Letting Loose

by Poposusz

Summary:

When everyone just wants to see Legend happy, he decides to listen to them and let loose.

Chapter 1: The Deal

The night was dark and rainy. He heard the patter of the raindrops through the panes in the glass of his window. Purple eyes looked sorrowfully over to the door. Sleep would not come tonight. His eyes stung and burned in their sockets. His body ached for rest, for the sweet release of unconsciousness, yet it fought it at every turn. 

The inn was far too comfortable, far too unfamiliar. In a strange twist of fate, he felt lonely. They’d had enough for everyone to get their own room, and now that he had some privacy, he wished he didn’t. 

He missed Hyrule’s warmth pressed against his back. Time’s snoring across the camp. Warriors’ routine checks throughout the night. Wild’s slate glowing as he played on the magical tablet throughout the night. He missed the stars overhead and the grass under his bare legs. Even at home, he had Ravio to contend with. The merchant’s breaths as he slept, at least something else to focus on. Here he had nothing but grating silence and his own thoughts. 

They’d just come from Hyrule’s land, which always brought about darker thoughts. The devastation of the land, the taint that permeated the air and land. The unfriendliness of the people, the way everyone felt hunted . The trees had eyes, the birds were not to be trusted. He was responsible for this. This was his world, his successor, his failure. 

Perhaps Hyrule would have been better off without him. Perhaps he’d been a poor choice. Perhaps, he should never have lived through that first adventure. 

With a defeated sigh, he cast the blanket back. A chill broke out over his exposed skin. With practiced ease, he slipped his tunic back on. A small, unassuming pouch was palmed into his hand. The inn's slippers adorned his feet as he silently slipped out of his room. 

It was far too late for anyone else to be awake. The nighttime innkeeper started at him coming down the steps. The clerk looked at him in pity. He couldn’t bring himself to smile, the act alone exhausting. He ruffled his hair further, trying to cast some of it out of his face. 

“Mind if I smoke?” His voice cracked hoarse from disuse. He’d been the reason they’d stopped here in the first place. He hadn’t slept a wink in Hyrule’s world, too paranoid, too on edge, too fucking guilty. And dammit it all, it didn’t even matter. The reprieve he sought was long gone. 

“Outside, there’s a covering and some seats.” The clerk directed him, and he grunted in acknowledgement. The cold breeze woke him up further but he didn’t care now. He slumped into a chair and fumbled with the drawstring of the pouch. The contents were simple, a wooden pipe, some matches and homegrown tobacco. 

Carefully he filled the bowl of the pipe, not wanting to waste any of his guilty pleasure. He packed it in and gave the raw leaf a sniff. Satisfied, he sat back further and lit up the match. 

Inhale. Puff. The embers took and smoke billowed out. He sighed, the smell so familiar, so comforting. His hand shook slightly as he grasped the bowl and lifted it away from his lips. He felt the smoke fill his lungs, warm and cozy. He breathed it out and watched it twirl into the air and dissipate. 

The town had a few lanterns alight still. The sound of the rain was calming. He silenced his thoughts and breathed in again. This was not something he partook in often. Being on the road often left him no time to stop and enjoy a simple pleasure like this. Add that to the fact that many of his companions would disagree and berate him of the simple habit. He was fucked up enough already, surely a pipe once in and awhile wouldn’t change that fact. 

His mind turned hazy, bent on the way the smoke swirled and danced in the air. His head came to rest in his hand, his eyes still stinging, his joints still in agony. He heard the door click behind him, and a spark of panic shot through him. He grasped the pipe and brought it down to his lap, ears flicking and eyes searching for the intruder on his private revelry. 

The Captain’s dumb, concerned face greeted him, and he huffed in mock annoyance, rolling his sore eyes. He brought the pipe back to his lips in defiance and pulled a drag, staring at the Captain. Warriors’ eyebrows arched in surprise, but he blessedly kept his mouth shut and sat down in the chair next to him. He held a glass out to Legend, and the Veteran eyed him curiously before accepting it. He twirled it in his grip, and his rings clinked on the rim. 

The smoke was hot on his tongue as he pulled the pipe away once more. A quick sniff of the glass confirmed his suspicion. He sipped at the burning liquid and felt more fire fill his stomach. 

“Can’t sleep?” Warriors asked. Legend snorted derisively. 

“No shit.” He replied and the words held no heat, just resignation. Warriors chuckled good-naturedly. For all their bickering the Captain really did understand him. He pulled more smoke into his lungs and puffed it away. 

“Smells good.” Warriors stated as he sipped at his own glass. Legend’s ears perked up. He had been expecting a reprimand, to be honest, not a compliment. The tobacco always did have a pleasant smell. Dark and full, it reminded him of his uncle. The way his cheeks would puff out and he’d blow smoke rings to entertain Legend at a young age. The pipe he held in his hand now was that man’s. He rubbed his thumb across the bowl, feeling the aged wood. 

“Want a drag?” He held the pipe out as he exhaled more smoke. Warriors looked at him, surprised. For a second, he thought he was going to be denied, but then the Captain’s scarred hand accepted his offer. Tentatively, the reed was placed on his lips, and he watched as the Captain inhaled. He coughed abruptly, and a laugh escaped Legend. 

“Lemme try that again.” Warriors coughed out. Legend shrugged.

“Knock yourself out, pretty boy.” He replied, Wars threw him a deadpan glare and took a steadying breath. He pulled in another drag, and the smoke left his lips as he exhaled. Legend watched the swirl and took another swig of his drink. The edges of his mind turned a little more hazy, and he sank into the feeling of warmth and ease. His hands felt heavy, his head moved too much on its own accord. 

What the hell was this drink? 

His eyes lagged as he sought out Warriors’ stupid face. 

“What is this?” He asked as he held up the glass and clinked a ring against it. Warriors laughed at him. 

“Liquor?” He replied with a quirked brow as he handed the pipe back. Legend grumbled under his breath, he knew it was liquor. He didn’t bother asking again. 

“Wanna talk about it?” Warriors asked after Legend blew some more smoke out. The Veteran mulled the thought over. Did he want to? Had some part of him been happy to be disturbed tonight in his wallowing? Feelings were complicated like that. Wanting to be left alone, and yet…purple eyes roamed over to his brother once again. 

Warriors looked rather disheveled. His hair wasn’t perfectly in place, his face drawn and pale. His obnoxious scarf was draped haphazardly around his shoulders. His glass was already empty. Legend knew the Captain wouldn’t refill it, his rule hard and fast of only one. 

He breathed smoke in, let it sit on his tongue, and the slight tingle burned. Legend wasn’t sure where to even begin. He’d been doing alright, better ever than in a long time. But that was the thing about mental afflictions, they were wounds that scabbed and healed over but never truly filled in. Sometimes he loathed the sound of his own heartbeat.

“Sometimes I think Hylia made a piss-poor decision choosing me.” His words were lined with smoke and harsh. He scoffed at himself, leaning back. 

“Which is shit, I know.” He answered for himself. He’d heard it a thousand times. He knew he was capable, knew his skills were tried and true. He’d heard Ravio sputter and make grand claims. But in the end, that darkness in the pit of soul still remained. It’d grown worse since meeting his fellow soul brothers. 

“This is my seventh fucking adventure, Cap.” He inhaled, letting the burn linger longer. 

“And every time we step foot in Rulie’s land…” He stalled for just a second, his eyes already starting to sting in his frustration. He didn’t voice his inner feelings often, let alone to someone who actually listened. He mulled over the fact that the liquor was probably playinginto factor here too. The dark liquid sat burning in his stomach, made his head spin a little, and the words felt looser on his tongue; he took another swig. 

“It hurts.” He glared up in the sky, his tongue becoming heavy and his throat starting to close up. No. He needed to get this out, needed to voice his fucking feelings and move the fuck along with his life. 

“Because after everything I’ve done,” He forcefully relaxed his grip that had grown too tight on his pipe. All the sacrifices he’d made, all the pain and terror and courage that had bled behind him and left a wake of mire. 

“It didn’t fucking matter.” He whispered, the words soaked in heartache. The words that were left unsaid were loud in his mind. That if it hadn't been him, if a more capable hero had been placed in his time; Rulie could have been spared this fate. 

A hand landed on his shoulder, and he dipped his head down, his fringe covering his face. 

“You know the Traveler doesn’t feel that way, right?” Warriors whispered, and Legend’s heart clenched. Of course he knew that. He loved his successor more than any other. Their souls were practically entwined, their understanding and trust deeper than Legend had ever experienced. But he was him. A failure at the end of the day, a stopgap in the timeline of good versus evil. 

He’d clawed and dragged himself through every dungeon, every puzzle, every final fight all for it to be null and void a few hundred years down the line. And the most fucked-up thing was that he’d enjoyed it. Legend loved dungeons and puzzles and fighting. He found that his very personality revolved around being a hero. He’d given up everything for the sake of his country and in the end… 

“Yeah, I know that.” He responded thickly. Purple eyes glinted through his hair and caught sight of Warriors’ concern. It was warranted because Legend didn’t open up, not like this. He didn’t bare his soul for his brothers to pick through his innermost thoughts; no, he kept them all hidden and shoved down out of sight. He was a Veteran, a hero, who had done all and seen all, and to admit that he had faults, to show that he had doubts and fears, was against his very image. 

He’d been cruel and hard when they’d first been thrown together. His heart was still bleeding on the edges from Koholint, from Lorule. Ravio had scraped it back together some and then he’d been sent off again. He didn’t want to lose anyone else again. It didn’t help that this whole adventure was wack, too unreal, too dreamlike. Meeting incarnations of yourself? Sharing the hero’s spirit through ages and time? It reeked of being false. So he’d rebuffed efforts to get closer to him; he’d spit out harsh words and indifference so thick the others had recoiled. They called him a bully, an asshole, and he’d deserved it. 

But then they’d dug their way into his heart. They saw his passions, saw his heartache and worry, and had seen the man behind his mask. The weeks dragged on and he’d stopped being such an ass. Hyrule had been the breaking point, the hero an absolute ray of sunshine. Insults had washed off his back like water on a duck, a knowing glint in those green eyes that Legend hadn’t understood. His successor had stood by him through it all, and now... He couldn’t bear the thought of losing him, and that scared him shitless. 

How his successor could believe in him, trust him, or respect him was a mystery. He’d left Hyrule’s world in shambles, so destroyed and diseased that the people couldn’t be trusted, the water poisoned, the air dimmed and dark. The taint of dark magic suffocating and rotten. And still… he clenched his hand into his tunic. And somehow through it all, Hyrule still loved him. 

“Ledge, I don’t think anyone could claim you haven’t given your all.” Warriors’ soft voice washed over him again, and a rebuke was on his lips before the Captain continued on. 

“We all see it. The toll it’s taken on you, your body, your soul.” As if in reminder, Legend's knee started to throb, his hip shifted painfully in its socket, his eyes so damn tired and irritated. 

“I still have more to give.” He said without thinking. The truth behind it wavering, because did he? Did he have anything left? He’d lost his uncle, his love, his peace, his sleep, his mobility, his youth, his heart. He’d given it all for the cause, and for Rulie he’d give anything else that could possibly remain. He’d scrape his soul raw for the benefit of his brother.  

“No one’s asking you to bud, least of all Rulie.” Warriors’ grip grew a little firmer, his voice more dangerous. They were all self-sacrificial fools at the end of the day. Legend lifted his head, brought the pipe to his lips again and pulled. He knew that too. Somehow it didn’t stop the anxiety in his gut, didn’t assuage his fears and turmoil. It didn’t stop him from wanting to do more. 

“What if I could spare him the pain? Wouldn’t you do the same?” Legend asked seriously. He blew the smoke out as he said the words, an attempt to free himself from a burden he’d created. 

“You may be a hero, but you’re only mortal. And there are some things that no matter how hard we try, or how much we want, we just can’t change.” Warriors leaned back as he spoke. His own eyes cast heavenward, and Legend felt a piece of his soul slide back into place. He was only one guy after all. A legend, sure, but no deity or god. 

“I think Hyrule just wants to see you happy. We all do.” Warriors spoke again. Legend leaned back, tipped the rest of his drink down his throat and pondered the words. Happy. He’d seen how they looked at him fondly when he was goofing off or telling stories. How Wild’s eyes glew a little brighter when the Cook talked him into some ridiculous scheme. How Rulie pressed in closer and smiled that sweet smile that dimpled his freckled face. 

Maybe, if that’s what he could do to help his successor, to help his brothers, he’d trust them even more. He’d open up and share his secrets, he’d have fun. Like in the beginning of his adventures, before he’d been stretched and calloused into the cynic he was now. 

“Okay.” He replied with another puff of smoke. Warriors looked over at him curiously, one brow raised, a slight smile on his lips. 

“Okay?” The Captain repeated to him, disbelief in his tone. 

“Okay.” He said again and grinned at his brother. 

“Let’s have some fucking fun.”

Chapter 2: Fun with Warriors

Notes:

This starts off serious, and then just gets so ridiculous. I'm so sorry.

Goddess below was Warriors tall. Tall and fast. Their blades rang in the clearing again. Legend had experience fighting things larger than him. More often than not, he was small compared to the monsters bearing down on him. He’d known the knight was tall and imposing, but being on the other side of his blade brought it into clarity. 

The added fact that Warriors was a knight made him anxious. The Captain’s pauldron shining in the sun, his armor clanking and rattling his nerves. His arms shook with the next block, Warriors' dumb grin irritating him further. He soaked more magic into his blade, felt it grow lighter and sharper with the renewed magic. This was just another puzzle, and Legend fucking loved puzzles. 

Purple eyes observed; the Captain was bound to have a weak point, some overextension, some old wound tripping him up. That’s when Legend would strike and secure his victory.  The reverse was also true though, Warriors would be taking notes on Legend’s own weaknesses. But rabbits hide their flaws impeccably. He moved through each old wound and flare of arthritis without a wince, without a flick of his ears or a whine escaping his lips. No, he knew how to shroud and conceal any frailty. He’d been instilled with that lesson from his first adventure. 

He could sense the shift in Warriors’ magic, the unsurety of facts that the Captain knew about him. He couldn’t stop the grin from showing on his face. Warriors knew about his bum knee, about his bones grinding against each other under his skin, but in the heat of a fight, Legend didn’t let any of it show. A certain fervor would overtake him in battle, and his joints and wounds wouldn’t be as prevalent; they would never hinder him til he was at his limit, and they had just begun. 

The sun was glaring down on them, and cheers from their other brothers sounded around them sporadically. His Pegasus boots gripped the soil perfectly; he tilted his magic into them to gain some more room from the long reach of the Captain, the feathers fluttering. 

They’d agreed to only use swords. Legend had scoffed and called the Captain a coward good-naturedly, but he understood the challenge of a spar with no tricks up your sleeve. This was his and Warriors' first-ever spar like this. Legend was known to turn down spars; he normally liked to keep his secrets close to his chest. But they had always looked fun, and fuck it all, if the Captain wanted to spar then Legend was going to give him a hell of a spar. 

Warriors had insisted he stay true to his late-night words. That Legend would stretch himself, loosen up, and have fun with the Captain and the others. They’d made it even more interesting - a bet to heighten the stakes. They had agreed that whoever won this spar owed the other one an item at Warriors’ bazaar, price non-negotiable. Legend was positive that the Captain was actually broke, so he wanted to use this opportunity to make the man admit it. Not to mention, he was sure the bazaar would have something he’d want. 

His muscles sang, his blood pumping in that familiar release. He blocked and shifted, too far .  Legend gritted his teeth; a slip-up on his part. On instinct, he moved for a different item but had to stop himself, all his other belongings stashed next to Hyrule on the sidelines. The Captain’s eyes were glowing in recognition and he darted forward. Hyrule’s magic flooded him for a second, a warning to get his shit together. Legend’s heart beat louder, his magic coiling underneath him, and it gave him an extra boost of speed to flee away from Warriors. His skirts twirled around him as he faced his opponent once more. 

But dammit it all was Warriors fast. The man moved so fast on his freakishly long legs that he could keep up with the Vet even with his Pegasus boots. In the nick of time, his blade parried away Warriors’ strike. He shoved away again and gained some space. They stood apart, panting slightly, gauging one another. They had been at it for some time now. Legend had finally spotted an opening, and he had to suppress his smile about it. His heart sang with joy, and he realized he was having fun dissecting the Captain’s move and piecing together his approach. 

Hollers rang up around them. Bets had been made among the team, everyone in on the fun. 

“Put him in his place, Wars!” Wind yelled. 

“Kick his ass Ledge!” Hyrule yelled right back. His successor cheering him on made his heart lift, making this spar just that much more exciting. He let a chuckle out at his cheerleaders. Apparently, Sky and Twilight had also bet on him. 

The Captain may know Legend well, but he didn’t know everything about him. He knew Warriors was almost as paranoid as himself and had kept tabs on each member of the group. A certain notebook the Captain held was filled with coded information on how to take down each and every one of them. But they’d never actually fought together, and Legend was a slippery one. For every fact the Captain knew about his fighting style, Legend tried to make sure there was a secret to counteract it. 

What Warriors didn’t know about was his time with Din’s troupe. Legend could move when needed to and he’d employ some of those tricks now. He had learned how to flip and dance away from his opponents, and the Captain would be sorely mistaken if he thought Legend couldn’t perform those moves now. Aching joints and abused bones were forgotten as he geared himself up for a front flip. A note of suspense rang through his magic, and he felt Hyrule perk up in attention. The Captain’s eyes narrowed in on him. 

Warriors may be fast but he was no rabbit. The Veteran waited for Warriors to make the first move; he always did. The Captain groaned and surged forward, knowing it was futile to wait him out. Purple eyes spotted the repetitive movements. 

Legend waited for the perfect moment; the Captain tilted forward slightly, his blade going out to the side, and then he moved. This was it. Magic filled his boots, and his own blade was cast to the side as well. He reached out his right hand, and it landed on the Captain’s shoulder. Startled blue eyes locked on him, but Legend was barely there before he was gone. With a trained ease, he pushed off his feet and flipped over Warriors, his feet landing lightly. His hand fisted into the blue scarf, pulling it over the Captain’s eyes as he fell down. He couldn’t let up now; he pushed more magic into his boots, gained that inhuman speed, and then placed his foot between Warriors' own stance and shoved him as he let go of the scarf. The Captain fell forward and splayed out on the ground with an oof. 

Warriors turned onto his elbows and looked up at him with wide eyes. Legend grinned down at him, his blade pointed at the Captain’s chest. He’d won. Warrior's smile turned snarky, but he lifted his hands up in defeat. Legend slipped his blade back into its sheath and held out a hand to help the man up. Warriors took it, and he hauled the Captain up to his feet. A hand landed in his hair and ruffled it. Legend cursed at him. 

“Good job, Vet.” Warriors said as he tangled his hair further and made his cap go askew. He swatted away the Captain and shoved him once more, a smile peeking through on his face. 

“Looks like we get to go shopping, pretty boy.” He said with a smirk, crossing his arms over his chest. Warriors rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, yeah, I remember.” He complained. His brother knew him well because Legend was going to try to find one of the most expensive items at the bazaar. Other rupees were exchanged by their companions, groans of loss or shouts of glee depending on who bet on who. Legend felt a sense of pride in the outcome of the spar. He saw Hyrule smile widely at him, holding up his silver rupee he’d won. He laughed out loud at his successor. It was time to go shopping. 

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He stood staring at the jewelry store. Legend had never seen such a vast collection of items, let alone enchanted items. His magic was vibrating with mirth, his own hands and feet antsy to get in that store. Warriors leaned on one hip and grinned at him. He shut his mouth with a click; he’d been gawking. 

“Who would have thought you’d like jewelry?” The Captain’s dumb, sarcastic voice couldn’t even dampen Legend’s good mood. 

“Fuck you.” He threw out nonchalantly. His palms had started to sweat with his excitement to get into that shop. Warriors huffed and gave him a little shove to get to the door. 

“Let’s go, my wallet is crying already.” Legend pulled the handle to the shop and stopped once again as his feet stepped inside. It was glorious. He’d had a penchant for jewelry for as long as he could remember. The glittering items were practically begging him to buy them. The lights in the store were landing on pieces just right for the jewels to glow and the gold to sparkle. He heard a chuckle behind him. 

“Better wipe the drool off your mouth, Vet.” Warriors said to him. In reflex, he wiped at his face and closed his mouth again with a glare. Purple eyes scowled up at the ridiculously tall Captain. Warriors’ smile grew larger, and he held up one finger. 

“One item on me.” Legend grumbled under his breath; he knew that. That didn’t mean he couldn’t look around, though. With an extra pep in his step he started browsing. The enchantments were listed underneath each piece, and he switched his brain into Warriors’ Hylian to read the text. Certain pieces called to him more and he was drawn by the pull of magic. Warriors stood watching him with a dorky smile on his face that Legend didn’t acknowledge. 

He was just rounding another cabinet when he stopped dead in his tracks. He crouched down, his face almost pressing into the glass. Two simple golden hoops were displayed on the bottom of a shelf, the magic pouring off them deliciously. He eyed them; they looked too large for earrings, but the enchantment. He could hardly contain himself. Magical rejuvenation. 

He had a ring that did the same, but it was slow, and compared to these pieces, it may as well be nonexistent. Legend didn’t have a vast pool of magic, not like Rulie. It was minimal at best; he had just refined his control of it throughout the years. So to be able to use magic more freely because of this enchantment was too tantalizing for the Veteran. Legend loved magic. 

“I want these.” He said before he even read the price or item description. Warriors crouched down as well, his long legs looking lanky and uncomfortable in the position. 

The Captain inspected them and then his eyebrows shot up in surprise. Legend’s eye caught the price, and he choked on his spit. There was no way. 

“You sure you want those? I didn’t know you had any.” Skepticism filtered through him. Warriors wasn’t even contesting the price! 

“You can afford that?!” Legend’s tone in disbelief. He’d been so sure! How was a Captain of the army loaded? Warriors deadpanned at him, a brow arching in derision. 

“I’m not poor, Ledge.” Warriors’ tone is defensive and off-putting. Legend shifted and stood, putting his hands on his hips, a glare on his face. 

“Prove it, pretty boy.” A grin stretched across his face. He was sure he’d called the man’s bluff. But Warriors’ shoulders sagged in defeat, a sigh falling from him. He held up a hand and called the clerk over. The shopkeeper came over with a smile, and Warriors pointed to the case at the bottom. There was no way. That item cost more than a year’s salary in his land. 

“Yes, we will take the enchanted nipple rings.” The Captain said, and Legend’s brain froze for a second. He dropped back down and looked at the jewelry. Purple eyes locked into the description, and he read the words. There it was! The third word in the description that he hadn’t known was why they were larger. He’d been so captivated by their magic, by their outstanding price tag, that he’d forgotten to ask the Captain what the word meant. He cataloged the symbols for ‘nipple’ in his mind to remember later. 

That was why the Captain had said he didn’t know Legend had those. And Legend didn’t have nipple piercings. But now he was too far in, and to be honest, if he could have even more jewelry on his person then he was more than willing. Not to mention the enchantment. He couldn’t pass it up. He rubbed at his chest for a brief second and decided he’d do it. 

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“I can’t believe you don’t have them pierced already! Why’d you want them?” Warriors bemoaned as they made their way back to the inn. Legend had confessed that he needed the piercings done. It didn’t matter; he would get them done as soon as they got back.

“Cookie can do it for me.” He mumbled as he inspected one of the rings as they walked. A simple circular barbell. Nerves lit up in his stomach, but it was so worth it. He smiled as he thought of his new accessories. 

“I don’t see why you can’t just use them as earrings.” Warriors said flippantly. Legend huffed at him. 

“The enchantment is too strong for that. I should have realized, but these need to be close to the wearer's heart. That’s why they were able to imbue them so strongly.” He looked at the Captain and continued. 

“I’ve never run across anything this strong before, at least not for magical rejuvenation.” He bumped his shoulder against Warriors’ side. 

“Besides, it just means I can wear more now.” He said with a grin. It was honestly strange that he’d never done this yet. It’s not like his nipples served any function the way they were. This was practical if anything. That was his working defense. It was true, though - these accessories would need to be worn closer to his soul to work. The intricacies of this magic are absolutely fascinating; he couldn’t wait to tell Ravio about it. 

He went straight to Wild’s room upon arrival, bouncing on the balls of his feet. Warriors was still following behind him, and Legend thought it only fair if the Captain saw his money put to use. The Veteran rapped at his door impatiently. Wild opened up with a confused smile. Legend shoved his way in, and his brother sputtered but didn’t stop him.

“Check these out, Champ!” He said excitedly as he opened the little box the rings were stored in. Wild’s ears perked up in interest, and soon the Cook was eyeing the magical jewelry with interest. 

“Whoa! Those are of nice quality!” Legend placed one into his waiting hand so he could inspect it further. Wild let out a low whistle as he studied them. 

“Damn, Ledge, these must have cost a fortune.” Legend grinned even wider at Warriors’ moan. 

“They sure did.” The Captain replied, and Wild snickered at his suffering. Cookie handed them back to him. 

“Well, put them on! Lemme see.” Legend turned sheepish at his words, those earlier nerves lighting up again. He crossed his arms and looked away. 

“Actually, I need your help with that.” He stated flippantly. Wild tilted his head, confused, and Legend continued on. 

“I need you to pierce my nipples.” He deadpanned because there was no other way to say this. Wild’s eyes widened before he laughed abruptly. Legend could feel his face heating up. He stuck his nose up a little and didn’t meet the Cook’s eyes. Warriors was also trying to contain his laughter. 

Legend was almost fed up; he was about to stomp out and ask the Smith when Wild waved his hands at him and started talking. 

“Okay, okay, easy enough,” Wild said between snickers. Legend felt his shoulders sag in relief. Wild brought a chair over, and the Veteran sat down on it. He shucked off his red over tunic and started undoing his plethora of buttons down his dark undertunic. Wild was swiping through his slate, and blue lights were materializing the items they would need. 

It had been a while since he’d gotten a new piercing. He had actually done all his own on his ears, a simple procedure. He wasn’t as confident with this though; the angle seemed odd, and quite frankly, the sensitive location left him a little nauseated. There was no way he’d let the Captain know that, though, so he steeled his features as Wild approached with the needle stuck between his lips and a red potion in his hand. 

He slipped the sleeves off his tunic and felt fully exposed sitting in a chair in just his shorts and half a tunic. The urge to cover up again made his hands twitch, but he sat still. He glanced down at his exposed chest and felt his heart beat just a bit faster. He breathed through his nose deeply. Warriors stepped closer as well to watch, and Legend fisted his hands, his fringe blessedly covering up most of his face. 

Wild’s glowing blue eyes met him, and a kind smile graced his face as he slipped the needle into his hand. 

“Don’t worry, Ledge, it’s not as bad as you imagine.” The words were reassuring and he felt himself relax again. Wild’s hands were steady, and Legend studied his face to have something to take his mind off what was happening. He almost chuckled when he saw Wild’s tongue poke out of the corner of his mouth in concentration. He completely ignored how his skin crawled when Wild pinched his flesh. It wasn’t the Cook’s fault by any means. 

He always felt self-conscious, exposed like this. His skin was patchworked with a decade of injuries and scars etched into his flesh. He was skinnier than all of his other brothers; the added weight on his bones had made his joints hurt more so he’d grown rather scrawny. Sinewy muscles stretched over worn bones. His muscles were definitely there, but not as defined as the Captain's or even Wild’s. 

The first needle slipped through easily enough, and the slight prick of pain was minimal. Different from his ears but not unsimilar. The blood rushed through his head, and a memory he hadn’t thought of in a long time came hurtling back. He’d just been learning to sew. Small hands wrapped around the hem of a shirt and a needle that was too large for his tiny fingers. His uncle’s voice was soft and reassuring as he instructed him. He’d slipped, and the needle had stabbed the end of the finger, blood bubbling up from the wound. He’d stared at it, slightly fascinated as his uncle tended to the small wound. That’s what this felt like, a small, minuscule prick of pain, nothing to be scared of. 

He felt himself relax even further when Wild slipped the piercing in, and he sipped at the red potion to heal the newly formed intrusion. The second one was even less of a big deal, and he was soon done. The added weight on his chest would take some getting used to, but nothing he couldn’t overcome for the benefit of the enchantment. 

He felt the magic swirl up around his own and slot in next to it. He breathed deeply, feeling the rejuvenation working already. A wide smile filled his face as he started to button up his tunic. 

Warriors stood in front of him, and he thought back on the day. His heart felt lighter, his magic happier, his soul fuller. He’d had fun and the world hadn’t crumpled around him. It felt good. 

Cookie had finished packing up and suddenly bounded forward and swatted his hand away from buttoning his tunic all the way to the top. Legend glared at him. 

“You gotta show off your victory!” Wild said, and Legend felt his cheeks heat up once again, his stomach sinking. Warriors’ grin was wide as he chimed in. 

“Yeah, everyone will wanna know what you bought with my money.” Legend wanted to punch him in the face. He knew they were right, but the fact that he’d have to prance around his other brothers half-naked with jeweled nipples felt absolutely mortifying. He groaned, tilting his head back and running a hand through his hair. He stomped to the door and threw it open. There was no point in arguing; he wasn’t weaseling his way out of this. So much for having fun. 

“Let’s get this over with.” He flipped them both off as he bit out the words and walked out of the room.

Notes:

I, I'm trying to let him have fun, thus my terrible sense of humor shining through. Thanks so much for reading! Next chapter should feature our very own Rancher!
Poposusz

Chapter 3: Fun with Twilight

Notes:

Alright, all you Ordon fans, get ready to take a trip through the town.

Ordon was a peaceful place. Legend liked it. The Rancher’s world always had a gloomy atmosphere to it. The colors were never as vibrant, the magic in it mixed with light and dark in an odd way that the Veteran had never experienced. Twilight made a lot more sense for his name once Legend had experienced this world. 

Ordon, though, was laid back, the complete opposite to this Hyrule’s Castle Town. The stream through the village rolled by leisurely. The clouds that dotted the sky were lazy. The sun was cresting the horizon, casting the town in a golden glow, dewdrops shining in the rays.

The people here were kind. Legend noted that none of them had pointed ears. The Veteran, Traveler, Cook, and the Old Man stood out by their pronounced ears. Twilight’s were of average size, but even his seemed large in this tiny village. 

Legend found himself growing self-conscious. His hair was pink, his eyes purple, and his ears a mile long compared to everyone else. Ostentatious was how he felt. He’d decided to forgo his red embroidered tunic completely while staying here and just wore his dark undertunic, attempting to blend in. But then he had his jewelry to contend with, too, and he couldn’t find it in himself to forgo his favorite pieces. He was pleased to note that some of the other villagers also wore tunics without pants.

He and Rulie walked through the village up to the farm by themselves. They were greeted kindly, and he left Hyrule to return platitudes. His successor was more friendly than he was and didn’t stick out nearly as much. Hyrule was a simple guy, and that’s what Legend had always loved. The Traveler had secrets, but he was open, he was trustworthy, and somehow, he still stood by Legend. A brother that he had never searched for but now couldn’t imagine not having in his life. 

Legend glanced over at him through the corner of his eye. The swell of affection he felt for his brother rose in his chest. He spied his magical rejuvenation ring still placed on his successor's freckled hand. Good, he’d given it to the hero after he acquired his new piercings. He rubbed his chest once and felt the rings through his tunic. He was still getting used to the feeling. 

“Are they still bothering you?” Hyrule asked, his green eyes darting down to where Legend’s hand was rubbing. The Veteran quickly put his hand back down, his face heating up slightly. The reveal to the rest of the group had been humiliating, and the jokes had persisted for weeks. He stood by his decision, but Lolia below did his brothers like to poke fun at him. 

He recalled the conversation after his reveal. 

---

“How’d you know what you were doing, Cookie?” Hyrule asked as Legend was finally buttoning up his tunic. The Cook shrugged nonchalantly. 

“I didn’t really, just went with it,” Wild replied with a grin that had Warriors reeling towards them, concerned. 

“You didn’t know what you were doing?” The Captain cried aghast. Legend found it funnier than he should. He trusted Wild, and he hadn’t had any experience piercing when he’d done his own ears. Who was he to judge? Besides, it worked out in the end. Hyrule was snickering next to him. Warriors nudged him with his elbow, still offended on his behalf.

“And you’re okay with that? Those were your nipples!” The Captain bemoaned, and Legend couldn’t contain his laugh. It sounded so ridiculous. 

“They’re practically useless, Captain. It was no big deal.” He stated simply. 

“Can I get mine done?” Wind shouted, to which Warriors and the Old Man instantly denied him. The kid pouted, his bottom lip sticking out. When the older heroes weren’t looking, he leaned over and whispered to the Sailor. 

“I’ll help you out sometime, at least your ears.” To which Wind grinned and stuck his pinkie finger out. Hyrule watched them greedily, in on the secret. Legend entwined his own finger and made the promise. 

---

“Sometimes.” He stopped, his ears lowering. “It's nothing.” He huffed, wanting to move along from this subject. Hyrule chuckled softly but sensed his embarrassment and blessedly asked him another question instead. 

“Twi asked for your help today, huh?” Hyrule asked him as they trudged up the hill. Legend grunted. Whatever the Rancher wanted, the Veteran wasn’t sure why he requested him for help. Not that Legend was upset to help his darker brother, he was just slightly wary. Twilight was known to have ulterior motives when asking for simple help. 

As they started to crest the hill, they heard a voice call out to them from behind. They both stopped and turned. Sky was waving his hand and asking for Rulie’s help with some task. The Traveler turned to him and smiled, wishing him good luck as he bounded away towards their Sky Knight. Legend was left all alone as he passed the ranch gates.

Goats milled around the clearing. He wrinkled his nose at the smell and moved quickly to the barn, where he assumed the Rancher would be. A few of the goats turned and watched him go; their giant circular horns looked ridiculous in Legend’s opinion. They were a fair bit larger than he’d envisioned as well, and he felt rather small as he scurried into the barn. 

He walked inside to see Twilight brushing Epona’s mane. The mare huffed at him, but he continued onwards. Legend enjoyed the horse; she was always so relaxed. He sauntered up to her and offered his hand. She lipped at him, and Twilight finally acknowledged him. 

“Vet, thanks fer coming.” His drawl had gotten worse since coming home. Legend shifted on his hip, his hand resting on his waist, his face unimpressed. Twilight and him could butt heads on the best of days and now he’d been summoned with no clear purpose. He looked around, trying to figure out what the Rancher needed him for anyway, and nothing came to his mind.

Legend had some experience with farms, and he owned an orchard, but livestock was not his forte. Apple trees and bees? Sure, he knew a lot, but goats and horses? Not quite so much. Time and Wild were more suited than him to help the Rancher. 

Twilight finally turned to him, a slight grin on his face that made Legend’s gut sink. That was never a good sign.

“We’ve got a little problem that I think you could help with.” He emphasized the word little and Legend felt his jaw clench in irritation. Ever since Twilight had found out about his dark form, the guy would always make snide little inside jokes at him. The Rancher gestured for him to come closer, and reluctantly, the Veteran moved forward, still wary. 

Twilight knelt into the hay and moved some of the straw out of the way. Legend felt his heart twinge at the sight. The Veteran got closer, kneeling into the hay and holding a hand out. Baby bunnies were nestled in the hollow of straw, shivering and anxious. As much as he loathed his rabbit heart, he was a sucker for the little animals. They strive against all the odds to stay alive, and he could respect that. He was just like them after all. 

“I thought maybe you could help? Take um’ to find their mum?” Twilight’s voice was soft, and Legend felt his ears perk up in interest. It wasn’t often he’d willingly turn into a rabbit, but under these circumstances… they were just kits after all! He had to help if he was able to. 

“Sure.” He mumbled as one of the bunnies sniffed at his outstretched hand. He fumbled around his belt with his other hand and felt the familiar curve of the moon pearl. The magic surrounding it shuddered, and he felt an unseen force push back against him as he tried to offer it to Twilight. The Rancher’s eyes had widened as well, the dark amulet on his chain shivering away from the pearl. Huh, that was interesting. That was fine; he could leave it here in the barn and just return. No need to get anyone else involved. Worst case, they would just have to retrieve Sky again. 

He set the Moon Pearl in the corner, obscuring it slightly. Still, he hesitated. He knew how vulnerable that form left him. How humiliating it was to run around as a pink rabbit with the spirit of the hero. He wasn’t fierce and loyal like a wolf. He was scared and weak. Nothing would stand down to him, nothing would hesitate to sink its teeth into his tender flesh and devour him whole. Flashbacks from the dark world filled his mind, making him stop. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea. 

He remembered where he was, though - Ordon. A tiny village with the biggest predator being the hawks he’d seen milling about. His brothers were also all around, and while not all of them knew, he knew most would not hesitate to protect a stray bunny with a trail of kits following him. 

“Alright, just give me a second afterwards.” He glared at the Rancher. Twilight gave him a toothy grin as he held out the dark shard. With a brief moment of courage, Legend grasped it and felt his world shift and twist. 

Stuffing a Hylian into a tiny rabbit body was never fun. His organs twisted, his bones slid around and changed, and his senses heightened. Smell and hearing were suddenly too intense to deal with for a second. Oversized incisors bit down on his lip to keep him from crying out. He recovered fast enough, shifting onto his paws. He tried to slow his breathing into something more manageable, this form always making him hyperventilate and freak out. 

Twilight loomed over him, and he froze on instinct, his breathing barely even making him move. His brain finally caught up, and he turned away from his brother to the babies in the corner. Ears had perked up at him, and he hopped forward slowly to get closer to them. They sniffed noses and, after a few more seconds, agreed to follow him to their mom. 

He cleared his throat as best as possible and spoke to the Rancher. Speaking like this was always strange.

“They say their mom is normally down by the river, in the pumpkin patch.” His voice was squeakier than normal, and he tried to ignore how Twilight stared at him for a second before nodding in understanding. He wasn’t thrilled to keep trying to communicate like this; his voice was way too embarrassing, and he didn’t miss the way that Twilight had almost cooed at him. 

“Alright, I’ll tie Epona up here and follow ya down in a second.” He responded. It sounded reasonable enough to the Veteran; it wouldn’t be hard to catch up to the small group of mammals. He hopped forward and checked behind to make sure the kits were following. Clumsily they bounced after him. Good. His ears perked up, and his nose was sniffing as they exited the barn. The sunlight was beaming down on them, mid-morning approaching. He felt exposed, and with an added urgency that was instinct alone, he barreled forward. 

The pasture had smelled before, but now it reeked. Goat was pungent in the air, and he didn’t care for it. He wasn’t sure if this was worse than the way Twilight normally smelled or not. They kept to the edge, not wanting to be a target. His ears twitched at a strange noise, the stomping of hooves sending vibrations under his paws, and he whipped around. The baby bunnies came and huddled next to him. A large male goat stared at them. Its nostrils flared, and it stomped its hooves at them again. He sat frozen, barely breathing, trying to hide in plain sight. It reared its head at them. 

Fuck. Legend felt his heart beat rapidly in his chest. Whatever this goat's problem was, it was about to be his. He stepped forward to the challenge, the quivering bunnies behind him. Goddess below this was going to kill him. He thought he might be able to dodge away in the nick of time, to draw the goat after him and not the babies. Any hit by hooves or horns would more than likely break his delicate bones. 

Fear shot through him when the goat began to move. Legend felt foolish, that this was what was putting fear into his heart. His tiny rabbit body stood in front of the babies, shivering and panting in fear. Dust billowed up behind the charging goat, and Legend braced himself to jump away, braced himself to be hit. 

Suddenly Twilight was in front of him, the Rancher’s stance wide as he grappled the goat to the ground in a swift movement. The animal fell with a heavy thud onto its side and huffed as he stood once more, docile. Twilight cleaned his hands in the air and then turned to him. 

“Sorry, Vet! That one’s been a bit more angry than usual.” His drawl was soft and Legend still felt like his heart was about to beat through his chest. He had frozen again, his instincts telling him to stay put, to blend out of sight, which was impossible as a pink rabbit in a little black tunic in the middle of a pasture. 

Twilight’s head tilted to the side like a concerned dog, a motion that Legend was more familiar with from Wild. He crouched down and his voice got softer. The swipe of a tail in the periphery of his vision made Legend jerk and start to watch the goat sauntering away. His vision tunneled in, his heart still racing too fast, the adrenaline still coursing through his tiny body, his mind overrun with the panic of his animal form. Goddess below, he needed to get a grip. 

With wobbling legs he hopped to check on the bunnies behind him. He saw them crouched down and staring wide-eyed. He made himself puff up in a confidence that he didn’t feel at the moment. The kits perked up at him and scrambled over one another to get closer to him. Good. 

He looped around again to see Twilight smiling at him. He ignored the Rancher out of embarrassment rather than spite. He knew he wasn’t acting like his normal self, but transformations were always complicated like that. His own Hylian instincts were shoved aside for the characteristics of the form he took on. It was just as noticeable when he turned into a siren. 

He picked up the pace, suddenly anxious to be done with this quest. He felt his little heart settle more when Twilight walked alongside them, a fierce and loyal protector. Legend did not want another scare like that again. He wanted to get down to the pumpkins and get the hell back to normal. 

The day had grown even more beautiful. The smell of the air and the sound of the stream were even more alluring in this form. He sniffed at the air, keeping close to the Rancher as his guard started to lower. He had already liked the little village and now, seeing it from this perspective, he found it even more charming. 

They turned right and crossed the little bridge. Legend helped each of the kits across so as not to fall into the rushing stream. Each of the bunnies brushed against him and sniffed noses with him, and he completely ignored Twilight’s stifled laugh. 

He turned tail and followed the last baby over. The pumpkins had no right to smell so good. He stood on his back legs searching the air, his nose on overdrive, his ears straight up. He rubbed his paws down his stomach; goddess below, he was hungry. The vegetables smelled heavenly and his teeth munched together. 

The kits raced forward, and another rabbit appeared from under the house. Legend bounced over and stilled. The other rabbit sized him up, moving closer. Suddenly, she bounced in the air in joy, and Legend felt his own back legs kick him up as well out of surprise. A burst of exhilaration ran through him, and when the other rabbit bounced again towards him, joy lit up in his stomach as he shot into the air again. He would have laughed had he been Hylian. The babies began hopping around as well, a torrent of activity unleashed in the patch. The celebration was nothing more than bunnies being bunnies, and Legend found himself having fun for the first time in a long time in this form. 

After all the hopping, leaping, and bouncing, Legend lingered, his eyes stuck on the vegetable patch. Twilight was sitting next to him now, observing the bunnies still frolicking. A stupid grin was on his face, his canines poking out. He thumped his back foot on the ground repeatedly, showing his annoyance. This only led to Twilight smiling more, and a large hand ruffling the top of his head and petting his ears. 

“Didja have fun, Vet?” The teasing tone was evident in his voice. Legend attempted to bat away his hand, but his arms were too short. He huffed and turned his face away. 

“It was fine.” He said blasé, because the last thing he needed to do was admit to the Rancher he’d had fun. Twilight chuckled and blessedly stopped petting him. Legend would deny the fact that it had felt good to his grave.

“You ready to head back then?” Legend looked back at the vegetables longingly. There were carrots mixed in with the pumpkins too, and he knew they would be delicious. For a brief moment he thought about asking, but he squashed it. He was a hero, for fuck’s sake! He had battled Ganon no less than four times, had saved worlds, rescued people. He didn’t need a carrot. 

“Yeah.” He said despairingly, because he was still starving. He started to hop away. His ears dropped in sadness, his stomach still rumbling. He didn’t register that there were no footsteps next to him. A sharp whistle cut through the air. His ear twitched back, and he looked behind him. The Rancher was holding up a freshly picked carrot, the smell even stronger, and he felt drool pool in his mouth. He hopped curiously over, his head tilting in wonder. 

“A treat for helping out today.” Twilight's voice was kind, and he glared at him momentarily, waiting for some punchline. When none came he sniffed the end of the carrot and lost control of his actions. His teeth sank into the end of it, and Lolia below was it tasty. He chewed it voraciously and then took another sweet bite. 

Legend liked carrots as a normal guy, but in this form he’d never tasted anything so good in his life. His brother rubbed at Legend’s ear again as the hero continued to devour the vegetable. He couldn’t even find it in himself to be annoyed; between the delectable snack and the warm feeling spreading through his soul, he felt content. Besides, all those nights ago, he’d promised Warriors to have fun. He hadn’t thought it was possible like this, pink and vulnerable. But here he was. 

The carrot was gone far too soon in his opinion. He rubbed his paws across his face, a familiar mannerism of this form. Wide purple eyes watched as Twilight stood once more, brushing off his pants. 

“Are we even now?” Twilight asked, and Legend chuffed. He flicked an ear back and quirked a brow at his brother. 

“Hardly.” He responded with a tilt to his voice. Twilight’s face fell in disbelief, and Legend savored his unease. The Rancher had been far too smug all day today. 

“What do ya mean?” Twilight’s voice raised a pitch, and Legend found himself basking in it. 

“I’d like to learn how you took down that goat.” He said easily enough. It was impressive. He had his own fair knowledge of boxing, but wrangling a charging animal? That was something that could come in handy. Twilight's eyes widened in surprise, and then he chuckled, rubbing at the back of his neck. 

“Alright, I can try and teach ya.” He looked him over, and that stupid wolfish grin appeared on his face again. 

“You’re a bit scrawny though, it may not work out.” Legend rolled his eyes and started bouncing back up the hill. He had some tricks up his sleeves; he may not be built like a mountain but he could surely handle a normal-ass goat. Twilight chased after him, but Legend was done with his bullshit. He took off as fast as he could, his back legs propelling him through the village in mere seconds. He heard the Rancher squawk and start sprinting. Without the terror of being eaten riding on his heels, it was actually pretty fun to run like this. He made it back to the barn with a flourish of movement and scrambled to a stop. Epona whined at his return. His chest puffed, but he felt great, the blood pumping through him, alive and free. He nosed around for his Moon Pearl and felt the familiar swell of magic engulf him. 

Twilight caught back up panting.  Legend was already on two legs again, much more comfortable, back to normal. He rolled up his sleeves, his purple eyes fierce in determination. 

“Alright, Rancher. Show me what you got.” 

---

When Legend was rammed in the stomach by giant circular horns again, he thought maybe this had been a bad idea. All his breath was expelled from him, the sucker punch to his gut making his stomach queasy. His ass hurt something fierce too from being knocked onto the ground repeatedly. Twilight goaded him on from the sidelines, telling him to get his feet back in stance. He huffed; he was trying. He’d gained more of an audience, too. Hyrule and Wild were now cheering him on as well. Sky was wincing in sympathy, his hand clutching his stomach. He was over this fucking goat. It had almost trampled him as a bunny, and now it had gotten the best of him three times in a row. 

He grappled to get his hands on the horns, to gain control of the goat. It didn’t help that the beasts were huge. He barely stood taller than the circular horns, and having them lodged under his ribcage as he tried to stay on his feet was a challenge. Ringed fingers finally found purchase, and he felt a swell of pride as he got his feet back underneath him properly. 

He activated the power bracelet and pushed back, the goat’s hooves sliding in the dirt. With a grunt, he pushed and pulled the horns and flipped the beast onto its side. He resisted the urge to flip the animal off.  He brushed his hands off and stood proudly as his brothers whooped and hollered at him. With a wide grin on his face, he lifted both hands over his head victoriously. It pulled at his abused stomach, and he dropped them down with a wince, wrapping an arm around his stomach. His legs were shaking from the exertion, his body more than likely already bruising. But he’d fucking done it. 

The assembled group came over and offered him congratulations. Twilight ruffled his hair, knocking his cap askew. Hyrule already had his life spell activated and Legend felt some of the pain subside until Wild, the little shit, lifted him up in a celebratory hug. He shoved his hands into the Champ’s face and demanded to be put down. Wild laughed and dropped him. Fucker had no right to be taller than him. He fixed his cap and puffed out his chest, his hands resting on his hips. 

“Not so scrawny after all, huh, Rancher?” He joked. Twilight laughed and nodded, his arm slinging around Legend’s shoulder. 

“Not too bad, Kit,” Twilight replied. Legend punched the Rancher in the stomach.

Notes:

This chapter fought me so hard, and I hope to Hylia that someone gets some enjoyment out of this.
That goat ramming him? That was me with this chapter, repeatedly. I kept asking myself "are we having fun?".
Chapter four will be with....Four.
Thank you so much reading!
I'm alive on tumblr.
Poposusz

Chapter 4: Fun with Four

Legend didn’t say anything when Four came to sit next to him by the fire in the middle of the night. The Veteran could see the remnants of panic and sorrow on his brother’s face. His eyes switched rapidly between red, green, and violet. It seemed Blue wasn’t in the mood to chat. He didn’t comment when Four stuttered out an unsteady breath. If the Smithy wanted to open up, Legend would let him, but he would never force a conversation. 

The moments passed, and Legend focused on the flickering fire, the pops and crackles of the wood soothing in the nighttime. He was always awake, and his eyes burned slightly. There was no sleeping at night, no rest to be found besides just existing. He rubbed uselessly at the eyebags on his face. 

He looked up to see purple eyes staring at him. He grinned. Vio was an interesting fellow. He quirked a brow in question at the hero but remained silent. His relationship with Four was fine enough. He’d gotten over the shock of seeing the hero alive and well and not… he stopped his thoughts. The Palace of the Four Sword was not the same. The hero who was before him, he refused to believe that that cursed place would be his fate. 

“Do you ever sleep at night?” Vio asked suddenly, and Legend’s eyes focused on him again. He shrugged a shoulder, scoffing. 

“Nope.” He popped the ‘P’ like Wild was so prone to do. He rested his chin in his hand, resigned. The nights were also so long, and it had gotten too dark to read or hem. The fingers on his other hand twitched to do something, but it was useless. 

“How long have you been like that?” Red eyes were looking at him now, the tone more caring and tender. 

“First adventure. Monsters are more active at night.” He replied once more nonchalantly. It was the truth. Paranoia had been ingrained in him since that first rainy night. One did not survive being hunted if one rested in the dark. A thought popped into his mind. He’d been meaning to talk to the Smithy about it anyway; this was the perfect opportunity. 

“Your migraines.” He tapped the side of his head to emphasize. “I have an idea that might help.” Wide green eyes stared at him now. Four shifted a little uneasily, but held his gaze nonetheless. “At least with the portals. I don’t know about the other times.” He continued, because having four individuals yet the same soul inside your brain would always have an effect. 

“What’s your thought?” The Smithy asked curiously. Legend brightened; he had hoped Four wouldn’t instantly turn him down. Legend let his magic twirl over to Four and tugged on the Smithy’s own aura. 

“I think I could buffer some of the magic that causes that reaction.” Hyrule had done the same to him in the earlier days when he was still getting used to traveling with eight other companions and their varying levels of control over their magic. It shouldn’t be difficult to just cushion some of the dark magic from the Smithy’s soul. It would be easier for him as well since he knew Four’s big secret. He’d been reading about the Hero of Men for his entire life - The Four Sword that split the hero into four aspects of himself and sealed Vaati away. 

“You think it could work? Even with my…” The Smithy trailed off, his eyes squinting in suspicion at the Veteran. Legend let a smug grin slide over his face and leaned backwards. He pulled on each individual strand of the Smith’s magic. Four watched him, wide-eyed. 

“I think I can handle it.” He replied. The short hero scoffed at him but grinned back, blue eyes shining through. 

“Looking forward to it, you cocky son of a bitch.” Legend grinned wider and chuckled. 

---

Their chance came a few days later. The portal, thick and swirling, lured them in. Legend paired off with Four and whispered to him. 

“Don’t fight me, and we will see if this can help.” The Smith nodded his understanding and let Legend’s magic overwhelm him. The Veteran was still in awe of the enchantment that now adorned his chest. Best decision he’d made in a long time. Hyrule pulled on his magic in curiosity, and he explained through the tendrils of power. The Traveler backed off and whispered ‘good luck’ to him from behind, a fond smile on his face. 

They stepped into the portal, and Legend kept his magic in check, making sure it buffered around their shortest hero. The magic reacted violently and searingly, split into four, and Legend realized he had made a terrible mistake.

Blinding pain exploded in his skull. His magic retreated into his soul, none left at his disposal, reunited and hurt. He couldn’t even place what was happening anymore. He moved along like a drunk man, his hands crushing his own skull that threatened to split open. His feet stumbled, and he fell onto different grass with a choked noise of pain. 

He pressed his forehead into the dirt, trying to find some relief, trying to get the blinding pain to abate. His ears felt clogged, his stomach roiling in his gut. Every beat of his heart pounded behind his eyes. A hand landed on his shoulder, and he flinched violently. A purple eye peeked open, but the light was too bright, and he lost the fight to keep his stomach. Vomit surged into his mouth and then onto the ground, his stomach convulsing. He squeezed his eyes shut. The pounding in his head intensified, and he couldn’t think.  

Voices that he didn’t have the willpower to place washed over him. An argument that he didn’t understand. Their voices were like hammers in his pounding skull; he keened, a pitiful sound. Someone placed their hand on his shoulder again, and he didn’t know who was touching him. It burned through his tunic, his fingers digging into the soft ground as he pressed his head down even more brutally. He didn’t have his magic to search, and that fact left him feeling even more ill at ease and anguished. 

“Ledge, we are going to try and help.” It sounded like Four, but different. Where were his other brothers? Why wasn’t Hyrule’s magic sweeping over him? Why wasn’t Wild bouncing next to him nervously and pressing some concoction into his hand? What had gone so wrong? Tears pricked in his eyes from the pain, hot and shameful. 

His cap was being taken off, and for a second he protested, a hiss coming from him that was half from the pain in his head and half from the fact that that was his favorite hat. He rubbed his head into the dirt, relishing the feeling of the soil on his skin, a distraction to the throbbing. 

Something was being wrapped around his head, a cloth soaked in magic, and it made his head feel better. He sucked in a breath full of relief and cracked an eye open again. He was thankful that his stomach didn’t instantly empty itself again. Four was standing over him, but there were four of them. Red was now kneeling down next to him, his face pinched in concern. Green was pulling the cloth over his brow and then down over his eyes, and his vision disappeared. His splitting headache dulled even further. 

“Just give it a couple of minutes; it should help.” A rougher voice told him from his left. His ear flickered over to it, the pieces sliding into place. Blue. His magic was coming back alive, slinking out of his soul and pooling around his knees. His nipples burned from the enchanted rings pouring rejuvenation into his soul. It trailed up to the hat he was wearing now, curious about the magic steeped in it. He let it wander, content to try and breathe through remnants of his migraine. 

He had made a fatal error thinking that Four always fought the magic to split during a portal change. He hadn’t realized that his migraines might be caused by the effects of his soul being pulled in four parts, and when Legend had tried to buffer and protect it, it had split his own magic apart. He apologized to his source quietly in his head; he would not be attempting that again. 

His magic lifted and purred back to life at his realization. His control slipped, and he wasn’t prepared for his magic to activate whatever it was that was in his borrowed cap. Another swell of magic engulfed it, and the world shifted. He felt his body shrink, the grass that was once below his head now standing tall around him. He shifted the cap up over his eyes and took an apprehensive look around. 

Tentatively, he took the cap off his head, but it didn’t reverse whatever it was that had happened to him in the first place. The unassuming hat was red with a little feather stitched into the brim. He traced his thumb over the stitching, trying to piece together what exactly had happened. Whatever it was, it had to do with this cap. The world had grown larger, or rather he had grown smaller. His headache had evaporated upon turning small. He could hear thundering voices above him arguing again, and he put his hands over his ears. It was so loud. 

Suddenly, Vio was staring down at him, his face close to the ground. Legend stilled, slightly terrified of being crushed. The purple hero whispered to him. 

“We’re coming, just give us a second.” He watched Legend, and the Veteran stuck his thumb up in affirmation. Legend put his hands on his hips and looked around. The world was so different from down here, and he felt his heart stir in excitement. It had been a while since he’d experienced something so new. The grass towered overhead, the sky ginormous and open above him. A thrill overtook him, and he longed to explore, his fingers twitching to start rooting through the new world. 

A rustle to his left made him perk up and grab at his sword. He saw the Smithy come out of the grass and smile at him, one person once more. 

“Well, good news is my head doesn’t hurt.” Four responded happily. 

“Bad news is you’re shrunk.” There was a slightly hysterical edge to his voice, and if Legend didn’t know better, he’d think the short hero hadn’t seen this before. The Veteran stalked up to him, a slight spring in his step. This was fascinating. They had to be only a few centimeters tall. This was a completely different world, a completely new experience and opportunity, and he did not want it to go to waste. 

“I wouldn’t say it’s all bad.” He muttered out while still gazing around them in awe. When he stopped gawking, he turned to see Four staring at him, surprised. He put his hands on his hips and cocked a brow at him. 

“What?” He asked defensively. Four shook his head out and waved a hand at him dismissively. 

“I just didn’t think you’d enjoy this.” He responded. Legend huffed. He wasn’t such a stick in the mud not to see the wonder of magic in the world around him. Sure, he could be grating and tired and annoyed, but the Veteran could appreciate a new outlook on the world around him. 

“Well, think again, Smithy, cause this is interesting.” He turned around again with his head to the sky, his arms above his head, indicating the area around them. Four snickered at him and nodded for him to follow.

“Let’s get back to normal.” The short hero said, and Legend felt his heart drop. Surely they could go do something first? A protest was on his lips, but he fought it down. It was only logical that they should return to normal and find the rest of the group. He clenched his hands into fists by his sides and stomped after the Smith. He may have grumbled some curses under his breath, he may be acting like a child, but dammit it all , he didn’t want this to end so soon. 

The night under the canopy, sitting with Warriors, came to his mind again. He stopped. Four turned towards him curiously. He forced his tongue to move, to ask the selfish request. 

“Let’s do something fun first.” Purple eyes saw Four’s flicker through the colors, and then a smile appeared on the Smith’s face. 

“Alright.” He responded. 

---

This had not been what he’d been expecting, but he was giddy nonetheless. They were on a ledge, a small rock that they’d climbed up, and it felt like a mountain. Their boots were both on the precipice, and Legend was holding his borrowed cap in his hands. 

“You just gotta leap, and then we can glide down to that stump.” Four pointed over yonder to where an apparently magical stump lay. It seemed a long way for this hat to take him. It shouldn’t be any different than when he used Roc’s cape. Hell, the Cook flew on his paraglider all the time. Worst case scenario, he landed wrong and broke a leg or something; nothing he couldn’t handle. He swallowed thickly, and the ground seemed to move even further away from him. 

Legend wasn’t scared of heights, but he was cautious. A lifetime of running, fighting, and struggling had ingrained it into him so fiercely that it was hard to let go of sometimes. But he’d asked for this, and it did sound fun. He looked over to the Smith, a grin on his face.

“On the count of three?” He asked, and Four’s eyes lit up in excitement. He nodded, and Legend counted them down, after they backed off the edge a bit. He bent his knees, ready to run and jump. The count ended, and they both sailed forward. He lifted the cap above his head, and sure enough, the air caught it. His stomach dropped for a split second before it settled, and he was gliding through the tiny world around them. He let out a laugh, his joy bubbling over. He heard the Smithy whoop and watched as Four started to change his direction to be in line with their target. Legend pulled down on one side of the hat, and sure enough, his trajectory changed. 

The small world raced by underneath them, and Legend saw things in detail he’d never noticed before. The sway of individual grass blades, the small moisture that still clung to sticks and stones. The air felt different here, the world alive in a way that it wasn’t when you were larger. The wind whipped around his face, his hair free and flying. His skirts flapped in the breeze, and he felt free. The best part was he wasn’t doing this to complete some goal; there was no puzzle or reason, they were doing this because they’d wanted to, and that made all the difference to Legend. 

The ground was rapidly approaching, and he watched Four land first, easily and gracefully. He attempted to copy the Smithy’s movements, sticking his feet out to catch him first. His boots collided roughly, and then he was on his knees, another laugh bursting out of him. He brushed his fringe out of his eyes and looked over to Four with a grin on his face. 

“Wanna go again?” He asked breathlessly. Four laughed at him and then they took off back toward where they had come from. 

As they climbed the rock again Legend felt even more silly; it had been thrilling the first time and he’d been nervous then. Now all bets were off; he knew what to do. As they ascended he asked the Smithy a question. 

“So, are there any Minish around?” Four stopped and stared at him wide-eyed. Legend cocked his hip and stared back at him. The Smithy stuttered over a couple of words before getting his brain to function again. 

“I haven’t seen any around here.” Four admitted. Legend nodded. 

“Yeah me either, I just thought it would be cool to meet some.” He replied nonchalantly. Four’s face twisted into confusion. 

“You’re too old to see them.” The Smithy stopped, sizing him up. Legend watched as the gears turned in the hero’s head. “Aren’t you?” He asked suspiciously. Legend looked at him just the same, the same tone to his voice.

“Aren't you ?” He asked just as suspiciously, because at the end of the day neither of them knew the other’s true age. Four broke first, a grin appearing on his lips. Legend didn’t hold up much longer before both were doubled over laughing. 

“Okay, we can keep our secrets then.” He extended the truce and Four accepted. 

As they crested the rock, Legend prepared for another jump. He let the Smith count them down this time and they jumped together just as before. Their goal was the same and they started gliding smoothly there. About halfway over Legend heard a noise from underneath him. He squinted down, trying to get a read on what the sound was. A large beetle came bursting through the undergrowth, its path straight towards him. 

“ Fuck.” He cursed as he leaned the cap hard to one side, his trajectory completely ruined. The beetle buzzed by him, oblivious to his presence. He heard Four yell out to him but he was too focused on not losing his grip on the cap. He tried to counterbalance, to send himself back in the right direction, but it wasn’t working. His momentum was too great, the end approaching fast. A large rockface was bearing over him, and he tried to avoid it, but there was no way. With a smack his face impacted the rough surface, his nose instantly bleeding and pouring blood down his face. His forehead cracked against it as well and he felt the jagged rock dig into his skin. His chest stung as the piercings under his tunic scraped against the rock and he bounced back a bit. He cursed as his headache resurfaced and he flailed as he descended down the rockface. 

He hit the ground roughly and groaned. He could hear the Smith rushing towards him. Embarrassment blossomed in his gut and he tried to pull himself together before his brother could see him. Instead of being composed, Four found him with his head tilted back with blood pouring out his nose, cursing about his failed landing. The Smith graciously offered his condolences about Legend’s poor flight maneuvers and Legend cussed at him too. 

---

When they met back up with the group, the first thing that was asked was why Legend’s nose and forehead were bloody. He rubbed at his head self-consciously; the second landing had been… graceless. His head rang again with a headache, his knees stiff and sore. His magic had been stretched, and all he really wanted to do was take a nap. 

The thrill of the day still sang in his veins, though, and he didn’t regret anything. He’d given his borrowed cap back to Four and replaced it with his blue one. Hyrule came up to him, a concerned frown on his face. Legend batted away his glowing hands; there was no need for magic for something so silly. Hyrule huffed but left him alone. They sat down next to the cookpot together, Wild humming as he started on dinner. 

“What happened?” Rulie asked him curiously. Instead of admitting that he’d crashed face-first into a rock, he told him about his attempt at buffering Four’s magic. 

“I fucked up the buffer for sure. About split my head open trying to prevent Smithy’s migraines.” Hyrule’s brows shot up in surprise, and Four plopped down next to them as well.

“You did save me a headache, though, Vet. Thanks for that.” Legend tipped his head in acknowledgment. He then leaned a little further into Hyrule’s space and whispered to him.

“We shrank down too!” He stated excitedly. Hyrule cocked his head like a dog and Legend expounded. 

“To about this small!” He held his fingers a few centimeters apart, his eyes wide in wonder. Hyrule grinned at him, his magic tugging on Legend’s own in fondness. 

“Sounds like someone had fun.” Hyrule commented, and Four snickered at them both.

“He sure did, till he smacked face-first into that wall.” Blue eyes stared at him smugly, and Legend shot the Smith a glare. Fucker. Hyrule snickered at him, and Legend tugged on his ear in retaliation. 

“It’s not nice to laugh at your predecessor.” He reprimanded as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. Hyrule bumped shoulders with him. He placed his head on his successor’s shoulder, his eyes growing ever more tired. Maybe he could snatch a few moments of rest before dinner was done. He didn’t need to fight, didn’t need to defend his honor. Hyrule already knew everything about him anyway. He did flip Four off secretly while the Traveler wasn’t looking. Four flipped him off right back, and that made him grin as well. 

“Whatever you say, Ledge.” Hyrule replied as Legend’s eyes slipped shut. 

Notes:

OKAY, these are taking me so much longer than I anticipated. It's because I'm not cut out for this...this... fun.
I hope to Hylia someone enjoys this.
The author is starving, only inserting tiny amounts of whump to keep her alive.
Poposusz

Chapter 5: Fun with Time

Notes:

Please read this chapter with this soundtrack going the entire time to feel Legend's sanity slipping.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpBxJMCTxzU&list=RDTpBxJMCTxzU&start_radio=1

Legend had never seen Time quite like this. Their defacto leader was a stoic man, but underneath it he’d seen glimpses of the Old Man be just as chaotic as their Cook. He had a penchance for pranks and puns. He was wildly unhinged in his stories and Legend saw some of himself tucked away in Time’s thought processes. The Chain’s shared spirit made them all a little similar, though extremely different at their souls.

Their leader and Legend shared certain traits. The confusion they both felt during emotional outbursts, the ever-demanding need to help those in trouble. How they had both lost their childhoods and turned into heroes more bitter and somber than their brethren. He always saw the disdain Time felt towards the Master Sword, and while he didn’t share that misgiving, he did understand. His own childhood had also been ripped away, a burden far too heavy cast upon their shoulders; blood trailing behind them with every step. 

Now they were moving through Time’s Castle Town, a lively place with music and dancing. Not nearly as populated as Warriors’ or Twilight’s, but charming in its rustic ways. A strange shop was their destination. Time had requested him specifically, which was also odd. It’s not that they didn’t get along, it was just that their paths were never in line. While Time looked after Twilight and Wild, Legend struggled to keep Hyrule in line. Hell, half the time Hyrule was keeping Legend in line. He knew he fell under the Captain’s gaze more than their leader, and he could respect that. He and Warriors had an understanding, a relationship of bickering and trust. He didn’t have that with their leader. A mutual trust and respect? Sure, but a deep heart-to-heart relationship? No. Legend didn’t know how to approach the man in that regard, and frankly he doubted Time knew either. It wasn’t necessary anyway. Wars, Rulie, and Cookie knew more than enough about him, and he could always lean on them for heavy emotional things. It left him and Time at a distance, a distance that each was comfortable with. 

“You’re experienced in games, right?” Time’s flat voice rose above the din. Legend stared up at him, the sun glinting behind him; the hero had stripped down to just his brown tunic. He looked like an average townsfolk like this, and Legend found himself once again feeling ostentatious in his jewels and embroidered tunic. Maybe he just had expensive tastes? He shook off the feeling and answered the question. 

“More than necessary.” He bit out. He didn’t mind games, he just found it annoying when they were borderline impossible. He thought of the Goron Dance Hall, the Target Carts, and the Baseball field in Lorule. The Digging game, the Shooting Galleries. The Trendy Game on Koholint had his breath escaping him. Yeah, he’d had more than his fair share of games throughout his adventures. 

He saw the corner of Time’s lip uptick in a smile, his one eye studying him. He felt seen more than normal, like a source of puzzlement to his elder. He shuffled along, his hand rubbing at the back of his neck. The Old Man held the door open for him, and he stepped inside. 

A purple-haired woman in a midriff shirt greeted them kindly, and he was surprised to see their leader not return her greeting. Instead, Time’s face twisted ever so slightly to the sour side. Legend suspected that there must be some bad blood between the Old Man and this shop. The inside of the bowling alley was loud, some deranged music playing from somewhere. It was also colorful, and he saw down a long corridor a bullseye of multicolors. A neon painting of a bombchu was painted behind the desk as well. He hadn’t seen one of those since he left Labrynna. He could special-order them from Maple, but he hadn’t really seen the need. 

“Welcome to Bombchu Bowling!” The lady greeted, too enthusiastic for Legend’s tastes. Time nodded and placed a red and yellow rupee on the table, still without a word. The lady snatched them up and gave them brief directions. Legend listened attentively. His purple eyes kept glancing over to Time, because for some reason their leader had brought him here. He wondered if the Old Man had never been able to clear the course. A surge of anticipation filled his stomach; he could do this. He was nothing if not stubborn and he wouldn’t quit til he won. Besides, bombchus were straightforward, and Legend had honed his skill in being accurate with them.

Time started to hand him a bombchu and then stopped. “You are familiar with these, yes?” His voice was suspicious. Legend quirked a brow at him and scoffed as he snatched the bombchus up. 

“What do you take me for?” He snipped back and he was pleased to find that Time smiled at him. They both went up to the edge of the course. The bullseye lit up and the music picked up the pace, making Legend press his ears against the sides of his skull. Golden Three, couldn’t they turn that down? What was with games having the most rage-inducing, mind-numbing tones and sounds? He clenched his jaw so as to not curse at the shopkeeper. 

He lined up the bombchu right where it would need to be. Time watched him, his face creased in a frown. He set the little machine down and lit the fuse. It sparked to life and then it was off. Legend was dead on, but three quarters down the way the bomb suddenly tilted left and crashed into the wall before reaching its destination. The clerk, in an annoyingly fake voice, told them to try again. Legend felt his blood start to boil. 

The course was the same, so he lined it up further to the right. The bombchu took off and then once again cut to the left, but further this time. His hands clenched into his fists and he glared at the clerk as she chirped about it being their last chance. 

Time handed him another one and this time he inspected it. He titled it all around, trying to find something. But he couldn’t see anything. With a whispered curse he set it farthest to the left, purple eyes tracking his anticipated trajectory. Time started to say something but stopped as he watched Legend. His one eye widened and he stepped back. 

He lit the bomb up and it crawled up the wall, then the ceiling, and then hit the target dead on. He grinned, bouncing on his feet a bit. Time’s eye had turned dangerous-looking, a feral gleam in it that he normally didn’t see on the hero, a small wicked grin on his face. Oh yeah, whatever it was that Time had against this place, he was enacting his revenge. 

The once perky cashier mellowed out now and she pulled the lever to change the course. The next bullseye was on the other side of the course. Legend stopped and stared at the wall of the bowling alley, and he saw it. He knew what needed to be done, but he wanted Time to get in on the fun. He beckoned their leader to lean down so he could sling his arm around the Old Man’s shoulder and whisper into his long ear.

“Set it in the middle; see the carved pathway?” He gestured to the barely-identifiable divot in the smooth stone. Time nodded and he set the bombchu down. It went sailing and hit the mark dead on. He turned to Legend with an ever-widening smile on his face. The cashier had grown suspiciously silent, and Legend waited impatiently for the next course shift. 

It changed and now the target was on the ceiling, so he’d have to take a different approach for this one. Sharp purple eyes sought out a solution, and Time tapped him on the shoulder once. The Old Man pointed at an obvious divot in the course, but from what Legend could tell it didn’t make sense. He hummed and kept inspecting, and then he saw it. On the floor there was a difference of textures, where the stone had been shaved away into a slippery surface. He spied the obvious divot again and understood what was meant to happen. He tugged on Time’s arm and the tall hero leaned down to him as he explained.

“The stone is smoothed to make the bombchu lose traction, thus decreasing its distance. They put it in the perfect spot so that if you made it to this point in the course with the tactics that we used so far, you’d assume to do the same here.” He shook his head no. “But if we did that, the bombchu would never even make it up the wall,” he pointed again to the smooth stone and the dip further up that would make the bomb go off course.  

Time tracked his movements and nodded his understanding. The old hero spoke softly but Legend could hear the excitement under his tone. 

“We just need to set it there then?” He asked, leaning on the experience of the Veteran. Legend grinned at him and handed him the last one. Time’s knees audibly cracked as he knelt down to place the bombchu, lining it up and lighting the fuse. The bombchu raced forward, up the side of the wall and straight into the bullseye, missing all the invisible traps. He jumped, a fist in the air at the victory, and Legend had never seen Time smile so carefree before. They turned to the cashier and she was smoldering, her face red with anger. She was palming the rupees that they had paid to play the game, and suddenly she called out. 

“You win!” She cried, full of forced joy. Her face was impassive until a dark gleam entered her eyes.

“Tell you what, if you can beat our advanced course, I’ll make it double or nothing.” Legend’s eyes widened at the offer, and even more when Time instantly took up the challenge.

“Accepted!” He called in a clear loud voice that had even Legend straightening up some. Their leader didn’t demand respect, but it was impossible not to give it to the Old Man. The way he held himself, his entire aura exuded confidence and reassurance at the same time. Legend may be the most experienced of the group, but he hadn’t wanted to lead; he didn’t want to have that responsibility stacked on his already crumbling shoulders. He had enough of his own shit, his own trauma, his own worries that he couldn’t hold an entire group together who were just as strung out as he was at times. 

The music somehow, some fucking way picked up, louder and more obnoxious. The lady behind the corner smiled and waved as the course went into place. Now there were blade traps and cuccos interspersed throughout it. Time’s face turned serious, a frown on his lips. Legend moved his neck side to side to loosen up, his purple eyes tracking the movements, looking for unseen obstacles. 

Time pointed without a word and Legend saw it. A blade trap hidden in the wall. His face creased in concentration, the options scrolling through his mind. Time pointed again to another defect in the flooring and Legend handed him the bombchu. They could barely speak over that cursed music blasting. Legend was ready to set the whole shop on fire. 

Their leader nudged him and gained his attention again; he signed his thoughts to him and Legend grinned. He signed back, their conversation silent. Time stepped up the edge of the course and Legend tapped his shoulder at the right moment to send it off. The bombchu went and struck true. Fuck yeah. 

There were no words from the cashier as the course switched. They exchanged silent words once more, but Legend stepped up this time. He watched the movements, his palms sweating from nerves now. He breathed deeply, getting his heart back under control. He blocked out the music and locked in. The bombchu went and curved up the side of the wall, missing two blade traps and grazing the bullseye, but it exploded at the right time and the sound of victory boomed over them.

This was their last one. They only had one shot. A large cucco crowed and walked around at the end of the course. Why the fuck were the birds a part of this? Everything about this place was confusing, but this was it! Double or nothing, Time’s revenge! He stepped back, both heroes studying the course. 

It was impossible. Purple eyes stared in disbelief. Everywhere there was something that would send the bombchu off course. Divots, cuccos, and blade traps. Anger built in his stomach, his fist clenched in his hands. Time was radiating anger, waves of wrath washing off him. He looked fierce. Legend rolled his eyes, about to call it, to cut their losses on this rigged piece of garbage. His eyes caught as he rolled them though. The ceiling. His tense posture shifted, his hand coming up under his chin. He stepped back, stepped to the left, came back around and elbowed Time. The hero’s hard eyes landed on him and Legend almost flinched, but he stood his ground and pointed one finger to the ceiling. 

“We’ve got to throw it up.” He signed, and Time’s eye looked to the ceiling. A deranged grin appeared on their leader’s face and he handed Legend the last bomb.

“You’re better at throwing than I am.” Their leader signed back. Legend nodded. He found the perfect spot, squaring his shoulders up. He rocked on his heels a little, his hips wiggling side to side. He grabbed the bombchu, flipped it upside down and tested its weight. Perfect. He lit the fuse and in one swift movement launched it up to the ceiling where it grabbed hold and sailed towards the bullseyes. Time’s hand landed on his shoulder, squeezing in anticipation. Legend fisted his hands in his skirts, his eyes tracking the movements. It was going! It was on target! The bombchu exploded right on the bullseye. Legend jumped up and Time turned towards him as well. They high fived in victory, matching grins on their faces. 

Legend suddenly felt so silly, and Time seemed to realize the same thing as well. They both glanced away from each other, embarrassed by their outburst. It wasn’t their normal energy, but they’d fucking done it! The music cut off. They both turned to the store clerk. She stood, her mouth agape in disbelief. She swallowed and cleared her throat.

“Congratulations.” She said, her voice sounding anything but happy. Time stalked up to the counter and held his hand out. The rupees were deposited into his hand. They left the store without another word. 

As they walked through the market, Time glanced at him. Legend still felt awkward. 

“Thank you, Veteran.” Time said to him, and Legend glanced at him before returning his eyes forward. 

“Don’t mention it, Old Man.” He responded. Time hummed in acknowledgement. They walked along in silence again. 

“I lost so many rupees in that shop as a child.” Time said. Legend’s ear twitched towards him. 

“Happy to help.” He responded. Time smiled just a little. 

“It was fun.” Time responded once more, and Legend chuckled. 

“Yeah, her face at the end,” He exclaimed. “Fucking hilarious.” Time chuckled, which caught him off guard and made him laugh a little more. 

“What a garbage place! I wanted to set it on fire after she turned that blasted music up more.” He bemoaned. Time’s head tilted back in a full laugh.

“I almost set it on fire as a child. My companion stopped me.” Time laughed. Legend’s eyes widened in surprise. He nudged their leader with his elbow.

“We can turn back now.” He whispered with a wicked grin. Time’s face turned serious and they both stopped and turned around, looking at the shop. 

“It wouldn’t be hard.” Time returned. Legend nodded. 

“We’d be out of town before anyone realized.” Legend commented. Time hummed. They both looked at each other and grinned again before laughing. They turned back around and headed to the inn. Time handed him half the rupees from their victory, and the Vet put them in his wallet. He looked over at their leader in a new light, a small smile on Legend’s face as they returned to the rest of the group.

Notes:

A huge thank you to Pelicanpig and Perry for helping me with this chapter! If you haven't realized yet, fluff is not my strong suit, and Time is always difficult for me to write so to be able to bounce some ideas off you two? Invaluable. I owe you pelicanpig another cup of coffee. Perry, next choccy milk is on me.
I enjoyed this chapter, and I hope you did as well! Please let me know if you did, and I'm alive on tumblr.
Poposusz

Chapter 6: Fun with Wind

Notes:

This one starts off a little rough for our boy but fun will be had!!!!!!

The beach didn’t feel right. The Veteran sat on it, in only his shorts. He had his elbows resting on his knees, his head being held in his hands, his grip tight in his hair. The ocean didn’t sound right, the smell was off, the sand fucking stuck to him. For the life of him he couldn’t remember the sand being this annoying in Koholint; he was positive it never stuck to his skin and made him itchy. It made him want to claw his skin off. The heat was so oppressive he’d forgone both of his tunics. He glared up into the sun; he didn’t remember it being this uncomfortable. Sweat beaded on his brow, behind his knees, and in his elbows. The sun was turning his skin red, which was another new experience; he’d never gotten sunburned on his dream island. He was miserable, and yet, he stayed. 

He had foolishly thought that he could nap on the beach in peace. He had loved that more than anything with Marin. She would sing and run her hands through his hair as he was lulled into sleep from the sound of the waves and feeling of her hands. Now it was almost a joke how alone he was. The beach wasn’t refreshing, the waves sounded harsh and indifferent in his ears, and a pit had formed in his heart. 

It would never be possible to sleep here, not with how he felt, not with how alien everything felt here on a beach so similar yet foreign. The others were off in town mingling with Wind’s family, and Legend had taken the opportunity to have some alone time. Now he wished he’d never come here in the first place. 

His mind tried to understand, to process. He’d only been on a beach like this in his dreams. Never before had he actually sat on one in reality. A sharp pain of panic shot through his heart and he gripped his hair tighter. He pulled at the pink strands, trying to find something to moor to in this unknown experience. Tears stung his eyes, his heart constricting in grief and pain. 

He’d wanted to just exist. To remember a time gone, to remember her in a place she loved the most. He could practically hear her singing her song, asking him countless questions, demanding why he wasn’t answering her. A small smile tugged at his lips, and then morphed into a strangled sob. It was never even real. Her memory was a balm and a knife simultaneously. He loved to think of her, but often didn’t because it carved too deeply into his heart. Being here in the sun, with all of his senses telling him this was wrong, left him disoriented and agonized. 

The call of a seagull further destroyed his mental state. In a wash of uncertainty he wondered if what he was experiencing now was a dream, and he was lost once again. The waves crashed loudly and he looked up, trying to ascertain how to distinguish a dream from reality. His hands gripped either of his forearms, his nails digging in painfully, his rings burning from the heat. He sucked in a shuddering breath and was blindsided by a pain in the side of the face. 

“Fucking hell,” He hissed as he fell to the side, adrenaline coursing through him had him on his feet in mere seconds, his stance defensive. His mind no longer stuck in that awful place of sorrow and doubt but attuned to some new danger around him.

Purple eyes searched the beach, and they caught on a pear that lay next to him now. He rubbed his cheek, annoyed. He saw Wind sheepishly walking towards him, the hero stripped down into his own shorts as well. He glared at the younger kid, but a part of him wanted to hug the little guy too. He’d been drowning in his own thoughts, in his uncertainty, and being hit in the face with a pear had effectively brought him back to this reality. Unwittingly the chaotic gremlin had saved him from his spiraling thoughts and made the world feel real once again. He wiped hurriedly at his eyes, not wanting the Sailor to see his previous mental anguish. It was better left inside, better forgotten. 

“Shit, Vet! I didn’t think you wouldn’t notice!” Wind rushed out in a half-assed apology. Legend shrugged his shoulders; it didn’t matter now anyway. It had been his fault for being so lost inside his own head after all.  The Sailor’s eyes tracked over the Veteran, and Legend felt self conscious. He knew he was too skinny and too scarred. He could feel the sunburn resting on his skin. He felt silly standing there in his shorts, burned and on display. This feeling was why he generally never took off his black tunic. But Wind surprised him once again; the kid was so damn smart, so genuine. 

“Your nipple rings are fucking awesome.” The Sailor said with a big grin. Legend glanced down curiously; they were rather sparkly in the sunlight. He’d grown so used to them now that half the time he forgot they were even there. The enchantment wound so tightly up in his own magic that he felt freer using his magic than ever before. The purple gems on the ends sparkled and he looked back up to Wind. 

“Thanks.” He responded lamely. What else was there to say really?  He grinned though, because perhaps they could work something out. The Sailor had already expressed interest when he’d shown them off after he’d gotten them done. 

“We could always ask Cookie to hook you up with a pair.” He offered and Wind’s wide eyes grew wider. Then the kid deflated, a defeated sigh leaving his lips. 

“Wars said I had to wait til I was at least sixteen.” The Sailor kicked at the sand dejectedly. Legend scoffed; the Captain could be such a killjoy sometimes, but he wouldn’t go behind his back. If Wind had acquiesced to Warriors’ parental guidance then he’d respect it. Wind quickly turned to another topic though, the kid eyeing him again thoughtfully. Legend loved the Sailor’s eyes, bright blue and thoughtful. An earnestness in them that he rarely saw in anyone else. 

“Do you like the beach, Ledge?” Legend’s purple eyes grew wide at the question. He thought hard, his brain and heart fighting against one another. He felt the sand sticking to his skin and attempted to wipe it away, trying to relieve some of the itchiness it brought. It felt strange between his toes, and he lifted one foot slightly and sank it back down, pondering. Walking on sand didn’t feel like this, not how he remembered it anyway. Did he like the beach? He thought he did. But if he’d never actually been on one, then how did he know? 

“I think I do.” He replied cryptically. “Or the thought of it at least.” He added on, still unsure, his voice dwindling away. Wind quirked his brow at him, his lips pursing together. 

“You’re just as weird as the Old Man sometimes.” The Sailor said and Legend felt some of the pressure in his chest lighten up as he chuckled. He bent down and picked up the fruit still sitting there. Wind bounced over to him, excitement oozing off him. Legend turned the pear around in his hands - that was strange. 

“There’s magic in this.” He said in awe as he inspected it further. It was odd, a sort of orange-yellow hue that spoke of mind manipulation was steeped in the fruit. There was a face in the pear, a gaping mouth and two eyes that had Legend pinching his brow in confusion. What an odd thing. The Sailor glanced at him and then at the pear and then back again. 

“You can tell just by looking at it?” Wind asked. Legend nodded. He could feel it in his soul. 

“What’re they called?” He asked curiously, it seemed the Sailor was familiar with the fruit and aware it contained magical properties. 

“Hyoi Pears!” Wind responded as he took another one out of his bait bag. “You can take control of seagulls with them!” He tacked on and Legend squinted his eyes at him in disbelief. 

“You what with them?” He asked slowly, trying to make sure he’d heard right.

“Watch! You set them on your head and when the seagull comes and eats it, you can control them for a while.” He watched as Wind balanced the pear on his head and stuck his arms out, closing his eyes. Legend backed away, his own magic pooling around the Sailor’s feet, curious. Sure enough a seagull called and came swooping down, snatching up the magical fruit. Legend felt the line snap into place; he could feel the magic concentrated in Wind’s mind stretching up to the bird in midflight. He looked down to the fruit still in his hand and puzzled it out. When consuming the fruit, the magic became active, and by placing it upon one’s head it gave it an easier outlet to connect with the mind. Wind may not know exactly what he was doing, but he was doing exactly what needed to be done. Magic was fickle sometimes and by simply placing it in a more ideal spot the effects could be easier attained. Like his power bracelets on his arms, or his enchanted nipple rings next to his heart, it was all done for a purpose. That was part of the reason he adored magic; controlled chaos is what it amounted to and Legend loved it. He looked up at the bird that his brother was controlling. 

The seagull turned abruptly and came flapping towards the Veteran. It landed on his shoulder and Legend smiled, his hand coming up to stroke the white neck feathers. He stared in amazement as he saw Wind’s ocean blue eyes looking back at him. Oh, he liked that. 

“That’s pretty cool, Guppy.” He mumbled and the seagull squawked obnoxiously loud in his ear. He pulled his ears flat against his head and glared at the bird. It ruffled its feathers, amused. The little shit. A hypothesis came to his mind. If the magical connection was done without any actual physical contact, then it should be able to be undone by contact. He grinned as he looked back at Wind’s body, the kid’s eyes squeezed shut, his hands floating by his head in concentration. 

“But the magic seems pretty bendable; I’m sure the connection will break if you or the bird are hit by anything, correct?” Legend wasn’t expecting an answer; it was a rhetorical question. The seagull on his shoulder squawked again and he was about to throttle his brother for being so damn annoying. He threw the pear up into the air and caught it. All in the same swift movement, the seagull flew off his shoulder and Legend hurled the pear at Wind. It connected with a solid thwack on the hero’s cheek and then Wind was glaring at him back from his own body. The seagull fled, no longer under control. Legend pointed and laughed at the Sailor, a pear-shaped red mark forming on his brother’s face. 

Wind crouched down and started running towards him and Legend panicked. He turned and started running down the beach being chased by his brother. A laugh bubbled up within him again and he felt silly as his feet raced across the sand. He was missing his precious boots and Wind was surprisingly fast; he looked behind him and felt his heart thundering as the Sailor gained on him. His hair whipped behind him and he pushed his legs to carry him faster but it was for naught. Warm arms wrapped around his ribs and a body crashed into him sending them both flailing onto the beach. 

Legend sputtered as he ate a mouthful of sand and Wind cackled above him. Legend shoved him off and gained the upper hand, shoving the Sailor’s face into the sand as he laughed. A knee jammed into his stomach and he doubled over as Wind came sailing forward, spitting sand out of his mouth. 

“Truce, truce, Lolia below!” Legend pleaded as he was tackled once more into the sand. Wind released him and they both lay panting in the sand. The Vet tried in vain to wipe off some of the sand sticking to his chest; it was sticking everywhere, and his hand came back covered in the blasted stuff as well.

“Does this shit always stick this much?” He huffed, annoyed. Wind sat up and looked at him funny.

“Yeah? It’s sand.” His brother responded, slightly concerned. Legend rolled his eyes at the serious tone; he hadn’t known, okay, not that he would admit that to the Sailor. He hummed and looked over at Wind. His brother’s skin was sun-kissed and dark, his hair blonder than when they’d arrived. He had a healthy bit of baby fat still on his cheeks and he had filled out more than Legend remembered. He looked at his own skin, now red and irritated from the sun and the sand. His ribs still stuck out, and he knew he looked like he hadn’t slept in a week. He swiped a sand-covered hand into his fringe to remove it from his eyes. Once upon a time he was more like Wind, more carefree, healthier, and energetic. It made him want to have fun again, to bask in the youthfulness of his brother. 

“What do you do around here for fun?” He asked casually, but he saw Wind’s face light up, a toothy grin looking back at him. 

“Let’s go sailing!” 

---

Legend had expected more of a boat and less of a raft, but it was functional nonetheless. He stood upright, the mast of the raft barely taller than him, and a worn cloth stretched from the top to the bottom in a classic triangle. The Sailor said his actual boat was with Tetra, but he’d made this rickety raft and it was sure to give them the same experience. 

Wind had his Wind Waker out and was changing the direction of their course. Legend was smitten with the magic that welled up around them. The way it danced in the air itself, the feeling of freedom and exploration soaked into it. It made his soul sing, his heart longing for exploration. He may be tired, he may be an old soul in a decaying body, but Goddess above did he love seeing new things. The sun was setting, the heat no longer so oppressive, and the ocean breeze cooled the sweat and sea on his skin. 

Wind handed him a giant leaf, and told him to flap it into the sail. The leaf itself was magical as well and Legend really needed to talk to the Sailor about all this magic in his items. The Sailor himself didn’t seem to have any abilities to curate his own magic, but did know how to wield it as a weapon or item. 

The breeze caught and they were moving, salt water splashing around them. They were headed off the coast, into the open ocean, to sail around the Sailor’s tiny home island. They picked up speed, the waves increasing in size and he found himself laughing as they jumped one swell, his stomach lifting up, and then crashing roughly onto another wave. Purple eyes were alight in joy at being on the ocean again; he hadn’t been sailing since his accident and now he realized just how much he’d missed it.

Wind looked at him, his eyes crinkling and dimples appearing on his cheeks, and laughed as well, the Sailor’s expression whimsical. They pulled the sail and Wind redirected the breeze to take them eastward. The waves calmed now that they weren’t crashing into them headways. 

Legend took a minute to appreciate the day; the sun was setting, dazzling on the water, the ocean deep and blue. He could see the difference of depth up to Outset, the water turning a gorgeous turquoise closer inland. He spotted the beach he’d been moping on earlier. Now he was grinning, the sea splashing on his cheeks, and his hair caught in the wind. His lungs breathed in the salty air and while his heart panged at the memories, he felt content. She’d want him to love the sea as they both had. The joy that stirred in his heart was pure and lovely and he longed to feel more of it. 

They huddled together around the leatherbound notebook that Legend had brought. He put the general outline of the island on it and corrected spots that the Sailor pointed out. They turned the corner of the island and he did the calculation for height and span in his head and put the larger landmarks on the map as well. The sloping hill, the rickety bridge, and the forested mountain attached to it. The split down the middle of the two islands and the little walking piers were sketched in next. He labeled them all in his own Hylian and Wind’s as well, having the Sailor check over his characters. 

Wind and him trailed their hands in the ocean water as they continued sailing peacefully. His brother splashed him in the face and Legend retaliated ruthlessly. He felt so silly, so childish, and yet he longed for it, the chaos becoming even more unhinged as they ran around the tiny raft and attempted to scoop handfuls of salt water on each other. He tamped down on his magic, making sure to not transform on the planks of their raft; it would be alright so long as he wasn’t submerged in the waters surrounding them. They sat back to back on the raft in the last rays of the sun. He could feel Wind breathing, their skin stuck together, and Legend leaned some more of his weight into the Sailor. Wind retaliated and they fought for a few seconds before finding a nice middle ground. 

“Do you like the beach, Ledge?” Wind asked again, his voice full of hope. Legend pondered it. The day had started hard and sad; now he was at peace. The lull of the waves against the planks was calming; his burned skin was still sore and instead of sand sticking to him, it was now dried salt from the water. He tipped his head back, looking into the sky. The last time he’d been in this position the Windfish had sailed above him and his world had crashed around him. His chest tightened, but then he breathed and sighed. 

“Yeah, I do.” He answered honestly.

Notes:

Thank you so much for reading, and a huge shoutout to Perry for all the support she's given me this entire story, she has really inspired to keep going and have fun and most of the chaos and fun in these stories wouldn't exist without my ramblings with her. Also, her art is the best thing on the planet, and makes my insides all squishy when I see them.
Also a shoutout to Miry for the Guppy nickname!!! Her art is incredible!
Also also! The sand not sticking to Legend in Koholint is from Pelicanpig'sheacanon! Go show her some love and read her incredible fics too!

Next chapter is with Sky, and then it'll be smooth sailing for me with my three favorites for the end. I hope you enjoyed this installment of Fun with Friends.
I'm alive on tumblr as well Poposusz

Chapter 7: Fun with Sky

Notes:

If you want a little soundtrack, listen to this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuNmKtbr63E&list=RDYuNmKtbr63E&start_radio=1

Sky’s Hyrule was vast, but not in the same way that Cookie’s was. No, it was mostly empty space filled with clouds and blue sky. Legend stood at the edge of the main island, the sun having sunk below them hours ago. The chill in the air here was always prevalent, and he’d taken to wearing his scarf that Ravio had made him at all times. His knees ached from the cold but he persisted. He wanted to take in the sights; after all, it wasn’t often you were literally above the world. He felt small and insignificant when he looked down on the ground below him, and even smaller as he stared into the stars. 

He felt Rulie walking towards him. His successor was eerily silent in his footfalls, and Legend’s ears flicked back trying to catch any sound of them. The green magic washed over his own and he could already feel his shoulders relaxing. Purple eyes slid over to his best friend as he stopped next to him. 

“Pretty incredible, huh?” Rulie murmured in the quiet village. Legend hummed a response; it was truly spectacular. 

“Makes you wonder…” He trailed off, his inner thoughts tumbling out in the comfort of his closest confidant. “If our worlds could ever be like this again.” His words were soaked in bittersweetness, a loss they both felt to their souls. His world was tainted already, and would never fully recover, and Rulie’s would fall even worse before the younger hero would emerge and stall its decay. He doubted their lands would ever be this clean or pure again. Rulie grasped his hand, a reassuring squeeze. 

“I’d like to believe so.” His successor whispered on the night breeze, and Legend felt his heart thump sadly. He’d like to believe so too, but in reality he didn’t. He knew it never would be again, and it broke his heart. Another noise perked his ears up, and he heard the swishing of clothes and the steady footfalls of this era’s hero approaching them. 

He’d always gotten along with Sky as well. The Hero had stood up for him from the very beginning. When he’d been so callous and harsh, Sky had always had an understanding smile and fondness in his eyes for Legend. The Veteran didn’t quite understand, didn’t know how Sky had pieced it all together that they were distantly related, but he appreciated the understanding all the same. Sky had always seen right through all of them. Maybe it had to do with the Chosen being the first hero and all their souls were molded from his. Maybe it was the Goddess’s blessing that drenched the hero. Maybe it was just because Sky understood struggle. As the hero stepped in line next to him, he looked over curiously. Sky smiled and wrapped his arm around both him and Rulie, pulling them into each other and his side. 

Sky had a thing for casual affection. Once Hyrule had seen Legend’s disposition for hugs and shoulder pats change to being sought after, his successor now lavished him with attention as well. It felt… nice. Something that Legend would never utter out loud, but everyone now knew anyway. Each of the Downfall era heroes were now hooked on the comfort that neither had truly experienced in their lives, a development that Legend had never expected but found he loved. 

He was surprised to see Sky still up; the night was old. Rulie had been asleep already, but had apparently woken up early and sought him out. Neither of them would be surprised that Legend wasn’t asleep. Now they stood in silence for a few moments. 

“Would you like to go flying?” Sky’s voice cut through the night and Legend turned his head up towards the other hero. He knew he was talking to the Veteran, because Rulie had not enjoyed their entrance into this world; the free fall that his successor had endured had shaken him. Hyrule was more prone to be under the ground than above it. 

Sky proposed that Legend take Crimson out for a flight; the Veteran’s first reaction was to waffle, his brain stuck on the logical part of it. Was there no destination? No trouble they needed to speed off to? This was just a joyride around the sky? But then… he stopped and considered. What would he like to do? Not just the hero that he was through and through, but him. He’d already loosened his hard exterior, his true self shining through more and more and his heart opening to each of his brothers. Warriors had wanted him to find joy in the little things in life again and Legend had been experiencing that time and time again. He smiled more, laughed often, and felt closer to this ragtag team of brothers than he’d ever imagined he could be. 

He was about to deny the hero when Rulie pressed closer into his side. 

“Go have fun, Ledge.” His successor said and Legend felt his heart swell with warmth. 

Curious to see what riding a flying mount would be like, he’d accepted the invite. It was a lot like sailing, freeing in a way that he couldn’t explain, in a way that made him feel alive and euphoric. It was even better, because while the Vet loved sailing, it was stained with his heartache and loss. This, though, was a new experience completely, and so he’d gotten on the bird with his brother and taken off into the early morning sky.

Legend couldn’t contain the grin that spread across his face as the wind whipped in his hair. His hands clutched at the red feathers of the bird beneath him, and Sky, sitting behind him, was whooping and hollering as they raced across the sky. The loftwing cut through the air like a knife, and Legend let out an embarrassing noise that sounded halfway between a laugh and a squeal as the bird did a barrel roll through the clouds. Sky chuckled behind him, and Legend felt the noise rumble through his back. The air was frigid and yet Legend’s bare legs were warm, sunk into the feathers of the loftwing. His cheeks stung, and the tips of his ears were practically frozen but his heart felt so warm and light. 

He’d never been this close to the sky; he’d never experienced this freedom. He’d had rides from the blue cucco and from Maple, but he’d never been the one directing the path. Crimson had practically suffocated him upon their first meeting, the large bird insistent that Legend provided him with scritches and affection. Legend had acquiesced, unsure why the bird had taken such a liking to him until he remembered his lineage. Sky would be the first King of Hyrule, and somehow this large creature had seen his soul-bonded master’s blood coursing in his own. 

He hardly had to control Crimson at all, content to let the bird show off and dazzle him; and dazzle him he did. As they crested through a cloud and the world opened up even further, Legend felt his breath catch. The day was just beginning, the stars still shining but dimming in the light of the golden rays of the sun. The first rays warmed his cold cheeks and they climbed higher into the sky. Legend felt as though he could touch the stars, and he found himself entranced as he stared into the big endless sky above him. Oftentimes in his own world, the sky was darkened with clouds and overcast, the aftereffects of Ganon’s reign still tainting his world. To see the vast expanse of space, clear and pure, made his magic sing, made his soul elated. Wide purple eyes took in the world around them, and he breathed deeply, the crisp morning air filling his lungs. Sky stiffened behind him, his brother’s arms wrapping around him and his hands digging into the feathers of the red bird. 

“Hold on!” Sky called excitedly as Crimson stopped flying all together and they hung in the air. Legend felt his hair lift up, his legs squeezing together to keep attached to the bird. They dove suddenly. The air whipped around them, his eyes watered at the frigid temperature, and a laugh bubbled out of him as they descended even steeper, faster, more dramatically. His stomach lifted up in the odd way that happened rarely throughout his life, a joy surging through him at the sudden descent. The world below was just as breathtaking. He could see clouds and also sections where the world lay bare beneath them. Islands dotted the sky and curiously he tried to map them all in his brain. His fingers itched to sketch them down, to probe Sky’s brain for names and points of interest. 

They leveled out, the wind dying down almost completely as the bird flapped its wings lazily. They were headed to a small island in the distance, now that they’d relaxed in their flight. Legend tilted his head curiously, much like Wild.

“Where are we headed?” He asked Sky. The Knight pointed down at the little shop on the island. 

“Bamboo Island!” Sky said, and Legend wasn’t sure what bamboo was, but now he needed to know. Sky’s face pressed up against his, the knight close to him as he talked. 

“We are gonna have to jump; Crimson can’t land on the small islands.” Legend felt his heart thump. Okay , that was new too. 

“Just follow me and you’ll be fine; use your cape.” Sky said and Legend trusted him. Sky had asked if he’d had anything that could slow a fall, and while Legend had told him about Roc’s cape, he hadn’t expected this. They were nearing the island now, but luckily Crimson was barely gliding along, slow and easy. The way down still seemed pretty far away. 

Sky grasped his shoulder and swung his leg over the side of the bird. Legend followed his lead. His heart beat rapidly as he saw the world below them, miles away. If he were to slip now, he’d surely fall for hours before he’d hit the ground. He swallowed, nervous but determined. 

 He felt the taps on his shoulder: one, two, three. Sky sailed past him and he hurriedly followed the hero, scraping together the courage in his soul. He leapt, his stomach leaving him completely, the air blasting around as he hurdled towards the tiny island in the sky. The thought that Wild would love this sprang up in his mind as he pulled on his cape, the wind catching in it and yanking him backwards. He landed roughly, his knees spiking in pain as he stumbled to a stop. Sky jogged up next to him, the normally sleepy guy awake and alert. 

The loftwing called above them, and then began to circle around the island for their return. He tilted his head up and watched the bird for a moment before he looked to the only building on this island. 

“What’s in there?’ He asked. There was no sign, just an insignia and a strange plant sprouting out the top of the building. He’d never seen a plant look like that, and he started pacing side to side to take in more of the flora. Sky laughed but didn’t stop him, only striding forward more as Legend began to take out his notebook. The Chosen’s arm was slung around his shoulder as he stood there looking up at the new plant.

The Knight stopped him from his pacing, placing his hand on top of his book, and Legend glared over at him reflexively. He wanted to catalog, dammit. He was already itchy from not being able to sketch out the island and map it out, and now Sky was denying his cataloging of new species. 

“This is a sort of game shop; there’s bamboo inside that you can take notes on.” Sky said and Legend relaxed a little more; good, he could get even closer to the weird stuff. His mind landed on the first part of the sentence as well, his posture turning rigid and defensive. 

“What sort of game?” He asked suspiciously; last time he’d been taken to a game shop he’d had to help the Old Man enact his childhood revenge. It hadn’t been a bad time, but it had been extremely awkward with the worker and frankly Legend was liable to rip his ears off if the Chosen’s era had the same rage-inducing music as Time’s had. Sky turned them both towards the entrance, Legend still under his arm. 

“It’s a sword game; I was just curious to see how Fi has held up over the years.” The hero’s gray eyes landed on Legend’s scabbard and the Veteran understood. He knew that Sky and him shared a love for the Master Sword that most of the other heroes didn’t. She was a good sword, loyal and strong, and he would have fallen many times without her power assisting him. 

Compared to Sky’s time, Legend’s sword had seen better days. The sword was old, ancient even. Cracks and fissures had marred her surface when he’d first found her. Plants had overgrown her pedestal, the magic laying locked and asleep. He’d awakened her when he pulled her from the ground, when he’d let his own magic seep into the sacred blade and it grew lighter and swifter in his hands. 

He looked at his hands, now so different from when he’d first pulled the sword at the young age of 9. Now they were gnarled and twisted, scarred and worn. The triforce was etched into the back of his left hand as well. He found his hands now fit the sword, worn and weary but strong and true. 

He felt defensive as he thought of what the Chosen One had said. That maybe the Master Sword hadn’t been taken care of properly, that her power and magic had dwindled in his care. He rose to the challenge, eager to prove the opposite. He’d enhanced the blade, repaired and restored it. He’d soaked so much of his own magic into her, and he was sure she’d be willing to prove her worth as well. 

“A duel then?” He asked as they headed towards the entrance. Sky eyed him with a smirk. 

“Sort of.” 

Legend already liked this place better than Time’s deranged bombchu bowling alley. The music here was actually soothing, the atmosphere calming. There was no repressed rage or indignation in the air, and Legend took a deep breath, relieved. 

If this is what Sky’s games were like, it was no wonder the guy was so chill. They stepped up to a portly man who Sky called by name. 

“Hey Peater.” Sky greeted and the guy lit up. Legend gave a little wave, content to let the older hero take the lead as he wandered away to observe the plants growing on the sides of the building. He took out his notebook finally and jotted down a quick sketch; he’d have to ask Sky later for more details on the stuff. He trailed a ringed finger over the bark of the plant and hummed in interest. That was not what he’d been expecting. He gave it a solid flick and was even more curious when a dull hollow noise echoed out of it. This wasn’t a tree, it was a type of grass. Frantically he wrote in his notebook, crossing out his earlier assumption. He was called back from his research too soon. 

“Alright, Ledge, we’re all set up. I’ll go first so you can see how to do this.” Legend dragged himself away from the new discovery and went and stood near the shopowner. Sky stepped up to the little circle in the room. A singular piece of bamboo stood standing straight up. Sky unsheathed Fi and held her vertically, his eyes closed as he breathed. Sky’s magic swept around the room, bright and clean. The deadly current that ran through it burst forth suddenly and it left the Veteran breathless. Sky was scary when it suited him. The owner counted down, and soon the Chosen Hero was slashing extremely fast, every hit landing perfectly horizontal on the piece of bamboo. He’d never seen the hero move so fast or viciously. Legend watched as the shoot began to dwindle; it tipped to one side but then Sky corrected his form and the bamboo regained its center of balance. The timer ended and Sky stood back, the bamboo cut into tiny pieces at his feet. 

“43!” Peater called out with a clap and Sky flourished before sheathing the sword again. Legend’s ears perked up; that seemed like a high number, but he wasn’t sure. 

“Tied for my own personal record! You’ve improved, Link!” The happy chap bellowed. Okay, so it was a lot. The challenge before him made him excited, and he knew that his sword was up to the task. He just wanted to get a little more information before he tried his best. 

“Do you mind if I practice? To get a feel for it?” The Veteran asked. Sky agreed wholeheartedly, waving him forwards.

“Of course not.” Another piece was placed in the circle and he took out his blade. The orange metal rang out in the quiet soothing music of the room and he held his magic back from the sword. He wanted to see what it felt like raw. The blade chimed back at him in his head, acknowledging his decision. He didn’t wait for a timer, but sliced methodically, the sword cleaving through the odd bark of the plant. He’d miscalculated once and cut the bamboo diagonally; it tipped greatly, and he had to counteract it with another diagonal slice. His blade slid like butter as the stalk swayed side to side; he finished as the shoot fell to the ground with a hollow clank. 

“25.” Peater told him, and Legend was fine with that number; he was about to double it, after all. Purple eyes analyzed the fallen pieces, his brain working overtime on how to crush this game.

“Okay, I’ll do it for real now.” He stated simply, and Sky objected, saying he could practice all he wanted, but Legend denied him. No, he would do just fine. Sky looked at him doubtfully but didn’t protest anymore. 

The shoot was placed in the circle. He held the blade vertically to his lips, cold and deadly. He let his magic course through the sword, and it became lighter and sharper within his grasp, responding happily with his soul touching its own. He smiled as he charged up the beam.

“3, 2, 1.” 

Legend moved, a beam of charged energy seared the bamboo in half vertically, and then he was slicing like his life depended on it. The blade reacted, grew even lighter, more precise as he poured even more magic into it, his lips pulling up into a grin as he continued his onslaught. His arm was a blur as he strived to prove Fi’s condition. The bamboo lay demolished at his feet in teeny tiny strips. He looked back at the proprietor expectantly. 

“64!!!” Peater called out, astonished. Sky was standing there, his mouth agape as well. Since he’d cut the bamboo in half long ways, every cut horizontally counted as two. He was a simple guy who knew how to best games. He held his blade up triumphantly, and it shone. 

“I’d say she still handles pretty well.” He grinned over at Sky, and Sky’s face morphed into one of fondness.

“She has a good Master.” He replied, and Legend felt a blush form on his cheeks. He hadn’t been expecting a compliment, and he grumbled under his breath as he sheathed the blade back into his scabbard. 

“Th-that’s a new record!” Peater stuttered out in awe. The guy looked a little shaken. Legend cocked one hip out and rested his hand on it. 

“Do I get a prize?” He asked cockily, and both Peater’s and Sky’s eyes widened. It was tradition after all; he beat the game, he got a prize. Sky grinned and gestured to the guy, whose mouth opened and closed a few times before he responded. 

“I can offer you our top prizes, unless you had something in mind, sir,” Peater responded, and Legend’s interest upticked. His eyes flicked back to the odd plant surrounding them. He wanted one. He stalked forward, his purple eyes fierce as they leveled with the shopkeeper, and he was proud to see the guy gulp. These people were normally shysters, and Legend wanted what he was due; he didn’t want to haggle. 

“I’d like one of these plants.” He responded with certainty. He looked at the thin leaves and the way they moved in the slight breeze of the island. The way the sunlight shone down from the open roof and struck the green wood and its leaves was soothing. He wanted one. He also wanted the music for this song that played in here. The guy stumbled over his words before shaking his head in agreement. 

“Sure! I’ve got some rooted and ready for planting.” Legend’s hard glare pulled up into a pleasant smile. Perfect. 

They exited the shop as he held his new prize gently in his hands: a simple pot that he longed to smash, and a cluster of new bamboo shoots. A scroll of paper with the notes of the song written on it was also tucked into his notebook in his bag. Sky looked down at him in wonder, and Legend shot him a quizzical look. 

“What?” He demanded. He felt self-conscious; had he done something wrong? He’d won. He'd proved his Master Sword’s worth. And in a roundabout way, his own. Because he was capable, or he’d like to think he was. He could stand toe to toe with his great… grandfather and hoped the hero could look upon him with pride. His world may be recovering, he may be battling Ganon every other year, but it was still Hyrule, and he’d fight for it with all he had. He felt a little silly now, standing here with his prize. He’d gotten a new plant for his house, and he didn’t want anything to be wrong with that, but his stomach twisted all the same. Maybe he should have asked for something to aid them on their journey, or something of more substantial worth. Guilty, he looked up to Sky, and the hero smiled gently at him.

“It’s a nice plant, Ledge, you earned it.” Legend’s heart lifted; he was overreacting. He was supposed to be freer from his job, from his vocation. He didn’t need to dwell on it; he could enjoy this day for what it had been. 

“How’re you planning on getting that back home?” Sky asked, and Legend relaxed further. He tilted his head at Sky, as if the hero had just said something really dumb. 

“Sheerow will come get it.” He stated simply. Sky’s eyes squinted in disbelief, his lips pursing. 

“Across time?” He asked incredulously. Legend scoffed, his shoulders rising up in a derivative shrug as he continued to hold his new plant. 

“It’s a weird ass bird, okay, and Ravio wouldn’t let something like time or dimensions get in his way for a profit.” Sky still didn’t look like he believed him completely. Fine, he’d just have to prove it. He shuffled over and held the pot out for Sky to hold. The Skyloftian took it, and Legend rummaged around in his bag for his ocarina. He focused his mind, pulled on his magic, and snapped the connection into place with his counterpart. He felt Ravio stumble, and concern shot through him. Relax, I need a pick up. Ravio paced once and then responded. It’ll be a double charge for the jumpscare, Mr. Hero. Legend scoffed, rolling his eyes. I’ll subtract it from your overdue rent then, merchant. He felt Ravio’s amusement bloom up in his soul, and then he let his magic slip away again; the rings on his nipples started to rejuvenate his dwindling supply almost instantly. What a fantastic purchase they’d been. 

He held his ocarina out with a triumphant huff. He played the familiar notes, and sure enough, a tiny portal of magic formed, and that weird bird appeared before him. It squawked at him, and he held his plant out to the glorified courier pigeon. Sheerow took it, but then pecked at his hand when he didn’t supply the requested rupee amount. He growled at the bird as he dug through his wallet and then hastily scribbled out a curse-filled letter for Ravio’s benefit. He also wrote out how to take care of his new plant with more care and wrapped it around the rupee before offering it to Sheerow as well. Sky watched with a smirk on his face, and Legend glared at him, confused. 

“Write him a little love note while you were at it?” Sky teased and Legend snarled at him, his face heating up. He was not going to react to that statement, and he definitely wasn’t going to explain himself. Instead, he stalked to the edge of the platform, ignoring Sky’s laughter. He turned around dramatically, and Sky stopped, a confused look on his face.

Legend flipped him off with both hands and then fell backwards off the island into the sky. He let the feeling sweep over him, the air rushing around his pink hair and ears. He breathed deeply and flipped around. He let out a loud whistle, just like Sky always did, and sure enough, the great bird swooped underneath him and caught him. He stroked the red neck feathers of the great beast and thanked him for his rescue. He let Crimson carry him right up to the edge of the platform, where Sky was panting from running to see what had become of his descendant. Legend stuck his tongue out, and Sky rolled his eyes fondly as he saddled onto the bird as well.

Notes:

Did you have fun?? Goddess I hope so. We are on the downhill swing for this fic now! I have my favorite characters to go, and so I am hoping to update with more speed, but we shall see. Thanks for sticking with and a huge shoutout to Riddle and Pollo for helping me with some structures in this section.

Chapter 8: Fun with Wild

Notes:

We are nearing the end! And I saved my favorite boys for last TAT
Buckle in for some real fun with our Cook!

The Veteran didn’t like the cold. He’d found his dislike for it growing as he grew older, as more and more adventures stacked up on his thin shoulders. He didn’t have enough insulation on his bones, nor did he ever want to don pants again, two things that made the cold even more pervading and miserable. His joints burned and creaked and he’d always found himself in a more sullen mood when it snowed out. 

Upon arriving in Wild’s vast land Legend had found his magic excited and energized. Whatever it was about this land he found his soul craved it. The vast unknown, the unlimited freedom, the grand wonder of magic steeped into the very grass and air. The beauty that was here that didn’t exist anymore in his own land. No longer was the grass always green and the sky crystal clear blue. No, his world had a taint that lay over it, dimming the colors and darkening the sky. Ganon’s time in the Sacred Realm transforming it into the Dark Realm left a toil on his Hyrule that wasn’t so easily fixed. One that never would be, evidenced by Rulie’s world. It would only grow harsher and more barren, the soil and water poisoned, the sky barely ever seen between dark low clouds. No, Wild’s world was one of rebirth, one where the Calamity had ravaged it, but it had sprung back to life with a vengeance. Nature here had retaken hold of its magic and reclaimed its beauty. Legend sighed longingly as he stared out at the vast vista. 

He found that wonder suppressed as they were told to head to the mountains to take out black-bloods. The giant craggly peaks of the mountains were like jaws across the sky. The snow blew down on them, the temperatures plummeting. His joints ached, and he wondered just how long it would take him to be warm again once they were off this mountain. 

Their mission had been a success, their slain foes smote across the mountaintops, their blood staining the pure snow a harsh pink. Now it was the middle of the night and Legend couldn’t sleep; between the cold and his own paranoia, there was no point in faking it. He had stayed by the fire, huddled up and miserable, his jaw tense to stop from his teeth clacking together. Hyrule was asleep on him, his head in Legend’s lap. He clutched the blanket around his shoulders a little tighter, tucking his hands into his armpits to try and retain some warmth in his aching fingers. He buried his nose in his scarf. Purple eyes looked down at the still face of his successor and he knew he’d do everything all over again just for a chance to ease his brother’s burden. He sighed, his face softening behind his scarf. Movement brought his eyes up.  

Startling glowing blue eyes appeared across the camp and Legend felt his heart pick up; it took a second to process it was just Cookie. Wild crept over silently and signed fast to Legend. The Veteran knew their signs were a little different, but he just needed the context to understand. Wild’s hands were obscured by gloves, but he got the gist regardless.

“Adventure? Fun?” Wild asked and Legend felt his shoulders creep up to his ears. It did sound nice, but… He still hesitated, even after all this time, even after all the experiences he’d been accruing, it was still hard to swallow. His eyes looked over the camp, his brothers sleeping away, huddled close and covered in blankets. He brought his hand down to Rulie’s hair and ran his quickly freezing fingers through the poof of hair on his successor. If something were to happen while he was away…

As if in answer Wolfie materialized and trotted over to them. His fur had snow sticking to it but Twilight didn’t look the least bothered by it. He snuffed at Wild and then his weirdly sentient eyes turned to him. Wolfie came closer and nuzzled at his hand in Rulie’s hair and then the bastard had the audacity to lick him. He cursed and Rulie stirred from the harsh stream of profanity falling out of Legend’s mouth. Wild was silently snickering at him, Rulie was sitting up, and Legend was saddened to lose his warmth. Cookie caught his eye again and signed.

“Twi has it, let’s go.” Legend read and then the decision was made; he’d leave the others to Twilight’s watch.  But now his successor was blinking at him. Legend tugged at Rulie’s sleeve. 

“Wanna join us?” He whispered to Rulie and Hyrule smiled wide, Cookie’s face breaking out into a grin as well. 

“Yeah!” Hyrule responded and then the trio were slinking through the night towards the mountaintop. 

---

Wild had made him trudge up this mountain in the middle of the night, and Legend found himself taking in the scenery. The moon was full, the stars bright and sparkling. Not a cloud lay above them, and the snow sparkled in the moonlight. He took in a deep breath and felt his soul expand at the magic that lay all around them. He found a smile on his face against his will. He stopped and looked at where they came from. Two sets of footprints crunched into the snow, and he winced at how his looked so old. His left leg was dragging a bit, his knee no longer bending like it should. Wild’s on the other hand were so light they barely even sank into the snow, the softest impression hardly discernible on the powder. Hyrule’s didn’t exist, his brother’s footfalls so light and magical that they didn’t even crush grass when he was on the ground, his fairy blood evidenced in his steps. 

He turned back around and pushed himself forward; he didn’t miss Rulie’s concerned glance or how Wild looked back at him and stopped for him to catch up. The Cook held out his hand. He rolled his eyes but took Cookie’s hand nonetheless, a warmth blossoming in his chest. The Cook pulled him gently along, and Legend found himself not as annoyed as he thought he would have been from accepting Wild’s help. Cookie suffered from chronic pain as well, and he found solace in his brother. Besides, even through his gloves, he could feel how warm Cookie’s hands were and he gripped a little tighter, holding onto the warmth. 

They made it to the top of the mountain and Legend sighed, relieved. Hyrule stood taking in the view, his magic saddled up to Legend’s in awe. The vast expanse below them was glowing in the moonlight, the small breeze cold but fresh in his lungs. Legend bounced on his feet expectantly; even if he was freezing, he was excited. Cookie grinned at him, his eyes practically glowing and the scars on his face pulling his lips wider. A simple wooden shield painted with a pair of rabbits on it was handed to him. A similar shield with the image of a deer head was given to Rulie.  “Okay, you basically just need to steer; for someone like you it shouldn’t be an issue, Vet,” Wild told him and Legend nodded. 

“Rulie’s already done this once with me, a few portals back,” Wild explained and Hyrule did look a lot more confident than Legend felt.

He’d had his fair experience of things like this, but never had he actually surfed down a snowy mountainside. A cold breeze bit through his tunic and burned his bare knees, but he ignored it. Hyrule had told him about his fun, and Legend had been sulky when he’d missed out on it the first time. He’d been looking forward to this for some time. The circular shield dipped into the fresh snowfall as he placed one foot on it. 

“If you want to make it really interesting, we can place a bomb underneath you, and then you’ll get some real air.” Cookie grinned like a maniac, and Legend found himself chuckling instead of berating the Wild hero. He really didn’t want or need to know what the Cook did in his spare time. He shook his head no, he would just try to do this normally first; there was always next time for tricks. 

“I’ll be right behind you in case anything goes wrong,” Wild said as he slapped him on the shoulder. 

“Ah, I feel so much more at ease now.” He joked back, jamming his elbow into Wild’s side. Hyrule snickered beside him, and Legend felt reassured with his other brother with them as well. The Cook tipped his head back and laughed, and then, without warning, shoved Legend off the precipice he was balancing on. Hurriedly he slipped his foot on the shield and took a stance as the wind started whipping past him. A shot of panic ran through him, his stomach dropping out. He shifted a tiny bit, becoming steadier as he sailed down the mountain. Snow dusted out around him and his eyes watered from the frigid cold. His scarf was flapping around him and he found himself grinning as he leaned one direction and the shield responded and sent him moving to the left. He leaned the other way and curved back to the center of the path. Maybe he could try something; maybe he could spin all the way around and do a slight trick. 

He crouched down a little further, his knees painful but responding nonetheless. He was about to attempt to spin when a bright spot caught his eye and his magic reached out in surprise. Purple eyes widened, and he steered to the spot. A little white flower peeped out of the snow, and Legend wondered. No fauna should be able to grow here, but it was steeped in magic. He surfed by it, and the plant disappeared in a poof of magic. Surprised, he searched for the reason, but his magic directed him to another spot and he saw another white flower materialize in a flurry of magic. He adjusted, sailing towards it. Once again, as he approached it, it suddenly disappeared, and this time he calculated its trajectory. Sure enough, his magic pulled him there as well, and a little flower sprang into being. He attempted to slow down, his knees aching, tears running down and freezing on his cheeks from the cold. But it didn’t work, and he was pushed past it once more. He looked ahead, searching. For a moment, he thought nothing more was going to happen, but then! There! He saw it, a yellow flower now! His speed was slowing; he was now firmly in the bowl of the mountain he’d surfed down. He glided up to the flower, his magic greeting it before he ever physically arrived. 

“Yahaha! You found me!” A joyous forest spirit sprang into being in a cloud of green smoke. It squealed in delight, and Legend fell backward off his shield, his ass in the snow. He stared at it for a second before standing up and brushing off the snow. Jogging up to it, he wrapped his scarf around his face a little more to try and ward off the freezing chill that had settled into his cheeks. It was cute. It wore a little mask in the shape of a maple leaf, and held a frond in one of its hands, the stick covered in little berries and leaves. Legend felt his heart twinge in happiness. He loved those leaves; they reminded him of home in the fall. He heard Wild come sliding in behind him, and his ear flicked to his brother, but he didn’t turn, still entranced by the little forest spirit in front of him. 

“What’s your name?” He asked it, his magic twirling around the little guy and prodding at him. The little spirit giggled and shook its frond with a bell-like chime escaping it. 

“Malap!” It responded and then leaned forward towards him, gasping. Too pure. 

“You’re a hero too, aren’t you!” It squeaked and bounced from one stubby leg to the next. Legend smiled at it as he stuck out one hip and rested his hand on it.  “You could say that.” He responded whimsically. He heard Cookie scoff at him, and then Wild was crouching down to the little spirit. Hyrule came up to it too, his face scrunched up in puzzlement. The little spirit looked between all of them and gasped.

“Another hero! Wow!” Its high-pitched, happy voice sounded. Wild smiled and nodded. 

“Malap, do you have something to give to Mr. Legend?” Cookie asked. Legend held in a little laugh as it bounced up and down and held out a terrible-smelling golden… thing. His eyes darted to Cookie, and he didn’t appreciate the shit-eating grin that Wild had on his face. The golden seed was dropped into his hand, and he looked at it suspiciously. There was magic on it, but Legend wasn’t quite sure what it was. He pocketed it regardless; he’d have to ask Cookie about it later. 

“Take care, Mr. Heroes!” It said as it waved goodbye to them. The Veteran gave a little wave back. Legend went back to his borrowed shield that was still sitting in the snow and leaned down to pick it up, his back popping loudly. His hands itched to get his notebook out and sketch the forest spirit down in it. 

“What’re they called?” He asked Wild as the hero walked in step with him. Hyrule moved closer to Legend, his arm brushing against his, and Legend sank into the shared heat a little more. 

“Koroks, children of the forest,” Cookie responded with clear fondness in his voice. 

“They are very pure and friendly. I thought I’d found them all, but must have missed a few.” Wild leaned in conspiratorially. 

“They are playing hide and seek with me, but there are nine hundred of them and only one of me.” Legend’s eyes widened at that. He’d done something similar with the Maimais, but there had only been one hundred of them! Nine hundred, in this vast land. It was no wonder Cookie hadn’t found them all yet. 

“Do they give you one of those… things every time you find one?” Hyrule asked next to him. Cookie snickered and confirmed his suspicion. 

“What is it exactly?” Legend asked, feeling more and more apprehensive about what he’d just stuck in his bag. Cookie’s eyes glowed mischievously.

“It’s better if you don’t know.” Wild responded with a dismissive wave of his hand. Legend’s brow furrowed and he huffed. Weirdo. They were headed back towards camp when the world brightened in the first rays of the sun. The whole atmosphere was alive, every molecule responding to a force that Legend could feel but couldn’t place. He stopped in his tracks, his ears alert, and Hyrule was similarly intrigued. Wild bounced up and down, cheering, and ran up to them. He wrapped one arm around each of their shoulders, his head sticking between Legend and Rulie. His little feathered headpiece tickled Legend’s cheek, and he blew at it to make it stop. Cookie pointed up, his blue eyes glowing brightly. 

Sparkling ice crystals danced in the air, and the Vet’s knees wobbled at the force of magic that crashed down on them. The air turned even colder, and he felt icicles form on his eyelashes. He followed Wild’s direction and up in the sky was a dragon, flying lazily by, a mane of horns protruding from the back of its head. The scales had a luminous effect; white and blue shimmered across its skin. A glowing eye captured them in its gaze and Legend stared up at it, mouth open in awe. His successor had tensed, ready for battle, but Wild was calm as could be. The dragon tipped its head to them in greeting and then continued its path onwards with entrancing rope-like movement as it danced across the sky. They watched it cut across the sky and suddenly the world was back to normal, the moment over. Everything seemed somehow duller now, the cold less frigid, the sun less bright, the snow less fresh. 

“That was Naydra, one of the three dragon spirits of my world.” Wild said as they watched Naydra sail high into the sky and out of sight. 

“Your world is amazing, Cookie.” Legend sighed longingly. That deep twinge had hit his heart once more. The fact that he’d struggled and crawled his way through six adventures to protect his precious homeland only for it to fall once again stung. Unwillingly, his eyes burned, his soul crying. Cookie pulled them in closer, his head hanging between them. 

“It’s still in repair, and I fear it always will be.” Wild looked up and back over the vista, his face suddenly somber and older-looking. Legend was reminded that they had all been through this; they’d all suffered loss and pain. 

“I still wonder what would have happened had I not fallen the first time.” Wild’s voice was soft as a whisper, his soul reaching out to his brothers and Legend felt a part of his heart heal over. He wasn’t alone; they’d all fought and strived for a better future, and while it looked different between their eras, they all carried the same burdens. 

“Some things are just not meant to be.” Hyrule responded, his words tender and heartfelt. His successor would know. Legend had defeated Ganon multiple times. Yet the land of Hyrule would still need another hero, the goddesses would still call upon a weary traveler, and Rulie would answer. Their souls were connected, their spirits the same. As mortals there was only so much they could do, but Legend would strive to do everything he could for his people. He’d do all he could for his brothers to uphold the legacy before and after him. 

“I’m glad you're here now.” Legend responded honestly, his magic sweeping over them, covered in his true feelings. He’d been struggling before this journey and all of them had carved a spot into his heart. He’d been brutal and tired, worn and guarded. But piece by piece, they’d torn down his walls, and now he stood before those whom he loved most. He breathed deep. It would be these little moments that he would find solace in. It would be in the way Wild brought him closer and Hyrule smiled at him full of joy that he wished to etch into his memories. It would be the fun and laughter they’d had together that Legend could remember and believe it had all been truly real. 

His heart stuttered, because the very thing he had wanted to hide now shone through - his soft heart was on display daily to those whom his soul loved most of all. It was all worth it to be here now; he was glad they’d dredged up his heart, cleaned it off, and cherished it. There would come a day when they would all need to say goodbye, when it was time to return home and try and live life once more. When he would have to pick up the pieces of his old life and carry on. His heart clenched and he hugged his brothers closer as a tear slipped down his cheek. It would all be worth it at the end of all things.

Notes:

Next is Hyrule!
I do currently have plans on doing an extra chapter at the end featuring what Legend would like to do, but I'm still up in the air about it.
I hope you enjoyed!
I am alive on tumblr.
Poposusz

Chapter 9: Fun with Hyrule

Summary:

Big shoutout to

Mari!
I had sent her my very basic premise for each chapter and she helped to flesh this chapter out for me.

“Where are we going, Rulie?” He asked as his successor dragged him along by the hand. They were headed south of the Palace, where the rest of his brothers were still lounging. They’d arrived at Hyrule Castle covered in blood and mire. Hyrule was greeted warmly, but Legend noticed the surprise in the princesses' eyes. Rulie wasn’t supposed to be here. Hyrule dodged questions like an expert and so Legend had just watched and tried to piece this puzzle together. Why would Hyrule’s princesses be shocked to see their hero back? These thoughts bounced in his head as his hand was kept hold of by Rulie as he jogged to start walking side by side with his successor. 

“You’ll see!” Hyrule chirped as he looked back at Legend with a wide smile. The sun was dimmed, as it was in his own world. The air was tainted, the magic that surrounded them feral and cautious. Legend’s heart was saddened to see it. This era's hero was the complete opposite of the land. Hyrule was bright, his magic pure and free. He was cautious, yes, but underneath lay the purest heart Legend had ever had the pleasure of meeting. His successor walked like one who was possessed by the land, like another element at home in this world. Legend could feel the bloodlust underneath the soil, could see the wary way in which his brother watched every shadow and kept his magic poised to strike. Hyrule may look at home here, but his soul was restless. The blood curse was strong, the threat of it far too great to ignore. He couldn’t slip up, couldn’t make a mistake, because if he did, this world would fall completely. A pang in his heart made him consider, made him ponder how to fix this problem, to free the one whom his soul loved from the curse flowing in his veins. 

Purple eyes looked around, the devastation vast and unending. He recognized plots of land, houses that existed in his time, now just mere rubble. Perhaps if he had been faster, stronger, more diligent… he shook his head, some hero he had ended up being. Hyrule must have sensed his apprehension, his mood curdling into a sorrow that swept through his magic. His successor grabbed his hand again and held onto it. Legend looked up from his boots, from the withered and cursed grass, to the pure green of Rulie’s eyes and sighed. He’d never meant for anyone to be needed after him, and he surely wished he could have spared Rulie this fate.

Hyrule smiled at him, and it was brighter than the sun in this world. His successor’s magic was pure and alive in a way that made the world feel even deader and barren. Legend’s tongue felt heavy; the one solution he could think of to free his brother was a large ask, and yet still… he longed to with all his heart. 

They crested the top of a small hill and Hyrule stopped. Legend looked around, and his heart stuttered. Tears began to mist over in his eyes, a swell of emotion so strong it choked him completely. Hyrule stood next to him, a proud smile on his face. 

“I wanted to show you, Ledge.” His successor's voice was soft and careful. “It’s healing.” He finished and Legend found himself wiping at his eyes hastily. Below in the little valley they overlooked was a multitude of wildflowers. He’d never seen some of the varieties; brilliant reds, purples, blues and yellows dotted the blackened soil. Turning to Hyrule wide-eyed, he felt his soul uplift in a way that it hadn’t in years. The soul-crushing weight of an entire land, of multiple lands on his shoulders fell off him at that moment. Nature itself was a force, and no matter how deep the hurt, no matter how tainted and blackened, it would find a way to thrive once more. Hyrule himself was a picture of that very thing. 

“Let’s go down! We can catalog them.” Hyrule said as he tugged on his hand and Legend grinned and nodded, still speechless. They raced down the hill; he felt infinitely silly but didn’t mind. Clutching his hat he ran, Hyrule yelping surprisedly before trying to beat him. He laughed and stumbled, Hyrule’s laughter echoing in his ears. His magic fluttered around them, free and unhindered by his inner turmoils. His knees ached as they finally reached the bottom, and he stood in the midst of the swaying flowers. The clouds parted just enough for a pure ray of sunshine to hit the delicate blooms and Legend watched in awe as the whole valley danced, alive and thriving. 

Hyrule laid down, his face upwards to watch the clouds, and Legend followed suit, their shoulders touching, his breath still puffing from the run down here. The blue sky was so vibrant it reminded him of Sky’s world. His ears twitched as he heard tiny creatures moving under the flora, small mammals that reminded him of Four’s era. Fairies started to drift in, pink and blue, drawn by Hyrule, drawn by the magic soaked in this place, and it reminded him of the Old Man. The gloom around them lifted, much like Twilight’s land in the rising of the sun. From down here the world seemed vast and wild, untamed like Cookie. The feeling of being a kid again as he laid and looked at the clouds reminded him of Wind. The words he’d spoken to Warriors so many nights ago, how’d he bared his soul, shared his inner turmoil and spilled the feeling that had festered inside him. ‘Everytime we step foot into Rulie’s land, it hurts.’ Those words were no longer true; his brother had given him the greatest gift he could have asked for: the comfort that all his struggles were not in vain, that his sacrifices meant something. 

A nudge into his ribs brought him back. A freckled hand pointed to the sky. 

“That one looks like a bunny.” His successor said happily and Legend felt his face flush. He could see the little cloud though, with two ears sticking out of it, and he tsked. 

“Too bad it isn’t pink.” Rulie said and Legend could hear the smirk in his voice. He turned his head and scrunched up his face in disapproval. 

“It isn’t nice to make fun of your elders.” He sighed extra wearily and dramatically. Hyrule’s eyes crinkled with laughter and then he looked back to the sky. Legend watched the lazy clouds float by. He was so relaxed, laying beside the one who knew him better than all others. His brother, a surefast anchor in the turmoil that was his life. A person he never wanted to lose. One who stood by him through everything, who understood him without him having to explain or plead. How he’d lived his life so long without Hyrule by his side he couldn’t fathom, but now… now he couldn’t go back to the way things were. 

His house was waiting for him, the orchard that was his uncle’s. His sister in the castle. The merchant in the bedroom next to his. He had a home, and yet… his soul felt at home right here. 

The words tumbled out of his mouth before he could lose his courage to voice them. 

“Come back with me, after all this.” He said. Green eyes turned to him, wide and surprised. Legend stared back seriously. 

“In my era you can be free, Rulie.” He said and he watched as understanding dawned on Hyrule’s freckled face. 

“How’d you know?” His successor asked, and to Legend it seemed a silly question. 

“About the blood curse?” He responded doubtfully. Hyrule shook his head no. 

“That I was leaving?” He asked instead and Legend’s ears perked up. He hadn’t quite known that. He was still piecing the puzzle together but now it all made sense - why his princesses had been surprised to see him, why he talked like he was on the move constantly. Hyrule was leaving his namesake. 

“It makes sense. If the cult can’t get to your blood then Ganon can’t be resurrected. The land, and you, would be safer apart.” He said and Rulie looked saddened. Legend wondered if he could do the same; could he make such a sacrifice as to flee the very land he’d bled and fought for? His heart clenched; he had almost done it once, on Koholint. But now? With even more adventures stacked onto him, could he leave and never return? Be a foreigner in a land that he couldn’t call his home? He swallowed thickly. It was unfair to put such a pressure on his brother, to make him choose between Legend and the world in which he was born. 

“It’s just an offer, you don’t have to accept it.” He backtracked, not wanting to force his successor into something he didn’t want to do. It was just an option, and Hyrule needed to know it was on the table. He’d understand if his brother rejected the offer, because if Rulie made the same offer to him… Legend wasn’t sure he would have accepted. It hurt to realize and ponder, but he loved his home. To choose between the two was cruel. 

“I’d like that.” Hyrule said genuinely and Legend felt his soul lift up, his eyes widening. A new hope blossomed across him and he turned his head toward Rulie. He lifted up on his elbows, a smile stretching across his face. Hyrule grinned at him as well, full of warmth and purity. 

“Consider it done, Rulie.” Legend responded and then they were both sitting side by side in the wildflower field discussing logistics. It wouldn’t be hard in the grand scheme of things. He’d already taken in one lost soul in the form of his merchant counterpart. Adding Hyrule into his house would be relatively easy. Perhaps a basement excavation to give his brother a taste of home underneath the earth. They chatted aimlessly and somewhere along the line Hyrule had started to pick some of the flowers around them. The Veteran brought out his notebook and sketched each of the blooms and their names. Hyrule loved nature, and even if flowers were hard to come by in this world, his successor knew them all. Rabbitbush, fireweed, shieldleaf, lupine, pinedrops and willowherb. He’d hold them up to Legend and explain all he knew of their kind and composition. As he wrote his notes down in his flowing script, Rulie began to weave them together. 

Legend watched as a crown was slowly formed out of the leaves and stems, Rulie’s fingers moving without him even watching. His own fingers twitched once more and he set his journal aside and started copying the movement, wanting to learn this type of weaving. It had been something the village children had done, but Legend, being a rather sick child, cast out of the castle and orphaned to his uncle, had not been included in the simple pleasure. 

The Veteran was now much older, and his hands were stiff. They didn’t move as easily as the Traveler’s, and his tongue stuck out as he concentrated upon the new craft. When inspecting his base circle, it was wonky and crooked; he held it out dissatisfied. Hyrule leaned into his shoulder and beamed at him. 

“Not bad for your first time!” His successor complimented and Legend felt some of his embarrassment wash away. The Traveler was such a kind soul, and even if he could be a little shit, he was never malicious or cruel, and he never lied. It wasn’t too shabby, he decided, and continued to try and correct his simple mistakes. Careful not to crush the foliage, he straightened it out some. 

Once more he studied the way that Rulie wove the flowers themselves into the outer layer of the crown. Stilted, sore fingers attempted to replicate it and he cursed as one delicate bloom fell into his lap. His legs were crossed and it landed in his skirt unharmed but he still found it annoying. Gently he picked it back up and struggled to get the short stem into the leaves. Hyrule leaned further into his space and a freckled hand softly aided him in placing the flower into the circle. 

His brother continued to assist him in the building of the crown and Legend found his frustrations with it melting away. It was nice, to do something simple, to build something meaningless just for the fun of it. When he finally finished, yellow, blue, and red flowers were interspersed amongst greenery in a lopsided circle. A silly thought crossed his mind and before he could squash it, he placed the crown on Rulie’s head. His successor’s eyes shone, a wide smile on his face as his cheeks tinted just a tad pink. 

Legend had completely forgotten about the Traveler’s own crown, set down at the side of Rulie’s legs when he began assisting Legend. So when Rulie held it up to him, he snorted at the pink and yellow blossoms. Legend would never voice it, but he did have an affinity for the color pink. Maybe it was his soft bunny heart, or maybe it was just the way the color always seemed to soften the brutal world, but he was always drawn to it. Long ago he’d been self-conscious about his hair, but now he paid it no mind; he’d grown rather fond of it to be honest. 

Yellow flowers always sparked joy in him as well, the color reminiscent of the shining sun, or the golden glow of the Goddess’s triforce. It spoke of purity and life, and combined into a crown that his successor placed on his head made his heart tingle and his burdens wash away. Hyrule adjusted it and Legend indulged him, letting him fuss. As Rulie sat back on his hands and smiled at him, Legend found his face pulling into a heartfelt smile. The ever-present anxiety that had followed him around about his successor now assuaged. He would not leave Hyrule to a dying land, destined to be chased and hunted for the rest of his life. No, instead, they could just exist together in peace. 

They lay in the sun of a world that had been destroyed and brought back from utter ruin, and Legend found his heart at rest for the first time in years. 

Notes:

We are so very near to the end. ONE more chapter is still lodged in the wrinkles of my brain. There wasn't much action or excitement in this one but I think that's what really made it special for me! I hope you also enjoyed it.

Poposusz

Chapter 10: Fun with Legend

Notes:

Special shoutout to Perry for helping when I was stuck on this chapter! Couldn't have done it without her!
Go give her some love on tumblr Perry

“You wanna go down there?” Warriors asked him. Legend looked up at his brother and swallowed. No, it was a waste of time, was his first thought. His eyes darted back towards it, his fingers twitching. No, he shouldn’t; they had places to go. He could just mark it on his map and come back later. But then, Twilight came up and ruffled his hair in that annoying older brother way of his. 

“We’ve got time, let’s take a gander,” the Rancher reasoned out, and Legend felt his breath catch. A swell of emotion stirred in the pit of his stomach. They were going to… His purple eyes turned to their de facto leader and Time’s lips upticked just a bit. 

“There’s no time like the present.” The Old Man said. Wind wiggled his way under his arm.

“‘Sploring!” The kid proclaimed and Legend’s eyes started to sting. To share a passion of his like this, with others who were just as enamored with what lay beyond the next bend, was special. They all crowded around the entrance behind him, ready to go.  

Looking down into the dark stairwell that plunged into the earth had Legend’s heart soaring. Foliage covered the top of the opening, and crumbled rocks lay around the entrance. A new location. A place he’d never been, that none of them had ever seen. In his own land nonetheless! No magical presence lay under the ground, and no one had ever told him of this place. He’d wandered across it by accident upon trying to navigate homeward. It could very well just be old ruins, but still, he needed to know. 

What lay beyond? Unable to contain his excitement, he bounced from one foot to the other, his purple eyes aglow with adventure and excitement. He may have been doing this for far too long, but the thrill of discovery still flowed through his veins and made his heart sing. History and treasures, items and scrolls, could lie beyond. All things the Hoarder wanted to covet and keep and study. His fingers twitched.

He was the first to enter, the voices behind him dulling in his lure for the unknown. A hand reached out and grabbed his; he knew that calloused palm without looking back – Rulie. 

“Let’s stick together.” His brother said to him and he found himself even more giddy with the idea of exploring a place with his successor. Hyrule was just as liable to get lost as he was to map and chart every nook and cranny. They would make the perfect pair. He grinned and nodded as he heard the Captain parse out everyone else. Cookie was put in his group as well, and that just made him even more overjoyed – he had to stop himself from bouncing up and down. 

His trusty lantern lit the way; Hyrule with his magical candle, and Wild with his eerie blue slate, followed behind him. The carvings on the walls were old. He stared at them wide-eyed, the shapes forming in his mind and translating. This wasn’t a dungeon per se, more like a forgotten temple. He felt even more excited; there would be no enemies down here, just fun. 

They went down the steps and arrived at a central room, and they all split off. Legend wanted to go left, a certain opening calling to him. The Chain disbanded with a plan to regroup once it had been fully explored. Legend was even a little miffed that he wasn’t going to see every room in this place. It was fine. Maybe him and Rulie could come back one day and take a proper look around. The group was already indulging him by coming into this place that was not part of their main quest. His soul lit up in love and fondness; he hadn’t even asked. He’d simply stopped at the opening upstairs and stared into it longingly, his brothers pushing him to go do what he wished to do. 

He led the way for their little group, and they ducked under the half-fallen doorway. His hand reached out and touched the stone, cool and slightly damp. Ivy and foliage crawled across it and he let his hand reach out and touch the plant. 

Their boots splashed on the wet floor as they delved deeper. Legend brought out his journal and started sketching out a map. He took stock of their position and made the compass in the corner. Hyrule watched over his shoulder and Wild snickered at him, wandering away to take a closer look at the ruins. 

“What was this place?” Cookie asked, and Legend’s heart soared. 

“It’s a temple, some lost pagan religion I’m sure. A lot of time has transpired since Time’s split, and Hyrule has a varied history.” He responded, earning a curious hum. 

“What do you think we will find?” Rulie pondered and Legend smiled even more.  

“That’s the real question.” He responded giddily. Places like this always held some secret, some treasure. Up ahead he spotted two lanterns standing innocently next to each other and he gestured Hyrule forward to do the thing. A quick dip of his candle on both of them left them lighted and a chest poofed into being. Wild stared at it wide-eyed. 

“Magic.” The Cook said as he spanned his hands out in front of him and wiggled his fingers, his face pulling into a grin. Legend rolled his eyes but laughed nonetheless. Wild’s explanation for any magic the hero used was “technology and instinct” and the Veteran had been calling bullshit on it from the start. An inside joke had formed between them. Rulie shook his head fondly. Why the treasure chests were always so big he didn’t understand, and he refused to admit that he was small. He leaned over the edge of it after opening it and had to stretch to reach the bottom, standing on his tippy toes. He picked up the treasure and held it above his head to show his companions, a purple rupee reflecting in the lantern light. 

“Gonna pay Wars back for those nipple rings?” Wild said as he nudged Legend in the ribs. Legend scoffed and rubbed at his chest. A fantastic addition to his already overwhelming jewelry collection. 

“I won those fair and square. Besides, the Captain wouldn’t know what to do with so much money.” Legend still refused to believe that Warriors was loaded. The Cook’s arm wrapped around his shoulders, pulling him closer. 

“I never collected my piercing fee!” Cookie chirped, his glowing eyes crinkling at the edges. Legend shoved him away. 

“You didn’t know what the hell you were doing anyway.” He retorted with a disbelieving smirk. 

“If anything you should pay me for being a test subject.” He bemoaned. This earned a full blown laugh out of Wild and they called a truce. He handed the rupee to Rulie, the only one deserving of the treasure he’d spawned. 

Hyrule smiled at him and pocketed it without complaint. It was futile to try and argue with Legend on these things and his successor knew it. They continued their quest, Wild snapping pictures of the writings and architecture of the temple and Legend translating it for him. Hyrule always had questions about this era, and Legend was more than happy to answer them. Besides, Rulie would be an occupant of this time before long as well. 

They made their way to a narrowing passage, and Legend spotted a crack in the wall. His eyes narrowed; there was something behind it. Purple eyes pondered the possibility of turning around and trying to get to the room from a different direction. He pulled out the map he'd been drawing and studied it. No, they’d have to find a way through here. He could do it; he looked down at Ravio’s bracelet. The walls here were smooth enough, the crevice large enough to walk through when in two dimensions. Hyrule could always shrink, but he didn’t know how Wild would weasel his way in. 

“Okay, we need to get through here. I have an item that I can use to get through the crack in the stone.” He pointed at Rulie. “You can follow after me.” Purple eyes turned to look at cornflower blue eyes and squinted. 

“I don’t know about you, but I have faith you have something up your sleeve.” He said to the Cook and Wild grinned. Legend didn’t know how he felt about that face but it wasn’t his problem – yet. He turned around and stepped up to the wall. Hooking his lantern to his belt, he placed his hand on the smooth stone. 

The magic of his bracelet sang as he used it and a familiar pull slapped him into the wall. Air expelled from his lungs and he looked back at his brothers and did a funny little wave in the stilted movement of a painting. Hyrule’s mouth was open and Wild blinked owlishly before muttering. 

“What the fuck?” Cookie breathed out and Legend turned, his body moving oddly, the world titling in a strange way. His steps were jerky and he slid in between the slit and stayed on the wall coming out the other side. Rulie’s magic chimed and his fairy brother appeared with a glow into the room as well. Hyrule turned while flying and found him, coming up to where he was etched on the wall.

The Veteran shifted his magic and surged out of the stone, landing on his feet. He brushed off his skirt and stood looking at the fissure, waiting for Wild to appear. 

“Stand clear!” Cookie called and Legend took a few steps back, not sure what to expect. Hyrule perched on his shoulder, apparently content to hitch a ride for a while. Legend paled; surely the Cook wasn’t going to use…

An explosion confirmed his fear. Rubble and rocks blasted into the room and Legend looked above them, fearing the ceiling would cave in at any moment. The building stayed solid though, and Legend relaxed his stance. Cookie jogged into the room, brushing off his tunic and looking around them. Legend stared at him incredulously. 

“What?” Wild asked with a shrug. The Veteran huffed. 

“Well, we could all have done that.” He snarked back, his hands gesturing to the giant hole in which Cookie had created. He heard Hyrule’s laugh chime next to his ear. 

“I wondered why you didn’t.” Cookie stated with a smirk, and Legend found himself more amused than annoyed at the Champ. A sharp noise silenced them all, and they whipped around to the darker part of the room. 

Legend reached over his back and gripped his sword. Wild similarly took his bow out and notched an arrow. Hyrule flew off him and in a flash was full-size again. A squeak echoed off the walls again and Legend’s ears perked up at the noise. That sounded familiar. 

Silently they all stalked forward, three heroes tense and ready to strike at a second’s notice. Legend’s lantern was still latched onto his belt, and the light swung with every calculated step. Adrenaline surged through his veins, his body alert to every noise and movement. The back of the room came into view, but still no monster had shown itself. Legend’s magic was searching, but it was returning void and empty of any threats. The noise was made once more and he finally placed it. His ears moved forward, and he tilted his head curiously. 

“Didn’t I…” He trailed off, now walking forward without fear. His brothers noticed his change in demeanor and glanced at one another. Sure enough, stuck to the wall was a little pink and purple blob. The piercing cry left it again and the Veteran mentally calculated the numbers in his brain. He’d found them all, he was positive. 

“What is that?” Hyrule asked as he stepped next to his successor, his face pinched in thought and a dubious air about him. Rulie was always rather untrustworthy when it came to new things. 

“It's a maiamai, but I found them all.” He said as he moved closer still. Wild bounded forward, coming up behind Legend and leaning over him, looking at the small shelled creature. 

“Oh! You mentioned these when we found the korok.” Cookie slid off him and poked at the maiamai and it squeaked once more. 

“Yeah, it should not be here.” Legend said disapprovingly. How it got here or why it was here now the Veteran didn’t know, but he couldn’t very well leave it behind. He’d have to drop it back off at Mother Maiamai’s spring.

“We will have to take it back home; luckily we aren’t far.” He stated and Wild took it upon himself to try and detach the creature from the wall. The Champ pulled but the maiamai didn’t even budge, and Legend found himself watching amused. Hyrule leaned his elbow on Legend’s shoulder with a sly look on his face and also watched as Wild struggled to collect the maiamai. 

“Is there some trick to this, Vet?” Cookie cried a moment later when he couldn’t get it to come off the wall at all. The Champ’s shoulders slumped and he turned around, despondent at his attempt. Legend looked over at Rulie and smirked. He was sure Rulie didn’t know the trick either, but it was more fun to mess with Cookie than to admit that. 

“Come on Cookie, is that all you got?” He goaded and Hyrule snickered next to him, clearly in on his ploy. The Champ’s face steeled and Legend swore he saw steam coming off his head as the gears turned in the Cook’s mind. His slate was pulled out and he watched as it was flicked through rapidly until landing on what Wild wanted. 

A yellow magic snapped into the atmosphere and over the maiamai. Wild grabbed its shell and pulled, and a ticking sound started to count down around them. Suddenly the magic dispelled and the maiamai was still firmly attached to the wall. The creature squeaked and Legend laughed. 

Wild huffed and scrolled through his slate once more. A giant projection of a magnet appeared but the Cook quickly got rid of it when it didn’t display the result he’d been hoping for. No, maiamais weren’t magnetic. A blue pillar of ice appeared from the thin layer of water on the floor, but it was directly next to the maiamai, not underneath it, and still it remained unmoved. It squeaked unbothered once more. Hyrule sniggered with him. It was time to put the Cook out of his misery. 

Legend strode up to Wild and placed his hand on his shoulder. He patted it condescendingly. Wild narrowed his eyes at him, unamused.

“There there Champ, we can’t all be infallible.” He said with an air of superiority.  Legend went up to the creature and stroked its shell.

“I’ll get you back home.” He whispered to it as he pressed his hand to the wall once more. The magic shoved him back into painting form and he moved behind the maiamai, the creature cooing. With a pop he sprang off the wall and the maiamai came with him. With a well-practiced motion he caught it before it could fall to the ground. Satisfied it was unharmed, he let it attach itself to his sleeve for the return journey back to its home. It squeaked again.

“How in the hell do you do that?” Wild asked as he went up to the stone wall and rubbed his hand across it. Legend wouldn’t be surprised if the Cook thought it would suck him up and turn him into a painting. 

“Oh you know, a deranged wizard turning people into still life paintings. A merchant who happened to possess the one item to control that form. A hero who needed another adventure stacked onto him.” He said flippantly as he placed his hand on his hip. Wild mimed him talking with his hand and moving his mouth up and down without any words coming out. 

“We get it, you’ve been there and done that.” The Cook said sarcastically and Legend shrugged his shoulder nonchalantly with a sly smile. 

“Anything else down here, Rulie?” Legend asked as he watched the Traveler inspecting the room. His successor pursed his lips.

“No, looks like we’ve cleared it.” He responded and Legend nodded. His eyes caught on a crack in the wall and he paused. He nudged Rulie and motioned to the section of the wall. Hyrule shook his head negatively. 

“I don’t think it's bombable.” Rulie said sadly. Legend nudged him again. 

“Best try it out anyway.” He said with a grin and Hyrule’s face lit up. The Traveler brought out a bomb and lit it with his candle. He set it at the fissure and scurried away. The three of them crouched together as they watched the fuse burn out and the explosion rang in their ears. The smoke cleared and sure enough, nothing had changed.

“Worth it.” Wild said happily and Legend couldn’t agree more.

It was time to regroup then. He wondered what the others had found, and he longed to stay down here searching every nook and cranny, placing bombs at random walls and hoping for the best. He rubbed his index finger back and forth on the maiamai’s head. No, he’d found more than he was expecting with this little creature. It was time he got it back home. 

They walked through the now rather large opening in the wall and then back into the central room where most of the others were milling about waiting as well. This place must not be very large then. 

“Find anything?” He called out; heads turned to them. 

“Nothing of note.” Warriors reported. Wind gave the Captain a pointed side-eye and Legend knew the kid had pilfered a chest or two. Good, he was glad the Sailor had found some treasure too. 

“What’s that?” Four asked him as he pointed to his tagalong. Legend lifted his arm some and the maiamai squealed. The Smithy leaned further into him, getting closer to inspect it. 

“A friend; we can return it to its home on our way back to my house.” He responded. Time and Sky came back to the central room and reported nothing of interest. Legend thought maybe it wasn’t interesting to them, but he’d still like to see it. They walked back up the steps and into the light of the day. His hunger for the unknown abated for the time being, a joy alive in his soul that he felt in his bones. Hyrule came up next to him, his green eyes studying him. 

“Did you have fun?” His brother asked him. Legend knew he’d always have more fun with Hyrule by his side. He sighed contentedly. 

“I did.”

Notes:

With that, I close this story! I hope you enjoyed Legend getting to have fun with his friends. I had some amazing support and input for this story from multiple talented and wonderful people. It wouldn't have been nearly as fun and to be honest I don't know if I would have ever finished it! This story was a version of fun with friends for myself, and for that I'm truly grateful! It's a completely different tone and idea than I normally tackle but I'm happy with the way it all turned out. If you've made it this far thank you so much for reading and feel free to reach out if you wanna yap about anything!
Poposusz

Notes:

Thanks for reading! This story started off really introspective and pretty angst tbh, but NOW it shall be about our boy finally having some fun. I expect this one to be a lot more light-hearted than my other works, so please send the good vibes cause it's gonna be like ripping my own arm trying to make sure Legend has a good time.