Chapter Text
Things were going slow, Warriors observed. Before the incident, as they dubbed it, their relationship had taken a slow approach. Warriors could spot Twilight's eyes always trailing the older. Shyly looking away thinking he’d be caught. It was a thing young boys did when they had no confidence, or were scared of rejection.
And where Twilight seemed to accept rejection so easily to not even attempt any more than a greeting or two sentence conversation. Time looked accustomed to it, welcoming it as fact dejectedly, knowing what Warriors saw, as uncertainty.
Neither were quite clever to hide the way they looked at each other. The Captain was sure Sky knew too. The younger always wore this dreamy expression, but it always softened more when he spotted the two heroes near one another. Drawn to each other, Sky had told him once, but both too sad and scared.
Warriors thinks he saw what Sky had that day. The want for something, but thinking they were undeserving.
Time always tried to act aloof when he probed for a reason he wouldn’t just talk to Twilight.
The look the man wore was something Warriors hadn’t felt in his age yet. Of tired recognition.
“I just don’t think he’d appreciate it.” Time said, quietly shutting the Captain down.
Those words almost felt the opposite.
Time seemed so sure Twilight’s distance with him was better for them. And Warriors didn’t want to disagree in a relationship not his own, but it was clear the fault was none but miscommunication and expectation wedged in grief.
The day of the incident, Warriors had been watching them closer. For no reason other than the way Twilight shifted on his heels eyeing the landscape of trees, and the way Time watched him almost fondly.
It was as if Twilight knew. A thing Warriors didn’t like to think about was that eerie laughter that echoed in his memories. The dark figure that sauntered beyond the shadows with taunts and laughs, riling and spooking the heroes' nerves.
Their shadow. A form directly taken from them. Warriors rubbed his chest from the memory of pain. Dark magic pierced his soul and pulled those dark tainted thoughts from him. Allowing them to take form and turn their dark blade on them.
It was not his face it wore. Though, Warriors could almost see his own features in its face and the glint of his eyes.
No.. it had taken the form of Twilight.
He remembered watching the heroes stiffen. He remembered how Twilight’s teeth bared almost animalistic and hateful. He remembered hesitating.. and he hated that sinful moment he did, because Twilight’s chest released a sigh. Never once turning to look at them, but knowing— deep within their souls— they eyed him as though an enemy too.
Warriors’ hands were too tainted with blood and dark magic to have faulted another hero for entertaining those dark thoughts. His triforce still pulsed as a reminder to not be without his wits and control.
And he had betrayed Twilight, knowing it was just that single moment that made for Twilight's desperation to be seen as separate from his shadow.
Fighting had enveloped them quickly.
Twilight had taken off after his shadow, intent on driving it back and delivering a final blow, but by the time Warriors could call for the young hero back, noting the trap for the prideful teen, Twilight was far too gone. Driven only by drive to prove himself.
It was only after they’d managed most of the monsters could they see a break.
Time grabbed his shoulder, pulling him close. “I’m going to find him. Stay with the others.” It were the words Warriors remembered within the thick of battle.
It was the way he spoke. Rushed and uncertain, but his grip was strong. Pushing off Warriors he sprinted through the fight, avoiding any other delay to find Twilight.
Warriors thought, right then, that the man was a hypocrite. Lunging into the unknown after telling Warriors it was better to not put him in that place of importance for Twilight. That his hands were already full with the other heroes.
It would have been easy to send Warriors for him. For Sky or Legend, or even Wild. But Time had taken it upon himself to look for the teen that bothered him.
It hadn’t mattered then, as they continued the fight, finishing it with an arrow impaling the last monster to a tree.
There was no more fighting. Only a faint echo of Time’s voice indistinct.
“Wars..” Sky was at his side. A mournful look so off putting on his features. His hands twisted into the white fabric around his shoulders. “Go, we’ll make our way south and follow the river.” He pushed against Warriors shoulder, sending him back towards where Twilight and Time had run off.
“Find them,” he nearly pleaded, keeping his voice low as the others were beginning to gather after collecting their gear and equipment.
He remembered nodding. Sky’s words compelled him to action. He sent them off sure they would be fine as he sprinted through the woods on tired feet. His body ached with cuts and bruises, but he pressed onward, unsure what he would find. His mind reeling in anticipation.
What he had found was quietness. The thicket had been beaten down by multiple people. He stepped through it, and noticed the first signs of a fight.
Dark blood, red and black dripped off the bushes and leaves. Dark marks were left against the sides of trees with deep gashes of a sword tearing its way into the bark.
Moving further into the violence of their surroundings he heard it.
“Shush.. shush..” quiet, and repeated words of encouragement.
“Time?” He spotted the man easily. Sat in the sunshine, his armor reflected brilliance. The golden plates shifted as the man moved.
Stepping closer he saw Twilight, curled around Time’s side, leaning against his chest with closed eyes and a paling face. His tunic was soaked in the red-black blood. Saturating his side more darkly than the rest.
“He killed it.” Time mumbled.
A short distance away was what Warriors could only infer was the shadow. It looked unrecognizable.
Time’s voice sounded empty. Sure, but empty. He held Twilight close, his own tunic bloody.
“Alright,” he moved around to their other side, crouched down and he started to pull at the arm that covered the wound. Pulling at his belts and chainmail till everything was halfway off and he could see the deep gash pulsing black. The veins under the hero's skin flowed black. “Alright,” he said again with more uncertainty.
Infection had no clear certainty. They could try their best but without proper cleaning and medical care, or even a place to keep Twilight stable, it was uncertain if the injured hero would be able to fight against sickness.
“We need to move him.”
They were surrounded by taint. Staying any longer would insure sickness.
Time pulled Twilight closer to him. Looking to hold him all without help. Warriors helped where he could, knowing Time wasn’t there completely. Something had happened and the man was more concerned silent than usual stoicness.
Twilight didn’t stir with their manipulation of him. That concerned Warriors more than Time’s sudden silence.
“How long?”
“A couple minutes.. he was trying to get back to us when I found him.” He answered hollowly. His hand stroked Twilight's side.
Warriors inspected the man before him. There were unfortunate tells about him that told the knight nothing good had occurred when Time found Twilight.
“Did he panic?”
There was enough blood loss, Twilight wouldn’t have been in a sound mind.
“I..” Time faltered. Swallowing a heavy thought, he whispered. “I terrified him.”
Warriors blinked, unsure what to take away from that other than something morbid about Twilight’s life, and the awkward relationship he wanted to have with Time.
He could see the effects it had on Time as well.
This was the reason Time never tried, he realized quietly. Time saw the way Twilight looked at him.
Warriors hummed, not wanting to pry anymore. Those weren’t things he should know. They were private matters regarding Time and Twilight. He had no right to place himself in the middle.
“Do you think he’d wake up in a panic?”
Time looked uncertain. His answer was evident without words.
That wasn’t good. Nothing about this was good.
They didn’t say anything, other than giving general directions to keep their pace together as stable as possible for Twilight’s benefit, though the teen wasn’t awake to complain.
When they’d reached the river, they weren’t far from their new camp. They would’ve gone far enough to out pace the monsters, but not far enough they wouldn’t be found.
“Oh no,” Sky muffled with his hand, already ushering them towards a tent. They were used for rare occasions during storms or injury. Sky already knew what to expect.
“Is Twilight gonna be okay?” Warriors heard Wind whisper hushed to Sky who sat his hand on their shoulder and told them it would just take time.
Warriors wondered if that was another thing he knew, or was praying for.
“Let’s give them space, for now.” He ushered away the young heroes. Only Wild persisted enough to take a good enough look and offer potions before sitting nearest the boiling over pot sat in the middle of camp.
Warriors thanked the blessed gods for Wild mixing up those potions. They weren’t enough, but it helped to see what he was doing. The blood stained Twilight’s skin black and shiny, making it difficult to make heads or tails of what needed to be stitched or cleaned.
He tossed the teen’s soaked tunic out the tent for whoever to collect and try and clean and mend. Warriors settled at his side, doing what he could with what little he had.
Time just sat. Stayed by Twilight's side, hushing softly when Twilight’s brows nudged together, and to brush his sweat slicked hair out of his face. It was hypnotic to see Time’s behavior so fatherly after pretending so hard to not care.
It was as though he'd become another man entirely.
“He thought.. I was going to kill him.”
Warriors blinked, not realizing Time had spoken up because he’d been staring.
His attention dropped back to the injured hero. The lines of stress so evident in his face.
It also explained the bloody handprints down Time’s front and on his arms. Too much blood had been smeared across him if he and Twilight hadn’t scuffled on the ground. Warriors had been hesitant to ask for a clearer picture.
Though, knowing the effects of blood loss, there was no telling what Twilight thought he was seeing.
“We know nothing about him.”
Not his age, his home, his journey, nor his secrets. Twilight was a walking shadow, hidden away and obscured. It was as if sometimes, Twilight walked in shadows to disappear. The quietness and reservations spoke another story of the hero's anxieties for connections.
Time made a humbling look.
Warriors knew Time knew something. Something probably worth mentioning, but too personal to share. Or, not something he had the complete picture of and didn’t want to gossip in front of the boy when he couldn’t even defend himself.
Time finally tore his eyes away from Twilight to Warriors. Quietly, taking in his words with something bitter in his throat.
“Hey.. your shadow,” Warriors stiffened. “It could take on more than just your form, right?”
The Captain frowned. Pressing his lips together he nodded. “It took the form of my Zelda once.. did this one..?” What had its shape taken? What had made Time curious about the dark being.
“No.” He shook his head. “I just.. never seen a shadow not my own, besides yours at least.”
A shadow was not good. To have a shadow, a dark copy, meant one had failed at being a selfless hero. Overwhelmed with power and greedy and cocky.
“Makes you wonder if anyone else..” Was it just the three of them? Did any of the others have the taint in their skin too?
Warriors had come from his own superior cockiness that a witch could draw her power from. Time’s had been the misfortune of dark magic taking apart the fractured thoughts of a boy and man and molding those complicated thoughts into dark matter. But Twilight’s.. they didn’t know that reason.
From the way his shadow spoke and taunted, it seemed to have a more pronounced history. Able to inflict pain through words unlike Warriors’ who fought opposed to the self-image the Captain had thought of himself as unbeatable.
Where Warriors’ shadow fought physically, Twilight’s fought emotionally. A greater toll on one’s mind could fuel the growth of a shadow.
Time’s hand curled into a fist. “That’s something that needs to be addressed.”
They met gazes. It was clear some would have something to say about the ones with shadows. They were the goddess’ chosen. They shouldn’t have shadows. Twilight already carried a heavier weight of unnerving aura on his shoulders. Distrust was already sewed.
“We’ll lose faith.”
“So be it,” Time grunted. His hands touched feather soft down Twilight's unguarded arm, stripped down to bareness as Time did his own hand. “I won’t have him feeling ostracized. Considering his actions, he already knew how we’d react.”
Twilight did have that uncanny sense of knowing how to gauge someone’s feelings.
It was a coming conversation Warriors was already dreading.
“That’s all I can do for now. We should try and make way for a village in the morning, we’ll have a more sterile environment.”
Time hummed.
He’d spoken a lot more recently, albeit about Twilight, but this was different from how he found the man. Less despondent.
“You seem to be doing better too.”
This snapped the man’s gaze up. “I was always fine.”
“If you're going to lie, you’d do better not to do it to my face.” There was at least an effort, if having Twilight involved didn’t make every emotion on his face obvious. “You won’t even let go of him.” He noticed the way Time hadn’t removed his hand. Always finding a way to touch or hold Twilight somewhere.
And it seemed Time finally recognized this, but only further to double down, squeezing the unconscious teen’s hand.
“I’m not judging. I’m just saying your words and actions don’t make sense. And I’m not one to pry,” Warriors wanted no piece of what happened unless Time or Twilight gave it willingly, and even then he’d think there’d never come a day someone went to Warriors for that sort of advice, “but don’t pretend like you were. Don’t confuse him and make him feel any worse than you do.”
They didn’t need to tiptoe anymore, and Time didn’t need to be giving any unintentional signs for the teen to latch onto.
Warriors didn’t know the relationship they sought from each other, but it was clear something drew them together.
Time nodded stiffly, his attention returning to Twilight and staying there. It was there the entire night and most of the next day. Breaks were given and the man slept in the same tent, almost as if protecting the teen from some unknown force he thought would kill him.
Warriors said nothing but assurances, hoping the man would listen.
Sky would just grab his arm and shake his head and tell him, “he’s doing it for his sake.” Warriors didn’t know what that meant, but he hardly ever understood Sky’s secrets.
Things hardly got better when they made it to a village. He’d had to barter for rooms using up most of his funds while keeping their morale afloat. It took great efforts on his and Sky’s part while Time tended to Twilight.
Things however did look up for Twilight’s injuries. Thankfully there was no infection, but sickness was still likely. And from the cold night, Warriors was positive a fever would arrive sooner rather than later for the young hero. It would be up to Twilight then to fight off the rest.
“You should rest,” Sky caught his shoulder after a quiet check-in with Twilight. Time was an ever present presence over the teen.
Warriors snorted, on edge this past couple of days. “How are the others?” He asked instead.
“Exploring the village.” Sky folded, looking wayward towards the entrance of the inn. “They feel it too.. we all do. No one would blame you if.. if anything were to happen.”
Warriors’ expression didn’t change, but he was surprised to hear Sky’s hesitation. He thought the sky-hero would be full of assurances, but his hands twisted the open air with harsh reality.
“He’s doing fine, Sky.” He answered rather poorly. “He’s not dying.”
“But he's not healing, is he?” Sky’s eyes looked so knowing.
Warriors never gave it away. Time was hardly ever out of the room to make a comment, but somehow Sky still guessed, or he still knew Twilight's injuries were potent in dark magic, forcing away all healing.
“It worries me, the magic in him should be trying to deter the darkness, but he..” Sky covered his mouth with grim eyes.
“But it’s not.” He confirmed. “But he’s also not getting worse. His stasis. We’ve done all we can for him.” And that was a heavy thing to admit. Knowing it was a waiting game for either healing to be effective, or Twilight to wake up. And with sickness rearing its head..
Warriors placed his head in his hands. “And right when they were finally getting somewhere.”
Sky perked up to this. “I think.. I think that’s part of the reason.” He said a little ruefully. Warriors couldn’t gather how that could be a reason, but Sky had said odder things. “Neither are very good with their emotions are they?” It was lighter like a joke.
Warriors didn’t want to joke. “Is there an extra bed?”
He couldn’t remember how many rooms he’d sorted for the boys. He’d ended up in a couch or arm chair too many times to remember if he even had a bed.
Sky didn’t even appear upset at the blunt shift, taking it in stride.
“You can sleep in mine. It’s softer than the others.” Sky offered, pulling the tired hero along. “I’ll make Time take a break too, and maybe— maybe I can try to call to Twilight. The darkness might be tampering with his dreams.”
Again there was something Warriors didn’t know was possible, or how Sky would know those things.
“Do what you think would help. There are far fewer things we could mess up now.” Sky nodded as he ushered Warriors into a room and into the softest damn bed he’d lay in. The wear of the past few days had taken its toll and made it impossible to move from the comfort of the bed.
“Things will get better.” Sky’s words didn’t sound like hope or a prayer, but there was an edge of uncertainty. Warriors frowned, wondering if that was again another prediction on Sky seemed to know.
His mind reeled as he slipped further into quietness, his dreams soothed by those words. He could only hope Sky’s predictions were something to put faith in. Where his own thoughts or the voice of the goddess, Warriors would place his faith in the hero, reminding him, for just a moment, how human he really was.