Chapter Text
Tidal hated wizzrobes. Hated them. They did strange things. Last one turned one of Legend's swords into a snake. And it had taken all night and a lot of screaming to find it. Hyrule ended up on the receiving end this time. Tidal was unable to dispatch it, as it fled before she could catch it. Wizzrobe later. Hyrule now. She heard a gasp, and looked back. There was a small child standing there. Where Hyrule should have been. A quick sniff told her it was Hyrule. But… He wasn't this young… Tidal turned to face him, and little Hyrule bolted. He squeezed under the roots of a tree, trying to hide. The wizzrobe did something to him… He didn't recognize her. Tidal crouched down by the tree, peering down at the frightened face that looked back. She leaned forward a bit, tilting her head. Hyrule didn't make a sound.
“Hyrule…” she said softly. He did not respond. The child shrank back further, wide hazel eyes watering up. "Dun hurt me... G-go away!" Tidal gently pried roots away, and the little boy darted out. She caught him easily. Wrapping a hand around him as he tried to slip past. He let out a piercing scream, thrashing and squirming with all his might as she lifted him into the air and up to her face. “Dun eat me! Lemme go! I'm not food, lemme gooooo!” His pleas turned into terrified sobbing, little hands covering his face as he shook and cried. Fat tears rolling down his round cheeks. Tidal keened softly, tilting her head. His cries pulled at her heart. It hurt, seeing him so scared. Little legs kicking as hard as they could as he tried to get away. She gently licked the top of his tiny head, then nuzzled him like she always did. Making the same gentle sounds. He peeked out at her from between his fingers, hiccuping hard. “Please… Dun eat me… I dun wanna die please..." She delicately pulled his hands away from his little face, staring into his eyes with the kindest look she could muster. His lip wobbled, sobs slipping out, and tears still flowing from his eyes. Tidal gently touched her nose to his, purring. That sound got him to stop sobbing. So she continued to purr.
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Little Link was very frightened. One minute he'd been in his cave, the next he was in the woods with a giant dragon. She had called him Hyrule. Then she grabbed him. He thought for sure he was dinner. Or a snack for later. But she was purring. And kept rubbing her face on him. Like a cat. He tucked his little arms in close to his chest as she nuzzled his side a bit. She was making low rumbles and quiet clicking sounds as she nuzzled him. He whined as her tongue brushed over his hair, then came back to brush across his face. Without hurting him. Link rubbed his eyes with a weepy snuffle. The dragon was actually being quite gentle. She wasn't squeezing him. Her hand shifted minutely around him, supporting his weight evenly. Her licks were gentle, too. It wasn't suffocating when she licked him. “Friend?” she rasped, head tilting. He nodded, unsure of what else he could do. And hoped that by giving a positive answer, she wouldn’t hurt him. She trilled at his answer. Licking him again. He squeezed his eyes shut as her tongue passed lightly over his face, and when he opened his eyes she was… Smiling? Link squirmed a little, very unsure of the whole situation.
“Tidal, Hyrule!” The dragon looked up, barking. Eight Hylians arrived at the clearing. A young man with a pelt approached. “Tidal, where's… Hyrule… Uh oh…” Link whined, squirming again. The dragon, Tidal, set him down delicately. Setting him on his own two feet before letting go completely. “Hey little buddy…” The tallest of them, a man with a scar, knelt down. “What's your name, little one?”
“Link…”
The two men exchanged looks. The tallest, Time, introduced himself and the other boys. And the dragon. They were at ease around Tidal. Link was still afraid. One bite and he'd be gone! The group assured him that Tidal did not eat people. And was in fact friendly. He was still on edge as they set up camp a while later.
Link whined as Tidal approached him again. He'd sat himself down away from the group, overwhelmed. The dragon laid down beside him, and dropped something into his lap. It was a roasted mushroom wrapped in a leaf. He munched on it, keeping an eye on Tidal. She started purring again. Watching him watch her. “Um… I-I'm Link… Thank you for not eating me…” Tidal chirped, a sound he didn't expect from a dragon. Her head tilted to one side, then the other. Nose wiggling a bit like a rabbit's. Link reached a hand out, shaking a little. He was growing curious. Link nearly pulled his hand back as she moved a foreleg. Tidal lifted a finger and placed it under his palm. He ran his little palm across her knuckle, surprised at the softness of her skin. Skin, not scales. Smooth, rubbery skin. “Hyrule… Link?” She leaned her head down and licked the top of his head, and purred. Link blinked a few times at that. She was reminding him of a cat with her kittens. “... I'm scared. I-I dunno where I am… I want Mama and Daddy, but they're gone…” Link sniffed, trying not to cry. Why he was pouring his feelings out to her, he did not know. A soft, warm pressure ran up and down his back. Tidal's hand had moved to curl loosely around him, her thumb rubbing his back soothingly. He looked up into one giant blue eye. It blinked slowly, the pupil dilating as it focused on him. “I… I…” Link hiccuped, scrubbing at his eyes as the tears started falling. “I'm so tired, I didn't wanna leave b-but Mama told me I had to, so the monsters didn't gobble me up…” He gave up trying not to cry.
Link buried his head in his arms and wept. It had been about two months since his mother and father had died trying to protect him. He missed them terribly. So much had been thrust upon him. He was only eight for Hylia's sake! Tidal's hand shifted around him, the creature herself giving a deep, almost sad rumble. A large fingertip rested on his shoulder, rubbing ever so gently. Her face twisted into what could be discerned as a worried look. “I just wanna go home…” he sobbed miserably.
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Tidal gently scooped the tiny boy off the ground. More careful than she had ever been. Slipping her fingers under his feet, and delicately curling them loosely around the extra small form. Hyrule, it seemed, had a harsh childhood. And he was so SMALL… And seeing that sweet little face so distraught was heart wrenching. She rolled onto her back, leaning against a clump of trees, and set him on her belly. He sat there, little fists rubbing at his eyes. Tidal cupped a hand at his back, looking over to the camp in concern. She cooed softly at the tiny child, and licked his cheek. He blinked in shock, lip wobbling, then he reached for her face. Tidal leaned her head in, and let him cry on her nose. Gently stroking his back with a finger. Hyrule pressed himself hard against her, and she paid no mind to how little fingers pinched her skin as he tried to grab. He eventually tuckered himself out, falling asleep against her face. Tidal slowly pulled her head back, easing Hyrule onto his side on her belly. He curled into a tiny ball.
She cupped a hand over him before looking down to see Legend. “Poor kid… We gotta find the wizzrobe that did this… Here, I brought him a blanket.” Legend passed her a blanket, which she then draped over the child before covering him under her palm again. “I'm surprised. You're far gentler with him now than before.” Well, yes, of course she was, Hyrule was so extra tiny now. And frightened. He made a soft noise and she immediately turned her attention to him. Legend shuffled in place, and Tidal figured he probably wanted to see his friend. She gently wrapped her hand around Legend, and picked him up. She set him on her belly carefully and lifted her other hand so he could see Hyrule. Legend sat down, then laid down, beside him. Carding his fingers through the child's hair.
Tidal settled her hand gently on them both as Legend fell asleep on her with Hyrule. The child seemed at ease with another Hylian present. She slept for a good long while. Tidal awoke to Hyrule moving a bit. Legend was sound asleep. Hazel eyes blinked up at her. The tiny child wriggled out from under her palm, crawling to her face again. Wonder now filled his eyes. He said nothing, only patting her nose. Tidal let him. Little fingers feeling as much of her face as he could reach. She blinked slowly as his tiny hands patted around her eyes. He ruffled her whiskers curiously, and she twitched them in response. He giggled at that. “Eyo…” she greeted him. Hyrule smiled, curiously pushing at her lip. “Oh, you have teeth for plants and fishies…” he mused to himself, looking at her teeth. Tidal kept very still as he ran his hands over her teeth, blinking as he patted one tooth. The gentle giant yawned, only just aware of Hyrule peering into her mouth. She shifted her head so she could close her jaw, but was content to lick the child's face after. Another delightful giggle came out of him at that. Then he seemed to get sleepy again, so he crawled back and wriggled under Legend's arm. He patted Tidal sweetly before dozing off again. She watched as Legend pulled Hyrule in close in his sleep, cuddling the boy. The dragon patted them both, purring fondly.
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Link woke up several hours later, startling a bit. After a few moments everything came back. The dragon he was LAYING on was Tidal, and she was friendly enough. Legend was still sleeping next to him, but Tidal was already awake. She was watching something in the trees when she spotted him moving. And her attention turned to him. Link wriggled out from Legend’s hold, tripping a little on the soft hide underfoot. He managed to stand up, balancing carefully before looking up at her face. Tidal reached a hand towards him, and he spooked a little bit. Ducking down on instinct. He was used to Gleeoks. Which tried to eat him on sight. In stark contrast, she was so incredibly gentle with him. Her fingers delicately curled around his little torso, and he was lifted with care. He was just as delicately set on his own two feet, the fingers carefully pulling away without throwing him off-balance.
Link watched as she was equally gentle with Legend. Tidal shifted to sit up, but held the sleeping Legend against her body so he wasn't disturbed. The little boy couldn't help but chuckle as Legend was cradled like a baby in one foreleg. His little belly growled, and he was gently herded along by Tidal. Wild had breakfast ready, and he took pictures of Tidal cradling Legend. Legend woke at the scent of food. Link giggled hard when Legend tried to sit up upon realizing how he was being held. Legend scrambled down, trying to preserve what dignity he had left. The group had breakfast, Tidal could be seen grazing close by.
It was intriguing. She never took more than one bite from the same spot of vegetation. And she was so careful too. Anything she didn't want to tear up with her target plant, she used a hand to gently push it away. Link, once he'd had his fill, joined her. He picked a few herbs and offered them. “Hey, Tidal! Lookie!” She sniffed at them, and while he was nervous for all of three seconds, giggled as she sucked them out of his hands. It felt weird, but it tickled too! He repeated this many times, the dragon always taking what he offered.
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Tidal found this endearing. Hyrule kept bringing her good things. The way he'd giggle after she accepted each offering was pleasant. This went on for a while, until he trotted up with a mushroom she knew to be toxic. Tidal used a finger to gently knock it from his hand. He went to pick it up, but she stepped on it. “Bad… Shroom… Danger.” Hyrule seemed confused at first. She found a similar looking shroom, an edible one, and stepped off. She let him see the differences. She then ate the edible one, before gently herding him away from the toxic one.
This went on until she'd had her fill, at which point she scruffed Hyrule by the back of his shirt like a kitten. He giggled all the way back, and she set him down on his feet. “Hey, Link!” Wind greeted. Twilight scooped Hyrule up in his arms. “Didja have fun?” Hyrule nodded. “Uh-huh! Tidal showed me which shrooms are good to eat!” Wind gave Tidal a nervous look, and she beckoned him over with a flick of her tail. She led the sailor to where the toxic shrooms were, and he confirmed it. “Oof. Yeah… Uh… Good job!” Tidal sighed in relief, returning with Wind to camp.
They began marching on, her taking the lead as she tracked the wizzrobe responsible. As much as “Link” was cute… She wanted her Hyrule back. She missed him. They were getting close… Hyrule was holding Sky's hand, Wild alongside them. Tidal stopped at the sound of something big crashing through the foliage. A Hinox! One of Wild's! They scattered to combat positions, but as Sky went to pass Hyrule to Wild, both Sky and Hyrule were knocked to the ground. The Hinox spotted Hyrule, and grabbed him. The poor child screamed, struggling with everything he had. “No! PUT HIM DOWN!” Time started hacking at its leg armor, but was booted aside.
It raised Hyrule up, and to everyone’s horror, made to pop the boy into its mouth! Tidal bellowed, and lunged. She knocked it down just as the terrified boy fell. The Hinox grabbed one little arm in a cruel fist, and tried again to eat him. Time stabbed it in the side, distracting it long enough for Tidal to engulf the offending hand in her own jaws, child and all.
Tidal bit down with all her might, forcing it to release Hyrule. The poor child was terrified. He was screaming. The dragon let go of the Hinox, taking Hyrule with her. Tidal took several big steps away from it. She spit him out behind a tree before attacking the Hinox again. Tidal rammed into it with her horns, shaking her head. The tines tore into flesh and brought it down again. “Where's Link?!” Four called out. Tidal, between attacks, gestured to the tree with her wing. Four understood. As he collected Hyrule, Tidal went all out. This beast had tried to kill a child! Tidal stood up on her back legs and dropped down on top of it. Ribs caving under her weight. The others stepped back as she quite literally tore into it.The angry dragon bit down on its shoulder, and wrenched it across the ground. Teeth tearing and crushing. She bit into its side, shaking her head until flesh pulled away. The Hinox squealed, trying to fend her off with a broken tree. She ripped that away, and savagely bit its arm. Tidal shook it, and with a dreadful tearing, the arm was torn clean off and flung aside to continue her assault! She went for the face, then. The Hinox tried to roll onto its belly, but Tidal did not allow it. She wrenched it back, and dealt a savage blow to its face. Its jaw shattered, hanging uselessly before another swipe tore it off entirely!
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Link watched in a mixture of awe and terror as Tidal ripped the Hinox apart. She tore into its belly with one swipe of her horns, blood and flesh flung into the air! Even the others seemed taken aback. “Holy shit…” Legend breathed. Tidal did not stop until the Hinox ceased moving. For good measure, she set it ablaze. Link gulped. Four looked at his arm, which was swollen and painful. “Ow!” The second the whimper came out, a big blue nose was gently sniffing at him. Tidal was now her usual docile self. Looking at him with wide, worried eyes. “I think it just dislocated his arm…” Four told her. Uh oh. That sounded bad…
Time and Twilight approached. “Hey kiddo. We're gonna have to put it back in. It's gonna hurt at first, but then it'll feel better.” Link whimpered. But nodded. Time and Twilight were quick and efficient. Indeed it only hurt for a moment. The foliage rustled in the distance, and Link whimpered. “No no no, no not again…” A much kinder, gentler hand picked him up. Tidal held him close, and began marching on. Using her wings as forelegs to walk in order to carry him. Link curled up in the shelter of her paws, closing his eyes and just trying to breathe. The paws curled around him just a touch more. Holding him a touch closer. Protecting him.
Many hours later they stopped again to rest. Link huddled against Time at dinner. The eldest of them pulled him into a gentle hug. “I know… That was scary. But you're safe now.” The child nodded. He was much too frightened to go anywhere alone now. For anything. Tidal watched sympathetically as Twilight followed him so he could just go to the bathroom without being attacked. When Link came back, he dragged his blankets over to Tidal. He didn't want to burden anyone but… He was scared. “Can… Can I sleep with you again?” he asked her. The dragon tilted her head. He sighed, about to turn back when a wing stretched out over him, and paused. Tidal was looking at him. Glancing between a spot at her side and him.
Link toddled over, and she folded her wing around him. He was scooped off the ground, settling neatly into the folds. It was like a hammock. It was warm, and it felt safe. They had been right about her. Truly. She'd saved his life. She'd taken hits for him. He heard Warriors and Wild come over, and Tidal let them peek inside. “How're you feeling?” Wild asked. Link gave a shrug, snuggling down in his blankets. Wild joined him, getting an amused snort out of him when Wild sunk a bit more than he thought he would. “You get some good rest, alright? We'll get you home, buddy.” Wild ruffled his hair, before he too laid down. Warriors lingered, before giving a hefty sigh. “Really, champion? Really?” Wild gave him a look, and curled up where he was.
Warriors huffed, but let them be. “Tidal… You look after Hyrule, you hear?” he said, voice barely above a whisper. Hyrule. Who was Hyrule? Tidal had said it too when they first met. Now Warriors. Were they keeping something from him? He was too tired to ask. The boy drifted off, falling asleep. When he woke, he sat up and nudged a snoring Wild. Tidal was still asleep.
“Wild?”
“Mmm?”
“Who's Hyrule?”
Wild sat up at that, eyes wide. “A friend of ours. Why?”
“Because Tidal and Warriors have called me that.”
Link grew worried as Wild sighed. “. . . Two days ago, our friend was hit by a wizzrobe. When we got there… Link, you ARE Hyrule. We think the wizzrobe swapped you with your older self…” Link began hyperventilating. What… “Hey. Look at me. We're gonna get you home. But to do that, we gotta find that wizzrobe.”
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Tidal woke up to movement at her side. Upon lifting her wing, she found Wild hugging Hyrule, who was crying. Wild called for Time. “He knows.” was all Wild had to say. It confirmed, in Tidal's mind, what she had figured out from the start. He had no memory of them. Of anything. He had been reduced to a past version of himself. And being the smart boy he was… “Link, we WILL get you home. You won't remember any of this. But you will go home.”
The child nodded, rubbing his eyes. They needed to find that wizzrobe. Fast. They had breakfast, and got moving again. Tidal carried Hyrule like she had last night, holding him close. A familiar scent struck her, then. Wizzrobe. The very one. She rumbled, staring dead ahead. And slowly set Hyrule down. He took cover, Wind staying with him. “Tidal!” the little boy called out, running towards her. She lowered her head with a concerned grunt, and little Hyrule wrapped his arms as far around her nose as he could. “Thank you!” was all he could squeak out, before darting back. She gave him a nod, before turning to hunt down the wizzrobe. Legend found it first, and the battle began.
They all took turns taking shots at it. Slowly wearing it down. Four took a nasty hit, crumpling to the ground with a groan. Tidal hissed at that. Time and Warriors each got a few good slashes in before the wizzrobe stumbled. And Tidal slammed it into the ground, before setting it on fire. They watched it burn, its magic withering away. There was a shout where they'd left Wind and Hyrule. Tidal, excited, bounded over. She spotted Hyrule, HER Hyrule, hauling himself up, and she skidded to a stop. Her stomach dropped, however, when she looked down. Hyrule had curled into a tight ball, arms over his head. Wind came up next. “It's us, Hyrule! You're okay!”
Tidal gently rolled Hyrule onto his back. He was hyperventilating, eyes huge. And he looked awful. He was scared of them all… Worried, she leaned down and licked his face. He sputtered and pushed her tongue away, looking more panicked. “G-get away, get away!” He started backpedaling hard. Tidal simply followed, the others still calling out and trying to calm him. Eventually he could go no further. Tidal leaned down, sniffing at him gently. Assessing. He trembled as her whiskers brushed over him. It was him, for sure. But he was so, so afraid. Tidal licked the top of his head before gently picking him up. Hyrule seemed confused by this, limp in her grasp. “Hyrule… Friend?” He squinted his eyes, then they widened. Tidal's eyes widened as well, as she saw recognition on his face. “Ti–”
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Hyrule wheezed as Tidal hugged him to her face. Adrenaline subsiding as he began to recall the chain of events. The last thing he remembered before the anomalies was being hit by a wizzrobe's spell. After that, he'd been alone in his homeland, reliving parts of his childhood in a nightmarish series of events. Now he was back. And soon everyone was vying for his attention. But Tidal was unwilling to let him go. She was rubbing her face on him, licking him repeatedly (his hair was an absolute mess now), and singing his name over and over.
“Hyrule Hyrule Hyrule Rulie Rulie Ruuuuuuuulieeeee!” Tidal cheered. She FINALLY set him down, then flopped down herself. As the others finally got to hug him, Tidal rolled around them, wings fluttering happily. “I missed you all, too!” Hyrule laughed, as Tidal curled around them all.
