless knight training to be a hero, and one of a hero with seemingly no purpose anymore. Three versions of himself. If anyone is allowed to have an existential crisis, Link thinks he's probably the most entitled to one right about now.

Cricket's sing as he tries to calm his mind and heart. It's late, and he needs to sleep… but after a few minutes of trying he recognizes how impossible that is and instead reaches towards the Sheikah Slate connected to his hip. He turns it on and with practiced movements he flicks the screen towards the hundreds of photos he has stored onto the device. He started taking pictures of everything after he found out how important Zelda's pictures were to his memory. He's always been paranoid about forgetting everything again, so he thought that if there's a chance he forgets he'll be able to easily track down his memories.

If only it were that simple. It seems with each new beginning he has, the more difficult circumstances will make it for him.

He flicks his fingers through his very short second life until he comes upon the last photo he actually remembers taking. The beast. Calamity Ganon. He thought, at the time, that Zelda would be shaking her head in exasperation as he jumped of Epona to quickly snap a picture of the beast hell bent on destroying Hyrule. For the memories, you know?

It takes him a second to work up the courage to slide his finger across the screen to come across the next photo, and when he does his breath is taken away.

She's beautiful. He already knew this of course, but he's only ever seen her in blurry memories with half the information stuffed inside them. Seeing her like this, smiling at him with the endless expanse of world behind her… it fills him with so much joy... and so much sadness that he doesn't remember taking it, doesn't remember seeing her in person.

The next photo is a picture of them posing together in front of a silent princess. The next one is of her chasing a frog, and the next is her arm nearly being pulled out from her socket as she shakes Sidon's hand.

There's plenty of pictures like this, documenting a life after success, until the first strange photo pops up. It's simple yet so out of place. It's a picture of a bowl of soup that he figured out and perfected the recipe of just a few months into his journey. There's a child holding the bowl in his hands, bits of carrots and creamy soup dripping from the corners of his mouth as he smiles widely, as if it's been a very long time since he's had a good meal.

He studies this picture for a moment, trying to find familiarity with the person he's seeing, until he gives up with a huff and flicks to the next confusing image. This one strikes something in him… it's of a man, probably just a few years older than Link himself, tattooed on the face and clad in a wolf pelt. Link's posed in this one, his arm slung around the man's shoulder, making him lean down awkwardly as he's forced to bend unnaturally towards Link's shorter height. Link's smiling widely, and the man is frowning in surprise as if the photo was of complete surprise, like Link decided at the spur of the moment that he should have a picture with this man and took it before the other could complain.

The reason this photo stands out to him is because it tugs something in his gut, something that screams he should recognize this but for the life of him he can't place it. It reminds him of the time he came out of the resurrection chamber… the first time he came out of it. Alone, not a single memory to his name, hell, he didn't even have a name, at least not one he was sure about. It reminds him of when he first laid his hands on the Sheikah Slate, when that strange feeling of familiarity washed over him yet he had no recollection of actually seeing it before.

It's exactly like that, now that he thinks about it. The Sheikah Slate was the first thing he interacted with, this man was the one who pulled him out the second time.

More pictures, more faces, some striking more feelings than others but each as mind boggling as the one before. A small one with strange colored clothes and a bright smile that hides many secrets. A soft, middle sized one with a kind gaze and welcoming arms. A taller one who reminds Link just a bit of Revali, but his smile isn't as arrogant, it's the grin of a great leader. One that looks to be the eldest, a single eye hiding so much pain and wisdom but his expression is genuine and open. Another who looks like he laughs more than anything else, who looks like he's seen many mountains and many monsters, whose friendly stance and welcoming expressions screams that he's never let a single bad moment take away his hope.

Then there's Legend, he's only in a few pictures, he's probably mastered the art of avoiding the camera, but in the photos he's in there's always this glint of… happiness he's trying to hide behind layers and layers of unreadable expressions. He's happy, but he's trying to not let anyone know about it.

Well, that's what it looks like at least. Link likes to think he's good at reading people; when it comes to the Yiga clan, he really has to be.

He studies a few more pictures, flips back to look at them again, and all the while a brick begins to settle deeper and deeper into his stomach.

He shot a bomb at these people.

Sure, he had just woken up, the last thing in his mind was a powerful monster about to kill him, but he doesn't intentionally ever hurt people, even the Yiga. The only human whose death he's responsible for is Master Kohga, and he will make sure he goes the rest of his life without the death of another human on his conscious.

The more time that passes from the moment he woke up again, the more he regrets freaking out and using a drastic measure like taking a hostage. Maybe he should have stayed and talked with them... he hopes they're all okay… however, he also has to keep reminding himself that there's no way that he can know for sure that Legend's story is true… the one he was told piece by piece through the day, the story that each of these other faces are past incarnations of himself and that they're working together to fight an unseen threat larger than what any of them has ever faced before.

The pictures cannot be taken at face value. He already knows the Yiga can adopt the look of any person, so it's possible that each of these photos, even the ones with Zelda, are doctored.

He exits the gallery before the brick in his gut can grow any larger. Instead, he turns to where the map of Hyrule should be. Instead, it's all static. Nothing, not even any border lines that suggest there's a tower or some sort of way to get information of the land he's lost in.

He sighs and sets aside the slate, finding it useless for everything except making him anxious. He sets his eyes on Legend and stares for a second.

He has a decision to make, leave this mysterious man behind and make his escape to figure out where he is, or slow himself down, take Legend with him, and have a source of information. Questionable information but information nonetheless.

He'll decide in the morning…

-o-o-o-o-

"Will he be okay?" Wind asks and Time looks up from where he's nursing his bruised back. Twilight meets his eyes as he's wrapping Four's's head, both avoiding the youngest's questioning glance.

Time, instead turns to rest his gaze on Warrior, the only one in their group who's still unconscious, laying out on the forest floor with Twilight's pelt used as a pillow. Hyrule sits against a tree nearby with his legs pulled against his chest and his forehead resting against his knees, not bothering to look or talk to anyone.

At this point, Wind could be talking about either one of them.

What does Time say? Yes! Warrior will be completely fine, what's a few broken bones and a major concussion? He'll one hundred percent be okay even though they already used up all the red potions they had to cure the worst of everyone's injuries. Yes, they'll all be okay even though all of their travel bags were lost in the world switch. Everything is completely, without a doubt, a-okay even through Wild's gone hostile and took one of their own hostage.

Thankfully, he doesn't have to answer. Sky does for him.

"He's Warrior, he's never down long," Sky replies, brushing dust and dirt off from his Sailcloth. He sounds confident, even looks somehow confident despite how he's covered in dust and bandages, but Time catches the unnerved glance Sky sends towards the unconscious member of their team.

Twilight pats Four's shoulder and stands up from his position, his eyes darting around the forest they all now find themselves in. "We need to find our stuff," he says, "It shouldn't be far. They'll be more supplies for Warrior there."

Time nods, and regrets it instantly when his head pounds with the motion. He winces and brings his hand to his temple and rubs. "You can't go alone," he grinds out. Twilight gives him an unimpressed glare and before he can argue with Time about him being the one to go with him, he glances over to where Hyrule is still moping.

Understanding flashes in Twilight's eyes. Hyrule, after helping Twilight wake everyone up and drag the group to the surface, has fallen into some sort of depression and has been silent and still for way too long. A Hyrule that isn't bursting with life, kindness, and exaggerated movements hardly isn't Hyrule at all.

Time smiles in satisfaction when Twilight nods and walks over to where Hyrule sits, he taps Hyrule on the shoulder. "C'mon, you up for joining me?"

Hyrule stays silent, not acknowledging Twilight in the slightest. Sky moves forward and opens his mouth, as if he's about to offer to go in Hyrule's place, but one look from Time he seems to understand what Time and Twilight are trying to do.

When a few seconds pass and a reaction from Hyrule is still lacking, Twilight clicks his tongue and gently places his hand around Hyrule's bicep. Hyrule let's out a growl of frustration as Twilight slowly drags him to his feet. Hyrule lifts his face, cheeks red, and steadies his stance as Twilight wraps his arm around his shoulders and starts to guide him away.

"You can mope later," Twilight says, smiling, though his eyes betray worry, "for now, help me search the forest."

Hyrule simply nods and Time has to look away because he can't stand how expressionless the boy looks. Something is eating at Hyrule, and if it's left alone it will begin to eat at the rest of the group, and with Warrior as wounded as he is, with Wild gone rogue, with Legend MIA, bad moral is the last thing they need.

Instead of watching them go, Time leaves Hyrule in Twilight's capable hands so he can take care of the rest of their broken family.

"Whose hungry?"