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Chapter Text

Wild had been okay when the people of his Hyrule had begun looking to him for guidance and leadership while serving alongside his princess and the Champions. He’d accepted the departure of his brothers – the eight other heroes from across the ages that had aided him in defeating Dark Link – knowing that they didn’t truly belong in this point in time. He’d been fine, letting the years pass him by, because he knew that each day would bring more growth to his ever-healing kingdom, and that had been a most wonderful thing. He couldn’t even be upset when the ancient technology powering his sheikah slate had fizzled out and died with the collapse of the last tower a short while back, causing him to lose all the weapons and resources saved onto it. Or… or when he’d had to return to Korok Forest and take the Master Sword back in hand.

He’d taken it all in stride because that’s what heroes were meant to do. And it was okay, because he was keeping Hyrule safe and he wasn’t alone anymore. He had Zelda at his side, every step of the way.

Wild stared down at the open journal set on the desk before him. He held his head in his hands, the sharp nails of his right hand digging uncomfortably in his scalp. He’d just tied back his long hair in an old blue hair band that’d been kept down here, so frayed from when he’d first started using it over a century ago that it could snap at any moment. Strands of wheat gold hair fall from the messy ponytail, curling over the pages and its relatively recent entry detailing the location of a special gift waiting for him in the castle.

Currently, all he had to wear was an impossibly archaic tunic that offered little protection and a similarly old set of pants that helped keep the cold away.

He could’ve dealt with it all and never complained. Until they’d found the mummified body of Ganondorf seeping poison into his world. And before he’d even begun to process what was happening… Zelda was gone. He’d reached out to her. And failed.

Again.

Wild has lost everything.

I don’t know what to do. How can I just… start over? Wild crossed his arms over Zelda’s desk, feeling small and vulnerable in the space of Zelda’s Secret Well. It wasn’t actually a secret – not to him, anyway. He was the one who’d helped her build it, after all. But he’d always known better than to invade her privacy while they shared his home together. For the last few years, he’d been… happy.

“I don’t want to be alone again,” Wild whispered, the quietest of prayers leaving his lips as he fought to hold back tears. He’d hoped that by coming back to Hateno, there might be something more here – a weapon in storage that hadn’t been corrupted, or some rupees under the bed, or anything. Instead, all he saw were reminders of what he hadn’t been able to hold onto.

Without warning, his stomach clenched in a way that was almost painful, and his head began to swim, making him feel nauseous. Wild’s head dropped from his hands and he reached for the Purah pad situated at his belt, wondering if he’d forgotten to eat. He looked at the page of recently picked apples and mushrooms, but didn’t feel a pang of hunger.

Then his head pulsed, and he pushed himself to his feet, the wooden chair clattering to the floor. A memory tickled the edge of his mind – not a forgotten one, but one that felt unfamiliar after so many years of not thinking about it. 

This feeling was not unlike the voice of Hylia calling out to him. It was a divine presence, the kind of which would beckon him forward to the next part of his journey, wherever or whenever it might take him.

“A portal!” Wild gasped, quickly stashing the pad away and stretching his arm towards the ceiling. A rush of blue energy enveloped him for only a second before he was ascending the short distance up towards the ceiling. The earth above the underground well resisted him briefly. Then his head was poking back up through the surface, where he pushed himself free the rest of the way.

Wild staggered under the light of the silver moon, whipping his head every which way in search of something. With a shaky breath, he focused on the sensation roiling in his gut, trying to pinpoint where it was trying to take him.

For a split moment, Wild felt clarity. His feet instinctively drew him towards the winding path that led him up the rocky slope behind his house. He took a few shaky, hesitant steps, as if he couldn’t be so sure that this was happening. Then he was running. And then sprinting, using every ounce of energy he possessed to move himself forwards. His chest heaved with exertion, his strength and stamina crippled by the dark magic that had engulfed him, and by the time he was nearing the top it felt like his heart was going to burst.

But he makes it to the top of Ebon Mountain. Normally, he would come here to look out over the ocean as the sun rose over Hateno. He might walk the jagged path that split the otherwise heart-shaped pond and wonder who it was meant for. There was a cherry blossom tree here now, one that had inexplicably begun to grow at an alarming rate somewhere around the time that Twilight – his mentor, friend, and brother – had left him with some odd parting words before returning back to his era.

That’s what Wild expects to find. But the thing that catches his eye and makes him skid to a stop, his heavy breaths catching in his throat and his legs shaking, is the sight of something he hadn’t seen in so… so long.

A swirling gate of golden magic, newly formed in the midst of the temperate spring night, sat in the center of the path between the pond. It radiated divinity and cast a peace over the lonely mountain peak. From it, Wild could feel the worlds hiding behind it – the places he’d seen and traveled once upon a time, bound by the Links of the past that protected them. He could smell hay and seasalt and cobblestone and so many wonderful things…!

Dark silhouettes began to emerge from the magical portal, and he doesn’t know if he’s ready to face them like… like this before he’s left with no other choice.

“Wiiiiiiild!” The sing-song voice reached him, sharp and clear from the moment the first hero broke free of the heavenly gateway. Golden magic was still streaming off of the nondescript form when it dashed across the path to greet him.

Wild took a step back, startled by the outburst, but it’s not enough to distance himself before arms were being wrapped around his torso in a tight hug. Sunny blond hair greeted him at eye level, and the scent of the ocean filled his nose. Memories of a small young hero with a love for koroks and an abundance of energy and magic reminds him of their time together.

“Wind!” Wild gasped, eyes widening in amazement.

The hug shifted, the hands on his back becoming a hold beneath his arms, and the name had hardly left his lips before he was being picked up by the young man that had raced forward to see him first. Air whipped around him as Wind scooped him up with ease and twirled him in a circle before setting him back down again.

He could finally see Wind for what he’d grown into – a young man with confidence in every step and mirth in his eyes. 

Wild felt dizzy by the time his feet hit the ground, but it wasn’t from the spin. Once more in so short a time, his world was being turned upside down. Only this time, it was for the better.

“There’s my Cub. I knew I’d see you again someday.”

“Twilight!” Wild choked, staggering away from one hug and into the next. He didn’t even get a good look at his old mentor’s face before he’s burying his head into Twilight’s chest and digging his hands into his back while a sob built at the back of his throat. He expected to feel the nostalgic comfort of a wolf pelt over Twilight’s shoulders and smell nature on his tunic, and paused upon realizing that something felt wrong.

“...Twilight?” Wild spoke his name again, quieter this time as he looked up from the cold black chest plate covering the top half of the hero’s torso.

Gentle but firm hands pressed into his back. “It’s alright, Wild. I promised you we’d be back.”

Wild frowned, trying to piece together some unseen puzzle before it finally clicked in his mind. “What happened to your accent…?”

He doesn’t get an answer before a startled yell is raised above the din of greetings. “Dear Farore, what happened to your arm?!”

Wild broke away from Twilight to stare up into Warriors’s face instead. The Captain looked… older. That was the first word to come to mind: there were creases under his eyes, making him look tired, and even under the light of the moon Wild could discern the streak of gray going through his hair. He can’t count the number of scars peeking out from under the yellow scarf wrapped around his neck.

Twilight’s hands roamed from Wild’s back to his shoulders, and suddenly he was being held at arm’s length while everyone got a good look at him.

The Hero of the Wild, with his disheveled hair and puffy eyes. The hero that was meant to protect this Hyrule once more, with the strange zonai magic gifted to him and the eerie, glowing blue arm that was not his.

“You’re hurting,” Twilight rasped, his voice hushed. Wild looked up into his eyes, seeing them for how dull they were. But in this moment, he shows nothing but unconditional love and concern for his younger brother.

“I…” Wild’s breathing picked up as the full weight of everything that had happened over the course of the last couple days crashed down upon him once more. “I don’t know what to do. She… she fell. I couldn't reach her. A-and there was so much malice – gloom. And the Master Sword was…!” Wild broke free of Twilight’s grasp, searching the sea of fair-haired heads until his eyes settled on Sky’s bewildered face. “Sky, I am so sorry.”

Wild could feel the floodgates getting ready to burst. This… this wasn’t how he wanted to see them again. He’d heard the stories from maybe half of the heroes surrounding him – how they’d finished out one grand, sweeping adventure. How they’d defeated Ganon or Vaati or whomever and put their sword to rest, much like how he had… only for the call to action to beckon them once more and throw them back to the dangers the world had to offer. When they’d traveled together, everything had been fine. They’d fought and struggled and bled, but they’d at least had each other. 

Wild didn’t know how he was expected to start over like this.

Small, calloused hands reached up to take hold of his own. Wild looked down through blurry vision to see Four appraising his zonai arm with bright, inquisitive eyes. He turned it around, inspecting the strange, interwoven bands and glowing light. “A lot has changed, hasn’t it?” Their smallest hero, nearly unchanged by the passage of time, looked up at him with a kind smile. “But you’re still Wild, I can tell. And that’s a relief, I think.”

Wild sniffed, letting the fingers ghost over his own. It made his skin crawl weirdly, but it wasn’t entirely unpleasant. He just wasn’t expecting it. “And you’re still the same Four – you haven’t changed at all!” Wild quipped, feeling better in their company.

“That’s not true!” Four objected with a gasp of mock indignation. “I’ve grown three whole inches – and you haven’t grown at all!”

Wild laughed wetly. That much was true – Riju had finally grown taller than him not that long ago, a revelation that had left him only mildly devastated.

He’s hardly given a moment of proper recovery before a quiet, unsure voice was being raised over the others. “Wild… what happened here? What is that?” It was Hyrule, choking on his last word as he took a breath of air that felt different from when they’d last been here. He had his tunic pulled up over his nose, clearly bothered by something Wild had already grown used to, and with his other hand he was pointing out to the northwest, beyond the pointed ridges of Dueling Peaks rising in the distance and past Hyrule Field to the looming shadows beyond.

Wild took his hand back from Four and went over to stand next to Hyrule at the edge of the cliff. He felt sick, looking out towards the floating castle that seemed to be watching over him at any given moment. 

“That’s…” Where was he even supposed to begin?

“Ganon’s Castle.”

“Ganon’s Tower.”

Wild flinched. He hadn’t expected the two different answers coming so automatically from the mouths of four of the heroes behind him. That wasn’t even what he was going to say, either!

Wild turned to the sources of the voices. Wind had stepped up next to his side, looking out over the sprawling green fields and their new, gaping chasms of black and red magic. His eyes were fixed to the castle, though, as if nothing could distract him from what he was seeing. Wind had called it Ganon’s Tower, and he’d shared his answer with Wars, who stood stiffly with his hand hovering near his hilt, and Legend, who’d been otherwise quiet and subdued at the back of the group until now.

Time stood behind him, slowly moving to place a hand on his shoulder. Wild looked up into his one good eye. Maybe it was just the moonlight playing tricks on him, but their eldest hero looked largely unchanged by the passage of time. If he stood close enough to him, he might even convince himself that nothing had changed at all. But that was so far from the truth, and he wasn’t delusional enough to truly dissuade himself like that.

“Wha…” Wild was so afraid to ask as the rest of the heroes lined up along the ridge and took in the whole of what his Hyrule had to offer, not for the first time. Until finally the words left him. “What’s Ganon’s Castle? What do you mean by that? That’s Hyrule Castle! It always has been!”

“Not anymore,” Legend growled, earning an elbow in the side from Sky.

“I’m sorry,” Time apologized, as if this was something he could take the blame for. “I know that you defeated Calamity Ganon before we’d first started adventuring together. I’d hoped for the best when last we parted, but… I should’ve known.” He looked down to meet Wild’s gaze, his blinded eye opening to stare right through him. His facial markings appeared eerie under the light of the moon, and the rest of his face was cast with strange shadows. “That’s now the stronghold of Ganondorf, isn’t it? I can feel his influence, even from here… and it feels strong. He’s waiting for you at the castle, isn’t he?”

Wild shrank beneath the weight of the question. His arm spasmed ever so slightly, so he held it to his chest as malice threatened to seep from it. The hold on his shoulder tightened.

“The Tower was all that remained back when…” Wind mumbled quietly, almost trying to not be heard. Wild grimaced, letting his hurt expression show plainly on his face, and Wind took a moment to notice before backtracking. “I-I mean, it just looked familiar, that’s all! But… but it’s not too late to fix things!”

Hyrule nodded. “We’re here to help you. I can’t possibly know what’s in store for us, but we’ll make things right again.” He was looking at Wild’s arm, though, and Wild realized that the magically inclined hero could sense the battling magics residing within him.

“I…”

Wars came up from behind Time, clapping his hand on the Old Man’s back with a clang of metal. “Hey, now, we’ll have plenty of time to think of all the doom and gloom that awaits us. But for tonight, we should take things easy. Let’s celebrate! We’re together again! And we won’t gain anything by standing around out here.”

Four sighed, no doubt with so many questions burning on his tongue, but he could see the Captain’s strategic logic. “I suppose that much is true. We’re next to, um… Hatteno, right?” He pronounced the name wrong, but Wild nodded anyway in confirmation. “Why don’t we head down to your house for the evening, Wild?”

“That sounds like a solid plan,” Twilight rumbled in agreement. The procession of heroes started towards the path leading down, with Wild naturally falling into place next to Twilight as he continued to speak. The same as always. “It’ll be good to catch up with everyone after two whole years have passed, don’t you think?”

Wild stopped dead in his tracks, along with half the Chain.

Warriors was the first to correct Twilight, but once again it’s not the answer he was anticipating. “Your head must be as fuzzy as your fur,” he laughed. “It’s been three years. Has working on the ranch finally gotten to you?”

Twilight shot him a pointed glare. “Do I look like I’ve been working the ranch as of late?”

Well, now that Wild thought about it… no. No, he didn’t. He’d have to ask him about it when he got the chance. But right now, everyone was stepping in to correct one another.

“What? No,” Sky chuckled weakly. “It’s definitely been two years. I’m twenty-four years old now.”

“Do we even have the same calendar?” Wars huffed. “It’s been three – I’m pushing thirty, for Hylia’s sake!”

“I’m with the Captain on this one,” Time interjected. “Although often it seems that the passage of time cannot be so easily measured.”

Four kept his tone carefully casual. “Three years went by for you, too, huh? So that’d make you how old now…?”

Time smiled thinly. “That’s still nobody’s business, but nice try.”

“Wait, so time didn’t pass the same for everyone?!” Wind chirped, looking at all the other heroes in turn. “Am I older than anyone now?! I’m seventeen – it’s been two years for me!”

Wild can’t help the laugh that bubbled from his lips. It was almost too ridiculous to imagine. “No, you’re definitely still the youngest,” Wild assured. The main difference now was that he actually had to reach up to tousle Wind’s hair, something he does at that very moment, much to the sailor’s chagrin. “You’re never catching up with me. It’s been four years since I last saw you guys. I’m twenty-three, I’ll have you know!”

Their Old Man hadn’t been kidding when he’d said that time passes strangely. What reason there could possibly be for having different lengths of time go by for them, he couldn’t guess. Maybe it wasn’t an intentional plan on the goddess’s behalf, but rather a strange predicament caused by just how different everyone’s placement in history was. Or maybe they could only come through the portal to enter his Hyrule when they were ready? If these were the ages they needed to be in order to come to Wild’s aid, then he couldn’t complain. It was strange, but nobody seemed particularly off-put by the revelation.

“N…no. That can’t be right.”

Seven sets of eyes swiveled to the back of the group, where weak laughter had sounded into the night. Hyrule was standing with his gaze trained steadily downwards, one arm clutching the other and his mouth kept closed. Beside him, Legend looked up into everyone’s faces as if this surely must’ve been some cruel, divine prank played on him by the gods themselves. “It’s been barely a year since we last saw each other. Why… why wasn’t I given more time?!”

Wild wasn’t ready for the wave of guilt that settled over him, renewing the sense of nausea that he’d been fighting to push down this whole time. Though different amounts of years had passed for them, their ages hadn’t seemed to fluctuate too much: Time was still presumably the oldest, Wind the youngest, so on and so forth. Wild was closer in age to Sky and Twilight now, but they were definitely still his older brothers.

Except for Legend. He was older than Legend now. And that… that felt wrong.

Chapter Text

Wild had barely opened the door to his house before it quickly became more crowded than he’s seen it in months. The miscellaneous heroes dragged here from across the eras were setting down bags, sorting through blankets, and taking inventory of his supplies.

“Welcome home,” Wild mumbled, the moment not feeling entirely real. Everyone was so active and full of life. As he stood in the open doorway, he could see the way they exchanged words as they, too, caught up with each other after however long had passed for each of them.

To Wild, it might as well have been an eternity. He still had so much to explain, but the idea of where to even start evaded him. He'd be much happier just… listening to the others. It was a way to distract from his own tumultuous thoughts, and he was desperate to grasp that familiarity of being with them again.

“Hey, Champ, you still got those spare bedrolls, right?” Warriors called from where he was already setting camp in the spare room beneath the stairwell.

Wild nodded, a bit frazzled. “Y-yeah, they’re in the box on the bottom.”

Warriors gave him a thumbs up before beckoning for Legend to help him, quick to make sure the sullen hero had his hands busy for now. Legend didn’t respond, but went to his side regardless.

“I won’t need a bedroll!” Wind declared, already racing up the stairs. “I have dibs on Wild’s bed!”

Wild remembered something and raced up after him while Time called up to the boys from below. “Wind, you’re too big to share his bed now! Let the man have his sleep uninterrupted, won’t you?”

Wild pushed past Wind at the top of the stairway and practically threw himself at the desk sitting there, hastily flipping Zelda’s journal closed and stashing it in the top drawer. Behind him, Wind had stopped, giving him some unexpected space. When Wild turned to look back at the youngest hero, he could visibly see the way the gears were turning in his head. Wind saw him for all he was in that moment. Then he swiveled his head to Wild’s bed, which had been switched to a larger size capable of fitting two people since the others had last been here. Finally, his eyes stopped on the picture hanging on the wall, depicting Wild and Flora standing alongside the old Champions, all with startled expressions on their faces as Daruk brought them closer together from behind with a sweeping hug.

Wind started to ask a question, before thinking better on it.

Wild just smiled sadly. “No, it’s okay, Time. He can stay with me tonight.” I don’t want to be in that bed by myself.

A clatter of pots and pans had him looking over the railing to survey the main area below. Sky was sorting through his kitchen space, bringing down dusty dishes that Flora reserved for guests and eying the spices that he’d stocked up on during his travels through everyone’s eras. “We should probably think about getting food for everyone. I can cook, if people are too tired.”

Wild hopped down from the second floor, letting Wind do what he wanted with the bed. “No, no, it’s fine!” he assured meekly, his smile forced as he helped Sky with the plates. “I want to cook for you all. It’s been too long, and it’ll help clear my mind.”

Sky smiled as he carefully passed Wild a plate and gauged how frantic he was. “Alright, then. Just tell me what you need and I’ll get it done for you,” he said, leaning against the counter.

Wild’s mind was racing, and he stood there in silence for what might’ve been too long until he could get his thoughts in line. “I don’t… I don’t have a lot of food right now,” he admitted, lowering his head in embarrassment. 

“The store down the road is still open this time of night, isn’t it?” Time asked. Wild wasn’t sure how he knew what time it was, let alone the hours the store was open, but he was right.

Wild’s head dipped further, his ears drooping. “...I don’t have any rupees, either. I’m broke.” That one stung. He’d always had the most currency on him because of all the ore mining he would do in places nobody else would dare to go. But thanks to his consistent endeavors, he might’ve bloated the precious stone industry in his Hyrule. Coupled with the improved trade routes, the going rates for opals and sapphires and the like had gone down significantly over the last few years.

“That’s alright, Cub,” Twilight said reassuringly. In the light of the overhead lanterns, he really did look different. His movements were stiffer, and he held himself differently. It took Wild a moment to realize what Twilight reminded him of, with his new, ornamental chestplate and vacant eyes: a knight, like how he’d been when he’d first started serving at Zelda’s side under orders of the King. “I’ll make a quick stop at the store and see what they have. I’ll be right back, okay?”

Wild didn’t have the words to respond, but nodded to let him know it was okay. With a smile, Twilight slipped quietly out the door, and Wild watched the way his face dropped the moment he thought it was out of view.

Wild wanted to talk to him so badly.

Wind hopped down from the second floor, landing next to Hyrule, who gave a start. “Okay, I’m done. Let’s catch up!”

Wild got a good look at the young man, now that it felt like things were slowing down around them and the room was being settled. He sat down heavily in a chair at the table, and Wind and Hyrule joined him.

Wind had a new outfit since he’d last seen him. Good thing, too, because his old pajamas must’ve been so small and impossibly frayed by now. He wore a large blue overcoat with white trim over a simple, v-neck shirt, along with a lighter blue sash tied around his waist. He smiled upon noticing that Wind was wearing the climbing trousers he'd gifted the sailor before returning to his era. Wild had gotten so good at climbing and traversing his land that he'd been willing to part with clothing he'd thought might serve the others better. 

Other than that, along with several inches of growth and a sharper face, Wind looked like the same scallywag he always had been, right down to his…

Wild sat up straighter in his chair. "Your ears are pierced!" he gasped, fixating on the golden hoops dangling from his lobes.

Wind grinned and leaned forward across the table, flicking one of the dainty hoops with a finger. "You like 'em?" he crowed, arching a brow. "Time gave them to me last we were here! Said I should get them pierced when I turned seventeen. So I had Tetra help me a few months back on my birthday."

Wild turned quizzically to Time, who offered up a sheepish smile. "It's a sheikah tradition. Turning seventeen is the mark of a man. That's how old I was when Impa pierced mine, anyway." His eyes flicked to the side as if he was avoiding saying something more, but he sounded genuine.

Even now, Wind fiddled with his earrings with a certain fondness. "I couldn't wear the hero's tunic when I was supposed to, but I decided I liked the idea of having something like this for myself."

"And you didn't want me to pierce your ears?" Wild teased, waving a knife in his direction. 

" No! " Wind yelped, clamping his hands over his ears with the jingle of metal.

Wild laughed, finding it easy to relax around them just like old times. Even with so much at stake and a darkness looming over his head, he couldn't help but feel better around them.

Wild reached for his slate – pad, he reminded himself; one that wasn't even his, no less – and pulled out the apples and mushrooms from before. He started cutting them up, eager to keep his hands busy while voices drifted around him.

Sky helped him, settling at his side with a knife and cutting board of his own. He peeled the skin off of an apple and whittled its pieces into a small bird before passing it to Four, who marveled at the quickly crafted figure.

"So how's the founding of Hyrule been for you?" Wild asked, redirecting his attention from the utter mess that his own Hyrule had become in so short a time.

Sky smiled, his expression soft. "The surface is really coming along. There's no big castles or grand temples yet – no Grooseland, either. There's only so many of us from the Sky Colony, after all. But one day I know all our work will pay off, even if I'm not around to see it." He paused, a slice of apple pierced on his knife, and his eyes got a bit misty. "Though truth be told, I miss living on Skyloft. Things were simpler, back then." Wild couldn’t help but agree. He couldn’t think of a time when it'd ever been easier for him, but at the very least life had been less complicated back when he was first getting his memories back during his first adventure, wandering aimlessly through the rolling hills of his land while evading stronger enemies. 

Sky reached for a mushroom next, only for his hand to pull back in surprise. He shook his head in wonder. “Oh… you have sky mushrooms now, too? That’s… that’s new, isn’t it? I thought it strange, when we found those stambulbs years ago outside this very town. Especially when no other era I’ve seen has the same crops from the Sky Islands. Wild, have you–?”

Wild didn’t know how he’d be able to explain everything all at once. Luckily, he doesn’t have to.

A crash came from the room beneath the stairs, followed by a frustrated groan. “Sorry, Champ!” Wars called, poking his head out of the doorway. “I found the blankets alright, but I couldn't keep the Vet out of your other stuff.”

Wild wracked his brain, staring blankly at the Captain while Sky pondered the existence of the mushrooms from his time sitting before him. What did he have in storage that hadn’t been kept in his slate before it’d broken? Whatever it was, he doubted he’d touched it in years…

“What is this? ” came Legend’s curious croon. Wild could only watch as the younger hero – that’s still so weird – stepped out from under the stairs holding a set of green clothes.

Wild paled as recognition hit him like a bokoblin club over the head. Oh. That. He rushed to his feet, the wooden chair teetering under him until Sky deftly stabilized it, and he cleared the span of the room in a few quick, measured steps. “Hey, you weren’t supposed to find that–!”

Legend turned swiftly on his heel as Wild approached, a sneaky smile growing across his face. Wild danced around him, never truly trying to rip the item of interest from his hands. He’d already seen it – might as well entertain him.

Legend held up a set of clothing for all to see. “Is this a green tunic? Wild, is this one meant for you? I never thought I’d ever see the day. Look!” Legend held up the correlating articles, one after another: simple, brown boots with admittedly good treads on the bottom for climbing, a dual-tone, pointed green cap that the wind never failed to catch at an odd angle, an earthy brown undershirt that blended in well with the forest… and a matching pair of shorts.

Wild felt a blush rise to his cheeks. "That's… the Tunic of the Wild," he mumbled, suddenly feeling more self-conscious in his current attire of snow pants and archaic garb. "Hylia gifted it to me after I'd finished all of the shrines… back when they’d started falling apart." It'd been a close race to finish the shrines – the first ones he'd ever activated at the start of his journey were the first to go into disrepair before inevitably crumbling in on themselves. It was as if the ancient trials had only meant to hold out until he'd been able to finish them. And now, hardly a trace of the sheikah tech remained outside of the repurposed construction.

Sky perked up in his chair, setting his knife down. “A gift from Hylia, you say? That’s amazing! The Mother Goddess Statue is still in the Temple of Hylia in this era, right?”

Wild thought back to the Forgotten Temple and its desecrated ruins that had been infested with guardians for so long. He’d told Sky about it before, but had never tried taking him there because of the dangers posed. “Y…yeah, but I haven’t been back in a while.”

Sky leaned back with a wistful sigh. “I’d love to visit Her one of these days…”

Hyrule came up to inspect the garment himself, though he wasn’t as overly enthused and critical as Legend was. “The undershirt looks an awful lot like mine,” he mused, running his fingers over the material. “The tunic itself is pretty light-weight – good for maneuvering and staying on your feet.”

“I like the hat,” Time chimed in, trying to be helpful. “I think it looks cool.”

Wild had so much to worry about, and somehow this was the thing that made him want to shrivel up and disappear.

“Coolness is lost on you, Old Man,” Warriors scoffed playfully, turning the eldest hero’s attention to him. “It’s okay to admit that the hat is impractical and leave it at that.”

“So says the silver fox. Perhaps you could use a hat,” Time shot right back at the Captain without missing a beat.

Wars’s eyes went wide and his hand shot to the gray in his hair at the biting remark.

“Th-that’s not the point I was trying to make!” Legend interrupted, a scowl covering his reddening face. “I just saw that the tunic doesn’t come with pants! It’s shorts, see? It’s comfier and less restrictive – the gods finally agree with me on something!”

Wild couldn’t take it anymore. He burst into a fit of laughter that wracked his body and left him feeling dizzy and light-headed. He took a staggering step back, landing himself against Time’s chest. Time looked down at him in surprise, hands going instinctively to his shoulders to stabilize him, before he relaxed with a loving smile on his face. Wild smiled back up at him as a much-needed feeling of peace settled over him. Even with so much wrong in the world, he couldn’t be more grateful to have them all back. Tunic or no, it seemed as though Hylia was still looking out for him.

Legend lowered the garment, clearly embarrassed. Now that he wasn’t sulking in the back of the group, Wild could get a proper look at him and Hyrule. They… they really hadn’t changed much at all in the four years since he’d last seen them. Legend’s pink hair had faded out completely by the time they’d defeated Dark Link. He sported the same, virtually unchanged gear, with just some more wear and tear to show that anything had happened at all. The same could be said for Hyrule, too, though his leather wrist guards and boots appeared relatively new. It was good that he was keeping his armor upgraded… not that Wild was one to talk.

“I don’t… I really never wore it,” Wild admitted, quick to put an end to whatever thoughts Legend might’ve had. “Though I guess right now, it’s better than what I’m currently wearing…”

“Don’t let Lege’ bully you into something you don’t wanna wear!” Wind declared, his boots on the table while he teetered backwards dangerously on his chair. “What're you even doing in those dusty rags? I know you have more armor sets than all of us combined!”

Wild gently extracted the tunic set from Legend’s arms, who gave it up without a fight while averting his eyes. “Actually, no, I don’t think I do. Not anymore. I lost… a lot.”

A silence settled over the group once more while everyone was left to guess just how much had changed. There wasn’t a good response to his somber declaration, despite how much everyone wanted to reassure him with words of comfort. 

At that moment, the front door opened and Twilight walked through with a basket of fresh produce hanging from one arm and a large pumpkin under the other.

Wild cracked a smile. Sometimes, he didn’t need words to let him know that things would be better from now on.

Twilight set the basket in the center of the table with a thud, forcing Wind to sit in his chair properly before he could fall over. The older hero shook his head in disbelief, seeing how hardly anyone had moved since he’d been gone, and began giving out orders. “Wind, feet off the table. Four, get the oven fire started, would you? What do you have going on, Sky – mushrooms? I got us some cheese, milk, pumpkin, tomatoes…”

Wild got the distinct impression that this man wanted to make pumpkin soup. The amount of times they’d eaten soup while traveling together with them was nigh uncountable. They couldn’t possibly go with the default meal when Wild had literally spent the last several years improving his cooking skills. 

Wild rushed to his kitchen cabinets, dodging between the other heroes crowding the room like he was wading through a camp of lizalfos. “Hold your horses, Twi – I might have a recipe in mind!” He searched through the lower cupboards. They hadn’t restocked in a while, but he knew Zelda kept some basic supplies out of the Purah Pad in case of an emergency. He felt a rush of relief upon finding a large bag of flour from Zelda’s days of experimenting with baking. Unfortunately for her, baking wasn’t as much of a science as she’d thought it would be.

The memory of her, flustered and covered in flour, made his chest ache.

He plopped the burlap sack on the counter and braced his hands against the stone surface. As if sensing his lapse in focus, Time found his way to his side. “Are we making bread?”

Wild jumped. “Huh? Uh, yeah, something like that. It’s a bread dough stretched thin and covered with toppings.”

Time pushed his sleeves up. “I’ll get the dough started, in that case.” Then he turned to the rest of the room, his voice carrying to the other heroes. “Why are you all still in your adventuring gear? We’re staying put here for the night – everyone can rest easy. There’s nothing to fight at the moment.”

Wild shuddered. How could Time say that so easily, when he’d been the first to notice the presence of the greatest darkness this land could know, Ganondorf? Or was Time just used to living his life knowing that such an evil was walking among them?

Twilight hesitated in the aftermath of Time’s suggestion, as if he wasn’t quite willing to change out of the partial armor that adorned him. But then Sky rose from his seat. “Good idea, Time. Wild, I have some spare pajamas you can borrow should you need them – they’ll just be a bit big.”

With that, everyone began to move. Wild was careful to step around the pile of Time’s armor that’d been placed near the wall. Twilight was working to undo the straps of his own armor, and he cast aside a red scarf that’d been tucked around the metal plates. It reminded Wild unnervingly of the redead knight they'd encountered that one time. Wars followed his example, though his own pauldron and scarf combo was dismantled much faster. The younger heroes scattered to change into their sleeping wear, and Wild followed Sky to his bag. Normally Wild would just sleep in his underwear and the undershirt from one of his tunics, but the promise of proper pajamas was too great to bear with how little he currently possessed.

Sky let him borrow a white cotton shirt with familiar blue embroidery and a pair of breathable tan pants. They smelled like fresh-cut cedar and sunshine, and he was immediately comforted by them. He rolled up the slightly too long sleeves and got ready to cook while the others got comfortable.

Twilight finished unloading his groceries from the basket, though when Wild looked back, his face was creased into a frown. "By the way, Cub, I couldn't help noticing something strange down by the shops." He held up a flier that'd been printed not so many days ago. On it were images of him and Zelda.

Wild’s heart sank. He wondered if Twilight had intentionally gone to town himself to learn more about what was happening. But… but his old mentor would surely know that he'd explain everything when he was ready.

Legend perked up, eyes widening in surprise. "Wild, is that a wanted poster? " There was disbelief and laughter in his voice. "What happened, did a group of knights turn on you, too?! I swear! And to think, the royal army was just getting started in this era last time I checked!"

Wild shook his head with a tired sigh. "No, Legend, I'm not wanted for any crimes, if that's what you're asking." The Veteran winced unexpectedly under the edge that threatened to slip out from Wild’s carefully calm tone. But it was still a sore spot for Wild, and the more the revelations came undone, the harder it was to keep his emotions in check. "It's a missing person poster. I was gone for a while and… and everyone got worried. That's all."

"...Oh."

Four craned his neck to get a better look at the crinkled paper. "But you're not actually missing anymore. And your Zelda is…?"

Wild’s grimace deepened, his brows meeting as his face scrunched further in anguish. "She's not here right now."

A ripple of unease passed through the group of gathered heroes as they made more sense of the predicament. The overtaken castle, the loss of everything Wild had owned before… and his princess nowhere to be seen.

"Hey, Champion, could you show me how you roll this dough out?"

Wild was brought back to his place of comfort by Time’s gentle voice once more, and he shook his head of the ever-building troubles that threatened to spill from him. "You don't roll it. Here, I'll show you," Wild said, walking over to his side. "In the meantime, Sky, could you simmer those tomatoes over the stove? We also need that cheese cut into small pieces, if someone wants to do that."

Twilight and Warriors talked in hushed tones in the corner while the younger heroes sat at the table sorting through produce. 

Everyone settled into a rhythm, finding peace within the process and the easy atmosphere. Time fought with the dough, while Wild showed him how to stretch it.

"All these years later, and I still can't shape the dough how Malon likes it," Time laughed cheerily.

Wild perked up at the mention of his wife. He should've known it wouldn't take long. "How is she, by the way?"

"Incredible," Time sighed with a lopsided grin. "I feel a bit bad, though, leaving her at a time like this. She's going to have her hands full while I'm gone."

Twilight swiveled his attention back towards them, easing out of a stiff stance with widening eyes. "Do you have pups?"

Pups?

Time's smile broadened considerably, a gleaming beacon of pride. "Her name's Romani. She'll be two in a few months. And Malon thinks there might be another on the way."

Wind shot up from his seat with a gasp and leaned across the table. "No fucking way, you have kids?!"

Warriors beamed. "You're a father now! I figured it was only a matter of time," he said with a wink. "So what's the lil hellion like?"

"She's so energetic and happy. My girls mean the world to me," Time declared blissfully. "It'll be hard… being away. But Malon's the strongest person I've ever met, so I know she'll be alright."

"Of course she's strong, if she has you to compete with," Sky chuckled, stirring the pot of simmering tomatoes. 

Wild was at a loss for words. Of course, he expected Time to settle down and start a family someday. He just didn't think they'd ever be together to hear about it. It must've been decided shortly after Time had returned to his own era. And now he was separated from them, centuries apart. How was that fair? But if Time had any misgivings about the turn of events, he didn't reveal any hint of it.

Four supervised Sky's cooking, tasting the sauce before adding a dash of salt from Wild’s spice rack. The small hero stood up taller on his toes, a smile spreading across his own face when something caught his eye.

"Time’s not the only one that's been branching out," he noted ambiguously. 

Wild followed Four's line of sight down to Sky's left hand. Adorning his finger was a golden band engraved with an image of a loftwing, a ruby nestled between its outstretched wings. 

Wild felt his heart stop in his chest. "Sky, you're married?! "

Time reached around Wild to clap Sky proudly on the back. "I knew you had it in ya! Sun must've been thrilled when you finally proposed."

Sky's face flushed as bright as a hearty radish and he buried his head in the collar of his tunic to hide it. "U-um, actually, my Sun had to propose to me, first. I was too nervous to move so fast. If Groose hadn't warned me in advance, I-I think I would've…"

Sky sang the praises of his wonderful wife. Time mentioned kids, and Sky went from excessive gushing to turning deathly pale, earning another laugh from the experienced father figure.

Wild let them all talk around him, indulging in what they had to say and news to share. Four had taken over the family forge and worked on commission for any weapons or metal work that Dot needed. Warriors continued to serve as head captain of the Royal Army under Artemis's direction, though his era had been blissfully peaceful in recent years. He joked that he might be out of practice, and Twilight offered to spar with him in the morning. Hyrule had also continued to serve under his Zeldas, working to improve communications between towns and keep the main roads safe, even if there was no end to monster attacks.

So much had changed for everyone in so short a time. The other heroes were starting families, starting lives, and finally finding the chance to live out their daily adventures without the weight of peril bearing down upon them. They were building new foundations and taking up careers outside of merely "the hero." And though evil never rested, he was happy for them. It made him believe for the first time since losing Zelda that everything might actually be okay.

Wild hummed while he cooked, as he was often subject to do, while conversations turned to background noise. Being around so many musically inclined individuals had tuned him into the way that notes could rise and fall so pleasantly. He'd learned quite a few melodies over the years, too. Mostly from Kass and Time, but he sometimes mixed up who he'd heard them from.

Legend slouched in his chair at the table. He'd hardly chopped up anything for dinner, while Hyrule and Wind had contributed a mound of cheese, mushrooms, and apples. Four had to move around him to set the table. The veteran hero had been awfully quiet while everyone else was talking.

"You really like that song, don't you?"

Wild’s hum caught in his throat as Legend’s whispered comment reached him. And suddenly he remembered where he'd learned this particular song. It brought to mind a moonlit night on Eventide Island, where they'd all sat in a circle holding instruments that hummed with the desire to be played. So they'd done just that, filling the air with music. Legend had called that song the Ballad of the Wind Fish.

Wild tensed his shoulders, wondering if the liking he'd taken to the song had upset Legend further. "Y…yeah. I just found it soothing, that's all."

A few beats of silence passed. Then Legend began slicing mushrooms with Hyrule, and Wild’s shoulders relaxed. "I didn't say you had to stop. You're right. It is soothing."

From that point on, dinner came together quickly. Wild formed several rounds of dough while Time managed to stretch out one of his own. They were all layered with tomato sauce and heaping handfuls of cheese, mushroom, and stambulb before getting tossed into the oven to bake. When Wild turned back to the rest of the room, it felt so much more crowded and cluttered than before. He was grateful for it.

Wind was tugging on Warriors' new yellow scarf. It was embroidered with the Hylian Crest and matched the amber earrings that he'd purchased from the Gerudo here. Wild had helped them get magically enhanced by the Great Fairies.

"What's this , huh? What happened to your blue scarf?" Wind huffed, looking the captain over with a critical eye.

"That old thing?" Wars laughed, tugging the end of his scarf from Wind's hands. "It was way too threadbare to be seen wearing around the castle. It left a bad impression, so Artemis was kind enough to get me a new one befitting my rank." He waved the matter aside like it was of little importance and readjusted the golden fabric neatly around his neck.

"But you loved that scarf," Hyrule pointed out around a mouthful of apple.

"You still have it on you, right?" Sky asked. "I can't imagine you going anywhere without it."

Warriors hesitated, appearing oddly divided. "I… I should probably keep wearing this one," he said with a frown. "It was a gift, after all. I should value it as such, rather than reminiscing over such old items."

A realization surfaced to the front of Wild’s mind, something he hadn't thought about in a very long time. He stood up excitedly from his chair. "I have gifts!" Wild gasped, as if it was the most important thing to happen tonight. 

Twilight blinked at him, surprised. " Gifts? How long have you been holding onto that? I know I said I might return someday, but…"

Wild smiled wide, buzzing with excitement. "Y-yeah, well, I just thought…! Hang on, I'll be right back." On those words, he made his way upstairs and groped around for a box beneath the bed. There was a fine layer of dust on the box, though he hadn't thought it'd been so long since he'd had them made. He was glad he'd had the foresight to keep them close to home.

Taking out the box’s contents, Wild bundled several large swaths of cloth in his arms and hopped back down to ground level.

"What do you have there, Wild?" Four asked, his eyes sparkling with curiosity. 

"They're paraglider cloths!" he cheerily announced, setting them on a cleared spot on the table and unfurling one for everyone to gawk at. "Sayge has gotten really good at dying fabric, and I had some spare sets of paragliders made in case anything ever… happened. " Wild tried not to hang on that thought too long. "Here! This one's for Hyrule!"

Hyrule’s eyes stretched wide as he took in the twisting black and orange design. "Wha– Wild, is this supposed to be a gleeok?"

Wild passed the fabric to the traveler so that he could see it better. "It is! Sayge needed a reference in order to make it, and I had a picture of you fighting the one on the Bridge of Hylia. You're our seasoned gleeok slayer!"

Wars arched an eyebrow. "Wait, where did you find the time to take a picture during that fight?"

Wind snickered. "Oh, there's always time for a picture."

Hyrule bunched the fabric in his arms and buried his face in it, hiding the smile that had emerged across his face. "I love it Wild. Thank you." Then his head shot back up, his hair sticking up in fluffy clumps. "Wait, this is just the fabric – does that mean you're giving us actual paragliders, too?!"

Wild held up the next one, a light blue banner with a decal of a cow and Lon Lon Ranch written across the top in Time’s hylian script. "Well… yeah! It just makes sense, doesn't it? I mean, half of us already have the means to fly. In a place like this, it's kind of become an essential means of travel…" Especially now, though he wasn’t entirely sure how to explain the emergence of the sky islands. 

Time unfurled the blue fabric, his face lit with delight, before happily wrapping it around his shoulders and leaning back in his chair. "I was much smaller in the days when I used to fly around. In truth, you have me excited!"

Wild passed along a cloth with the Hylian Crest emblazoned on bold red and blue swaths of color – the Royal Hyrulian fabric – onto Wars, who appraised it with equal parts excitement and… skepticism? It was hard to read his face at times. “That’s very considerate of you, Wild. I don’t exactly have any experience gliding, though.” Although his words were hesitant, the longer he held the fabric, the more Wild could see his thoughts churning. “Honestly, the excitement of a new tool in my arsenal… is something I haven’t experienced in a long time.”

Wild clutched the last one close to his chest while he walked around the table to Twilight. This fabric was particularly special, and he was most excited to see his old mentor’s reaction. “Twilight? This one’s for you.” He passed the dark fabric, neatly folded, into the older hero’s outstretched hands and watched him unfurl it.

“Well, shoot, I don’t have anything for you, Wild,” he said, keeping his tone light. “You really didn’t… have to.”

Twilight stared at the design, his easy-going words dying on parted lips. His hold of the fabric tightened, crinkling the edges, and he pressed his mouth into a thin line, brow furrowing. 

Wild fidgeted in the span of a few agonizingly long seconds while he struggled to decipher Twilight’s pensive expression.

He opened his mouth to explain himself, only for Twilight to beat him to the punch.

“Where did you find this design?” he rasped, lowering the fabric onto the table so that everyone could see it before turning to Wild with foggy eyes.

The design was a replication of the Mirror of Twilight. The ghostly white twili runes gleamed oddly under the lantern lights with a luminescent sheen. The base color was the darkest black imaginable on cloth, and if he looked at the circular pattern too long he felt like he might get sucked into it. “Th-there was an ancient book that me and Zelda found in a chamber beneath the main library. Most of the writing was illegible, but it depicted that mirror. Zelda theorized that they were the notes the sheikah had while making their own version of the relic for one of their shrines.”

Twilight stared numbly at the design, holding it away from his body as everyone around him took note of the growing unease in the room.

Wild swallowed nervously. This wasn’t the reaction he had in mind. “Do… do you like it?”

Twilight startled as if he’d been snapped from a daze. His hold of the fabric relaxed, as did his tight expression, so that he could smile happily at Wild as the others had done. Only it wasn’t the same. “I love it, Wild. I mean it.” His eyes fell back to the design so that he didn’t have to look Wild in the face while speaking half-truths. “I was just surprised, is all.”

Time picked up the conversation, bringing the attention back around the table. “These were wonderful gifts, Wild. I’m trusting you to be patient when teaching us to use paragliders, though.”

Hyrule perked up, practically humming with excitement. “Yeah! When do we get to try them out?”

“The frames are being held in Lookout Landing,” Wild explained. He'd had them commissioned by Hearth and sent to that central post. It was fortunate he'd had his being held there when he'd first returned to the surface. “We should probably head out that way regardless, so that I can update Purah and Robbie on the current situation.”

“Then it’s settled,” Wars decided. “It’s good to know we have a plan in motion. Let’s set out for the nearest stable tomorrow morning.”

“All the more reason to take it easy tonight,” Sky said, standing up from his seat. “I must say, it smells divine in here. What did you call that recipe again, Wild?”

“It’s pizza!” Wild answered, rushing to the oven with Sky to check on their dinner. He grabbed some kitchen towels and pulled them out on stone slabs before setting them on the table. Eyes lit up with hunger and desire. “Cheese became a Hateno specialty, so these kinds of recipes really took off. Everyone help yourself – there’s plenty to go around!”

The sensation of peace and comfort returned swiftly after that. A good meal had always been the quickest way to ease both bodies and minds after a hard day of traveling and fighting. Now was no different, as Wild settled into the warmth of his brothers and their kind faces. Everyone praised the recipe, giving their compliments to the chefs, and boisterous exchanges and excitable stories from their years spent apart began to simmer down as the night went on. 

Sky was, as always, the first to turn in, citing their need to move in the morning as a good reason for the others to follow suit sooner rather than later. Four began falling asleep at the table, and Hyrule yawned as Wild dimmed the lanterns hanging from the ceiling. The night had already been impossibly long, and the excitement of being together again was finally beginning to wind down. When Wild finally excused himself, with Wind promising to join him shortly, it was a relief to lay down in his bed. The voices of the older heroes could still be heard from below in the form of deep whispers. When he closed his eyes, it was with the comfort of knowing that he was no longer alone.

Chapter Text

Cold.

Wild cracked an eye open to the darkness of his home. For a moment, he felt a stab of panic, as if the last things he remembered before passing out had been some dream, too good to be true after the turmoil his new adventure had thrusted upon him. 

A symphony of gentle snores rose up from the living space below, and his heartbeat settled. 

Stifling a yawn, Wild pushed himself up from the mattress. His right arm twitched numbly, and he flapped his hand to rid himself of the prickling nerves. Through the gap in his curtains, moonlight streamed through, allowing Wild’s eyes to adjust quickly. The space on the bed beside him was empty, filling his heart with disappointment until he remembered who it was that’d wanted to sleep there in the first place. Wind had laid claim to that space, and sure enough the sheets and blankets were wrinkled accordingly. Wild had a fuzzy memory of him flopping onto the bed earlier, sometime after he’d already turned in himself, but by now their resident pirate was nowhere to be seen.

Wild rubbed his face sleepily and dragged himself to the edge of the bed. With stealthy steps that knowingly avoided every creaky floorboard in the old childhood home, he walked to the railing and looked down. In the living room below, he could make out a few shapes. Four and Sky had their bedrolls on the living room carpet, sharing a mound of pillows that Wild kept for guests. There were a couple empty spaces, where beds had been abandoned in the night. Last Wild remembered, Wars had set up in the spare room and prepared beds there, and it’d looked like Hyrule and Legend would be joining him there. By process of elimination, Wild had a good idea of who all was missing.

He only hoped they didn’t stray too far. His Hyrule was more different now than they could possibly imagine after just a few years.

Wild crept through the rest of his house, using the stairs for once, and crept through to the front door. The moment he turned the knob and opened the house to the night, a few nostalgic notes greeted him.

With agonizing slowness, Wild closed the front door behind him and slipped out onto the soft grass. He recognized this song in his heart, a melody that made every hero stop to listen for reasons they could never truly explain. Zelda’s Lullaby, Time had called it.

The notes were played slowly and haltingly on Time’s ocarina. Wild could see him now, silhouetted against the moon on the grassy stairwell to his left. His legs were dangling off the edge, swinging idly to the song, until he stopped with a dissatisfied sigh.

“Couldn’t sleep?” Wild whispered, climbing the stairs to sit beside him.

Time tilted his head towards the moon, looking at it with an unreadable expression. “This is normal for me. It’s still daylight back in my era, not that it makes much difference.”

Wild looked up to the moon, trying to see what he saw. It wasn’t red, so things must be okay. But there were sky islands in the air above Hateno that hadn’t been present last time the other heroes were here. “You’ll still be tired, though,” Wild warned needlessly.

Time blew a dismal note into his ocarina, giving himself a moment to contemplate before responding. “I can go without – that’s not an issue. The others, however…”

Others? Like, more than one? “I noticed Wind wasn’t in bed. Did he go off somewhere?”

Time hummed with the same note that he’d just played and laid the ocarina in his lap with a downcast expression. “I trust that Wind is alright, but I still can’t help worrying. The same goes for Twilight and Legend. They went out, and though I don’t think they’ve gone far… I want them to be okay.”

Wild worried his sharp nails anxiously into the grass, though did well to mask his concern from appearing on his face. “They’re all out here somewhere?” Wild asked, his heart sinking when Time slowly nodded his head in confirmation. “It’s dangerous to go alone, right now. Were you planning on finding them…?”

With the same leveled slowness, Time shook his head. “Wild, can I be open with you for a moment?”

Wild straightened to attention, his eyes widening momentarily. Time, of all the heroes he’d known across different eras, was a very closed-off individual. There were very few things he would ever open up about, whatever that entailed. He was a notoriously secretive man. “O-of course, Time; the least I can do is listen.”

Time leaned back on his hands with the creak of joints. “Those three… in one way or another, they’re the direct successors to the Hero of Time. All of them have struggled because of the legacy that came before them. When I first realized what my actions had created, I was horrified… even if they say the blame doesn’t fall on my shoulders. So it’s… it’s hard sometimes, trying to reassure them and be there for them when I already know that I haven’t before. And now I can’t possibly fathom where their lives have led them, after years spent apart. I don’t feel close enough to Wind or Legend to support them the way they might need at the moment. And even Twilight… he eludes me, and I don’t understand why.” Time tore his single glowing eye away from the moonlit sky and gave Wild his full attention. “I’ve been open – now may I be selfish?” Wild hesitated before dipping his head for him to go on. “Wild… could I have you check on them in my stead? You’re someone they all admire and respect as a peer.”

“They feel that way towards you, too!” Wild argued, struggling to keep his voice low. “You’ve always been our fearless leader.” And you've always been there for me.

“But have I always been their friend? ” Time shot back. “Or do they see something else when they look at me – a mural? A statue? A grave? I just…” He sighed, and Wild felt the depth of his wisdom and the weight of his worries in it. “I can’t always see them eye to eye. But if you were to find them, then I’d be greatly reassured.”

Time didn’t look any older than when Wild had last seen him. And yet, his words felt like those of a lingering spirit with several centuries worth of thoughts to think on every waking day. No wonder he wasn’t trying to sleep. “Okay. I’ll go find them. But next time, it should be you.” In a strange sense, this was perfect; he'd be able to talk to them all one-on-one, which was what he'd been hoping for.

Time relaxed, slumping in on himself as Wild hopped down from the stairwell and trod out over the flower-filled lawn.

“Thank you, Wild,” the old hero whispered behind him.

The haunting lullaby continued to play in his wake, made louder outside by the stillness of the night. With his back turned to it, Wild realized that Time was trying to reach his successors through music. But so far, none of them had returned to answer the call.

Wild retraced his steps up the path behind his home. While the tug of the portal had long since vanished, he still felt drawn towards Ebon Mountain’s peak. He wasn’t sure if any of the stray heroes would be up there this time, but at least it would offer him a good vantage point.

Evidently, he wasn’t the only one to have that thought.

Wild wasn’t quite at the top of the mountain when he glanced up and saw a slender figure poised atop a rock above him. With telescope in hand, the young hero was lost in surveying the vast lands.

“Hey, Sailor!” Wild called, bringing his attention down to ground level as he climbed the rest of the way to the mountain’s peak. 

“Oh! Hi, Wild!” Wind greeted with a sunny grin that could bring the night to an end. “I didn’t wake you, did I?”

Wild shook his head and sat down on the ridge beside his feet. Wind, sensing that they might be here a while, plopped down next to him in one easy motion. “No, I woke up on my own. I was just surprised to see you gone,” Wild confessed. “Were you too antsy to sleep?”

Wind chuckled, holding his telescope back up to his eye to examine the sweeping lands. “What can I say? I missed your Hyrule, at least for a while.”

Wild brought out his Purah Pad to look through its scope, seeing what he saw. But it was so hard to ignore the gaping wounds marring his land and oozing gloom like an infection. The fact that Wind could still smile both endeared and frustrated him. “You didn’t miss much,” Wild grumbled, a frown tugging at the corners of his mouth as he found himself looking out towards Hyrule Castle floating in the distance in a murky cloud of black and red. Wild loved his kingdom, and the way that grass could grow over the scars left by the corrupted sheikah tech. But this had all been so sudden, and he couldn’t yet see how the land would ever heal from this.

“That’s not true,” Wind insisted softly, leaning back until he was sprawled on the lush grass, looking up at the stars through the gaps in the cherry blossom tree. “I missed the rolling green hills. And the sprawling mountain ranges. And the way you can just… walk places! It’s dangerous, sure, but nobody’s ever limited by not having a boat or not being able to fly. And I always thought that was the most incredible thing when I first started adventuring with you all.”

Wild laid down in the grass beside him, forcing his attention away from the harrowing sights of his injured lands and grounding himself in familiar company. “I thought we were a bunch of landlubbers?” Wild snickered. “It’s weird hearing you talk about land so fondly; you operate so naturally on the Great Sea. Anywhere else, I’d think you would feel more like a fish out of water!” He meant it jokingly. So when Wind’s easy-going smile flickered from his face, Wild feared that he’d said something wrong.

“Well… people are resilient. They’ll always adapt. But we hardly ever get much choice in the matter, huh?”

Wild bit his lip and turned his head away. “...Yeah. That’s true. I just wish I could’ve shown you my Hyrule at a better time. How it’s supposed to be. Not… this.”

“Well… I still like it. Scars and all.”

Wild thought about his old scars, from the Calamity, and how even the phantom pains from them had dulled over time. Then he thought about the newer ones, gouged from his flesh by the burn of concentrated gloom from Ganondorf’s hand. He couldn’t feel anything from them now, numbed as they were by Rauru’s influence. He just knew they were bad. But… but that, too, would heal someday, right? Could the same not be true for his kingdom?

Wind went on, unprompted. “You know, there actually was a time where I saw a land like this, way before I ever met you guys and we started this whole adventure.”

Wild turned his head back to the sea-faring hero, surprised. This was news to him. “And you didn’t want to stay there? Whenever we’re in your era, I only ever saw islands.”

Wind’s smile returned, only it was sad. “Actually, when I saw it, I wanted it more than anything. It was so beautiful, I wanted to cry and scream and be heard by the Gods. I wanted to see all my family and friends running through those grassy fields without end, never having to worry about the ocean pulling them away.”

“So then why didn’t you stay?” Wild dared to ask, a pit of unease forming in his stomach.

“Because it was all underwater,” Wind admitted nonchalantly. There wasn’t a hint of disappointment in his voice – only resignation. “There was a barrier around it, holding up the Great Sea. When I walked through Hyrule Castle, it was like everything was frozen in time. And just beyond its gates was this big white bridge leading out to the vast world beyond. I only got to walk through those fields once, on my way to… to what remained of the Hyrule Castle that Time once knew. A part of me wished I could’ve stayed there a little longer, looking up at those mountains. And I would think about that moment every time I saw more and more of the lands that you all have. So… I guess I’m just glad you can live in a place like this, even if you have to fight for it every day.”

Wild closed his eyes and took a shuttered breath. “I’ll always fight for it,” he promised, knowing in his heart that that was true. Even if the gods themselves turned their backs on this land as they had to Wind’s, he would keep fighting. The fact that they hadn’t yet should mean something. “I’d give anything for my Hyrule.”

Wind shot up suddenly from his lax position, startling Wild. He sat up as well, reaching for the pad as if there was a monster encroaching on them. But Wind hadn’t gone for a weapon. Instead, he sat there facing Wild, wide eyes shining with overflowing hope that shook him to the core. “And that’s exactly it, isn’t it?!” Wind urged, buzzing with excitement. “We all want to do what we can for the Land of Hyrule. And that’s why I wanted to tell you first…”

Wild adjusted himself so that he was sitting squarely across from Wind, facing the ecstatic teen eye-to-eye. “Did something happen in your era?” Wild guessed. If Time and Sky could have such big changes in their lives, then there was no reason why the same wouldn’t be true for their youngest. Wild was just surprised he hadn’t mentioned something earlier, when everyone was catching up with each other.

Wind reached for Wild’s left hand, and he let him have it so that he could have something to squeeze. “I found it, Wild,” Wind rasped, voice thick with emotion. “Tetra and I… we know where New Hyrule is now! There is a great land out there, with those fields and forests and mountains, and it’s waiting for us! ” Wind shook his hand with unbridled joy and lurched back to his feet, dragging Wild with him. Wild stumbled to catch his bearings and free his hands while Wind splashed his boots into the shallow pond, his arms stretched wide as if he could hold the whole world in them.

“Wait, wait, hang on!” Wild pleaded, his mind playing catch-up. “How did you find it? What happens now?”

“I don’t know what happens now!” Wind admitted, a grand sigh bringing him back from his jubilant outburst. “But I know where to start. Because back when we last saw each, and we all went back to our own eras… the Gods didn’t send me back to the Great Sea! Intentional or not, they were off by a century. I got to see what the future of my ancestors looked like… and it was brighter than I could ever imagine!”

The wind swelled around them, salted by the ocean crashing against the cliffs below, and Wild felt the way that magic hummed around them in response to the young hero’s words. “That’s incredible!” Wild laughed, sharing in his joy. It was infectious. How could he not be happy for him? “A new land is an incredible discovery! And it’s… it’s reassuring that you won’t have to worry about the likes of Ganondorf there. I’m sure your people will love it.”

Your people. He was referring to them as if Wind was their king. It was hard to imagine. But hadn’t the people of Sky’s and Wild’s own eras been caught referring to them in much the same way? In their respective outcomes, the three of them still had much to rebuild. It was just happenstance that they were at the helms with their Zeldas in pursuit of a brighter future. But that didn’t make them true leaders. Or… or kings.

Wind hesitated, stuck in thought while he walked the narrow path in the center of the pond. “Well… New Hyrule must not be perfect, ‘cause there’s still evil living beneath its earth. So I guess it doesn’t matter where ya go, because darkness will meet you there. The land I’m meant to find has its own Demon King. And I don’t know if there’s anything I’ll be able to do about it just yet.”

Wild’s heart sank. So even in a new, promised kingdom, there was no escape? Sky had said something like this once before, how evil was destined to always return, as promised by the first carnation of the Demon King, Demise.

"...But that's okay, too!" Wind went on, his words becoming choked. "Because… when the time comes, a new hero will be there to face that challenge! Do you see where I'm getting at?"

Wild blinked. "I mean, doesn't every era have its hero? It's all linked, isn't it? The emergence of those who represent wisdom, power, and courage." Even if the ancient relic known as the Triforce was hidden within his era, Wild still understood the significance of it – especially after his experiences with the heroes who bore the symbols on their hands.

"Not always," Wind reminded him softly. "But I met him, Wild. I got to see my successor!"

"You have one?" Wild blurted out. He hoped that didn't sound insensitive, in hindsight. It was just such a strange idea. Wind himself was still so young, it was odd to think that another hero would need to fill his place in another century during his time. It brought to mind the idea that Wild could've had a successor of his own during this period of time, had he not been dragged back from the brink of death through ancient sheikah tech. And even still, one day he could only pray to the gods that when his kingdom had need of a hero once more, that the person who came after him wouldn't have to undergo the same trials as his.

"He's amazing ," Wind sighed wistfully. "'Spirit, the Hero of Trains'. He's the Royal Engineer! They have these great big vehicles that move across tracks, and they can cross the widths of their lands faster than any boat or horse!" Tracks? Like traveling roads, but for autonomous carriages? That's not a bad idea, Wild considered, listening keenly. "He told me about all his exams and adventures and… and how closely he works with his Zelda – Tetra's granddaughter. And just by watching them interact for a bit, I could see how much they cared for one another." Wind came to a stop in the middle of the path, and looked between the ocean to one side and the mountains to his other as if he wasn't sure which one he was supposed to consider home. "So I guess I'm just glad that the future of my era will have a Link that's as courageous and kind as he is."

Wild had come up here to reassure Wind… in case he was home sick. Or…or missing his family and the ocean. Instead, the more he listened, the more he found himself being reassured. Like everything would be okay… eventually. "That makes sense, honestly," Wild said lightly. "I mean, why wouldn't the hero that comes after you be great? Since you're setting the foundation and all."

"That's just it, Wild. I didn't think there could be a hero after me," Wind said with surprising firmness, swiveling on his heel to focus on him. "My timeline doesn't have the Hero's Spirit. At least, not in the original sense. I had to fight and struggle and piece the gods' broken plaything back together just to be recognized. Because nobody else before me had gotten that far. So I just… assumed it might always be that way."

Oh. So this is what Time meant. Wild nodded in understanding, unsure if there was anything more he could do to show his support. Wind had always taken things in stride. But just like every other hero, he held tight to his baggage and fought harder because of it. And yet Wind couldn't be farther from disappointment. 

"You've always been a hero worthy of your title," Wild reaffirmed, regardless of whether or not he needed to hear it. "I don't… I don't always understand these things about spirits and forces, but that won't stop the people who choose to step forward with courage in their hearts." Wild smiled warmly at his brother, so much taller and brighter than he thought he'd ever see, and reached his hand out towards him.

Wind's eyes flicked briefly to his strange arm before focusing back on his face, unbothered, as Wild adjusted the two small rito feathers tied into his hair.

"I'm happy for you – and your successor. I'm sure Spirit must be proud to follow after a hero like you," Wild said, stepping back with a strange feeling of pride in his chest.

"It's hard not to see myself in Spirit," Wild laughed. "He looks so much like me, too!"

Wild raised an eyebrow, thinking back on how Twilight had discovered his shared lineage with Time. "I know us heroes often have things in common, but do you think you could be related to him?"

It was a simple enough question, but it gave Wind pause. "Hmm, I don't… think so? I'd definitely consider him a brother the same way I would you guys, though."

Wild nodded his head in understanding, processing the young hero's experiences. Then a thought emerged, and a coy smile stretched across his face. "What about Princess Zelda? You said that was Tetra's granddaughter. Did you ask who her grand father was…?"

Wild didn't have to specify more than that. A red blush immediately bloomed across Wind’s cheeks, and his eartips burned red in embarrassment. Clearly, he's thought about this before. 

"Wh-what? No, that's ridiculous!" he insisted, waving his hands through the air and adamantly shaking his head. "Tetra is– well, I mean, she's royalty now. Or I guess she always was, but if you tell her that she'll punch your arm and– what I'm trying to say is that she'll probably find someone better for our new kingdom…!"

" Our kingdom?" Wild pressed, knowing damn well what he was doing. If the people of his Hyrule were going to keep mercilessly highlighting his relationship with his Zelda, then he would do the same to his brothers. It was only fair.

"Th-that’s only if she wants!" Wind cried, burying his face in his hands with embarrassment. A second ticked by, and then a gap emerged between his fingers to reveal a single, sparkling eye. "But…I'll admit: a future like that sounds too good to be true, don't you think? And yet it was the last wish of the King that we have something like this."

Wild's face went slack as his thoughts churned. He knew what the young man meant – that he still wasn’t used to the idea of a brighter future, one that the Gods themselves would lead him to. One where he could stand side-by-side with his Zelda and know peace. But a greater part of him could only think about the uncertain futures that couldn’t be so easily promised. The ones that seemed to await the heroes of each era far too often, without any guarantee that the tentative peace they strived towards could be protected.

Then Wild brought his thoughts back to the present, and his smile returned with just a bit of effort. “Whatever happens, you have a great Hyrule to look forward to.” He jammed a thumb over his shoulder, back towards the path leading off the mountain. “Now c’mon, we got a long day ahead of us tomorrow. We should get some rest while we still can, okay?”

Wind looked up at the stars overhead one last time before bringing his head down in a resolute nod. “Yeah… yeah! There’s so much I still want to see here. It’s… it’s good to be back here, if just for a while.” He stood at the top of the path, looking down at the rocky switchbacks leading into Hateno. “You’re gonna join me, right? The day’s been even longer for you, I bet!” There was laughter in his voice, but it was so clearly tinted with concern for him. 

“I’ll be there in a bit,” Wild promised gently, lingering a while longer. “But go ahead and meet me back in bed, okay?”

Wind hesitated, looking him over to make sure he would be alright, before giving him a light wave and hopping off the side of the mountain.

Wild barked a laugh, striding over to watch the spirited sailor drift down to the house below on his deku leaf.

That was one hero he’d been able to connect with again after so many years. It’d been both comforting and eye-opening, getting to learn more about the lives they’d led outside their shared adventures. But the night wouldn’t slow down for any of them, and judging by the somber ocarina notes that continued to play into the night, there were still some wandering heroes out and about for him to find.

Wild followed Wind's example and jumped from the rocky overhang, gliding through the cool night air. He sailed past the house, though, catching a glimpse of Wind greeting Time at the doorway, and continued on to where other paths winded away from the property. 

While he hadn't been able to spot either of the other two from the top of the mountain, he could think of a few other places where a hero might go to find peace. Wild himself had found and taken comfort in just about every crack and crevice around town. 

And yet he couldn't quite explain what compelled him to walk down the small, nigh forgotten path that wrapped around the western edge of town. There used to be a horned statue dwelling in the shadow of the overhang here, an odd relic that whispered promises of power at a price. It had mysteriously disappeared recently, and he hadn't found it since. In truth, it was probably better that the other heroes didn't mess around with it, so he was glad the cursed being was strangely absent. 

Wild walked past the empty spot, keeping his wits about him as he pressed on with quiet, measured steps. Even still, he'd almost missed the slight rustle in the ferns below, and probably would've kept walking had it not been for the dismal splash of a small rock falling into the adjacent pond.

Wild turned his attention to the tree growing down near the water's edge, where a small form was made even smaller by the ferns that obscured him.

The forlorn boy was looking out over the lily-dappled pond, unmoving, with arms crossed securely over his legs and his head at rest. His weathered ocarina lay in the grass at his side, untouched, though Wild wouldn't be surprised if he'd been playing something earlier, in that same way that Time often would during moments of unexpected quiet or uncertainty. 

Wild stepped on a twig to announce his presence, watching Legend’s ear flick towards him, and heard his aggravated sigh when he hopped down to the tucked away spit of land.

"What do you – oh. Hi, Wild. I didn't think you'd be out here so late."

Legend eased out of his closed-off position, though not by much. Wild wasn’t sure who he expected to see, but it didn't seem like he was entirely opposed to company. 

Wild parted the ferns and settled down on the grass within arm's reach of him. Down here, he could see the reflection of the moon clearly on the surface of the pond, occasionally fractured by fish coming up to inspect small bugs milling around lily pads. There was a nice view of Ginner Woods, and further out the sharp pinnacles of Kakariko in the distance were tall enough from this angle that they couldn't see Hyrule Castle. Wild was thankful for that, at least.

"I'm surprised to see you out here, too," Wild responded, trying to keep his tone casual. "It must be weird for you, being back here again."

Legend just scoffed. "Yeah, well, a hero's duty is never done and all that." His forehead was creased, highlighting the wrinkle on his brow from a life filled with frustration. Then he deflated, letting go of some of his expected bitterness. He looked over at Wild with an unreadable expression, and he squirmed under the younger hero's scrutiny. "It never gets any easier… starting an adventure over from scratch, that is."

"But you're still our veteran in all this," Wild reminded him, as if to beseech him for whatever wisdom he might have to offer. "Wouldn't you be really prepared for new quests? With the most items and weapons and vitality?"

Legend jabbed at the ground with a small stick – anything to keep his hands busy. "The Gods don't give warnings. Things break. Sometimes they reset, like nothing ever happened at all. Or… or it all fades, leaving behind nothing but memories." Legend pursed his lips, eyes flicking briefly to Wild. "...Sorry. Poor choice of words. And I guess I should apologize for earlier, too. It wasn't my business to parade that tunic of yours around."

Wild shook his head in wonder. He hadn't come here looking for an apology, after all. "N-no, you don't have to be sorry about that. Hylia knows you've had enough trouble from us getting into your things before. I guess I should just… be thankful I have anything at all for this adventure, wherever it takes me." Is what Wild said, but he couldn’t wait to find some better gear. Even if it was dangerous and hard to reach… he really wanted to see what Zelda had left for him in the throne room.

Legend's grimace deepened, and his shoulders slumped miserably. "Don't resign yourself like that. How about this – tomorrow morning, I'll buy you whatever you need from town: tunics, groceries, arrows, just ask and it's yours."

Wild's eyes stretched wide in surprise. "What? No, that's really not necessary. I can bounce back on my own, it'll just take a while."

"But you shouldn't have to," Legend insisted, his tone pleading. "You should be able to reap the rewards of past successes. Things are supposed to be easier with experience, not… whatever this shit is." He waved his hand flippantly through the air. "I'll even get a tunic for Twilight while I'm at it – anything to get him out of that gaudy knight attire."

Wild nodded slowly. It was true that they would all need to be as well equipped and prepared as possible before traversing these treacherous lands once more. And yet the last thing he wanted was to take advantage of the heroes that'd been torn away from their eras just for his adventure.

"I don't know when I'll be able to pay you all back for this…" Wild warned, his tone apologetic. 

Legend huffed indignantly, straightening up just so that he could cross his arms over his chest. "Oh please, don't give me that," he drawled. "I win plenty of rupees from fighting."

Wild didn't know what he meant by that. Sure, monsters in other eras sometimes had rupees on them, but Legend made it sound like he had more than just that. "What kind of fights? " he prodded, ears perked with interest.

Legend carefully avoided his gaze. "Hm. Nothing much. I've been spending more time in Lorule this past… year. Taking a break from longer adventures or trips overseas. I ended up becoming a regular at the Tower of Terror."

"I don't know what that is," Wild readily admitted, trying to better understand what Legend had been going through since they'd last seen each other. "It sounds…" Dangerous? Exciting?

Legend took a moment to think his next words through before elaborating further. "It's like… you have those coliseum ruins, right? The place where warriors and knights used to fight monsters for skill and sport. It's like that, only it's one fight after another without rest. The monsters in the crowd and running the show reward me better if I'm faster. You know, show them a good fight."

Wild's jaw fell open. "You're getting paid by monsters? "

"It's easier than getting paid by the Hyrulean Army!" Legend snapped defensively, scooting further away from Wild.

Wild suppressed a curse. Legend could maintain a healthy distance away from others better than anyone. Even after all their time together and the bonds they shared, there was really only one brother who could stick to his side and never be subject to his prickliness.

Wild held up his hands defensively, though Legend eyed his right with a certain wariness that came naturally to him. "I won't pry on that subject," he promised, despite his rampant curiosity. Fighting monsters for sport in a coliseum… wasn’t something he knew himself to do. To the best of his knowledge, anyway. But there were monsters held in cages beneath Hyrule Castle for soldiers to fight. Wild suppressed a shudder, recalling a horribly fuzzy memory of fighting a hinox beneath the castle, watched by the King and his court. It’d been his final trial in proving himself worthy of being a Royal Knight. Legend’s disdain wasn’t misplaced. "I just… wasn’t expecting the generosity. I feel like I've already asked for so much by having you all here again."

Legend blinked slowly, weighing his words. "It's not an issue for me, if that's what you're thinking. You can consider it my thanks for… for promising 'Rulie a paraglider. He's really thrilled about that, you know? And I, well, all this junk I own and I can't offer him anything nearly as useful."

"That's not true," Wild argued softly. "You gave him one of your hookshots, didn't you? And I know that, when it comes down to it, you'd do anything for him."

Legend flicked a pebble into the water, watching the way the ripples disturbed the surface like a fractured mirror. "That's just it, though. I haven't done enough. If I had, then there would've been a better future for him. It feels like I've already given up."

"But you haven't," Wild insisted, his words feeling feeble. It was hard to be optimistic when his own Hyrule was struck with peril. And yet, recalling Wind's own positivity had left him with hope.

"Then why does the darkness keep spreading?" Legend bemoaned, raising his head to stare through Wild with an impossibly tired expression. When he leaned to the side, Wild realized that it wasn't him the younger hero was looking at – it was still Hyrule Castle, as if he could see it through the distant mountains. "You all call my kingdom small, but that's because I've never taken you to the southern border of Lesser Hyrule. Past the mountains and stretch of desert, you can still see it – what remains of Ganon’s Tower, a beacon of darkness where monsters continuously fester. There's nothing out there for us anymore – that grand Hyrule Field and the rich resources of a kingdom now lost. And in Hyrule's era, not so far from mine, it just keeps spreading. Castles can always be rebuilt. People will always cling to life. But to know that even the things I've fought so hard for already will be drowned by evil someday, forcing the next generations further to the north… it makes it harder to push forward. But if I stop caring, then how is anything supposed to get better?"

Wild heard those words as a challenge unto himself. He didn't want to let go of his Hyrule and watch it decay continuously into ruin. He didn't want the Gods to give up on it as they had with Wind’s era. Or accept that it was all part of a greater downfall or calamity that he was powerless to stop.

But he also didn't have someone from the future of his era telling him what had gone wrong and what could be better. He'd merely been given the tools to adapt and been told to go forth and bring peace to Hyrule. 

"We don't stop," Wild sighed. "I could never… be satisfied with a world that could stand to do even a little better so long as I can protect it. And I can't bear the pain of loss, despite the fact that I continue to feel it." Wild held up his right hand, drawing a glowing blue finger through the air to grab Legend’s attention away from the ominous darkness that awaited them beyond the mountains. When Legend’s eyes successfully followed the movement to Wild’s face, he went on. "Maybe I'm lucky, not knowing what the future might bring. But with any great challenge set before me, I know that it never did me much good to act on my own. You can't blame yourself for things that haven't even happened yet. And if you keep worrying about these things in your era, then… maybe you can talk to your Zelda about it? She would understand, wouldn't she?"

Legend took a deep, leveled breath, his face slackening into something that didn't look nearly so troubled. "That's normally how it goes, isn't it? A Link is tied to their Zelda in some shape or form. I've been avoiding the castle, truth be told. I can tell that Hilda's keeping an eye on me, since I'm in Lorule more as of late." He pointedly turned his attention away from Wild. At least this time, he didn't have his focus trained on the ominous evil brewing on the horizon. Instead, he kept his eyes trained on the ground. "Look, I'll be fine out here – maybe even better off than I was back in my own era. Taking a break from adventures, settling down… all that stuff is lost on me, anyway. You should turn in for the night, though. Don't let me be the one to keep you from your bed."

Wild looked him over with a critical eye, trying to discern if he was actually okay. But for all his words and revelations, he didn't seem particularly defeated by any of it.

"You should get some rest, too," Wild advised, same as he had the others. 

Legend offered a strained smile, his eyes narrowing to judgmental slits. "You know I don't sleep well. I'll be fine come morning – I won't hold you back."

Wild opened his mouth to protest. Was that what he was worried about? Someone as competent as him becoming a burden? It felt unthinkable, considering all he'd been through to reach this stage in his life.

But Legend had already closed himself off from Wild, watching the shadows of fish moving beneath the surface. Despite everything he'd said, the veteran looked… peaceful here. Wild quietly decided he didn't want to disturb it further than he already had. Legend might be younger than him now, but he still outweighed Wild in experience. So it was easy to believe that he would be alright. 

Wild left him to it, climbing up the steep bank and hoisting himself back onto the little path. He waved to Legend and bid him good night as he left, but received no response in return.

Chapter Text

Wild could still hear Time’s familiar melodies drifting from across the bridge. He stopped at the fork in the path, torn over where he was supposed to go next. The only wanderer left was Twilight – the one he'd been looking forward to talking to the most upon the Chain's return. He was… different now, that much Wild realized. And sure, things were bound to change with the passage of time, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something wrong.

Despite this, Wild wasn’t sure where he was supposed to find him. He could be anywhere in Hateno, walking through pastures and investigating the new wells and buildings that had popped up since he'd last been here. But rather than search him out with that in mind, he let his feet guide him. Exploration based on instinct wouldn't lead him astray, not here, anyway. 

So Wild walked past all that Hateno had to offer. Its shops and closed windows and brightly colored mushrooms paraphernalia. Twilight wouldn't be there, though he couldn't explain why he thought that. He started uphill, out of town and in the direction of the Ancient Tech Lab that had been quieter in the years since developments had been made elsewhere. Normally, Wild would want to head towards the town’s high point and look out over the land from a different perspective. But once he hit the first switchback, he broke off onto another path, one that led down towards Hateno Beach. There was a tree there, on the edge of the ridge before the path sloped steeply downwards, that he frequented often enough.

As fate would have it, someone was already there, looking out over the ocean while waiting for the sun to rise. How long he’d been there, Wild wasn’t sure.

Wild stopped just off the path, ready to call the hero’s name. Before he could, Twilight swiveled his head towards him. He must’ve already been alert for sounds.

“Hey, Wild. Fancy seeing you out here,” he greeted with a dry chuckle.

Wild approached warily, not entirely certain if he was welcome. But that thought felt ridiculous. In truth, he wanted nothing more than to sit as close to his old mentor as possible and breathe in the night over idle chatter, just like they had years ago. It hadn’t been as long for Twilight as it had for Wild – surely he must feel the same way.

His feelings were validated when Twilight shifted in the grass and patted the patch of ground beside him encouragingly. Relief washed over Wild, and he settled in at his side. Even still, he resisted the urge to lean into his side like he used to for support. He’d once told Twilight that, throughout their journeys together, he hadn’t changed much at all. But now he feared that the same could not be said now, and he wanted to understand why.

“I was just out for a walk. The night air was nice, and I’m not used to having so many people around again,” Wild said easily. It wasn’t entirely a lie, but it did leave out the part where Time had expressed his concern for his fellow heroes.

Either way, Twilight accepted the answer. “I’m surprised you found me here. Even a small farming community like this feels so big and lively. I thought a place like this would be easily overlooked,” he admitted, hunching forward to lean his arms on his thighs.

Wild looked past him, closer to the winding roots of the tree that had been planted here in the last century. “I come here pretty often, actually. Consider it a place of comfort.”

Twilight followed his line of sight to where two small stone plaques were embedded in the earth beneath the tree. Though the scripture on them was faded by the elements, they’d been cleaned of moss and dirt. Between them lay a wilted Silent Princess that he’d placed there before leaving for his excursion with Zelda. But weeks had passed since then, and he had no more of those flowers to place.

Wild sighed. It felt like there was always something… or some one that he was missing.

Twilight shifted away from the space, giving the plaques a respectable distance. “Shoot. Sorry, Cub, I wasn’t looking where I was sitting. This is… someone’s grave? I didn’t notice them there.”

Wild waved the apology aside. “No, it’s okay. I didn’t notice them for the longest time, either. But once I figured it out, I started frequenting this spot. You know, since it didn’t feel like I ever paid them enough respects while they were alive.”

Twilight’s expression softened. “You knew them. Back before the Calamity.”

“They were my parents,” Wild confirmed. “I’d walked past this tree countless times, never knowing. But I had a memory come back to me during our adventures of… of my mother’s funeral.” Wild wasn’t going to bring up exactly what had triggered that memory. His encounter with Twilight’s gibdo had been harrowing enough on his own – he didn’t need the older hero feeling worse over it than he already had. “After that, more pieces started falling into place. I was able to find their records here in Hateno: my mom passed from a sickness, and my dad was a Royal Knight that fell in the later stages of the Calamity, defending Fort Hateno.” Wild could only glean so much from the records. After all, a lot of brave soldiers had died in those fields. But he couldn’t help wondering if anyone had told his dad of his fate – of how Wild had succumbed to his injuries in the fields just beyond the fort stronghold. “I had a sister, too, but there was no record of her death. I… I think she might’ve fled the kingdom during the Calamity. If she did, then I hope she was able to find some peace.”

Twilight appeared thoughtful, if only a little sad. And yet Wild could not share that sadness. His heart could ache for the connections he’d lost, but in truth it was hard to grieve for loved ones that had died over a century ago. Being able to inherit their old house and leave flowers on their graves was enough. “Do you have memories of your family?” Twilight asked. “Good ones, that is.”

A tender smile flitted across Wild’s face, and he opened his pad to search through his meager belongings. He withdrew a black and gold flower that radiated warmth like the blessing of a goddess – a Sundelion, it was called – and placed it atop the stone grave markers where the Silent Princess had been before. “I was so young, and it was all so long ago. But I remember little things – moments that might’ve felt important then but now seem strange. I remember helping my mother in that same kitchen, sword training with my father… catching bugs and star-gazing with my sister.” All things that I do with you guys now. Wild looked up from the grave, leaving his ruminating behind. “And sure I miss it, but I think the most important thing is that I cherish those memories, you know?”

Twilight blinked slowly, the gentle smile that mirrored Wild’s own appearing unnecessarily strained. “I’m glad you have those memories, Wild. Er, I mean, I wish you’d had more with… with them . But, well, it’s nice that you have that connection, even after all this time.” His smile couldn’t stay in place when he looked back to the engraved stones. “I don’t… I never got to remember anything like that.”

Wild flicked his ear and leaned forward to listen. “But you have Rusl and Uli, don’t you?” Wild loved the quiet nature of Ordon Village and the closeness of the small community. The humble farmers and cheery children all admired Twilight, and had always shown nothing but hospitality when the band of heroes passed through during their travels. It’d been strange, then, that Twilight’s own home lay so far from them, on the outskirts of the village closest to the woods.

Twilight huffed a laugh and cradled his hands together. “Yeah. They’re family, alright. They were there for me when I was nothing but a lost kid in the woods, chasing fairies and shadows. When you grow up as the only hylian in a community of humans, you can always tell that you’re different. I’ll always have nothing but the deepest respect for Rusl and Uli, raising me like their firstborn, but I knew I was no replacement for the real deal. So I always wondered what it would’ve been like… if I could only remember my mother’s face.” Twilight ran a hand through his hair. He’d grown out his bangs since Wild had last seen him, in such a way that they perfectly obscured the twili markings on his forehead. It felt a bit too intentional. “Hell, even Time got to learn what happened to his real parents. It’s not exactly a popular subject amongst the other heroes, though…”

Wild’s eyes stretched wide in surprise, and his right hand gripped the grass that had grown over the old, nigh forgotten graves. “Wait, Time told you about his parents? He doesn’t seem like the kind of person to…” The old man was a very open and agreeable person, but even after knowing him for years he kept so much about his past carefully hidden. And yet it seemed like the more he lingered around Twilight, the more he could glean from their leading hero.

Twilight sat in silence, pondering the thoughts drifting through his head while looking out over the moonlit ocean. He didn’t have to say anything if he didn’t want to. But a resolved sigh made up his mind. “Well… it’s not like it’s a closely guarded secret that he cares about or anything. It’s just something that doesn’t normally come up in our group for… reasons. But we got to talking about lineage one night, and he told me that his father was a knight in the Royal Army that had died during the Hyrulean Civil War. His mother had fled Castle Town soon after that, taking him as far as the Lost Woods before succumbing to injury . He was just a newborn, so he doesn’t remember anything, and he was raised not knowing he was different from the forest people that’d taken him in.”

Wild’s breath hitched uncomfortably in his throat. It was such a strange subject to relate to. And even stranger to think that, of all the hardships they’d all endured as heroes chosen by the Goddesses, Wild might be thankful to have any memories at all of his parents. There were still so many gaps in his memories – things that Zelda had been incredibly patient in trying to relearn with him. And he valued each one so much. In the end, what was worse: knowing that there’s something missing in your memories, or knowing that there were connections that you’d never had at all?

Wild wiped a thumb over his mother’s grave marker. The name was too illegible to read, but he knew it in his heart. Somehow, that was enough. “So that’s how it is…” he murmured, growing sentimental. “It’s been so long. For all of us, I mean. I guess I’m just glad that I have so many brothers that’re considerate enough to drop by every now and again.” His smile returned, and he nudged Twilight playfully in the arm.

Twilight cracked a smile of his own and released some pent-up tension from his shoulders. “You know me – I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” he rumbled, his affirmations soothing in the peacefulness of night.

“Even though you have your own life waiting for you back in your era?” Wild tried, hoping the words didn’t sound too forced.

Twilight took a leveled breath, as if he’d expected this to come about sooner rather than later. “Yeah… I think I’m alright taking a break from my era, if you can believe it.”

Wild nodded along encouragingly, ever the patient listener. It was what he was good at, though in recent years he’d become much better at offering his own input as well. “You mentioned not working the ranch much lately – does that mean we can’t call you Rancher anymore?”

Wild had meant it lightly, but Twilight’s face tightened into one of serious contemplation. “I guess not…” he said, a growl on the edge of his tone. “These days, it’s more common for me to be called Hero. Or Knight or Sir Link . That’s what I’ve gotten used to, anyway. It's been a long while since I last visited Ordon. After returning to my era alone, I finally accepted Queen Zelda’s offer and became her honorary Royal Guard. I have the blood of the knights of old… and the title of Hero, so it made the most sense. It’s… it’s the same title you bear, isn’t it?”

Wild winced. His was a title that he bore with honor, and yet he could never forget the burden of all those expectations that had been thrusted upon him. It also felt like a relic of the past. He was no longer a knight anointed by the King – he fought and served and worked alongside everyone as a peer. Destiny or not, he felt like he’d chosen to live these past four years. And they’d been some of the most wonderful years of his life. “I guess you could still call me Zelda’s Royal Guard,” Wild mumbled, shifting uncomfortably on the ground. “But it’s… it’s a bit more complicated than that now. There’s no titles like that, even though we’re rebuilding our armies. I’m just Link, you know? And I think I’m happier for it.”

Twilight deflated a bit, his eyes growing distant. “Ah. I think I understand. I’m glad you have something that works for you. Even if things seem bleak right now, we’ll get that back for you.”

Wild sighed wistfully. “Thank you, Twi. I can’t wait to have my kingdom normal again. If that’s even still possible. I don’t know how much it’s been altered, but at least I have you all to travel with me. I’m actually looking forward to it now!”

Twilight nodded in appreciation. “I could say the same. It’s not very fun… traveling on your lonesome.”

“But you’re Dusk’s Knight now,” Wild pointed out, arching an eyebrow. “Aren’t you always by her side?”

Twilight hummed, his face flickering with doubt. “I… well, no. I just do what she says. I… I owe that much to her, while living in her castle and all.”

He wasn’t elaborating. Wild tried to catch his eye, demanding his attention. “So what does Dusk have you do? You were talking awfully quiet with Wars earlier – does it have to do with that?”

Twilight drew his ears down like a cornered dog that couldn’t mask the fact that it felt threatened. And yet his face remained carefully neutral. “Hmm, nothing much,” he grumbled, trying to avoid Wild’s inquisitive eyes. “I appoint new knights and captains. I work with the Resistance to strengthen our joint armies, fractured as they are… anything to appear strong to neighboring kingdoms that have been eying Hyrule since the Shadow Invasion demonstrated just how weak our forces had become.”

Wild’s face betrayed his surprise, and he leaned away with a start. “That sounds more like a general ,” he pointed out, impressed. Now that he thought about it, Twilight did sort of give off a feeling similar to the General Impa that they’d been introduced to in Warriors’ era. She’d been a cold, calculating figure that radiated strength and competence. And Twilight… well, he certainly didn’t feel as easy-going as he’d once been. Wild only had fuzzy memories of his life living in Hyrule Castle. The soldier bunkers and training and trials. Those were memories he didn’t mind if he didn’t get back in full.

“Something like that,” Twilight grumbled. “She hasn’t found anyone truly capable enough to fill that role. It pays well enough, too, and I send most of what I make back to Ordon and Kakariko so that they can expand… even if the class gap between them and Castle Town remains as it is. And my treaty with King Bulblin makes it so that the roads aren’t nearly as bad as before, encouraging trade.”

“That… that’s good!” Wild expressed, relieved to hear that his version of Hyrule was recovering in the near decade that’d passed since Twilight had gone through his adventure. “It sounds like things are coming together… right?”

Twilight’s brow twitched as he held back a scowl, and Wild shrank away. “I… yeah. Everything’s fine.”

Wild was still missing something. He had to think about what he knew about Twilight. It’d just been so long. Catching up with Wind had been easy because the young hero loved to chat. And Legend, while standoffish, was prone to ranting, even if he was still careful about the things he said out loud about himself. Wild wasn’t nearly so tactful. “N-no, it’s not, is it? What else have you been doing since you were last here? Have you made any… progress? ”

“Some,” Twilight admitted grimly. “Queen Zelda has tasked me with some more discreet missions that aren’t common knowledge. Namely, tracing the last remnants of the Sheikah tribe for any living descendants and scouring the desert for the Gerudo in the hopes of establishing peaceful relations with them. It… hasn’t been easy. Impaz only knows so much about her old tribe, since they were mostly wiped out in the war against Ganondorf, and the desert is impossibly vast. I’ve run into a few Gerudo traps here and there, but still need to locate their stronghold. They’re, uh, still understandably hostile, in case you were wondering. Then again, they’re not the ones provoking attacks.”

Wild frowned. So Twilight was working under his Zelda, much like many of the other heroes. But that spoke nothing of his personal goals. “What about the Mirror of Twilight? Didn’t you want to find a way to see your princess again?”

Twilight’s eyes hardened. “Zelda is my prin– my Queen . She wasn’t happy to learn about my desires, even though I know her heart carries the same emptiness. My loyalty is to her. So I stopped pursuing that dream.”

“But you cared so much about seeing Midna again,” Wild pointed out, crestfallen by Twilight’s jaded response. This couldn’t possibly be how Twilight actually felt. He was hiding his true emotions, just as Wild had when he’d been promoted to Zelda’s Knight under the scathing eyes of King Rhoam. “You still have that mirror shard you found here, don’t you?”

Twilight pressed his lips into a thin line and stared at the ground between his legs with a stony face. The quiet hanging in the air felt like the start of a storm, and Wild’s skin prickled with unease.

Then Twilight let out a deep-seated breath that betrayed the depths of his troubles, and with slow, measured movements he reached for his pouch. He withdrew a parcel, about the size of his hand, and unwrapped it to reveal the ever-sharpened edge of a glossy black shard. “I still have it,” he confirmed, turning the fractured mirror piece so that the moonlight glinted off of its impossibly dark surface. “I think I’m fooling myself, though. Sometimes, when I stare at it too long, I swear I can see a glimpse of the Twilight Realm. But it’s so distant, and it just makes the part of me that misses the twili ache harder, so I try not to think too hard about it.”

That sounded painful, being so close and yet unable to close that gap. Just finding the mirror shard Twilight held had been an adventure in its own right – and not one Wild was keen to repeat. But he'd felt better at that time, believing it'd all been worth it if it helped Twilight in any way. To think that it was only serving to deepen his woes wasn't the conclusion he'd been hoping for.

"What about your magic?" Wild asked, changing tact. "We were still practicing that together before the last portal opened up. Have you gotten better at using it?"

For the first time since sitting next to him, Twilight actually seemed to brighten up. His eyes cleared, banishing the fog that had clouded them before, and he swiveled to face Wild with a toothy grin that he'd missed so much. "I have!" he happily declared, tucking the mirror shard away. "There's still traces of twili magic in my era. I can feel the connection with it, and it amplifies what I've learned. I can use the warps, though I'm still figuring out how to transport larger objects with me." He leaned forward in earnest. "A-and I can feel the magic in my paws! I can jump as far as a clawshot! I can take down foes like a beast to be reckoned with! I just… need to be careful not to reveal such things around the castle. There's still a lot of hard feelings surrounding the damage that Ganondorf and Zant had wrought. But… but I can show you. If you're willing, that is." His words mumbled to an end as he grew self conscious of his own excitement. 

Wild couldn’t have been happier with the response, though. "No, please show me!" he insisted. "I want to know all about your shadow magic! And then I can show you everything that I've learned!" Wild was buzzing with anticipation. The glow of his right arm felt warm, and when he opened his senses he could feel the way the magic of nature moved around him. It was enthralling. And he wanted to know everything about it.

Twilight cupped his hands and moved closer to Wild, like a child holding the flame of a candle. "I still can't use it like a proper mage, but if I focus…" His forehead creased, and the shadow crystal around his neck began to pulsate with an eerie energy. The markings on Twilight’s brow darkened, as did the area around them.

Wild felt a sickly sensation form in the back of his throat. When his eyes flicked towards the Sundelion he'd set down earlier, he noticed that its natural glow had dimmed considerably. He buried his uncertainty, though, and returned to Twilight with honest enthusiasm. 

In the Hero of Twilight’s hands, a ball of concentrated energy emerged. A dark, pulsating magic that flickered like static and gave off a burning heat.

"Whoa," Wild breathed, his eyes latching onto the orb. It felt… familiar. But he'd never encountered twili magic beyond what Twilight had shown him in the past. 

Drawn in by the flickering darkness, he slowly raised his right hand towards it. Twilight didn't see the movement, focused as intensely as he was on maintaining the magic.

Like a moth to a flame, Wild reached out. And touched it.

The dark magic convulsed and scattered into black and red particles.

A jolt of excruciating pain shot through Wild’s right arm, and he jerked away with a cry.

"Wild!"

Twilight was on him in a moment, on his knees and looking him over while his hands hovered just over his shoulders, desperate to help.

Wild shook his head and grit his teeth. He cradled the arm to his chest, waiting for the spasms to end. But as he waited it out, he remembered just why Twilight’s magic felt so familiar. 

Wild and Twilight watched as wispy threads of black and red darkness fizzled across the length of his arm, seeping out from the savaged limb that remained beneath the borrowed visage of Rauru’s own. He could feel the scathing burns left behind by the concentrated gloom writhe with renewed anger, and curled in on himself with a shuttered hissed.

"I'm sorry!" Twilight gasped, moving away when he realized what the problem was. "I-I didn't… I would never hurt you!"

Wild couldn’t speak. He took deep breaths instead. This was different from when the light blessings banished some of the blight coursing through his damaged arm. It was an adverse effect that only amplified the evil magic that Ganondorf had dealt to him.

Wild wasn’t sure how long he'd been healing in the aftermath of his encounter with the Demon King. Only that by the time he'd woken up, his wounds no longer hurt. The magical appendage Rauru had bestowed to him was supposed to suppress the darkness from spreading further, as if it was fighting off a poison. But he had no idea how much of it remained inside of him.

"It's okay, Twilight," Wild reassured as the pain began to subside. "It was an accident. I… I shouldn't have touched it. That's on me." He uncurled from his defensive position and held his arm up, clenching and unclenching it as the darkness faded. It was fine for now.

Twilight watched him carefully, his brow pinched in concern. "You know, everyone's wondering about it. About you. We're worried. Won't you tell me what happened, Cub?"

Wild frowned, tracing the armored ridges wrapped around his arm. He took a deep breath to ground himself. "Okay… okay. Zelda and I had finally located a hidden path deep below Hyrule Castle…" Twilight listened with undivided attention as Wild explained the events in full. The murals and malice-like substance. The chamber where Ganondorf was being sealed by a glowing hand. How he woke up. And how everything fell apart from there.

Wild held his arm close, clinging to the memory of reaching for Zelda’s hand. He'd taken comfort in accepting the recall ability from her, because he thought it might somehow bring him closer to her. And how he sent the Master Sword back in time, not knowing what might happen to it.

Twilight nodded along all the same. Princesses vanishing in a burst of light, ghostly sages of the past overseeing his adventure, the Master Sword adrift in time… it was as if he understood all this from his own experiences. 

Wild ended his story with Lookout Landing, where he learned that he'd been gone long enough to be considered missing and had gotten to see the aftereffects of what had been dubbed the Upheaval. 

Twilight sat in sullen silence, contemplating his story. Wild had heard… some of what Twilight’s adventure had entailed. His beginnings, his relations, a handful of snippets from various dungeons. The last thing Twilight had told him before they'd last parted was about his first defeat, when the bulblins had raided his village and left him for dead. How he'd lost his first real fight, and as a consequence lost his friends and his arm. How he'd chased those evils and, as punishment, had his physical form altered against his will.

Wild stared at the ground, his thoughts reeling. The destiny of a hero had a cruel way of repeating itself, as he was learning. 

"Does it still hurt?" Twilight rasped, still viscerally upset that he'd done any harm at all.

"Lots of things still hurt," Wild responded, the answer coming easily. And he felt better for it, knowing he didn't have to fake his strengths. "I think you were right when you said that the greatest pain was heartache, though." He reached out and took Twilight’s left hand in both of his, surprising the older hero. Twilight tried to draw away with a grimace, only to stop when Wild looked at him pleadingly. "Things aren't… they're not great. But they could be worse. And I've grown a lot since you last saw me."

Wild held his hand, tracing the calloused knuckles and fine white scars. And he reached into a place deep inside him, withdrawing a cool, pleasant sensation. His hand glowed with a gentle blue magic that washed over their skin and brought relief. It was faint, but the effect it had was readily evident. It was a crisp, clear healing magic, pure as spring water and just as potent.

"You remembered her magic," Twilight murmured, his face losing its sharp creases. "The Champion Abilities… you can use them again?"

"Mmm, a little bit, yeah," Wild said, sighing as the nostalgic healing seeped into him. He'd been thankful to have this ability on the Great Sky Island, when every little thing could bring him to his knees. "It's weak compared to what Mipha had – all of the abilities are. But I worked with this magic a lot to get to where I am now, and I'm proud to have it."

Twilight let out a blissful sigh as the healing sank into him. Needed or not, Wild was happy to provide. He couldn’t wait to show Hyrule.

"You're an incredible hero, Wild. You know that, right?"

Wild let the magic pass and turned away. "The same could be said for all of you. I'm just doing my part, no matter what that means for me."

Twilight glanced out towards the ocean, where the sky was just beginning to gray. "Even the greatest heroes get worn down eventually. Let's turn in while we still can."

"I think everyone's on a different sleep schedule right now, " Wild pointed out lightly, opting for a smile. "It's okay if we get a late start, don't you think?" He wondered if Time was still sitting outside his house, waiting for their return. Or if Legend had ever gone back to bed. Of all the heroes that had gathered together, those two were the ones who could go days without sleep. And it was concerning. They'd be traveling all across his Hyrule again, but at least they could look forward to each stable and settlement to rest at.

Twilight stood to his feet, grasping Wild's hand as he did so to bring him up as well. Wild teetered, feeling the exhaustion catching up to him, and he realized that he couldn't wait to turn into bed for real this time. Twilight gently tugged Wild forward, bringing him into a hug. This one felt different from the one that they'd first exchanged at the start of their reunion. Wild sank into the touch and closed his eyes, feeling at peace. This was still the same Twilight he knew. It… it had to be. Even if things were a little different, he could enjoy the presence of his brother all the same. And he could continue to treasure their time together. 

Wild detached himself from Twilight’s comforting hold and started down the path, walking away from the tree and the two graves nestled beneath it as he had many times before. But it was different, because he had Twilight at his side. He had all his brothers with him. So everything would be alright.

Twilight halted suddenly, hand reaching for his shoulder as a gasp escaped him. "Wild, who is that? " he asked, voice laden with wonder as he pointed up into the sky.

Wild followed his direction, settling expectantly on the most beautiful creature to have graced the heavens. 

"That's the Light Dragon," he murmured softly, a wave of strange calm enveloping him. He watched the serene serpent wind its way over the clouds above Hateno, higher than he could possibly imagine reaching. The air around her sparkled and glistened with divine magic, and even so far away he could feel a warm breeze caress his scarred cheek like a shuttered breath. "I'm not sure where she came from, but she appeared in the skies at the same time as the Upheaval. Maybe… maybe she was being kept somewhere? I'm not sure. But now you can see her flying through the cloud barrier like the other dragons."

Twilight blinked slowly, gazing up at the divine being with unmistakable reverence. "So you have a Light Spirit looking out for you after all."

"I guess you could say that," Wild said with a weak laugh. He managed to turn his eyes away from the strange, otherworldly beast, ignoring the persistent feeling of wrongness in his chest. He knew his Hyrule best, but now it felt like there was so much to discover all over again. "Maybe someday we can all fly high enough to properly introduce ourselves to her."

"That's a fine idea," Twilight rumbled, watching the dragon grow smaller in the distance. They continued through the path between town, feet growing heavier with every step. Twilight flicked an ear, and Wild raised his senses to hear what he did as they started up the path towards his house. "Is Time still awake? That's his ocarina."

Wild finally tore himself away from the dwindling sight of the Light Dragon. "Y…yeah. He was waiting for us to come back."

Twilight let out a faint hum as understanding dawned upon him. "I see… Well, he chose a good song to play."

Wild smiled as his home, again the place of rest for his loved ones, came into view. "I really like this song, too," he agreed, savoring the last few notes of Zelda’s Lullaby as Time finally caught sight of their return.

In the distant skies, a low, mournful roar fell from the heavens.