A Hero's Spirit: Echoes in Time

by SilvermistAnimeLover

Summary:

Champion Link, the beloved and respected leader of Hyrule Kingdom, had a problem. Technically, he had eight problems, all of which were wandering around the Lost Woods looking very out of place. Had he known that another Journey would come looking for him, he would've made preparations. Now, a ghost among the living, he had to leave the kingdom he spent so long revitalizing and travel with eight incarnations of the Hero's spirit. Luckily, he wouldn't be going alone.

Book 2 of A Hero's Spirit. This one is Linked Universe.

Chapter 1: Seeking Trouble

A/N: You've been asking, and I'm here to deliver! Here's Book 2 of A Hero's Spirit!! The first chapter is just some light setup, but we'll see the LU Boys show up next chapter. (I promise, there's not another book between this and that this time!)

I wanted to thank all of you for your patience and support! I hope you'll enjoy Book 2—Echoes in Time—just as much as I'm enjoying writing it! Please look forward to future updates!

Merry Christmas! This is your gift!

Also, I have some AMAZING cover art drawn by Kastaborous~! Thanks, Kast!

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The sun’s first rays shone brightly down upon the world. Birds flitted to and fro, disturbed only by a passing Rito Page on their way to deliver the morning mail. On the ground below, the roads were already alive with merchants and travelers from across the continent making their way from the capital to the smaller towns that dotted the vast untamed land of Hyrule. 

And soaring above it all, upon his trusty paraglider with a massive grin, was the man that ruled this land. The Champion.

“ Link! ” The irritated call came from a young man with a long ponytail of white hair trailing behind him as he angled his paraglider to chase after the Champion. His usual official knight’s garb had been swapped for a more comfortable and travel-friendly dark blue outfit with accents of blue so light that one could mistake it for white, and a few splashes of aged gold—the colors of the kingdom. 

“Come on, Yatir! You call that a roll?! I taught you better than that!” Link laughed. 

“Give the guy some credit,” Revali remarked calmly as he lazily glided beside Link, “he’s improved drastically since he started.” 

“That’s fair.” Link conceded. “But I should hope he’s gotten better over the last two years.” He effortlessly folded his paraglider and landed with as much grace as the Rito that gave him his feather. Behind him, Yatir landed without a sound or a stumble. “Your landings have improved at least.” He mused. 

“Yeah, thanks to Revali’s Boot Camp.” Yatir rubbed his head, glaring in the general direction of the Rito ghost. “He threw durians at me! Mid-flight!” 

“Yeah, he does that.” Link nodded sagely. “Should’ve seen him when I was first figuring out my ghost abilities. I swear I was more banged up after that training than when we fought the lynel.” 

“To be fair, neither of you really expected to fight the lynel.” Mipha added as she appeared in a flash of green fire.

“Not that they should’ve been fighting in the first place.” Zelda shot them both a look. 

“One time!” Revali held up his wings in surrender. 

“One too many, in my opinion.” The princess huffed. “That aside, Link. You’re going to be late .”

The Champion sighed and rubbed his head. “Yeah, yeah. I know.” 

“If that was Zelda reminding you to get moving, then she’s right.” Yatir gave him a flat look. “Even if Hyrule doesn’t run on formalities like other kingdoms, you should at least make an effort to be on time for meetings. How does it look to all the foreigners if our Champion runs late to everything ?” 

Link groaned but nodded, conceding to his knight’s point. “Well, since we’re running a bit behind, what do you say to a lift?” He grinned, raising his fingers to his lips. It was the only warning Yatir and the others got before a shrill whistle escaped from the hylian ghost. A moment later, a midnight black steed galloped towards him, easing to a stop just moments before collision. “Hey Echo,” he greeted gently, “ready for a run?” 

Echo pawed at the ground, throwing back his head in excitement. Yatir rolled his eyes as he also let out a shrill, almost trilling whistle, calling his own horse—an ornery white mare named Whisper.

With their horses beneath them, they made good time to the base of the Great Plateau, upon which the capital city was built. Link shielded his eyes from the sun as he looked up the sloping path that led to the city gates. What once had been sheer cliff now was a carriage-safe grade that eased its way up. 

Though the day was young, it was already bustling with activity as merchants, travelers, and commuters made their way into and out of the capital city, Link’s pride and joy—New Castletown. 

“Champion Link! General Yatir!” Pisharra greeted them with the lizalfolk equivalent of a smile. Her scales shimmered from their usual green to something lighter in her excitement.

“Shar!” Link called back with a grin of his own. “Did they finally put you on active duty?” 

“Yes! Just two days ago was my first shift, see?! I’m official now!” She gave a happy trill, tail flexing and curling in her joy. “I’m just a cadet, but one day I’ll be a great warrior! Just wait and see!” 

Link laughed. “I’ll look forward to it! Don’t let Gin work you too hard!” 

He turned his eyes towards his town— city , it could properly be called now—as they entered. Children ran about and played freely in the streets. Skythos and Mythos mingled and played among both the older generations and the younger ones. He could spot Irina—a young hylian girl—playing tag with a group of other children. 

There was Horus, the young Rito son of Yagira—Correspondence Captain of the Tabantha Bridge area. His parents had moved to New Castletown because of the opportunity for growth. Though Yagira still worked far from home, his wife was able to take on an apprenticeship making baked goods. Kirga was happy for the help in the shop.

And Archer—the black-pelted lizalfolk pup and younger brother to Pisharra. They’d lost their parents in a Blood Moon just half a year before Link had sealed Calamity Ganon away. She now raised her brother alone, but the other lizalfolk who lived in the city made sure the siblings never struggled.

Young ‘blin children ran around as well, joining in the game as other hylian children laughed gleefully. His heart sang . His people were strong. His people were free . Despite the bad history between the Mythos and Skythos, they were starting to meld together as one people. 

“Champion Link!” A familiar voice called his attention and he turned to wave to Kirga, the black-pelted lynel who ran the best bakery in New Castletown. She was also Gin’s wife. 

“Kirga!” He dismounted Echo to greet her properly, but was nearly bowled over when something plowed right into his shins. 

“U’cle ‘ink!” The tiny voice spoke in broken Common, but it was no less understandable. Link beamed as he knelt down to properly hug the foal—the first child born of New Castletown. The tiny lynel had a tawny spotted coat with large bright blue doe-like eyes. His hooves were still so very tiny and he hadn’t even grown out of his milk teeth properly. After all, he wasn’t even two yet. Apparently lynels carried their kids as long as horses—nearly a full year. 

“U’cle ‘ink?” A second tiny foal poked his head out of the house, eyes brightening when he saw the Champion. He stumbled towards him with a speed that Link knew got him into trouble. “Did come to play?” His bright green eyes shimmered. 

“Rikarth.” Link greeted the blue-eyed twin. “Laos.” He grinned at the green-eyed one. “I hope you two have been staying out of trouble lately?” He eyed their mother, who huffed fondly. 

“As much as they can be, I suppose.” She swished her tail. Twins were rare for lynels, but not entirely unheard of. It was about as common as they were for hylians. “They missed you terribly.” 

“I’ve had a lot of work lately.” Link gave her an apologetic smile as he tickled the underside of the twins’ chins, earning a squeal of delight from them both. “Who’d have known that running a kingdom meant so much paperwork ?” He shrugged helplessly. 

“You say that like you don’t run off every chance you get.” Zelda huffed, unheard by the living. Though the Mythos could sense the spirits—and some of the stronger ones could see them—the general populace could only see Link’s ghostly companions on the night of a Blood Moon and the day that preluded it. 

“Well, do come visit from time to time.” Kirga passed him a basket of sweets. “Goodness knows the twins listen to you better than they do their own parents .” She shot them both a light glare, and the boys grinned back at her. 

“U’cle ‘ink is fun!” Rikarth announced cheerfully. 

“And he gives s’eets.” Laos admitted softly, rolling a loose pebble beneath his hoof. “He a’so has good stories!” He perked up. 

“Yeah, but he has good games.” Rikarth looked at his brother seriously, as if he was trying to convey that games were far more important than stories. 

Link snorted lightly in amusement as he straightened back up. “Mind your mother you two or we’ll be playing the cleaning game next time I come.” His threat made the two of them stiffen—neither of them liked spending the day cleaning the house. He couldn’t blame them—Link didn’t like it either. It was a punishment for all three of them. 

“‘Kay!” They shouted in unison. 

He’d just turned to walk back to Echo, who was rolling his eyes at him, when a red flutter of feathers landed upon his shoulder. He smiled softly, holding out his arm for the messenger hawk. Link instantly recognized Ember, Arkon’s personal hawk. 

“Well, here’s a friendly face I haven’t seen for a bit.” He crooned lightly in Rito—a habit he’d picked up from Revali. Ember chirped back, not intelligent enough to understand or communicate, but smart enough to know Link was being affectionate. With a practiced hand, he opened the tube upon the bird’s back and took the message. “You must’ve had a long journey, friend. Why don’t you go to the aviary loft and find Altair?” 

Altair was Link’s own personal messenger hawk—a gift from the King of Caravanth after he saved them from a sudden lynel attack. Though Jackie and Arkon swore up and down that the messenger hawks were no more intelligent than a wild one, Altair was just as smart as Echo. Link idly wondered if his magic affected them somehow and made them smarter. Considering the fact that he housed two thirds of the Triforce —the very power that supposedly created everything in the world —he really wouldn’t be surprised. 

Whatever the case, he now had something to read on the way to the mansion. Echo followed the path as he unraveled the scroll, eyes skimming over the hylian letters with a soft smile. The Thybriggian Prince’s handwriting was improving every time they corresponded. 

‘Champion Link, I hope this letter finds you well. How’s life been going for you? Last I heard from you, Kirga’s twins were giving you more than a little chaos. Has Yatir gotten better with that paraglider? Things have been going well on my end. My little brother adores the chocolate from your kingdom. I think it’s safe to say that once my father relinquishes his throne, Thybrig will be able to write a peace treaty with Hyrule. I will look forward to that day. 

Have you heard from Jackie lately? I swear she’s been the one behind half the exports of your food goods. Every time I see her, she’s got a new sweet from Hyrule. I hear you traveled to Lychtenberg earlier this year, just after last month’s Gala! How was it? I’ve only been a handful of times, but it was far too cold for me. Then again, you have snowy regions too, so perhaps you’re used to it. 

Things are getting a tad hectic here. I know I said everything’s fine—and it is!—but our people are discontent. Father fears a rebellion simmering under the surface, and I’m afraid he’s right. The way he rules… well, let’s just say that if things reach their boiling point, I’ll have no choice but to side with the people of this land. If such a time should come, I do hope those goddesses you told me about will watch over me. And I implore you not to interfere. Keep your people safe, Link. They need you. And I could never ask such a close friend to run into danger on my behalf. 

But that’s enough of the serious talk. I’ll look forward to hearing how things are going with you. 

Your friend, Prince Arkon Yasuldi Thybrig.

Link folded the paper up and put it in one of his many inner pockets. As much as he disliked his official clothing—something he was unfortunately growing accustomed to—it did have its perks. Like pockets . 

“It’s about time.” Nakira grinned when he and Yatir entered the manor. “They’re waiting for you in the meeting room.” 

Link grinned at the Sheikah—one of four Royal Guards under Yatir. “I had a few things to take care of.” 

“Yeah, like hunting down Koroks again.” Yatir muttered with a small glare. 

“Hestu needs those seeds.” Link argued a tad childishly. 

“Come on Little Guy. Everyone’s waiting on us.” Daruk nudged Link forward, causing him to stumble. 

He tried to pull an irritated face, but it came out as an excited grin. Though politics were boring, this was Hyrule . And a Council meeting was hardly what Link would call a political affair. He strolled up the stairs, Yatir and the spirits following him as he entered the meeting room. 

“Sorry I’m late.” He apologized as he took stock of who was there. Sidon, Riju, Teba, Yunobo, and Paya were all seated around the large circular table. It seemed Gin couldn’t make it—likely caught up with something in the field. Link made a mental note to fill him in on anything important he missed.

“Don’t worry about it.” Sidon beamed. “You’re actually right on time!” 

“We figured you’d give Yatir the run around so we told you the wrong time on purpose.” Riju snickered. “Turns out it worked perfectly.” 

Link huffed playfully as he took his seat, Yatir standing just behind his chair with a knowing grin. “So you were in on this too.” He accused his knight. 

“Of course. Don’t you know? The Sheikah are the head of intelligence in Hyrule.” Yatir gave him a smirk. “We know everything .” 

“Well, the Sheikah and the Rito.” Teba corrected. The Pages who carried mail throughout the kingdom were usually the first ones to know when something was up. If someone saw something suspicious, the Sheikah were informed and dug a little deeper. If the Rito were the eyes and ears of the kingdom, then the Sheikah were the ones who unraveled all secrets. Between them and the fondly nicknamed ‘ghost army’ that was comprised of the spirits of the old soldiers from a century past, there was really nothing in this kingdom that was a secret from Link—should he wish it. 

“Let’s get this started then.” Link grinned. “Let’s kick it off with how everyone’s doing.” He looked to his left, where Sidon sat. The prince shot him a grin before clearing his throat. 

“The Zora have been well. Our research team has been gathering samples of water over the last two years to determine the Malice pollution levels of Hyrule’s waterways, and while it’s not toxic to those of us from Hyrule, we are pleased to announce that it’s also low enough that it does not pose a threat to foreigners either. Our freshwater holds a far lower toxicity than the soil. And it looks like it’ll remain as such. In fact, over the last two years it’s been slowly decreasing.” He took a swallow of water from his custom goblet that sat before him. 

“Beyond that, we’ve started trading with Lychtenberg. This kingdom, for those here who may not know, has a history of Zora Hunting—a horrid practice that many have regarded as a sport. While it was outlawed centuries ago, the remote snowy regions have made enforcing those laws quite difficult. But since Link visited them earlier this year, we’ve tentatively started trading with them, under a written agreement of safety. So far, things have been going well.” 

“Wonderful.” Riju grinned. “We’ve started trading through Rajwal recently. There are some kingdoms who are just too far to trade with, so Rajwal has agreed to trade some things on our behalf and split the profits. Because of this, people have become more curious about the Gerudo and our culture.” She gave a small laugh. “We’ve started expanding Gerudo Town and even began looking for locations to build a second settlement!” 

Urbosa grinned proudly at Riju. “Well done, Riju. Our people will prosper under your leadership… and not just Riju , either.” She sent Link a significant look, and he felt his cheeks redden.

“The Rito have been doing fantastically!” Teba announced. “Harth runs the Pages efficiently, and I often meet with the flock leaders of Skypeak City and Dragontooth Ridge. Everyone’s doing well.” 

“Our city is expanding too.” Yunobo nodded. “And mining has been booming! Other kingdoms are really interested in the ores we find, and some Gorons have decided it would be better to make a business to handle all the exports. Since we’re not the best with that stuff, we’ve decided to ask some of the Gerudo, since you guys seem pretty comfortable on our mountain.” 

“With some Fireproof elixirs, it’s not too different from the desert heat.” Riju nodded. “I’ll ask my girls for volunteers.” 

“Everything’s going well with us too.” Paya smiled brightly. The girl had grown a lot over the last two years. Gone was her stuttering shy self. Zelda often remarked how similar Paya was to Impa when she was younger. And though Impa was still the leader of the Sheikah, Paya had been slowly stepping into those responsibilities. “We’ve got a couple of small villages dotted around Hyrule, but they’re more temporary camps right now than anything.” She paused for a moment, looking at Link. “Did you get my report?” 

“The one about that group of explorers from Ashtern who decided that it’d be a wonderful idea to brave the old Castle in the hopes of finding lost treasure?” Link asked dryly. It was becoming more common, unfortunately. Ashtern and Rajwal had a lot of thievery in their cultures, but Ashtern in particular had a lot of old ruins. This had created a culture in some places of the kingdom that thrived on raiding these ruins for treasure and other rare goods. 

Of course, many of them saw Hyrule as a veritable goldmine, what with all the ruins dotted around the kingdom. And most of the time Link didn’t mind them exploring a bit—Link himself had spent much of his journey exploring everything from ruins to wilderness. He understood that itch to look under every rock, understand a culture lost to time, and open as many chests as he could find. But the Castle was strictly off-limits for more reasons than one. 

They’d fenced off the area and had the Pages patrol there to ensure as few people got in as possible, but some of the explorers were determined. Between the Guardians and the golden monsters that lived in the area surrounding the Castle, even Link couldn’t get to everyone in time. Only about 30% of those who wandered in managed to see the light of day again. 

Most of the survivors had Link and his people to thank. It was at the point where they had specialized squadrons on standby at all times that were experts in stealth and speed. They were the ones who would infiltrate the castle the moment the alert went out that some suicidal idiots had snuck in. And if Link was nearby, he’d go in after those idiots too.

“Well, that too.” Paya scowled lightly. “Damn goldblind hyraiders.” Hyraiders—a term coined over the last year in particular. It was an insult specifically for the idiots who tried raiding Hyrule Castle. “But no, I meant the other report.”

Link frowned. He did recall something coming to his desk late last night, but he’d been so exhausted that he’d passed out over his mountain of paperwork before he’d had the chance to look it over. Perhaps that had been the report Paya had written? “No, I don’t believe I had the chance to look it over.”

“Right.” Paya pulled out a map from her pocket and spread it across the table. It had several ‘x’s dotted around it in various sizes. “Then I’ll give everyone the rundown here. Over the last few months, Purah and Robbie have picked up on strange energy spikes—ones that appear to be magic. At first it looked random, and a few people said that Fallen Ones have been sighted in greater frequency in those areas.” 

Link’s frown deepened as he leaned over the map. The marks were all over the place, but thankfully none of them seemed to be too close to any major settlements. However, they seemed to be appearing in areas he’d visited lately, or non populated areas he frequented. 

“Isn’t this where…” He ran his finger beneath the one closest to Rito Village. 

“The Flight Range.” Revali nodded with a low hum. “There’s no doubt.” 

“Doesn’t it seem like these are all places that Link spends his time?” Zelda tilted her head as she also let her eyes wander across the page.

“Indeed…” Urbosa’s brows knit together. “I have a feeling this isn’t a coincidence.” 

“Are you saying that these magical spikes and increase in monster activity… has something to do with Link?” Mipha shared a glance with Daruk.

“Aren’t these places you often travel to?” Paya’s voice snapped his attention back towards the living.

“Yeah. That’s what we were just discussing.” Link fiddled with the handle of his Slate. 

“That’s what we thought. Nobody’s been in the area of these magic spikes, but the magic residue supposedly holds a similar wavelength to the teleportation powers of the Shrines.” Paya continued. 

“You think someone’s teleporting Fallen Ones into Hyrule?” Sidon jerked back in shock. 

“They’re gonna get a poundin’ if that’s the case!” Daruk gave a sharp grin as Yunobo echoed his words. 

“Maybe, maybe not.” Paya soothed. “We have no idea what this is, and for all we know the monster sightings have nothing to do with these spikes. Besides, teleportation isn’t a thing in other kingdoms, remember? Who would have the power to do something like that? Whatever this is, we do need to sort it out, but we also need to understand what’s happening.” 

“Right. If it’s appearing in Link’s favorite haunts then it should be easy enough to camp out somewhere and catch a glimpse of it.” Yatir nodded, speaking up for the first time. “And I think I know just the place.” 

Link looked over the map and nodded. “Korok Forest.” The Lost Woods was one of his go-to getaway spots when everything became overwhelming. Beyond the lull of nature and the sweet lullaby of the wilds, the Lost Woods soothed his spirit. Seeing how it wasn’t yet crossed off the map, it was probably going to be one of the next targets of the energy spikes. 

“Any idea when this thing will appear?” Teba hummed. 

“It seems to be getting more frequent.” Paya rolled up the map. “Our guess is sometime within the next three days or so.” 

“Alright then.” Link stretched, popping his shoulders. “So Yatir and I will head out this afternoon and camp out until the next spike. Then we’ll go report our findings to Purah and Robbie.” 

“I’d say it’s too dangerous for you to go personally, but we all know it’s impossible to stop you.” Riju sighed helplessly. “Just be careful? For all we know someone is after you. Remember to check in with the communication crystal, okay?” 

“No worries.” Link grinned. “I’ll always come home. You know this.” The words meant more than anyone beyond the room would realize. It was more than a promise to return safely, it was a promise that he would stay . That he would only pass on when his time finally came.

“I think that about sums up the meeting.” Teba spoke up after a moment. “Unless anyone has anything further to add?”

“Nope, I think we’ve said it all!” Sidon beamed.

“In that case, we should get ready.” Yatir shot Link a smirk.

“Since this’ll take a few days, I’ll leave my workload to you guys for now.” Link yawned a bit as he stood.

“Have you been getting enough sleep?” Sidon frowned. “I know hylians are pale naturally, but you seem a bit more so than usual.”

“No, he’s been running himself into the ground.” Revali huffed. 

“I’m fine. Just a little overworked.” He admitted with a shrug. “Don’t worry, I’m sure the others will start mothering me the moment we reach the forest. Not to mention the koroks.” Link snickered. 

“Just take some time to rest after this, okay?” Riju gave him a stern look. “And if you need us to, you know we can help out with that work.”

“I know.” He smiled. “Thanks guys. I’ll get in touch with you in a few days.” He tapped the small bracelet on his wrist that had a Sheikah blue crystal embedded upon it—the Communication Crystal. 

Yatir shadowed his footsteps nearly the whole way to the aviary. “I’m just sending Arkon a reply.” Link called out over his shoulder. “You can get ready, I’ll call for you before we head out.” 

The Sheikah chuckled, ice blue eyes glittering with mirth. “Yes, well… We all know how much you love to find trouble.” 

“I’m offended.” Link placed a hand over his chest. “ I don’t find trouble, it’s trouble that loves to find me.” 

“Hate to say it, but it’s true.” Revali shook his head. 

“He says pack, but everything’s in your Slate already.” Zelda gave a bemused smile as Yatir gave a mock bow and walked away. “He knows this too.” 

“He’s just looking for an excuse to mother me.” Link grinned as he climbed the stairs. “We’ve also finished the design for the Palace.” 

“ Finally .” Zelda crossed her arms. “But do you have a location yet?” 

“Nope.” Revali snickered. “We’re still working on that one. Central Hyrule would be great… if not for the Guardians running amok.” 

“Yes, that does make it a little difficult to welcome foreign leaders.” Urbosa gave a soft laugh. “Though I’m fairly sure we could make an exception for Osmodius.” If the Gerudo Chieftess’ grin became a tad sharp, Link didn’t mention it.

“I’m only building it for the yearly Gala.” Link insisted. “That’s it .” 

“If that’s the case, then wouldn’t it be better to put it by the capital? New Castletown would not only show off Hyrule’s power but our growing relationship with the Mythos.” Mipha spoke up.

“Actually, I've spoken with the Generals about that. We’re thinking of putting it by the old colosseum. Gin, Klar and Urdon all agree that that would be a better place because it’s more open. Rinut and the others are scouting possible locations along with Bolson and Rekai. I’ve given them the go ahead to start construction when they think they’ve found the right spot.” 

“I’ll look forward to it.” Zelda beamed as they entered the aviary. It was a magnificent room, in Link’s opinion. A high roofed ceiling with plenty of cubbies for nests. There was a masterful painting of the night sky splattered across the walls and ceiling, with depictions of Dinraal, Naydra and Farosh dancing across them. There were also plenty of open door platforms that lead outside—perfect for birds, Rito and even Link himself to take flight from. 

Almost instantly, a flutter of black feathers landed upon his shoulder. Intelligent golden eyes caught his own as the hawk chirped in greeting—nearly mimicking the Rito word for ‘hello’. 

“Altair.” Link raised his hand to smooth down the hawk’s feathers. The messenger crooned happily, rubbing against his calloused palm eagerly. “I’ve missed you too. How’ve you been?” 

Altair gave an almost reprimanding chirp and a glare. He got the distinct feeling he was being called out on not sending any messages lately. “Got it. You want to stretch your wings, then?” 

The hawk bobbed his head up and down as Link made his way over to the desk in the corner of the room. He idly waved his hand, calling up a small bit of magic to light the candle there on sheer habit alone. Sure, it was daylight now, but he was so used to coming up here during the wee hours of the night that lighting the candle was something he did without thinking these days. 

Altair moved to the perch that was set next to the desk as Link got out a quill and some parchment. He tickled the end of the feather against his chin as he thought for a moment before dipping it into the inkwell and starting his letter. 

Prince Arkon. It’s been a while. It’s good to hear you’re doing well, despite the unrest among your people. Know that I am here should you need it, but Hyrule will not interfere in the matters of another kingdom. Should you request aid from us, we will expect something in return. 

That aside, we’ve found yet another group of hyraiders. Nasty little goldblind mongrels. I really wish King Theodore would put forth a bit more effort to control his people. And if he continues to let them do as they please, he should stop harassing me when they don’t return from the Castle alive. It’s off limits for a reason! I am in no way responsible for the stupidity of foreigners who cannot listen to a bright red DO NOT ENTER fence that’s patrolled at all hours. 

Sorry about the rant. It’s a tad frustrating. The twins are doing fine. It’s hard to believe that next month is the Hero’s Festival yet again. Our third one. Everyone’s excited. Will you be coming this year? As always, you and Jackie are invited to the celebrations. It seems that Hyrule has taken to using it as our ‘day of founding’ celebration as well—I can’t say I’m displeased with this. They aren’t technically wrong. 

If you cannot make it, do not fret. I understand. But if you try sending me something ridiculous for my birthday this year like you did last year, then be prepared for payback in the summer when YOUR birthday rolls around. And believe me, I can find something far more unbelievable here in Hyrule than you can in Thybrig. 

I hope that everything goes well for you, my friend. Please keep in touch. May the Goddesses guide you and your people to prosperity. 

Your friend, Champion Link Arcadius Hyrule. 

He took a moment to sit back and look over his letter once more. It was written in Hylian, which nobody but the natives of Hyrule really knew these days. He’d been teaching Arkon and Jacklyn how to read and write it. Arkon was teaching him Thybriggian and Jackie was teaching him Caravanthian in exchange. Rune was even teaching him Picori—the language of Minori. 

“Finished already?” Zelda looked up from the book she’d been reading.

“Your handwriting’s improved.” Urbosa hummed as she gently patted his shoulder. “Good job, Little Fox.” 

Link grinned. “I’m still working on my Gerudo. Your letters are so squiggly, and how am I supposed to tell the difference between ‘a’ and ‘e’?” 

“The crown of the ‘a’ comes off the back, and the crown of the ‘e’ comes off the top.” Urbosa chided softly. “You’d know this if you practiced the Gerudo alphabet as diligently as you practiced your Rito letters.” 

“Rito is just a bunch of sharp straight lines. There’s not really any curves to it.” Link argued childishly. 

“Because it was originally designed to be written with talons.” Revali crossed his wings. “Most Rito can’t move their legs smoothly enough in a circular motion to write letters like the rest of you.” 

“Regardless, you’ve improved a lot.” Zelda cut in before they could really get an argument going. Link stood from the chair and stretched, rolling his letter up and inserting it into the mailing tube. He held up the blue harness, smiling as Altair perked up. 

“Yes, yes. You have a message.” He chuckled as the hawk strutted over to stand before him, wings held out expectantly so Link could put the harness on more easily. Once everything was secured he stepped away. “Take this to Arkon, would you? Ember’s going to rest up a few more days here, since it’s a long flight.” 

Altair chirped in confirmation, playfully nipping at his fingers before soaring away into the sky. Link watched him soar away for a moment before walking to one of the landing platforms and staring out over his city. 

The day was already in full swing. Afternoon was slowly creeping upon them, and the marketplace was a bustling metropolis of travelers and natives going about their day. He could spot a few musicians around the Champions’ Statue in the Town Square—a place that had become the very heart of New Castletown—and there was even a steady flow of people around Keaton’s inn. 

Children ran about with Kilton’s masks, playing with their Mythos friends as parents haggled for the best prices. Rare goods found only in Hyrule were garnering attention from foreigners, and a few merchants from other kingdoms had taken up the cobblestone path to sell their own wares—things that couldn’t be found in Hyrule.

It was prosperous. It was alive in a way that it hadn’t been during his journey. When he’d first looked out over this land all those years ago, it’d been nothing but a magnificent sea of trees cupped by the gentle fingers of the mountains over yonder. Now the horizon had changed. Now there were buildings and people. 

The Temple of Time had been restored to its former glory and now stood as a tribute to Hylia, Din, Farore and Nayru. The ruins of Hyrule Castle still sat in the distance, an ever constant reminder of the great tragedy that befell this land a century ago. Link planned to keep it that way. One day, when the next hero was born into this land, it would be there to greet him. 

Link hummed. “Do you think I should leave him some clues? Messages? I don’t want to leave him stumbling in the dark like I was.” 

“Leave who clues?” Daruk scratched his head in confusion. 

“The next hero.” The words had a bit of a somber tone to them. With Link’s ability to interact with the living, it was easy to forget the grim truth—that he was already dead. He was nothing more than a ghost who was here on some strange borrowed time, and none of them knew when his time would run out. 

At first, it’d been something of a goal—try to move on. But now, he’d come into a position of leadership. He did not wish to leave his people. He wanted to stay, to watch them grow and thrive. But he knew better than anyone that such things were not meant to be. He had to think realistically. He was dead. And he needed his kingdom to be prepared for the day he inevitably moved on. 

“I think it’s a good idea.” Zelda nodded. “Perhaps set up some laws or positions… something future nobles cannot override. Just because the kingdom is as it is now, doesn’t mean they won’t turn against future generations. Corruption is bred by the prosperity of society.” 

Link pulled a face at that but nodded. “Perhaps make a position… Maybe…” He eyed the statue. “The one who wields the sword can take a position similar to mine. The Champion—protector of this land.” 

“Since the council will rule when you pass, the seat of Champion will be open.” Urbosa nodded. “But you must keep in mind that we’ve no idea what the next hero will be like. For all we know, he could be as corrupt as the society he’s come from. We have no solid information about the heroes of the past—we do not know what they were like.” 

“And, no offense, but I doubt you would’ve made a good king a century ago.” Mipha winced. “You were just so… burdened by your title. You were silent and followed orders and…” 

“I didn’t have the drive it takes to rule a kingdom.” Link nodded. “I know that now. And if I’d been without you five, I never would’ve been able to come this far.”

“You ready yet?” Yatir poked his head into the aviary. 

Link glanced down at his ‘casual wear’ and grimaced. “Zel, do I have to stay in this?” He pulled at the skin-tight black shirt. His dark royal blue jacket and pants had golden chains and accents, and there were tiny embroidered Divine Beasts running along the hem of the sleeves. Across his cloak—a type that hung over his shoulder rather than his entire back—was the symbol of Hyrule. 

“Oh fine . You can change.” The princess huffed, and Link didn’t waste a second in tapping his Slate and changing into his good ol’ Champion’s Tunic and Hylian Cloak combo. He let out a massive sigh of relief as he aggressively scratched at his scalp before pulling his hair back into a messy ponytail. 

“Much better.” He grinned. 

“Now that’s a nostalgic look.” Yatir chuckled. He was still in his own royal guard uniform—a white shirt with royal blue accents and aged golden chains that hung from his breast pocket. His small cloak bore the symbol of the Hyrulean Royal Guard—the Sword that Seals the Darkness overtop the Sheikah Eye. From his left ear hung a little golden Triforce with a Sheikah Blue gem in the middle—something that was uniquely Yatir’s and showed his position as the Captain of the Royal Guard. 

“Echo’s going to riot but let’s go ahead and teleport over to the woods.” Link held out a hand towards his knight. 

“Oh wow .” Yatir rolled his eyes as he took his hand. “Actually letting me come along properly instead of leaving me to desperately scramble for the hem of your cloak?” 

Link snickered. “Be grateful I didn’t decide to leap off the platform and then teleport.” He waited until his spirit friends grabbed ahold of him before tapping his Slate and porting to the Korok Forest

 

Chapter 2: Mystery in the Mist

Summary:

Link goes to the Lost Woods and happens across eight strange foreigners who claim he is to travel with them.
The Champion has absolutely no intentions of leaving his kingdom.

Notes:

A/N: What's this? An update?! More likely than you may think! A 7.1k word chapter for you all! I hope you're looking forward to Arcadius' meeting the Chain! I've had their basic first interaction planned out since I first started this story. I hope you're all as entertained by it as I am!

Fanart is always welcome. You can reach out to me through Discord or e-mail me at [email protected]

(Also, we finally meet the ghosts of the Chain. :) Hope you're ready for some fun!)

“Well now… Here’s a face I haven’t seen for quite some time.” A familiar wizened voice echoed around them as they stepped out of the Shrine. A gentle dusting of snow covered the area around them—the majority of the snowfall was kept at bay by the magic of the woods. Seeing as they were still in the middle of winter, it made sense. The snow wouldn’t start letting up until the end of February—around the time of the Hero’s Festival. 

“I’ll never get used to the strangeness that follows you.” Yatir blinked up at the Great Deku Tree before his attention was snatched away by Hestu shaking his maracas. “Never.” 

Link snorted in amusement as he strolled across the clearing to place a hand on the tree’s bark. “It’s good to see you, old friend.” 

“It is curious…” The tree hummed. While Link had spent a good deal of time around the Koroks and the Great Deku Tree even after Ganon’s sealing, the tree had been asleep for a good portion of it. “You feel… strange .” 

“I’m a spirit now.” Link informed him. He watched in a sort of morbid fascination as the tree flinched back in surprise, hard enough that several koroks fell from his branches along with a fair dusting of snow. Link let several icicles fall through him as Yatir irritably dodged whatever aimed to hit him. “I… did not survive sealing away Calamity Ganon.”

The tree eyed him for a long moment, gaze flitting over the spaces where his fellow spirits stood. He distantly wondered if the Deku Tree could see them. “I see… This is something I cannot say I am entirely unfamiliar with. However, it is the first time I have seen a hero become a spirit as strongly anchored to the living as you.” 

“You mean there’ve been other ghosts?” Link took an involuntary step forward. “Ones that could interact with the living?” 

“There was one…” The tree hummed. “A hero who had many regrets upon his death, who stayed as a shade to guide the hero that came after him. He was the hero who planted my seed.” 

“Great.” Revali groaned. “So there’ve been other heroes with as rotten luck as yo—OW! Mipha!!”

“Be nice .” Mipha shot him a look.

“Not like he’s saying anything untrue.” Link shrugged with a soft laugh. “At any rate, have you seen anything unusual in these woods lately? There’ve been some strange energy spikes across Hyrule.” 

“I cannot say…” The tree yawned. “I am very tired these days. But my children should be able to tell you.” 

With that, the Great Deku Tree fell back into his slumber. Link sighed fondly, turning towards Hestu and the other koroks expectantly. Several of the little ones sat contentedly on Link’s shoulders and hair—something they could do even when he wasn’t corporeal—and a quick glance at Yatir showed he was also popular with the little leaf spirits. 

“We’ve seen something!” One of the koroks on Yatir’s shoulder spoke up. “A portal opened up in the woods!” 

“A portal! A portal!” Several koroks leapt up and down excitedly. 

“Oh!! I remember!!” Hestu did a little dance. “It opened up just before you got here! There were people too!” 

“People?” Link shared a glance with Yatir. “Paya didn’t mention people , did she?” 

“Nope. Fallen Ones, sure , but people?” The knight shook his head, resting a hand on one of his swords. His twin short swords were made by Robbie. Yatir had stated that steel was too loud and heavy for him, so he wielded a specially made pair of Guardian Swords instead.

“Guess we should go check it out.” Link glanced at the koroks. “Can you lead us there?” 

“I can!” The one on his shoulder—Acorn, was the name he’d given this one—announced happily. “But it’s scary out there.” 

“We don’t wanna go!” The other koroks shook lightly, and Link frowned. 

“Scary? The Lost Woods?” They’d never been scary to the spirits before. Even Link himself hadn’t felt the eeriness of the woods since his own death. In fact, the mists were a comfort to him now. He privately thought that perhaps the woods were meant to feel like home to spirits like him.

“There’s monsters there now.” Hestu shook a little. “Scary ones! If you can get them to go away, then we can play in the woods again.” 

Link and Yatir shared a look. “Monsters in the Lost Woods?” Zelda echoed.

“That’s not right.” Urbosa agreed with a light frown. “Looks like we’ve got a bit of cleanup to do.”

“Do you think the portal brought ‘em in?” Daruk wondered aloud. 

“More than likely.” Zelda sighed. “I can’t think of any other reason why they’d be here… Though there were some monsters in the woods a century ago, but that was only because of Ganon.”

“Regardless, they shouldn’t be there.” Link scowled lightly. “Don’t worry,” he shot the koroks a smirk, “we’ll take care of the scary monsters.” 

Several small cheers and wishes of good luck sounded behind them as they followed the little korok out into the mists. The fog curled around Link like a mother welcoming him home, but it carried a note of danger. A whisper of a warning that something was not quite right . He could sense that there were things in these woods that did not belong.

“This place is creepy .” Yatir shuddered, pulling his cloak around his shoulders a bit more tightly.

“To the living, maybe.” Link shrugged. 

“I’m comfortable here.” Zelda agreed. 

“I am of the living.” Yatir reminded him with a groan. 

“You’re the only one here who is.” Link chuckled. He was about to say something else when he paused, ears twitching. “Do you… hear that?” Everyone stopped, straining their ears to listen. There, in the distance, was the unmistakable sound of clanking armor and hushed voices.

“Did dying make your hearing sharper? How did you hear that?” Revali shot him a look. “You have ears like a Rito.” 

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Link grinned as they continued forward with silent steps. Link made sure to go incorporeal to ensure he made as little sound as possible. Not for the first time, Link wished he could make himself invisible. Yatir ghosted over the snow on the ground with the kind of grace that could only be found among the Sheikah.

The voices were getting louder now, and the mists thicker. It curled around Link and Yatir like it was trying to hide them from the intruders. Finally, they came upon the group that stood in a clearing, arguing about something. 

“...telling you we’ve been walking in circles!” The one in the red tunic made an angry motion.

“These are the Lost Woods.” One of the armored men soothed. He had strange tattoos on his face and was missing an eye. He looked to be the oldest of them. “Going in circles usually means you’re headed in the right direction.” 

“Hate to say it, but he’s right.” Another one spoke up. He also had facial tattoos, along with a wolf pelt wrapped around his shoulders. “Most of you guys don’t have a Lost Woods, so you’ll have to trust us on this one.”

Link eyed them. There were eight living and several spirits obscured by the mist. He wasn’t sure why, but there was something about this group that set his instincts on edge. Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing he had no idea. He wasn’t about to send the Champions out to speak with their spirits just yet—no sense in risking anything should one of the group prove to be like Jacklyn. Link wasn’t foolish enough to assume he was the only person who could see ghosts anymore, and he wasn’t about to tip his hand to a group of strangers. His first priority was figuring out just who these people were and why they were here.

“C’mon.” Link nodded his head towards the group. “I don’t think they’re hostile.” It was a gut feeling. “We should make sure they can find their way out of the forest. Maybe we can even get some answers from them about these portal things.”

Link turned solid, letting his feet crunch loudly in the snow, hushing the group. He walked from the mists like the ethereal spirit he was, tilting his head curiously at the group of foreigners. “You seem a bit lost.” He sent them a smile. “Need a guide?” 

The group of eight—and was that a child with them?! A child with a sword? Link wasn’t one to judge but normally it was only Hyrulean kids that were armed these days—turned to study him. Link could make several observations now that he was closer. Their armor was shiny, but not unscathed. Their weapons were nice, but not unused. And their ears were most assuredly Hylian . 

“Who are you?” The one-eyed warrior tilted his head. “Not that we don’t appreciate the offer, but the chances of running into a friendly face in these woods…” 

Link nodded in agreement. “I could ask the same of you. You all look Hylian, but you certainly don’t act it.” No hylian would wear such heavy metal armor . Moreover, every person in Hyrule would recognize Link in his Champion’s Tunic.

“Don’t… act it?” Red Tunic looked mildly offended. “What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“You came from that portal thing, didn’t you?” Link hummed. “Explain a bit about that to me, and I’ll guide you out of these woods.”

The group shared a look for a long moment, seemingly debating on what they should say, before the one in a white cloak approached. “We’re travelers. We use those portals to get around.”

Link opened his mouth to say something, when a familiar chime filled the air. Every muscle froze and his brain short circuited like a Guardian with its wires cut. Because he knew that chime. Hadn’t heard it in nearly three years, but he could never forget it. Nor could he ever fail to recognize the hilt of the blade that’d burned its design into the palm of his right hand. 

“That sword…” His horrified whisper drew the eyes of Yatir and his spirits to the blade. Everyone stiffened. There wasn’t a soul in Hyrule who wouldn’t recognize that blade, living or dead. And to those with Link especially, the implications of that blade being here were quite clear. His horrified gaze settled upon the group once more. “What have you done…?”

He had been wrong about this group. These weren’t travelers , they were hyraiders ! They’d somehow made it down into the sanctum and… And if the sword was here , then there was nothing sealing Calamity Ganon away. His death was entirely in vain. His sacrifice was for nothing . Anger—hot and fierce—overwhelmed him, fueled by a primal terror that he hadn’t felt since he died.

“Wait, what’re you talking about?” The one who carried the sword held up his hands, as if he could placate the wrath of the Champion. 

“You idiots! ” He drew his blade. If he could take her back from them, then perhaps there was time to seal Ganon once more before he destroyed everything . On the edge of his hearing—mind?—he swore he heard that earth-shattering roar. But whether it was real or his fear playing with him was yet to be seen. “You damned hyraiders! Have you any clue what you’ve done?! That sword—!! She was never meant to be removed!” 

“Wait a second!” The one in a multicolored tunic shouted as several of them also unsheathed their blades. “It’s not what you think, this isn’t the Master Sword you know!” 

The man with the sword also drew the blade, the shimmer of her magic was familiar, and something about the situation seemed inherently wrong, but he was too worked up to think it over. 

“Link.” Urbosa placed a firm hand on his shoulder. “Calm yourself. I understand your anger, but you cannot battle with clouded judgment.” Despite her words, even the Gerudo Chieftess seemed furious. Lightning crackled along her fingertips as Mipha pointed her spear in the direction of the strangers. Daruk’s smile was nowhere to be seen and Zelda had an expression almost as enraged as Link himself, bow held tightly in her grasp. Revali looked a half second away from taking flight, his eyes flickering to Link as if waiting for his go-ahead. Even Yatir had drawn his Guardian Swords as he slipped into a battle-ready position. 

Link forced himself to take a deep breath. Before anyone could say anything else, a voice rose into the air. “ STOP IT! ” It was multilayered, like the chimes of the Sword that Seals the Darkness. And in that same moment, sparks flew from the blade, forcing the hand that held her to let go. 

And all motion ceased. Wide eyes went from the man who’d been holding the sword, to Link. “You…” He carefully picked her up, and Link instantly realized what’d seemed off about the situation. 

Only the Hero could wield that sword. So how could that man hold her? His eyes flitted towards the spirit who’d called out—the multilayered voice that’d tickled the recesses of his mind. She was like a dancer—fluttering robes of purple and blue, with crisscrossing ribbons around her legs like the hilt of the sacred sword. At once, he understood that she was the spirit of the blade. 

“Only the Hero… Only the Hero can wield the Sword that Seals the Darkness.” Link uttered in quiet realization. There was only ever one hero at a time, from what he knew. Now that he was looking more carefully, the blade looked different from the one he’d wielded—newer, sharper, her colors were bright and not at all faded like the ten thousand year old blade that’d burned his hand. Link sheathed his blade carefully, but did not pull his hand away. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Yatir do the same. “Who are you?”

“We are heroes traveling across time.” The one-eyed man spoke up. “And this is not the Master Sword from your era.” 

“Master… I am sorry that I was raised against you.” The spirit apologized softly, in a way that told him that she had no idea he could hear her. 

Link took a deep breath, trying to force the tremors in his hands to abate. His anger still coursed hotly through his veins, and it was taking more effort than he would’ve liked to work himself down from his fury. “So let me get this straight. You eight are the Heroes of Old from across time.” Honestly, if he couldn’t see the Sword’s spirit, he might’ve been inclined to call them liars. This was a tad ridiculous even for him . And he’d broken the laws of the world twice so far… at least.

“W-wait… as in the historical Heroes of Old ?!” Zelda’s eyes went wide. “Oh, Link! This is incredible!! Look, I think that one’s the fabled Hero of Time !!” Well, at least one of them could get excited over this. Link was somewhat relieved to see he wasn’t the only spirit that was having trouble letting his anger go.

“Calm down, Little Bird.” Urbosa gave a fond chuckle, though everyone was still very much on edge. Nobody but Link and Yatir had sheathed their weapons, though everyone had lowered them at least.

“Heroes of Old?” Red Tunic scrunched up his nose. “That’s a new one.”

“Better than being a bedtime story.” The one who was the most sensibly dressed, in Link’s humble opinion, shrugged. He was also the only one with brown hair. 

“If Fi shocked me like that, then it’s likely that you’re one of us.” The one with the sword spoke softly. “My name is Link. We’re all named Link.” 

“That’ll get confusing.” Revali clicked his beak. 

“So we go by nicknames.” The soft one continued. “I am Sky. I forged the Master Sword.” 

Link jerked back as Yatir stepped forward. “W-wait! You forged the legendary blade of the hero?!” The Sheikah bounced excitedly. “Then that must mean you’re the hero who came from the sky!! The one who gave Skythos their nickname!!” 

“Uh… yeah. My time’s before Hyrule was even called Hyrule.” Sky nodded. 

“Wait a second.” Link held up a hand. “You’re all heroes from across time, and named Link.” He waited for their nod. “And you’ve come to this time…” He was pretty sure he knew the answer, but he was hoping he was wrong. 

“To find the hero of this era and bring him along with us.” The one with the wolf pelt smiled even as Yatir’s excitement drained away at the statement. “I’m Twilight. Nice to meet you. The old man’s Time, and the grumpy one in red is Legend.” 

“I’m Warriors!” The armored one in a blue scarf grinned. “That’s Hyrule, Wind and Four—he’s a blacksmith.”

Link shared a hard look with Yatir. “I am Champion Link and this is Sir Yatir. I’m sorry, but I cannot go with you. I have things I must do here.”

“It’s not up to us.” Sky shook his head. “Hylia is the one that decides who comes along.” He held out the blade to Link. “Fi is the name of the spirit in the sword. She’ll give you your nickname.”

“Regardless, I cannot leave my kingdom.” Link stated firmly, gently shoving the sword away with a mental apology. “I will lead you out of these woods as promised, but after that I must be on my way.” He wasn’t about to get caught up in this mess more than he already was. He had nothing against the goddesses, but some divine entity was really pushing some of Link’s buttons if they wanted to send him along like this.

“Not really your choice to make.” Legend scowled. “You think I wanted to come along on a seventh journey?! If I’d had a choice I would’ve gladly told whatever damned goddess it was that asked that I was retired.” 

Link felt something like a chill go up his spine. “I’ve done my part.” He practically growled, and though it was aimed towards whatever goddess it was that was orchestrating this, Legend flinched lightly. Even still, he wouldn’t take it back. He had done his part. He was dead . Didn’t that negate any obligation towards the title of the Hero anyways?

He sighed roughly, glancing at Zelda out of the corner of his eye. “Let’s just guide them out of these woods.” She suggested. “And then we can talk over our options with the council.” 

“We’ve all done our parts.” Four spoke up softly, eyes flashing red for a moment. Actually, now that Link was looking at him, he had four little wisps of color that arched out from his body—blue, red, purple and green. It was almost like he had four different spirits shoved into one body. And he had another spirit with him, a look-alike in dark shadowy tones and bright red eyes. “Doesn’t mean we get to rest.” 

Link scowled lightly as he started walking. “Look. I’m sorry, but I’m not coming along with you. I’ve made my decision. I’ll show you out of these woods and then take my leave. Let’s get moving, unless you’d like to get lost in the mists?”

The group shared looks before trailing along behind him and Yatir. “I’m Wind!” The child trotted up to walk beside him. He didn’t seem to have a spirit with him. “My Hyrule is all buried under the sea!! I’m a pirate! What’s your Hyrule like?” 

Zelda gave a muffled laugh, drawing a small glare from Link. He idly wondered if the twins would be like this when they were older. “Not sure how to describe it when I’ve never known any other Hyrule.” He finally answered. “Beautiful. Untamed. We get travelers from all across the continent that come for the scenery alone.” Link gave a small smirk as he added in a whisper, “and we have chocolate.”

“Chocolate?” Wind tilted his head to the side, and Link noted that the rest of the group looked equally confused.

“A sweet unique to Hyrule.” He explained. “It’s so coveted in other kingdoms that even the royals across borders will send their fastest knights or hawks to buy more.” 

“Sounds like something I’ve gotta try.” Warriors grinned.

Link opened his mouth to say something when he had the abrupt feeling of something wrong. The mists swirled anxiously around him, carrying the whisper of something’s coming, be ready . He froze mid-step, ears swiveling as he tried to pinpoint what direction the warning was talking about.

“Hello?” Four questioned, but Yatir held a finger up to his lips, hands already going for his blades. The whole group tensed, drawing their own weapons as a quivering silence befell them.

It was years of battle experience that had Link bringing up his blade just in time to block an attack from a lizalfos. It snarled, spit falling from its gaping maw as its eyes swiveled around in a hate-filled haze. He heard, more than saw, the rest of the group being attacked as well, but they weren’t Link’s people. If they couldn’t fend for themselves, then they shouldn’t have come to Hyrule.

Yatir found his place at Link’s back, and the two fell into a familiar dance. Yatir’s bright blue Sheikah swords sliced through both mists and monsters with a frightening ease, and Revali’s arrows flew from the branches and embedded themselves in the skulls of the Fallen Ones around the battlefield. Urbosa and the others stood back, ready to help should he need it, but equally content to watch the battle unfold. 

What he hadn’t seen was the moblin that lumbered from the shadows of the trees and shattered his wooden shield. Link clenched his jaw as he collided hard with one of the nearby trees. His scars pulsed in pain as they scraped against the bark through his shirt, but he was on his feet again in less than a second. He thought he distantly heard one of the forei— Heroes call out to him, but a familiar voice snatched his attention instead.

“You good, Link?” Yatir shot back without taking his eyes off the moblin. 

“Yeah. Just love getting shoved into a tree by an angry moblin in the morning.” He leapt back into the battle. 

“Well don’t let Gin hear you say that, he’ll get jealous.” The Sheikah snickered. 

The battle was finally starting to wind down. The Fallen Ones were defeated, crimson staining the ground around them. Thankfully they were just blue-pelts, so it wasn’t anything too difficult. Even so, the fact that there were monsters in the forest at all was concerning. Was it because of the travelers? 

“Their blood isn’t black?” Warriors frowned. “I thought for sure they were infected.” 

Link’s head whipped about. “Black blood?” 

“Yeah… it’s why we’re traveling across time.” Sky explained. 

“Monsters with unreal vitality and black blood have appeared across time.” Time sheathed his sword as he spoke. “I assume you’ve encountered some?” 

Link grimaced. “Gold pelts.” He explained. “They appeared suddenly about three years ago. Incredibly intelligent for Fallen Ones, and their power is at least three times that of a silver pelt.”

“Silver pelt?” Legend puzzled as Link sheathed his own blade, continuing the trek out of the woods. 

“You know, the step up from black-pelt?” He blinked at the uncomprehending looks. “Red pelts are the weakest, then you’ve got blue-pelts, and then black and silver?” 

“Silver and black.” Warriors groaned. “Just when I thought blue was the toughest we had to deal with.” 

“Well, anyways I should…” Link brought his wrist up to activate his communication crystal, only to freeze. “Aw, shit.” He stared incredulously at the shattered crystal. It must’ve happened when the moblin attacked. “Teba’s gonna kill me.” 

“I’d be more worried about Riju, honestly.” Yatir nodded in agreement. “Teba will yell a bit, but Riju will hold it over your head for ages . Sidon will just give you a disappointed lecture.” 

“I may just fear Sidon the most then.” 

“Are you okay? You hit that tree pretty hard.” Hyrule frowned as he fell into step beside Link, ignoring the way Yatir tensed lightly.

“I’m fine.” Link smiled softly. “It’ll take more than a blue-pelted moblin to take me down.”

“Don’t I know it?” Yatir groaned. “I’ll ask you again, please stop finding trouble.”

Several heroes snorted. “Sorry to break it to you… Yatir, was it?” Warriors grinned. “But heroes will always find trouble. Asking him to stay away from it is hopeless.”

“It’s my job to help keep him out of trouble.” Yatir shook his head. “I have to try .” 

“Job?” Warriors studied his outfit with a critical gaze. “Are you a knight?” 

“I am!” Yatir puffed his chest out slightly with pride. “General Yatir, head of the Hyrulean Royal Army.” He gave the knight a confident smirk. “Pleasure to meet you.”

Warriors’ shoulders stiffened as his stance became more rigid. Link had seen foreign knights do the same when they unexpectedly happened across a superior officer. “A General? Not just that, but the head of the army?” His gaze flitted between the Sheikah and Champion.

“He likely mistook his words.” Zelda giggled lightly. “I do believe he’s mistaken you for someone who works under Yatir, rather than the one whom Yatir works for .”

“It’ll be interesting to see how they react to you when they learn what the title of Champion means here.” Urbosa smirked wickedly.

“You are very cruel, Lady Urbosa.” Mipha grinned behind her hand. Link could make out several far too sharp teeth. 

“As if you don’t take just as much enjoyment out of this as the rest of us.” Revali snorted. 

“Pardon me, are you his companions?” A new voice made Link’s ear twitch, and his gaze passed over a new ghost—one who’d been walking beside Legend. She was a rather pretty young lady with fiery red hair and shimmering warm brown eyes. There was a tropical flower in her hair and she wore a rather simple blue dress.

“You could say that.” Revali smirked. “We’re the ones responsible for trying to keep Link out of trouble.” 

“Except for you, Revali. You help him find it.” Zelda reminded him.

“I beg your pardon?!” 

“Shatterback.” 

“ One time! ” The Rito puffed out his feathers. 

“I’m Marin.” The girl cut their argument short with a wide grin. “If your ties with your Link are strong enough, you should be able to travel with him like the rest of us.” She gestured behind her towards the other ghosts.

“Link’s already decided not to go.” Zelda stated firmly. “All of us are staying with him.”

Link found himself observing them as the rest of the heroes carried on conversations with Yatir, realizing he was ‘zoning out’. They likely thought he was concentrating on the path before them so they weren’t getting more lost than they already had been.

There was Marin—who seemed to be Legend’s ghost companion—and the greyscale Link that accompanied Four. He looked to have a rather mischievous vibe to him.

“Good luck with that. Not up to you, and not up to him.” The Four lookalike snorted. “I’m Shadow, by the way.” He gave a sharp grin as he introduced himself to the Champions, unaware that Link could hear him. “Never seen a hero with so many ghosts. Well, Prettyboy over there doesn’t count because he’s in the military. He’s got a lot of ghosts that still follow him, but they got stuck at home.” 

“Oh, just wait till you meet the ghost army.” Revali muttered under his breath.

“Ghost army?” A small blue orb of light flitted over towards the Rito in curiosity. “Oh, hi! I’m Navi! I’m Time’s companion!” She smiled, flashing tiny sharp teeth at her fellow spirits. “And the wolf over there doesn’t speak, so we call him Goldie.” She flew over to a golden one-eyed wolf who practically glowed . “He’s Twilight’s ghost companion.” She explained.

Finally, the last spirit introduced herself. “Greetings. I am Fi—the spirit of the Master Sword.” She paused for a moment, looking at Zelda. “You… are the Zelda of this time.” 

The other ghosts jerked back like they were struck. Goldie in particular whined loudly, eyes fixating on Zelda with something like recognition and pain. “Wait, you… I thought all the Zeldas were safe?” Marin tilted her head in confusion. 

“Ah…” Zelda sighed and gripped her arm. “I… fulfilled my duties as the princess of this kingdom. Ganon has been sealed. What’s done is done. I’m free now. It wasn’t Link’s fault, you must understand this.” She glared at them as if daring them to defy her. Link idly noticed that the other Champions’ stances shifted as well, ready to defend him if need be.

“Hey, we weren’t blaming your Link.” Navi corrected at once, wings flittering with unease as she glanced warily between the five spirits. “No hero would hurt their princess. I’m sure he blames himself enough as it is.”

Link hid his wince at that. He used to blame himself. Some part of him still did, but he’d long since come to terms with what happened in Hyrule Castle that day. After all, it was difficult to blame himself when his own life had been lost as well.

“Beyond that, are there any heroes that can see us?” Urbosa asked suddenly, nearly making Link miss a step. He recovered quickly enough that nobody seemed to have noticed, sans the one-eyed wolf spirit who chuffed softly in amusement.

“There are, actually!” Marin clapped her hands happily. “Well, sort of. Little Wind can see and hear us when he concentrates hard enough, but he tries to stay out of the business of the rest of the heroes. Don’t be surprised if he strikes up a conversation with you when the others aren’t paying attention. He’s such a sweetheart, he doesn’t want us to feel lonely. And I think Twilight can do something similar, but he needs to tap into a… special magic.”

“Four can sense us if they really concentrate, but that’s because they’re idiots who already messed with soul magic.” Shadow sighed fondly, and it took Link a moment to decipher the meaning behind the spirit’s words.

“W-wait, what does that mean?” Zelda flinched back, but Shadow shook his head. 

“Not my place to say. I’ve already told you more than the other heroes know.” The monochrome Link shrugged, red eyes lighting up in mirth. “It’s a puzzle you’ll have to figure out on your own.”

Link subtly eyed the multicolored aura of the short hero. Four. Four colors. And Shadow referred to him as them —which either meant Four was gender neutral or… Or the soul magic mentioned somehow involved one person becoming four people . Somehow, that second answer rang truer than the first, but Link would wait and see. In all honesty, it wasn’t his business either way. He would part with these heroes at the edge of the Lost Woods, and probably never see them again. 

He couldn’t go with them. He wouldn’t . Not when he was already living on borrowed time. He couldn’t waste it on another journey when he had a kingdom to look after. He wasn’t a vagabond anymore—he was the Champion of Hyrule.

Link’s ears twitched as a few korok rattles echoed around them, drawing his attention back towards the living. Every ear twitched, and Link found himself distantly intrigued by the fact that all these heroes could hear the koroks. 

“I know that sound!” Wind piped up. “Do you have koroks here?!” 

“Yes, this is the Lost Woods—the home of the Koroks and the Great Deku Tree.” Link informed as the mists cleared slightly. That eerie feeling of ‘ wrong, something’s intruding upon this place’ was slowly fading. Whatever monsters that remained within the forest were likely being expelled by the confusion of the mists. By the end of the day, the koroks would be able to freely play within the spirit woods once more. He made a mental note to send some people to patrol the area around the woods to take out whatever Fallen Ones had escaped the forest. 

“Yahaha!” The korok that had guided Link to the group popped up from the hood of his cloak. “You found me!” The little tree spirit grinned at Wind. 

“So that’s a korok.” Twilight hummed. “We don’t have those in my time.” 

“It makes sense.” Time nodded. “Koroks are supposedly what’s left of the Children of the Forest.”

“I like you!” The korok leapt from Link’s hood to settle on Time’s shoulder happily. The older hero smiled softly, gently patting the tree spirit’s head with his index finger. Before anyone could blink, several other koroks settled themselves on Time. Link snorted when one started ‘braiding’ his hair (he knew from experience it’d end up as nothing more than a tangled disaster, and did not envy the one-eyed warrior).

He felt a few koroks settle on his own head and shoulders, and the one he’d fondly nicknamed Maple slid down his arm to rest on the palm of his hand. “Link! Thank you for clearing the woods! Now we can play again!” Maple cheered.

“You smell good.” Halberry—another little korok that Link had once found hiding in the Duelling Peaks—commented to Time. “You smell like the forest.”

“I am from the forest.” Time hummed softly. “I was raised by the Deku Tree.” 

“You were raised by a tree ?” Warriors sent him a look.

“You’re a Kokiri.” Link realized abruptly, noting the way Time startled lightly, like he hadn’t expected Link to know that term.

“I was raised as one.” He nodded. “You know of them?” 

“They’re the Children of the Forest.” Link’s lips curved upwards. “I’ve heard stories of them from the Great Deku Tree before.”

“That means you’re our brother!” Maple cheered, echoed by his siblings who chittered excitedly.

“Careful.” Link smirked as he caught one of the Koroks that’d danced right off his head. “Start talking like that too much and I might start thinking you like him more than me.” He teased. 

“No!” Several tiny voices rose into the branches above them. “Link’s still our favorite!” Halberry argued. 

“Yeah, nobody’s better than Link!” Maple nodded decisively as several agreements filled the air. 

“Well someone’s popular.” Warriors grinned.

“Koroks are playful, but mine aren’t this friendly.” Wind looked a tad confused, but overall pleased. “Or tiny.”

“We’re nearly out of the woods.” Link eyed the torchlight he could see in the distance. “Once we’re there, you can continue along the road until you find a Stable—they’re like inns that’re dotted along the roads of Hyrule. You can study the map there to gather your bearings or rent a Guide—a native who can help you navigate Hyrule.” 

He heard several sighs behind him. “I wish it was that easy to refuse a journey from a goddess.” Legend pinched the bridge of his nose. “I doubt she’ll let you out of this so easily.” 

“I don’t care what the goddesses think.” Link’s voice was firm. “I have a duty here that I cannot abandon. Unless this land is in mortal peril, I will not go on another journey.” 

“Those black-blooded monsters may just be that mortal peril.” Twilight pointed out. “You said they’d been here for… what, three years?”

“We’ve been handling them just fine.” Link shot him a look. “Hyrule is strong. Her people are not to be taken lightly. You can ask any single one of the foreign lands that grace our borders.”

A cool breeze wafted through the branches of the trees, carrying with it the feeling of sunshine and wildflowers. He’d felt it off and on during his Journey, most notably at the goddess statues—Hylia’s Divinity. A soft voice drifted on the wind, but he couldn’t make it out clearly. Either way, the sentiment itself was clear—Hylia wanted him to go with this group. He narrowed his gaze at the wind, challenging the goddess with his very will. He’d sooner give up his Triforce pieces than leave this kingdom. 

He was already dead. He owed the divine nothing.

“ Finally !” Legend heaved a sigh of relief as they left the woods at last. The mists curled around Link, as if to hold him back and keep him in the forest of spirits. The koroks hopped off their favored riders and stood at the edge of the woods, refusing to leave when the lands beyond were so dangerous. These ones were not prone to wander at the moment, it seemed. 

Hestu had once explained that the koroks in the woods were usually too young to venture out. The older koroks, on the other hand, were still playing their now 6-year-long game of hide-and-seek. Link liked to think he was winning. Then again, he had no idea how many of them there were. But he liked to think that finding over 490 of them was winning. He hoped.

The moon shone overhead—half moon, he still had plenty of time before the next Blood Moon. “Here’s where we part.” Link’s hand rested over his Slate, ready to teleport away at the first sign of the heroes’ protest. He belatedly realized that he’d already freely teleported to the Lost Woods, without a Shrine or Tower as his sendoff location. A quick glance at the Slate told him he still had fifteen minutes until he could freely teleport again. Otherwise he’d need to step into a Shrine to make his way back home.

“If you can, we wish you luck.” Time gave him a tired smile—eye shimmering with the light of someone who knew far too much to be fooled by false hope. Link internally glowered. He didn’t care what they thought. One could say living after dying was a false hope too, but here he was. Nothing was impossible. Not when it came to Link .

“Like I said, follow this road and you’ll hit the Stables. You can be guided from there. If they ask, say you’re travelers from Illistria.”

“Illistria?” Legend frowned. “Is that a neighboring kingdom?”

Link shook his head with an amused smile. “No, it’s the continent across the sea. You don’t look anything like the people from a neighboring kingdom, but you can get away with saying your ancestors hailed from Hyrule. That’s where you get the ears from.”

“Across the sea?!” Wind perked up. “You’ve sailed the sea?”

“No, but I know my geography.” Link hummed as he eyed the sun. “If you leave now, you’ll get to the Stables by dusk.” He turned to leave—to go off-trail and wander around a bit until he could teleport back to New Castletown—when a familiar laugh floated across the wind.

“YIGA!” Yatir’s voice cut through whatever conversation the heroes had started, and while they assuredly had no idea what a Yiga was, they could tell by the knight’s tone of voice that it was an enemy.

The Sheikah traitors had been strangely quiet over the last few years—enough so that there was a sighting only once every few months. This in mind, one would have to forgive Link’s disbelief at seeing seven Yiga appear before him with mad cackles and the strong scent of bananas.

Link blocked a sickle that’d been aimed for his neck as Yatir blocked the one aimed for his back. “Well, this is just wonderful .” The Champion scowled as his knight nodded in agreement, pushing against the Yiga’s blade to make the enemy stumble back. 

“Who are these guys?!” Legend’s voice called out. 

“Yiga!” Link explained in a clipped tone. “They’re Sheikah traitors who work for Ganon.”

“Well that’s fucking lovely .” 

“WIND!” Warriors’ reprimand fell on deaf ears as the blue-scarfed knight disengaged with his foe only to scarcely block the blade of another. Link didn’t have much time to analyze the heroes’ fighting styles as he felt the icy chill of a blade passing inches from his neck. 

Urbosa blocked another blade that made for Yatir’s head, and though the Sheikah couldn’t see the spirits, he always seemed to know who was around. “Thanks, Urbosa.” He muttered softly. 

“Of course.” The Gerudo Chieftess smirked.

“Incoming!” Revali’s voice called from the skies, and Link was quick to give Yatir a low-toned whistle to let him know Revali was about to rain down all kinds of pre-calamity hell upon their enemies. 

The three fighters all dove to the side, rolling just as a maelstrom of arrows pelted the three Yiga that’d ganged up on them. One went down and did not rise, the other two staggered to their feet.

A familiar whinny on the wind had Link’s grin stretching uncomfortably wide. “Y’know, you really should’ve learned that anything less than double digits is too easy for me.” Link smirked as he stepped back, holding out a hand behind him just in time to catch Echo’s reins. He swung himself onto the back of his beloved steed just as another feathered spirit swooped down to soar beside him. 

“Valik.” He greeted as he fired off a few arrows of his own, aiding the heroes who seemed to be struggling against their more human foes.

“What kind of trouble have you found this time, Captain?” The Rito groaned. “I swear, dead or alive there’s no end to the chaos you bring.”

“What can I say? I’m a beacon for excitement.” Link cackled as he fired off yet another arrow. Two more flew above his own—one from Zelda and one from Revali. 

“Don’t leave me out of the fun!” The once-princess grinned from her seat upon Revali’s back.

“Honestly. You’re awful at teamwork.” Revali laughed.

“Well—” Link cut himself off abruptly when he saw something from the corner of his eye. It was a feeling in the air— the warmth of spring, a whisper of feathers, a silent murmur of apology —and a swirl of colors— blues and purples and whites and greys. 

A portal had swirled into being right in the middle of the battlefield. 

The heroes all startled, but Wind—the youngest and likely the most distractible—had turned to look at the swirling vortex that lay not five feet behind him. It was a mistake that might’ve cost him his life, had Link been a moment slower. 

He leapt from Echo’s back, activating his Champion’s Ability—Link’s Courage. He felt the time around him slow to a crawl as he pushed just the tiniest bit of magic into his Triforce pieces, willing himself to get there in time. 

In that moment, he didn’t care that this boy was a foreigner, or a hero. All he saw was a child in danger. He called up Daruk’s Shield just as he got between Wind and the blademaster, but the force flung the Champion into the Hero. And both straight into the swirling vortex.

The last thing Link saw as the nauseating colors consumed him alongside an acute vertigo, was Yatir’s panic stricken face.

Chapter 3: A New Land

Summary:

Link finds himself punted into another era with no guidance.

A/N: Hello and welcome back! It's been a hot minute since the last update, and I'm very pleased to bring this new chapter to you. Sorry that it's short (only about 4.5k words) and that there isn't much that happens, but I hope you enjoy it regardless. We'll have another chapter of Wind and Arcadius bonding, so no worries there!

 

IMPORTANT: I've seen a few things online where people are using AI to finish unfinished stories. They'll plug in a fic and the AI will make up an ending for it. PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS!! DO NOT SUPPORT THIS ACTION! It is both highly offensive as a creator and morally horrendous. If you have any inclination to do so, then please, for the love of Hylia or Din or Nayru or whatever deity you follow—ASK THE AUTHOR'S PERMISSION. We pour our hearts and souls into these works. We bleed on these keys to bring you content that you can read FOR FREE. And to do something like that... It's beyond insulting. I am not one to anger, but the idea that someone could do that to my stories enrages me.

Because I know people enjoy my stories, I have vowed to never take them down. But if I were to ever find someone 'finishing' one of my stories with AI of all things.... Well, let's just not do that, shall we? :)

 

Now that that's out of the way, I'll kindly ask you all to keep an eye on both your own works and those of your friends and favorite authors.

 

Oh! I'm also working on an original novel now! I hope that when it's finished, you'll check it out! (There's actually two, and one was initially a Zelda fanfic that I've decided to modify into it's own original story, since it was a First story).

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The moment the world stopped spinning, Link forced himself to his feet. The familiar forest was nowhere to be found, instead he found himself in the wide open plains of an unfamiliar kingdom. His gaze caught sight of the portal closing. An unfamiliar time . 

“Fuck.” He muttered a few more choice words in the direction of the divine before turning his attention towards Wind—who’d been knocked unconscious during the collision. The kid seemed thankfully unharmed, sans a rather nasty lump on his head where he’d collided with Daruk’s Protection.

Link sighed, pushing his anger towards Hylia back. “Where do you guys think…” His eyes widened when he realized something important.

He was alone .

A sharp panic coursed through his veins with an ugly zing as his eyes flitted about. Urbosa, Revali, Daruk, Yatir, Mipha, Zelda— Nobody was here. And for the first time in three years, Link felt truly and utterly alone . His legs went numb as they crumpled beneath him, sending him to the grassy plains with a quiet thump . He hadn’t been alone since the day he died.

He forced himself to take a deep breath. He had to calm down . He was going to get nowhere by working himself up into a frenzy. Link wrenched his eyes closed and made himself tune out his emotions and focus on the world around him. He concentrated on what he could hear . There were birds singing in the trees. Rabbits and other small animals scurrying in the grass. The wind brushed the fields with gentle invisible fingers as strange sounds— civilization, his mind offered distantly—echoed from the far north. He could hear a creek bubbling from the woods behind him.

He knew these sounds. Nature. The Wilderness. They were his home before anything else. Before the ghosts and kingdoms and politics and people . Something within him finally settled, though he felt terribly exposed and uneasy without his ghostly companions. He hadn’t realized how comfortable he’d gotten with the concept of someone watching his back.

Finally, he opened his eyes. The panic was manageable—chased away by the sounds that comforted him. The world’s song of life was the same no matter when he was, it seemed. He could do this. He would make it home. He had to.

As if answering his thoughts, five familiar flashes of green Spirit Flames lit up the field around him, fading away to reveal his missing companions. The relief that hit him was so strong that he would’ve fallen had he not already been kneeling on the ground. 

“Link!” Zelda was the first to reach him, Revali hot on her heels. “Are you hurt?!” 

He shook his head, words caught in his throat as he choked back a sob. The five of them flinched back in surprise for a moment before Urbosa’s eyes flashed in understanding.

“It’s okay to be scared.” The Gerudo soothed, gently rubbing circles into his back.

“Scared?” Zelda tilted her head. “Why would he…?” 

“Think about it.” Mipha’s voice was soft. “Has he ever been without one of us even once since the day you two died?” The hylian princess’ expression fell into one of complete understanding. 

“From what I know, it’s normal.” Urbosa informed them. “I’ve spoken to a few of the older ghosts when we visit the Zora or the soldiers, and it seems that there’s a few… added inconveniences to being dead. Forming strong attachments is normal . And experiencing unusually strong emotions when something hits a little close to home is also natural.”

Well, it made Link feel a little better about his freak-out. He took another moment to just let their presence wash over him. “Sorry.” 

“No, don’t apologize.” Mipha quickly helped him up. “We should apologize too—it took us a little longer to react than normal.”

“Not exactly normal to have someone get shoved into a magic time portal.” Revali noted sourly.

“The other heroes disappeared the moment the portal closed.” Daruk explained. “They must be somewhere ‘round here.” 

“How’s Wind?” Zelda asked, and Link very much appreciated the change in topics. He was finally starting to feel a little more like usual—if a tad… displaced. The Champion dusted himself off and made his way back over to the child.

“Unconscious with a nasty bump on his head, but I don’t see any major wounds. Mipha?” Link turned to see if his assessment was acceptable.

“He looks fine to me, but head injuries can be troublesome. You should probably find a quiet and warm place for him to rest until he awakens.” She hummed, hands hovering lightly over the child’s arm like she wanted to check him over. But as a ghost, she was incorporeal. Even on the nights of the Blood Moon, she and the others could not touch the living—though they were strangely almost solid for a handful of seconds, and Purah was still looking into the hows and whys. They could , however, physically interact with Fallen Ones. Link, Zelda and Purah theorized that it had something to do with the Malice in the monsters’ blood, but it didn’t explain the almost-corporeal state they sometimes had towards the living on those nights.

“Great.” Revali huffed. “What a grand mess this is. We’re stranded with an unconscious hero in another time .”

“Look on the bright side!” Daruk grinned. “Yatir saw everything, so he can keep the place runnin’ while we’re gone!” 

“The Hero’s Festival.” Link groaned. “It’s in less than three weeks. I can’t miss it.”

Urbosa nodded seriously. “It would be like announcing to the other kingdoms that our Champion is missing. Thybrig in particular would be delighted, I’m sure. Unfortunately, there’s not much we can do. This is out of our hands.”

Link took a moment to send a petulant glare at the sky. “Are you happy now?”

A small swirl of wind whipped past him, and he got the distinct impression of regret, apology, this is how it must be . He wasn’t sure if it was his imagination or not, but he swore he felt something like smug satisfaction there too. His scowl deepened. He didn’t hate Hylia, but he certainly didn’t like her much at the moment. “Your yearly offering is getting smaller, I’ll have you know.” He huffed.

“I’d admonish you for taunting a deity, but considering the circumstances…” Zelda shook her head. “Come on. We need to find the others and regroup. If we’re going to join them on this Journey, we’ll need to be a team .”

“Dunno if you missed the memo, but ‘Link’ and ‘team’ don’t really work well together.” Revali gave her a look.

“Hey! I work plenty well with you guys and Yatir.” Link pouted. 

“Rephrase—you don’t work well with strangers .” The Rito straightened a few feathers as Link hoisted Wind onto his back. For such a tiny kid, he sure weighed a lot. He wondered if it was muscle or supplies. He frowned for a moment when he realized that it was taking more concentration than usual for him to keep his corporeal form. Not by much, thankfully, but the thought crossed his mind that perhaps being so far removed from his own time might have some inconvenient consequences.

“Revali,” Link turned his attention towards his feathered brother, “can you take a look around and see if you can find anyone? Otherwise a town will do.”

“Yeah, yeah.” The Rito summoned his Gale and shot off into the skies. “As if you’d last a day without us!”

A small chuckle passed through Link’s lips as he glanced around. He’d noticed it whenever he visited the other kingdoms, but his homeland seemed to have a very high ghost population when compared to everywhere else. In fact, he had yet to see a single one in this new time thus far. Mind, he hadn’t been there long, but his Hyrule had them everywhere . He paused in his thoughts when he saw a man in red and white with a tall flag secured to his back running along the road.

“Oh! He looks like a mail carrier! He’ll know where the closest town is, you can ask him.” Zelda explained hurriedly.

“Excuse me!” Link called out, and the man jogged right over to him. He fought down the initial spike of suspicion that came from one too many Yiga attacks. “I’m afraid I’m a little lost and my friend here got hurt. Is there a town nearby?” 

“Oh yeah!” The man pointed down the road. “If you follow this path, you’ll find yourself at Castletown! And if you go that way you’ll find yourself at Ordon Village! They’re known for their milk and goats.” He tipped his hat. “Well! I’ve gotta go! The postman never stops!” With a final grin he was off once more, leaving Link staring after him. 

“I think it’s a genetic trait of all hylians to be nothing short of odd .” He decided as Revali landed beside him. 

“Well, I didn’t see the heroes, but there’s a rather large town just down the road.” He nodded in one of the directions the postman had indicated. 

“Castletown. We just asked the postman.” Zelda nodded. 

Revali made a squawk of frustration. “If you’re just going to ask, then why send me out to scout?”

“I do hope the heroes can find us.” Mipha rubbed the webbing between her fingers lightly—a nervous habit, Link had learned. “Being lost in an unknown time is… unnerving.”

“You can say that again.” Zelda shook her head.

“Well, Castletown looked a lot closer to our location than… whatever other place your postman spoke of.” Revali clicked his beak at the term. Link swore he heard the rito mutter something about Pages. 

“Then I suppose we’re headed to the capital.” Link nodded as they set out.

The rolling hills around them were dotted by areas of water, likely from a recent storm. He spotted a few odd creatures running about—little orbs of fur that stood on extremely long spindly legs—but decided to keep his distance. Not only was he unfamiliar with the creatures and dangers of this era, but he had an injured person on his back. Link was in no position to fight at this time.

“It’s strange.” Zelda hummed as they walked. “The air feels different here.”

“Yeah.” Link nodded with a light frown. Now that he was paying attention to it, it did feel different. Not like when he left Hyrule to go to a neighboring kingdom—he could still sense the goddess’ protection in this place—but it did lack the familiar taint of Malice. “There’s something tainting this place. It isn’t Malice.”

“If this era is home to one of the Heroes of Old, then it’s likely the residual energy from whatever ailed this land.” Zelda sent him a small smile. “Nothing we need to worry about, I’m just trying to place when we are.”

“It could be an era that we’re unaware of.” Urbosa interjected. “If the last known hero was ten thousand years ago, then who knows how much time stands between each era? It’s entirely possible that the group of heroes cover many thousands of years’ worth of time. There are likely many we’ve never heard of.”

“As much as we all need to get home, it looks as if we are to be stuck here for the time being.” Mipha sighed softly. “We may as well learn what we can about the history of our land.”

“And studying the political situations of these prospering eras will only bring more power to our own.” Urbosa’s grin became something that sent a small shiver down Link’s spine.

“Please don’t make me study . It was bad enough to do it after my Journey, don’t make me do it on one.” The Champion pleaded.

“Beak up! Looks like we’re almost there.” Revali pointed towards the walls of the city. Link eyed the place, studying the layout and build of the architecture. He’d have to take some pictures with his Slate so the architects back home could replicate it.

The knights at the gate of Castletown gave him an odd look—likely due to the child on his back—but didn’t say anything. He was grateful they didn’t stop him, because the fact that Wind was still unconscious bothered him. Weren’t people who were knocked out supposed to wake up relatively quickly afterwards? Plus Mipha kept eyeing the boy with more frequency—a sign that something really wasn’t right.

Link was actually mildly impressed by the capital of this Hyrule—it was colorful and lively and held a brightness that seemed to remind him of Idlefyre, the capital of Caravanth. Though it was decidedly less fortress-y and more how Link would’ve imagined the capital of Hyrule to have looked a century ago. There was a rather busy marketplace that was bustling with movement and activity, but Link was busy looking for something that resembled an Inn.

“I can’t make out this Hylian.” He scowled lightly. It was far too different from his written Hylian back home. Thankfully the spoken language seemed to be the same. One blessing, at least.

“It would be stranger if the written language wasn’t this different.” Urbosa nodded. “Even the Sheikah’s written language evolved over the course of ten thousand years, and theirs is said to be the most consistent across all the races—except, perhaps, for the Zora.” 

“Well, since you know Old Sheikah that should help a bit.” Mipha looked around.

“Regardless of written languages, it seems the spoken Common of this era is understandable. Though it’s different from ours, we’re all able to comprehend it.” Revali’s voice made Link blink. 

“You’re right. I… never realized, but this isn’t the Common of our era. Do you think that portal did this?” Zelda tilted her head in thought.

“We can debate that later.” Link uttered softly, mindful of the ears around him. “Let’s get Wind taken care of first. It bothers me that he hasn’t woken up yet.” 

“You’re right.” Mipha nodded. “If there’s a healer around here, you should take him there.”

“Let’s ask around a bit.” Daruk decided. “Since we can’t read anything, that’d be best.”

A flash of green caught Link’s eye, and he turned to stare at a passing ghost—a soldier. In fact, there were several ghostly soldiers wandering the streets of this capital city. He felt an odd sort of relief at that—not seeing spirits had him feeling oddly deafened, for lack of a better term. He debated for a moment on if he should reach out to one of them, but shook his head. There was no need to draw unnecessary attention to himself just yet.

“Pardon me,” Link turned to one of the stall runners with a pleasant smile that often left the foreigners he met with dusted cheeks. “Do you happen to know of a healer around here? I’m afraid I’m new to town, and my friend here had a run-in with some trouble.”

The girl blinked up at him with owlish eyes “Oh, y-yes.” She shook herself as a bit of red spread across her cheekbones. “There’s a doctor down the road to the west, but he’s away at the moment. If he’s hurt badly, you can go by Telma’s Bar! She’ll fix him right up.”

“Telma’s Bar… Thank you, miss.” He sent her one last smile before heading in the direction the girl had indicated. It didn’t take long for them to get lost. This era’s Castletown was like a maze . Link couldn’t help but wonder why they needed to make it so confusing.

There were several stray cats wandering the area, he noted. Cats were uncommon in his Hyrule, but they were apparently sacred to the goddess Din, according to the Gerudo beliefs. Sheikah honored dogs in the same way. Something Link had learned a few years ago was that cats were particularly sensitive to spirits. And they were usually very smart.

“Hello.” He looked at the small group of cats that were following him. “Do you think you can lead me to Telma’s Bar? My friend is hurt.”

“Link, what are you…?” Zelda trailed off when one of the cats meowed in what could only be described as affirmative and dashed off down the road, stopping at the end to look over its shoulder to ensure he was following. 

“Cats are the messengers of Din.” Urbosa grinned. “It is said that they guide lost spirits.”

“Well, we certainly fit that bill right now.” Link snickered quietly, ignoring the confused gaze of a nearby drunk in an alley. “C’mon.” He readjusted his hold on Wind and followed the feline down a few twisting alleyways and down a flight of stone stairs. At the end was a cracked door with the strange lettering of this era. It looked somewhat shady, but Link had a feeling that this was the bar he was looking for. 

Link felt a small smile tug at his lips. “Thank you.” He nodded towards the tabby that’d led them. The cat sat on the ledge of the alley with a smug expression. After a moment, it hopped down and left.

“Well… I’m surprised that actually worked.” Revali shook his head. “But you should head in. That boy hasn’t moved once since you two landed and it’s worrying me.” 

Link nodded as he nudged the door open wider with his foot and stepped inside. For a bar, it was pretty empty. A man with glasses sat at a table in the back, nursing a glass of something while pouring over a book. To his left stood a woman, polishing some glasses behind the counter as a fluffy white cat lounged on the table beside her. The woman looked up when she heard the door creak, green eyes flitting from Link to the boy on his back. 

“Are you Telma?”

The woman set the glass down and made her way around the bar. “And if I am?” She tilted her head and raised a brow.

“I was told you might be able to help.” Link gave her a small smile as she grabbed something from a shelf. “He’s been out for over an hour. Ah, forgive me. My name is Arcadius.” If this was the era of another Link, it was probably best if he avoided using his given name. After all, Link wasn’t a common name in his era; if it was uncommon in the other eras, it may cause issues.

“That’s quite the name.” Telma mused as she guided Link towards a couch that he could set Wind down upon. Link eased the boy off his back, sighing in some light relief as he stepped away and let his form go incorporeal. Keeping his tangibility up was far more taxing in this era, and that thought had him fighting off a frown. He ignored the way the white cat’s eyes fixated on him the moment he let his tangibility drop.

Telma gently brushed Wind’s hair away to get a better look at the injury.

“He’s just a boy.” The man who’d been at the table earlier was now standing near the couch. “How did this happen?”

“We got into a bit of trouble and were separated from our group.” Link sighed. “Unfortunately, I’m not from here and have no idea where they might’ve gone.”

“Hyrule’s a big place.” Telma agreed as she smeared some kind of cream across the lump. “But I know a lot of people. What’re the names of your friends?” 

“Well… There’s Link?” It felt odd to say his own name in reference to another person, but going off the way both occupants of the room jolted, he assumed he’d made the right call.

“You’re a friend of Link?” The man questioned, relaxing significantly when he nodded.

“Well, any friend of Link’s is a friend of ours.” Telma grinned broadly as she twisted off the lid of another—much smaller—jar. Link wrinkled his nose as a sharp unidentifiable scent accosted his nostrils. “Smelling salts.” She explained, chuckling lightly at his expression. “Should wake him right up.”

The moment the ‘smelling salts’ were held under Wind’s nose, the boy’s eyes fluttered open with a light groan. Link relaxed substantially when the unfocused blue eyes landed on him. “...wha?”

The Champion quietly summoned an Elixir from his Slate and held it out to the young hero. “Drink this. It’ll help.” The boy must’ve recognized him to some extent, because he downed the red substance with no hesitation. Almost instantly, clarity returned to his eyes. 

“Where… am I?” Wind blinked, gently bringing a hand to his injured head. 

“Well, that’s some potion you’ve got, stranger.” Telma shot Link an impressed look.

“Elixirs are more powerful than traditional potions.” Zelda mused. “Perhaps it holds true even in the old days.”

“Like I said, I’m not from here. We got separated from our group.” Link sighed, eyes flitting to Wind as the child carefully sat up. He seemed much better, and the bump on his head was already visibly receding. He turned to address the boy. “We’re in Castletown. This is a place called Telma’s Bar.” 

“Telma?” Wind perked up. “Oh, I know you! Twi’s talked about you!” 

“Twi?” The woman raised an eyebrow.

“Link’s nickname.” He answered easily. “If this is his place, then we should meet up with everyone in Ordon! That’s where we promised to meet up if we were ever separated.”

Link felt something in his shoulders relax at that. If the group had a designated meetup spot, then that made everything a million times easier. “Right. We should rest here until your injury heals up a bit more, though.”

Wind frowned at that. “I’m fine.” He insisted. “That potion you gave me healed me right up!”

“Even so, head injuries aren’t things to shrug off.” Telma spoke up. “Besides, it’s going to get dark soon. Hyrule may be safer than it used to be, but there’s still bulblins and bokoblins roaming about. There’s an inn down the road that’ll let you stay for the night. If you need the rupees, I’ll help you out.”

“Thanks, but I’ve got the money.” Link smiled. “We’ll spend the night at the inn and head out in the morning. I’m sure the others are worried about us.”

Wind pouted but nodded his head. “Fine.”

“Shad, can you make sure these two reach the inn alright?” Telma looked towards the bespeckled hylian. 

“Sure thing.” He sent her a smile. “Sorry I forgot to introduce myself earlier. I’m Shad.” 

“Arcadius.” Link ignored the curious glance from Wind. “And this is Wind. Don’t let his age fool you, he’s quite a fighter.”

The boy perked up significantly at his words. Link idly wondered if he was used to people treating him with kid gloves.

“Good to meet you. When you see Link, tell him to stop by sometime. It’s been too long.” Shad smiled.

Link followed Shad and Wind, but stopped at the door. “Telma. Thank you. I really appreciate what you did for us, despite not knowing us at all.” He had the feeling that the woman wouldn’t accept any cash from him, so instead he pulled something else from his Slate. “Think of this as a gift.” 

She took the shimmering scale with a confused tilt of her head. “What…?” 

“It’s a scale from a sacred creature in my homeland—a dragon said to serve a goddess of the wind. Keeping it with you will bring you protection and good fortune.” He smiled. “I get the feeling that anything else would be shoved back in my arms.” He chuckled.

“Damn straight.” She smirked. “I’ll hold onto this, then. Do come around if you’re in the area again.”

“Will do.” He nodded before heading out into the alley. Twilight was quickly descending upon the kingdom, and Link tilted his head as a strange foreign power swirled through the winds. An ethereal light—almost a glow—surrounded everything, giving the world an otherworldly aura. Magic that felt almost dark in nature thickened in a way reminiscent of the Blood Moons of his homeland. Though this power didn’t seem to choke the land like Malice did, and his scars didn’t so much as twinge. 

“Strange…” Zelda held her hand up as she eyed the light. The skyline was almost gold in color. “I feel like… Well this is Twilight’s era, isn’t it? The Hero of Twilight was said to have saved the land from an eternal twilight. Though many scholars theorized that this was some kind of metaphor, perhaps it was far more literal than we realized…” 

“Having seen the power of one hero’s journey, I’ve little doubt that something of that nature would’ve been possible.” Urbosa nodded before looking down. “We seem to be popular today.”

“Ah, the cats are back.” Revali clicked his beak in distaste as his feathers fluffed lightly. 

“Not a fan?” Zelda shot him a smirk.

“Rito and cats… don’t really get along.” He quickly sidestepped one ambitious orange tabby that tried to rub up against his leg. “Shoo! Shoo !”

“So there is something you’re afraid of.” Mipha giggled.

“It’s an instinctive thing!” He insisted as he hovered out of the felines’ reach. “Daruk I swear if you laugh, I’ll bring back the puppy .”

“I’m not sayin’ anything!” The Goron held up his hands in surrender, but he had a rather large grin on his face.

“And here’s the inn!” Shad’s voice cut through the ghosts’ argument smoothly, and Link’s attention snapped back towards the living just in time. 

“Thank you.” Link solidified and held out a hand towards the hylian. “We appreciate all your help.”

“No problem at all.” Shad gave a firm shake. “Any friend of Link’s is a friend of ours. Stop by the bar if you ever need anything.”

“I will.” He nodded before leading Wind inside. Link ideally would’ve purchased two rooms—one for himself and one for Wind, so he could speak with his spirits in peace—but the boy was far too eager to book the room himself.

Once the two were squirreled away in the rented room, Wind turned towards him. “Thank you. You… I don’t know what you did, but you saved me. And you got dragged along because of it.” 

Link took one look at the boy’s rather guilty posture and sighed, resting a hand on his head. “It’s done. My decision was my own, so don’t feel guilty about this situation. You’re safe, and that’s all that matters.”

“So… Arcadius?” He tilted his head.

“It’s my middle name.” Link smiled. “I needed to make one for myself due to… some extenuating circumstances. I figured this was someone’s era, and going by the name ‘Link’ would only make things more complicated.”

“Huh. I mean, my Zelda had a different name when I met her, so I guess it’s something like that.” He nodded to himself. He went to say something else but it was cut off by a rather large yawn.

“You should get some rest.” Link—he supposed he should get used to Arcadius at this rate—smiled slightly. “You were unconscious, but that doesn’t mean you’ve gotten any rest. My elixir helped, but you’re still hurt.” 

“I suppose you’re right.” Wind rubbed at his eye. “We’ll set off for Ordon tomorrow, right?”

“First thing in the morning.” Arcadius smiled. “I’ll wake you up.”

“G’night, Arc.”

“Good night, Wind.”

Chapter 4: An Open Mind

Summary:

Arcadius and Wind head towards Ordon to meet up with the other heroes, but a hero's trek cannot be without some kind of conflict.

Notes:

Merry Christmas!! I've been STRUGGLING with this chapter. It's still not in a place that I'm really happy with, but I think this is as good as it'll get for right now. I AM really happy with the carriage scene, but you'll find that out when you get there. All together I scrapped more than 1.6k words of this chapter before it became what it is today.

I also fell asleep last night while editing it. XD I do apologize if the end seems a tad rushed, but rest assured there's going to be a lot more interaction with Arc and the Chain in future chapters.

Big thanks to the LU Discord for helping me bounce ideas, and of course to my three wonderful betas who are always there to help keep me on track and keep my bunnies fed.

Also shoutout to Ali and Sylph for trying to make me stick to The List. :) No you don't get an explanation.

Without further ado, enjoy this 10k chapter!

They left Castletown just as the first rays of dawn crept above the horizon. Wind was still yawning every five seconds, but Arcadius felt antsy. He didn’t want to stay put for longer than necessary. He tried to think of this era as something like a bordering kingdom—a place from which he could return home with a simple walk across the continent or a quick call to Teba or Sidon.

But such thinking didn’t quell the quiet anxiety that pooled at the bottom of his stomach. He knew that it could be weeks or months—perhaps even years —before he made it back home. It was probably best that he start preparing for the worst scenario—returning to war.

“Those dark thoughts will only weigh you down right now.” Urbosa’s voice cut through the peaceful quiet of the sleepy dawn.

“She’s right. We can’t do anything about our situation right now, so we may as well just find the others.” Revali spoke as he straightened out a few feathers.

“Be that as it may, he has every right to worry.” Zelda spoke up for him.

Arcadius was about to say something when he remembered that Wind was still there. Well, if he was going to be traveling with the other heroes, he should probably make an effort to get to know them. “So, you said your Hyrule was covered by the sea?”

The boy’s eyes brightened at once. “Yeah! The Great Sea is what we call it, and there’s a bunch of islands everywhere! You’ve gotta sail on a boat to get anywhere, unless you’ve got wings like a Rito.” The child paused for a moment. “Do you know what a Rito is?”

Arcadius drew back slightly in something between offense and surprise. “Of course I know what a Rito is.” He gave the young hero a raised eyebrow. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“Well, I’m the only one who has Rito.” Wind shrugged. “None of the others know what they are. So does that mean you’ve got them too?!”

“Wait… None of the others have Rito?” Revali shared a perplexed look with Zelda and the others.

“Yeah. I’ve got Rito, Zora, Gorons, Sheikah and Gerudo.” Arcadius frowned lightly when Wind only looked more confused.

“But… You have Zora and Rito?”

“Yes?” The Champion was sure his own expression was becoming rather exasperated because the child quickly elaborated.

“Well, my Rito said that they evolved from the Zora during the Great Flood. So because I have Rito, there aren’t any Zora anymore. All the others have Zora, but no Rito because they never needed to evolve.”

Arcadius’ gaze flickered towards his ghostly companions for a moment as that information settled in his mind. “So you’re saying that it should be impossible for my time to have both Zora and Rito?”

“I mean…” Wind frowned as he thought. “We’ve already got two timelines that we know of… Maybe three. Who’s to say there isn’t another?”

“Wait, there’s multiple timelines now?” Arcadius and Revali asked in sync.

“How fascinating!” Zelda perked up pulling out her notebook—Purah was still trying to figure out how to make the princess a Slate of her own, but getting the device to be tangible to ghosts was proving to be a high bar to reach.

“If we’re really more than ten thousand years down the line from the others, it’s entirely possible that the timelines—even if it’s just one or two—have merged.” Urbosa hummed as she spoke.

“I think Time can explain that better than me.” Wind scratched the back of his head.

Arcadius felt himself relax a bit as they drifted away from the busier areas of the road, branching off towards a dirt path that reminded him of the days before he’d had the Gorons pave the roads of his kingdom. “So how far is this Ordon place?”

“Twilight’s Hyrule is super big!” Wind grinned brightly. “I think it’ll take a day or two to reach Ordon, but I can’t really remember. We haven’t gone straight from his Castletown to Ordon before.”

Arcadius hummed. If Wind thought a two day trip from the capital to this meetup spot was a far distance, then there was a good chance that the homelands of these heroes were far smaller than his own. His gaze landed upon some of the wildlife wandering about the field they were traversing, and the edge of a forest loomed before them—what was likely a half day’s walk or so. “I assume most of our traveling will be in the forest then?”

“Yeah.” Wind grinned. “The first day should be the fields, and then we’ll hit the forest! Twi’s Hyrule Field is really big, but it’s all flat and easy to walk through. Though it’d be easier if we had a horse.”

Arcadius winced lightly. “Yeah, my horse isn’t going to be pleased with me skipping through time without him.”

“Knowing Echo, he’ll be rather cross.” Revali snickered.

“You have a horse?” Wind perked up. “Twi and Time both have a horse named Epona!”

Arcadius hummed. “My horse is a black stallion named Echo. He’s quite spirited and won’t let anyone but me ride him.” He let his gaze flicker towards the child who was watching him with glee. Wind was quite a good listener, it seemed. “What about you? Do you have a horse?”

Wind snorted. “My Hyrule doesn’t have horses. It’s all ocean, remember? Though some people keep pigs as pets.”

Arcadius couldn’t help the light flinch at the term, idly noting the way Urbosa’s jaw clenched. “Ah, you might want to be careful when using that word. In my homeland, ‘pig’ or any variation thereof is a very nasty insult. If you happen to say it around a Gerudo, you’d best prepare for an Honor Duel. It’s the same as saying that they’re no better than Ganon while also implying that they’re a traitor to their people.”

Wind grimaced. “Right, I forgot that the others don’t like that word either.” He reached into his bag and produced a picture. “But these are the animals right here! They’re really cute, and lots of people keep them as pets!”

Arcadius took the picture with a tilted head and observed the ‘pig’ that was featured within it. He supposed it was kind of cute, but he might’ve been biased because it reminded him greatly of a few blin friends of his. 

“How interesting.” Zelda and the others were peeking over his shoulder. “I think I remember a few bordering kingdoms keeping these animals, but I do believe they had another word for them.”

“They look like boars.” Arcadius finally stated as he handed the image back.

A somewhat awkward silence befell them as they continued walking along the path. It seemed like Wind wasn’t used to traveling with only one companion, because he kept opening his mouth to fill the silence only to close it upon finding nothing to say. Arcadius was content with letting the quiet drift between them, idly listening to a conversation between Zelda, Revali and Mipha regarding the Zora-Rito issue that Wind had brought up earlier.

The sun was reaching the apex of its climb when Wind’s stomach gave a large angry growl. The Champion’s lips quirked up into a smile when the child’s face reddened. “Hungry?”

“I’m fine.” Wind avoided his gaze as Arc gently guided the kid off the path and towards a somewhat sheltered area of grass. A couple of trees grew rather close together, their combined branches creating a nicely shaded spot perfect to rest in. 

“No need to be embarrassed. We’ve been walking all day.” He didn’t point out that the kid’s pace had slowed significantly over the last few hours. “Let me set up my pot and I’ll make us something to eat.”

The look on Wind’s face became an odd mixture of surprise and apprehension. “Um… Not to sound rude or anything but… can you cook?”

Mipha muffled a laugh as Arcadius fought off a smirk. “I’ll let you be the judge of that here in a minute.” He wondered if some of the heroes were as culinarily inept as he himself used to be before losing his memories. “This should be a good spot.” He tapped his Slate, calling out a bundle of firewood, a flint, and his pot and stand. Wind’s eyes went incredibly wide as he looked between the Sheikah Slate and the objects that’d appeared out of nowhere.

“Whoa! What is that?!” The boy went to make a grab for the Slate when Arcadius gently caught the kid’s wrist.

“Something very important to me.” He realized his voice had become rather hard and carefully eased his grip, turning his body so his Slate was out of reach. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t touch my things without asking me first.”

“Right. Sorry.” He dipped his head with a wince and Arcadius gently ruffled his hair. 

“This is called a Sheikah Slate. It’s ancient technology that was invaluable to me on my Journey.” He let his fingers trace the divots and ridges of the handle of his Slate, fingers naturally resting in the worn grooves that’d started to form from constant use. “It is one of the most precious things I own.”

“And… it can make stuff?” Wind tilted his head as Arcadius set up the fire.

“It can store things. I keep all my possessions in here.” He chuckled a bit as he brought out some ingredients. Since it was lunch, he wanted to keep it light. Some cucco sandwiches should be just about right. He hummed softly to himself while the meat sizzled in the pan, cutting up the grapes, apples and lettuce while idly debating about what else to add.

Wind stared between the pot and the makeshift cutting table setup with wide eyes. “Are you some kind of chef?” He swallowed thickly, wiping a bit of drool that had started to trickle from the corner of his mouth.

“Not really. Cooking is just a hobby of mine.” He shrugged as he pulled out a bowl and started mixing ingredients together. A cucco salad sandwich sounded better, now that he was really thinking about it. And the leftovers could be used for breakfast or lunch tomorrow since the Slate kept things at whatever temperature he stored them at. Besides, Revali was eyeing the poultry with a ravenous gaze, and Arcadius knew that his rito brother would complain until the moon went down if he didn’t set aside some extra for everybody. It would be easier to hide the excess food if he made several servings.

“None of us can cook.” Wind lamented with a dramatic sigh. “And I mean nobody . I swear Sky made a chuchu out of dinner once! And Warriors nearly gave everyone food poisoning!”

“Oh, so the whole ‘not cooking’ thing is part of being a hero.” Revali snickered.

“You should know better than to poke fun at the cook.” Urbosa smirked as Revali faltered. “If you don’t want to sacrifice your portion, that is.”

“I-I’m just saying!” Revali tried to recover, but one look at Arcadius’ hidden smirk shut him right up.

“All right, I think it’s done.” Arcadius grinned as he finished cutting up the cucco meat and mixing it in. “Give me a moment to chill it though.” He tapped his Slate again, producing an ice arrow, and gently trailed the tip along the edge of the marble bowl. He made sure everything was evenly chilled before storing the arrow again and assembling the sandwiches.

Wind took his with a wary wide-eyed look. After a moment of hesitation, he risked a bite. The sailor’s eyes went impossibly wide, awe and disbelief sparkling in his gaze as he started devouring the sandwich faster than a Yiga with a banana.

“Slow down.” Arcadius chuckled. “Nobody’s going to take it from you.” He took a bite of his own, storing the excess sandwiches in his Slate for the others. He felt Revali approach the side with his Slate and tap the screen, reforming the sandwiches in his eagerly waiting wings—invisible to the living. 

“I haven’t had food this good since we last visited my Hyrule! My grandma has the best soup.” Wind happily informed as he took a second sandwich. The ghost eyed his non-living companions, who were enjoying their own lunch.

“You said none of the others could cook? What’ve you been eating, then?”

“Grilled fish.” Wind pulled a face. “It’s about all anyone can make. ‘Cept Hyrule, he has his own thing he makes, but uh… well, it’s something nobody else likes. He says it puts hair on your chest, but…”

Arcadius snorted. “So I suppose I’ll be the cook of the group when we all meet back up.”

There was a moment of hesitation before Wind spoke up again, his voice quiet as if he wasn’t sure he wanted Arcadius to hear him. “Are you really okay with traveling with us?”

The spirit sighed as he stored the rest of his supplies. “I won’t lie, there are many reasons why I shouldn’t be away from home like this. But it’s been made very clear ,” he shot a small glare at the sky, “that this new Journey is something that needs to happen. What’s done is done, and there’s no use in getting all bent out of shape about it if I can’t do anything to change it.” 

“I wonder what your title is?” Wind quickly changed the topic as they hit the road again. With a full belly, the kid’s energy had returned and seemingly doubled. He expected them to reach the forest by nightfall at this pace.

“Title?”

“Yeah! The Master Sword gives us all a title that we go by because we’re all Link. Well, I guess you’ve got another name you can use.” He tapped his chin a little.

“I’ll just stick with Arcadius for now.” He laughed. “It’ll be easier to snag my attention if you use a name I’m already familiar with.”

“That makes sense.” Wind nodded.

They fell into a companionable silence as they walked. Wind occasionally spoke up about his homeland—the seas that stretched as far as the horizon could follow, dotted with unexplored islands. By the time the sun started to kiss the treeline, they’d already hit the forest’s edge. He felt something in him relax as the familiar sounds and smells of the woods surrounded him.

“We should start looking for a place to make camp.” He spoke up, cutting off the young hero who was in the middle of explaining how he’d gotten a talking fish to make him a map. Arcadius supposed that weird things were the norm with heroes.

“Twilight said that these woods can be dangerous at night. We should probably sleep in shifts.”

“He says to the guy who only needs to sleep once every three days.” Revali smirked.

“I think we can blame that on the Shrine.” Zelda gave a faint smile as Arcadius resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He discreetly shot a look to the Rito, who nodded.

“I’ll go look for a suitable clearing to camp in.” Revali took to the skies. Arcadius was rather relieved that his fellow Champion knew what he’d wanted with a look alone.

It was a solid three minutes before the Rito came back and guided them to a sheltered clearing just off the beaten path and out of sight. He uttered a soft thanks under his breath as he and Wind started setting up the fire and bedrolls for the night.

“I’ll take the first watch!” Wind piped up before Arcadius could offer.

“I really don’t mind taking it.”

“No! You cooked and everything, so I should take the first watch.” The child insisted. There was a pleading tone to his voice that tugged at the spirit’s heartstrings. He really was too soft when it came to kids, wasn’t he?

“Fine.” He finally sighed. He’d have the chance to speak with the others after Wind ‘woke him up’ for his shift. Arcadius really wasn’t sure if he’d be able to sleep. Though he was rather calm, there was something about being in a new era that had him on edge. Worries regarding his kingdom and the upcoming Hero’s Festival would probably negate any chances of sleeping he might’ve had.

He curled up in his bedroll, back against a tree as he kept an ear out for trouble. He felt Revali settle in on one side, and Daruk on the other—a barrier to help him feel less exposed. There was a long period of silence as the night settled in around them. 

As expected, Arcadius found himself unable to fall asleep. As the night dragged on, he kept an ear and eye on Wind, silently smiling to himself when he heard the kid’s breathing even out.

“He’s sound asleep.” Zelda informed him softly, and Arcadius quietly stood and stretched.

“If his whole Hyrule is an ocean, he probably doesn’t have the best stamina for walking.” Arcadius noted as he carefully scooped the kid up and tucked him into his own bedroll. The boy snuggled into the extra-soft pillow—stuffed with the shed feathers of many Rito, a specialty luxury item in his home hyrule—and fell into a deeper sleep.

“You’re quite good with children.” Zelda hummed as he made his way back towards the others.

“I think it’s a leftover thing from having a sister.” Link had precious few memories of his sister, but they were all very dear to his heart. Lyra was someone he had treasured, and it seemed his brotherly tendencies had angled themselves towards any child he happened to be near. The Rito loved hoisting the hatchlings off on him whenever he came to visit the village for that very reason.

“So what’s our gameplan?” Revali sat down on one of the logs they’d dragged over to the campsite. “Other than the obvious, that is.”

“Aside from meeting up with the heroes and traveling with them?” Arcadius sat back and looked at the others. “I don’t think I’ll tell anyone about you guys.”

“I’ve figured as such.” Revali flicked his primaries and started to preen himself, turning his back towards Arcadius slightly with a low-throated sound that he knew well. The Hylian Champion idly started to help the rito set his feathers in order as they spoke. “Unless the need for them to know comes up, I doubt you’ll tell anyone about your ability to see the dead.”

“Not only because it would bring up too many questions, but it would become awkward as well.” Zelda nodded. “Especially when the inevitable topic of their ghosts pops up.”

“You should tell the other ghosts though.” Urbosa urged softly.

“I plan to.” Arcadius shot her a smile. “I can’t make things difficult on all of us, after all. Besides, I’m sure they’ll get jealous if you guys get meals and they don’t.”

Daruk laughed heartily at that. “That’s true!”

Arcadius leaned against Urbosa after he finished with Revali’s feathers, a rather exhausted sigh escaping him. “I hope everything’s okay back home.”

The Gerudo Chieftess gently carded her fingers through his hair. “I’m sure everything will work out in the end.”

A gentle breeze rustled the branches above them, carrying with it Hylia’s Divinity. “I’m still not happy with you, Hylia.” He muttered, feeling very much like a petulant child.

He sensed a bit of sheepishness from the breeze as Urbosa chuckled softly, the sound of her voice reverberating from where his head rested against her. She hummed an old Gerudo lullaby under her breath, and Arcadius gently closed his eyes to listen. 

“Get some rest. We’ve had quite a day, after all.” Revali’s voice was soft and airy—a tone he used whenever he was trying to be particularly thoughtful of others’ emotions.

“I’m tired, but not sleepy.” It was an irritating realization. His mind was exhausted, but his body was restless. It was a holdover from the Shrine that he could only sleep once every three to five days. Most of the time, it was fine. Arcadius had lots of things to do back home, whether it was exploring his homeland or running the kingdom. Here , however, was a different story.

Revali went to say something when a sound in the distance silenced him. Arcadius tilted his head as he tried to listen for what the rito had heard. There, from the depths of the woods, was what sounded like a buzzing trumpet or a horn of some kind. There was the sound of distant laughter on the breeze as well, and the spirit shared a look with the ghosts around him. 

“Anyone know what that is?” 

“Not a clue.” Revali shook out his wings as he stood. “But I can find out.”

“I’ll come along too. I’m itching to explore.” Arcadius smiled at the thought of doing something.

“Wait, we shouldn’t leave Wind alone.” Mipha frowned. “We’re on watch for a reason.”

Arcadius’ lips ticked downwards at the reminder. He didn’t often travel with people, so he was prone to following whatever metaphorical butterfly caught his whimsy, but when there was someone relying on him to keep an eye out for trouble it was a different story.

“I’ll keep watch over the little guy.” Daruk grinned widely.

“I shall stay too.” Mipha gave him a knowing smile. “If trouble arises, one of us will Flame to your side and alert you.”

“Thank you.” Arcadius gave Mipha a quick peck on the cheek, earning a slight giggle from his girlfriend before sharing an excited grin with Revali and Urbosa. “Shall we?”

“Like I’d leave you on the ground!” Revali scoffed as he called forth his Gale, throwing the both of them into the skies. He could feel Urbosa’s fond eye roll as the two soared overtop the trees, following the distant call of the trumpet.

The moment they hit the ground, Urbosa joined them. “I’d admonish you for leaving me behind, but you’ve got a feather for a reason.”

“Sorry.” Arcadius chuckled. “I can see if we can get you a paraglider too?”

“Don’t worry about it. I doubt I’d fare as well in the skies as you and Yatir.” The Gerudo Chieftess laughed softly. “Let’s find us a trumpet player, shall we?”

Another flame appeared, bringing Zelda. “You left me !” She accused, shoving her finger into Arcadius’ chest.

“Ow, Zel! Your nails are sharp! ” He hissed as he shoved her hand away.

“That’s the point .” She glared. “Geez, you really are an idiot brother.”

Arcadius snickered. “Yell at me all you want, but let’s find out what this is first. I wanna know why there’s a trumpet in the middle of the night.” The sound was louder now, as was the laughter of children. 

“Link… doesn’t the air here feel familiar?” Revali asked as they started wandering through a series of gigantic logs.

“You’re right.” Arcadius hummed. The air was cool and welcoming, swirling around him like the mists of the Lost Woods. “I wonder if this place is the Lost Woods of this era?”

“It’s possible.” Zelda scribbled something down in her notebook. “If that’s the case, we might be hearing the trumpet of a Skull Kid.”

“A what?” Arcadius turned towards her with a frown. He’d never heard the term before, and he spent a lot of time in the Lost Woods back home.

“Skull Kids are an old folk tale passed down among Hylians.” Urbosa explained. “Children that get lost in the Lost Woods, never to be seen again, are said to become forest spirits known as Skull Kids.”

“You mean like Koroks?” Arcadius tilted his head as he made a sharp left. The trumpet was getting louder now, and he thought he could hear whispers following them.

“No, Skull Kids are said to be quite different from Koroks and their predecessors, the Kokiri.” Zelda cut in. “They’re said to be the spirits of children who died in the woods. Though some say they’re the spirits of children who did not wish to be found.”

“Right,” Arcadius took a breath, “that’s not creepy at all.”

“You say that like we’re not spirits.” Revali snorted.

“That’s a bit…” Arcadius trailed off when he entered the next clearing, “different…” There was someone there. They looked almost like a puppet. A dark face hidden by a large straw-like hat with glowing orange eyes and a beak-like mouth. Their clothes were ragged and torn, but somehow felt like the forest. At their hip was a lamp with a glowing blue light that Arcadius felt connected to somehow.

“That’s a Skull Kid.” Zelda breathed as the alleged Skull Kid lowered their trumpet and tilted their head.

“Who are you?” The Skull Kid’s voice echoed in the now silent clearing. “You feel… like one of us.”

“I’m a spirit.” Arcadius answered simply. “I’m traveling.”

The child seemed to mull his answer over. “You look like an adult.” The last word was filled with an odd mixture of fear and distaste, and Arcadius abruptly realized that the kid hadn’t once let their eyes leave the four of them.

“I kinda am, but I’m also kinda not.” Arcadius hummed. “I’ve only been awake for eight years, so I’m eight.”

The Skull Kid looked at him thoughtfully. “Do you wanna play with us?”

Arcadius perked up at that. “What do you want to play?”

A few voices whispered around them, and Arcadius became abruptly aware that there were more Skull Kids in the area than the one he could see. “Hide and seek!” One voice called out.

“I play that all the time at home.” Arcadius grinned. “I’m very good at that game.”

Laughter echoed around them. “Find us! Find us!”

“There are six of us here.” The first Skull Kid informed him with a grin filled with mischief. “If you find us all, I’ll give you something really good! But you’ve gotta find us by yourself! Your three friends can’t help.”

Arcadius glanced at his three companions. “It can’t be helped.” Zelda shrugged. “Skull Kids are said to loathe adults. Since they seem to consider Revali one too, you’re the only one they’ll let play with them.”

“They aren’t dangerous, but they are mischievous.” Urbosa warned with a smile. “Watch your belongings. We’ll wait here while you have your fun. If we don’t hear from you by sunrise, we’ll flame to you.”

With a widening grin and a mounting feeling of excitement, Arcadius was off, rushing into the woods with echoing laughter on his heels. The forest seemed to be laughing with him as he climbed trees, leapt across shallow ravines and climbed everything he could.

He found his first Skull Kid hiding behind one of the trees. The kid jumped when he tapped their shoulder, and they shared a grin and childish laugh. “Gotcha!”

“You’re pretty good! But my friends are better than me.” The kid handed him some kind of seed. “This is proof that you found me! Don’t let the others steal it back, or you’ll have to find me again!”

Arcadius slipped it into his pocket with a wide grin. This game was getting more and more fun by the minute. Stealing the seeds to ‘unfind’ someone was an interesting way to play. He’d have to bring that method home with him. He was certain the kids in New Castletown would adore it.

The sun was less than an hour away from rising by the time he’d found all six of them, and he’d successfully defended his skull seeds—a term he was using in place of a proper name—a total of seven times.

The six Skull Kids laughed as they gathered in the clearing, each of their beak-like mouths were set into wide grins that let tiny giggles of glee dance in the air. “You really found all of us!” One of them exclaimed. “You’re really good at this game!”

“I’ve played it a lot with some friends back home.” Arcadius explained.

“I promised you something good.” The Skull Kid with the lantern spoke up once more. After a moment of rummaging in their bag, they pulled out something Arcadius had never seen before. “A friend gave me this a long time ago, but he doesn’t come around anymore. If you promise to play with us again, I’ll give it to you.”

Arcadius took it carefully. It was a light tan color with a green triangle set into the mouthpiece. “What is it?” He turned it around in his hands. It had a weight to it, and there were twelve little holes. He gave it an experimental blow, covering some holes to make different notes. It gave off a clear whistle-like sound that cut through the air like crystal.

“An ocarina!” One of the other Skull Kids gleefully informed him. He idly noted that Urbosa, Revali and Zelda were watching him with amusement from the edge of the clearing.

“I’ll teach you a song.” The first Skull Kid grinned, pulling out a flute. “It’s the one my friend taught me! He called it Saria’s Song .” 

They played a few upbeat notes on their flute, and though it took Arcadius a moment to figure out the equivalent on his new ocarina, he eventually got it down. Something resonated with him as he played Saria’s Song together with the Skull Kid. The notes danced in the air playfully as the other Skull Kids danced around them to the sound of the instruments. By the time he lowered the ocarina, everyone was clapping.

Arcadius looked at the sky. “I need to go.”

“Come back and play with us, okay?” The Skull Kid with the flute spoke up. “You promised, right?”

“I promise, if I can find my way back to you, we’ll play again.”

---

The first rays of light shone down upon the world as Arcadius made his way back to the clearing where Daruk and Mipha were quietly talking about something as Wind continued to sleep. The two spirits looked up as Arcadius entered and started to quietly set up his cooking pot for breakfast.

“So what was it?” Mipha took a seat beside him, leaning her head on his shoulder as he worked.

“Skull Kids.” Arcadius laughed softly, idly bringing a hand up to pet the top of her head in an old practiced motion. Her scales were cool and smooth beneath his calloused touch. “They just wanted to play a game with me.”

“They gave you something, right?” Zelda tilted her head. “An ocarina was it? I think there’s a story of one of the Heroes of Old using one.”

Arcadius brought it out and rolled it in the palm of his hand. The weight was somewhat comforting, and the green gem embedded in the mouthpiece reminded him of jade. “They said it belonged to an old friend that stopped visiting a long time ago. I even learned a song.”

“That’s great, Little Guy!” Daruk beamed. “I’m sure Kass would love to teach you more!”

Arcadius perked up at that. Kass was a rising star back home, humble though he was about it. People came from far and wide to see his performances, and the money that he brought in made sure his family was more than financially stable. The Rito bard had even been popular enough that he could stay home and perform in Rito Village, so he was able to live with his family. Of course, once a wanderer always a wanderer. Arcadius would often find Kass in different places across Hyrule when he got that itch to travel. He was certain that his old friend would be elated to teach him some songs on his new instrument.

A light groan had the ghostly hero’s lips twitching into a smile as he started dishing out breakfast. “Finally awake?”

Wind bolted upright with a quiet yelp, likely startled by Arcadius’ unfamiliar voice. “Oh, Arc! I’m sorry, I fell asleep on you!”

“No worries, I’m a light sleeper.” He held a plate out to the boy. “But you must be hungry. We did a fair bit of walking yesterday, so come grab your breakfast and replenish your strength.”

The young hero was quick to comply, eagerly grabbing his plate and digging in before even sitting down.

“You’d think he was afraid someone would steal it.” Revali rolled his eyes.

“It’s not going anywhere.” Arcadius chuckled as he started on his own coffee and breakfast. Wind was handed a cup of tea because the Champion had absolutely no intention of finding out how a child-hero would react to caffeine. “And there’s plenty more where that came from.”

“Issho gud zho!” Wind spoke with a mouth full of food. At Arcadius’ unimpressed eyebrow raise, the boy quickly swallowed and repeated himself. “It’s so good, though! We never get food this good on the road!”

“Well it looks like I’ll be with you all for the foreseeable future, so don’t give yourself indigestion on my account.”

Wind pouted a bit, but he did slow his pace to something that wouldn’t look out of place in a tavern. By the time they were both done eating—and the spirits had finished their secret meals with Wind none the wiser—the sky was a brilliant light blue and the stars were once again sleeping.

The group set out to continue their journey to Ordon, accompanied by the bright tones of birdsong and the distant laughter of Skull Kids that Wind didn’t seem to hear. “So I was thinking, we didn’t get the chance to see much of your land. You said your Hyrule was all naturey, right?”

“That’s right.” Arcadius smiled. “Something happened a long time ago, and now the land is covered in forests and ruins. It’s quite fun to explore, and there’s a new discovery behind every corner.”

“Really?!” The child’s dark seafoam green eyes shimmered with excitement. “I’d love to see it!”

“I’ll be more than happy to show everyone my homeland when we return.” He paused for a moment, the sudden thought that his land may end up at war during his absence had a grimace crossing his features.

“Are you worried about your friends?” Wind tilted his head.

“Something like that.” He forced his dark expression to abate.

“Well, time’s kinda wonky with these portals. Even when we were gone for months , my Grandma said I’d only been away for a week!” Wind proclaimed cheerfully. Something in Arcadius’ chest lit up with hope at that.

“If there’s a discrepancy in the flow of time, then it’s entirely possible that we might not miss the Hero’s Festival!” Zelda clapped happily. “Oh, that’s marvelous! Perhaps we needn’t worry at all!”

“It would be great if our luck holds, but let’s plan for the worst scenario just in case.” Urbosa, ever the voice of reason, cut in. Zelda sent her a sour pout.

“I’m allowed to be optimistic.”

“Optimism and realism are two different things.” Arcadius muttered softly when he noted that Wind was distracted. “It’s best to plan for the worst and hope for the best.”

Urbosa hummed approvingly. “It’s fine to be optimistic, Little Bird, but when you’re in a ruling position it isn’t always a luxury you can afford. Optimists are rarely prepared when the worst befalls them.”

“I’ll have to hope that I’m not gone long enough to miss, then.” Arcadius smiled at Wind, ruffling the boy’s hair on an old brotherly instinct. The young hero waved his hands away with a sharp sound of annoyance and a wide grin. The Champion idly noted that he was a fair bit shorter than Riju.

“What’s for lunch?” Wind asked suddenly with a wide grin.

“This kid sounds like you .” Revali smirked. “Always thinking about food.”

“With as good of a cook as Link is,” Zelda cut in with a cheeky grin, “he has every right to think about food all the time. Especially when you eat it all.”

Revali puffed up for a moment before Mipha spoke. “Come now, let’s not distract Link more than we already have.”

Arcadius abruptly realized that Wind was still awaiting an answer. “I’m not sure yet.” He finally spoke. “Do you have anything in mind?”

The boy frowned in thought. “Uh… I don’t know? The cucco sandwiches yesterday were really yummy!”

“Maybe another kind of sandwich then?” He let his lips pull into a smirk. “You’re going to have to learn to share my food with the rest of the group when we all meet up.”

“I get first dibs though!” Wind protested at once.

“I don’t know.” Arcadius’ smirk stretched into a full-blown grin. “Are you going to help me catch the food we’ll be eating?” He had plenty stored in his Slate, but Wind didn’t have to know that.

“I can!” He pulled out a very small telescope—something Arcadius had only seen on the Akkala Ancient Tech lab’s roof. “My sister gave me this for my birthday when I started my Journey.” He proclaimed proudly, pulling at the two ends to extend it. “I can find us any kind of food with this!”

“Huh, that’s pretty neat.” Arcadius eyed the item with interest.

“They used to be somewhat common.” Zelda informed him softly. “I had one as well.”

“You had three .” Urbosa corrected. “One for your study, one for the road, and one that you always forgot at my place.”

Wind was in the middle of explaining how it worked when a loud rumbling sound mixed with shouts had his head whipping up. A carriage was careening down the road towards them at breakneck speeds, and Arcadius didn’t think twice about grabbing Wind and running off-road to avoid a collision.

“My telescope!” Wind pulled away from Arcadius’ grip with shocking strength and made a mad dash for the road once more, and the telescope that’d slipped from his grasp in the chaos. For a moment, the image of a little girl overlapped with Wind’s, her golden curls bouncing as she ran for the road, azure-green eyes widened in fear, and Link didn’t even think before he dashed towards the child.

“Lyra!” Link’s voice was nearly drowned out with the shout from Daruk as he threw up his shield. The Champion curled around the child in his arms as the horses veered abruptly to the side to avoid the orange dome of protection. The carriage tilted dangerously and came crashing down on two wheels, shattering one of them and bringing everything to a screeching, deafening halt.

The heavy breathing of horses and knights alike filled the trembling echoes of silence as both parties—heroes and strangers—stared at one another in a mixture of fear and shock as Daruk’s shield flickered out. Before anyone could say or do anything, the door of the carriage slammed open.

An older woman with greying brown hair and more makeup than Arcadius thought was prudent stomped out, cheeks flushed and eyes wild. He distantly noted that she wore extravagant clothing and large, shiny, useless jewelry. “YOU!” Her voice was like a banshee, and Link disliked her at once. “How dare you?! Do you have any idea who I am!?”

Link cautiously straightened, making sure to keep a rather shaken Wind behind him as he met her furious gaze with a cool expression. He internally took a deep breath and centered his mind. Urbosa stood strong on his left while Zelda gazed stonily at the woman from his right. He felt Daruk stand at his back while Revali and Mipha flanked the Goron.

“Pardon me, miss.” Arcadius’ voice was as unforgiving as steel, and he felt Wind flinch behind him with what must’ve been surprise. “However, if you would recall, it was your carriage that nearly hurt my friend. While I am not familiar with this area, I am certain that there must be regulations for the speed of a traveling carriage.”

The woman puffed up in fury and several knights stepped away from her discreetly. “I am the second daughter of Marquis Rodenburg!”

One of the knights stepped forward with an apologetic glance towards Wind. “Pardon me, My Lady, but we must make haste.” He turned his attention towards the two heroes. He looked like he dearly wanted to apologize, but Arcadius had a strong feeling that he’d get in major trouble for even implying any blame on their part. “There are monsters after us.”

“Well, that at least explains the speed of the carriage.” Zelda’s lips thinned. “But it’s no excuse for her attitude.”

“My friend could’ve been killed .” Arcadius’ gaze sharpened. “Monsters or no, your disregard towards another’s life is despicable.”

“What does an urchin’s life matter to a noble like me?!” The woman glared. “You’ve ruined my carriage, and now those horrible monsters might catch us! You made this mess, so you’ll clean it up!”

A cold laugh escaped him. “ Me ?” He tilted his head back, a cold, sardonic mask slipping into place with a practiced ease. He silently moved his hand to Wind’s shoulder, hoping the kid would know to stay silent as he played his part. “Why should I care about someone who has so little regard for another’s well being?” His tone had a careful indifferent lilt—something he’d spent hours practicing in hundreds of political situations. “For all I know, you could have us both beheaded after all is said and done. I’m starting to think the monsters may have the right idea.”

“You can’t—”

“Or maybe I should give them a hand?” He placed his free hand on his sword, looking for all the world like he wasn’t threatening the life of a noblewoman. Something in his eyes or tone must’ve pierced through the woman’s arrogance because she paled rapidly.

“Y-you won’t… can’t possibly get away with something like that! I have half a dozen guards with me!”

“And can they use magic?” Arcadius’ smirk widened when the men shared wary looks. It seemed magic was just as uncommon in this era as it was in foreign kingdoms back home. Marvelous . “I know you saw that shield. It wasn’t an accident, I’ll tell you that.”

“Wh-what do you want?” The woman’s eyes darted between her knights and Arcadius with growing fear. Her hands trembled so hard that he could hear her jewelry clanking.

“I don’t want your life.” He waved his hand idly as the sound of monsters in the distance reached his ears. They sounded vaguely like lizalfos, and he distantly wondered if they were this era’s equivalent. “But the question is less about what I want, and more about what you can give me. As I’ve stated before, I don’t care who you are, but my friend was nearly killed by your carelessness. What do you believe that is worth?”

The noblewoman swallowed thickly. “I–I…”

Arcadius let the shadows of his hair fall over half his face, showing the slight glow of his eyes. The woman made a small whining sound. “What do you think a life is worth, miss noble?” He tapped his Slate, summoning his bow to his hand, startling all the knights present. He released a curious and unnerved Wind’s shoulder as he nocked three arrows and took aim. Without giving any of the men a moment to react, he loosed his ammo.

The arrows flew inches from several faces, embedding themselves in the necks of three lizal-like monsters that’d attempted to sneak up on the preoccupied group. They fell to the ground, dead. 

The knights yelped almost as loudly as the woman screamed. Wind stared up at him with wide eyes. He gave a slight nod, eyes glancing at Revali and Mipha—the two fastest of the group. They dashed off to take care of the rest of the monsters.

Half-formed yelps from the monsters’ final cries reached the silent group as Revali landed just within his eyesight. “Should be all of them.”

“There really weren’t that many.” Mipha sounded somewhat miffed as she flicked the blood from her spear. “Hardly even a warmup.”

“That’s the monsters taken care of.” Arcadius grinned at the woman and knights.

“So easily?” The man who’d spoken up earlier—presumably the head knight of the group—took a step back before barking an order at one of his fellows to check the area. 

After several tense minutes, the man returned with wide eyes. “T-there are… corpses, sir. All thirteen monsters are dead.”

Arcadius’ grin became something sharp as the woman stared at him in disbelief. “H-how could you have possibly— ?!”

“I do believe I mentioned magic, didn’t I?” Nevermind the fact that it wasn’t magic, but he wasn’t exactly lying either. “Well, the specifics aren’t really of any importance here.” He took a step towards them. “I do believe we started off on the wrong foot, don’t you? Merry met, miss noble, I am Arcadius. A traveler from a distant land. I prefer to keep my full name private.” He gave her the kind of bow a nobleman would give to a noblewoman of lesser rank. Though it wasn’t the kind a royal would give a noble, it was enough for her eyes to widen. It seemed the politics of this time weren’t too far-off from his own, thankfully. 

The woman hastily curtsied. “M-merry met Sir Arcadius. I am Lady Margret Rodenburg, second daughter to Marquis Rodenburg of Hyrule.” She swallowed nervously. “I apologize for our… misunderstanding. Thank you for your aid in ridding us of our pursuers.”

“Ah, yes. Our… misunderstanding. ” 

“O-of course, I am equally grateful that your young friend is unharmed!” She quickly corrected herself. “If there is anything we can do to aid you, please let me know! My men are at your disposal.” 

Arcadius sent Wind a smirk as the boy stared at him with a scarcely averted slack-jawed expression. He graciously ignored Mipha and Revali’s chuckling at the hero’s expression. “While the gesture is appreciated, I’m afraid that we’re on our way to meet up with some friends elsewhere. However, I will accept your offer of a favor.”

“O-of course.” Margret’s gaze darted back to her broken carriage, but she didn’t say anything.

Arcadius was about to take his leave with Wind—after all, they had several perfectly able horses and a perfectly good road, it wasn’t like he was leaving them in the middle of nowhere —when the familiar sound of boots and hooves on dirt reached his ears.

“Wind!” Someone called out, and the two heroes turned to see Twilight and the other heroes making their way over.

The resident hero’s eyes widened when he took in the scene. Arcadius idly wondered how it looked from an outside point of view—a destroyed carriage, sheet-white trembling knights, several dead monsters and a rather brown-nosey noblewoman.

“S-Sir Link?” The noblewoman’s eyes widened. “O-oh, I had no idea you were friends with Sir Link .”

It seemed Twilight was well-known in his land. Arcadius felt his lips twitch into something between a smirk and a smile. “I know many people, miss noble.” He dipped his head. “Now, I do believe you have other matters to attend, yes? Your knights are likely exhausted. I believe there’s a town you can reach within a few hours’ ride.”

“O-of course, Lor– Sir Arcadius.” She quickly had one of her knights help her up onto a horse. “Merry part.”

“Merry part.” 

The heroes stared at the two with perplexed expressions as the noblewoman and her knights practically ran from him, and Twilight’s eyes were wide.

“That was Lady Rodenburg.” The resident hero echoed. “She’s known as one of the hardest noblewomen to deal with.”

“She was a handful.” Arcadius hummed as he retrieved his arrows from the lizal-like monsters. “You okay, Wind?”

“U-uh, yeah. Thanks for the hand.” The boy blinked for a moment before exploding with energy. “That was so cool! You were all scary and badass and then just— That was awesome !” 

Arcadius watched the boy bounce around with a bemused smile. “Uh huh. It’s not my first time dealing with someone like her.” He let his gaze rise until he met the eyes of the seven other heroes. “So. I see we don’t have to head all the way to Ordon to meet up.”

Time snorted in amusement. “We were actually on our way there to meet up with you .”

“No harm in stopping by, though.” Twilight grinned. “But I’ve gotta ask… what happened?”

“They were being chased by monsters and the carriage nearly hit Wind.” Arcadius shrugged as the group started walking down the path once more. “Then they got all bent out of shape that I destroyed their carriage.”

“Yeah, he called up this really cool magic shield!” Wind bounced about.

“It’s good to see you both in good health.” Warriors smiled. “We were pretty worried when you both got shoved through that portal.”

“Wind had a little knock on the head, but Telma fixed him right up.” He nodded towards Twilight. “Thank her for me when you see her again, will you?”

“Telma’s an old friend. I’ll make sure to give her a thanks whether she wants it or not.” Twilight laughed.

“Good to see you again.” Marin smiled at the five ghosts beside Arcadius. “Though I wish it was under different circumstances. I guess you were connected strongly enough to your Link that you could come along.”

“As if we’d leave him alone.” Revali flicked his primaries at the thought.

“It looks like we’ll be traveling together from now on!” Navi flitted over to Zelda with a bell-like giggle. She settled in the princess’ hair and immediately started to braid it.

“I suppose so.” Zelda smiled softly.

“Wherever the Little Guy goes, so do we!” Daruk proclaimed proudly, earning a chuff of amusement from Goldie.

“You guys should’ve seen it!” Wind’s voice drew the attention of the spirits—Arcadius included. “Arc shot three lizalfos with his bow at the same time!! ” 

“Arc?” Four tilted his head at the same time as Shadow.

“It’s my name.” The Champion spoke up. “Well, my middle name. Link Arcadius, feel free to use it as a form of address.”

“A middle name?” Legend raised an eyebrow. “What are you, a noble’s kid?”

Arcadius snorted at the thought. “Son of a knight, actually.”

“Oh, you’re going to keep them guessing?” Zelda muffled her laugh.

“Keep them guessing?” Marin shot Zelda a look of intrigue.

“Oh, no.” Urbosa chuckled. “We’re not going to hand out Link’s secrets that easily. If you’d like to know, you’ll need to get the answers from him .”

“Are you a knight?” Warriors tilted his head. “That Yatir guy did mention something about it.”

“I used to be.” Arcadius let his gaze drift towards the sky. “I don’t really remember it though. I’ve got a rather nasty case of amnesia, you see. I don’t remember much from when I was younger.”

A few members of the group winced. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.” The brown-haired one—Hyrule, was it?—spoke up. “I’m the unofficial healer of the group.”

“I’ll let you know if something comes up, but I’ve had a few very good healers help me out already. Unfortunately, it’s an already healed injury.” He deliberately scratched at his scars, watching as a few of the heroes’ eyes widened in realization.

Wind was about to ask another question—likely something about his scars—when someone’s stomach growled loudly. Arcadius gave a chuckle as Wind perked up in excitement. “Is it lunchtime?! What’s for lunch?!”

The other heroes stared at Wind with perplexed expressions as he followed Arcadius off-path to a spot that looked to be perfect to take a break. “I’m thinking… cucco-potato salad sandwiches.” He glanced at the group as he set up his supplies. “Since I’ve got some leftover cucco from yesterday.”

“Wait, are you saying you can cook ?” Legend’s eyes widened slightly.

“I’m not telling.” Wind grinned.

“You don’t have to, your expression says it all.” Warriors smirked. 

The flash of blue from his Slate grabbed the attention of several heroes. “Hold on, did that just make something?”

Arcadius gave a light sigh. “This is my Sheikah Slate.” He held it up. “I can store things in here, among other features. This is precious to me. Please do not touch it.” He glanced at the group to ensure they understood before turning his attention back towards their meal.

“So how far to Ordon, rancher?” Warriors asked as he sat back against a tree.

“Just another two hours or so. We’ll be there with daylight to spare.” Twilight grinned.

“What’s so special about this Ordon place?” Arcadius asked as he sliced some apples.

“It’s my hometown.” Twilight’s grin became something wistful. “It’s not technically part of Hyrule, so we call ourselves Ordonians. It’s the best place in the land to buy milk and cheese.”

“It’s a sleepy little place.” Marin smiled softly, a bit of sorrow tinging her expression. “I think, if things had been different, Link and I…” She trailed off, evidently not wanting to finish her thought aloud. Something in Arcadius ached at the strong note of longing that colored her voice. He wished he could reach out and comfort her, but there were too many living eyes around at the moment. Thankfully, Zelda did so for him.

Arcadius shook himself from his thoughts as he put the finishing touches on their midday meal. “Lunch is ready!” His call had Wind practically teleporting to his side, palms up with an expression he’d only seen on stable dogs before. The Champion chuckled fondly as he handed Wind his plate. The kid started inhaling his sandwiches before he’d even sat down, drawing wide eyes from the rest of the heroes as they hesitantly took their own helpings.

The living spirit’s grin widened as exclamations of delight filled the area. He carefully stored the rest in his Slate, resisting the urge to smirk when Revali carefully tapped the screen, drawing the attention of the other ghosts.

“What are you…?” Marin trailed off as the rito triumphantly held up the plate of food and started handing the sandwiches out to the other Champions.

“Did you want some?” He asked with a wry smile.

“Things that’ve been stored in the Slate become tangible to ghosts.” Zelda explained around her own meal as Marin hesitantly picked up a sandwich. “We don’t really understand it, but we’re grateful nonetheless.”

“Doesn’t your Link notice his stuff going missing?” Shadow asked as he took a rather large bite. “Holy shit this is good.” His ruby gaze eyed the Slate for a moment longer than Arcadius was comfortable with.

“Well, I think we’ve found ourselves a cook.” Warriors chuckled, snapping his attention back towards the living.

“You can say that again.” Legend nodded in agreement. 

“Does that mean we’ll get to eat like this every day ?!” Four jolted, eyes and aura shifting to a reddish tinge before bleeding back into their usual color pallet.

“Just because Arcadius can cook doesn’t mean that we’re going to force him on Cooking Duty every day.” Time narrowed his gaze at the others.

“That is kinda unfair.” Twilight nodded in agreement. “What if Arc doesn’t want to cook every single day ?”

“Actually, I’m fine with it.” Arcadius spoke up. “Cooking is my favorite hobby, so I really don’t mind. It also gives me the chance to try out new recipes every now and again.”

“So we’ve got a cook?” Wind perked up in excitement.

“We’ve got a cook.” Warriors ruffled the boy’s hair affectionately.

“Come on.” Time dusted off his pants as he hoisted his pack over his shoulder. “We’re pretty close to Ordon, so we might as well head over now that we’ve been treated to such good food.”

“I think I understand why Wind is so attached to Arc now.” Legend muttered, leveling the new cook with an appraising look.

“Wind mentioned arrows. Are you an archer?” Warriors jabbed at a random topic.

“Is he an archer?” Revali scoffed. “He’s got that feather for more than his flight skills, I’ll tell you that.”

“I’m pretty good with a bow.” Arcadius grinned. “Though I prefer ranged combat, I do enjoy a good swordfight every now and again.” He rested his hand on the Royal Blade that Minori and Hawthorne had crafted for him. Between the Champions’ lessons in sword-care and a freshly forged blade, he’d managed to keep it from shattering for the last few years. In fact, it was still in as great a shape as when he’d gotten it. Mind, he used other weapons when he really felt like letting loose, so perhaps it was holding out because he’d spared it from his ‘ferocious fighting style’—Urbosa’s words, not his. 

“We should spar sometime!” Warriors grinned.

“I mean, I’m fine with it, but I’ve got a rather… unorthodox fighting style.” He warned the knight.

“A lot of us do.” Hyrule shot him a smirk. “I don’t have any formal training at all. I’ve been told I have a very ‘hide and poke’ style.”

Arcadius hummed as he walked with the others, idly letting conversations both among the living and dead wash over him as he hummed here or there to add in his thoughts or opinions. In the distance he could hear the playful laughter of the Skull Kids, and it seemed that Twilight and Time could hear them too. Perhaps they had better hearing than the rest of the group.

“Ah, here’s the bridge.” Twilight beamed as he led them towards an utterly massive rope bridge. A few of their number looked a bit unnerved by the sheer height of the drop, but Arc found a grin stretching across his face.

“And there he goes.” Revali remarked fondly as Arcadius sped ahead.

“How far down is that?” He asked Twilight, who looked a bit surprised by his eagerness.

“Dunno. Just don’t fall, please?”

“Don’t worry, I can climb back up.” The others did not look reassured by this information, and Zelda wasn’t the only one muffling a laugh.

“Climb back up?” Shadow looked at the Champions with confusion. “He’s kidding, right?”

The golden wolf huffed in amusement, as if he already knew Arcadius was both more than willing to actually jump and then climb back up to the rest of the group.

“Let’s just get across this.” Legend twitched as he grabbed Hyrule’s arm, the latter of which spluttered lightly.

“I wasn’t about to run off!”

“No, but you looked just as curious as Arc about the length of the fall.”

“Come on, guys. Let’s not fight.” Sky soothed as they finally crossed the chasm. Arcadius idly wondered if this chasm was a Hyrulean border like the ones back home. The forest they walked into was old, it sang with life and magic in a way that had Arcadius’ shoulders relaxing a bit. The familiar song of nature caressed his ears as he straightened his Champion’s Tunic slightly.

“You a fan of nature?” Legend guessed with a knowing smirk.

“Yeah. I grew up with it, so it feels like home.” 

“Speaking of homes, welcome to mine.” Twilight gestured towards a grand treehouse that had Arcadius’ ears wiggling in excitement.

“I suppose Hudson and Bolson are going to be getting a workout when we get back.” Zelda mused quietly.

“He’s like a child who just found a really neat toy.” Revali remarked, and Arcadius dearly wished to stick out his tongue and remind him that he was a child, but there were too many people watching. 

Wind reached a hand up to his own ears, face scrunching in concentration as he tried to wiggle them like Arcadius could. Four, who’d been watching him struggle, snorted in amusement, their own ears wiggling slightly.

“It isn’t much,” Twilight explained as he led them all inside, “but it’s mine. You’re all welcome to this space and the things in it, just don’t break anything and please put it back where you found it.”

At once, every Link went off to explore the place. Arcadius ended up heading back outside to start dinner. It was a few hours away, but a good meal needed some prep work, and he was planning to make some nice juicy steaks for everyone.

He didn’t expect Time to follow him outside and sit next to him as he worked, but it wasn’t bad, either. “Thank you.” Time’s voice startled him for a moment, and he looked up from his work to stare at the hero in confusion. “For saving Wind. I know you didn’t want to come on this journey with us, but you didn’t hesitate to save him.”

“I’ve got a soft spot for kids.” Arc shrugged. There was a silence between them as the Champion worked, and at one point Time snatched the knife and started cutting the carrots and herbs for him.

“I help my wife cook at home. I can follow her directions, but if you put me in a kitchen by myself I’ll just make a mess.” He chuckled.

“You have a wife?” He didn’t expect the information to be as surprising as it was.

“Oh yes. She’s the love of my life.” Time’s smile became something wistful. “I miss her terribly. Sky will tell you about his girlfriend any chance he gets. We’ve all got things or people we’ve left behind for this journey, and none of us really got a choice. I know it’s hard right now, but you aren’t alone.”

Arcadius’ lips pulled up as he realized what Time was after. “Thanks.” He added a few carrots to Time’s pile to cut. “I’m not married or anything.” His eyes flitted towards Mipha, who was watching them with an amused smile. “I do have a girlfriend though. But a lot of people back home depend on me right now. I’m worried about leaving so suddenly.”

“Not much we can do about that, I’m afraid.” Time sighed. “But we’ll cross that river when we reach it. And we’ll do it as a team.”

Arcadius chuckled as he started glazing the carrots and ginger in honey. “I’m warning you, I’m rather used to working alone. I can work together with a few people, but it may take some getting used to, fighting with such a large group.”

“No worries there.” Time laughed. “I think the only one who is used to fighting in large groups is the Captain.” The one-eyed Link snuck a piece of honeyed carrot, dodging Arcadius’ playful swat with an experienced twist of his arm. 

“Leave some for the rest of the group.” He chastised as he flipped the steak over in his pan.

Time grinned widely, a look of mischief glimmering in his eye. Arcadius couldn’t help but grin back. Perhaps this journey wouldn’t be quite so bad after all.

Chapter 5: Heroes, Spirits and Divine Mistakes

Summary:

In which Arcadius finally accepts Fi from Sky, tells the spirits about a few of his secrets, and makes Legend question the sanity of his newest comrade more than once.

Notes:

A/N: Hello everyone! It's been nearly a year since the last update and I deeply apologize for that. In truth, I've been promoted at work, and the pre-promotion seasonal position began last Jan, so I've been running around like mad IRL for nearly a year. XD

Massive thank you to Kastaborous/Quasar who motivated me as I wrote this chapter, and huge thanks to Byrony and Sylph for being awesome Betas and ensuring my scatterbrained thoughts are actually readable.

I suppose I should also say Merry Christmas (for those of you who celebrate it). This is your holiday gift from me! :D Somehow, this chapter reached 10k words. 0.0 No idea how that happened.

I've got a Discord! Come join us to get snippets from several of my stories as I write them, exclusive omakes or outtakes (things that didn't quite make the cut in the story), or just chat with me. :) You can also vote on things that may or may not make an impact in my writing! All my stories are connected to my Discord including Zelda, My Hero Academia, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Encanto, Harry Potter, Hetalia, Sandman and more!

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That being said, I think I've chattered long enough. I hope you enjoy this latest installment of A Hero's Spirit: Echoes in Time.

Fi had been around for a very long time. Her memories spanned many countless eras, both the times she had thus far lived through, and the times she had yet to see. If she focused enough, she could even recall her early days when she was first born—a time of blurry peace and warm light in a place known as the Divine Realm. She fondly recalled the moment she had been given to Hylia’s Chosen Hero, who reforged her with mortal hands and solidified her sense of self. His direct reincarnation—Spirit and Soul—was Master Sky.

She gained new memories whenever she met her future Masters—she would glimpse their Journeys and hardships through their Bond as Master and Wielder. Anything they experienced in her presence she could bear witness to, but she could not truly count those memories as her own. The fact remained, however, that she was aware of their journeys. Even those who had not wielded her left a vague impression of what that journey was like along with a Title that she would whisper to Master Sky—the only living Master who could hear her voice.

Finding her future Masters and glimpsing their time together was something that brought her both joy and pride. As such, it was only natural that she was curious about the newest addition to the group. She could sense their sleeping Bond, but there was something off about it in a way she’d never felt before. In a sense, it reminded her vaguely of the golden wolf the spirits had dubbed ‘Goldie’. Fi had been horrified when she realized this was Master Time, but the Spirit of the Hero had left him with his death, so only a vague impression of their bond remained. He was still her Master—once a Master, always a Master—but the Spirit of the Hero had moved towards the next worthy soul as directed by the Goddess. 

But though the feeling of this new Master’s sleeping Bond was similar, it wasn’t quite the same. The Bond between Sword and Wielder was most definitely there, but it was hazy, muted like a path covered in fog. She couldn’t understand it. Never had she experienced something quite like this.

It was one of the reasons why she had gently grabbed Master Sky’s attention after dinner. She didn’t need to say anything, reminding him of her presence was enough.

“Arcadius.” Master Sky spoke up when the majority of the group had finished their meals. He carefully laid Fi across his lap, and several heroes in the room perked up, sharing knowing smiles. “I know you’ve already given us a name to call you by, and I think we’re all aware that you didn’t want to come along with us, but…” He held her out towards the blue-clad Hero. The newest member of the group startled lightly. “There is a spirit in this sword named Fi. It’s… something of a tradition to receive a title from her. We can keep calling you Arc, since that’s what you’re used to, but you should at least let her say hello.”

Fi swore his eyes flickered towards her as she floated closer, silently urging him to accept her. A nostalgic smile crossed his face as he reached out and relieved Master Sky of her weight.

“Hey, Fi.” He whispered to her, running a hand along the flat of her blade in a way that soothed her spirit. “It’s been a while.”

“Master.” She knew he wouldn’t hear her words, but she would never do any of her Masters a disservice by remaining silent. “I am Fi, the Spirit of the Master Sword.”

“I know. Your other self introduced herself to me a long time ago.” His eyes didn’t leave her blade, but Fi wasn’t the only one that startled. 

“Y-you can hear her ?” Master Sky grinned.

“She spoke to me once… During our final battle together.” The words held a weight that nobody was quite sure how to handle.

“If you would allow me, I will look at the memories of the times we shared so I can understand your Journey better.” Normally she’d just look , but this Master could hear her . It was only polite to ask.

“Of course.” Master Link whispered.

“Erm, Fi?” Zelda stepped forward before she could dive into their connection. “Just… a little warning. You, erm… you might not like what you see. Link’s Journey has been anything but easy. And I fear—”

“It is all right.” Fi nodded her head in Zelda’s direction. “No matter the trials he has faced, it is only right that I understand his burdens.” Even if that meant facing something like the Demon King once more, she would not leave any of her Masters to flounder in the darkness.

Without another moment of hesitation, she fell into the memories.

There was a pedestal in a quiet forest. Fi hovered within the memory, eyes drawn from the familiar visage of the Deku Tree towards her other self, the blade that slept soundly in the stone.

These memory transfers were always strange. She was accessing them through the Wielder Bond with her Master, so she became a spectator in things. Moreover, the sensations of her other self weren’t the only things she felt—she also felt the pain of her Masters, though to a much lesser degree.

Some, like Master Twilight, only had one Journey. Those viewings usually didn’t last long in the mental realm, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t feel the sting of her Masters’ many wounds. Others, like Master Legend, had surprised her with the sheer amount of time it’d taken to get through everything.

Thankfully, she only needed to watch a handful of central memories from each Hero. The other times spent together would naturally settle within the recesses of her mind over the course of several days. Unfortunately, for those like Master Four who never actually wielded her during their Journeys, there were no memories to see. Lady Hylia instead gave her vague impressions of those journeys so she could understand what kind of person her Master was, and provide a Hero’s Title to them.

The sound of crunching leaves drew her attention to a child that’d stumbled into the clearing, laughing as he chased a few giggling koroks. The boy had sunkissed blonde hair and eyes the same shade as a crisp autumn sky. He looked to only be ten years old, just around the age Master Time had been.

“Hey! Get back here! Maple!” He made a leaping grab for one of them, but the baby korok—only the size of the boy’s fist—happily fluttered out of the way, its massive maple leaf nearly causing it to overcorrect itself and fall onto the grass below.

“Yahaha! Play with us too, Link!” Several more koroks of varying ages popped out from the trees, each one looking overjoyed at seeing a child in their woods.

Her young master paused when he saw her other self, resting peacefully in her pedestal. Fi could feel a gentle warm tugging sensation from within herself as the blade in the memory let out a quiet, weak chime to guide her Master forth.

Fi herself gave a sharp frown. Was her other self unaware of how young this child was? Surely, she wouldn’t guide someone of such youth to wield her. Then again, perhaps the journey of Master Wind had done away with the hesitance her other self had felt when Master Time had first found her.

Perhaps the guilt she’d felt when she’d seen the ten year old kokiri boy pull her from her slumber had deterred her from judging her Masters based on age. Regardless, she did not think it prudent to call out to the child who had yet to take an interest in the blade. If she had remained quiet, it was entirely possible the boy wouldn’t have given it a thought and returned home after playing with the koroks. She would’ve been able to guide him to her when he was older and more prepared. There didn’t need to be an urgency now, not when the Great Darkness she felt had yet to begin its manifestation.

The boy’s warm hand wrapped around her other self, pulling her free from a place she had slept for a very long time. Fi was abruptly hit with a soul-deep exhaustion. If she had a body, she would equate it to being unable to keep her eyes open.

Whatever era this was, it was very, very far away from her current self—far enough that her natural life as a Divine Sword—something that should be near ageless—was nearing its natural end. 

The boy stumbled slightly under her weight. The bladed form of her other self was almost twice his height, and she knew the only reason the child was even able to hold her up was because their Wielder Bond made her feel perfectly balanced to any of her Masters. Even still, the sight of a child so young holding her made something in her heart ache. She watched as his confused expression changed to excitement.

“Woah! It’s a real sword!” He gave a gap-toothed smile. “Wait until Dad sees this!”

The scene faded to an empty expanse—a place between memories. Young Master Link’s emotions swirled around her, and she tried her best to put a name to each one. Fear, doubt, a weight of duty that she hadn’t felt from her other Masters before, and a bone-deep grief that she somehow understood to be the loss of the boy’s father.

Sword spirits were not entirely unfamiliar with emotions, but hylians had far more complex emotional structures than one such as she, who had been created as a sword spirit. What she knew about emotions were things she had learned during her Journey with Master Sky or through her memory observations with her other Masters.

The scene swirled again, and this time, Fi found herself floating in a grand throne room. Something in the back of her mind identified this place as Hyrule Castle. A white-haired man sat upon a plush throne, a crown of gold upon his head. The child, now roughly fifteen years old, kneeled before the king wearing the armor of a knight. The Master Sword of his time lay gently before him on the polished marble floors, still within reaching distance, but far enough away as to pose little threat to the king should the knight abruptly attack.

“So this is the Hero.” The king hummed as he eyed the child before him. 

Fi was certain her Master had hidden the fact that he’d pulled her nearly half a decade ago, with the vague impression of the boy re-hiding her in the forest and purposefully stumbling upon her along with a few other knights to ‘find her’.

He was a clever child. Clever and burdened with a weight that should not be there. The child’s silent nod sent an unfamiliar emotion through the sword spirit. Fi wasn’t sure why his silence evoked such a foreign emotion from her, but whatever it was wasn’t pleasant.

“It is good to know the Hero is already amongst my most trusted knights.” The king smiled with relief. “Sir Link, as you are the Hero, I will appoint you as the personal knight of my daughter, Zelda. Please stay by her side and guide her as she awakens her own powers.”

The boy nodded sharply and the memory swirled again. Fi felt something foreboding as she passed through several other memories. There were flashes of other individuals.

A Goron with a bright grin that carried the feeling of safety and protection. A Zora with a gentle smile that appeared to be held in her Master’s heart with a fierce fondness. A Gerudo whose ferocity and loyalty inspired her Master to push himself further, to try to live up to the trust she had placed in him. A Rito who appeared to have a talent for irritating her Master in such a manner that he would strive to improve purely to prove a point. There was also a young girl with blonde curls and bright hazel eyes. That girl induced a staggering amount of love and devotion from her Master, and Fi distantly realized she was his younger sister.

As the faces faded from her mind, echoes of what once had been began to settle upon her. Impressions of harsh self-imposed training, the fear of not being enough, and the sting of self-loathing circled around the expanse of nothingness until the rain fell down in icy sheets around them.

Thunder shook the earth as lightning illuminated one of the most horrifying scenes Fi had ever witnessed. Hundreds of great mechanical soldiers—Guardians, her mind supplied—tainted heavily with Malice, fired upon the land and people. It was a scene she would’ve expected to see formed by the hands of Demise himself, but the fact that this scene existed in the memory of her Master meant that something had gone horribly wrong.

Fi let out a sharp gasp as pain encompassed all that she was. Never had she felt such agony as a sword, nor had she ever felt so utterly exhausted. Her exhaustion and pain came from her other self, but there were horrible throbbing echoes of her Master’s injuries as well. His exhaustion, his fear and hopelessness and agony had seeped across their Bond for her to feel. Slowly, with a fear she’d never truly felt from herself before, she turned to verify the state of her Master.

Link staggered on his feet, horrific burns that she knew would one day become scars just as terrible were scattered across his left side, and he held her as tightly as he could in his only good hand. His left ear was almost entirely gone, and she wasn’t sure if his left eye was still there or not. The rain made it hard to assess his injuries, but the shared pain told her plenty.

Zelda was behind him, begging him to stop before he killed himself. Fi’s gaze was caught by a pitiful spark her other self had produced, and stilled in shock. 

Her blade was chipped and coated with blood and mud, and her guard was horribly cracked. She hadn’t known she could be damaged in such a manner, but it explained the pain that lanced through her entire being. A Divine Sword such as her should never be able to be damaged by mortal means. Whatever these Guardians were, their power was something that even the gods could not ignore.

The fact that such creations fell into the hands of the Great Darkness…

Master Link slipped, the ground slick with rain and blood, and fear shot through his entire being as he jammed her into the ground, trying to keep himself upright. There was a certainty in his gaze as he readjusted himself and raised her once more, unwilling to look away from the Guardian  that had set its sights upon him. Lightning flashed across the torrential skies as the truth hit her like a blade of Malice.

Master Link was dying.

There was little that could save him as he was, and yet she watched in horrified awe as he kept pushing forward. Kept fighting and slashing, damaging both Hero and blade beyond anything that should be possible. Even the gods themselves would watch this battle in awe.

Her Master’s vision appeared to be going in and out, because he tried to block a laser and missed, taking half of the damage on his already mangled left side. A pained cry left his lips, and Fi joined him when the electric agony of her blade being chipped further registered. It was as if she were watching the end of the world.

Master Link panted, holding her at the ready with a trembling hand. Just when the Guardian aimed to fire, and Fi feared the worst was about to unfold, Zelda let out a cry and leapt forth, the beautiful golden light of Divinity exploded outwards from her, repelling the Malice and forcing the Guardians to shut down.

Fi floated there, trembling as she watched her Master fall. Zelda’s desperate cries did nothing as his grip on her loosened. The spirit of the Master Sword watched in muted horror as she felt her Master’s heart stop.

Fi had lost her Masters to Farore’s embrace many times, but she had never lost one like this. She had failed him . She hadn’t been strong enough to help him fight. Her exhaustion had prevented her from utilizing her full power. Perhaps, if she’d been a few millenia younger, such a horror wouldn’t have unfolded. If she’d had access to that power, she might’ve been able to slice through the army of Guardians with a Skyward Strike.

Except… She shook her head in that way hylians often did to reorientate themselves from their thoughts. He wasn’t dead. He was alive, because he’d been called on this Journey through time with them. Surely, that meant that somehow someone had found a way to heal or revive him. It was a feat only the gods should’ve been able to achieve, but the Heroes had always had the strangest ability to bend fate.

She was back in the forest. The pedestal looked the same as it had when the boy of ten had pulled her, and her other self was still writhing in agony and guilt over having failed her Master. It was to the point where she had shut out the world around her, half sleeping and half screaming because what she had been through had been just too much.

Fi herself was shaken when Master Link walked into the clearing. She recognized him as the same boy who now traveled with them through time.

Neither Fi nor her other self knew how much time had passed, but Fi knew that her Master should have been dead. It should’ve been his next self that came to her, not this boy in the body of a young man.

And her other self knew this too, because when he went to pull her once more, her older self—confused and grieving and drowning in guilt and shame and exhaustion—attacked him, fearing him to be an imposter. She was too buried in her exhaustion and pain to feel the Bond that had once been shattered—a bond that was still shattered and muted and distanced by the hand of death itself, but of which a faint echo remained. Blue arcs of divinity lashed out like lightning, searing the design of her grip into the palm of her Master’s hand, and Fi stared in utter horror.

She should never attack her Masters. It was against everything she was to attack the one who held the Spirit of the Hero. Fi felt something like bile rise in the back of her non-existent throat as she watched her Master try to pull her time and again. He returned no less than twelve separate times, spread out over the course of more than a year, before he finally endured the agony enough for her other self to recognize his Spirit.

Shame washed over her. She had hurt him. She had made him cry and doubt himself and think that he needed to prove himself worthy to wield her again. How could he ever deign to forgive her for such a betrayal? Not only did she fail to serve him adequately as his blade, but she even turned her power against him. It was unforgivable.

The scene changed, after he pulled her. His Title floated through her mind like a whisper from the Goddesses themselves. Hero of the Wild . But there was something that quivered in that, something that said there was more .

She glimpsed an utterly breathtaking land. Despite the way her other self had attacked him, Master Wild had taken her to his favorite locations in his Hyrule merely to show her the views. None of her other Masters had done something like this before, and it left her feeling perplexed.

It was a slow realization, when it came. Like water swelling from beneath the soil. He was lonely . Master Wild had felt so utterly alone that he had sought companionship in a sword that he couldn’t even speak to . One that he wasn’t even sure housed a spirit.

That realization hurt almost as much as his death—something he’d briefly explained to her other self as the reason for his amnesia. When he softly admitted that he thought she had attacked him because of ‘his failure’ a century prior, Fi found herself reaching out towards him. She would have to speak with Master Wild after this. She couldn’t let him continue thinking that she found him lacking or unworthy.

Zelda had been right. Fi hadn’t been ready to see the journey of this newest Master. But it was too late to turn back, nor would she wish to. She would not leave Master Wild floundering in the darkness any longer.

But it wasn’t over. That ominous feeling she’d had earlier came back with a vengeance, and Fi watched in trepidation as the scene blurred for a moment. 

Master Link panted as he held her. He looked almost as injured as that night in the rain, and the horrible rot of Malice clung to several of his wounds. The great horror of hatred stood before them, and Fi couldn’t help but feel like this being was almost as great a foe as Demise himself.

In her weakened form, this was not a battle that could be won. That certainty settled into every fiber of her power, and going off the way that Zelda was panting beside Master Wild, it was also not one they were likely to survive.

But he had, right? He must’ve survived, because he was in the Outside World with her other Masters. Perhaps, some part of her mind whispered to her, whatever method he’d used to return from death’s grasp had been utilized again. But there was something that felt inherently wrong about that thought, something that didn’t quite fit. And yet, she also couldn’t see how Master Wild could’ve made it out of this situation alive.

Before she could think on it further, the battle snatched her attention. Fi flinched badly when Calamity Ganon dug its claws into her Master, and she heard her own voice call out to him, introducing herself with a voice that was only able to reach him because Zelda had given her remaining life force to empower Fi’s other self.

Some part of Fi knew what was coming, but her logic kept her hope alive—a desperate hope that he had not perished here. That hope quickly shattered when the nightmare of Malice attacked. No amount of warning would’ve prepared her to watch as her Master was impaled by the horror before her. Her scream echoed in the memory’s space as the hero buried her other self into Calamity’s skull and then the ground, using her as a seal to hold their foe in place until the next Hero could come and finish things.

The last thing she saw as the memory started to fade out, was Master Wild collapsing against the wall of the Sanctum as their Bond snapped.

Fi’s awareness snapped back to the present with the abruptness of a bowstring’s release. It took her a few moments to realize she was in Master Twilight’s house. She wasn’t one to easily show emotion, but she couldn’t stop the tremors in her cloaked hands, nor could she control the tears that ran down her face. 

Had she ever cried like this before? She didn’t know. At the moment, she didn’t care to know. She refused to look away from Master Wild—Master Arcadius, as he had asked the heroes to call him. He shouldn’t be alive. How was he alive? It must’ve been the Shrine—a power that could revive him once could surely do so again. But she’d felt the Bond snap, felt him die . There had been a sense of permanence that hovered around that final memory, and Fi could not logically comprehend how her Master was standing here before her.

She mentally shook her head, trying to compartmentalize what she’d just seen and bring herself and her emotions under control. The memories had only taken a moment to sort through, but there was always a small time delay. From the moment Fi had began watching Master Arcadius’ memories to the moment she’d finished, only a fraction of a second had passed in the physical realm. Any physical reaction her sword-form displayed would be displayed in the moments after she had finished.

For most of her Masters, this didn’t matter. Her reactions were usually soothing chimes or small displays of anger or displeasure shown as small crackles of Divinity dancing upon her blade—usually whenever someone had done something unforgivable to one of her Masters.

But this had been the most difficult set of memories she’d ever had to watch, and even Fi was unsure of how the emotions she’d felt would be displayed.

She watched the looks of fear and horror ripple through the heroes when her form shifted to that of the day her Master had died. The echo of her screams—taking form in the way of an utterly heartbreaking chime—had Master Sky nearly snatching her right out of Master Arcadius’ grasp.

And just when everything seemed fine again, and her form returned to its normal luster, a strange liquid dripped from the tip of her blade. It took Fi a moment to realize that her grief had been strong enough to produce physical tears , not just the metaphysical ones on her spirit form.

“I’m sorry.” Master Arcadius whispered gently as he fondly ran his hand over her blade. “Please don’t dwell upon that. I promise I’ll explain later.” His expression softened before handing her back to Master Sky. 

“The hell was that ?” Master Legend’s voice was somewhat strangled as he eyed her physical form, as if waiting for her to crack and bleed as she had on the day of Master Arcadius’ death.

“I’ve…” He hesitated a moment, and Fi could feel his regret and uncertainty through their awakened Bond. “There was a time in my Journey when things didn’t exactly… go to plan.” Fi eyed the way Zelda and the Rito spirit snorted at that, as if it were morbidly amusing. “The enemy I faced was powerful, and Fi… well, she ended up badly damaged.”

“I was not the only one.” She whispered brokenly. “Please do not make it sound as if I was the only one.” He had suffered far more than she, after all.

But Master Arcadius could not hear her now that he had relinquished his hold on her physical form. He did not amend his statement, even as Master Sky’s anger briefly flared. She swiftly rubbed her tears away and glided towards him.

“Master Sky.” She watched as his eyes flickered to her blade. “His journey has been unbearably harsh. Please reassure him that should he ever need me, I will not fail the Hero of the Wild again.” Fi could feel her voice sharpen with conviction and grief.

Master Sky flinched lightly at the emotion in her voice, but did not comment on it. She wondered if he had also felt her emotion through their Bond and resolved to explain how that worked to him later that night, after he’d had time to process things. After she had time to process things.

“She has a title for you, all right. Hero of the Wild.” There was always a bit of reverence in his tone whenever Master Sky bequeathed the Title upon one of her Masters. Master Arcadius was no different. “She also wanted me to assure you that you can wield her whenever you’d like.” He paused, as though debating if he should say the second part, and Fi glared at him as if to dare him to keep it to himself. Master Arcadius needed to hear it. She needed him to hear it. “She also said that she will not fail you again. I don’t know what that means, though.”

Master Arcadius gave a bit of a heavy sigh, a bitter smile pulling at his lips. “I suppose she and I both have problems with self-blame.” He shook his head, even as a few of his spirit companions gave him flat looks. 

“Well, that’s that.” Master Warriors went to clap the newest hero on the shoulder, holding his hands up apologetically when he dodged it with a scowl. “Sorry.” He grinned as he held his hands up in surrender. “But hey! You’re officially part of the crew!”

“I think the knights mentioned something like ‘hazing’ once.” Master Arcadius smirked. “Is this what they meant?”

Master Warriors choked on a laugh. “No, no. Hazing is something a little different…”

Fi tuned out the conversation as she floated back towards Master Sky. Guilt still swirled hotly within her. It was an uncomfortable and unfamiliar sensation. Her gaze darted back towards the one who had caused this change.

She’d need to find the time to talk to him later. Perhaps she could even convince Master Sky to let her spend a day with him. Apologies usually helped alleviate guilt, from what Master Sky once told her. Her eyes drifted back towards the Master who had died on her watch. Twice . 

She hoped he was right.

---

Arcadius yawned as he silently leapt from the treehouse Twilight called home. Being able to go incorporeal had its uses—one couldn’t make noise upon landing if there was nothing they could come in contact with to make said noise. It made sneaking around remarkably easy.

“Are you tired?” Zelda hummed. “It’s only been two days since you last slept… or has it been three?”

“You forget,” Urbosa cut in with a knowing smile, “he was working himself ragged before this whole portal business came up. It’s honestly been about a week since he’s slept, I think.”

Well, that explained why he felt so tired. He normally needed to sleep every three to five days, so going an entire week was pushing it even for him . “I’ll get some sleep later. This is important.”

“Mipha and Revali should’ve gathered them by now.” Zelda hummed as she led them towards the bridge. They veered right without warning, and Arcadius stopped as they found themselves at a rather beautiful spring. It reminded him of the Sacred Springs of his homeland. It was saturated in some kind of muted Divinity.

Perhaps there was a goddess-blessed spirit that presided over this place. He’d have to ask Twilight about it later.

“Are you going to tell us why you’ve asked us to come over here?” Shadow gave Revali a sour look. “Because I know we weren’t really doing anything, but I can still bother Four when they’re sleeping.”

“Oh, it’s Arc!” Navi drew the spirits’ attention towards their arrival. Arcadius was a little surprised that they’d managed to get Fi to follow along. He would’ve thought she’d want to stay near Sky, but apparently even a sword spirit enjoyed spending time around people who could see her. Perhaps she was still a bit shaken over what she’d seen in his memories earlier. He had the vague impression that she’d seen The Great Calamity as well as the fight in the Sanctum. Oddly enough, she didn’t seem to be aware of his less than alive status, so hopefully she wouldn’t take this too badly.

Then again, Arcadius’ luck had always kind of done its own thing.

“Master Arcadius…” Fi looked at him with guilt so heavy he nearly winced. “I am sorry. I have failed you .” She hung her head in shame, and he felt his heart clench painfully at the sight. He’d expected her to have been affected somehow by the memories, but he never thought Fi would blame herself for his death. At least, he assumed she was talking about The Great Calamity.

Marin went to say something, perhaps to remind her that he wouldn’t be able to hear her unless he was holding her blade, but Arcadius was faster. 

“You didn’t fail me, Fi.” Every foreign ghost flinched and turned to stare at him with wide eyes. He carefully made his way over, feet ghosting through the water without creating a single ripple. He mentally flailed when he realized there was no hand for him to grab, so he rested his own hand on her shoulder instead. The spirit stiffened beneath his touch, eyes widening as she lifted her head to meet his gaze. “We both fought as hard as we could. This is not your fault .” He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze before releasing his hold.

“I… do not understand.” Her eyes were wide, and while they didn’t have pupils like a hylian’s, he could tell she was deeply shaken by the way things were unfolding. “Master… Arcadius?”

He smiled softly, opening his mouth to say something more, when another voice interrupted. “H-hang on!” Navi zoomed over and hovered before his nose, making him jerk backwards on reflex. “You can see us!” She reached out a tiny hand and rested it on his nose. “A-and I can touch you! ”

“Wait, what?!” Shadow was by his side in an instant, incessantly poking his arm with a look of awe. “Cool!! Does that mean I can—”

“Oh, no you don’t, mister!” Marin grabbed his ear with a stern look. “Just because someone’s solid to you doesn’t mean you can prank the living daylights out of them.”

The monochrome Link pouted and stuck his tongue out at her petulantly. “You’re no fun.” Arcadius shared a subtle glance with Revali. Perhaps the three of them should find the time to sneak away at some point. Shadow would certainly be an interesting addition to their occasional prank wars. But that would be something to talk over later, after this group had time to process the bomb he was about to drop on them.

“It’s nice to officially meet you.” Arcadius gave the group a lavish bow. “I am Champion Link Arcadius of Hyrule. You can call me Arcadius or Arc, if you’d like. It’s my middle name.” He gestured towards his companions. “This is Princess Zelda of Hyrule, Chieftess Urbosa of the Gerudo, Princess Mipha of the Zora, Champion Revali of the Rito, and Champion Daruk of the Gorons. They’re my closest and most precious friends.”

“I think a certain white-haired knight might take offense to that statement.” Zelda snickered.

“I suppose we never did go over names, did we?” Urbosa tilted her head in thought.

“To be fair, we never expected to be forced into this mess.” Revali straightened a few of his flight feathers.

“Is this like Wind?” Navi fluttered about excitedly. “He can see us when he concentrates because of something from his Journey! He doesn’t do it often because it’s difficult to hold for long periods, and he said he doesn’t want to poke his nose into the private business of the other heroes, but he’ll say hello to us every now and again.”

“I don’t think this is like Wind.” Shadow’s expression was unusually serious, and Arcadius almost did a double take at the abrupt change from the prankster he’d seen moments ago. He pointed towards Arcadius’ feet, which had disturbed neither the crystal clear waters of the spring, nor the sand that lay beneath.

Arcadius gave a small sigh, a bit of a sorrowful smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “You’re a bit more observant than you look, huh?” He purposefully shifted his stance, drawing attention to the fact that the movement didn’t disturb his environment at all. “Yeah, I’m a ghost too. We don’t understand it, but for some reason I’m visible to the living, and if I concentrate I can become solid to both people and objects around me.”

A grieved chime echoed throughout the spring, and for the second time that day, Arcadius witnessed the spirit of the sword crying. “So you really…” She looked utterly devastated. It reminded him distantly of when he’d told Yatir and the others the truth. It was like Fi was silently pleading with him to tell her this was all some kind of misunderstanding.

“I died in that last fight against Calamity Ganon. Zel and I both did. We gave our lives to seal him away in the Castle.” He idly watched the leaves of the trees sway in the wind as he spoke. “It’s why I became so angry when I saw you with the heroes. I thought that…”

“You saw me, and feared that they had released Ganon upon the land once more.” Fi finished his thought in a voice that was nearly as soft as the breeze.

“We all did.” Urbosa nodded. “Could you imagine what we felt? An enemy we gave our lives to subdue…” Several ghosts winced at that.

“That’s why you didn’t want to come along.” Marin’s hands were clasped over her mouth, even as tears swelled in her eyes. “When you said you’d done your part…”

“That makes a lot more sense.” Navi’s earlier exuberance had dimmed dramatically, and she settled herself on his shoulder. “I did think it was strange when you were so adamant about staying put. Though some of the heroes didn’t want to come along, none of them were as stubborn as you.”

“Yeah, Link’s just about the most stubborn person I know.” Revali smirked.

“Along with someone else I know.” Zelda shot the Rito a flat look.

Goldie chuffed softly from where he’d come to stand beside Arcadius, pushing his nose into the Champion’s hand. He smiled softly and let his hand run over the strangely soft fur. “You’re pretty fluffy for a wolf.” He mused. “Most of the time they’re really coarse. Then again, I’ve only felt the pelts of the wild ones in Hebra or the Gerudo Highlands.” He turned his attention back towards the others. “I’ve been dead for nearly three years. I know this information comes as a shock to many of you, but Zel and I are used to it. Don’t feel like you need to tread carefully around us or anything. Just… treat us like friends.”

“Still…” Marin winced. “It doesn’t feel right. The fact that you’ve been made to come along on this journey even after dying feels…”

“I never liked those goddesses.” Shadow leaned back into the air, floating above the water as he thought. Arcadius lifted a single brow at the action. Ghosts retained whatever abilities they had in life. If Shadow could float or fly, it was because he was capable of doing so before he’d died. Perhaps he’d ask him about that later. “Though I never really interacted with them, just watching this group of heroes tells me plenty.”

“The Three aren’t that bad, from my experience.” Arcadius hummed. He’d always been sensitive to Divinity. Sometimes the four goddesses would silently visit him on his Journey. They were emotions in the wind, each one with a distinct scent. Din, Farore and Nayru were his most common visitors, and often would come around just to help alleviate his loneliness. In more recent years, their visits had become more frequent, as if they were trying to make up for the fact that he was dead. “It’s just Hylia that’s pushy and unrepentant.” He smirked a little when he felt a warm wind swirl past him, carrying the scent of wildflowers and the distinct feeling of petulance. He turned a narrowed gaze towards the wind. “I don’t care if you’re pouting, I’m still mad at you. You’d better get us home in time for that festival, or I swear your annual offering will disappear this year.”

The wind seemed to flinch back for a moment as his words processed. Then, quick as a whip, Hylia’s power lashed out towards the ground before him and dashed away. He raised a single brow at the Silent Princess flower that’d bloomed in the sand—a plant he was fairly sure didn’t exist in this era.

“And now she’s messing up the ecosystem.” He shook his head as he reached down and plucked the flower. The entire exchange felt like a pouting child throwing a gift at the person they were angry with and dashing off before they had to face their reaction. “Honestly, for a goddess, she’s pretty immature.”

“Did you just argue with Hylia?” Navi paused in her action of braiding a lock of his hair to stare at him incredulously.

“You’ll get used to it.” Revali clicked his beak. “This guy doesn’t really follow the rules of others, and that includes the divine. You can probably kiss your logic and world views farewell since you’ll be spending more time with him.”

“Hey!” Arcadius pouted. “I only break worldviews sometimes .”

Daruk gave a booming laugh. “Sorry Little Guy, but I think Yatir would have a thing or two to say about that!”

“I feel personally attacked.” Arcadius pouted as he eyed the pre-dawn light that’d started to bleed into the sky. “That aside, I should be heading back. The living won’t notice your absence much, but I’ll need to come up with an excuse if there’s an early riser among them.”

“Time should be up by now.” Navi tied off the braid with a satisfied giggle. “You can probably just tell him you were out on a walk, exploring the area. Seems like something you’d do.”

“That’s true.” Arcadius nodded. “Oh, and one more thing.” He caught Shadow’s wrist, his glowing green-blue eyes narrowing at the spirit that’d made a grab for his Slate. “We suspect my Slate may have something to do with why I’m still connected to the living. It’s very precious to me.” He gave a pleasant smile to the spirit, even as his voice dipped to a dangerously low octave. “ Do not touch it .” Nevermind the fact that they were more sure it was his Triforce that bound him to the living, he would leverage whatever excuse he could to keep his Slate out of unfamiliar hands.

Shadow paled a little and backed off. “Right. Slate’s a no-go. Gotcha.” 

Arcadius’ smile was cold and pleasant as he released his hold on the red-eyed Link. He hummed softly under his breath as he continued his trek back to Twilight’s house.

“Is he always that scary?” Shadow whispered to Zelda, who snorted in amusement. 

“Only when you piss him off.” The princess grinned brightly. “Of course, that’s not to say the rest of us aren’t just as formidable under the proper circumstances.”

“Right. So you’re all scary.” Shadow gulped. “Got it.”

---

Arcadius grinned as he glanced around the Faron Woods. Legend and Hyrule were with him this time. Breakfast had been a boisterous and lively affair, and while Time had given him a raised eyebrow when he’d returned just prior to sunrise, he’d taken Navi’s suggested excuse of exploring the area. 

The mention of exploration had piqued Hyrule’s interest, and he invited Arcadius out to explore together after the meal. Never one to let the opportunity to run into the wilderness pass him by, he accepted with a wide grin.

This, apparently had put both Time and Legend on edge because according to Marin, Hyrule was prone to wandering off and getting himself terribly lost. So, in an effort to reassure the two heroes that disaster was not about to come knocking on the door simply because two trouble magnets wanted to explore a forest together, Arcadius suggested that one of them come along.

And Legend had drawn the proverbial short stick, which was why he was currently sending Arcadius a glare as Marin laughed behind him. “You’d never guess it from how he acts these days, but Link was always one to love exploring.” The spirit grinned broadly. “I think he’s the only one of the group to have been to at least three different countries. In fact, one of his journeys wasn’t even in Hyrule.”

“Really?!” Zelda perked up. “Link’s been to several different kingdoms as well, but that was after his Journey’s end.”

“You look like an old hand of exploring the forest.” Hyrule hummed as he watched Arcadius expertly weave around the foliage with the sort of grace that seemed unique to him.

“I grew up in the wilderness.” He explained. “Well, in my memory I did.”

“Right. You said something about amnesia?”

“Yep. I’ve got a handful of memories from before I got hurt. Other than that, I only know what I’ve learned on my Journey. And most of that was in the wilderness, so it feels like home to me.”

“I spend a lot of time in the wilderness, too.” Hyrule let his gaze trace the clouds that lazily drifted overhead. “Though it’s not as lively as this. Ganon had control for a while, and it hurt the land a lot. Most of our forests are dead or barely hanging on.”

“So you’re a survivalist.” Arcadius hummed. “You can make the most of an inhospitable environment.”

Hyrule tilted his head for a moment as he mulled that over. “I suppose you’re right. I’m a traveler more than anything though.” He grinned. “I’ve been to many kingdoms in my life.”

“I’ve only been to a handful.” Arcadius let his hand catch on a low-hanging branch, pulling himself onto the limb with the same ease as the Sheikah who taught him. Hyrule watched in mild awe as he casually hopped from one branch to another, keeping pace with the two heroes below him as if it were as easy as walking along the ground. “Of course, that was after my journey. How about you, Legend? Ever been outside Hyrule?”

The veteran’s eye twitched in irritation for a moment. “Yes. I’ve been several places. But why are you in the trees?”

Arcadius paused. “Oh, I forgot.” 

The two stared at him incredulously. “You forgot .” Legend stared at him like he’d told them he knew a lynel who sold cookies. “You’ve been skipping from branch to branch like a squirrel and you just… you didn’t realize ?”

“It’s an old habit of mine.” Arcadius snickered as he gracefully leapt down, ears wiggling with mirth at their gobsmacked expressions.

“You’re having far too much fun with this.” Mipha snickered.

“I’d say it’s a Rito habit to want to always have the higher ground, but I think we can blame Yatir for this one.” Revali smirked.

“Your Link is certainly unique.” Marin was staring at him with an expression eerily similar to Legend’s—a mixture of flabbergasted and analyzing that Arcadius wasn’t quite sure what to make of.

“I’m starting to have some serious questions about the culture in your Hyrule.” Legend shook his head.

“Ooh, what’s that?” Hyrule’s exclamation instantly snagged Arcadius’ attention as he followed the hero’s line of sight to find some rather old ruins. There was something soft that vibrated in the air, a distant echo of divinity and serenity, like they’d walked into a place that had once been considered sacred ground.

The area was covered in grass as crumbling pillars tried to hold up what was left of a ceiling. Two stone statues stood before what once must’ve been a door, and on the ground was a slightly raised platform upon which a shimmering gold Triforce was engraved.

“It looks like a temple.” Arcadius mused, letting his hand trace the cracks in an old stone staircase.

“I wonder if Twilight would know.” Hyrule hummed as he studied the statues.

“As long as those things don’t come to life and attack us, you can explore all you want.” Legend eyed the giant stone soldiers warily, and the Champion briefly wondered if he’d had experiences with such things. Arcadius himself was always wary of boulders and groupings of rocks that looked just a tad too out of place. One too many Talus ambushes had drilled that into him quite quickly.

“I wonder what was here.” Arcadius squatted down by the Triforce. There was a small dirt-filled slot that reminded him of the pedestal in the Lost Woods, but the Triforce itself was unnaturally clean and free of dirt and debris. “Do you think Twilight’s Sword that Seals the Darkness was resting here?”

“Sword that what ?” Hyrule gave him a blank look.

“Fi.”

“Oh, you mean the Master Sword.” The traveler tilted his head. “I’m not sure. Twilight hasn’t gone into much detail about his journey. I don’t think any of us have, except maybe Wind.”

“So you call it something different in your era?” Legend gave him a raised eyebrow.

“Titles can change over the flow of time.” Arcadius stood up and dusted himself off. “Considering the last hero was—” He abruptly cut himself off as the feeling of serenity in the air changed.

It reminded him of the whispers in the Lost Woods. The echoes of divinity in the air had taken an urgent tone, whispering of intruders, something has defiled this sacred place, be wary there is danger afoot.  

“Arc?” Legend took a step towards him, but the spirit’s eyes were flitting about the clearing urgently. He drew his sword, and the two heroes behind him quickly did the same.

“Something’s wrong. We’re not alone here.” His eyes flickered towards Revali at once, who nodded and flew into the skies. The Champions all fell into a battle stance beside him, confusing Marin. The spirits ignored the perplexed look their fellow ghost gave them.

A low warble from Revali was the only warning Arcadius got. He dropped to the ground with a quick shout to the heroes behind him to do the same. Thankfully, they were experienced enough in battle to listen without hesitation.

Something flew just over their heads as Arcadius rolled to the side and sprang up on the balls of his feet. He spun about, eyes tracking what looked like a winged lizalfos. “Well this is new.”

“Aeralfos.” Legend scowled as another one joined the first. “You’ll want to use a gripshot to get their shield.”

“A what?” Hyrule and Arcadius asked in sync.

Legend looked halfway between screaming and staring incredulously. “Leave the shield to me, then.” He pulled something out of his bag that looked almost like a claw on a stick.

Arcadius eyed the enemies gliding above them, far out of a sword’s range. Arrows would undoubtedly be blocked by those shields—the distance would give them ample time to either dodge or block—though elemental arrows might work. But Arcadius was never one to waste his arrows without reason.

“All we need to do is get close enough to hit ‘em, right?” He grinned as he crouched low to the ground, eyes never straying from his prey.

“Yeah, but—Arcadius, what are you doing?” Hyrule’s eyes were definitely judging his current position, but the spirit couldn’t care less. He gathered magic around him as Revali landed by his side.

“Ah, bringing the fight to them, are we?” The Rito seemed distinctly amused as the wind started to pick up around them.

“Don’t worry.” Arcadius sent Legend a feral grin as Revali activated his Gale. “I’ll be right back.”

“Wait, wha—” The rest of Legend’s words were lost to the wind as Arcadius was sent soaring into the skies, far above even their enemies.

Laughter left his lips. “I think this is higher than last time!”

“Yes well, you’ve been giving me plenty of practice.” Revali grinned as he soared beside him. Arcadius whipped out his paraglider, riding controlled gusts from his Rito brother to chase after the aeralfos that’d taken notice of him. The spirit gave a mischievous chuckle as the flying reptiles tried to shift their positions to account for an airborne foe, but the Champion was faster.

Arcadius stored his glider, diving at one of the enemies. “I don’t suppose you speak Lizal Common?” He tried as he landed on its back, but the creature’s eyes were filled with a familiar hate-filled haze. “Ah, I suppose not.”

The Fallen One immediately started twisting mid-air, and Arcadius held on as best he could. Thankfully, he’d had plenty of practice between bucking lynels and pissy Revalis who couldn’t take a joke.

“Arc!” Hyrule called up towards him as the aeralfos dived for the ground, spinning rapidly to try to get him off its back. In the moment it swooped up, panting as it desperately tried to figure out how to get Arcadius off its back, he saw his window of opportunity. 

“Don’t hate me in the afterlife!” Arcadius raised his sword and brought it down upon the Fallen One. Black blood flew into the air and it gave a horrid screech as it died. The Champion was quick to kick off his foe and pull out his paraglider once more. As it fell and disappeared into a puff of black smoke, he gently came to a landing before the two heroes. “That was fun!”

“Fun.” Legend stared at him blankly, like he was still trying to process everything he’d just seen. “ Fun. ” He repeated, a bit of hysteria in his voice. “You just catapulted yourself fifty feet in the air and landed on the back of an aeralfos and you say that’s fun ?!”

Zelda was dying of laughter behind him, held up only by a snickering Urbosa. Revali’s smirk was wide enough to nearly crack his beak and Mipha rolled her eyes with a fond smile. Even Daruk was grinning ear-to-ear.

“Is this normal for you all?” Marin glanced between the group of laughing Champions and Arcadius himself.

“Oh, you’ll get used to it.” Mipha reassured her.

“Uh…” Arcadius blinked at Legend, trying his best not to grin and laugh alongside his ghost family—their laughter was infectious. “Was it not supposed to be fun? I could probably try dropping a bomb on them next time, but—”

“Okay, normally I’m not the one to say this kind of thing, but I’m supposed to keep you both out of trouble today, so… Arc, what you did was dangerous .” Legend stressed the word like he was trying to convey something important. “You could’ve gotten hurt if you’d messed up even one thing.”

“You say that like I haven’t been doing stuff like this for years.” Arcadius finally snickered, but Legend’s brow was twitching in something that definitely didn’t look amused. “Look, I get that you’re concerned for me, and I appreciate that. But that was far from the most dangerous stunt I’ve pulled. I think my friends back home would’ve been pulling out the popcorn, honestly.”

“How would you pop corn?” Hyrule muttered, but Arcadius didn’t address that. Calming Legend down was a tad more important here.

After a long moment of just staring at him , Legend ran a hand down his face with an exhausted sigh. “Just… at least warn me next time. I don’t want to explain to the others how you broke a leg in a swordfight, if I can help it.”

Arcadius grinned broadly. “That’s the spirit!”

“And I thought Ravio was bad.” The veteran bemoaned. “This Journey is going to be my last one. I swear to the goddesses, I am retiring after this.”

The Champion nodded sagely. “You and me both.”

---

A woman leaned against her golden jewel-encrusted spear as she watched the reflection of three heroes still cleaning their blades of the monsters’ blood. The water shimmered gold and silver as the image was distorted by ripples, swiftly revealing her own reflection of short spiky crimson hair with green-gold eyes set into a dark gerudo skin tone. She lifted her gaze towards the woman who’d interrupted her viewing.

“How’s he adjusting?” The woman had long periwinkle hair, pulled into a loose braid over her shoulder and woven with Rito feathers, and skin as pale as snow. Her eyes were gently closed, and she carried a book in one hand.

“Better than we expected.” The first woman answered, straightening her stance and spinning her spear with a small smirk. “I still think we should’ve given him some warning first. Poor kid’s still pissed at Hylia.”

“You can say that again.” Another woman stepped out into the courtyard to join them, completing the Trio. “Hylia’s been complaining about Soul-Child’s threat to make her yearly offering smaller.” With each step of her bare feet, flowers grew and blossomed, only to wither and die as she took her next step. Her mid-length brown hair was pulled into a high ponytail with two strands left out to frame her face—a hairstyle she often wore because it reminded her of the heroes. Her eyes were a deep forest green and, as usual, she was an utter mess of leaves and dirt. Vines clung to her hair, sprouting flowers wherever they pleased.

“Were you out playing in the forest again, ‘Re?” The pale woman frowned sharply, turning towards the brown-haired woman. Her dress shimmered with the movement like water woven into fabric, the iridescent Zora scales casting dancing ripples of reflected sunlight around them. The Rito feathers stitched along the hem gently brushed the grass, leaving a trail of glittering frost in their wake.

“Maybe I was?” Re shrugged. “I had a few things to tend to. The Gorons’ Heart Ore was due for a recharge.”

“You could’ve called me over too, y’know.” The crimson-haired woman pouted. “I could’ve helped.”

“You were busy, Din.” Re laughed softly as she adjusted the bow upon her back. “They really only need one of us to recharge the Ore, and it’s only every few centuries. I don’t mind.”

“Besides,” the woman with the book shook her head, “one of us should keep an eye on the Heroes. Goodness knows the trouble they’d get into with nine of them in one location.”

“You say that like you weren’t the one to suggest we pull them together, Nayru.” Din rolled her eyes. “Which, might I add, Farore and I were against.”

“Well… I was against it because we’ve already asked too much of them.” The Goddess of Courage idly brushed the dirt from her pants and straightened her cloak. Her wardrobe seemed to have taken some inspiration from Soul-Child and his princess recently.

“I can agree with you there.” The Goddess of Power nodded, idly scratching at the battle scars on her right cheek. “Especially when it comes to Dream-Child. He’s earned a retirement blessed by the divine. Not to mention that inviting nine people whose entire existence revolves around finding trouble seems like a bad idea.”

“It’s already too late.” The Goddess of Wisdom idly opened her book and flipped through some pages. The sunlight sparkled against a few off-white Zora scales that grew along her cheekbones. “They’ve met, and there’s nothing we can do about that now.”

Din sighed, eyes glancing back at the Looking Glass—a pool of blessed water that the divine used to watch over the mortal realm. A few spots of light bubbled up from beneath the surface of the water, illuminating the separate groups of heroes—both Soul-Child’s group and Forest-Child’s group were visible on the smooth surface of the divine waters. But it was a third sphere of light that caught her eye.

“Uh… Nay? Re?” Din’s quiet voice went unheeded as Farore and Nayru continued to speak.

“Can’t we give them all a little something more?” Farore scowled softly. “I feel like it’s against the rules to send them on a Journey with no reward.”

“Like what?” Nayru shot her a look. “We’ve already allowed them to keep their items and weapons. We’ve even had Hylia adjust the flow of time so they won’t be missed for long. What more can we give them that they don’t already have? I’m fairly sure Dream-Child has just about every item we can think of and then some.”

“Hey, are you two even listening to me?” Din glanced at her sisters in dismay, “I’m trying to—” but they continued speaking over her.

“Well, they’ve always had companions, maybe we can give them a Guide. Or perhaps we could send them a tool to help them find the portals that are out of reach.” Farore suggested.

“Soul-Child will act as their guide for the portals.” Nayru clicked her teeth, a habit she’d picked up from the Rito who worshipped her. The soft white feathers that grew from her eartips quivered in a breeze stirred up by her irritation. “He’s far more spiritually sensitive than the other heroes. With him, they’re unlikely to miss the portals like they used to.”

Din’s eyebrow twitched in irritation. “All right, you two wanna play this game. Fine.” She took a deep breath and slammed her spear against the cobblestone of the courtyard, the resounding thunderous boom was accentuated by a bolt of lightning that streaked across the clear blue sky, summoned by her ire. She distantly apologized to the mortals in the realm below, who must’ve been equally startled by a sharp crack of thunder on a clear day.

“Din?” The two goddesses jerked back and stared at their elder sister with wide eyes. 

“Hey you idiots, listen when someone’s speaking, would you?” The Goddess of Power leveled them with a stern expression—something quite out of place on the usually carefree redhead. Her sisters stiffened and fell silent, giving her their full undivided attention. “We have a problem.” She pointed resolutely towards the third vision in the Looking Glass, where a figure idly wandered through the forest of Wolf-Child’s land.

“Wait…” Farore leaned closer to the water, eyes shifting to a brighter spring green in surprise. “Is that…?”

“It looks like we have an uninvited guest.” Though Nayru’s eyes remained closed, Din swore it felt like she was glaring. “I’ll inform our niece.”

“Hylia won’t be happy with this.” Din smirked. She didn’t exactly get along with the White Goddess, so anything that inconvenienced the Goddess of Time was entertaining in the redhead’s book.

“I will stay with the Looking Glass.” Farore sighed, sitting on the edge of the stone that held the water. “All things considered, this isn’t an issue to be handled lightly. I’d rather not leave this person unattended.”

“The question now is how to handle this… unwanted variable.” Nayru glanced at the Looking Glass once more. “Perhaps guiding this one to the heroes and allowing them to handle things would be best.”

“Can’t we just… y’know, send our guest back home?” Din huffed. 

“Do you really think we’d be able to manage that without a fight?” Farore deadpanned. 

“Eh, that’s fair.” Din casually swung her spear across her shoulders, draping her wrists over the pole as she tilted her head with a smirk. “If we’re going to let the heroes take over on this front, then perhaps we should give them a heads up?”

“Come now sister,” Farore grinned, “where’s the fun in that? We all know the heroes are more than capable of figuring things out on their own.”

Din gave a half-hearted shrug as her eyes drifted back towards the pool. She couldn’t wait to see how Soul-Child would react. The thought had her grinning as she spun on her heel and followed Nayru towards the White Palace, humming an old Gerudo lullaby under her breath.

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 2 of Hero's Spirit Chronicles