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maintitle · 1 year

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I watched DS9's It's Only A Paper Moon yesterday, and I want to talk about it because it wasn't until right now that I understood why it slapped me across the face so much, and why I think that episode is so important to me.

This may be triggering to people with disabilities, heart conditions, disabilities from COVID, or medical or military related trauma. Read ahead at your own risk.

I developed a heart condition at 18 from the H1N1 virus (which is why I tell all my friends to take preventive measures if they had COVID, because these kinds of new and unknown viruses can have long-lasting effects on you we don't know yet). While I had a lot of tests and missed a lot of school that year, the effects of that wouldn't be clear for years until at 24 I got a pacemaker/defibrillator put in in what we later found out was a life-saving surgery. The trauma of that event took a long time to catch up with me. While I'm still facing symptoms and limitations from that period of my life, the immediate danger has passed. But it took A LONG time for the fear of what happened to me, the PTSD of that event, to catch up with me. I've dealt with huge panic attacks and hyper-obsessive fears regarding my heart since around twenty-nine, fears I live with and fight through in therapy to this day.

As someone facing those issues, I hooked onto A Paper Moon this watch in a way I haven't before. The issue deals with the loss of Nog's leg in battle earlier in the season, a traumatic experience he had in the middle of a warzone only halfway through their defense. During his recovery, Julian begins to play recordings of I'll Be Seeing You, put together by Vic Fontaine, a semi-aware holodeck program that is really popular on DS9.

Nog returns from surgery at the beginning of the episode, and is walking with a cane. Multiple people on staff, including Julian himself, is concerned over the use of the cane because medically, he shouldn't have a need for it. He shouldn't even be in pain based off of what they know from the new leg and the nerves around it, but he's in pain and having trouble walking. A lot of the arguments in the early episode revolve around people talking behind Nog's back about how they can't understand why he has the cane or why he's in pain when there doesn't appear to be a medical reason for it.

The answer is actually incredibly simple: It's not the leg, it's the trauma from loosing the leg. Nog, who is still incredibly young in the episode, had somehow seen himself as invincible, a young cadet wanting to prove Ferengi can be incredible members of Starfleet, who had seen quite a bit of action and was cocksure, and in one moment he not only lost that bravado, but he also learned he was mortal in one horrifying singular moment.

Obviously, Nog is lucky enough to live in an era where it's possible to replace a lost limb, but that doesn't change the fact that for a horrifying unmentioned, maybe SEVERAL DAY period of time, he was left on a makeshift bed, listening to fighting outside, knowing that he could be attacked at any time, could die at any time from factors not even exterior to him. And now he just has to... go back to life after that horrifying dose of his own mortality.

The only thing that gets him by is that recording of I'll Be Seeing You by Vic Fontaine, because that's the only thing that he had to take him out of that horrifying situation while he laid on that makeshift gurney. The episode explores that idea by having him play it while trying to sleep, and eventually go to the holodeck and try to live in it with Vic after he was shamed for being in bed too long and for listening to said music for too long.

The funny thing is, Vic is the ONLY person, INCLUDING THE COUNSELOR ONBOARD DS9, who recognizes that his pain is valid. Vic, as a hologram, recognizes that his pain isn't crazy, it's as real as the injury he experienced, because Vic has a perspective that none of these hyper-worn-down Starfleet Officers or parental figures in his life has: His LIFE is a series of not-real instances of pain, of happiness, of dealing with other people he knows are holograms. Vic isn't like Moriarty in TNG, he's not like other semi-sentient Holodeck programs, he KNOWS he's a program but he also finds that life to be very real FOR HIM. The feelings of one of his bandmates are as real to him as the problems of Julian walking in to talk about one of the many women he simps for not feeling the same, because despite knowing they're not physically real, he CARES for them and takes their lives seriously.

Nog's feelings are real. His PAIN is real, even if a doctor can't understand why. Nog's in the middle of a long, extended panic attack where he's internalizing a near life-ending medical emergency and doesn't know how to DEAL with it. He loses himself in the program because it's the only place he can get past the trauma of the event, he's hostile to others who try and look at him with pity or as a hero because he doesn't want to be DEFINED by that pain. Vic knows this, and builds him up in other ways. Gives him a life to live, watches him slowly not need the cane and not even realize it, gives him tools and an environment to cope and generally is the only person that validates that trauma.

The episode is maybe one of the series best mental health episodes possible, and DS9 is generally REALLY good with these issues. As someone with medical trauma, I saw myself in Nog. I'm sure others who have experienced disabilities in the military see even more of themselves in him. We relate to it because we're constantly belittled or told our pain is in our heads, when the truth is we FEEL it. I feel it multiple times a month, when I lay down and go to bed and lay on my side just right that I can feel my heartbeat, and then I overanalyze it, and then that leads to a panic attack and me grabbing a pressure cuff or a fingertip pulse whatever it is to see if I'm okay, but by then I can't come down from the panic attack until it's done. I feel it when I'm helping someone move or if I'm on a casual walk and I feel my heartbeat spike, and my mind overreacts and wonders if this is normal exertion or a heart attack.

Not FEELS these things. It's real pain. And Vic doesn't invalidate it. It's as real as the injury itself, and it's not one that he'll ever truly conquer. But the episode gives him time, space and kindness to help him find coping mechanisms in order to continue with his life and dreams, and THAT'S Trek to me. A future where these things can be understood and worked through, without the constant shame that people with disabilities face when describing the trauma responses they suffer on a day-to-day basis.

In the end, Nog is heard. The main characters come to understand that what he felt is real. The episode gives him the time to work through complicated PTSD, and while he's not okay at the end, he's learning to live with it. And it's really fucking special to see this explored with a character we saw grow up into a man, on a show where the future is meant to be better than the present, written by writers in 1998 where they had no right to handle this as well as they did. This was an exceptionally special episode of television.

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bluevaractyl · 3 months

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Thank you @gemglyph for all your help bringing the setting to life and @nancyheart11 @zolanort @unexpectedstormy @seaotter-17 for the enabling. Also @raycatz for your headcanon of space heater Wind. You guys rock 🪨

Warnings: graphic descriptions of injuries caused by close proximity to an explosion, slightly disturbing dreams; a character has to be restrained to prevent further injury

Wind fidgeted restlessly as he sat on a rock, bouncing one knee. All around him, the other heroes were settling down and occupying themselves with their own tasks. Time was removing his armor one piece at a time, checking it over and setting it aside to polish. Twilight was taking off Epona’s gear. Sky had his back to a tree and was either asleep or very close to it. Four was looking over Wild’s shoulder as he poked around on his slate. Legend had his arm buried up to his shoulder in his pouch. Hyrule had paused in the act of arranging stones in a circle for their fire. Now he was just staring into the trees, ears flicking at every sound.

Warriors was pacing, looking unhappy about something, as he had been for the past ten minutes. Finally, he stopped and spoke up. “You’re sure this is a safe place to camp, Champion? It’s still light outside, surely we could make it to the nearest town before nightfall.”

Wild looked up and explained, “Actually, we’re about a day and a half from the nearest village. As for the nearest stable…” He slid two fingers across the slate to zoom in on an icon on his map. “Only five hours away. If we left right now, we would probably get there a little after sunset.”

Warriors made a strangled noise and threw up his hands. He turned away and resumed pacing.

Wild continued, unfazed. “I’d rather camp here, though. I’m running low on ingredients right now, and Dalite Forest is one of the best spots for foraging.”

As Warriors made another circuit past Time, the Old Man reached up and gave the trailing end of his scarf a light tug. Warriors stumbled to a halt, and Time grasped his wrist and pulled him down to sit beside him on the grassy boulder, ignoring his spluttered protests.

“That sounds like a great idea, Champion,” Time agreed placidly. “Take someone with you.”

Foraging sounded way more fun than sitting around at camp. Wind hopped to his feet and eagerly declared, “I’ll come!”

Wild’s eyebrows went up, but he gave Wind a considering look and nodded. “Alright, grab your stuff and let’s go.”

Wind snatched up his spoils bag and made sure his shield and the Phantom Sword were secure on his back. Feeling sufficiently prepared, he skipped to Wild’s side and bounced on the balls of his feet. Wild grinned back.

“We’ll be back in an hour or two, don’t start dinner without me!” Wild told the group.

Legend and Hyrule didn’t look up from whatever Legend had pulled from his bag. Four waved. Sky snored. Warriors had slumped against Time, accepting his fate, but he halfheartedly called, “Don’t get lost.” Twilight opened his mouth like he would say something, but then he sighed and turned back to Epona.

Wild took Wind’s hand and led them into the trees.

As they walked, Wind swung their clasped hands. He asked, “So, what exactly are we looking for?”

Wild hummed, head swiveling as he searched. “There’s lots of mushrooms here. Also acorns and chickaloo nuts, hearty radishes, Hyrule herbs, blue nightshade…basically if you see flowers and it’s tall, grab it. Try to pull it up with the roots. Look for critters, too: beetles, crickets, fireflies, dragonflies—ha!” He let go of Wind’s hand to pounce forward, hands closing around something red and wriggling. He held it up for Wind to see. “And lizards!”

He tucked the squirming lizard into his pouch and started walking again. Wind wrinkled his nose. “What do you need lizards for?”

Wild said, “Making elixirs.” Wind couldn’t decide if that was the coolest thing he’d ever heard or the grossest. He decided to figure it out later.

“We should split up a little, cover more ground. It’s pretty safe here. I never see any monsters. Watch out for boars, though, they might try to trample you. Oh! I almost forgot, if you see any deer or boars, come get me so I can shoot them,” Wild said. He glanced at Wind. “You got all that, Sailor?”

Wind nodded. Look for mushrooms, flowers, bugs, and big animals. Deers were big, right? They sounded big.

Satisfied, Wild moved away to collect some bright green mushrooms clustered at the base of a tree. Wind began walking in the opposite direction.

Birds chirped in the branches over his head. A cool breeze rustled the leaves, and Wind waved his hand as if he were directing it with the Wind Waker. Something winged zoomed past his ear, but it was gone before he could get a look.

A furry orange creature stepped out from behind a bush. Its pointed ears twitched and it turned to lock gazes with Wind. He held his breath, trying to decide whether it was dangerous (or a deer. He still couldn’t remember what those looked like). Before he could make up his mind, it flicked its white-tipped tail and ran away.

Shrugging, he moved on.

Wind spotted bright pink flowers. He jogged toward the plant and dropped to his knees beside it. The flowers grew at the top of a long stalk with wide green leaves. At the base, the top of a bulbous reddish root was barely visible peeking from the ground. Wind tried to remember what it was called. Rashdish maybe? That didn’t sound very tasty.

Wind started pulling away the dirt covering the root with his hands. Impatient with the slow pace, he reached into his bag and pulled out a shovel. Digging went much faster after that.

Wind shook the dirt off his find and stuffed it into his bag. He kept walking.

Wind collected a handful of acorns and several orange mushrooms as he wandered. He was stalking a dragonfly when the trees thinned and opened up suddenly into a grassy valley. He stopped in surprise.

An enormous mountain rose up to his left, and a hill boxed him in on the right. The dark spires in the distance beyond were probably Wild’s castle. When he stepped further into the field and turned around, he could see towering red cliffs behind the forest.

The breeze made the grass sway like waves on the sea. Wind let it coax him forward, arms spread like it could carry him away. The air caressed his cheek and ruffled his hair, making him laugh. Green blades and wildflowers parted in his wake.

The wind died abruptly. In the sudden stillness, Wind realized the birds had fallen quiet. He glanced back and saw with a flicker of unease that he was farther from the trees than he had thought.

A strange whirring noise came from behind him. Wind froze.

A giant metal monster was stalking toward him on way too many legs. Its body was covered in swirling magenta lights, except for its eye, which glowed an eerie blue. As he watched, the monster began beeping rapidly. A red beam emitted from the eye. Wind flinched, expecting it to hurt when it landed on his chest, but there was no pain.

Someone skidded to a stop right in front of him. The eye immediately switched focus. Wild spoke quickly.

“Wind, get back to camp. Warn the others.”

When Wind didn’t move, paralyzed by terror and confusion, the Champion gave him a forceful shove in the direction of the trees, almost knocking him off his feet. Wind stumbled a few steps and stopped, torn between the urge to run and the desire to help. He looked back.

Wild was already moving, sword and shield up as he circled the monster, drawing its attention away. Its head swiveled to Wind for a split second, apparently indecisive. Wild brought his hands to his mouth and let out a piercing whistle. It instantly locked back on to him.

“WIND, RUN!” Wild shouted without looking away. Wind ran.

He had almost made it to the cover of the trees when he heard a faint beep, followed by a sharp sound like a cannon shot, if it were pitched higher. Wind tripped over his own feet in his hurry to turn around. In the distance, he could still see the small figure of the Champion darting around the monster, unharmed. He blew out a relieved breath and kept running. Wild would be fine. Wind would bring the others, and all nine heroes would take that thing down easily.

~~~

Wild watched Wind disappear into the forest and let out a sigh of relief. The Sailor would be safe with the others. He refocused on his own task.

The guardian stalker had come out of nowhere. Its very presence brought up questions. After Calamity Ganon’s defeat, the guardians had all fallen dormant, freed from the beast’s control. Zelda had teams scouring Hyrule and dismantling them one at a time. Even when they had been active, Wild had never encountered a guardian so close to Satori Mountain. There was no way this one finding Wind could be a coincidence.

Wild drew another arrow and aimed for the eye. It sank into the already fractured lens, shorting out the guardian’s firing mechanism and buying him some time. He began hacking away at one of its legs.

The guardian recovered unnaturally fast. He’d hardly made a dent before it was moving again, beeping rapidly in a deadly countdown. Time for a new plan.

He backed away toward Safula Hill and raised his shield. The guardian scuttled forward, covering the distance faster than he could hope to run. Its glowing eye remained fixed on his chest, targeting beam steady despite the uneven terrain. Wild raised his shield and firmed his stance. The beeping sped up. It bled into one sustained note, and in the split second afterward, he swung his shield with all his strength, parrying the laser back into the guardian’s eye.

The resulting explosion knocked the guardian back, raising its forwardmost legs off the ground for a moment. Its top half spun in a stuttering motion as it rebooted.

Wild leapt forward, using the scant amount of height he’d gained to focus as he fell. Time slowed. He brought his stolen lynel sword down hard on the guardian’s leg. A few more blows, and it broke. Sparks flew from the severed wires.

Movement in his periphery. Pain suddenly splintered through his side, and he was airborne.

The landing drove the breath from his lungs. His vision blacked out as his forehead bounced off the ground.

Beeping.

Panic filled Wild. His shield was gone. No time to think.

His fingers scrabbled at the slate at his hip. He blindly tapped a rune. A glowing sphere appeared beside him.

The beeping flattened into a long, piercing note.

Without giving himself a chance to consider, he flipped over onto his back and threw the bomb in one quick motion. He tapped the rune again.

Heat and sound flooded his senses. The world went white.

The roaring tide gradually ebbed away, leaving a high ringing in his ears and spots of color in his vision. His face and chest felt weirdly cold. He blinked heavily, wondering why everything was moving so slowly. Hadn’t he been doing something important?

What was he forgetting? Who was…

~~~

Wind crashed through the trees on the edge of camp and yelped as three swords immediately swung in his direction. “It’s just me!”

Time, Legend, and Warriors lowered their swords, and Four tucked away the knife he’d materialized from somewhere. Hyrule sighed and let his shimmering red shield fade. Sky was blinking blearily at everyone, probably trying to figure out what had woken him and whether it was an emergency.

“What’s wrong? Where’s Wild?” said Twilight, keen eyes searching the shadows behind Wind. He absently patted Epona’s neck, soothing her.

Wind wiped the sweat from his forehead and leaned his hands on his knees, breathing hard. He really just wanted to flop down on the ground, but this was urgent. He couldn’t leave Wild to face that thing alone. He panted, “Ran into a big monster, like a beamos with lots of legs. Wild told me to get backup.”

Anticipation swept through the group. Wind could almost see the mantle of Captain settling over Warriors’s shoulders as he began giving instructions.

“Vet, Traveler, Sky, you’re with me. Old Man, Smithy, Ran—”

“I’m coming with,” interrupted Twilight. He clenched his jaw mulishly. Wind didn’t really get Wild and Twilight’s relationship; Wild seemed more comfortable with the Rancher than with anyone else, but Twilight just seemed baffled by the Champion. He was definitely protective of him, though.

Warriors sighed but didn’t argue with Twilight. “Fine. Sky, the Old Man, and Smithy will stay here and maintain our fallback point. Sailor, you’ll lead us to the Champion.” He met Wind’s eyes and nodded to him. Wind straightened and puffed out his chest, tiredness forgotten.

Camp was soon a whirlwind of motion. Warriors threw on his chainmail and tunic. Legend switched out some of his rings and appeared to debate with himself before arming himself with a bow and his Tempered Sword. In a matter of minutes, everyone was ready, looking to Wind for direction. He swallowed his fear and said more boldly than he felt, “Alright, let’s go!” Then he turned and began to lead the way back through the woods.

Time was moving too slowly and too quickly all at once. Wind kept up as fast a jog as he could manage, occasionally slowing to make sure he was still going in the right direction. The forest seemed to go on forever.

Warriors’s stupidly long strides easily kept pace with Wind as he walked beside him. Twilight seemed strangely anxious. Wind wondered if he knew something he wasn’t letting on. Did his world have those beamos-things too?

Finally, they stepped out into the field. Wind squinted, but he couldn’t see Wild or the monster anymore. Maybe he was just too short. Grrr.

Twilight had no such issue. He sucked in a sharp breath and took off running. Hyrule followed without hesitation. Wind looked up at Warriors, trying to read his expression, only to find it closed off and carefully blank. Ice crept through his lungs.

Without a word, Warriors started off in the direction Twilight had gone, his speed just a bit too fast to be called a walk now. Wind and Legend hurried to follow.

They came around the hill, and suddenly Wind could see what he’d missed.

The smoking husk of the monster lay in pieces. Its legs lay askew, and a few had been severed from what was left of the body. Gears, screws, and shards of metal littered the scorched grass. Patches were still smoldering.

Twilight crouched in the grass, heedless of the flames licking near his boots. A still form clad in blue lay crumpled beside him. Twilight cradled the Champion’s head in his shaking hands, chanting something softly. Wind stepped a little closer and could make it out.

“Nononononono—”

A hand fell on Wind’s shoulder, making him jump. He looked up at Warriors.

“You did well coming to get us. This part is going to be hard to watch. It’s okay if you don’t think you can handle it. You can go join the others, update them on the situation.”

Panic finally penetrated the fog that had fallen over Wind. He cried, “Wait, is he—he’s not—"

Warriors said soothingly, “It’s okay Wind, he’ll be okay. We can help him. But it’s going to hurt.” He looked more serious than Wind had seen him in a long time. “Are you ready for that?”

Wind took a deep breath and let it out, trying to calm down enough to really think about the answer. He wanted to help. This was kind of his fault, wasn’t it? If he hadn’t wandered off, Wild wouldn’t have had to fight this thing. If he’d run faster, they could have all fought it together. Oh sea spray, this was all his fault.

Wind choked on a sudden sob. Warriors went to one knee and wrapped his arms around him in a rare show of gentleness. The kindness in the gesture made Wind cry harder. He buried his face in Warriors’s scarf. Warriors gave him a moment, but all too soon, he was pulling away. Wind sniffled and scrubbed his sleeve over his face. He met Warriors’s gaze.

Warriors seemed to have come to a decision. He said, “Sailor, I need you to go back to camp and gather everyone’s water bottles and waterskins and bring them here. Ask if anyone has bandages, magic potion, or fairies. Grab a blanket. Tell them Wild was injured in an explosion. Have them set up bedrolls to lay him down on, get a fire started, and sit tight.”

Wind felt himself steady with the instructions. Filled with renewed purpose, he nodded. Warriors smiled, though it was almost sad. “Good lad.” He patted Wind’s shoulder, and then Wind was off.

~~~

Warriors let his smile fall the moment Wind’s back was turned. He strode over to the fallen Champion.

Twilight, Legend, and Hyrule crouched around Wild, speaking in low, urgent tones. They fell silent as Warriors approached, looking to him for guidance. He shouldered the familiar burden.

They had arranged Wild on his back, keeping his spine straight and head tilted back slightly to help him breathe. Angry red burns, already blistering, were spread over the Champion’s face, neck, and exposed fingertips. His clothes were scorched, and part of his arm wraps had burnt away. His right sleeve was torn and bloodied at the shoulder where a piece of metal shrapnel had pierced it. Blood trickled from cuts on his cheek and from his ears. His eyes were closed. His breathing was quick and shallow. When Warriors pressed two fingers to the less-damaged side of his throat, the pulse there was weak.

“Someone get—” Warriors looked up to find that the other three had already arranged potions, water, bandages, and a single, precious fairy in a bottle in a small pile in the grass. The words died on his lips, and he nodded gratefully.

Warriors grabbed a water bottle and uncorked it. He poured it over the worst of the burns to cool them. The stench of roasting flesh rose up. Legend gagged and stepped away.

Suddenly Wild jerked, letting out a gasping cry. His eyelids fluttered. His face contorted in pain, pulling at the awful burns. When he twitched one arm up as if to claw at his own skin, Twilight swooped in and seized his gloved hand in a firm grip, stopping him. An agonized groan left Wild.

Warriors leaned forward and said clearly, “Champion? Can you hear me?” Wild gave no sign he had heard, tossing his head fitfully and panting. He keened breathlessly, then abruptly fell limp.

Twilight dove forward to check his pulse. After a moment, he relaxed minutely.

Warriors poured two more bottles of water over the burns, then set to work unbuckling Wild’s belt and baldric. Twilight and Hyrule helped, carefully lifting and maneuvering the Champion’s upper body. With that out of the way, Warriors reached into his pouch and withdrew his sewing scissors. He set the blades to the lower edge of the Champion’s tunic. Legend made a noise of protest but didn’t stop him as he sliced the tunic down the center. There was more resistance than he’d expected, making him wonder about the enchantments on it. He shoved aside the flash of regret. He cut through Wild’s undershirt as well, baring his chest.

Underneath Wild’s clothes, the burns were markedly less severe. They overlapped eerily with Wild’s old scars. Warriors could now see there were also several deep punctures in the Champion’s side, as if he had been violently seized by the talons of an enormous bird. Warriors glanced at the mechanical beast behind him and felt a cold rage rise up. He shoved that down too.

The shrapnel in Wild’s shoulder looked deep, and its location near an artery made Warriors uneasy. They would have to be swift when removing it. That seemed to be the only obstacle to magical healing, luckily.

“Twilight, will you hold him steady for me? I’m going to pull this out. It’s probably going to bleed a lot. Be ready with the fairy, Legend.”

Twilight murmured his assent, moving to hold Wild’s upper arms. Legend picked up the bottled fairy and stepped closer. Warriors wrapped his left hand in a scrap of fabric bandage and reached for the shard of metal.

Wild suddenly convulsed. Warriors snatched his hand away and barked, “Turn him on his side!” Twilight hurried to obey. Vomit trickled from Wild’s mouth. The Champion coughed and gasped. Warriors’s eye caught on the dark patches in the vomit, and his stomach clenched. Internal bleeding, most likely.

Wild seemed to be semiconscious again. His eyes opened a crack, and he made a weak attempt to push himself up. Legend held him down with one hand, snapping, “Stop moving! You’re only going to make it worse!” Worry made his tone sharp, but Warriors could see that his grip on Wild’s shoulder was gentle.

Wild slumped back down, exhausted. He wheezed, “No…nooo Zel…da…” Then the pain seemed to hit again, and he tensed. Air hissed from between his clenched teeth in a voiceless scream. Warriors was unwillingly reminded of the agony of his own burns from his encounter with Volga. When they’d finally been treated, he'd screamed as if to wake the dead. Come to think of it, why wasn’t the Champion being more vocal about his pain?

Wild subsided into gasping breaths, each more desperate than the last. He writhed on the ground, eerily quiet as he let out another breathless howl.

Finally, it clicked. He couldn’t get enough air to scream properly. Blast lung, Warriors concluded. He cursed under his breath.

“We don’t have time for this. Put him on his back, we need to take care of the shrapnel and finish this up,” Warriors ordered. Twilight and Hyrule exchanged a look but moved to obey, carefully rolling Wild onto his back again. He fought them with all his pathetic strength.

When Hyrule and Twilight were once again positioned to hold the Champion down, Warriors grasped the piece of shrapnel firmly, nodded to Legend, and yanked it straight out. Wild inhaled sharply and stilled. Bright red gushed from the wound, pulsing in time with his struggling heartbeat. Legend released the fairy. She darted for Wild’s shoulder and spun in tight circles above him. Before their eyes, the blood slowed and began seeping back into the jagged hole. Torn muscle stitched back together. Skin sealed shut, leaving a faint scar.

Without pausing, the fairy shifted smoothly into zigzagging over the Champion’s torso. Warriors watched in dread and relief as she worked. Wild’s shallow breaths gradually evened out into deeper inhales, and some color returned to his pale face. The deep claw marks in his side filled in with fresh pink.

The fairy faltered. She made one more pass over Wild’s unconscious form, hesitated, then zipped away.

Warriors didn’t doubt she had done all she could, but there was still plenty to do. The burns looked untouched. Wild probably kept passing out because of the pain, but Warriors didn’t dare rule out a head injury as well. He also suspected damage to Wild’s eyes and ears.

Without prompting, Hyrule leaned forward, hands lit with a familiar teal glow. He closed his eyes in concentration. The swollen, seeping burns on Wild’s face and neck began to fade. He slowly worked his way lower, focusing on the Champion’s chest and side. Soon, the only sign of damage was the older scars from before. Warriors wondered at how similar the pattern was.

The Traveler swayed and blinked heavily. Legend steadied him.

Muffled hoofbeats had all four conscious heroes on immediate alert. Warriors relaxed slightly when he recognized the coloration of Twilight’s Epona. Time’s chainmail glinted gold in the setting sun; he had foregone his heavier armor. When they came closer, Warriors could see Wind sitting behind Time, holding on for dear life.

Time drew Epona to a halt and dismounted in a practiced motion. He reached up and lifted Wind down from her back. The Sailor wobbled a bit, mumbling, “Nothing at all like a boat.”

Time strode forward to meet Warriors, expression grim. “How is he?” he asked.

Warriors hesitated, glancing at Wind. He admitted, “Not great, but he’ll live. A fairy healed the worst of it. He’s stable enough to move.”

Wind moved past them toward the others. Time and Warriors followed.

Wild lay quiet and unmoving in the grass. His brow was faintly creased with pain. Warriors noted with concern that he had started to shiver. He was grateful Wind didn’t have to see the extent of the burns, but the blood still staining Wild’s tunic and chest made for an unsettling scene.

“It will be getting dark soon. We should get him back to camp,” said Time. Warriors glanced at the lengthening shadows and nodded in agreement.

Time pulled a blanket out of his bag and laid it out on the ground. He explained, “I brought Epona so we could move him faster. Wrap him in the blanket and have him sit in front. Twilight, are you comfortable riding with him?”

“Of course,” Twilight answered quickly.

Twilight lifted Wild’s head and torso, and Warriors lifted his legs. Together they set him on the blanket. Time knelt down and tenderly wrapped the blanket around him so only his face was uncovered. If the situation had been different, Warriors would have laughed.

Satisfied, Time lifted Wild into his arms. Twilight mounted Epona and leaned over to take the Champion from him. The Rancher carefully settled Wild’s head against his own shoulder and took the reins in one hand so that his other was free to hold Wild steady. “See you back at camp,” Twilight said with a lopsided smile. Then he urged Epona into a trot.

Warriors watched them disappear into the distance. Time came to stand next to him. “He’ll be okay,” murmured the Old Man. Warriors let out a huff of air. Undeterred, Time asked, “And how are you doing?"

Warriors was silent. He knew he could talk to Time, he did, but…He tried for a smile and said, “I’ll be fine, Old Man. It’s nothing I haven’t done before.”

Time’s expression didn’t change. “You and I both know it doesn’t get easier.”

Warriors finally let his shoulders slump, sighing. “It doesn’t.” He was quiet for a moment, gathering his thoughts. “He was in rough shape, Time. Those kinds of injuries are excruciating. It was hard to see him in so much pain, hard to cause more pain.” He absently massaged his left wrist. He hadn’t had time to put on his bracers earlier.

Time put an arm over his shoulder and said simply, “You did what you could.”

They stood like that for a couple of minutes. Feeling a little more centered, Warriors pulled away and turned to the others.

Legend, Hyrule, and Wind had gathered up most of the supplies and were sorting them into their bags. There was an uncharacteristically somber air about them. Warriors considered trying a joke to lighten the mood, but then his eye caught on the blood staining the flattened grass. He swallowed hard.

Wind stuffed the last empty bottle into his pouch and stood. “Come on,” he said quietly, and began walking toward the forest. Hyrule took a generous gulp of magic potion and accepted Legend’s hand up. The group began the long walk back to camp.

~~~

Link was burning. Fire filled the space where his blood should have been, scorching him inside and out. He opened his mouth to scream, but his voice had been stolen away. Lava flowed up to his chest. He struggled to swim but couldn’t move. He sank back into darkness.

…

Link was drowning. Trying to breathe brought pain instead of air. There were hands on him, holding him down and resisting his efforts to breach the surface. No! I’m not done, this can’t be it! Zelda still needs me! He fought to escape the shrine.

As if in punishment, the fire in his veins burned brighter. It seared through him, purging his sense of self. He could no longer tell where the fire ended and he began. The flames condensed into a dagger of obsidian. It plunged into his heart. He fell.

…

Link was freezing. Ice crept through him, rendering his flesh fragile stone. He felt as if he would shake apart. Cracks spiderwebbed his skin.

A wave of warmth swept over him, thawing the ice and banishing the frigid wind. The shaking slowed and stopped. He let himself drift.

~~~

Link wasn’t sure whether he was awake or not. The fire from his memories nightmares had faded, but he could still see it flickering behind his eyelids. The echoing silence remained.

Time maybe passed. Link discovered he was pleasantly warm. He could feel the faint brush of cool air on his cheeks, but the rest of him was cocooned in a gentle heat. He couldn’t move but found he didn’t really mind.

There was movement at his side. He tried to open his eyes and was surprised when he could. Perhaps he really was awake. He blinked a few times, but his vision remained blurred and hazy, like he was trying to see through rippling water. Above him was only darkness.

Turning his head took an enormous effort. He could see the orange-yellow of dancing flames, and dark shapes illuminated by their glow. The shapes might have been moving, or that might have just been the fire casting shadows.

One of the shapes began to grow, filling his vision until it was all he could see. Something touched his face, making him jerk back in surprise. The shape shifted, drawing back a bit. Link slowly realized it was larger because it had moved closer. It must have been what touched him.

Another big shape entered his view. Something—someone?—loosened the cozy confines he was trapped in. They touched his back, making him startle again, and pushed him up so he was sitting. Something red was brought close to his face. Cold pressed against his lips. Instinct prompted him to open his mouth. Liquid trickled in, strangely sweet with a bitter aftertaste. He swallowed.

After a few more sips, things began to become clearer. The blurry shapes gradually resolved into sharper silhouettes. Link’s ears itched, making them twitch. A soft, vibrating sound began somewhere.

The person-shaped shadow in front of Link wouldn’t leave him alone until he had drained the bottle of red. By then, he could hear the low hum of conversation and could almost make out the words. Satisfied, the person sat back. Their mouth moved. “—ssthat any better?"

Link blinked sleepily and hummed. The sound of his own voice shocked him. He hummed again, louder, then decided to try words. “Bettrrr.” It came out a little slurred, but he smiled, pleased with himself.

The person smiled back, though it didn’t quite look right. They laughed and it sounded wet. “Good. That’s good, Wild.”

Wild?

Oh, that’s me, thought Wild.

He squinted at the person. Memories slipped into place.

“…Twi?” said Wild.

Twilight blinked, then surged forward and wrapped him in a hug. It was warm and safe and familiar. Wild could feel his body relax into it.

Twilight’s voice was muffled by the fur tickling Wild’s ears, but he could hear Twilight earnestly whispering, “Oh, thank the Spirits you’re alright. You’re gonna be alright, Cub.” He made a sound that might have been a sob.

Chilly night air brushed Wild’s back, making him shiver. He abruptly noticed he was sitting in only his underwear. “Uh, Twilight, where are my clothes?” he asked. He shivered again.

Twilight let him go, chuckling. “We had to take them off you to take care of your injuries. They were wet and dirty anyway, so they weren’t gonna keep you warm. Wind stepped in to help with that.” At Wild’s confused look, Twilight nodded to his right.

Snuggled up with his back to Wild’s hip lay the sleeping Sailor. Wild could feel the warmth emanating from him through his thin clothes. The blankets had been wrapped around them both.

Wild looked back up at Twilight and asked, “Why was I so cold, though? What happened?”

Twilight looked at him and gently prompted, “What do you remember?”

Wild searched his memories. “I…I was burning. It felt like everything was on fire. And then I was drowning? It…the Shrine—but that’s not—that’s not right. That was a dream, I think?” He turned pleading eyes on his friend. “Why can’t I remember, Twi?”

Twilight chewed his lip and answered, “You fought some kinda mechanical monster. None of us saw what happened, but it looked like you got caught in an explosion. We found it in pieces and you in bad shape. You hit your head and lost a lotta blood. I’m not surprised ya don’t remember nothin’.” He hesitated again, then added, “I think it mighta been one of those guardian things you were telling me about.”

The words triggered a hazy memory of shouting for Wind to run. He’d been fighting a guardian, all right, but it wasn’t going well for some reason. He’d been thrown—it had been about to finish him off—how wasn’t he dead then? What had killed it?

Twilight watched his face for signs of distress. “It’s alright if you don’t remember, Wild. Wind got help and we took care of you. That’s all that matters in the end.”

Wild gave up on trying to piece it together. Twilight made a good point. In any case, he was far too tired to worry about that right now. He yawned.

Twilight chided, “Ah, have some water before ya go falling asleep again. Wars said burns mess up the water in your body…uh, I can’t remember why. Anyways, drink.”

Before he could think too hard on that, Twilight was shoving a glass bottle in his face. He obediently drank half of the water. Exhaustion pulled heavily at his limbs. He let himself sag in Twilight’s hold. Twilight laughed softly and helped him lay down again. Wind cuddled closer, mumbling sleepily. The Ranch Hand wrapped the blanket around them both. Wild was already drifting off again when Twilight pressed a kiss into his hair and whispered, “Sleep well, Cub.”

#if I tagged you no pressure to read this I just think you guys are awesome #sorry Wild but you are spectacularly easy to whump #injury tw #blood tw #explosion tw #burns tw #whew I sure hope that covers it #linked universe #blue writes

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