Chapter Text
Legend placed his hand on the scanner at the entrance to his new team's quarters. The biometric lock hummed briefly before disengaging. Good. At least something is doing its job around here.
He pulled the heavy door open to reveal a hallway. A handful of doors lined either side, some standing open. Legend moved to the first open one and peeked in. Two figures, blond and brunet, sat at a small table, cards in hand. The brunet turned to him. “Who're you?”
Legend studied him. Bandages ran up one arm, his wrist in a brace. “Legend. I'm your guide while Four's recovering.”
The blond looked up at that. No visible injuries, Legend thought, but that doesn’t mean anything. And he looks tired. “I see. I'm Wind, and this is Twilight. I'd say it's nice to meet you, but…” Wind shrugged one shoulder and winced.
“Don't worry, I'm used to it. Paperwork says I'm supposed to report to ‘Warriors’. What room is he in?”
“I think he's meeting with Lana right now,” Twilight said. “Come on. I'll show you your quarters and you can unpack while you're waiting.”
Legend nodded. “Thanks.”
A knock at the door some time later had Legend looking up, automatically cataloging what little he could feel of the newcomer past his shields.
The newcomer had short hair, blond, but it was well maintained, just like the blue scarf around his neck. He was taller than Legend by a good few inches, enough that the Guide had to tilt his head up to meet the other's gaze.
This must be Warriors.
“You must be our temporary Guide,” he greeted. “My name is Warriors.”
“Legend.” Legend moved to shake the captain's hand. An electric current ran up his arm. Sentinel. Fully realized one, too. Interesting. “What's the sitrep?”
“Our previous leader, Time, is MIA, presumed KIA, but we haven't found a body yet. As you can imagine, everyone is taking it rough. We've been a full squad for some time now, and the boys have come to rely on each other. Our superiors let this go on account of our record. We're the only squad in the region with a success rate above 95%. Part of that is due to our Guide, Four, who has integrated himself well. I understand you're used to situations such as these?” Warriors replied, his tone sharp in a way that spoke of being used to relaying information and orders, although not unkind. Strictly business.
“I am. You might call me a professional substitute,” Legend said, his tone a bit less sharp but still businesslike. “Sorry to hear about Time. I worked with him once before, years back. He's a good man.”
Warriors nodded as Legend continued. “Now. Four didn't mention it, but it would help to know your team makeup. I know you’re a Sentinel. How many in the squad, are there any other sentinels or guides, and are any of you bonded?”
“Eight, normally. No bonds have been reported,” Warriors told him. “Four is our only Guide, but none of the others have reported any evidence of Sentinel or Guide potential, other than Time, who's a Sentinel. How much of the files did you actually get to read?” The acting captain was well aware of file redactions and how little sometimes actually made it through, but having a basic idea of how much Legend knew would be a good place to start.
“Not a lot. And you and I both know how much gets left out of reports, both intentionally and otherwise. Not that I have any plans to change that; the last thing I want to do is mess with our best-performing squad’s makeup.” Legend frowned. A guide not bonding with at least one available sentinel was odd, but in this case it made his job at least slightly easier. “I'd like to meet the entire squad individually as soon as they're recovered enough. Just to get an idea of exactly what I'm working with.”
“Of course,” the officer replied. “I'll mention it to them and have them contact you for a good time to stop by.” He hesitated then, voice softer. “I know you're used to doing this, but for some of them, this is their first time, both having a replacement step in and losing someone.”
The guide nodded. “I'll go easy, Captain. Just a quick question; what's the age range? Wind seemed awfully young.”
“Wind is our youngest, at 18. This is his first small squad, so everything is hitting him hard. Time and I are the oldest, at 30 and 28 respectively. Four is 20, despite his appearance.” Warriors listed off easily; if Legend needed more details, he'd be happy to provide them, if only to ease his squad’s introduction. “I do have to ask; how much of recent events did Champion's file contain?”
“Just the basics. There was mention of a serious injury. From what I understand they weren't sure he was going to survive. Why?”
“From what we've been able to tell, he's developed… some sort of amnesia. The medics haven't been able to determine if it's permanent or temporary as of yet, given the extent of the damage and the fact that he hasn't been able to stay awake for more than a few minutes.” Warriors sighed, almost deflating, but his posture stayed strong.
Legend winced. That changed things a bit; essentially, depending on the type of amnesia, the squad was potentially dealing with two losses, not one. If it were permanent, either Champion would be declared unfit for duty and medically discharged, or have to basically reestablish himself, possibly as an entirely different person. “I'll keep that under advisement. Is the rest of the squad aware of this development?”
“They are not. We decided to keep it quiet until it was confirmed one way or the other. There is enough skepticism regarding the changes to the squad that rumors might cause more harm than necessary,” Warriors shook his head. “If possible, the squad plans on sticking together, as much as we can, but too much change will rock the boat, as it were. Our balance is already in sway, understandably, and I hope this doesn't tip us over.”
“I can't say that's not a valid concern,” Legend said. “It seems this post is going to be a bit more complex than I first imagined. It might be a good thing I'm here.”
“Well, you are the best, presumably for a reason,” Warriors allowed himself to crack a smile, a small one, at that. “Not to put too much pressure on you, but you may be something we need desperately right now, especially with Four out of the picture.”
Legend rolled his shoulders and returned the smile. “Alright. Now that the formal shit is out of the way, why don't we sit down and you can give me a rundown of exactly what happened on that last mission. Forget what's in the official report. I've read it twice. Tell me what's not in the report so I know what pitfalls to avoid.”
“Do you mind if I come in, then? So we aren't overheard,” Warriors asked, allowing Legend to set boundaries. Either way, he'd like to avoid potentially upsetting his squad mates further, or give out secrets they haven't yet given to each other. Rare, but they existed. “We can head to mine, if you'd prefer.”
“Here is fine. Come in and have a seat.” Legend closes the door after Warriors walks in, then crosses to his bag and digs out a pen and notebook. He shakes his head at Warrior's frown. “Don't worry. My notes are in code. Only one person knows the cypher and she's not military.”
“Codes are breakable,” Warriors frowned out of concern. “Do you destroy each set once your job is done?”
“I do.” Legend turned the notebook to show a number of ripped-out pages. “The pages are shredded and the pieces burned. Usually in front of the commanding officer. I'm here to help, not cause more problems, and your secrets are your own.”
Mollified, Warriors nodded and settled a bit. “Thank you. I'm sorry to put your methods under such scrutiny, but you understand, perhaps more than anyone, what is at risk here.”
“Of course. Alright. Let’s get started.”
57 hours prior:
Time walked into the squad room, folder clenched tightly in his fist. It was thin, a bare bones assessment, which told him one thing: this mission was going to be hell. “Chain squad, listen up.”
Every eye in the place turned to him: seven sets, most in shades of blue, although Four's were usually gray and Hyrule's leaned hazel. He glanced around to make sure everyone was listening. “We have a new mission.”
“What kind, old man?” Warriors asked, his tone sharp but not overly so. That expression, the way Time held himself, meant this mission was not going to be an easy one.
“Infiltrate and capture. Lana got a bead on Cia's whereabouts. We're supposed to go in and confirm.”
Champion winced, eyes dark. “That's not going to be easy. You know she's going to have that place warded in every way possible. Getting in undetected is going to be next to impossible.”
Time nodded at the specialist. “I know. Which is why the Gerudo and Zora contingents are going to stage a diversion. If it works, it should draw out enough of her forces that we can deal with the rest if we have to.”
“Are we splitting up, then? One to handle the majority of the forces that are left, the other to handle the actual infiltration?” Wind even set his hand of cards down, fully invested in the conversation.
“How are we handling the actual capture? Given the extent of her abilities, I'm not sure we even know the full extent.” Four, in a corner of the main area that held a workbench and some tools, chimed in.
“How are we even countering her? Do we know the layout, what she might have laid out?” Hyrule asked.
“We have a rough layout of everything but the inner rooms, provided by a pair of defectors,” Time said, addressing Hyrule's question first. “As far as capturing her goes, Lana will be providing a teleport beacon. She'll join us as soon as we have a definite location on the target.” He turned to Wind. “And yes, we're splitting. You, Champion, and Hyrule are our infiltration specialists. We'll clear the way and hopefully keep eyes on us while the three of you scout Cia's location and plant the beacon. Do not, I repeat, do not engage unless you have no other choice. Let Lana handle Cia. If Demise or Majora is involved, abort and inform HQ. Understood?”
“So more infiltration than capture, on our end,” Four mused, setting down his tools as he looked over the group. “I'll do my best to keep an eye on everyone and keep communication open. Time, how long until we head out? I'd like to perform last minute checks, if possible.”
“Eighteen hours. Wars, Champ, you and I will go over the plan and layout. The rest of you, check supplies and get some rest. This isn't going to be an easy mission. There's a good chance one or more of us will get injured, or worse.” Time looked over his squad. “That being said, if we’re successful, having Cia off the field will be a major boon for our side. Briefing is at 0630.”
“You don't have to try and sell it to us, old man,” Wind laughed lightly. “We all know what having Cia off the field would mean.”
“Right, sorry.” Some of the professionalism drained from Time’s manner and he smiled at Wind.
The teenager grinned back and hopped up from his seat. “Come on, Hyrule. Let’s check our stealth gear. Champ, want us to do yours?”
The stoic blond nodded and signed permission. Wind bounded out of the room, Hyrule close on his heels. Time and Warriors shared a look as they left. “This is his first big mission, isn’t it?” Warriors asked softly.
“Yep.” Time shook his head. “Were we ever that enthusiastic?”
You were. Until Majora made his appearance, Warriors signed, then sighed at the haunted look in their leader’s eyes. “Come on. Sky, set fire watches. We’ll see the rest of you in the morning.”
“Yes sir.”
Everything started out fine. The beginning of the mission went off without a hitch. Hyrule, Champion, and Wind hung back while Four, Twilight, Time, Sky, and Warriors cleared a path, sweeping through Cia's defenses with careful strategy.
“Time, movement at 1000,” Four called, his hammer standing taller than he did as he awaited his leader's commands. Keeping an eye on the other half of the squad’s progress was trivial - all he could do was watch out for sudden spikes of alarm, the equivalent of shouts. In the meantime, he helped coordinate the others.
“Understood. Do not engage, not yet. Let them come to us,” Time answered, planting his feet. Right. This was where they were holding their defensive line. Near the primary escape route, so they could continue to act as a diversion.
At the agreed-upon place, Champion's squad broke off, the three infiltration experts clad in stealth gear and moving silently. Everything was going according to plan.
Warriors never found out who triggered the alarm. It's possible it wasn't any of them. It's even more possible that this had been the enemy's plan all along, including the “defectors”. Either of those were likely, but in the end it didn't matter what had gone wrong.
Only that it had, and badly.
“Shit,” Four said, as the lights flickered and an ear-splitting racket blared from every speaker. Time collapsed in pain, his oversensitive ears twitching madly as he tried to block out the sound. “Time!”
Warriors’ hand twitched in an aborted movement to reach for the man. “Four, defensive positions,” he ordered instead, speaking up to be audible over the baring alarms. “How's the rest of the squad?”
The blond hesitated before falling back behind the second in command, eyes going vaguely hazy as he checked in with the rest of the squad. Twilight and Sky filled in behind and around them, covering the Guide as he scanned. “They're making progress, I've warned them to be on the lookout. Do I order a retreat?”
Warriors considered for a second. “Not yet. This place isn’t that big. They should be close. And we’re not going to get another chance at this.”
Four nodded and focused on Time.
Present day:
“It’s all a bit muddled after that,” Warriors admitted, watching Legend’s hand fly across the page. “I’d no sooner given the order than an entire squad of bokoblins and moblins teleported in. We didn’t have a chance. I’m not even sure when Time was taken. Hyrule said that they were fine until the last few corridors and had to use the beacon to get out after Champ got hit with a beam from one of the guardian turrets.”
“That was around the same time that Four took the blow to the head? To the best of your understanding?” Legend checked, just for continuity's sake. “I am in no way accusing your men of any sort of failure, I just want to make sure my report is correct.”
“Yes,” Warriors sighed. “There was some sort of projectile that managed to get past us. Four wasn’t knocked unconscious, but he did become disoriented. It’s after that we regrouped according to our exit strategy.”
“Thank you. One last question for you then, if you don’t mind?” The whole time, Legend had been making notes, he’d also been monitoring Warriors’ tone and body language, gauging where the man sat emotionally and mentally. The man was definitely experienced as a soldier, but that in itself had its own set of tells.
“Of course.” Warriors studied the guide in return. There was a professionalism that spoke of competence and a deep-set almost weariness that said Legend had had this conversation more times than anyone should have. “Might I ask one in return?”
Legend glanced up as he caught up on his notes; it wasn't often the soldiers he worked with asked questions back. Most of the time they, understandably, didn't want to get attached to him either. “I'll ask mine first, just to round off my notes. Of course, I reserve the right to veto any question I don't want to answer.”
He didn't actually particularly want to ask his question, but it was important. “If for whatever reason, Four is unable to return to duty - will your team be able to handle it?”
Warriors frowned. “None of us are bonded,” he said slowly, thinking through his answer, “so that's not an issue. Some of us won't be happy- Wind, especially, is quite fond of him- but it won't break us. I suppose it also depends on the replacement. Our group has an unusual dynamic, and finding someone to fit in might be tricky.”
“Unusual dynamic? In what way?” Legend tilted his head, running over what he knew of the group so far.
“Well, for one, we're all named Link. It's the reason our squad’s designation is the Chain,” Warriors said with a grin. “It's a fairly unusual name and something of a running joke with command. Also, we all have Zeldas as friends.”
So they were more intertwined than most squads, good to know. “Well, seems like I'll fit right in then,” Legend replied dryly with a slight grin of his own.
The XO blinked. “Your name is Link?”
“Link Lon, at your service.” If they'd been standing, Legend would have dipped into a bow with a flourish just because. “Brother of Zelda Fable Hyrule.”
Warriors stared, then burst out laughing. “Oh Hylia. That's too good a coincidence to pass up. Wind is going to love it.”
Another thought struck him. “Are you related to Malon Lon?”
“The name rings a bell,” Legend allowed, curious as to where Warriors was going with this. He tucked the tidbit about Wind away for future reference.
“It would be a hell of a coincidence if you are, but…” He shrugged, some of the levity draining away. “She's Time’s wife.”
Legend almost choked, coughing in surprise. “Wait, red hair, works on Lon Lon ranch? Sweetest lady in Hyrule?”
“Yes, that's her.” Warriors blinked. “Wait, so you really- Are you? Seriously?”
“She's my aunt. If I remember correctly she's my mother's sister. It's not important; this won't help us,” Legend frowned, mildly unhappy with the situation. An unexpected familial connection just asked for unwanted bonds, both official and unofficial. He'd have to tread carefully and make sure he didn't stick around too long.
“Actually, it might. The entire squad adores Malon. Knowing you're related will help the others accept you that much easier.” Warriors tapped his finger on the table in thought. “We should probably have you meet the others. Losing Time has hit everyone hard, and with Four out of commission and Champ still unconscious we're sort of at a loss.”
“I do still have to talk to them,” Legend agreed, even if he had his doubts about Warriors' claim working well in the long run. “If we're done here, I'll start on that.”
Wars nodded. He pulled out his slate and tapped a few buttons. “The Chain will meet us in the main room. I’ll introduce you.”
The two rose and exited Legend’s quarters. It was a short trip down the hall to the squad room; Legend studied the layout, noticing the location of the kitchen and mess hall, as well as a closed door that probably led to Warrior’s quarters. Normally it would be Time’s, but as a married man he’d have separate housing. Probably. Although, if Malon were living here… He shook the thought off as Warriors stopped in front of a door. “We’re here.”
Right. Meeting the squad face to face. “Alright then.” He stood back and let Warriors open the door, instinctively matching names to faces as they stepped into the room.
A sleepy looking blond, whose eyes were more alert than his expression suggested, wearing primarily white and red, although not in a medic's uniform. Sky.
A much younger blond- one of the two who had met him back before the meeting with Warriors. Wind.
Curly haired brunette, skittish and watching him back, tucked under Sky's arm. Legend could feel a glimmer of magic off of him. A mage. Hyrule. (Absently, he wondered, as always, how someone had developed a code name the same as their country.)
As his gaze turned to Twilight, Warriors spoke up, a slightly impish smile on his face. “Squad, this is Four’s temporary replacement. Callsign is Legend, but his name is Link Lon. And yes, he has a Zelda.”
Everyone in the squad stared for a moment before one of them (Twilight, Legend’s mind supplied) spoke up. “Like, Miss Malon Lon?”
“Yep.”
Wind stood with a fist pump, immediately chanting. “Yes! One of us! One of us!”
Legend blinked, surprised by the immediate response, but rolled with it. “Nice to meet you all. I have been assigned to your squad for the foreseeable future, so I hope we can work well together.”
“As do we,” Sky replied. “Welcome to the Chain, Legend.”
“Yeah! Welcome!” Wind echoed, then sobered. “Honestly, we needed some good news. Has Champ woken up yet, Wars?”
Warriors shook his head. “I’m sure Flora will let us know the instant he does. I have heard from Dot. Four’s still suffering from his concussion. Between that and the leg it’s likely going to be several months before he’s fit to resume duty.”
“I hope he’s okay,” Wind said quietly, deflating at the reminder of his friend in such a condition. Sky threw an arm over his shoulders, drawing him in, a comforting presence. Legend watched, noting the almost familial relationship. They had been a squad for a while.
A small part, the guide in him that absolutely screamed for a bond, was jealous of the intimacy. Legend told it to shut up. It didn't listen, but it did quiet enough that he could ignore it.
Somehow, I don't think that's going to last forever.
Hyrule fiddled with something, sparks of magic flicking from his fingers. Nervous tic? “I still think you should let me try and heal him. I can at least help with the leg.”
Legend blinked. “You're a healer?” he asked. Magic users who could heal were extremely rare and usually closely guarded. What was one doing in a combat unit?
Or maybe it made complete sense- having a healer who could respond faster than a medic unit made a squad more versatile, and was safer for the members.
“I can talk to someone,” he offered after a moment, thinking through who was on this particular base. Having Four back sooner would put the squad closer to normal status sooner rather than later.
“I'd rather you didn't,” Warriors said quietly. There was a definite note of don't push, I'll explain later in his voice. “Hyrule. I'd rather you help keep an eye on Champ. He needs you more than Four does right now.”
The mage nodded, slightly mollified. “Yes, Captain.”
Legend nodded as well, shrinking back, with a mental note. Right. He overstepped; he didn't know these people well enough yet, so he shouldn't have made offers he wasn't sure he could back. “Apologies, Captain.”
“Accepted.” Wars checked his slate as it beeped. “I have a call with Artemis in a moment. Feel free to get to know the men. Miss Malon should be stopping by later, as well. Twilight.”
“Sir?”
“You're in charge. Make sure Legend knows our schedule and where all the important rooms are. We're not scheduled for active duty for now, but sparring and training are fine if you're up for it. I'll see you all at dinner.”
“Yes sir.”
“Sir,” Legend returned with a nod as the captain took his leave, turning to Twilight once he was gone. “I am in your hands, then.”
Twilight didn't look entirely comfortable with the idea of command, but the man took a deep breath anyway.
“Right. Well, Legend, we should probably start off with a tour. After dinner, we were planning on playing games, but until then we were going to do drills. Acceptable?”
“Yes.” Sparring and games would give him a better idea as to how the group functioned as a whole, as well as individual personalities. “I'd like to join you; we can grab my things on the way.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow, clearly not expecting the offer. “Sure. Suppose it can't hurt to see how ya fight just in case we do get called up.”
“I might have learned a few things,” Legend allows with a shadow of a grin as he and Twilight start out. “After all, I've been at this a while.”
“Oh? How many squads have you filled in for?” Wind asks. “The army isn't that big, is it?”
“I've been at this for a few years, and I typically only stay with a squad for a month at most,” Legend answered easily - that was a question he got often. “It's less about the army being large and more about my variety of duties and sometimes filling in for a Guide on multiple occasions, depending on circumstances. Not to mention the Hylian army isn't the only one I sub for; I've worked with almost all of our allies at least once. Spent the last six months or so in Lorule.”
Wind nodded. “That's fair. Bet you have some awesome stories, huh?”
Hyrule followed them out of the room. “Twi, if it’s okay, I’m going to go check on Champ. I know Flora’s watching him, but maybe I can do something to help.”
The sergeant frowned, then nodded. “Alright. You know the chief’s standing orders. Nothing miraculous, and no exhausting yourself.”
“Right.”
“Flora?” Legend asked.
“Champ’s Zelda,” Wind explained. “They’re… complicated.”
“I see,” the veteran responded, watching Hyrule as he left. There was, as usual, much to take in that wasn't on the reports. “What squad is she a part of?”
“She isn’t, exactly,” Twilight said. “Flora’s in R&D. Mostly survival gear. Last I heard she was working with the Hytopian contingent to weave better protective spells into our uniforms.”
“Good to know. How much does she know about what goes on here?” Legend asked, hoping Twilight would pick up on his deeper, unspoken question.
The sergeant considered that for a moment. “Enough. Our Zeldas and various significant others know the day to day stuff. Every company has its secrets. Miss Malon knows more than anyone, but even she doesn't know everything.”
He’d have to note that down later, to keep track, but it made sense. The Zeldas (how weird that they’d become their own group, almost complement to the Links themselves) might be an exception to who information was shared with, but he’d have to make sure before talking to them himself. “Honestly, who doesn’t have secrets? Is Miss Malon aware of the situation?”
“She is. We couldn’t exactly keep it from her. All of us owe her too much for that.” Twilight didn’t elaborate further. Sky and Wind took the cue to turn back to their own conversation, albeit a bit more subdued. “Come on. I’ll give you the cook’s tour, and after lunch we’ll hit the training grounds. I’m curious to see how you hold up against Sky.”
“Cook's tour?” Legend asked, following Twilight curiously. A duel against Sky did sound interesting- the man's file hadn't held much, except that he was an accomplished swordsman and duelist. That could be fun..
“Slang term. Means a lot of places in a short period of time,” Twilight explained. “Picked it up from Four- he's sort of the scholar of the group. Anyway, most of the rooms aren't anything special, there's just a lot of them.”
Scholar, huh? Maybe he should reach out at some point and see just how much of a scholar the guy was. “Ah, I see. The typical mess, barracks, and main room, I assume. What else is there?”
“Well.” Twilight scratched the back of his neck. “There's a library-slash-classroom. Some of us grew up in places that didn't have much of a school system, so Wars set up a place where we can take classes or study stuff we missed out on. Four has a workshop- he's better than most of the official guys at fixing weapons and shit, and most of us don't really use standard-issue gear.”
“Huh. They really do treat you guys well,” Legend remarked - it was rare that soldiers got that many amenities. Non standard gear? That was rare too. “Mind if I ask about your gear?”
“Yeah, well, it helps that we ain’t exactly a standard unit, either,” Twilight shrugged, his country drawl growing stronger for a moment. “All of us have magic of one sort or another, and from what I understand it’s all unusual shit, like Hyrule’s healing. I don’t really know a whole lot about it- I’m one of those kids that grew up in a little backwoods farm town, and schoolin’ ain’t my strong suit- but HQ don’t know half of it. Ain’t none of us volunteering the info either ‘cause none of us would fit in a regular squad. ‘Cept Wars, maybe.”
He turned a corner and stopped at a door. “As for my gear, it’s probably easier to just show ya. This is my bunk. Come on in, this’ll take a sec.”
Legend nodded, letting Twilight enter first before he followed. Twi's bunk was small, as expected, but fairly neatly organized. They must not move often if they've settled in this much. “It's easier to stay here, where others understand.”
“That’s one of the reasons, yeah.” Twilight dug a set of armor out of a chest; it still had rents and tears in it from the last fight. “None of us know how to repair it like Four does,” Twi shrugged as he caught Legend’s raised eyebrow. “We have backup gear, standard stuff, but you wanted to see mine, so…”
He donned the armor quickly and strapped a shield to his back. A sword, glittering with magic to Legend’s senses, was hooked to his belt, and a strange crystal, glowing darkly, hung from a chain on his neck. “The crystal’s the key, really,” he explained. “It’s a focus.”
“With Four out of the picture, more than just your Guide is affected,” Legend replied with dawning understanding. “Your equipment, your whole dynamic, is at risk.”
“Exactly. Which, I think, is one of the reasons you got sent to us.” Twilight studied Legend for a moment, obviously parsing out his words. “You’re a Link. With a Zelda. That can’t be a coincidence. You have magic- Hyrule can sense it pretty well, and he told me as much when you first showed up. Heck, you’re related to Malon. I don’t know how many people do your job, but I’m pretty sure you’re the only Guide out there besides Four who could come in here and not completely fuck this up.”
Legend studied him for a moment, mulling over the situation and Twilight's words in his mind. With every spin, he found himself agreeing. This was no coincidence, but that in itself made things more complicated. Where did he fit in here, between Four and Hyrule, as full guide and budding? And it wasn't as though he'd stay long term. He was just a bandaid. He squashed any hope of staying long term at the reminder.
“I'm simply a fill in, Twilight. No matter how well we might work together.“
“Maybe, maybe not,” Twilight said cryptically. “Anyway, we came in here so I could show you what my gear does. Whatever you do, please don’t yell. Wolfie’s ears are sensitive.”
With that, he touched the crystal and closed his eyes. A swirl of shadowy fog surrounded him, and when it cleared, the space Twilight had occupied was now filled by a large, dark gray wolf, clad in battered armor. It boofed once at Legend and sat, tail twitching.
Legend very pointedly bit back his initial yelp of surprise. Huh. That definitely would have attracted the researchers' attention. “You guys have been very lucky, haven't you?”
Wolfie nodded and stepped forward. The shadows swirled again and Twilight appeared, slightly unsteady. “We have,” he said, grabbing a chair back to keep his balance, and waved off Legend’s concern. “I’m alright. Changing that fast just takes a bit out of me.”
“Noted.” Legend nods, examining the room and Twilight himself with a new perspective. “Are there any other consequences of that I should be aware of?”
“All of my senses are sharper than normal,” Twi said with a shrug, “even more than most Sentinels I’ve met. And I’m a lot stronger than most, but Time thinks that’s just genetics and me growing up throwing goats and stuff around on a farm.”
“No evidence of Sentinel awakening, though? Or at least nothing you can attribute to such?” Legend double checked, mostly for his own piece of mind. This squad was already much different than their files had suggested, even if it was rare to find one who wasn't. After this stint he'd have a lot more to lock away in his mind to make sure nobody else found it.
“Not from me. But…. You may want to check on Sky. He's been…off, the last couple of days.” Twilight shrugged. “Four always made it a point not to bond with anyone, but they say it can happen accidentally.”
“It can,” Legend allowed, thinking back to how Sky had been in the other room, but he didn’t know the man well enough to have any idea what might be different. He’d have to talk to the man later today, perform his own assessment. “All of you are new to me - is there anything in particular you think I should pay attention to?”
Twilight thought about that for a moment as he stripped off his armor and put it aside. “We're all grieving,” he said finally. “Time's more than our commander; him and Malon are almost like parents to some of us. Having him gone, Champ down, and Four out of commission… none of us are exactly on stable footing here.”
“I'll be gentle,” the veteran assured him with an expression of not pity, but understanding. “This isn't my first time stepping into a minefield. I'm here to help, not make things worse.”
Twilight gave a nod and stored the last bits of his gear. Before he could say anything else his slate beeped, the loud noise startling them both. Twilight pulled the device from his belt and poked it. “Hyrule?”
“Yeah. Twi, is the guide still with you?” Hyrule's voice was quiet but strained with worry and, possibly, fear.
“Yes? What's up?”
“We need him in the infirmary stat.” Yelling came from behind him, the voice unfamiliar. Twilight blinked once, then bolted for the door, Legend following close behind. “Champ’s awake, but he's not himself.”
“How so?” Legend asked, easily keeping up with the other's loping strides.
Hyrule glanced sideways. “He doesn't remember us,” the medic said. “At all. Twi, I don't think he remembers who he is.”
“Shit,” Twilight growled. “We're in the barracks. Be there in five. Call Wars, let him know.”
Hyrule nodded and the screen flicked off. Twilight and Legend glanced at each other and ran faster.