#linked universe whump

[alicewritingstories]

The Breath of the Wild series from this year's Febuwhump.

[zeldathusiast]

When The Wind Blows Through ⭐NOW UP ON AO3!⭐

thank you all for waiting so patiently, the support has been wonderful! ❤️

Now have at it my lovelies <3

Reblogs SUPER appreciated hehe

[secretlysheikah]

'Walk then. Come on, walk towards me. I bet you can't even take a step' maybe with warriors and legend? Tysm!

Ah lovely anon my dear! Thank you so much for the prompt! In fact there was another one who gave me this same exact prompt and I hope this will satisfy them as well! Thank you both for giving me this one, I had a lot of fun with it. You guys are amazing. Please enjoy this little slice of whump.

Update: I put it on Ao3 too! -> here <-

If you would like to send me a prompt (and I hope you do this is fun) here is a link to the original post! -> here <-

@whumpyourenemy since you requested a tag, I hope you enjoy!

Start here:

For how much Legend snapped at the others when they were hurt, one would think that he would be better about getting himself some help when it came to healing. The battle that day had been a hard one, and he hated the way that a good number of them had gone down because of it and he wasn’t about to add to the load. He grit his teeth as he felt another wave of pain roll over him as he stood stubbornly at the edge of the camp, looking out into the darkness for any signs of the hoard they had managed to lose in their, less than graceful retreat.

He could hear the sounds of Hyrule shuffling from person to person, asking questions and rationing out healing potions. By the sounds of it Wars was following right behind him, dogging him about resting himself and badgering him to take one of the potions as well. He would have joined Wars in his constant nagging but he didn’t want to risk it. As it was he had managed to hide his injuries pretty well. Thanks to the dying light, general chaos and his red tunic he had just been able to play down his injuries by a slim margin. He glanced back at the others, a good portion of them already deep asleep thanks to the healing potions and exhaustion while the few that remained awake seemed to cling onto consciousness by a hair's breadth.

He pressed his hand just a bit tighter to the slightly damp compress on his side, ignored the way his arm felt like lead as he did so, and continued his watch. He let himself turn back around and lean a bit against the tree, not because he was tired or achy or anything. No he was just bored, that’s all, he wasn’t hurt that bad, he had worse and he would be fine, just needed to keep the pressure on. He heard a strangled gasp from behind him followed by a hurried apology and he winced in sympathy. They were lucky, that was the long and short of it. They should have never let their guard down no matter how close they were to a town. This was one of the hard lessons that the Goddess apparently wanted them to learn but for what purpose he couldn’t see besides maybe wanting to keep them from having too much fun. Another half muffled curse set his teeth on edge. Stupid, this whole thrice damned situation was nothing but a mindless beat down hand delivered to them by a Goddess who couldn’t care less if she tried.

Suddenly a wave of angry energy filled his limbs and he was shoving away from the trunk of the tree and muttering something about checking for any straggling monsters. There was some weak protest from Hyrule but he waved away his concern and continued walking. He wanted to hit something, wanted to rage and curse and just do something to get his frustration out. He didn’t have to go far to find his release. There snuffling around the bushes was a lone bokoblin, clearly still searching for them. Legend felt his fingers start to tremble and he grabbed for his tempered sword.

“Hey!” He shouted at the creature as brandished his blade and raced forwards, the pain in his side completely forgotten in his fury. The thing looked startled for a moment but it recovered quickly and lurched forwards to meet him with its own, undoubtedly ill begotten sword. The fight didn’t last as long as he wanted, not by a long shot. It almost took no time at all for him to cut it down but that seemed to be all his tired body could handle given the day he had. As soon as the beast fell in its final death throes he felt a wave of dizziness collide with him. Confused, he clutched at his head, before he remembered the wound on his side. His breath hitched as his hand fluttered down to his side and he felt the sodden fabric as it clung to his torso. It was warm and sticky and when he pulled his fingers away they were coated in a healthy amount of red. His stomach churned and he staggered over to the closest tree and clung to it. Sweat poured from his forehead even as he felt a bitter cold cling to his skin. He felt his legs giving out from under him and he just managed to stop his descent to the ground when he heard a hard voice call his name.

“Legend, hey, Vet! What the hell are you doing out here?” Wars yelled from across the small clearing. That had Legend stiffening, shoving the feeling of the world spinning to the side in an act of… Defiance maybe? He wasn’t sure really, but all he knew was that he wasn’t about to look like a weakling in front of his comrades. He pulled himself together the best he could before he answered, not wanting to cause a scene.

“Weren’t you listening? I said I was patrolling, pretty boy. Lucky I did because that thing was hot on our tails,” He said as he shuffled around and leaned heavily against the tree and put his hands on his hips, subtly applying what pressure he could while still giving off a picture of calm and ease. War’s eyes flickered down to the smear of black blood on the ground before coming back up to stare at him. Legend watched his eyes narrow before he crossed his arms and nodded his head.

“You left before we could treat you. I’m surprised you were able to handle yourself given the blood loss. I must admit you are impressing the hell out of me.” He said and Legend let his own eyes narrow as he looked at him.

“I’m fine, you should be helping the others and not worrying about me.” He said tersely though he could hear the way his words got a bit breathy at the end.

“Oh come on, stop being stupid. You are leaning against a tree like it’s your best friend…” He started only to be stopped by a scoff.

“I don’t have best friends,” Legend said sluggishly, pulling a frustrated nose out of the Captain.

“Fine, okay, if you are fine then, walk your ass over here.”

“Wars come on,” Legend said and he couldn’t help but hear the half hearted whine in his own voice. That seemed to solidify something in War’s mind because he doubled down.

“Walk then. Come on Legend, walk towards me. I bet you can’t even take a step.” He challenged and Legend scoffed and rolled his eyes.

“Of course I can,” He said, though at the mere thought of moving from his spot made his legs tremble. Wars shot him a toothy smile and gestured for him to make his move. Legend closed his eyes for a moment and worked to build his energy to move.

“Any time now,” Wars taunted and Legend offered him a jaunty middle finger and pushed off the tree. To his credit he made it two steps before everything blacked out and he even managed to hear Warriors cursing before he lost all sense of what was happening.

When he came back to himself it was to Warrior’s furious cursing and a heavy pressure on his side as he worked to steam the bleeding. Legend didn’t know why but the sight tickled him for some reason and he let out a small laugh. Wars shot him a dirty look and shook his head.

“You’re an idiot,” He cursed as he applied more pressure with one hand and dug around his pack with the other. Legend only continued to laugh more, and the worried look that flashed across the other man’s face had him practically howling with mirth.

“Did you get a concussion or something?” Wars asked as he pulled the cork out of a bottle and practically shoved it in Legend’s face. He managed to take a few sips from the bottle, barely tasting the bitter tang of the red potion as he did so before he fell back to the ground, still quietly chortling.

“See, I made it two steps,” He said, with the faintest, slightly hysterical giggle on his tongue and it took a moment before the words finally connected in Warrior's brain.

“I hate you,” He said finally though the words didn’t hold any real weight as he corked the bottle and started to help Legend to his feet. The world swayed around him and more weak laughter burbled from him in a heady spiral.

“You don’t hate me, you love me and I know it,” He slurred, startling himself a bit with the comment though the feeling dissipated on the breeze almost instantly. He was sure if he was more lucid he wouldn’t be acting this way but he found that he couldn’t get himself to shut up.

“Yeah I do, I guess we’ll keep you after all,” Wars said as he helped haul him forwards and back towards camp. More delirious giggles fell from his mouth and he tried, he really did try to stop them.

“I meant what I said ‘bout not having best friends. At this rate I dare say you guys are close to brothers, you know that right?” He said drowsily as he let his head droop forward. He felt his eyes fluttering closed as he started to fall asleep on his feet but he still distantly felt the way Warriors stiffened slightly at the comment. Warriors snorted fondly and shifted his grip on Legend’s slumping form, keeping the other from hitting the ground as he lost his fight with sleep.

“Brothers huh? Oh how the tables have turned, I never thought I would hear the day when Legend the veteran hero would finally admit how he felt. You must really be out of it. How about we get you into bed huh? You emotionally constipated ass.” Warriors said softly and managed to pull a sleepy hum from Legend. It was clear to Wars now that Legend was falling down, slipping down into the warm dark of healing sleep and there was very little he could do about it.

He knew Legend missed the smirk on his face, the way that he chuckled to himself. He knew full well that the Vet wouldn’t remember this when he woke up and he knew that wouldn’t stop him from teasing him about it. But even though he knew what the Vet would say to the teasing, the snappish responses and retorts he would receive and the loud and insistent claims to the contrary, he couldn’t help but feel a little warmed by the other man’s words. He always wanted a brother, and now he knew that he had one, even if he was a bit of an ass.

[alicewritingstories]

The "Time comes to bargain" series from Febuwhump 2024 (which I realised I never posted as a set. Whoops)

[alicewritingstories]

I realised I'd never gotten around to posting my Febuwhump fics on AO3! I'm going to post the series and the Silmarillion ones separately, but making a start.

[alicewritingstories]

Febwhump Day 29: Not allowed to die

CW: Blood, injury, description of serious injury, Do Not Resuscitate request

AO3

---

Zelda took a breath, blinking in the sun. It felt so strange to properly have a body again; to have muscles that moved her limbs, to actually be able to feel her own breathing and heartbeat, to be able to taste the clean, warm air. But before she could even begin to enjoy it, there was one thing she needed to know.

She looked at Link, standing facing her in his burned, stained, bloody blue tunic, panting for breath, blood running from his nose. She'd watched every step of his adventure. All his struggles to regain the past her actions had stolen from him. All the battles he had fought alone for her.

There was so much she wanted to say to him. She wanted to ask his forgiveness. She wanted to thank him. But she couldn't find the words. At last, when the silence had stretched too long, she fumbled out the thing that felt like it would open up all the rest.

"Do you really remember me?"

He smiled. One of his teeth was chipped. But he nodded.

Yes.

He remembered her.

He remembered her.

Did he blame her?

Before she could drag together the words to ask him that, he stumbled and dropped onto one knee.

In a horrible, frozen moment she was back on Blatchery Plain and he was covered in burns and too deep in shock even to scream and there were so many Guardians and…

With a shriek, she ran to catch him as he wavered.

"Link! Link, no! Don't leave me! Don't leave me!" she wailed. "Please, no! You can't! I won't let you die! Not now, not after you finally won, not after…"

He coughed and raised his head to meet her eye and she saw his face again. Bloody and bruised, but the bone-deep burn lashed across his cheek and forehead was a scar now. She caught her breath.

"Zelda…" he whispered. "Please… please don't…" His voice caught and he stammered for a moment, tears welling in those blue eyes.

She took a deep breath, steadying herself. "It's… It's OK, Link. Take your time."

He swallowed and slowly, carefully said, "P-Please don't… put me back."

She blinked. "What?"

"Th…the Shrine. Please…" His breath caught on a terrified sob: an alien sound coming from her brave Champion. "Please… let me die rather th…than… p-p-put me… back… Please…"

For a moment she couldn't breathe either. She remembered him lying motionless in a mess of mud and blood, his face and body blown apart. She remembered the cool, calm voice echoing from the sword, telling her there was a way.

She looked into his wide, desperate eyes and remembered them opening at last in the darkness of the shrine with no memory behind them.

"I won't put you back," she promised. "Just… please don't die."

He smiled despite the tears still spilling down his cheeks. With a sob of her own she threw her arms around him and held him tight, warm and solid against her heart. They were alive. They were both alive.

It was going to be all right.

[alicewritingstories]

Febuwhump Day 27 (Alt prompt 1): Human Shield

CW: Blood, death threat, hostage situation

AO3

---

Four slipped and went face-down in the mud with a grunt, just managing to keep his sword out from under him. His muscles burned as he struggled back to his feet, grateful for the support of Hyrule's hand under his arm but aware that his brother was also exhausted.

"This is why… don't wander… off-trail," he panted as they started running again.

"Save the lecture," said Hyrule, equally breathlessly.

Four could have activated his Pegasus Boots, but that would mean leaving Hyrule behind. Hyrule had said he'd be able to hide - this was his era and he knew it well - but that didn't make abandoning him any more acceptable an option.

What was more, the mountainous terrain they were crossing was like a maze of little ravines that would soon have had Four lost or cornered. Hyrule seemed to be able to navigate by sheer dead reckoning, even in the pouring rain, pursued by the shouts and chants of the cultists whose ritual they had interrupted and who seemed to know the area almost as well as he did.

Suddenly Four felt the ground rumble under his feet. He slid to a halt, his heels leaving gouges in the muddy ground, and shouted a warning to Hyrule, but the traveler had already seen the danger and grabbed Four's arm as he ran back the other way.

Behind them, an ugly mixture of rocks, mud, and a dead tree slid down the side of the ravine.

Four heard a shout of triumph from one of the cultists as they darted down another little ravine, their feet splashing in a stream of water running down it.

"Will this flood?" shouted Four.

Hyrule shook his head.

There weren't any better options; as Four looked over his shoulder he could already see a couple of robed figures turning the corner after them. They were shouting about blood and ashes - mostly blood.

The water was up to Four's ankles as they kept running. He wondered fleetingly if it would get deeper; if Hyrule had remembered how much shorter he was than his brothers.

As he ran, his thoughts were starting to spiral apart into something closer to a wordless argument. He forced himself to focus, centering himself in the moment. Now was not the time.

Then Hyrule let out a cry of alarm. An arrow splashed in the water ahead of them. Four looked up and saw a couple of archers on the wall overhead, perilously close to a very unstable-looking edge.

We fight.

We can't win.

Who are they? What do they even want?

Again, Four centered himself. He looked at Hyrule. For the first time in their flight, there was fear in the traveler's eyes as he tightened his grip on his sword. They were cornered, then. Outnumbered, and Four knew Hyrule didn't have much magic left. A couple of big spells and he'd not be able to run any further.

"What do they want?" muttered Four. "Revenge for the interruption?"

Hyrule swallowed hard. "They… want my blood."

"You mean they want to kill you?" Four already knew the answer. As the cultists drew in on them slowly, they had settled into a rhythmic chorus like a heartbeat.

"Blood for Lord Ganon! Blood for Lord Ganon!"

Blood specifically.

Well, then. What would they give to have Hyrule's blood preserved?

The part of Four that made up calm, ruthless, intelligent Vio knew how few options they had. He grabbed Hyrule, pulled him close, and raised his sword to his brother's throat.

"Let us go or I'll spill his blood right here and now!" he shouted.

"Four!" cried Hyrule. "What are -"

"Shut up," hissed Four. Then he raised his voice again. "You want his blood, don't you? How much do you need? Have you ever seen how much blood comes from a slit throat?"

There was a long, horrible pause. Four hoped desperately that the cultists wouldn't call his bluff.

One of them stepped forward. "You're making a mistake, boy," she said. "We need him to save this world. If you kill him, you prevent that. Give him to us and you may go free."

"I know enough about Ganon and what would happen to this world if he returned to know I'd rather kill this boy than hand him over to you," said Four. "And before you think about shooting me, my hand does not have to move far to open his throat. This is not a negotiation. I leave with him or his blood washes away in this floodwater. Choose."

Another pause. Four could feel Hyrule's pulse hammering where he held his arm, hear his quick, frightened breathing. He wanted to say something to reassure him, but couldn't afford to waver for a moment. The cultists' belief that he would follow through and kill their intended victim before they could take him was the only shield between the two of them and death.

The pause stretched and Four braced himself, then drew the sword a little closer. He kept the edge very sharp and a line of blood appeared on Hyrule's throat. Hyrule froze, eyes wide, holding his breath.

Four forced his expression and his hand to stay steady.

"Very well," said the cultist quickly. "Very well, go." She waved to her followers, who stepped aside to open a route back the way they'd come.

They were in no way out of danger, but Four eased towards the gap, still with his sword to Hyrule's throat. Nobody else moved as they walked through. Everything was still and silent apart from the splashing of their feet in the floodwater as they left the ravine and turned a corner back the way they'd come.

Once they were out of sight, Four sheathed his sword and stepped back, hands raised. "I'm sorry," he said, "I couldn't see another way out. You can yell at me later. In the meantime, which way do we go?"

Hyrule stared at him, his hand to the cut on his neck. Four saw the faint glow as he healed it. "You- you think-" he stumbled out.

"Hyrule, we have seconds," snapped Four. "Get us out of here before they come after us and make that whole charade pointless!"

Hyrule took a shuddering breath and let it out again. "OK. OK. This way." He took off running again. With a sigh that did nothing to dispel his heartache, Four followed.

[alicewritingstories]

Febuwhump Day 26: "Help them"

CW: fainting, aftermath of injury, aftermath of torture

Continues Day 18

AO3

---

Time revived slowly to the sensation of something tapping his cheek over and over again. He moaned and tried to raise a hand to swat it away, but his arms didn't seem to be responding to his commands.

There was a mumble of distant voices and the tapping got more insistent. Again, he tried to move, to push away whatever that was, but he couldn't manage much more than a twitch.

"Time?" A familiar voice, faint as if coming through a barrier. A voice that meant safety. "Time, can you hear us?"

"Link, open your eyes!" That was a sharply-given command. He didn't obey it, but it did wake him enough for him to recognise the voices speaking to him.

"Twi…?" he mumbled. "Wars?"

A relieved laugh. "OK, Time, we're here," said Twilight. "Can you open your eyes?"

Finally, Time pried his eye open and blinked to focus. Twilight was holding a lantern in one hand and a corner of a piece of canvas with the other, forming a rough shelter. Warriors was kneeling beside Time; he was the one who had been tapping his cheek.

"Sky…" murmured Time. "How's… Sky…?" He didn't think he was going to be able to follow through on the threat to drag the mage back into combat again if Sky hadn't been released.

"He was asleep when we left," said Twilight. "Truly asleep. I don't know what you did, but I think it worked."

"Whatever happened, it was sudden," said Warriors. "About an hour after you left, he relaxed and fell asleep all in a moment."

"We thought… we feared the worst for a moment," said Twilight. "But he was breathing steadily."

Time nodded. "That… sounds about right."

Four days, eight hours and change for him. Five minutes for the rest of the world.

"What did you do?" asked Twilight.

"Tell us later," said Warriors. "We need to get you back to camp. Do you think you can get up?"

Time tried to sit up, but just the effort made his head swim. Twilight apparently read his expression; he handed the lantern to Warriors and scooped Time into his arms with a grunt. Time wanted to protest, but he had just demonstrated that he couldn't get up under his own power; the most dignified thing to do was probably to accept the help.

And he was still so tired. As Twilight started to walk, despite the cold rain and the hunger and the voices of his companions, Time once more drifted into sleep.

***

He woke again as he was laid down, once again among a muddle of voices. This time he felt a little stronger and he opened his eye, blinking to focus.

He caught one voice above the others, thin and hoarse but a blessed relief.

"No, don't worry about me, Wild, I'm all right; help him!" said Sky.

Time let his eye fall closed with a relieved sigh. Sky was OK.

"No, Time, stay awake," said Warriors, a note of alarm in his voice, and Time felt a quick, hard tap on his cheek.

"'m awake," he mumbled, opening his eye again. Twilight and Warriors were hovering over him and they were quickly joined by Hyrule. Time blinked at them and struggled to sit up. This time, Twilight just slipped an arm around his shoulders and supported him. Once he was upright, he looked around. "Sky?" he murmured.

"Just over there," said Warriors, shifting to one side and pointing.

Sky was also sitting half upright under another rough shelter, being supported by Legend. Wild knelt next to them, a bowl of stew in his hand. As soon as he met Time's eye, Sky smiled, letting his head flop against Legend's cheek.

"Can you help me get over there?" Time asked.

"First…" Hyrule laid one hand on his head and another on his chest, a faint glow appearing around his fingers. Time let him work, still watching as Wild offered Sky another mouthful of stew and Sky tried to insist on help instead being directed to Time.

He looked even hungrier than Time felt and Time smiled as he finally accepted the food.

"You're not hurt," said Hyrule with a relieved sigh, shifting back.

"Just tired," Time told him.

"You should get some rest," said Twilight.

Time nodded. "Help me over to Sky and then you can fuss over me all you want." He smiled. "I could also do with some of that stew."

They grinned and Time saw a flicker of movement as Wind darted from near his head on his blind side over to the cooking pot. Between them, Warriors and Twilight helped him to his feet and supported him over to lie beside Sky, who immediately reached out a hand.

"How are you feeling?" Time asked him, taking it.

"Like I fell from a cliff and forgot my sailcloth," said Sky. "But it's far better than before. I don't know what you did, but thank you."

Time squeezed his thin, cool, weak hand, images flashing through his mind of a smoke-like face, the flash of magical weapons, blood on the Ocarina. "Anytime," he murmured.

[alicewritingstories]

Febuwhump Day 25: Waterboarding

CW: kidnapping, torture, restraints, drugs

AO3

---

Link wasn't entirely sure how long it had been since he was kidnapped. It didn't help that he'd spent part of the time unconscious; he could still feel the lingering traces of the drug that had been jabbed into his arm by someone in the crowd at the marketplace.

One thing that was certain was that he was now standing against a post, bound too tightly to even shift position. Even his breathing was restricted. A cloth was tied between his teeth tightly enough that his cheeks ached and another was over his eyes.

Dully, he wondered who was holding him and what they wanted. It wasn't as if he was short of enemies, but most of them would have cut his throat already and been done with it. The fact that apparently he had been wanted alive was worrying. It meant that either they wanted to take their time killing him or they wanted something other than his life.

Neither was a comforting thought.

Then he heard something: the rattle of keys in a padlock, followed by the scrapes of a chain being unwrapped and a door rubbing a floor as it opened. He raised his head, trying to give a show of strength and defiance.

Nobody spoke, but he heard footsteps, something heavy being put down, some rustling and scraping, and then footsteps walking away again, followed by the door closing and being locked again.

He frowned, confused, straining his ears to try to hear any talk from outside or any hint of where he was. Everything was silent except that he caught a faint sound that he could believe was half-stifled breathing. He couldn't even be sure enough to seriously wonder if another prisoner had been brought in.

He squirmed as best he could in his bonds, trying to find an angle to rub the blindfold away from his eyes, but it was no good. He just had to continue to wait to find out what was happening: something he had never enjoyed or been good at.

After a while, he heard a faint noise. This time he was sure: it was a soft, gag-strangled voice moaning as the other prisoner recovered consciousness. He tried to make some sound through his own gag in response, but had no way of knowing if the other prisoner had heard him; he just faintly made out some small rustles and shuffles that he guessed was the sound of an unsuccessful struggle against ropes.

Before he could come up with any kind of plan to communicate with the other prisoner or find out more about who they were and their state, he heard the door unlocked again. Again, he raised his head and squared his shoulders as best he could. Footsteps approached and this time someone grabbed the blindfold and pulled it violently away from his eyes.

They were holding a torch near his face and he had to turn away, closing his eyes against the sudden bright light.

"Captain Link," said a voice.

He looked up slowly, blinking away the watering at the corners of his eyes. It was still hard to see, but he did his best to focus and to keep his head up.

A hand grabbed his chin and held his head still as someone untied the knotted cloth tied around his mouth and pulled it free. He took a quick, grateful breath, licking his dry lips to try to moisten them.

"I'm sure you're wondering what's going on. You'll be relieved to know you're not the one we want."

He tilted his head with a scowl, not making the effort to speak aloud. His eyes had grown sufficiently accustomed to the light that he could see the man speaking to him, not that it helped; he was wearing a mask and only his eyes were visible. Link noted that they were green, a few freckles were visible on the bridge of the man's nose, and he had a Castletown accent. Useful information if he got out of here alive.

"We're interested in the princess. Answer our questions and you'll be untied and released once we've finished our work and kept safe and comfortable in the meantime. Refuse and you won't."

Link met his eye squarely, his jaw set.

"I thought you might not be interested in cooperating. Whatever else anyone says about you, you're a brave man and you've always been happy to risk your skin for her. Well, how about the skin of your little cousin here?" The man stepped aside and pointed. Now Link saw the other prisoner: a young boy in a brightly-coloured quartered tunic, gagged and tied spread-eagled on a table. Another masked man had just removed his blindfold and he was blinking in Link's direction.

Link had never seen him before in his life. He didn't even have any cousins.

"Strangers' lives mean nothing to you, we all know that, but he and the rest of the family have been asking around town for you. I guess you don't do a good job of writing home."

Both accusations stung. Neither was worth engaging with right now.

The boy's eyes had focussed on Link's face. His expression showed none of the fear Link had expected. There was some resemblance, he supposed, though in the circumstances it was hard to tell. But the question of whether whoever had left him at an orphanage when he was a baby had had family that might have tracked him down could wait. First, he had to get himself and the boy out of here.

Link's gaze went back to the man speaking to him. He wished he had Proxi, but wishes were wasted. He was going to have to speak for himself and he licked his lips again, unsure what to do. The boy knew too much now; they wouldn't let him leave alive even if Link managed to persuade them he didn't know him and therefore by their own logic he didn't care what they might do to him.

He did, he always did, but what he cared about didn't matter much to anyone.

"Let's start with something easy, shall we?" said the man pleasantly. "The royal kitchens. Are there any special precautions around the princess' meals and those of her closest retainers such as General Impa?"

Link glared at him.

"Ah, I see." The man turned and nodded to his companions. Before Link could react, one of them pinched the boy's nose closed while another dipped a bucket of water out of a barrel beside the table and tipped it over the boy's head. The boy let out a cry, strangled to a squeal by the now-soaked gag, and bucked against the hand on his face and the ropes holding him to the table.

Link swallowed hard, imagining trying to breathe through a mouth filled with wet cloth. The man holding the boy's nose held it a moment longer, then released it, letting the boy gasp in a breath.

There wasn't much choice for Link; he couldn't betray Zelda, not to save himself, not to save a stranger, not to save someone who might be long-lost family.

"Nothing?" asked the kidnapper.

When Link still stayed silent, the man nodded at his companions again. Another bucket of water was thrown over the boy's face. This time the man standing over him didn't plug his nose and his gasps were punctuated by sneezes, muffled coughs, and the occasional involuntary whimper.

Link gritted his teeth and stayed silent.

The man asked more questions, visibly more and more frustrated. Link kept quiet, though the boy's muffled cries as he struggled to breathe properly tore at his heart. He had to do this. It wasn't even as if it was the first time he'd let an innocent suffer for the greater good.

Then, out of nowhere, the door was smashed open. Link's head snapped round and he gasped as a tattooed man in shining plate armor ran in. The kidnappers were just as shocked as he was, which gave the newcomer - newcomers, he realized; three other men ran in after the first - a chance to make it almost to where he stood before the kidnappers could even react.

"Legend, Hyrule!" the armored man shouted. "With me!"

The man who had been waterboarding the boy drew a knife, but a slight teenager in a red tunic closed the distance before he could even get out the threat to kill his prisoner. The man who had been questioning Link didn't even make a threat; he drew his knife and brought it to Link's throat.

Link took a quick final breath and mentally said farewell to Zelda and his other friends.

Then a sword flashed past his face. The kidnapper reeled back with a cry, clutching at his hand. A young man in a white cloak stepped in front of Link, sword still raised protectively.

"Are you all right?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder.

Link let out the breath he'd taken and nodded. He couldn't see past the man in the cloak, but he heard the clash of swords, shouts, and then coughing and someone saying, "OK, Four. Just keep breathing."

The man in the cloak relaxed and sheathed his sword, then stepped over beside Link to start cutting his bonds.

"You're Link?" he asked quietly with a small, comforting smile.

Link nodded. "The traitors?" he managed.

"Dead."

"Are you hurt?" asked the armored man, looking over from where the two teenagers were supporting the boy - Four. Now there was more time to look at them all, Link noticed that one of his eyes was closed, the lid marred with a long scar. He instinctively ranked him as a captain, though he wasn't wearing any uniform Link recognised.

He could once again see some resemblance between them and him. They had come for Four, so this must be the group his kidnappers had talked about.

He could see why they had thought this was his family.

Then he was distracted as the blood finally started to return to his cramped, numb limbs. As soon as he was no longer supported by the ropes, Link collapsed forward. The captain lunged forward to catch him and held him up as the one with the cloak kept working on the ropes.

"Are you hurt?" he asked again.

Link shook his head. "The boy - Four - is he all right?" he asked quietly.

The captain looked Link up and down and, to his surprise, he smiled. "Legend? Hyrule?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder.

"I'm fine," said Four in a surprisingly low-pitched, steady voice, accompanied by relieved-sounding chuckles from the two teens. Then he coughed again.

Link had expected anger at what he had allowed to happen to Four. He'd expected to find that he'd burned the bridge with his maybe-family before it had even been built.

"You must be Captain Link," the captain said as he gently lowered Link to sit against the post, a hand still on his shoulder to steady him.

Link nodded.

"My name is also Link, but you can call me Time. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. These are Sky" - He pointed to the man in the cloak - "Legend" - the teen in the red tunic - "Hyrule" - the other teen, this one dressed in humble green and brown - "you've, well… you've seen Four" - Four waved with one rope-burned hand, covering more coughs with the other - "and Wind is keeping watch."

Link looked up at them all, still confused. "Who are you?" He asked. It was a start on the questions he really wanted to ask.

Time sighed. "That's a long story," he said. "And it's best told somewhere other than here."

Link forced an approximation of his usual bright, confident smile and at last the words came easily. "Well, then, when I can walk again you should come with me. Four should see a medic and I'm sure her highness would like to meet you."

Time nodded briskly, his own smile relaxing, and squeezed Link's shoulder. "In the meantime, you concentrate on recovering. You're safe with us."

And as the blood flowed painfully back into Link's swollen hands and feet, he believed him.

[alicewritingstories]

Febuwhump Day 24: "I'm doing this because I care about you"

CW: Injury, hunger, referenced memory problems

(Loosely) continues Day 16.

AO3

---

Link sat on the rock Zelda had sat on a hundred years ago, beside the two little statues Pikango had described as a husband and wife embracing. He personally thought the painter had been employing some artistic license there, but why not? It was better than what he was doing, pretending to be the hero who had stood on this spot, hands sure around the hilt of his legendary sword, occupying himself with drills while he and his princess waited for the rain to stop.

With a sigh, Link tapped the screen of his Slate and looked again at the images Zelda had recorded on it long ago. Three of them now awoke sparks of memory in him. Her sorrowful face on the Lanayru Promenade in the moments before they saw Calamity Ganon rise. Her sadness and pain as she asked him if he could hear the voice of the spirit of his sword. And now her doubts as she sat under this tree and asked him if he could have chosen a different path if he weren't dedicated to the sword and to a future as a knight.

His father - what was his name, Link wondered - had been a knight. He'd wanted to follow in his footsteps. At least he assumed so. He no longer knew what he'd wanted then. What that hero had wanted.

The only thing you were ever told…

He sighed and shifted uncomfortably as his empty stomach rumbled. He'd run out of stored meals the day before and hadn't had a chance to forage and cook more. With another sigh, he took a bite of a raw mushroom. It wasn't filling and did very little for the pain of the swollen, half-healed wound across his thigh that was the reason he'd been traveling so much too slowly and tiring so much faster than he had planned. But it was better than nothing.

Why was he doing this?

He sighed, looking out at the rain. He was hungry. He'd not slept for… two days? Maybe three? His leg hurt. Some distant ghost of memory - the one that had told him what apples were and how to draw and aim a bow - whispered infection in his ear. That… was probably bad. Pain was generally a sign of something bad. But what was he supposed to do about that?

All he knew was this quest. Rhoam, Impa… that was all they could or would tell him about himself. He had been brought into the world for one purpose and one purpose alone: to take the place of their dead hero.

No matter what you thought…

He ate the last bite of mushroom, then looked again at the photos stored on the Slate. Some of them sparked some familiarity now. Most of them were still unfamiliar. He didn't even know what places they showed. Part of a stone building. A statue of a rearing horse. A path through a forest.

He flicked over to the map and started trying to plan his next move. It would take him a day - maybe more - to pick his way to the nearest stable and he would cook something to eat with whatever he managed to find on the way, sate his hunger, heal his wound, maybe nap a little by the campfire, and be off again.

Or maybe he would stay. Truly rest. Spend a few days finding more food. Actually cook something that tasted good rather than throwing together whatever he had to keep body and soul together a little longer. Sleep. That was an option. Why was he doing this? Because a dead old man and an old woman he didn't know and who had no interest in him beyond his sword arm had told him to? Because all he had ever been told for as long as he could remember was that he had to be a hero?

But then he looked again at the rain beyond his sheltered seat. At the little cave and its two statues. He remembered a girl sitting here, speaking sorrowful words of the path onto which she had been forced.

"For you," he said, his voice barely more than a whisper even though there was nobody here to hear him, not even the person he was speaking to. "I'm d-...doing this… b-because I care… about… you."

It was so hard to speak. He wondered if the dead Link had found it easy. If this was yet another way his mind had been turned inside out as he was remade in the Shrine.

It didn't matter.

He would make the slow, painful walk to that stable. He would eat whatever he could throw together, nap as short a time as he could manage, and be off again. Because though he barely remembered her, he still cared about her. She hadn't deserved any of this.

With a wince, he got to his feet and limped out into the rain.

---

(Loosely) continued on Day 29

[alicewritingstories]

Febuwhump Day 23: Presumed dead

CW: Injury, apparent main character death

AO3

---

"You've got no right to talk to Sky that way."

Legend looked up at Twilight's accusing words and scowled at him. "What are you, his mom? If he's got something to say to me, he can say it himself."

"He's not going to because he's too nice, and I get why he doesn't want to fight back, but I'm still telling you you can't talk to him that way." Twilight meant it; he remembered how Midna had been at first and how that prickly exterior had hidden a genuinely good person, but that had been different. Her barbs had been aimed at him. Sky was too easy to bully and Legend's behavior was a thorn in a group that was still finding a way to work together and Twilight didn't know how anyone else tolerated it.

Legend rose slowly to his feet. He was a lot shorter than Twilight, but still stood as tall as he could to try to get nose-to-nose with him. "I'll talk to anyone I want however I want, Rancher. I'm not one of the snot-nosed kids from your backwater village who think you're hot stuff because you're the only person in town who can use a sword properly."

Twilight bared his teeth. "And don't talk about my home or my family that way either!"

"Hey!" Warriors' voice pierced Twilight's awareness and the captain thrust an arm between them. "Break it up, you two."

"Stay out of this, pretty boy," said Legend. "I can fight my own battles. Let's see if the rancher can."

"Legend -" Warriors' voice held a warning note, but Twilight talked over him.

"I can fight my own battles," he snapped. "And I can fight for people other than myself too: something you apparently don't have much experience with!"

"Twilight, that is out of line!" shouted Warriors, now turning to him.

"You don't know anything about my battles," snarled Legend.

"I'm fine not knowing what it's like to attack people who won't hit you back!"

Warriors caught Legend even as he lunged forward with a raised fist. Twilight was grabbed under the arms and dragged back against an armored chest.

"Walk away," snapped Time in his ear, shoving him towards the other side of the camp. He looked downright disgusted and at that look Twilight felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over him. He'd just wanted to tell Legend to lay off Sky a bit. He hadn't meant for it to escalate. What had he been supposed to do, just take it when Legend talked about Ordon and its people the way he had?

But there was no use getting back into it now and just looking at Legend - now on the far side of the camp with his back to everyone - made his blood boil. He walked away.

***

Twilight and Legend didn't speak to each other for the rest of the day or the next morning, despite the efforts of other members of the Chain. Legend made no attempt to approach Twilight and Twilight didn't want to be the first to break the impasse either. He wanted an apology. He wasn't the one who had started throwing insults.

Now he bitterly regretted that decision.

As he sat a little way outside camp, staring out at the surface of a small lake, he didn't notice the black monster blood stiffening the fur of his pelt into spikes. He didn't notice the jarred ache in his right arm and shoulder from catching a moblin's club on his shield. All he could focus on was the images flashing behind his eyes.

Sky falling with an arrow buried deep in his thigh.

The moblin raising a claymore over him.

Legend throwing himself in the huge blade's path.

Legend lying pinned to the ground, the claymore through his stomach.

Sky's screamed denials of what was happening. Time's grim expression. Wind crying. Blood on Warriors' and Four's hands as they eased the claymore free. Hyrule's thousand-yard stare as he laid his hands on his best friend's body.

Twilight had gone to patrol and make sure there were no more monsters lying in wait. He couldn't face this. Couldn't face the fact that Legend was… Legend had…

Even the thought couldn't quite form in his mind as he stared out at the rippling moonlight.

They'd made camp. He'd kept patrolling. Talking to nobody, ignoring their stares.

He'd been wrong. And he'd never be able to say so.

"Twilight."

The sound of his nickname startled him so much he almost sprang up, but he managed to restrain himself to just looking round as Time came to sit next to him.

"I've been looking for you for a while," he said softly.

Twilight locked his eyes on the water, unwilling to see the disappointment and anger he knew would be there on the old man's face.

"I can't…" he started. "I just…" The words caught in his throat. "I should have… I should have said I was sorry." The catch turned into a sob and he rubbed his eyes. "He's… he's dead and… the last thing I ever said to him… was that he doesn't know about fighting for other people and he only attacks those who won't hit him back."

Time didn't reply.

Twilight kept talking, bleeding words into the silence as surely as the tears dripped down his cheeks. "He sacrificed himself for Sky and… the last thing I said to him was that he… And now I'll never be able to tell him I'm sorry. That I didn't mean it, I just… I was angry and I lashed out and… and then I waited for him to apologize first and he started it but that doesn't matter, I'm supposed to be the adult and now the last thing I said to him…" Unable to bear it any more, he buried his face in his hands.

After a moment, Time laid a hand shockingly gently on his shoulder. "Twilight," he said softly, "I'm glad you realize this now and I hope it lasts past hearing what I came to tell you."

Twilight looked up, confused.

Time didn't look angry; he smiled a little and continued, "Legend's alive. You didn't stay after the battle long enough to see Hyrule heal him. I came looking for you because he wants to talk to you."

Twilight stared at him for a moment, the world seeming to slow just as it had in those horrible moments as the moblin cut Legend down. "He's… he's alive?" he asked.

Time nodded. "Yes, he's alive."

Then Twilight was on his feet, sprinting back to camp. He barrelled past the others, over to where Hyrule sat by Legend. By Legend, he realized, not his body, caring for a wounded man rather than keeping vigil by a corpse.

"Le-Legend…" he gasped, dropping to his knees and grabbing the smaller hylian's hand. "I'm sorry, I should never have said those things."

Legend snorted. "Damn right. But I was asking for it. I'm sorry too."

Twilight sighed in relief, pressing Legend's hand to his forehead, and smiled as Legend wriggled it free, grumbling under his breath. It showed he was alive. It showed things were back to normal.

[alicewritingstories]

Febuwhump Day 22: "You weren't meant to be there"

CW: Injury, mention of kidnapping

Continues Day 21

AO3

---

Twilight had successfully set Four's arm, but he was still unconscious, lying limp in Wind's hand. Wind looked down at him, his throat tight.

"Do… should we get Hyrule?" he asked.

Twilight let out a huff of breath. "Let me try one more thing," he said, pulling out a water bottle. "It's pretty straightforward, but I'm always surprised by how often it works. The trick is going to be not getting him too wet…" He tipped some water into one hand, then used his fingertip to flick some onto Four's face.

After a few attempts, Four's expression twitched. Wind let out a breath he'd not realized he was holding.

"Four?" he called softly.

Four's eyes opened as Twilight flicked a bit more water onto his face. He started to move to swat the water away, but cried out in a small, high voice as the motion jostled his broken arm.

"Easy!" Twilight steadied him with a finger. "Your arm's broken. Can you take potion in this form?"

Four winced. "Is Wind OK?"

"I'm right here," said Wind with a grin.

Four raised his eyes towards him and relaxed. "Good… they didn't hurt you, did they?"

"Yeah, who's 'they'?" asked Twilight. "All Wind told me is that someone threw you on the floor."

Four shifted and yelped.

"OK," said Twilight. "Before that, let's get you healed. Can we give you a little bit of potion, or…"

"Yes, but… take a look around and see if you can find a minish portal. It's what I use to change size. It should look like a spiderweb crack, maybe on a rock or under an upturned pot or something like that."

Twilight nodded. "Wind, you stay there and keep your hand as steady as possible. I'll go search."

Wind nodded, steadying the hand holding Four with his free hand. Twilight hurried off and started looking under bushes and in corners.

"I'm sorry, Wind," said Four softly. "I knew there might be some people still around who remembered what happened when… after I drew the Four Sword, but I didn't mean to involve any of you."

"So they were looking for you?" asked Wind. "Why did they call you a demon?"

"It was a misunderstanding," said Four, his eyes drifting closed for a moment. "I'd rather not go into what happened. Just… I didn't want you to get hurt. You weren't meant to be there. In that situation."

"Well, I'm glad I was," said Wind firmly. "Otherwise there would have been nobody to find you after that guy threw you on the ground. Now you stay awake, OK?"

Four smiled slightly. "Thanks."

Twilight came running back. "I think I found one," he said. "Come on." He planted a foot to turn and hurry back the way he'd come. Wind followed, trotting as steadily as he could. Even so, Four's eyes screwed closed in agony.

Twilight pointed to a rock by a wall and Wind knelt down to hold Four towards the cracks he could see at the back. Four looked up and nodded. "Yes… that's one," he said. "Just.. help me climb into it?"

Wind wasn't sure how to do that, given how bad his broken arm was, but tipped him towards it, aiming his feet towards it.

As soon as Four slid down his hand and his feet touched the crack, there was a sudden surge of magic. Wind reeled back as Four suddenly appeared in front of him, full-sized.

At once, he clutched at his arm and his knees buckled. Twilight just managed to catch him and support him as he crumpled to the ground.

"Wind, potion," he snapped.

Wind pulled his bag open and rummaged through it to grab one of the reassuring red bottles. He handed it to Twilight, who tipped it to Four's lips, apparently confident that he was conscious enough to swallow.

Wind watched, gnawing his lip, as the potion went down and the sluggish bleeding from Four's arm eased. At last, the potion was done.

"You still there, Smithy?" asked Twilight.

Four sighed and opened his eyes. "Still here," he said and smiled at both of them. "Thanks."

Wind laughed with relief. "You have to tell me how you did that!" he exclaimed.

"That can wait," said Twilight firmly. "You two are coming with me to let the others know you're OK and then you're going to explain what happened."

Wind sighed. He didn't want to explain how he'd gotten himself kidnapped, but there was no help for it. He nodded. "Yeah, fair enough."

[alicewritingstories]

Febuwhump Day 21: Unresponsive

CW: Injury, blood, broken bone, field medicine, unconsciousness

Continues Day 17

AO3

---

Wind was on the defensive almost immediately; there were three men against him and all of them were bigger than him. However, this was also the kind of fight he was used to, especially when one of the men suddenly yelled and reeled back, swatting at the side of his neck as if he'd been stung by something. With a grin, he pressed his advantage, lunging forward with a stabbing swipe of his sword that the man only barely dodged. A hand closed on his arm, but then that man also yelled in pain and shock and let go of him. Wind twisted away to put his back to a wall and waited for another chance.

It quickly came as the first man once again swatted at his neck. This time Wind saw something scuttle down off his shoulder, away from the bloody scratch in his skin, and leap to the next. He lunged forward and wounded that one, cutting a long slash across his chest.

Then the one Wind had seen the motion towards suddenly caught something in his fist and threw it to the ground with a curse, yelling something about demons.

Fortunately, between that and the discovery that Wind wasn't a helpless kid they'd apparently had enough; all three turned and ran, nursing their wounds. Wind followed them to the gate, but they had already vanished into the crowd.

For a moment he hesitated between following them - and possibly reporting what had happened to the guard - and finding out what exactly it was that the man had thrown down. But then he decided to listen to curiosity and the desire to make sure whoever had helped him was OK. He ran back to the location of the fight and crouched down to look more carefully among the trampled grass, hoping whoever it had been - a new type of fairy, perhaps? - hadn't really been invisible.

He pushed blades of grass this way and that, frowning to himself, then his eye was suddenly caught by a flash of color. It looked almost like…

"Four!" he cried as he moved some more grass and saw what looked like a tiny version of Four lying in the grass. His arm looked shattered, a shard of bone poking through a tear in his sleeve, and as Wind very carefully picked him up he didn't even twitch. His heart in his mouth, Wind pressed a fingertip to the tiny chest, unsure whether he'd even be able to feel a heartbeat.

He couldn't, but he did feel the faint motion as the little Four breathed.

"OK," he said, putting aside how weird this was for the time being. So maybe Four had a tiny version of himself as a companion. Or he could make himself small. It wasn't the weirdest thing Wind had ever encountered.

He looked back at the place little Four had been lying and saw a gleam of metal still there. When he picked it up, he saw it was a perfectly-scaled version of Four's sword, no bigger than a needle; he must have been holding it when the man threw him to the ground.

It really was Four. Just… small.

Wind shook his head and slipped the sword into its sheath. This still wasn't the weirdest thing he'd seen in his career and Four needed help. Very gently, still with the very tip of his finger, he shook his shoulder on the uninjured side.

"Hey, Four?" he whispered, unsure whether a shout would be too much for little ears. "Four, can you hear me?"

No response.

"Four?" said Wind a little louder, and then louder still, "Four?"

Nothing. Wind swallowed hard. He was going to have to find help. Four had kept this ability secret, probably for a reason, but there was no help for it. Cradling the tiny figure as safely as he could in his hands, he set off at a run towards where he'd last seen the others.

It wasn't far before he met Twilight coming the other way.

"Wind!" the rancher exclaimed, in that angry tone Wind knew adults used when they were actually more scared than anything else. "Where have you been? We've been searching all over Castletown for you!"

"I'll explain in a minute," said Wind. "Four needs help. At least… I think it's Four." He held out his hands.

Twilight frowned, confused. "What do you mean, you think -" Then he saw what Wind was holding and his eyes brightened in understanding, though the expression quickly turned to horror. "That's Four. What happened to him?"

"A guy threw him on the floor."

"Why -" Twilight shook his head. "OK, let me…" He also gently shook Four with a fingertip, but there was still no response. "OK. That arm's broken…"

"Should we find Wars? Or Hyrule?"

"No, not if we can help it. I already knew he could do this, so let's keep this between us if we can. I… once set a puppy's leg. He's smaller, but… OK, let's get out of the way." Twilight led the way through another gate into another piece of the park and into a sheltered corner behind a bush. "Let's give this one try. If I can't set the bone, we'll have to get Hyrule."

Wind nodded, swallowing hard, and held Four out again, telling himself that it was probably for the best that Four was unconscious.

"What if he doesn't wake up?" he asked. "We won't be able to get a potion into him like this and… he's smaller than a potion bottle; does it work to scale?"

"I don't know," said Twilight. "We're going to have to find out. I… almost hope this wakes him up."

Wind didn't, though he could see the point. He gritted his teeth, holding his hand out as flat and steady as he could.

Twilight gently took Four's forearm between his fingers, braced his body with the other hand, and pulled it straight.

Four didn't react at all.

---

Continued on Day 22

[alicewritingstories]

Febuwhump Day 19: "Please don't"

CW: Injury

AO3

---

Technically, Legend supposed the last battle hadn't gone too badly. They'd dealt with the monsters, saved a group of travelers they'd been attacking, everything. But the last monster had speared Hyrule through with a claymore, pinning him to a tree, and to Legend that outweighed any success a hundred times over.

They'd released Hyrule and the combination of his own healing magic and their last potion had saved his life, but he was still desperately weak and now lay bandaged and horribly still in the camp they'd quickly set up. Four and Time had accompanied the travelers to the nearest town with the goal of bringing back more supplies. Sky and Legend had been left with Hyrule.

Legend knew he should be doing equipment maintenance, keeping watch, patrolling, something, but he couldn't tear himself away from Hyrule's side, running over the battle in his mind, wondering despite his best efforts if there was any way he could have prevented this.

He didn't look up as Sky came to sit next to him. "If you're going to tell me it's going to be OK, please don't," he growled. "And if you're going to tell me I shouldn't have cussed out Four, you can keep that to yourself as well."

"Neither, actually," said Sky. "I just came to keep you company."

"Well, don't. I don't need company, I need to be left alone."

"Really?"

"If you can't fix this" - Legend gestured at Hyrule's limp body, his bloodless face - "Then I don't want to hear it."

Sky didn't move.

"Did you hear me?"

"Yes."

"Then get lost!"

"No." Sky settled down a little. "I don't have to say anything, but I'm not leaving."

Legend hunched a shoulder to do his best to turn his back. "Fine. Do what you want."

The silence stretched. Legend had been hoping that Sky would get uncomfortable and leave when it became clear that he really wasn't welcome, but he didn't; he just stayed put on the log next to Legend.

Eventually, Legend couldn't stand it anymore. "Look, you can't do anything for him, so just go."

"I know. I'm… not actually here for Hyrule; you're already doing everything I could do for him. I'm here for you."

"I can't help you with anything right now; I'm busy."

Sky sighed and Legend thought he caught a note of frustration. Good. "Legend, I don't want anything from you. All I want is for you not to be alone."

Legend shrugged, shoving away the warm feeling in his chest at the words. "I'm used to it. I prefer it, actually."

"Really?"

No.

"Yeah." Legend hugged himself. It was bad enough that Hyrule had set up home in his heart after such a short time without opening space up to Time, Sky, and Four too. This wasn't going to last. Out of all the adventures he'd ever had, this was the only one he'd gone into knowing any friendships he found wouldn't last. As soon as it was over, they were all going back to their own eras. He knew that. Why set himself up for heartbreak he knew was coming?

"I don't care where you go, Sky, but I don't need you here."

Sky didn't move; he just pulled out a whittling knife and a small piece of wood and began carving.

"Didn't you hear me?"

"I did: you said you don't care where I go."

"That's not what I meant and you know it." Legend was about to say more, but then he thought he heard Hyrule stir and bent over him, his heart in his mouth. But the kid's expression just twitched a little as if he was dreaming and then his face went slack again. Legend sat back with a sigh and then registered that Sky's whittling had stopped. The knight was also watching Hyrule, eyes bright with concern. Legend turned away from him.

"Look, I… I'll tell him you were here when he wakes up. I'm sure he'll appreciate that you wanted to check. But for now… go away."

"Is it really so hard to believe that I care about you too?"

"Please don't try to get inside my head."

Sky sighed softly, but stayed where he was. Legend looked back at Hyrule, trying to pretend it wasn't comforting to have someone at his side.

Damn it, Sky, please don't get inside my heart.

[alicewritingstories]

Febuwhump Day 18: Too weak to move

CW: fainting

Continues Day 11

AO3

---

Time revived slowly as rain hammered down on his limp body, running across his face and into his half-open mouth. He licked at it listlessly, letting it wet his dry lips and tongue as he slowly swallowed what made it as far as his throat. Gradually, he remembered what had happened to leave him lying here alone in the rain. With a groan, he pushed himself back to his hands and knees. His stomach cramped with hunger. His head spun with exhaustion. But he had to get back to camp. He didn't know how long he'd been unconscious.

He took a deep breath and sighed, his head hanging. He had never worked out what about his own physical state would be carried through time loops apart from wounds, which - luckily for him - would be healed if he went back to a time before he'd been wounded.

This time, hunger and thirst and exhaustion had built up, even if the situation wasn't as bad as it should have been after four days.

He sat back on his heels and tilted his head back, letting more rain run into his mouth.

He needed to get back to camp. He needed to rejoin the others and check whether this gambit really had worked. He needed to get out of here before that mage returned and found him.

With that thought, he drove himself to his feet and stumbled a couple of steps to lean on a tree. His legs felt like water. He had debts to pay now that the immediate threat was dealt with. He'd felt this before in the aftermath of a battle that had taken too much from him.

But he couldn't rest. He had a little under two hours to get back to camp before Twilight and Warriors would almost certainly set out to search for him. He didn't want to lead them back here.

With a deep breath, he pushed aside his body's need for rest and began to walk.

His legs were shaking even as he took the first few steps. He tried to ignore the weakness, his eyes on the horizon in the direction of the camp.

Three minutes passed. He kept walking, though it felt like he wasn't covering any distance at all.

Another three minutes. His vision was blurring.

Another three minutes and his legs finally gave out, sending him to his hands and knees. He gasped, his head hanging. He had to get up. It was a long way back to camp.

Instead, his elbows slowly buckled and he folded to lie on his side in the mud, the rain washing over him, panting for breath. Four days. Four days without food or rest. Four days of being mortally wounded over and over and over again. How much blood did he still lack? Was there an injury still lingering?

He didn't know. All he knew was that he didn't have the strength to get up again.

His eyes slid shut.

He was going to have to hope his boys found him soon.

---

Continued on Day 26

[alicewritingstories]

Febuwhump Day 17: Hostage situation

CW: knife, death threat, restraints, underage whumpee (Wind)

AO3

---

Wind was a hero. He hadn't originally been chosen by a goddess or blessed with divine powers or anything like that, but he was still a hero. Unfortunately, that fact didn't make any difference to the fact that he was small enough for a sufficiently large and strong man to pick him up and hold him under his arm tightly enough that his own arms were pinned and no matter how much he squirmed he couldn't break free.

It also didn't make a difference to the dirty rag stuffed in his mouth.

Or the knife the man suddenly put to his throat.

At the touch of metal against his throat, Wind stopped struggling. He had no intention of getting his throat cut if he could avoid it.

"That's better," said the man holding him.

"I still think this is a dumb waste of time," said another nearby. "That little demon already turned on everyone in the castle and you think he's going to care about this brat?"

"Well, what's your plan?" asked the man holding him. Then he yelled, "Demon! We know you're around here somewhere! Come out or we'll kill the kid!"

Wind didn't know any demons, but from other things they'd said he could guess this was all some sort of mistake because it sounded like they were looking for Four. And whatever they might think, Four did care about the people around him, including Wind, and might just do something stupid like give himself up.

Wind had no intention of just hanging here and waiting for that to happen. He took a breath through his nose, as best he could with his torso mashed under his captor's arm, and tried to make a plan.

The knife didn't feel too sharp. A couple of times it had tapped against Wind's skin, but it didn't leave a cut. It was definitely sharp enough, but the man would have to push it in and drag it.

Wind gulped and regretted it as he tasted the rag again.

Anyway, that gave him a bit more freedom than he'd first thought. The wrist of the hand holding the knife was right by his mouth, in easy biting range were it not for the gag. And once he had his teeth in the man's wrist it would be harder for him to use the knife.

The first thing to do, then, was to get rid of the gag.

The man kept carrying him around, yelling, and arguing with the others as Wind struggled to push the wadded rag out of his mouth with his tongue, glad that at least it wasn't tied in. Even so, it was harder than it should have been and he was uncomfortably aware of the proximity of the knife to his pulse point.

"He's not listening. Maybe he thinks you're bluffing," said one of the other men.

Proof that he wasn't bluffing was likely to be painful for Wind. With a last effort, he finally managed to spit out the rag in his mouth and instantly twisted round to sink his teeth into the man's wrist, his jaw spasming as he clenched it as hard as he could. The man yelled in pain and shock and tried to pull away, but Wind held on.

With another yell, the man dropped him and finally wrenched his wrist free from Wind's teeth, but he also dropped the knife and Wind snatched it up, turning to face them.

"Right," he said with a grin, wiping blood from his mouth. "Now let's see who's bluffing."

---

Continued on Day 21