You’ve Met With a Terrible Fate, Haven’t You?

by hound00med

Summary:

Ten years have passed, and things have changed since their last adventures.
However, Hylia isn’t done with the Eras Trio yet. After warping Wind and Warriors into Time’s timeline, it becomes more and more apparent that something is wrong in Hyrule, and it seems only three heroes can stop it.

OR: The War of Eras trio has reunited, but multiple Links in one timeline can only mean trouble.

OR: Warriors babysits adult Wind and Time while dealing with personal issues

Chapter 1: Chapter 1: Discoveries

A twig snapped under Wind’s boot, causing him to jump. The constant rustling of leaves was seriously starting to get to him.

Wind heaved a sigh when he heard the chirping of miniblins. He and Tetra turned to see a horde of miniblins racing at him. Wind drew the Phantom Sword and slashed through the small monsters with ease. Tetra was at his side, blowing the heads off of any miniblins courageous enough to jump at the pirate captain. The scuffle ended almost as quickly as it began, leaving Wind surrounded by slowly dissolving corpses. He sheathed the sword and they resumed their search. About an hour ago, he and the crew had stopped at a small deserted island. They had been low on supplies, so Senza had suggested they look around for any sort of food or fresh water.

Tetra nudged Wind. “This is a waste of time. If we haven’t found anythin’ yet, I doubt we will.” He nodded in agreement, and they began to retrace their steps. Sunlight dappled the ground in front of them, and Wind hummed the Wind’s Requiem. It was interesting how drastically different the islands in the Great Sea could be. The last island the crew had stopped at had been so freezing that Gonzo immediately caught a cold. And now they had landed on an island as tropical as they come. Birds flew above him, and the green fronds of palm trees covered most of the blue sky. As they walked, Tetra messed with her hair, switching from a topknot to something closer to half up half down. Wind fiddled with the end of his braid, which he had swung over his shoulder.

“Do ye’ ever wonder if we’ll actually find a new land or not? Like, maybe all the land out there is claimed already. Or maybe one day we’ll just sail into an endless ocean. That wouldn’t be good. I doubt that's what the king had in mind. Or maybe we’ll sail right off the edge of the earth. I really doubt that's what the king was talkin’ ‘bout when he told us to find some new land.” Wind rambled.

Tetra furrowed her eyebrows. “Let's hope not. Also, isn't the earth round?”

Wind shrugged. “Doesn’t look very spherical to me.”

“Well, yes, but it wouldn't make any sense if things could just fall off the edge of the earth.”

“Does a talkin’ dragon boat make sense?”

Tetra muttered something under her breath. “All I’m saying is the earth ain’t flat. Who even told you it was?”

“Sky did.” Memories of the sleepy hero flooded Wind’s brain. “He said that if the earth really was round, then why couldn't he see the curve from up in the sky?”

Wind suddenly stopped, ears pricked. Tetra raised an eyebrow. An odd shutter passed through his body. He swore he’d felt something like that before…

“You feel that?” He whispered. Tetra paused to listen, but shook her head.

“We should get back to the ship. I ain’t interested in whatever this blasted island has to offer.” Tetra crossed her arms and waited for Wind to keep moving. He did, but not before talking one last glance. They walked side by side, with Tetra standing in his blind spot so nothing could sneak up on him. Eventually, the pair wound up back at the ship.

After a brief meal consisting of the coconut Niko and Zuko had found and some old hardtack, Wind headed for his and Tetra’s cabin and flopped down on the bed, not even bothering to remove his jacket. (Said jacket was gifted to him by Linebeck. The older man had surprisingly good taste in clothing.) Tetra came in after a bit and sat on the edge of the mattress. She undid the straps on her peg leg and removed it, then laid next to Wind.

“You have watch duty first tonight.” She told him.

He dramatically sighed and raised a hand to his chest. “You would assign me such a horrible task? Oh, the pain! The agony! Depriving me of sleep!” He gasped loudly, trying to mask his grin. “You dare smile? At this- this horrible fate you have created for me?”

“Yes. The horror of losing a couple hours of sleep. How could I ever ask that of you.” Tetra replied dryly. Wind turned towards to her and draped an arm around her torso. He whipped his head back for added effect.

“How dare you!” He cried. “How could a captain be so cruel to her crew?”

Tetra’s eyeroll was legendary, but he could see a bit of a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. He leaned forward and kissed her cheek.

“Jus’ get on with it.” She poked Wind’s side. “And don't worry, I have lookout duty right after you, so we’re both not gettin’ sleep.” Wind made a big show of rolling away from Tetra, standing up, and stepping towards the door. He strolled out onto the deck and clambered up the latter to the crow’s nest. He gazed up at the stars, allowing his mind to wander. Tonight, he couldn't stop thinking about his brothers. Ten years had passed since he’d been with all of them.

Ten years since he’d assisted Four in his forge. Ten years since he’d sat with Wolfie beside him. Ten years since he’d bugged Legend mercilessly. Ten years since he and Sky had taken an afternoon nap together. Ten years since he and Wild chatted through his pirate charm, and ten years since he and Hyrule had wandered around together.

But only eight years since he, Warriors, and Time had been together.

It stung, knowing that was the last time he’d see them, but not the last time they’d see him. During the quest to stop the Shadow, Wars and Time had already faught in the war, but Wind had yet to. Even with friends there, the War of Eras had in no way been “fun”. Constantly worrying about when they’d be ambushed, always fearing when he couldn't find Wars or Mask or Tetra after a battle. And he certainly wouldn't miss the hastily eaten meals or the nights spent in the trenches, praying to Hylia he would come out alive. But having Warriors and Mask had made things more bearable. Tetra wasn’t around much, but he spent nearly every moment with Mask, plotting some elaborate prank against Wars. It was actually a backfired prank that had led to Wind losing his eye. Tetra still didn't know the truth behind his blind eye, and there was no way in Hylia he was telling her about the time a cucco turned evil and damn near pecked his entire eyeball out. Mask had been horrified.

Mask…

Wind often thought about what Time was doing across the past few years. Did he go on any more quests? Did he have any kids? Was he even still alive? It ticked him off that he would most likely never know. Wind shifted his weight, leaning on the railing of the crow’s nest. Both the quest that led him to meet his brothers and the one that led him to a literal war zone had stemmed from portals.

Wait.

Portals.

So that’s where he’d felt that chill before. He whipped his head around and looked out into the forest. Well…he could go to find the portal. He’s obviously be back by the time Tetra had come out to the deck to take her watch for the night.

I mean, Wind thought. What could go wrong?

Notes:

My tumblr is hound00med if you want to say hi or yell at me there, I’ll probably post update dates there, but who knows :)

Have lovely day/night! Drink some water. Touch some grass. If it’s past 10pm do yourself a favor and go to bed.

Chapter 2: Chapter 2: Letters

A lot could go wrong. That’s what.

As soon as Wind’s boots sunk into the sand, he knew this was a bad idea. Disappearing wouldn't do anyone any good, and Tetra would have his head if Wind wasn't back by morning.

I’m just goin’ to check it out. He assured himself.

No you’re not. His mind fired back. You’re going to do something stupid.

Shut up. He thought.

Wind stepped through the plants and stopped, waiting to feel that tug again. When he did, Wind kept moving in the direction of the portal. When he stepped into a clearing and saw it in front of him, he held his breath. Suddenly, he was fourteen again and standing in front of the swirling triangular portal for the first time. Wind debated whether or not he should go through, but the portal made the decision for him. It disappeared and reappeared directly below him. Before Wind could even process it, he was sucked in. Wind was spat out into a field. He groaned and weakly lifted his head. He could hear shouting right next to him. Or wait, was the yelling person next to him? Or were they across the field? Wind’s head was spinning, and he promptly passed out.

 

~ ~ ~

 

The sailor could feel himself gaining consciousness. He was stretched out on a soft couch with a pillow propping up his head and a blanket draped across his waist. Wind just laid there for a moment, trying to remember what had brought him here.

“Are you dead?” A high pitched voice asked him.

He slightly cracked open his eye and saw a person hovering above him. The kid had strawberry blonde hair, but his blue eyes and face shape made him look so much like…

“…Mask?” Wind said weakly. He quickly realized that this kid wasn't his war buddy. The kid perked up and opened his mouth to yell something.

“MA! HE AIN’T DEAD!” The kid started to run off, before pausing and looking back at Wind. “I’m Fado by the way! I’m the better twin!” He said cheerfully.

Fado?

Twin?

Wind sat upright and took a moment to really look at his surroundings. The more he studied the fireplace, furniture, and decorations, the more his mind exploded.

This was Lon Lon Ranch. AKA Time’s home. But how was he even here…?

Right.

Wind had forgotten about the portal.

So, the portal took me to the Old Man’s house. He thought. And I think he has kids now. It was weird to think about. The fact that anyone with the Triforce of Courage could settle down and have, well, a family. Sure, he knew Twilight was Time’s descendant, but Wind never really thought about it.

Someone cleared their throat, and he looked up to see Malon standing by the doorway. She looked awfully similar to how she did ten years ago, just with a new grey streak in her hair.

“Well,” She said. “If you came from a portal, I’m assuming you’re a hero, right?” Wind nodded.

“Yeah. I’m the Hero of Winds.” Wind watched as Malon’s face of concern turned to one of surprise.

“Oh, I’ll go get Link. He’ll be happy as a clam to know you’re alright.” Malon went to go get Time, and Fado ran into the room again. He sat down in one of the chairs facing the couch. It was comical to see the kid in a huge chair clearly meant for Time.

“How’d ya lose your eye, mister?” Fado asked with wide eyes. “My pa’s missing one too.” Wind subconsciously twisted one of the rings on his left hand.

“Ah, I lost it in an accident when I was younger.” Wind replied. A stupid accident, he thought, One that taught him about the horrors of angry chickens.

“You have a weird accent, mister.” Fado said. A new voice gasped.

A redhead girl about Fado’s age ran over to him. “Fado! That’s rude! You can't just comment on people’s accents like that.” She glanced at Wind. “But who are you anyway? Papa was freaking out when you fell from the sky.” On cue, Time appeared in the doorway where Malon had been moments ago. Wind slowly stood up and made eye contact with him.

A small grin appeared on the Old Man’s face, and he stepped forward. Wind wrapped him in a bear hug and was surprised to see that he was taller than the Old Man. Similarly to Malon, he looked mostly the same except for some grey hairs and the scruffy beginnings of a beard. Wind pulled away and studied Time’s face.

“So, how ya been, Old Man?” Wind smirked.

“Just fine.” Time replied. He wandered over to the couch and sat down. Wind sat beside him, and Fado tried to squeeze in next to Time. He scooted over to give the kid more room, but his sister, launched herself at the open space, crushing Fado against the armrest.

“Ow! Saria! Get off me!” Fado exclaimed, shoving Saria into Time.

Saria looked at Time. “Did you see that? Fado pushed me!”

“You pushed me first!” Fado whacked Saria, and she hit him back noticeably harder.

“Both of you settle down. There’s plenty of room on this couch. You don't have to throw a hissyfit, just sit between me and Wind.” Time said sternly.

Saria and Fado both stopped their bickering and stared at Wind. “Yeah, but he’s scary.” Fado stage whispered. Wind barked a laugh. Time gave Fado a look. “What? All I’m saying is he kinda looks like one of those guys in Castle Town with all the piercings and tattoos ya tell me and Saria to avoid!” Fado gestured at Wind.

“I’m very sorry.” Time pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Nah, it’s fine.” Wind assured him. “Besides, I think we should discuss why I’m here.” Time straightened. Fado and Saria’s eyes lit up.

“Wait, do you have like, a cool story on how you got here?” Saria grinned.

Wind sighed. “Unfortunately, my story isn't very interesting. Me an’ Tetra were scouting out an island and I felt the presence of a portal. Later that night, I went to find it and…” Wind gestured around the room. “Here I am.”

Fado blew a raspberry. “Boo! That’s boring!”

“Fado, Saria, would you two mind going to help out with the cows? I bet ma could use some help out there.” Time suggested. The kids raced off, trying to see who could get to the pasture first.

“They seem like good kids.” Wind nudged Time. “But wow, Holy Cyclos, I had no idea you wanted children.”

Time shrugged. “The topic never really came up during our adventures together.” He was silent for a moment. “Ah, anyway, I have a theory as to why you were portaled here.” Time stood up and rummaged through a drawer before holding up a letter. He sank back onto the couch and unfolded the letter. “I got this from Zelda yesterday right before you arrived. The gist of it is that she keeps having dreams telling her to beware a terrible fate. Impa informed her that there are some rumors of a gathering army of what’s left of the Gerudo and some monsters.”

Wind sucked in a breath. “Does that mean…?”

Time’s eye seemed to stare into his soul. “Yes. I think Ganon, or some kind of shadow of him, has returned.”

Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Farewell

Notes:

Trigger warning for swearing and very brief mentions of self-harm

As soon as Time said those words, he immediately wanted to take them back. Wind’s face fell, and a sour look came upon him. Time turned so he was facing Wind with his back to the doorway.

“Ah. So I guess Hylia ain’t done with us yet.” He tried for a smile. Time gazed out the window.

“I guess not. What I want to know is why it’s only us and not any of the other heroes.” Time wondered aloud. Wind fingered the Pirate Charm hanging from his neck.

“Maybe She knows we’re just better.”

Time let out an exasperated sigh. “Well, what do we have in common? That could mean something. Or…hmm…” Time leaned back.

“We both faught in the War of Eras. I bet that’s it.” Wind snapped his fingers. “But wait, wouldn't Wars be here too?” Wind’s eye locked on something behind Time. He turned, but saw nothing. However, he could hear soft talking coming from the doorway. He could only catch the words stupid and move, which gave him a pretty good guess as to who was back there.

“Perhaps he’ll turn up later. It took nearly a month for all the members of the Chain to appear.”

“Yeah, wait. The Chain? You’ve been calling us the Chain?” Wind grinned. “‘Cause it’s got a lot of Links, huh?” Time rolled his eye.

“Yes, we’re getting off topic.” Time said. “We might want to confront Zelda about these dreams, and then…prepare for another quest.” Wind ran a hand down his face.

“Okay. When do you want to leave?” He asked. “My vote is on soon, Tetra will sentence me to chore duty for a month if I’m gone for too long.”

There was a loud clattering sound behind him, and Time turned to see that Fado and Saria had appeared in the doorway, both looking outraged. “You’re leaving?!” Fado ran over to stand before Time. “You can’t leave! Then we’ll have to do your chores!”

Time sighed. “I have to, but don’t worry, I won't be gone long.” He put a hand on Fado’s shoulder. Wind’s Pirate Charm buzzed, and he looked at Time.

“Should I, like, go outside?” Wind gestured at the Charm.

Time shook his head. “It’s fine.” Wind tapped the Charm and Tetra’s voice immediately filled the room.

“BITCH. WHERE DID YOU GO?” She yelled through the Charm. Fado and Saria both looked up at the same time.

“She said a no-no word.” Saria breathed. Wind mouthed ‘sorry’ to Time.

“Um. I may or may not have found a portal.” Wind said slowly.

“Great. Of course you did.” Tetra muttered. “Why am I not surprised.”

“And I’m now at Lon Lon Ranch with the Old Man. I think this is another quest.”

Saria leaned in very close to Wind. “Can you tell her I say hi?”

“And Saria says hi.” Wind added.

“Who’s Saria?” Tetra asked.

It was Time’s turn to lean towards the Charm. “My daughter.” He explained. “Wind and I are not sure when the quest will be over, but we’re going to see Zelda today.”

“Oh, Lullaby?” Tetra sounded happier. “Tell her she still owes me a hair tie. And half a croissant.”

“You know her?” Wind and Time said in unison.

“Long story. Also, you’ve earned yourself first watch for a month, and Linebeck will have a heart attack if anything happens to you. So come back soon.” Tetra ordered. “See you, swabbie.” The Charm stopped glowing, and Wind dropped it. It thumped lightly as it hit his chest.

“Well. We should get going I guess.” Wind stretched and got up. Time stood next to him. Saria and Fado both hugged his waist, not allowing him to move.

Time ruffled Saria’s hair. “I know, I know. I’ll be back. Now, I have to go tell ma where we’re going.” The twins released the Old Man, and he wandered outside. Wind followed as he crossed the pasture to explain the situation to Malon.

Before Time could even say anything, Malon hugged him.

“You’re leaving on a quest, aren’t you?” She said. Time sighed. He sighed a lot these days.

“Yes, I’ll be sure to return in a few days.” Time promised. “We just need to talk with Zelda to see what we should do next.” He kissed her forehead, and Malon turned to hug Wind too.

“Be safe, both of you.”

“Yes ma’am.” Wind did a mini salute. Malon turned and went back to tending to the cuccoos. One wandered over to Wind. He yelped and scrambled back. A mischievous grin crossed Fado’s face.

“Are you afraid of cuccoos?” He asked, bending down to pick up the bird. Wind watched him in horror as the boy pet the cuccoo without getting his eye scratched out.

“No. That’s stupid.” Wind grumbled. Time understood Wind’s fear, but it was still a little amusing.

Just a little.

Time went back inside. He walked the halls of his house until he reached his and Malon’s room. Inside the closet was his kingdom issued gold armor. During his quest with the Chain, he hadn't worn his helmet. This time, he did. Time took his time putting on a layer of chain mail and each peice of armor. When he exited the house, he saw Wind sitting in the grass with one of the farm dogs in his lap. Saria and Fado were crouched beside him. Time could tell by his wild hand gestures and the amazed look in his kids’ eyes that Wind was telling one of his famous stories.

“-and suddenly we were trapped. There were enemy ships all around us. Me and Linebeck shouldn't’ve lived, but I manned the cannons as Linebeck fired at the monsters. We just barely made it out alive. That’s also how I got this,” Wind pulled back one of his sleeves to show the kids a long scar running from his elbow to his wrist. Time sat next to Fado to hear the rest of Wind’s story. “So we were sailing as fast as possible, but they were still firing at us. A few cannonballs hit the S.S.Linebeck, and we started sinking!” The dog in his lap barked, and Wind continued petting it. “It was horrible. The closest island was still about a quarter mile away, so I pulled out the Wind Waker and created a cyclone.” Fado’s jaw dropped.

“You can do that?” Wind nodded. Fado’s eyes sparkled.

“The winds from the cyclone blew us to the island, where we were able to patch the sails and the hull.” Wind concluded.

Saria and Fado were both hyped from Wind’s story, and Time had a feeling he and Malon would be hearing about how cool pirates were for a while.

“How’d you get those scars?” Saria asked, pointing to some thin lines on the underside of Wind’s wrists. Wind paled a bit.

“Battle.” Was all he said. Time frowned.

“Well, we should be off now.” Time announced. Saria and Fado tackled him in hugs. After saying his goodbyes to everyone and promising to come home, Time hopped on his horse, which was a white mare named Rhiannon. Wind looked confused for a moment at the presence of the new horse, but he didn't ask any questions. Time helped pull him into the saddle, and Wind held on tightly to Time’s waist.

“Still afraid of horses, I see.” Time said. He remembered the first time Wind had ridden a horse. The kid nearly had a heart attack when Epona went faster than a walking speed. Some things never change.

“They’re too big. An animal should not be this big.” Wind relaxed his grip, and they made their way through Hyrule Field and to Castle Town. Time was proud of the sailor for only screaming bloody murder twice when Rhiannon spooked at the sight of a small animal. Aside from Wind shrieking, it was actually a nice ride. He and Wind reminisced about past journeys, bringing up stories from years ago that still made them laugh.

Time dismounted Rhiannon and helped Wind off. He murmured a greeting to both the guards as he crossed the drawbridge. Castle Town was bustling and filled with people, all going about their normal business. Two men were arguing over the price of bread, kids played in the streets while their mothers talked, and vendors shouted at people to buy their wares. Wind looked amazed at the amount of people in this one town. He often stopped to look at what the vendors were selling or crouched to pat a stray dog. Even though he’d changed so much, Time could still see hints of the scrawny young sailor in him.

As the pair passed, people avoided eye contact and moved out of their way. That was normal, as nobody wanted to tangle with two heavily armed people if they could help it. Wind wandered over to a jeweler who was selling an array of jewelry.

“Do you think these would look good on me?” Wind picked up a pair of small blue hoops and held them up to his ears. “We’d be matching.” He sifted through some of the other jewelry and held up a gold bracelet with little etched waves on the sides. “Oh, I bet Aryll would like this. Should I get her something?”

Time shook his head. “We can shop later. This is serious.” Wind looked like he wanted to object, but he put down the earrings and bracelet and followed the Old Man. They left Castle Town and reached the gate cutting the castle off from the town. The guard let Time pass after seeing who it was, but moved her halbert to block Wind’s path.

“He’s with me,” Time quickly explained. The guard seemed hesitant, but let the sailor pass. Wind walked side by side with Time up the path to the castle. Time approached a gaurd and cleared his throat.

“Hello, would it be possible for me to arrange a meeting with General Impa?” The guard looked like he was about to attack Time, but an armored woman stopped him. Time had forgotten how fast Impa could move. The Sheikah put a hand on the guard’s shoulder.

“Link. Are you here about the letter the princess sent you?” She asked, not even bothering to greet him. Time nodded, and Impa’s gaze hardened. “Who is that?”

“Ah, it’s quite a story. But let’s just say he’s a hero like me.” Time folded his arms. Impa blinked.

“Did he, by any chance, get sucked into a portal fall from the sky?”

Wind nodded.

“We had a hero fall from the sky as well. He just appeared in the courtyard. We brought him in for questioning, and he told the same story. A portal appeared and took him.” Impa recounted. “He’s got this stupid blue scarf. You know him?” Impa asked as Wind and Time’s faces lit up.

“Yeah. Yeah, we do.” Time said with a smile.

Chapter 4: Chapter 4: Tea and Terror

Impa led Time and Wind into the castle.

Time watched Wind closely, because if he’d learned anything from adventuring with the sailor, it was that he had tendencies similar to those of a seagull. That meant he was prone to stealing valuable things, screaming, then running away. In fact, Time wouldn't be surprised if Wind had swiped a few things from the market.

After a few turns, Time realized that he didn't know where they were in the castle. Impa noticed this and explained that they had a separate wing in the castle for prisoners and people waiting to be questioned.

“Why is he being questioned?” Wind asked.

“The man fell from the sky and started spouting nonsense about portals and time travel.” Impa turned her head to look at him. “People thought he was losing it, so he was moved to the castle to be contained. Of course, Zelda and I had a feeling that this had something to do with Link, so Zelda wrote him a letter.”

“Ah. Makes sense.” Wind put his hands in his pockets, and the march continued on. Time was beginning to realize just how big Hyrule Castle was. Just when he thought there couldn't possibly be more castle to walk through, they turned into the dungeons. Thankfully, Impa led them past the cells. Time tried not to make eye contact with the desperate criminals inside the cells. Judging from Wind’s forward stare and the grimace on his face, he had the same thought. They entered a smaller room, and a familiar face was sitting at a small table.

Warriors looked tired.

His scarf’s obnoxious blue had begun to fade, and a few more scars had appeared on his face. Despite that, he was the same big brother Time knew and loved.

Wars was locked in conversation with a gaurd, and he almost didn't notice when Time and Wind stepped in. A smile split his face, and Warriors got up to hug his brothers. The gaurd shot a glance at Impa, who shook her head as in no, don’t stab anyone.

“I’m going to take a wild guess and say it’s a new quest, huh?” Warriors said as he pulled away. Time nodded begrudgingly. “I figured. One of those triangle portals opened directly underneath me. At least last time I had the choice to walk through or not.”

“Did the portal get you too?” Wind put his hands on his hips. “I was jus’ walking and boom.” He raised his hands to give a dramatic effect. “I’m at the Old Man’s house.”

Warriors looked past Time and Wind. “Are the others here? Or just us?”

Wind shook his head. “I think Hylia has a plan that only involves us. We were brainstorming earlier and decided that She picked us because we’ve all been in the war.” Warriors nodded slowly. He seemed dejected.

“But how’ve you been? Eight years is a lot, huh?” Wars quickly masked his sorrow.

“Well, for me it’s been more like…thirty years?” Time tilted his head. When he saw Wars and Wind’s blank expressions, he laughed. “Time travel shenanigans.”

“Time travel shenanigans.” They repeated back to him. Wind leaned against the stone wall and crossed his arms.

“Didja know that Time has kids now?” Wind ginned.

Warriors turned to face Time, his expression shocked. “Well. I don’t know why I’m so surprised, we know that Twilight exists. But that’s great, I’m happy for you and Malon!”

“Yes, well,” Wind shook his head. “He didn’t name either of ‘em Wind Jr. Or Tune Jr. Or even Link Jr.” Time rolled his eye.

“Why would I name my son Wind Jr.? I love you, Wind, but that's not a good name.” Time patted Wind’s shoulder.

“I thought you upheld dares” Wind playfully swatted Time’s hand away. “Remember? The night before the last battle I dared you to name your firstborn after me!”

“I seem to remember daring you to charge into battle wearing nothing but your boxers, but you didn’t uphold that either.” Time raised an eyebrow.

Impa cleared her throat, reminding them that they didn’t exactly have time for pleasantries. “If you three are finished, we have the fate of Hyrule to discuss.” Time winced.

“Right. Wars, you were right. This is another quest.” Time began. Warriors muttered something under his breath. “Zelda has been having strange dreams telling of a shadowy monster that looks like Ganon. It’s raising an army, and with our luck,” He gestured around the room. “It’ll attack soon.”

“So we have to stop it.” Warriors finished for him. “And Hylia chose us because we have experience in wars.”

“Seems like it.” Wind muttered.

“On that note, I can get you three an audience with the queen. She might be able to tell you more.” Impa led them out of the dungeons and into the main hall. From there, Impa took a series of complicated turns until they ended up in more of a dining hall.

Grand stained glass windows decorated one side of the towering walls. The high ceiling was painted with portraits of past rulers and the goddesses looking down at them. Dark mahogany shelves lined the room, each decorated with enough precious jewels, trinkets, and silverware to make Wind drool. Warriors caught Wind eyeing some of the treasure and elbowed him.

At one end of the dining table sat Zelda, or as Wind and Warriors knew her, Sheik. But no matter what she was called, Lullaby certainly had an air of authority. Sitting there at the head of the table, she looked like proper royalty with her circlet and fancy dress.

Lullaby looked up from a book she was leafing through. Time and Lullaby made eye contact, and she waved at him. Even after all these years, Time still found himself wanting to cower under Lullaby’s intimidating cerulean gaze. Impa sat down next to the queen and whispered something in her ear. Lullaby and Impa exchanged a few quick glances before Impa got up and left with a bow.

“Link. It’s a pleasure to see you, my friend.” The queen smiled. Time took a seat by Lullaby, just not as close as Impa had been. Wind and Warriors were quickly seated by Time, and Lullaby closed her book.

“The pleasure is all mine, your majesty.” Time bowed his head. Wind snorted, and Warriors once again elbowed him. “We were wondering if you had any more information on this growing darkness.”

Lullaby nodded. “I do. Almost every night, I have the same nightmare. A voice warns me about a terrible fate, as you already know. But recently, the kingdom has gone up in flames, and monsters are marching from Gerudo Valley, Zora’s Domain, Goron City, and the Lost Woods. A shadowy man stands before the throne and tell me that my efforts were in vain. Then the dream ends, and I wake up with chills.

“If you want my input, I think it would be wise to check out the other regions of Hyrule and see if there’s anything unusual about the monsters there.” The boys were silent, each thinking over what Lullaby had told them. A servant walked into the dining hall and set down a platter of cakes and biscuits. Another handed each of the heroes and Lullaby a cup of tea. Lullaby thanked them thoroughly, and they bowed before leaving. Time blew on the cup in his hands and took a sip. He’d never been a big tea person, but even Time had to admit that the mild sweetness of the chai tasted wonderful. To his right, Warriors was still waiting for his drink to cool off. Wind was stuffing as many pastries in his mouth as possible. Lullaby watched the sailor in a mix of horror and awe.

“Mff. Lmfmfmff, mff mm-” Wind tried to ask something, but he only succeeeded in showering crumbs all over the table. He brought a hand to his mouth and was quiet for a few seconds, “Sorry. Um, Lullaby, do you actually owe Tetra a hair tie?” Lullaby frowned.

“Yes. But it’s been eight years, how has she not let that go?”

Warriors tapped a spoon against his cup, signaling for attention. “Sorry, but we’re getting off topic. I think we should ask Darunia about the shadows and monsters first. He’ll be most willing to help us.”

Lullaby nodded. “That is a good plan.”

“Well, then it’s quest time.” Time scooted his chair back and stood up. He hated leaving Malon, Saria, and Fado once more, but he couldn't just sit around and let this happen. Wind and Warriors looked just as excited as Time felt, so at least he wasn’t the only one pissed about the whole “time for another adventure” thing.

“Wait,” Lullaby signaled for Time to not leave just yet. “Be very careful. We still do not know what we’re dealing with here.”

Time tried for a reassuring smile.

“Don’t worry, your majesty. We’ll be fine.”

Notes:

Don’t worry guys they’ll be fine :)

Chapter 5: Chapter Five: Secrets

Notes:

Edited 9/8/25
All I added was a fight scene and some dialogue. Thank you for reading!
Trigger warning for blood, if you’re not into that, you’ve been warned

By the time they left the castle, it was dark outside.

They unanimously agreed that it would be best to leave for Goron City in the morning, so the heroes settled in an inn for the night. Time payed because Wind convinced him it was hospitality to pay for your guests. The innkeeper led them to their room, which had two twin beds and a single window. It reminded Warriors of how they used to travel when the whole Chain was with them. Someone would always miscalculate how many rooms they needed, and people would have to share beds. Nobody ever minded, of course. They were all too tired to care.

Time sat on the edge of the bed and started removing his armor. Wind kicked off his boots and laid down with his hands behind his head. Warriors decided to share with Time, who was less likely to kick him if he took up too much space. Time nudged Warriors.

“Why so glum, Captain?” He asked, pausing what he was doing.

“Oh. It’s nothing.” Warriors shrugged. Play it cool, Link. He thought. Be the brave, courageous war captain, not the hot mess of a man you are. Warriors hated how he still felt like he had to regulate his emotions around his closest friends, but it had become a habit.

A habit Artemis had been trying to get him to break.

Until…

Wind cleared his throat, breaking Wars away from his thoughts. “Are we getting dinner?” Warriors snorted.

“You ate, like, fifty pastries earlier. How are you still hungry?” Yes. Good. Crack a joke.

“Fast metabolism.” Wind patted his stomach. “I’m going out to get some food, you comin’?” Time agreed to go with the sailor almost immediately. Warriors was harder to convince, as he didn't feel like going out at the moment. Despite that, the three ended up going to a tavern in the east area of Castle Town. Even Warriors had to admit that it was fun. Although, they ended up getting booted from the tavern after a tipsy Wind tried to fight another customer. Somehow, they made back to the inn alive.

Warriors sank into bed, burying his face in the pillow. Time was already passed out and snoring softly beside him. He muttered a good night to no one in particular as sleep carried him away.

 

And what a mistake that was.

 

Warriors woke up in a cold sweat. He slapped a hand over his mouth to stop from gasping. He couldn't even remember what the dream had been about, other than that it ended with an armored figure getting stabbed through the gut. He sat up and rubbed his face. Time was already up and slipping on his armor. Wind was polishing one of his daggers.

“Bad dream?” Wind asked, not looking up.

Warriors sucked in a breath. “You could tell?”

“Mhm. The old man had to come over and share with me because you were rollin’ around so much.”

“Sorry.” Warriors said to Time, who just shrugged.

“We’ve all had bad dreams. Not your fault. Anyway, we should get going if we want to arrive at Goron City by this evening.” Time walked over to the door. Warriors quickly swapped his undershirt for chain mail, a green tunic, and his scarf.

Wind and Wars followed Time as he briskly led them through the streets of Castle Town, which was much less busy in the morning than it was during the afternoon. Sleepy salesmen were setting up their stalls and a few children played a game by the fountain. A few shoppers roamed the streets, looking to snag the freshest breads and fruits. Wind yawned. At least he didn’t seem too hungover.

Time mumbled a ‘good morning’ to the guard at the drawbridge, who nodded to him. Hyrule Feild was every bit as grand as Wars remembered it to be. Rolling hills with trees and rivers scattered around. Birds chirped, and Warriors got a great view of the sunrise that was almost worth waking up at the crack of dawn. Luckily, the entrance to Kakariko Village wasn’t too far. The boys talked as they hiked through the grassy open field.

“So, Sailor, do you have any stories for us?” Warriors asked. “Any more giant squids?” When they had been traveling with the Chain or had a particularly bad day during the war, Wind was always there to share one of his wild tales. Even Legend and Time, who had each seen some pretty crazy things struggled to believe all of the sailor’s stories.

Wind’s face twisted into a smirk. “Oh, you bet I do. Just you wait, I have eight years of batshit insane stories to catch you up on.” Wind began telling them about the time he and the crew robbed a place blind, started a strike, accidentally killed a man in the process, and got thrown in jail. When he saw Time’s unapproving expression, the sailor hurried to explain.

“You gotta understand, this man was upping the prices of all the imports and exports. There was no way we were just gonna sit around and watch that old fart up the prices of fresh water by ten rupees.” Wind crossed his arms.

Time chuckled and shook his head. “I don’t know what I expected from you, but starting a revolution isn’t what I would’ve guessed.” While Time and Wind talked more about business and taxes, Warriors mentally prepared himself for the conversation he knew was coming.

He could feel it.

Time was going to ask about his Zelda, who he knew as Artemis, and Warriors was going to want to cry all over again.

Warriors was saved by that thought when Time announced they had arrived. Kakariko Village was in the middle of construction. Workers ran to and fro, calling out supplies they needed and dodging the cuccos that were wandering around. They didn’t stay long before hiking up Death Mountain Trail. It was surprisingly clear of monsters, which put Warriors even more on edge than he already was.

Wind spoke his thoughts for him. “I wish something would just jump out already.” He said, gripping the hilt of the Phantom Sword.

No such thing happened. They trudged through the dry and barren trail. Their group was so quiet that Warriors swore he could hear Time’s joints popping with every step. He sure is living up to his nickname.

The three made it to Goron City without any casualties. Warriors was immediately blasted in the face with a wave of heat. Wind removed his jacket and tied it around his waist. A Goron happily sauntered over to Time and whacked him on the shoulder.

“Brother! It is great to see you, goro.” The Goron smiled at Time. Time returned the grin.

“Sailor, Captain, this is Link of the Gorons.” Time put a hand on Link’s shoulder.

“Ah, new brothers!” Link faced Wind and clapped him on the back, sending him flying forward. Warriors inched backwards. “It is a pleasure to meet you, goro.”

“Link, we need to speak with Darunia.” Time said, suddenly serious. Link narrowed his eyes and beckoned them to follow him down the stone staircase. It led into what seemed to be a hollowed out volcano. Reddish rock made up the walls and flooring. Gorons were everywhere, all of them going about their normal business.

“I see you’re still a twig.” Warriors scoffed, walking up beside Wind, who was rubbing his back.

“I am not.” He nudged Warriors playfully. “That guy has serious strength. Oh, and do you know what the deal is with the Goron named Link?”

Warriors shook his head. “I think the old man mentioned something about a Goron being named after him, but I never really thought about it.”

“Link seems to be a popular name.” Wind kicked at a pebble. “I wouldn’t name my kid that though. I swear, the name’s cursed!” Warriors agreed with that. Why people still decided to name their kids Link even though that was basically signing their death warrant was beyond him. How he’d managed to make it to thirty-two was even more of a mystery.

Time whistled for their attention. The two younger heroes looked over to see they were entering Darunia’s throne room. Warriors looked around at the cave. For being inside a mountain, it looked very fancy. Crimson colored rugs and tapestries with designs of dancing Gorons covered part of the cave. The centerpiece was a throne that looked to be made of cooled lava. Sitting on the throne was Darunia, who besides a longer beard and a new tattoo, looked exactly the same. He beamed when he saw Time.

“Brothers! What brings you here, goro?” Darunia got up and stood in front of the heroes. He and Time chest bumped, for a reason Warriors could not guess. His soul nearly left his body when Darunia turned to chest bump him and Wind. Time quickly intervened.

“Queen Zelda sent us to ask if you had noticed anything strange lately. Any odd patterns in monster populations?” Time asked, folding his arms.

Darunia tapped his chin. “Hmmm…monsters have been growing scarcer. My scouts have only reported two monsters in the past three days. Both had blood like tar and were harder to kill, goro.”

Warriors almost started laughing.

Of course.

Black blooded monsters.

What else would they have to face?

Time thanked Darunia, and they exited Goron City as quickly as they had come.

“What kind of sick joke is this?” Warriors asked once they had left Kakariko Village. “We hunt down Dark Link, stop those stupid black bloods, and now Hylia’s sending us on a wild goose chase to do it again?”

Time grumbled something unintelligible and kept waking. The silence between the three was getting increasingly uncomfortable. Warriors whipped his head around when he heard the snap of a twig. His ears twitched as he listened for more movement. Time cried out as a lizalfos launched itself at the old man. He instinctively slashed at it, cutting its throat. Warriors winced. The slice on the monster’s neck was shaped like a smile. A very red, very gruesome smile. More lizalfos appeared. As soon as Warriors or Time cut through one, another took its place.

Warriors couldn’t help but notice how differently Time and Wund faught compared to when he had last seen them. They both faught like demons, slashing and cutting and stabbing. Warriors hadn’t really seen that kind of ferocity in either, especially in Wind. Perhaps it was due to more fighting experience and better techniques. Perhaps it was because they wanted to return home safely. After all, both had families to go back too. Wind had a crew of rowdy pirates and his sister. Time had Malon and his children.

Warriors didn’t have anyone.

Maybe that was why he took so many risks throughout that battle. He jabbed at every opening, no matter how horrible the consequences might've been. He ducked and rolled through the fight, using his agility to dodge swords coming at his head. A sharp pain flared in his torso, and he looked to see a streak of red running from his side. He growled and quickly finished off the lizalfos that had managed to stab him.

Wind let out a colorful string of cuss words that would’ve made Tetra proud. Warriors looked over to see the tar-like blood splattered across his blade. Wind parried and jabbed, cutting the lizalfos on the collar. Warriors debated stepping in to help him. By then there were only three lizalfos left, including the black blooded one.

With a mighty HYAAAHHH! Time brought his sword down on one of the monsters, crushing its skull. Warriors finished his lizalfos off in a similar way. They both turned to the black blooded lizalfos, swords drawn. Even with three fighters, it was a rough fight. Wind got knocked off his feet multiple times, and Warriors got a nasty cut just below his elbow. Time was completely fine, thanks to his ridiculous armor. (Warriors still thought the gold was overkill.)

 

They ended up setting up camp in a small grove of trees after potions were handed out. Wind started a fire for them while Time handed out portions of stew he had bought earlier that day while at Kakariko. They sipped their stew (or in Wind’s case, scarfed down) in silence. It felt wrong for their brothers to not be there with them.

“I miss them.” Warriors said, stirring his stew around.

Wind and Time nodded.

“I wish Champion was here. He made some amazing food.” Wind said. “And Smithy. He was fun to talk to during meals.”

“I miss Twilight and Sky. They always had corny jokes ready to go when things got bland.” Time smiled softly at the mention of his decendant.

Warriors sighed. “The Vet and Rulie kept things interesting, either by starting pointless arguments or telling us a story from their Hyrules. I just miss them all.” Warriors could feel tears pricking his eyes.

“Captain, are you okay?” Warriors looked up to see Wind staring intensely at him, his brow furrowed and jaw set. “You don’t seem yourself.”

“Yes. I mean no. No, I’m not okay.” The tear he had been holding in slipped down his cheek. “If I’m being honest, I’ve had a really shitty past few years.”

Time and Wind scooted closer to Warriors. Time put an arm around his shoulders. “Do you want to tell us?”

Warriors nodded. “Everything was fine. It was great, but we were recovering from a war. The crown’s funds had been depleted completely, each region needed something different, fights were breaking out, a whole-ass civil war almost started. And Zelda married this suitor because she needed access to the money to fix the kingdom. A-and,” The captain’s voice cracked. “And then she was assasinated and people started blaming me because they thought I was jelous and Zelda’s dead and I don’t know what to do.” Warriors’s voice got weaker and weaker as he went on. Time and Wind stared at him in horror and pity. Wind wrapped him in a hug.

“I’m so, so sorry, Captain.” Time whispered, letting Wars’s head rest on his shoulder. “I can’t imagine what it would be like to lose someone I was that close to.” Wind hummed in agreement. The night seemed to get colder.

 

The chirping of crickets and whistling of the wind paused, as if they, too, were mourning the fallen queen.

Notes:

Don’t worry Warriors will be fine nobody else will die :)

 

(I also want to apologize for not getting this chapter out sooner. Between the hell that is homework, INSANE family drama, school drama, and a falling out with a friend, I have not had any time to torture the Links.)

Notes:

My tumblr is hound00med if you want to say hi or yell at me there, I’ll probably post update dates there, but who knows :)

Have lovely day/night! Drink some water. Touch some grass. If it’s past 10pm do yourself a favor and go to bed.