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Chapter Text

"Fucking Farore, Twi," Legend breathed out, "You made it seem like your Hyrule was a wasteland."

Lush, green trees covered the land as the trio made their way across the path to Castletown. Twilight half-expected to see the field by the drawbridge riddled with monsters, but it wasn't. It had to be the work of the reformed Royal Guard, which now stood in place of the shadow beasts or bow-wielding bandits he'd grown so used to.

He nodded to one of the guards as they stepped onto the drawbridge. He brushed shoulders with a civilian who seemed happy to elbow him out of the way.

"Nothin' special, but it's part of home."

The home that, for some reason, he had such a hard time admitting was his.

When they dropped out of the portal after travelling through the unknown woods for so long, the rancher sure didn't expect their new terrain to look so familiar. He also didn't expect only two group members to follow him out. With only Wind and Legend by his side and hours of searching, things were looking hopeless. They concluded the others were either miles away from them in this world or in another world entirely.

It took three days of camping out in the field before Twilight finally fessed up and revealed that this cliffside, cool-toned Hyrule belonged to him. And another day after that for Twilight to eventually work up the courage to bring them to Castletown.

He didn't know why he felt so lonesome walking down this path again, even if he had two companions standing beside him. He was sure if he made a spectacle of himself, the Queen would invite him in for tea. The people of Castletown would gladly throw a nice welcome-back party for their supposed hero. 

That wasn't what he really wanted, though. And no one really recognized him without his signature green hat. Thank Hylia.

"I don't know much about castles, but shouldn't it be more...out in the open?" Wind stared at the secluded little town, tucked away, surrounded by rock walls and tall, green trees.

In Wind's opinion, Twilight's Hyrule was a bit terrifying. The entire kingdom looked like it was skewed on a giant cliff. If the vet hadn't grabbed him a few days ago, he would have fallen right off one of those ledges into endless nothing.

"You haven't learned from everyone else's kingdoms? Secluded means safe," Legend flicked a falling leaf off his tunic, "I'd be damned if this castle even got attacked in the first place."

Their boots came to a slow stop as they reached the front gate. Twilight turned around and pressed a finger to his lips. Legend looked around and watched as crowds of people pushed their way in, seemingly oblivious to the foreign visitors entering their town. Now that he was noticing it, the guards didn't seem to care who entered the castle's domain, either.

He turned to the hero. 

"They…did get attacked, didn't they?" he lowered his voice to a whisper as they entered the town, "I've heard you talk about Ganon. This is the castle. Ganon reached the castle, right?" 

Wind trailed along behind them and stared at the hordes of people—buying from shops, carrying bags of laundry, children grabbing at skirts and soldiers petting cats and dogs. Twilight's Hyrule was tiny compared to others, but the population sure wasn't lacking. He hadn't seen this many people since they navigated through Legend's world. And even then, there weren't nearly as many people in those towns.

"It's complicated," Twilight muttered back, "The Castle itself was invaded, but Castletown was fine for all these people know. Other places were hit worse. I'm not even sure the aristocrats here know who Ganon is."

"For all they know?" Legend repeated, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Twilight never answered, and instead, they both watched Wind walk off in the direction of the fountain. They quickly followed, eager to do a little impromptu tour of Twilight's hometown. 

Wait… was it his hometown? Legend pondered. He remembered the man talking about welcoming people, goats and pumpkins; there was no way this place could be where he grew up. Twilight could pretend all he wanted, but the vet could tell just by looking at him how alienated he felt in these parts.

The trio passed by shops with displays of trinkets and bottles and, the most desirable of all, hot, fresh food. They'd been living off scraps even before they got to Twilight's Hyrule. So why didn't they come here first?

"You found new friends to play with?!" 

They all spun around to face a small group of children, arms crossed, "Are these the ones you told us about from home? They look older than you said they would!"

Legend and Wind had never really seen their other companion around young children. Simply judging by the way he acted in battle and with the rest of them, it was hard to tell just how he'd be…

"No, no! I haven't forgotten about you guys. Though I thought you'd forget about me, seeing as I was gone for so long!"

Which was why it was so strange watching the man perk up and grin the widest grin they'd ever seen. Twilight raised his hands in defence as the Castletown children scrutinized him.

"We're not from around here," Wind smiled, "Nice to—"

"New outfit, I see" one of the kids grabbed at Twilight's coat while the others patted down his pants and boots, "Did you get it from Malo Mart, though?"

He brought a hand to the back of his neck. "Well…not exactly, but I haven't really been in the kingdom lately, so—"

"—SUPPORT THE LOCAL ECONOMY!" The smallest, a little girl holding a play sword, said, "That's what Malo told us when he came to visit the Castletown branch. He taught us the dance, too!"

All the children put their hands on their hips and sang. Twilight grabbed Legend and Wind by their tunics and moved forward while the kids were distracted.

"Well, nice seein' ya! I'll be sure to pay Malo back for the inconvenience I caused his business when I run into him. And say hi to Jovani for me!" 

The children waved their goodbyes, and Twilight's smile remained until they collapsed into a quieter alleyway.

"I forgot how exhausting this place can be," he readjusted his clothes, only stopping when he saw the looks on his friends' faces.

 "What?" 

"I don't think I've seen you let anyone get that close to your stuff before," said Legend, "I don't know why I didn't put two and two together that you're a kid person, but it makes sense with how you worry over everyone."

Twilight laughed nervously. "Instinct, I guess?"

"Hey…Twi?" Wind called out to him, which caused him and Legend to look over, "How many strays does this place have?" 

A mountain of cats had made their way towards them, and Twilight's face was soaked in dread. 

"What's going on?" Legend raised an eyebrow at the gaggle of felines as they all strutted past the sailor and pawed over to—

"No, that's… that's all of them," the hero muttered. The first cat placed a gentle paw on Twilight's leg, and the man couldn't resist petting its head.

"All the cats in the whole town?" Legend asked. He grimaced in reply, and the first, brave cat butted her head against Twilight's leg. He picked her up, and suddenly, as if they knew they would be safe, the crowd of cats pounced him, sending him to the ground. 

The hero of Twilight was covered head-to-toe in cats. Wind and Legend's mouths were wide open. 

"No fucking way," Wind was so close to laughing, and Twilight's face was getting redder by the second.

"I guess they like something about my scent?"

Legend actually did laugh only because he knew Wind wouldn't get it, and when the sailor asked what was so funny, he just shrugged it off and made a subtle joke about dogs. Twilight couldn't argue that it wasn't embarrassingly amusing. If it were anyone else in this position, he knew he'd be laughing, too. 

However, the signature *click* of Wind's pictograph had him rethinking his decisions.

"I'm showing this to everyone once we see them again," the boy snickered. 

"No. No way," Twilight carefully lifted the cats and kittens off himself, ignoring how they cried out in protest, "You're not showing anyone what just happened, or…."

Legend was still doubled over, laughing about the entire situation. Wind smirked. 

"Or what, Kittyboy?" 

Twilight paused. 

"Or I'll never show you Malo Mart."

Loud sirens and whistles, harrowing candlelight, and shadows of people dancing across the decorated room flooded their senses. Malo Mart reminded Twilight of days long gone, of shops in Castletown that managed to survive post-twilight even when Ganondorf was still lurking in the depths of the castle walls. This place indeed showed how oblivious the townspeople were, how privileged they could be compared to the kingdoms of other eras. 

Despite the weird feeling of nostalgia hanging in the air, the most bizarre thing in the room had to be the Malo monument sitting high up at the very back of the store. The creepy pictures of the kid were coming in at a close second, but tit was all nothing compared to the expressions on Legend and Wind's faces.

"I dunno what this place is, but I could get behind it," Wind sauntered over and began chatting with the man behind the counter. Twilight felt a twinge of dread when the boy pointed to the bombings over on the display shelf. 

Legend came up behind the rancher, fingers in his ears, "How can you stay in here for longer than 30 seconds?"

"You get used to it."

Wind and the man behind the counter cranked up the shop music a notch higher, and a woman holding a basket of Malo merchandise taught him how to do "The Dance." Now that Legend thought about it, Wild definitely showed the other Links a similar dance. The customers cheered. 

"This is like if Ravio got access to a microphone and enough money to open a chain store," Legend muttered. 

"What was that? I can't hear you!" Twilight took a step back as the shoppers formed a circle to dance. Did it get louder in here all of a sudden?

"Nevermind! I'm worried if I repeat what I said, it'll come true!"

It took a few tries to drag Wind out of the store, but the promise of food after weeks of living off old rations was enough to get both of them to do whatever Twilight wanted. The only problem? All of them were flat out of rupees—or enough rupees to get anything besides a few scraps. Damn them for giving all their currency to Sky on shopping day before all of this.

"Should we work to make some money?" Wind suggested. Twilight shook his head. There was no one to work for in town, except perhaps for a particular bar that he was trying his best to avoid. Either that or that awful doctor, but he doubted the quack would give them any money for the work regardless.

"What about stealing? I'm sure no one's gonna miss—" Legend stopped in front of a display of red apples, gesturing to it, "—a few of these, right? It's just fruit." 

"Those ones over there look juicer, though," Wind muttered, pointing over to a cart of green apples on the other side of the alleyway. Legend rolled his eyes. 

"It doesn't matter what apples we take. I don't care. As long as we get something to eat before I get hangry."

Wind picked up a green one, shined it on his shirt.

"No one's stealing anything," the rancher swiped the apples they started to gather, pushing them further down the streets bustling with food and merchants, "We'll find another way." 

"The merchant isn't even here!" Legend threw his hands up in the air, "Look! See that? Hangry. I just snapped. You're doing this to me. Where are we supposed to eat, for Hylia's sake?"

"I'm sure we've all gone longer than this without eating, Ledge." 

"That's not the point!"

"Twilight," Wind spoke softly, interrupting their argument, "Why are we here? We've heard the stories you told us about where you grew up. Don't you have…a home you want to show us? Won't they give us free food?"

The hero was silent. Even Legend stopped bickering and stood beside the sailor, both looking more confused than angry. Twilight felt a twinge of guilt. He was being stupid, wasn't he? It didn't matter if the old man wasn't there to oversee him out here—he needed to stop avoiding the fact that they shouldn't be wandering around Castletown hungry. In his own Hyrule? It was shameful. 

A long-held breath escaped him before he turned back around to face them. He needed to get over himself. 

"I might have a place we can stay." 

Zelda and the entire castle were off the table. He wasn't quite sure why she was off the table in his mind, but the overwhelming awkwardness and heroic expectations he felt whenever he visited her was enough to make him dread being in Castletown in her presence. Agitha was off the table, too—Twilight was sure the girl would capture them in their sleep like she tried to do that one time he stayed there for too long, staring at her bugs in "a way she didn't like." He considered sleeping on a pile of Jovani's coins, but that place was freezing from the hidden passageways, not to mention the ungodly amount of rats. And since the fall of Ganondorf, the rumour was the man spent all his money, so he couldn't snag a few rupees from him even if the man let him. 

There was no way any other random citizen would let them stay in their homes. Not even Inns would let him sleep there out of pity. Even if he was the hero, the people of Castletown weren't like the farmers he grew up with. 

"Telma's…Bar?" 

Wind read the sign nailed outside the door. They could all hear it—the music, the laughter, the smell of food and warm voices…it was risky, but this was the only place he could think of where they would treat him with at least a little bit of normality. 

For whatever reason, though, Twilight still couldn't bring himself to open the door. 

"Is there a reason we're just standing out here? It's getting chilly," Legend remarked. Twilight wanted to be mad at the hero, but he had to respect him for waiting. Perhaps to some degree, Legend understood how it felt.

"I'm hungry," Wind stared up at the window, too high for him to see what was going on inside. Was it always this nerve-wracking trying to open her door?

"Just give me a second."

He couldn't swallow the dread building up in his chest. Was it because he hadn't seen all of them in so long? Was he scared of a certain someone that could be behind that door? Why was this so hard?

Wind chimed in. "But—"

"Give him a second," Legend reprised. After a few seconds, the vet sighed and put his hands in his pockets, kicking at the ground, "We don't have to go in, Twi. We can find another way to get money if you really don't want to be in there. I get it."

"It's fine," his nail dug into his palms until the stinging pain made him blink back and look at the door in front of him. It shouldn't be this hard, "we don't exactly have another choice." 

Legend and Wind were silent behind him as he reached forward to turn the knob. It's going to be okay. It's going to be fine. It's going to be—

"Hey there! Welcome to—"

A familiar feeling of warmth and safety fell upon them. The usual customers sat at their respectable tables and stools by the counter. The fireplace in the back burned peacefully, and dimly-lit lanterns hung from the ceiling. A loud, booming voice greeted them upon entry, but the boisterous woman at the bar paused when she saw who stood before her.

Twilight went rigid when the usual smile was absent on the woman's face, but her expression quickly shifted into fondness.

"It's been a while, honey," Honey. Telma always reminded him of honey. Sweet in a slow and natural kind of way. Not like a tender and innocent kindness, something more deep-rooted and passionate, "I didn't recognize you for a minute. Change of clothes?"

"Decided to ditch the hat," he choked out. Wind and Legend stood cluelessly behind him until the woman ruffled the hair on the rancher's head and reached her hand out to greet them. 

"Telma. Barkeep, cook, ex-resistance leader. I've got a whole flock of proxy children under my wing, so I wouldn't be opposed to two more," they shook her hand, faces frozen with awe, "Though you kids don't look like you're from around here." 

"I'm from the sea," Wind said proudly.

"And I'm from a faraway kingdom," Legend crossed his arms, "I think I'm a little too old to be considered a child, though."

Telma let out a hearty laugh. "Don't be silly, hun! Little Link here is still a child in my eyes, so you're definitely one in my books!”

Legend scoff, and Telma looked back down at the pink-haired standing beside Twilight. “Got a little imitation hat, sweetheart? Or did your matching outfit fall in some dye?”

Legend growled. “Oh no, he is not stealing my trademark hat. I’m one fashionable son of a—”

Twilight’s blinding glare was enough to stop Legend’s rant. He pointed to Wind.

“He’s a sailor, Rancher! He knows more swear words than we do! He’s also—shocker—not a child!”

The taller hero squinted.

“Son of a.. sword? Or something?” Legend mumbled. “Damn it, you ruined the moment. Now it’s all anticlimactic!” 

Telma chuckled. “I take it the point was that it was your hat first?”

“The point is that I wear it better than he ever did.”

Twilight was silent as Telma continued with her sweet small talk, something she was always good at. Tension no longer hung in the air—it felt like they left it at the door the moment they all walked in. Even so, dread still pulled at him when the woman led them to the very back room. What used to be reserved for special resistance meetings was now the equivalent of a VIP lounge. 

A lot had changed, but not the people. The people seemed stagnant, sitting in the same place since he last saw them. Twilight didn't know why it put him at ease.

"Say hi," Telma whispered, "they've all been missing you."

Amid the noise, Legend and Wind watched as Twilight cleared his throat, adjusted his collar, and tried to speak over the lively crowd. 

"Long time no see?" 

The backroom went silent. Several heads shot up from the pile of books and papers they were looking at. Others looked up from their food.

"Well, I'll be." 

"Link?"

"We've all been worried sick, you idiot!"

Telma pushed the three heroes into a few spare chairs and winked. 

"The kid came back to us, after all. So you'd better give him a nice, warm welcome and ask him about his journey while I grab everyone a bite to eat!" 

A couple Gorons sat in the back and nodded their heads, along with a few that looked like they belonged to the royal guard. However, the people who really looked the most excited were the three sitting at the table in the center of the room, beaming with excitement.

"We've been wondering where you ran off to," an old man with a long, thin beard adjusted his robes and smiled. Twilight gave him an awkward half-smile. 

"Duty called."

"And you thought leaving without telling any of us was a good idea? We never knew if you were gonna turn up again!" a young woman with black hair and a vicious look on her face rolled her eyes, elbowing him in the stomach, "You missed a lot of shit, you know. Renado comes here way more often, Shad got a job as a researcher at the castle, Telma hired Agitha at the bar…." 

"Isn't Agitha too young to be working?" Twilight stared into the drink someone passed over to him. He would generally be against Legend and Wind taking a glass of their own, but that was only because the old man would disapprove of it. His Hyrule's drinking age was undetermined anyway. The people of Castletown always used to say 16, 15 on wagon trips, 14 when your parents weren't there to tell you off. Time couldn't stop them from here, anyway.

"Thirteen is a perfectly suitable age for a job! I started working when I was eleven, thank you very much," the black-haired woman retorted.

Twilight was about to argue back when Wind slammed down his cup in agreement and said, "I was working on a ship around that age!"

"And I've been working odd jobs since I was ten," Legend added on, "It's not that big of a deal. I bet this Agitha girl is happy to have the money. I sure would be."

The group broke out into laughter. Several arms made their way over to slap both of them on the back, and plates of food were brought out onto the table. The third stranger at the table, a man with glasses, quickly gathered up his books and scrolls before they could be crushed by the mountains of bread and meat.

"We don't have any cheese for the bread," Telma elbowed the rancher playfully, "But a certain someone will be here in the next week or so to drop off the newest supply."

Legend could pick up on Twilight's unease at that statement, but he found himself letting the thought go.

"I like the two of you strangers. The name's Ashei. Captain of the Royal Guard," When Twilight looked at her with a surprised expression, she smirked. "I told you! You missed a lot of shit. Including me getting to train all the incompetent soldiers around here. I bet you've never seen this place so secure!" 

Ashei laughed and pointed over to the men beside her, "Enough about me. Shad; Head of Research at the castle, also known as the nerd with the glasses. Auru; he's the Queen's retired tutor over there. He's the other nerd but cooler."

Shad and Auru waved, and Legend and Wind had no idea if they should let these people in on their little interdimensional secret. However, the rancher seemed to have that part covered already as he gestured to them and spoke.

"We just call them the vet and the sailor. I met them on my travels elsewhere," he simplified. The rest of the group seemed content with it, so the two Links guessed there wouldn't need to be any other explaining to do.

Telma sat at the head of the table as another worker had taken over her duties, and sat back with a tall glass of something. Twilight had to guess it was something strong, probably from Death Mountain or Kakariko.

"Tell us everything, honey," she wrapped him up in a big, warm arm hug. Legend and Wind had to refrain from laughing, but the pair couldn't resist as the vet dug around in Wind's bag and brought out the pictograph. 

*click*

Twilight couldn't even pretend to be mad. Instead, the slight smile on his face reflected everyone's joy in that little back room.

"We have a lot of catching up to do, don't we?"

Chapter Text

"Your accent went away, you know."

Wind said it as they sat, basking in the warm sun, waiting as their clothes dried off. They decided unanimously that if they were heading to Lake Hylia, they would have to do laundry at some point. A bath would be nice, too, considering they went from unknown land to Twilight's Hyrule to sleeping on the floor of Telma's bar for a week.

Telma was nice, Wind decided. She only let him have one drink that entire week, claiming he had to get better at lying about his age if he really wanted to do things he shouldn't. Telma never sugarcoated things, but the woman wasn't cruel, either. And Twilight looked so happy whenever she would ruffle his hair or wink at him. 

She was cool, even if the stone floor of her bar was uncomfortable to sleep on.

Twilight had his fishing rod stuck in the soft ground as he waited for a good catch. "Pardon?" 

"Your accent," Wind repeated, "It went away when you went into Castletown, talking with all your friends. I didn't really notice until it started coming back after we left."

Twilight stared down at his hands self-consciously. "Is it really that easy to hear? I try to sound different when I'm away from home. Fewer questions."

They could all hear it. A slight hearty twang in his voice whenever he was excited or tired. Twilight never made himself out to be simple, but the soothing feeling his voice brought upon reminded everyone how humble he really was. 

"We all notice it. Especially when you're relaxed," Legend said. He was sorting through his bag of items, trying to find something that could be of use. Telma was nice, but she didn't exactly do them any favours regarding money. They were still broke, this time with a little bit of bread. 

"I had no idea," Twilight said matter-of-factly, "It all sounds pretty normal to me."

"It's not a bad thing to have an accent," he said, "I'm being a bit of a hypocrite saying this, but you should loosen up around your friends."

The rancher laughed, a slight hint of his accent slipping out. "I'll work on it."

Lake Hylia was peaceful once you got a reliable way down there. Needless to say, they didn't expect Twilight's "surefire method" of making it down there, which resulted in them standing in the most rickety, unreliable-looking hut that hung over the lake, grabbing a Cucco, and making a jump for it off an equally rickety-looking ledge. Wind seemed absolutely fine with it, something Legend didn't think he'd ever understand.

He should count himself lucky that neither of us are afraid of heights, the hero thought bitterly. Of course, he had his qualms with even touching a Cucco again, and water wasn't exactly his favourite thing in the world, but he knew he had to face the music, lest he be a coward outside his own land.

He had to admit his courageousness to get down here from that hell tower was partly from the fact that Twilight looked so uneasy about it after leaving Castletown. Legend wasn't sure why the man didn't want to visit any other town or village and head straight to the isolated, peaceful Lake Hylia, but it had to be for a reason, right? 

"I miss Wolfie."

Wind uttered the phrase out so casually, and Legend tried not to crack more than an amused grin at the way Twilight stiffened up. 

"I mean, I know he follows Wild around mostly, and I saw him sleep alongside Time at one point, but he was a good sleeping buddy, you know?" the kid sighed, "It's been what, a week and a half without the others?"

The fishing line bobbing in the water didn't move a muscle. Legend wished he could see the man's face right now. The funniest thing about this trip was how much the rancher struggled to keep up his secret, and he happened to have front-row seats to the show. 

"I'd say ten to twelve days, but I lost count at the bar. You know, when we were actually sleeping indoors? With a comfortable supply of food?"

Twilight's rod stiffened, then snapped into action. The man grabbed it and started to reel in whatever the catch was. Wind sat up from where he was sunbathing and watched closely.

"Why can't we go into that cave over there? Looks pretty comfortable to me," Wind suggest. Twilight shivered.

"No way. That place gives me the creeps. Sleeping under the stars is just as good as sleeping indoors," he made one final jerking movement and pulled out the biggest catch they'd seen since Wild's Hyrule. They both couldn't help staring at it in awe, and Twilight dusted off his pants as he stood up. The man had skill.

"Looks like I just got us some dinner."

"Can we go swimming?" 

It had been days, and Legend was getting tired of the water. He had to appreciate the calming sounds around them as they slept, especially since their makeshift camp was on a piece of land not too far from a waterfall, but he could only get so much of it before he started going stir crazy.

"You went swimming an hour ago," he groaned. Wind was getting on his nerves as much as the water was, "your hair isn't even dry yet." 

"So?"

Wind had his pants rolled up to his knees, feet sticking into the cool water. He couldn't blame the kid for liking this place—from what the sailor told him, places with water reminded him of home. Too bad there wasn't a boat or something the kid could take hold of. Wind was also getting a bit stir crazy from what it looked like. 

"Look. Sticking my finger in," he said lazily, doing just that. Wind frowned. 

"I mean fully in the water. Hair wet and everything."

What Wind didn't seem to understand was there was no way Legend was going to get his hair wet right now. Like Hylia would he jump in a cold lake without a reason. Getting clean when they first got here was all he cared about, and it's all he'll continue to care about. That, and making sure they got enough food. Which, in Twilight's eyes, seemed to be loads and loads of fish and herbs. 

"Ask the rancher to swim with you," he said. 

"He's busy." 

Twilight was, in fact, busy. Conversing with the clown on the other side of this place, catching up with a few zoras that guarded the bottom of the lake, fishing endlessly…it seemed he genuinely loved this place, despite the fact there was a population of about 6 residents in total. Perhaps that's what he liked about it.

"Twilight's making sure we don't die of starvation. That's a little bit more than busy."

Wind huffed. "Fine. I guess I'll go back out by myself."

The sailor did, in fact, go swimming on his own, much to Legend's relief. He'd rather die than be too wet; the weather was perfect for pondering. Twilight eventually found his way back to the island they were camped out on and sat down next to him, rod gently placed in the water for one final catch of the night.

"He looks like he's having a good time," Twilight said. He pointed over to the kid in the distance, who someone managed to befriend a few zoras not too far away from the Fyer's hut. They were all swimming circles around him, but he looked like he was having fun. 

"Hard to think those creatures don't exist in his world, with all that water," the vet rolled his shoulders and let himself relax a bit. 

The sun had pretty much set on them, the orange and pink light of the sunset fading away to a dull yellow and blue aura that covered them like a blanket. The rancher looked sad, Legend realized, so he waved a hand in front of his face to keep him from falling into whatever mindless feeling was starting to show on his face. 

"This time of day is a bit depressing, isn't it?" Legend prompted. Twilight brushed back a few strands of his hair and turned to him with a small smile. 

"It's my namesake. Twilight, I mean. Because of that, sometimes I think I shouldn't feel so lonely when this time of day rolls around. But I always end up feeling the same no matter what."

"Try being a literal Legend."

"Touche."

When Twilight laughed, his eyes reflected that of a great, gentle beast, something Legend never really noticed until now. The vet supposed that calling himself a lone wolf was fitting, but it didn't make him any less of a person.

"So when's the sailor gonna find out about Wolfie?" He changed the subject far away from the time of day and instead made them focus on Wind, still splashing and laughing with the zoras. Squinting, Legend noticed they were now taking turns carrying him on their backs.

Twilight hung his head back and sighed. 

"I've got no idea. I'm contemplating even telling him about it at all."

The man looked over, and Legend realized the Twilight was actually confiding in him. Asking him for advice. He was used to Hyrule and Four asking him about things like this, but never the strong, ever-obedient Twilight. Aside from the captain, he was a pretty strong contender for second place in the group regarding strength.

"He's just one of many who still don't know," Legend reminded him, "And if you don't want everyone else to know besides him, now would be a good time to tell him. Since we're separated and all."

Twilight ran a piece of grass along his fingertips. Stuck it in his mouth. Legend understood why the decision was so hard, but everyone loved Wolfie. If he thought about it, Wind might be the one who loved him the most.

"I guess I don't want him to be mad."

Legend raised an eyebrow. "Mad?"

He nodded, shifting uncomfortably. "I feel like he's said things to me as Wolfie that he wouldn't say to anyone else. Confessing to an animal is like confessing to no one. And I get it, too! I've—" 

He paused, and Legend looked at him with an expression of dread on his face. 

"I've said things to the night sky before that I'd never tell the old man or anyone for that matter. If I confessed my greatest fears to a cat and realized that cat was really someone like—like the captain, I don't think I'd be able to look him in the eyes for a long time." 

Legend grabbed at his hair and sighed. He understood, but why did things have to be so complicated?

"I think I'd be pretty unhappy, too," he confessed to Twilight, who nodded sombrely. 

"I know."

The fishing rod pulled on something deep in the lake. The rancher sat up straighter. 

"Another issue is the fact that we're here of all places," he said, "Telma's an amazing person, but I couldn't even begin to explain her reaction to seeing me in my other form. It's not like she hasn't seen it before, either. Getting a liquor bottle smashed over you hurts more than you imagine it would." 

Legend felt another wave of dread settle somewhere in his chest. Beasts and monsters were all these people knew. He couldn't even imagine how they would react to being face-to-face with a wolf.

"It was a strange experience watching people I've known for years screaming at me to get back, get away. They had entire search parties dedicated to hunting me down if I ever stepped in their towns," Twilight was chuckling, but his smile didn't exactly reach his eyes. 

"That's pretty rough," Legend said, "I was known as a thief for the duration of one of my adventures, but I was never—"

"What?"

They both spun around to see Wind hopping out of the water. When did he get here? How did none of them notice him coming back? How silent could this kid swim?

"They hunted you?" he wrung the water out of his hair and layer of clothing he had on, "Why?" 

Legend didn't need to turn around to see how tense Twilight probably was. He tried to think of a thousand ways out of this conversation but couldn't help but wonder in silence, is this it? Is this the big reveal?

"It's—" Twilight stopped when the fishing rod in his hand began to shake. And when Legend said shake, he meant shake. The rancher stood up, pulling on the line and slowly stepping backwards. The other two watched in silence as the line stiffened so hard they all thought it might break until—

"Sweet Lanayru," Twilight whispered. 

—the biggest fish they'd ever seen, golden and sparkling, flopped out of the water.

Any conversation from before had been erased from their minds. The fish in Twilight's grasp was big and beautiful and golden.

Eyes wide, they watched as the rancher unhooked it with careful hands, letting it fall back into the water. Legend and Wind had a feeling this was a rare sight. The last of the sunlight was finally fading but not as bright as Twilight's radiating smile.

"We should call you fisher instead of rancher," Wind smirked. Legend nodded slowly, eyes trailing from the lake to where the fish used to be on land. Twilight laughed and didn't stop laughing until the stars started poking holes in the sky.

He pointed over to the waterfall, excitement growing by the second.

"We're gonna have to make a pit stop up the river tomorrow. I have to tell her what I just did."

Chapter Text

They were on their way to…well, somewhere. It seemed only one of them knew where they were going.

Tired but determined, the Hero of Twilight led them slowly up the river. Legend wasn't quite sure if he was soaking wet from trudging through mud and water or if it was just the sweat dripping down his back. Wind snapped a picture of a group of fish swimming against the current.

"You still haven't told us where we're going," the vet said. It hadn't even been a full day since Twilight caught that fantastic fish, but the hero still seemed to be reeling from it, pun not intended. Wind, of course, had his pictograph far away in his bag when it happened but regardless of proof, he seemed almost determined to tell someone about it. 

Hadn't the old man once said something about catching a rare fish in his world?

"Who's the girl?" the sailor smirked, "You said you had to tell her something. What's that supposed to mean, fisher?"

Fisher was catching on, and Twilight wasn't sure how to feel about it. Maybe if they kept calling him that, he could completely evade the fact that they'd yet to see the ranch where he spent his happier days.

"Don't even kid yourself. She’d clock you for even assuming something like that," Twilight scoffed. He seemed almost desperate to get up the steep rocks near the falls, and Legend wondered if they were supposed to be going up this way or if mountain climbing was Wild's new influence.

"When we were dropped into your world, I never signed up to be this muddy," Legend grumbled, "I wouldn't be surprised if someone mistook us for enemies."

Almost on cue, a spear flew through the air and landed far too close to them for comfort. It was recognized immediately by both Legend and Twilight, who snapped into battle mode. Wind looked around, alert.

"What was that?"

"I thought Zoras were nice here," the pink-haired hero muttered. 

"They are?" Twilight's face was set in confusion until—

"THAT'S RIGHT! THERE'S NO PLACE FOR MONSTERS IN THESE—" the voice uphill stopped once the three of them came into view. 

"Stand down! Are those Hylians?"

Three Zoras poked their heads down the hill, one of them taking off their helmet to get a better look. Next to them was a woman with fabulous hair. She crossed her arms and shook her head when they caught sight of them.

"I should have known it was you, Link. You're the only one crazy enough to climb up here instead of asking one of my workers for a ride."

Twilight pulled the silver spear out of the mud, beckoning his companions to follow up to the shack. He smiled at the Zoras waving at him from the edge.

"Thanks for the exciting welcome, Iza," he said, "Quite frankly, this place completely slipped my mind. How's business?" 

"Terrible," she deadpanned, "These three don't exactly care about money, though."

Legend and Wind's eyes caught sight of the boats near the entrance to the shack. They looked over at Twilight. 

"Are you saying we had the option not to climb up here?" Legend asked. Wind was already making friends with the Zoras giggling behind them to care. Iza nodded. 

"Only if you could pay, though. Either that or advertise. Here."

Iza pulled out a small, handwritten business card. When Twilight took it, the mud caking his fingers left little brown fingerprints on the perfectly white paper. The woman smirked. 

"Business cards cost one rupee. Cough it up."

"I see why you took your chances with the mud, Twi."

"HA! So my sister pulled the old card trick on you, eh? She owes me five rupees, now. I told her you would take it and pay up like a champ, and I was right." 

The fishing hole had to be the most serene place in the kingdom. Not because of Hena's relaxed demeanour or how the breeze blew perfectly despite being caved in by mountains. None of them could explain it, but the place just seemed enchanted. 

To Wind, it was a place to suck in all the knowledge of freshwater boating his brain could handle. To Legend, it felt like deja vu—had he been somewhere like this before?

"You wouldn't believe what I found, Hena." 

"If it isn't money or fish, I don't care."

To Twilight? The two heroes couldn't decide if this place was a living heaven or a living hell to him. As the man desperately tried to describe the giant, golden fish to the woman behind the counter, it was clear that she didn't believe him. 

"I can show you what it looks like," he rummaged through the cabinet attached to one of the walls, looking for a piece of paper, "I have a photographic memory, you know."

"That's what a liar usually says." 

"I'm not lying!"

Hena was laughing to herself, and Legend and Wind stared at the inside of the fishing shack, marvelling at the trinkets and pictures littering the walls. Shacks seemed to be the most popular house in Twilight's Hyrule, outside of the nobles who lived in Castletown, of course.

Legend had one question, though.

"Lady, if you don't mind me asking...where exactly do you sleep?"

"That's kinda rude, ledge. We sleep on the ground most of the time." 

Legend looked Wind in the eyes, ignoring Hena's hysterical laughter. Twilight brought out a pen and started scribbling on his paper in the corner.

"Does it look like I'm here to be nice, Sailor?" he scoffed and leaned up against the counter, "We've been stuck in this pathetic excuse of a Hyrule for almost a month. I miss eating decent food. I miss the soap the others used to carry around. Hylia, I miss getting my ass kicked as long as it isn't in this place!"

Hena couldn't help but giggle a little bit more when Wind pushed the vet off the counter, causing him to lose his balance. Twilight barely paid them any mind, and Wind reached out his hand.

"Sorry for all the trouble, miss. It's nice to meet you."

Hena smirked.

"You're cute, small fry, but you don't need to worry about manners over here."

Wind beamed at the nickname, and with his hair half-dry and sticking up from the dip they took in the pond to get the mud off, Legend almost thought the boy looked like a fish himself.

"This place is basically no-man's land with the way I get absolutely no customers," Hena drawled on, "The only Hylian brave enough to come visit me is Link, and he's an animal when it comes to any kind of decency."

Legend laughed at the implication. Twilight didn't—he seemed too absorbed in the ink drawing he was making. Wind smirked.

"You're so serious when you're around the others, Twi. What happened to being the responsible leader?"

"The others aren't here," Twilight snapped, turning back to Hena, "I swear it was a Hylian Loach we saw. Look at my drawing."

"Nope," Hena flicked the paper back his way, "You can't prove you caught one just from a drawing. Nice try, though." 

The hero growled, infuriated. Maybe he was onto something when he said staying in his own Hyrule this long was a bad idea. Legend and Wind looked at each other, letting the two battle it out. 

"Give me the reward."

"It's not in the fish tank, little grasshopper. That means no reward," she guarded her cupboard of rupees dutifully, "Do you know how much money I lost because you stopped showing up here? You can't just bring your sorry self over here and demand a reward for something that could easily be a lie!"

Legend cocked an eyebrow. "Did she just call you a grasshopper?" Hadn't that bug girl also called him a grasshopper?

Twilight ignored him and put a green rupee on the counter.

"Will this persuade you?" 

Legend put a hand over his face and had to laugh at how serious the man looked about his proposition. Even Wind had to giggle. Hena scoffed and pushed it away from her, letting it hit the floor with a ping.

"You know how much my services cost, and it sure isn't one rupee."

Twilight put a blue rupee on the counter.

"Hey! That's all the money we have, you know," Legend took a step forward, but Hena already seemed to reject it. 

"If you want anything from me, you have to bring it to me."

Fine!" Twilight stomped out, leaving the two other heroes and Hena in a strange silence. A picture fell off the wall as the older hero slammed the door behind him.

"Didn't we meet this guy?" Wind pointed to a picture that fell. It was one portraying a man they'd definitely seen in Time's world. Legend smacked his hand away from it. 

"Remember who you're talking to," he warned quietly.

Wind whipped his head around to face Hena and do a bit of damage control, but the woman seemed preoccupied with other things behind the counter to even notice.

"Link is an earnest little farm boy, but man is he fun to rile up," she smiled to herself, sorting through a box of hooks and bobbers, "I bet he's going to go out and catch that fish before he sets foot in here again."

Legend and Wind exchanged looks. That sounded like Twilight, but…it also didn't? They had no idea he had such an extroverted side to him. Why did he keep it under wraps around the rest of them?

"He's sure of himself, alright," the vet commented. Hena shook her head without looking at them. 

"Understatement of the year. He once spent an entire week here playing Rollgoal, and he still never made it to the last round." 

They both perked him, but Wind was the first to say something. 

"Rollgoal?"

Hena had a look on her face like she'd caught the biggest fish of them all. 

"You should play," she tapped the counter with her fingertips, "It only costs five rupees. What else do you have to lose?"

It was just breaking dawn when Twilight burst back into the shack, flopping golden fish hanging on the edge of his rod. Hena jumped up from her seat.

"You're kidding!"

She ripped off the top of the aquarium and let the man lower his prize into the water. Her eyes were gleaming, and Legend and Wind shook themselves awake from the other side of the room. 

"I can't believe you actually did it," she put the lid safely back on and patted the man on the shoulder, "I can't even say I'm mad at you for using one of my boats without paying."

Twilight looked like he hadn't slept. That was the best way to put it, Legend concluded. But it wasn't like he and Wind had gotten much sleep, either. They were just going to take a quick break before getting back to—

"Is that Rollgoal?" 

Wind stretched his arms out. "Yup."

"Is that my wallet?"

"Be thankful," Hena said, not taking her eyes off the beautiful fish now in her possession, "They've won some and lost some, but they've got a solid 20 rupees out of this, so far." 

"I don't care about that," Twilight set his fishing rod down and looked over at her, "I caught the fish. So what's the reward?" 

Hena stared at him for a moment before breaking out into a smile that just screamed, suck it.

"Nothing." 

"What?" Twilight's voice sounded a few words away from breaking. Legend decided to focus on the Rollgoal round Wind was about to win. 

"Nothing but my praise, of course."

"You're kidding, Hena. Please tell me you're kidding."

The woman crossed her arms and shook her head, and Twilight collapsed dramatically into the counter. Hena laughed again, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. 

"Back in the old days, we supposedly used to give out a whole purple rupee for anyone who could catch one, but my great-grandpa's great-great-grandpa or something knew someone who caught so many of them, they weren't considered that endangered anymore."

Hena pointed to the familiar picture hanging on the wall.

'It's the Old Man's fault,' Twilight mouthed over to his companions.

"I feel a bit bad for not giving you anything, though," she admitted, "How about a free session for you and your two friends?"

Twilight looked over at them. They nodded, and he turned back to Hena. 

"Fine. But it has to be your best quality stuff." 

"Deal." 

Hena grabbed an armful of paddles and rods. As she opened the door, she gestured for Twilight to pick up her box of supplies. Legend and Wind trailed behind them. 

As they reached the edge of the pond, she opened up her magic box. 

"Now. Rule number one of fishing is to be quiet, which Link is surprisingly good at." 

Twilight came up behind them. Despite being out there all night, they could tell he was excited to get back into the activity again as he sauntered over to Hena and picked up a rod.

"Rule number two of fishing is don't forget rule number one."

Chapter Text

"When my patrol team said you were travelling through these parts, I knew it was only a matter of time before you came to say hello."

Prince Ralis had grown up. 

Pushing 15 years of age and shooting up like a bean sprout since the fall of Ganon, the young Zora had become King Ralis, passive ruler and peaceful diplomat. Although it had been a handful of years since his adventure, the king still seemed to idolize Link like the hero he once was. 

"It's nice to see you again, your highness."

He wasn't sure why Ralis reminded him of his past adventures the most out of everyone they'd come across so far. Maybe it was the pure and unchecked idolization that got to him—Hena and Iza thought he was a bit of a joke, and the folks at the bar loved him like a dear friend. Here, it was nothing but empty air and compliments.

"Ralis is fine. For you and any other companions you bring along with you," he smiled, and Twilight sat down to face the two jagged rocks poking out of the reservoir. The rest of the group followed suit, including a silent Legend and Wind who marvelled at the sight of the ever-unique Zora's Domain.

"I never knew your Hyrule had so much water," Wind let his hand run through it. He would expect Twilight to talk about it more for a place with so many streams and lakes in such a small kingdom.

"This place is teeming with rivers and streams," Ralis declared proudly, "Not to mention the springs in every main town. I've never been to the Death Mountain hot springs, but I've gone to an artificial one during my time in Kakariko. It's lovely."

"Kakariko, huh?" Legend raised an eyebrow at that, and the Zora perked up immediately.

"Has Link not taken you yet? It can be scorching but stunning."

Wind watched as a group of Zoras carried wooden crates and boxes close to the waterfall's edge, absentmindedly listening along. "Sounds fun."

"Where else have you not taken us, Link?" the veteran teased. Twilight found himself blinking back to where they were sitting just to brush off the question. Telma's place was already risky enough, but Kakariko was another story. The kids probably frequented that place more often than Castletown, and Twilight wasn't so sure he was ready to face his demons just yet.

"Perhaps I'll take us there next." Lies. But what did it matter? It wasn't as if they knew their way around here well enough to argue with him.

They stayed at Hena's for over a week. They were prepared to sleep on the floor again, wood being better than the stone floor of Telma's, but the woman opened up a trap door below the counter and revealed to them where she really slept. Down in the cellar of the fishing hole was a cluster of straw-filled mattresses and blankets. Lucky enough for them, Hena explained she used them for when her siblings would stay over. 

You can sleep here just this once. And it's only because of the loach, she declared.

It was nice spending time in Hena's little paradise, but they all knew they couldn't stay forever. Twilight never thought he'd get tired of his favourite sport, but fishing was getting boring quick. And Legend and Wind were starting to get curious about the other places his land had to offer.

"...and I was barely conscious from my injuries, but I remember Link coming forward on that beautiful horse of his and putting out the fire in the wagon! All while simultaneously fighting off hordes of monsters chasing after us with arrows of fire. I'd never been so awed in my life."

Wind and Legend listened eagerly to the king's stories, but Twilight could already feel himself tuning it out. He kept his eyes on the entrance to the cave across the water, walls covered in thick layers of ice. It was begging to be walked through again. 

"...I was grieving my mother, and all I could do was stand at the graveyard day and night. I didn't want to return to my people. I didn't want to do anything. I was so lost…."

Hylia, this story again?

 He was pretty sure every Zora on the face of this world knew the story of the return of their ruler. Of course, he had to be the one to do it.

"...and when he showed me that picture of the yeti who lives in Snow Peak, I knew I had to help him, no matter what. He saved me in more ways than one. I wanted to make a difference in his journey."

"Cool story," Legend interrupted, "Have any embarrassing ones?"

Ralis sat in thought for a few moments. "Well, the children at Kakariko had a lot to tell me about him while I was healing. Let me see…."

Quick and abruptly, Twilight stood up. This was getting too revealing for his taste.

"We actually have to get going. Important business awaits us in Snow Peak."

Wind and Legend whirled around in deadpanned disbelief. 

"We do?" Wind asked. Legend crossed his arms like he'd just caught the rancher in a lie.

"Sure, Twi. Sure."

"Are you sure you must go so soon?" Ralis had a degree of disappointment on his face, and Twilight couldn't help but feel a shred of guilt. He patted the young ruler on the back, pulling out his signature 'make the village kids happy' smiles. The Zora's eyes gleamed.

"A hero's journey is never over."

"I'm freezing," Wind said. 

Legend rubbed his hands together in an attempt to evade the frost nibbling on his fingertips.

"I'm also freezing."

The trek up Snow Peak was a cold one, but they were already halfway there. There was no way they could stop now, especially not when Twilight could practically see the top of the mountain from where they stood.

"Wear some pants next time, and maybe we can talk," he smirked. Legend looked like he would have decked him had it not been for the freezing wind and snow. 

"He has a point, Twi. It's really cold," the sailor clung to himself, arms wrapped around his chest as they kept walking up the mountain. Just the sight of it made him shiver. Twilight was sure they'd been to colder places in colder kingdoms together, but he really was starting to worry about frostbite with the two of them. 

"Share this."

Deciding they ultimately needed it more than him, Twilight shed the pelt hanging over his shoulders and threw it to them. His bare arms met the sting of the cold, and he could feel it start to freeze the surface of his skin. Not too much longer uphill…he would be fine. When he had to be a human out here, he did it in just the green garb given to him at the start of his adventure.

"How'd you get up here in the first place without freezing to death?" Legend asked in between his teeth chattering, "I can only guess you did it as—"

His theory fell silent, carried away by the wind, and Twilight knew at that moment the veteran had figured it out. He stared daggers at the pink-haired hero, hoping Wind wasn't growing suspicious of the silence. Though nothing would compare to what the younger hero would say in response.

"Wolfie would be perfect right now."

Twilight halted, almost choking on his breath, and Legend turned around to face him with that knowing look on his face. They all kept walking. 

"What makes you say that?" Twilight could feel a nervous smile growing on his face. Wind didn't seem phased by it. 

"I mean, it makes sense, right? Wolves can survive better in colder places, and Wolfie's helped us out in the snow before. We'd all be a bit warmer, too." 

It almost made Twilight want to ignore up his stupid, self-conscious facade and carry them up the mountain in animal form. Almost.

"Well…well he's—"

"—No point in worrying," Legend saved him before his tripped-up speech cost him his disguise. He was starting to wonder if it was pointless to keep it up, "I'm sure he's keeping everyone else warm…wherever they are…." 

They lapsed into a comfortable silence. The only noise for a long time was the crunch of their boots and the howling of the wind. Until Twilight felt someone grab onto his tunic. 

"How come you never told us any of those stories Ralis told us?" Wind lifted his head up from the pelt that shielded him while he spoke. Twilight felt the back of his neck start to bristle. "You only talked about goats and pumpkins. We haven't even seen any of that stuff yet!"

Legend snorted beside him, but there was a sort of fondness to it, "I have to give you a bit of respect for it. Doing something badass is one thing, but being your citizens' emotional support is another heroic action altogether. It's something not everyone in our group can pull off."

The rancher felt his face grow hot, but it was balanced out by the cold air biting his face. He forced a smile.

"I've spent so much time away from this place. Sometimes I forget how much they all know me. Upside and downside of living in a small kingdom, I suppose."

"I felt the same way living on my island," Wind already looked warmer talking about the tropics, "The good thing is everyone knows you, but the bad thing is everyone knows you."

Despite the cold freezing their fingers and the wind taking the breath out of them, the three began exchanging stories of their youth. Tiny villages, islands, and kingdoms seemed to be a recurring trend in their travels. Their banter led all the way up the mountain…not stopping until they reached an old, twisted tree on top of a lonely peak.

Pushing the cold air aside, the view was absolutely breathtaking.

"Is this what you wanted to show us? Because even I have to admit how beautiful it is up here," Legend caught his breath, staring out at the open space around them. The howling wind didn't seem as bad up here. The sailor marvelled at how he could see his breath so clearly in the cool air.

"Where do we go from here?"

Twilight kicked the trunk, causing thick chunks of ice to fall like little sleds.

"Down."

Compared to the hours it took to get up the mountain, the path down to the mansion took merely a handful of minutes. Twilight hadn't heard Legend scream that loud in his life, and he could still hear Wind's devilish laughter as they watched the veteran's hat go flying through the air.

Described to them by Twilight as shield surfing quite literally cooler, they seemed to get the hang of it pretty quickly as they slid right down the mountain. Twilight won the race, of course, but only because a very sneaky someone taught him all the shortcuts. 

As Legend and Wind still recovered from their riveting sled adventure, Twilight banged on the door as hard as he could, letting the noise echo through the house. He knew the place was rarely locked up, but he thought he should be polite after being gone for so long.

"That's a big drop," Wind mumbled, staring down at the abyss a few meters away. Legend stood beside him stiffly. 

"No kidding."

"WHO IS IT, UH?" 

The booming voice shook all but the rancher, who stood solidly at the door. Legend and Wind tapered behind him, wondering just what kind of person that voice could belong to. Twilight laughed, coming up to the door's mail slot to speak. 

"A friend." 

They were met with silence before an "UH!" of recognition broke it, and the door swung open so forcefully, they were surprised the door didn't break off its hinges. 

"LITTLE HUMAN! YOU COME HOME VISIT, UH!"

There stood…a yeti? More than double Twilight's size, Wind and Legend watched in shock as the creature bared his teeth in a smile, picking him up right off the ground.

"Long time no see," Twilight said, muffled in the monstrous hug he was caught in. It was sweet how the hero seemed to melt in his presence. Legend and Wind didn't have much experience with yetis, but they knew this place felt safe just from the warm fuzzy feeling they got.

"AND LITTLER HUMANS! YOU VISIT YETO!"

Before they knew it, they were also being picked up, one of them in each gigantic arm. Twilight was laughing. They'd seen him laugh before—by the fire telling stories, talking about his youth, whenever any of them did anything stupid—but this felt so much different.

"COME IN! COME SEE WIFE, UH! YETA HAPPY YOU HERE WHEN I SHOW HER!" 

He let them out of his grasp and pulled them into the house, out of the cold and into a dimly lit front hall. This place looked big on the outside, but on the inside it seemed gigantic. 

"It's a bit messy in here," Twilight whispered to them as they followed Yeto through the foyer. The ground shook as the yeti walked, and Legend and Wind took in the wreck of a house that had somehow become a home.

"Did the yetis always live here?" Legend raised an eyebrow at the priceless vases and royal family crest scattered in every corner of the front hall. Twilight shrugged.

"I came to the mountains on my journey, and these two were living here. That's all I know about this place." 

As Yeto came close to destroying another door open entry, the group filed their way into a room with a fireplace. Twilight couldn't help but smile when he saw the couches pushed together, cushions set up on the ground. Everything in the room was still moved to its centre, right by the crackling fire. 

It felt the exact same. Right there, right where he left it. 

"Human, uh?" a soft voice called out, and the door to the kitchen opened gently. Legend had to hold back his surprised expression as a small, round creature waddled over.

"Human…welcome, human…happy to see you again…." 

"Yeta," Twilight patted her on the shoulder, gesturing to the other two Links, "These are friends I made on my other travels. It's a pleasure to introduce them to you." 

Yeta's little smile could melt anyone's heart, and before they knew it, Yeto was pushing them over to the fire and dusting off the cushions. 

"EAT SOUP, UH! I MAKE BATCH YESTERDAY. EAT!"

This trek up the mountains was officially deemed worth it. Perhaps they could stay a while.

Climbing up the mountain for the first time, Twilight remembered being in such a serious mindset. He had to be, with a crushing job like his, but it wasn't until he met Yeto and Yeta that he realized he'd completely forgotten what it was like to have fun. 

Despite everything that happened to Twilight's Hyrule, the two yetis seemed almost entirely unaffected by it. From sledding to soup-making to key hunting, the couple couldn't seem to understand how important it was for Twilight to find that mirror piece. The fate of Hyrule rested on his shoulders and his alone, yet there he was…opening chests full of pumpkins and cheese.

"Are you serious?" 

Legend's mouth was twisted into a smile of disbelief as Twilight weaved his tale. The origin story of the soup made him angry when it happened, but looking back on it, the fact that the accidental goose chase led to the perfect soup recipe was pretty unbelievable. And it made a fantastic story.

"My companion was livid," he continued, "And when we finally got the bedroom key, and I had to fight the scariest monster yet to get what I needed, the soup was what kept me alive in the end."

Legend and Wind stared down at the bowls in their hands, tipping it so they could get another good mouthful. Twilight always preferred it in his bottle, though he wasn't sure why.

"This soup reminds me of my grandma," Wind declared, "Her soup kept me alive one too many times. I bet it's because both our soups were made with extra love." 

"Or magical properties," Legend couldn't help but chime in, "Sorry to burst your love bubble, but your grandma probably put something in it that could help you heal faster. Same with this soup. If the traveller were here, he would back me up." 

Twilight ignored them and took another sip from his bottle. The courtyard looked more quaint when there weren't monsters everywhere. Yeto clearly did a bit of shovelling because you could finally see the stone pathway leading to the other doors. Yeta waddled over and sat next to them as he checked out his surroundings.

"I find art in storage room...I see painting of beautiful garden...I try. You like?"

Twilight thought there was something different about the courtyard but hadn't truly noticed until she said it. Dead and dried flowers and branches poke up from the snowy ground. It looked like Yeta gathered them and stuck them into the snow.

"I love it," Wind said it before he could, and Legend nodded alongside him. Twilight turned to her.

"It really is lovely."

"Oh…I thank you," she beamed, "I trust husband, but husband love everything Yeta does. Yeta need second opinion."

That sounds like Yeto, alright, Twilight thought to himself, but his trail of thought was interrupted by the familiar sound of a wolf howl. Then, like magic, a pair of ice wolves emerged from the ground and bounded over to Yeta. 

The others must have seen Twilight start to tense up because they all had their weapons out before they knew it, ready to attack. 

"Wait," she called out softly. Twilight's sword barely missed the target before slowing down and taking in what was in front of him—the wolves were licking her?

"These things tried to kill me," he stuttered out. It felt unnatural, watching them wag their tails and curl up beside her. If he had known they were such a big fan of dogs, then—

"We train wolf," she explained, "when all monsters leave mansion, wolf stay. They not so dangerous now."

The ice wolves padded over and got a good sniff of everyone as Yeta reassured them they didn't bite. Twilight felt as if it was Castletown all over again as the wolves took one look at him and immediately decided he was the favourite.

"They love you," Wind smirked, snapping a picture.

Twilight forced himself to push through it. He should have known—if everyone across the span of his Hyrule wanted to embarrass him, the friends he'd gathered along the way would be the perfect enabler for it. At least they didn't have strange camera contraptions in his kingdom. His cool reputation would be ruined.

Yeta poked the camera in Wind’s hands.

"Click machine?"

"My pictograph. It lets me save special moments."

Twilight whipped his head around, only to find Wind showing Yeta the controls.

"Sailor, I don't think you should—"

"If we take a couple here, I can give some for you to keep. Then you can look back on this funny moment forever."

"…keep funny moment…forever?"

The look in her eyes was absolutely terrifying. And before he knew it, Legend and Wind were taking pictures of him with Yeto and Yeta and the wild ice dogs wagging their tails beside him. Yeto clapped his hands, pulling Twilight and Yeta into a bear hug.

"SAY…GOAT CHEESE!"

Twilight supposed if it was them, maybe he could suck it up and smile.

Chapter Text

Sky wasn’t here to tell him the statistics this time, but Twilight was 99.9% sure something was really, really wrong.

If it hadn’t already been a month since they arrived in his Hyrule, it definitely had been now. The trio lost track of how many days they stayed in Snow Peak—the sun was barely in the sky there as it was—but based on how many times they went to sleep, it had to have been well over a week. Maybe even two.

They were almost positive Yeto and Yeta were prepared to house them forever, and although it felt amazing sleeping on actual beds with silk pillows and feather-filled duvets, being locked up in a freezing cold mansion with nothing to do but eat and sled was starting to give them all a little bit of cabin fever.

Twilight was an idiot, and when their hosts challenged them to one last sled race, he knew he pulled something when he slid into that tree. Maybe it wouldn’t have been as bad if he didn't slam into it at full speed, but he assured everyone he was alright despite the annoying pulse of pain he felt in the back of his head. Yeto and Yeta made them all swear to visit again. 

They were on their way back down the mountain when Twilight stupidly misstepped and felt his soul start to leave his body when he fell right onto the hard ice path.

“How much more clumsy can you get today?” Legend helped him up and dusted him off, and he was glad neither of them were making a big deal out of this.

Camping out near the water, Twilight wished he could say he felt better. He was more focused on the pain in his foot and shoulder than the pounding in his head and chest, but as they emerged into Zora’s domain and made their way over to Hyrule Field once again, he could feel the disorienting pain start to unravel him from the inside out.

“HEEEEEEY!”

His doubts were pushed to the side as they all turned their heads to a voice in the distance. They stopped and watched as a man dressed in red and white flagged them down with an obnoxious smile.

“Greetings, Mr. Link! I have come to deliver a letter!” 

The postman. Judging from the looks on the other two’s faces, Twilight could only imagine they had someone similar to this in their worlds. He rummaged through his bag, and Legend and Wind watched in silence as he stopped, slowly lifting his head back up to face them.

“I have a letter for you, Link…27 letters, in fact.”

Legend and Wind went rigid with surprise. If Twilight didn’t feel like Hylia herself had thrown a punch at him, he was sure he’d be surprised, too.

“27 letters,” Legend repeated. The postman nodded, shoving more than half the contents of his bag into their hands.

“It was lovely catching up, but my business is concluded. Onward to mail!” he said, and tipping his cap, he was off without another word. Twilight was suddenly even more aware of how much his head hurt as he moved a little too quickly, shoving the letters in his inventory.

“I don’t think I’ve gotten that many letters in my life,” Wind whispered in awe. The rancher only shrugged, feeling a twinge of pain in his shoulder as he did. Maybe going on before Yeto and Yeta could check it out was a bad idea, after all. 

“I’ve been slacking off on reading them,” he joked, but his voice felt more breathless than joyous. His chest ached, more than it had before. A familiar look grazed over Legend as their eyes met, and the shorter hero was all over him in a second. 

He’s catching on, Twilight realized.

“You okay?”

“Fine.” 

Legend looked like he wanted to say something, but Twilight signalled them to keep moving. He wasn’t too sure where they would go next. Being between Castletown, Kakariko, and the lake, they could take any route and end up somewhere interesting. 

Except they’d been everywhere that Twilight wanted them to go. Sure, they’d skipped a few places, but what did that matter? What he really wished for right now was a portal to take them out of here.

“So you said you had a Kakariko Village here?” Wind asked. Twilight swallowed an awful taste in the back of his throat and nodded.

“It's just up ahead, but it's not very interesting.” 

“I feel like everyone has a Kakariko but me,” he started rambling, “Time, Four, Ledge…wait, does Wars have one? I guess Sky doesn’t have one, either…okay, maybe there are only a few of us who have one…”

They kept walking along grassy pathways, past bridges and trees and boulders and fence posts, until Twilight tripped over himself, barely catching himself from falling. It was only then that Legend began walking slower, almost coming to a stop. 

“You know, that was quite the fall you had back in the mountains. And before that, what did you do again? Ram right into a tree?”

Thinking about it was making him feel worse. Fighting off a wave of vertigo, he wondered if telling Legend to stop talking about it would make him even more suspicious.

“What’s your point? I’m fine enough to walk, aren’t I?”

“So you admit you’re injured,” Legend came closer before he could say anything and started to examine him, “What did you hit, then? Your head? Arm?” 

It was getting harder to breathe with the vet suffocating him like this. He was fine. If he kept telling himself that, it would be true. He attempted to swat away the hero, but he turned away to cough into his hand instead. 

It felt wet. When he looked down to see red staining his hand, he stilled. It was really, really hard to breathe now. And was his vision starting to darken?

“Hylia’s sake, that’s blood, isn’t it?” Legend kept his voice steady, but anyone could see him start to freak out, “Where’s a fairy when you need one? You’ve gotta talk to us, rancher. This could get really serious really fast.” 

Twilight bent down to cough again, this time something heavier than just blood coming up. Pressing a hand to his chest, he could barely speak. He was no stranger to having water in his lungs— why did whatever this was feel like that?

“Think very carefully, Twilight. Where did you get injured yesterday?”

“I’m okay,” he managed to force his mouth to open. All he could taste was sickly metallic, “Stop w—”

“His chest,” Wind said, “look at his chest and shoulders, Ledge. He went right into that tree, didn’t he? He’s gotta have a few ribs broken.”

The vet placed a soft hand over his ribcage, and Twilight couldn’t help the cry that ripped from his throat. Stumbling back, Wind grabbed him firmly by the hand and dragged them both forward. The vet walked briskly behind them.

“You need medical attention,” Legend said, “And don’t even try to pretend that you don’t. We have no potions, and we’re better off in a place that isn’t out in the open like this.”

“Tell us where the nearest town is, and we’ll walk there. Don’t mess with us, Twi. I’m a pirate, remember? You can’t swindle a pirate.”

Legend grabbed his other arm, and Twilight let his eyes close for just a moment. He really didn’t want it to come to this…but if it was just a visit to Renado, maybe he could avoid going back to the one place he’d been dreading. 

“Kakariko village…right through the canyon. A healer lives there.”

Village. Safety. Medicine. Healer. Wind and Legend exchange glances, only slightly reassured by those words. Staring over at the looming, rocky mountains,

As soon as they rounded the corner into the secluded village, Legend and Wind felt Twilight’s grip loosen, and watched in shock as he collapsed to the ground.

The infrastructure really was amazing. The buildings were so obnoxiously tall, they blended in with the high rocky mountains they were built right into. The wind from the field seemed to let up once they reached the town, but tumbleweeds still bounced lazily on the ground in the breeze.

The sun beat down on them harshly, and Wind thought he could see a group of hungry vultures flying overhead, just waiting for them to collapse, too.

“Find help,” Legend instructed the sailor, but a door from a nearby home was already flinging open as a young woman ran across to meet them. Long black hair and stoic expression, she seemed to be about the age of 16, and she definitely seemed like she knew who Twilight was.

“Are you friends with Link? Do you know what happened to him?” she said, kneeling down to get a better look at him. Blood was still present, dripping from the corner of his mouth, and she hissed through her teeth after running a hand over his ribcage.

“We’re travelling with him,” Legend answered. Wind nodded, pointing to his known injuries. 

“We think he broke his ribs, maybe his shoulder? Whatever it is, it’s making him cough up a lot of—”

“—blood, I see that,” she stood up and turned around, her voice echoing across the silent village, “BARNES!”

An older man pushing 40 or 50 came barreling out of the house to meet her. He took one look at the man unconscious on the ground and lifted up his face shield. 

“Great Hylia. What did he get himself into now?”

“Do now, speculate later. Help me get him into the spring.” 

Legend and Wind watched as the pair picked him up and lowered him into the spring. The young woman held his head up and splashed some spring water into his hair. The two heroes slipped off their boots and waded into the spring along with them. 

“Are you the healer of this village? Twi—Link told us there was one who lived here before he…” Legend fumbled, and Luda looked over at him with a slight smile.

“You’re thinking of my father. He’s visiting a friend in the nearby village. My name is Luda,” she looked down at Twilight, her smile fading. “Eldin is doing nothing for him. He isn’t being healed.” 

Wind frowned. “What does that mean? He can’t get better?” 

“It means we should get him to my father. He’s visiting the province of Ordon, and I know the spirit there is powerful and loyal to its people. If he stays here, I don’t think he’ll—”

Twilight’s eyes snapped open.

“You can’t bring me there,” his voice was unsteady, slurred to the point where Legend had to strain his ears to fully comprehend it. Luda and Barnes had already left to prepare for the journey, leaving the two heroes to make sure Twilight wouldn’t drown.

“I don’t care how much you don’t want to go. It's our only option. Don’t be stupid,” Legend lifted him out of the water, carefully setting him down on the shore.

“I can’t,” Twilight stumbled over his words, “I’m…I’m not…can’t…”

“Why?” Legend was getting more and more fed up, “It's your Hylia-damned hometown, isn’t it? We have to go! Why can’t you just—”

“It’s because you’re Wolfie!”

Wind’s voice was so loud, it echoed through the village. Legend and Twilight stopped arguing, eyes wide and shoulders tense. Despite the throbbing pain everywhere in his body, Twilight put an arm over his eyes and put his back to them, saying nothing.

“How do you know about Wolfie?” It was impossible. Legend didn’t think they were being that obvious during the trip, but…was he smarter than they thought? Legend didn’t even know about it until he touched that cursed object, so how in Farore did the kid manage to figure it out?

Wind sat, expression wavering with shock. Lifting careful hands off Twilight, he looked up at Legend as if he knew something he shouldn’t. His voice came out small.

“That was a joke.” 

Twilight didn’t move. Surprise wasn’t quite the word he was feeling. Worry? Anger?

“What made you think this was the right time to make a joke?”

“I don’t know! You guys were arguing! I joke when I’m nervous!”

“It wasn’t funny! What part of what you said would be the joke?”

“I dunno! Clearly I know why it’s not funny now, because—hold on, there’s no way Twi’s actually…”

 “Sweet Farore,” Legend pressed a hand to his forehead as the sailor tried to process things. This was worse than he thought. 

If he had just stayed quiet, maybe Twilight wouldn’t kill him later when he was actually conscious. He still couldn't understand why the rancher didn’t want Wind specifically to know after travelling alone with him for so long, but now that entire meticulous plan was gone, wasted. Luda returned before they could finish, and Legend couldn’t tell if he was thankful for it or not.

“Barnes said he would take charge of the village in my father and I’s absence. Unfortunately, we have no wagons with us. None that would get us there fast enough, anyway.” 

Wind stood up, dusting himself off. “That’s fine. But how are we supposed to get him there?”

She gestured to the reins in both her hands.

“I hope you’re good at riding horses.”

Chapter Text

"Have I mentioned that I'm terrible at riding horses?" 

Legend had to yell over the rampant wind to get any sound out. The sailor sat in front of him, but Legend's feet were the ones in the stirrups. His hands were on the reins, too, and he was trying his best not to freak out as the horse went faster than he was ever used to going. 

"It's just a little bit longer! We're almost there!" Luda yelled back. She was riding her own horse, Twilight as her front-seat passenger. The look on his half-conscious face could only be described as several degrees of dread. Whether or not Wind was right on the ball about why Twilight didn't want to return home, there had to be a reason.

"How much longer, exactly?" he yelled, hoping his voice was loud enough to reach her. Legend could count on his fingers how many times he'd been on a horse before. One wrong move and he and Wind were dead meat.

They passed over a wooden bridge, through a road surrounded by high rocky walls, and past a rickety-looking shack. They flew past a spring that looked awfully similar to the one in Kakariko, slowing down at the end of a rope bridge.

"The Ordon spring is just through there," she nodded past the bridge, slowly leading her horse onto the wooden boards. 

Had it been any other circumstance, Legend and Wind would have stopped to take in the beauty that was Twilight's Faron Woods. The ambiance of the singing birds, gentle breeze blowing through the grass, and the soft glow of sunbeams through the trees hit their senses as they neared the end of the bridge. 

Twilight was silent as Luda's pace picked up again, riding past the two heroes and rounding a corner into what sounded like the rushing water of another spring. Legend hopped off the horse, pulling Wind down with him, and watched from the open gate as the young woman slid off the horse, slowly bringing Twilight into the healing waters below. 

"Should we go in? Maybe—" Wind was cut off as he turned around a bit too quickly, bumping noses with a girl who looked to be about the sailor's age. Judging by the basket in her hand, she looked like she was off to run a few errands. Legend scoffed when both of them groaned, holding their foreheads.

"Owww, that's gonna bruise, you know," she whined, "Who even are you? What are you doing all the way out here anyw—"

She stopped when she caught a glimpse of who lay in the spring. Her eyes grew so big, Legend was sure they would pop right out of her head. Mouth open and pale as a ghost, she turned to them. 

"Is that Link?"

"Yep," Wind whispered back. The girl's awed expression grew into one of shock.

"He's back?" she stuttered, barely able to keep her words straight, "Who are you guys?"

"A veteran and a sailor," Legend said, "Who are you?"

"Beth," she blurted out, leaning over to do a double-take at the spring. Whoever this Beth person was, she definitely knew Link well enough to be shocked by his return.

"Nice to meet you," Wind stuck out his hand, and she shook it limply, "He's hurt pretty bad from…adventuring. Is there a healer here? Luda said there is." 

Beth poked her head into the spring again, staring at Twilight and Luda in the centre of it, and poked her head back out. She seemed a little less rigid as she set down her basket and beckoned them to follow. As they made their way across the dirt path, what started off as a leisurely stroll turned to a run, and Legend and Wind couldn't help but pick up the pace to follow Beth's rampant speed. 

They ran past a house built into a tree, into a clearing littered with tiny homes and patches of growing crops. Beth lost a sandal as she tripped over herself, trying to get to the other end of the village. Legend tried to ignore the handful of villagers that tried speaking with them. Wind was already hollering out greetings and responses. 

"Illia!" Beth banged on the door of the very last house, and a very confused-looking woman opened it. 

"What are you screaming about? Aren't you on wild fruit duty right now?" 

Beth shook her head quickly. "Where's Renado?"

"He and my father have just sat down to tea," Illia locked eyes with Legend, just now noticing the two strangers standing at her doorstep. She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "Why?"

Beth could hardly contain herself. Clenching her fists and stomping the ground, she let out the loudest frustrated cry they'd ever heard and forced the door open. "It's Link, stupid!"

Illia froze. "What?"

"Did someone say Link?" 

"Wait, really?! Link's back?!" 

"No one said that. Don't be an idiot, Talo."

Three children poked their heads out the door, stumbling over each other and talking faster than the wind. Beth, albeit very loudly, began describing precisely what she saw. It seemed the entire village had heard her initial scream. Before they knew it, they were surrounded by a group of surprised strangers.

"What's all this commotion? I heard someone was injured," a tall man came up from behind Illia, stepping out onto the porch. Beth said nothing this time, only pointed over to the two heroes standing awkwardly in the centre of the circle of people. The crowd went silent.

"He's…" Legend's meticulous trail of thought was silenced as his eyes locked with a man standing at the front of the crowd of people. Eyes blazed with some type of determination, the vet thought he saw the gleaming reflection of a blade in his belt.

"He's this way," Wind finished for him. Leading the way, there had to be more than half the village following behind them, picking up other residents along the way.

Legend almost laughed. If the whole village came to his attention just by his name, Twilight must have done something  really  idiotic to make them mad.

They stumbled past trees and houses, all the way to the spring of Ordon. Renado pushed his way to the front and joined his daughter in the water. The heroes could already hear gossip spreading behind them in the crowd.

"Classic Link, coming back here looking totally beat up."

"It's cause he's cool, Illia. Remember when he'd come to visit us in Kakariko with a new scar every time? It's the mark of a true hero."

"Ugh, you're so dramatic, Talo." 

"Says you, Beth! You're the one who ran into the village with those two guys looking like you'd just seen a ghost!"

"…my dad's looking at him weirdly."

"You morons all need to pipe down. The strangers can clearly hear every word you're saying."

The strangers in question, realizing all eyes were on them, turned around to face the children. The village adults spoke amongst themselves, too distracted to notice just who their kids were talking to.

"You caught us," Legend said flatly, lifting his hands up, "What do you want to know?"

A child with messy brown hair who, like almost all of them there, also looked to be about Wind's age, stepped forward. A wooden play-sword was tied to the cloth keeping his outfit together.

"The name's Talo—protector of Ordon Village in Link's stead," he stopped to shush the other children as they snickered at his claim, "I guess you already met Beth, but the little angry-looking kid is my brother, Malo."

"Malo," Legend felt flashbacks to Twilight's Castletown, yet he couldn't figure out why. It was on the tip of his tongue, "Malo from—"

"Malo Mart?" Wind's eyes were as wide as saucers, "It is you! That's insane!"

"It's me, alright," he said blankly, "Now that you've gotten to see a real hero, I'm here to crush your dreams. I don't know who you are, and I don't care so long as you're not giving me money. Get over yourself."

Wind and Legend couldn't help sending each other a look. Yeesh. What a kid.

"The one who looks like a total crybaby is Colin, and that's his little sister Kyra. She's still too shy to introduce herself," Talo continued, "And the adult who has no other friends her age is Illia. That's why she's talking to us." 

"If that's the case, I'll just head over and talk to your parents, Talo," Illia crossed her arms with a smirk. Legend couldn't help but stifle a laugh as the kids grabbed at her shirt and begged her to stay.

"What we really want to know is where Link has been," Malo mumbled. The blond kid, Colin, nodded in agreement. His sister poked her head out from behind him, and Wind thought of Aryll.

"Three years is a long time to be away." 

The dread that settled in their chests from earlier dropped into their stomachs.

"Three years?" Wind repeated. Most of the Links in their group were accidental hypocrites when it came to keeping promises and visiting friends, but wasn't this his family? Three years was a very long time.

"Well, technically two years, but three since we all got captured," Beth corrected, "But that doesn't count because it took months before we could all go home and back to normal!" 

"And he just picked up and left after that?" Legend found himself asking. The other children nodded.

They both knew that feeling. The group had one too many talks about the same looming feeling that covered them when they returned home after their journey. Everything felt peaceful again; the world around them seemed to go back to normal. Still, something deep inside each and every one of them had them restless for danger. Craving something that wasn't there. 

Whether to see the world or escape your demons rather than fighting them, it was in hero genetics to long for something greater than home.

"Not even a letter?" Wind asked. Colin shook his head.

"No word at all. We thought maybe he was in a place that the postman couldn't reach."

Wind didn't get it. He understood why many of the Links didn't want to go home. Unlike himself, there was simply no family to go back to, no person you've known your entire life to welcome you with open arms. 

But this village…these people clearly loved him more than anything. It was more than evident that they all blindly followed two strangers who merely mentioned his name. They were willing to hold onto anything that might have to do with him.

"I can't take this anymore." 

The same man who Legend had locked eyes with earlier dispersed from the crowd, walking determinedly through the gate and into the spring. A woman followed close behind.

"Go get 'em, man!" 

"Get the kid!"

"Whoooop!"

Legend and Wind watched in surprise as the villagers started hollering encouragement at the sword-wielder. Exchanging glances, they both pushed their heads together and said precisely what they thought. 

"Is that Twi's dad?" 

"That man wants to kill him."

Legend scoffed at Wind's conspiracy. Twilight never mentioned having parents or a living family of any kind. And why did the guy have a sword when no one else in the village did? This place looked perfectly safe aside from him. Legend turned his head and whispered to the sailor. 

"You really think that's his dad? He looks angrier than a storm on a rocky shore."

"Duh," Wind smirked, "Anyone on Outset looked like that whenever I'd do something stupid. You should've seen their faces when I came home as a full-blown pirate."

Legend supposed he wouldn't really know what a worried parent looked like. He always had his uncle, but the man was as gentle-spirited as they got and gave him all the freedom in the world until he was gone.

After a few more minutes of everyone pretending not to eavesdrop on what was happening in the spring, they all watched as the man from earlier carried Twilight out in his arms. A cluster of gasps echoed from the crowd as they noticed he was unconscious, but he kept walking without a word.

"He'll be alright," Renado emerged from the spring, followed by Luda, "Any major injuries have been taken care of. We just need to monitor his head trauma and see if his concussion worsens."

"Luda, you must stay for dinner. After everything that's happened, it's only fair," another villager, one they didn't recognize, stepped up. Soon the entire crowd had broken out into clusters of conversation. Legend and Wind didn't care—they were only focused on where Twilight was going.

"Colin, Kyra, time to go home," the woman beckoned her children to come with her, and the pair followed silently. Legend tried to tune out the disappointed whines and moans of the other children. He came to the realization that the angry sword man had Twilight, and they were walking away pretty quickly. 

"Come on," Wind grabbed him by the collar, and they bolted from the crowd, eager to follow the family—whether they would harm their brother or help him.

They thought they were sly by ducking behind trees, peering out from the sides of houses, and diving below boulders to sneak around. It seemed to work in Time's world pretty fine, but Legend and Wind quickly realized they weren't being as sneaky as they thought.

"You know we can see you, right?"

Twilight was still hanging limp in the man's arms, and Legend prepared to draw his sword out for rescue. With the other villagers distracted, getting this guy alone should be a piece of cake. Perhaps there was a reason Twilight didn't want to come here, after all.

"Come out! We won't hurt you," the man continued, and they froze once they saw…a smile?

"Don't try to fool us," the vet kept a steady hand on his scabbard, evading the man's thoughtful gaze and confused smile. The woman and children were gone, already opening the door to one of the houses, but the man remained, solid as a brick wall. It was only when his gaze caught what Legend was holding onto that his eyes flickered with realization. 

"It's the weapon that's putting you off?" with a soft thump, the belt holding the holster, scabbard—everything—dropped. "There. Better?"

"Who are you?" Wind blurted out. Legend followed suit, though he wasn't sure how many answers they would really get. "We don't know enough about our companion, but we  do  know he didn't want to come back here. Why?"

"So Link never mentioned me, huh?"

He nodded for them to follow up the pathway as they walked.

 "I mean, I can't say it was ever made official or anything like that, but I filled the spot pretty quick. You'd think old Rusl would get some credit."

Rusl. Rusl Rusl Rusl, where had they heard that name before? 

The man's eyes crinkled with a sort of fondness, and in an instant, Legend realized all too quickly that between their two theories of what lay in the town of Ordon, Wind had won.

Parent or not, the last thing Legend and Wind expected was for the swordsman's frown to completely disappear, leaving the nicest of smiles and warmest of houses. Their home was lovely and inviting. Colin wouldn't stop talking about how excited Link would be that a few extra rooms were added in the wake of their family growing bigger.

"He talked about you. And you, too, Uli," Wind won the bet, and Legend still felt hostile, so the sailor did most of the talking, "Besides how much he loves goats, we don't know much else. We never knew the two people he talked about most were his parents."

"I suppose we were mostly pseudo-parents. The entire village helped raise Link, but it always seemed like my wife I were connected to him the most."

Rusl seemed like a good man. He sipped at the tea Uli made for them while Colin and his sister played off in some other room. Twilight, Link, lay unconscious, head wrapped in bandages, and Rusl smiled.

"I'd love to know all about your adventures with Link. You two look a bit young to be out and about. Hylia, you look like the same age as my other son."

Wind nodded proudly. "That's right! I've got a lot to show for it."

"We've been travelling off the grid," Legend finally said, "Judging on the fact that your postman is just a guy running around your kingdom, I'm not sure if many letters got to us."

"Ah, that doesn't matter. We're just happy he found his way home again."

It was believable to think that the rancher and these people were family. Twilight held onto that gentle nature his mother had while equally being as fierce and outgoing as his father. That loyalty had to come from somewhere. And it seemed pretty evident now who taught the man how to fight.

"Awake already, I see. How are you feeling?" 

Their conversation halted there as Uli leaned over the bed to brush back Twilight's hair, slowly coming back to full consciousness. Rusl grinned when the hero fully realized where he was lying.

"Rusl?"

"Welcome back to the land of the living, kid." 

Twilight blinked. 

"Did I die?"

Wind sat up in his chair. "No, but you scared us! Be lucky your Kakariko friend is really good at riding horses."

"Oh." 

Rusl handed Twilight a glass of water. He still looked pretty disoriented. Renado must have been right about the concussion, but what else was expected after how hard he was hit?

"I'd love to know what crazy, adventurous thing you did to get an injury so bad. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were fighting monsters as bad as the ones from years ago."

Twilight blinked again. 

"I ran into a tree."

The room erupted with laughter. Legend and Wind thought they could see a hint of Twilight's smile. They could definitely hear the change in his accent almost immediately. And when Uli touched the back of his head, they watched as he absolutely melted.

"You remind me so much of how I used to be at your age," Rusl chuckled, turning back to the heroes, "I'd come back twice a week with some kind of injury that needed tending to. I'd scare Uli and my parents right out of their socks every time." 

"What do you mean when you were young?" Uli smacked him on the back of the head with a wet rag, "If I can remember correctly, you scared me half to death looking for the kids when they went missing. I used up every bandage I had!"

"I think you mean is I protected the village from a ferocious beast using the power of fire."

The room was silent that time, and when Legend looked over to see the tense, wired expression on Twilight's face, he could quickly figure out why just from the term ferocious beast. It seemed Wind was still putting together the pieces as he dragged the sailor to the door.

"I think it's time for a long, overdue talk, kid. Talk of wolves a few years back was what drove you to leave in the first place, wasn't it?"

The air was tense, the room dreadfully silent. Wind's head jerked up once he realized exactly what they were talking about. Their group were no strangers to being ostracized. Still, he could only imagine how much it would hurt to get it from your own family, intentional or not.

Twilight looked painfully sad.

"We're going to properly introduce ourselves to the rest of the village," Legend waved them both out, just as things started getting serious. Uli nodded gratefully. Twilight breathed in shakily.

"I'm sorry for acting like a coward, I—"

"None of that. You know we'd never think of you like that."

The door opened and shut swiftly, and Wind and Legend walked until they found themselves sitting in the grass, right across from a pumpkin patch. The sailor leaned back, arms crossed over the back of his neck.

"Wow." 

Legend let out a sigh. "Wow's right." 

"I mean, I knew he had a home, but I didn't really get why he didn't want to come back until now. It's weird how you can figure so much out just from discovering one thing, right?"

Ordon Village felt warm. It felt better than any peak, town, lake, or river Twilight could ever show them. The best part of every Hyrule had to be home.

"I hope they get it. Sometimes normal people just don't," Legend looked over at the house, where the conversation of a lifetime was likely happening just behind that door. His eyes went over to Wind, who raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"The whole Wolfie thing? Zip it," Legend made a zipping motion over his mouth, "I mean it. Pretend that you know nothing, even around the others." 

"Yeah, yeah. I'm better at keeping secrets than you think. If we ever see them again, at least." 

The pair watched as the rest of the village began filing back into their homes, some finishing their harvesting, others forming little circles of gossip. They could tell some of them wanted to approach them, but many were far too busy trying to get into Rusl and Uli's house to give them a second glance. 

Legend stopped picking at the grass, almost on cue, when he noticed as one too many green hats entered with the rest of the people. He elbowed the boy beside him. 

"What?"

"You're not gonna believe this." 

He was sure the expression Wind was wearing was exactly what he, too, looked like, but at that moment, neither of them cared. The moment they caught Hyrule's eye at the front of the group, the rest followed suit, running their way in an instant.

"Good to see you again!"

Long, month, right?"

"We were starting to lose hope!" Four dropped to his knees dramatically, and Legend found himself engulfed in a hug that had one too many arms in it.

"I'll never make fun of your hair again!" Wind practically jumped into Warriors' arms. Sky followed suit and dropped his bags. Soon, everyone was sitting on the grass exchanging stories of what happened while separated.

"Weeks!" Hyrule looked nearly ready to tear his own hair out, "Maybe even a month! We've been wandering around for over a month, with nothing to go off of, and we magically end up right where you are! Finding you has got to be fate."

"I have the best pictures of Twi ever!"  Wind yelled, holding up his pictograph along with a handful of photos that Legend had almost forgotten about. 

Laughter echoed through the village as the children joined the group of heroes to look at all the pictures Wind had saved, but Legend found himself sitting apart, near the roots of a great tree that grew not too far away. He looked up as Time walked over and sat beside him. Something about Ordon must have made everyone happier than usual because even the old man had a peaceful look on his face. 

"Did we miss anything?"

Legend wanted to laugh, so he did, despite the confused smile on Time's face. Looking over at the house in the distance and the newly reunited group of friends, he leaned back and let the sun hit the side of his face as it slowly fell below the sky.

"What an understatement."