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Chapter Text

"TOOK HIM!?"

Everyone's faces turned serious, staring at Sky with deep concern. That was something they really didn't expect. The only one who dared to say anything was Wild, when he asked that.

"Yes..." Sky replied, his gaze dropping as if trying to avoid all the eyes. "I don't— it happened so— we were there and— they cornered him!" He began to grow more nervous with every word, recapitulating in his mind everything that had happened in the last fifteen minutes, when he simply went with Legend to the nearest stable to ask if there were monster attacks, and a group of red-dressed men with Sheikah masks ambushed them. Everyone else had stayed in the camp, which wasn't too far, so he hadn't seen any danger coming. How could he have expected that something like that was going to happen?

"And you didn't stop them!?" Wild didn't want to sound accusatory; he genuinely didn't. But the whole situation was generating an anxiety in him that made him start to do and say things he might regret later. He took a step forward.

"I couldn't! They appeared from nowhere— and there were at least six or seven! I barely managed to resist them for a few minutes, but then I looked at Legend and— there were too many, all around him, and— and they all disappeared! With him! I couldn't do anything!" He looked at Wild with an apologetic expression, hoping he would understand. But Sky knew it was his fault, no matter what he said. He was the one with him, after all.

After a few seconds of just staring at his brother in disbelief, Wild turned around and stepped away a few paces, running his hands through his hair in frustration. This could not be happening. Not him. Please, Hylia, not the veteran.

He flinched when a sudden hand landed on his shoulder. But when he looked up, it was just Twilight, his blue gaze meeting his own.

"Hey, relax, cub. We're gonna get him." He still had a frown on his face, even though his voice was attempting to be warm and reassuring. Unfortunately, that upset Wild even more.

"You DON'T understand! Don't you remember that they want revenge!? They could do ANYTHING to him!" His voice was tense, and his heart raced as frustration filled him more and more. His fists were clenched.

"Wild, let's calm down. They won't do anything to him." His hand was firm on Wild's shoulder, and he didn't take his eyes off him. "Listen, they don't know him, so they probably just want to lure you. We're going there and saving him before they do anything, but once we arrive, we'll have to ensure they don't catch you too. Tell us the way; we're heading out now."

"No..." He took a step back. "No no no no no no it's too far— It's too far! We will take a whole day to get there!" They couldn't wait that long; it would be too risky. In that time, those assassins could do anything, they needed to get their brother out of there right now.

...If he just teleported to the shrine near the hideout —he could easily sneak in and save him in the blink of an eye without having to wait that long, but he would have to leave the others there. But he’s in danger, I need to go... He could fix this. His slightly trembling hand was already on its way to his slate when Twilight abruptly grabbed his wrist.

"What do you think you're doing?" The air tensed, and all the warmth of Twilight's voice was suddenly gone. "Don't you dare think that you're going alone."

"THEY'LL KILL HIM, TWI!"

"NO, THEY WON'T! They want YOU to be there! Don't you see it!?"

Wild yanked his hand out of his brother's grasp, but his finger was just three centimeters from touching the screen and sending him to Gerudo when the slate abruptly left his hand. Twilight held it out of his reach with a deep frown and a surprised expression, while they just stared at each other with an incredulous look.

...Wild didn't even think. He just saw red.

He launched himself at his older brother, and with the impact, they both ended up on the floor tangled in a pile of limbs, Wild reaching for his device as if his life depended on it. He tugged on Twilight's tunic to reach his hand, stretching his body as far as he could, while the rancher pushed him away with his arm, keeping the slate as far from him as possible.

"BOYS, STOP!" The scolding voice of Time abruptly cut through the air, and immediately after that, someone firmly grabbed Wild by the arms and lifted him away from his brother, while he squirmed trying to get free.

The problem was that after that, everything happened so fast.

In the midst of the struggles, at some point, the Sheikah slate fell to the ground, or someone touched it, or stepped on it, or something. But right after that, an audible sound came from the device, and Wild's body started to fill with a so familiar tingling as every cell of his own became blue light, his weight suddenly disappearing. He felt Warrior's gaze from behind, still holding him and watching him with open surprise and confusion.

The air filled with a dense thickness as everyone's gazes landed on him, wide-eyed, and a few seconds later, he felt his whole figure being dragged by the wind, the last thing he saw being Twilight meeting his eyes with a horrified expression.

Everything became a blur after that.

***

An angry yell escaped from Twilight’s throat, while everyone was just frozen in their places.

Wild returned to himself in a hot place, his surroundings looking yellow and dry, while the sun above him painted everything in a golden, hot light. He took a few seconds to process everything that had happened in the last moments, his rage under control now that no one was bothering him, and his face displaying a visibly confused grimace.

...The Yiga just kidnapped Legend. This was definitely not fine. But he was there now, almost at the entrance of the hideout, so he could stealthily enter and get him out without anyone seeing him. It was as easy as that. Stay calm.

He didn't understand Twilight's anger; the rest of his brothers didn't need to be involved—not if he could resolve this perfectly on his own. He had been in this place thousands of times already, and perfectly knew that getting in secretly wasn't that difficult. Plus, it had to be done fast; who knew what they were doing to the veteran at that moment? Thoughts exploded in his mind.

The idea of them having his brother really twisted something inside him, filling him with uncontrollable anxiety. He couldn't let them hurt him; he couldn't forgive himself if they did. It's me who they want, after all! Oh Hylia, if they dared to touch Legend... they wouldn't have enough Hyrule to run away, that was for sure.

But what if Twi was right...? It could certainly be a trap. They could be using his brother as bait to attract him, but he had to do something anyway! He couldn't just let Legend suffer in there because of him! That was something he would not allow at all. What if they were torturing him now? The more they waited, the worse it would be. Waiting for the rest of the group to arrive definitely would be a terrible decision. Did they not trust him?

What did they think? That he couldn't manage this situation by himself? In his own Hyrule!? HA! No one knew the Yiga better than he did; he found them literally everywhere. He even knew every single one of their attacks! It's not like they innovated or anything.

He could do this. He perfectly could, and he was going to prove it.

Determined, he started to walk with firm steps toward the back door of the hideout, a frown settling on his face as his footsteps sank into the burning sand. He searched closely around him for any Yiga soldiers; they usually watched that area the most due to the shrine. But when he noticed that it seemed like there wasn't any, he approached until he was standing right in front of the stone door, the painted upside-down Sheikah symbol glaring at him.

Everything was suspiciously silent. They want me to enter; that's why no one is watching the entrance , he thought. It wouldn't be the first time. He calmly opened the heavy door just enough for his thin body to enter, and without making almost any noise, he was already between Yiga's walls. Now all he had to do was reach the dungeons, the way to which he knew perfectly. He could do this.

Hang on, Ledge... I'm coming.

***

Wild's knees were already starting to turn red as he continued crawling through the ventilation duct for what had been around twenty minutes, turning left or right every time an intersection appeared. With his stealth outfit, he made zero noise, but he moved carefully anyway.

There wasn't much light, the metal was cold under his palms, and he sometimes passed above some vents. The rooms below could be seen through them, and thanks to that, he could tell there wasn't much farther to go. He was almost entering the dungeons and just had to move a little further.

When he finally saw actual cells through the vents, he started to search for both soldiers and his brother as he continued moving forward. He wasn't passing right above them; instead, he was above a corridor that was on the other side of the bars. The Yiga weren't foolish enough to place an exit directly on the ceiling of the prison chambers. What a shame.

But what he didn't expect was for everything to be empty, which caused a really unpleasant feeling in his gut. What if they had moved him to another room? What if he was too late!? This couldn't be happening. Please. This. Couldn’t. Be. Happening…

Fortunately, it hadn't been too long before he could spot a blond head through the bars of both the vent and the cell. He let out a breath that felt like half his weight had been lifted.

Hylia, there you are.

When he made sure that absolutely no one else was down there, his hands moved to the metal vent beneath him, and with a practiced movement, he opened it with a barely audible click. Immediately after, he let his body drop from the ceiling, landing with a sort of grace in front of the bars confining the veteran.

"Yahaha, I found you," he whispered once he was on his feet again.

Legend snapped his head upright from where he was curled up on the floor, his wide violet eyes landing on him heavily, and a hopeful look settled on his face. Wild's heart sank a bit when he spotted the bruise on his cheek, one he probably had only recently acquired, and he noticed him shivering slightly; otherwise, he seemed unharmed. The veteran got to his feet and approached the iron bars as much as the chains around his wrists would allow.

"How did you— Where are the others?" An urgent tone was evident in his voice as Wild moved toward the lock of the cell, his hand reaching for a lockpick in his pocket as he began to work on it.

"Huh, glad to see you too. And that is... an interesting question." Ugh, he hadn't thought about that; he was definitely going to get mad... He tried to avoid giving an answer, but Legend's arched eyebrow and the questioning look he always had when he or Rulie did something wrong made it clear that there was no escape. He gulped. "We, um... We were too far away from here, so I just... teleported. They stayed in the camp."

Legend's eyes went impossibly wider, and he braced himself for the scolding. 

"YOU DID WHAT!?" Legend's face paled, and the expression in his eyes could now be described as terror. "Are you telling me that you're here alone!?"

"...yeah?"

"Wild, it's a TRAP! You have to get out of here before they noti—" And before he could even finish the sentence, a sudden sharp pain stabbed at the side of Wild's neck, causing Legend to stare at it wide-eyed. The champion lifted his hand to the area, and when he removed whatever he was touching, he saw a purple dart that made his heart skip a beat.

He didn't even have time to panic; in less than a few seconds, his entire body felt non-existent. Every inch suddenly lost all its weight as needles of pain coursed through him, and a heavy, suffocating dizziness and numbness settled upon his head like an unpleasant blanket. Trying to make the slightest movement was utterly useless, and he sensed an impact collapse on him.

Before he even realized it, he was lying on the floor, his eyes blinking slowly as he tried to focus on anything while consciousness leaked away from him unstoppably and at a terrifying speed. He thought he heard Legend screaming his name in the background, a distant and blurry sound, along with the rattling of chains. But the last thing he noticed before everything went black was a pair of heavy dark boots placed just a few centimeters from his face, accompanied by a voice so deep he felt it in his soul.

"Good try, hero."

Chapter Text

Wild had just regained consciousness when he noticed the overwhelming dizziness consuming his head, and the truly unpleasant feeling coursing through his veins, exhausting him with every breath. A frown formed on his face as he tried to move slightly, wondering what had happened, and every muscle in his body felt like rusty iron when he did so. However, with effort, he managed to slowly sit up, squinting as his eyes tried to focus.

What he first noticed were the chains connecting his wrists to the wall behind him, offering barely any space to move. Next, he realized he was on the floor of a small cell, the cold air around him making contact with his skin. The gears turning in his head were almost audible; he was so confused. Where was he? What was he doing there? What had happened?

Not many seconds had passed when he saw his brother chained to the wall on the left, staring at him with a look that was both concerned and frustrated. This generated a strange feeling in him, and his eyes widened as all the memories suddenly rushed into his mind.

"You okay?" The veteran's voice was hoarse, as if he had been screaming.

"Yeah..." He lifted his hands to rub his eyes, and the rattling of the chains made him feel very uncomfortable. Everything that had happened that day was now slowly coming to his fractured mind, rotating in it more and more as anxiety began to fill him with each passing second. Upon hearing his response, his brother's expression relaxed for a brief moment before abruptly turning to slight anger. Oh no... Please, don't get too mad... "Legend, I—"

"How are we supposed to get out of here now, huh?" He interrupted. He was nervous. "The others don't even know where we are!"

"I don't— I don't know—"

"Couldn't you have just come with them? Just wait for everyone to be here? Wild, this isn't the first time you've tried to do something by yourself and then messed up." His chest heaved as he said all of this, the tenseness of his voice striking heavily while his fists were clenched. And the only thing Wild could think about was that he was right. Hylia, he was so right. "When will you stop doing things so darn impulsively!?"

"I couldn't— let them hurt you, okay?" His gaze was no longer up, while his heart raced, and he just wished to get out of there. His head slowly fell onto his hands. "I know them; I defeated their leader once and dealt with them every time they came for me..."

"And what? You can't just underestimate them, not if you know perfectly well that they want revenge!"

"This wasn't supposed to happen!"

"Supposed? You don't know them, Wild!"

"I thought I did!"

"Yeah, and because of that, here we are! Was it really that difficult to just wait!?"

"I COULDN'T LOSE ANYONE ELSE, LEGEND!"

Silence.

A really tight and unpleasant silence that was only broken by Wild's sudden sobs.

Why didn't I just listen to Twilight!? WHY!?

He had warned him. He had warned him about the Yiga, even without knowing them, and he just ignored him and left him alone, along with the others. Twilight had taken away his slate to stop him from getting into danger, and he just... launched himself at him. With rage, like a wild animal, and then left him —his mentor— behind.

Just because he THOUGHT he could solve everything. As if he were invincible. Not only that, but he had ONE thing to do and couldn't even do it right. He had let those banana-obsessed idiots catch him and messed everything up because of his stubbornness.

As always.

Not only hadn't he saved Legend, but he was going to get both of them killed. And the others could take days to arrive. Could this situation be worse? Why, Hylia, why!? Hot tears slipped down the scars on his face as pure guilt sank his heart. His hands were tight in his hair, his body shaking, and a million thoughts crossed his mind at a painfully fast speed.

"Why is it always my fault...?"

***

Of all the brothers that Legend had, Wild was probably the one who gave him the most trouble —even more than Rulie. And that, honestly, was something that really got on his nerves.

That kid could never just follow the rules; absolutely never. He had never met anyone in his life who enjoyed wandering off the road in such a way, no matter what dangers could be lurking, and just having fun with it. Without maps, without plans, and sometimes even without weapons. That was something that bothered him a lot due to his lack of concern for risky situations.

...But, to be honest, sometimes he had to admit that it made Wild admirable in a sort of way. 

His decisive thinking never ceased to impress him. He could be in the most life-threatening situation, with everything against him, and just... deal with it. He could fight against a Lynel with nothing more than a tree branch and a pot lid. He could be in the middle of the darkest forest and just climb a tree to see the exit. He could have an entire cult spread across Hyrule trying to kill him, and he would just walk happily through his land without worrying about them. Because Wild wasn't the kind of person who just got upset if he had a problem; he would calmly face it in his own way and somehow get out of it.

He just loved how unique his brother was, and perfectly knew his particular way of solving anything. Nothing could stop him; he would always find the most creative way to get out of any issue.

...But when he made illogical decisions, like the one today, it honestly made Legend's blood boil. It gave him the urge to punch something. Because Wild did plenty of them, lots of them. And almost all the time, he was the one facing the consequences and scoldings too, for 'not watching him.'

His creative methods didn't always work, and that was something that seemed to elude the kid's understanding. It really frustrated Legend. The frequency with which Wild got into trouble was something that never ceased to impress him; because he was smart for some things, but definitely not for others. Sometimes it even seemed as if he were looking for danger on purpose. And, of course, Legend had to be the one ensuring the wild child remained in one piece. Those were the times when he had to hold himself back from shaking Wild by the shoulders and just yelling at him to freaking think before acting.

That day, though... that day was the last straw. 

When they managed to capture him and brought him there, he heard Ganon's ugly followers talk about the trap. About everything they would do to his brother when he arrived. They would perform a sort of sacrifice, discussing killing him in the exact manner he had killed their leader, and his heart sank more with every word that escaped their mouths. Because, unfortunately, he knew all too well what it felt like to be hunted by a group of people spread across the land.

He had heard Wild's occasional tales about the Yiga around the campfire in someone else's Hyrule, and it always reminded him of when he was younger. This caused him one of the most upsetting feelings he had ever felt, because knowing that one of his brothers was also going through something like that felt like a stab wound. 

When he realized the terrible danger Wild would face when he got there, Legend, with all of his strength, prayed to Lolia that the others were there to stop it. To protect him. Because he couldn't bear the thought of those assassins doing anything to Wild; he simply couldn't allow it at all. He hadn't been so terrified in a long time while he waited in that cell, contemplating everything that could happen.

...And when he finally saw him through the bars, his heart almost stopped at the answer Wild gave him when he asked where the others were. 

His fantastic plan. 

His freaking fantastic plan. 

This couldn't be happening. No way this could be happening. But the dart that struck Wild's neck was the last piece to make his whole figure freeze and completely panic. 

What have we done to deserve this, Hylia...?

He could only scream with all his rage at the Yiga soldiers who appeared to drag his brother into the cell, his throat protesting painfully as he did so, feeling completely useless as they ignored him and threw Wild inside like a rag doll. Eventually, he fell to his knees, his wrists aching as he pulled at the chains that kept him close to the wall, making a real effort to keep the tears in his eyes from falling.

He could only stare at his unconscious brother for who knows how long, with anxiety burning inside him. It felt like an eternity.

But what he didn't expect was that, once Wild woke up, his reaction could only be channeled as anger. He realized that too late, as the yells and words that came out of his mouth were an equal mix of anger, the urge to cry, and disbelief. Not only had the kid managed to fall straight into the trap, but he also made sure that the others took ages to come save them, if they ever did. Just like that. If there was someone in the entire world capable of messing things up that much and that quickly, it was only the Hero of the Wild. 

I swear, I don't know what to do with him anymore.  

Despite the pain he felt inside, his answer was pure rage. Rage for everything: for the Yiga, for the situation, for Wild's stubbornness, and for every single thing in the cursed world they had to inhabit. He wanted to scream about everything. He felt delirious from it all.

Eventually, Wild broke.

And with him, Legend's heart.

The sobs he caused on him were like needles of pain, and he was just so done with everything. He didn't want him to cry; he just wanted him to be safe. He just wanted him out of there. He just wanted him to stop being so reckless and putting himself in danger all the time. He just wanted this nightmare to end.

He bumped his head against the wall behind him, and cursed the chains that prevented him from hugging his brother while he still could.

Chapter Text

Eyes…

Why were there so many... eyes?

This was more than overwhelming.

The situation Wild found himself in at that moment was... definitely not fun. The dim rays of the sunset painted the scene, which, despite being warm, still felt so cold with the snowy mountains of Gerudo surrounding the area. His body shivered both from the chilly air and the anxiety that had been tormenting him all day, especially in that moment.

He thought he hadn't seen so many people together in his life, as far back as he could remember, and all of them were so close to each other that they occupied every inch of the little canyon they were in. All he could see were red suits and the red eyes of the Sheikah masks that were staring at him intensely. Expectantly. Eagerly.

It was so difficult to tell how long he had spent in that cell with Legend, but it surely felt like a complete eternity. During that time, his brother had told him about the plans the Yiga had for him, and they both tried to devise an escape. They tried to plan anything that might give them a single chance of finally getting out, but time ran non-stop against them, and they still couldn't do anything. They could barely move inside the cell, so their chances were slowly becoming more and more nonexistent.

But the time arrived. And once the soldiers inevitably came, they took him first and left the veteran inside, and that was when they both thought it was time to act. But the soldiers' strength was far greater than theirs, their enormous bodies making it impossible to even attempt to squirm or escape. It felt unthinkable. They were at a clear disadvantage, without weapons or anything, so all Wild could do was let them drag him away while Legend screamed uselessly at them in the background. He felt somewhat relieved that they were leaving his brother there; at least he was safe. That was more than he could wish for.

They led him through the same corridors he had seen before when he was in the air vent, sometimes looking up at the secret that had always allowed him to sneak in. At least they still hadn't discovered that he had come from there... right?

What he didn't expect, though, was the number of people outside, behind the heavy stone door of the back entrance. He didn't know that such a multitude of Yiga could fit inside those dungeons, and it genuinely made him want to run away from it, if he could. That crowd was probably bigger than Hatelia's population; he just stared at it, wide-eyed and incredibly uncomfortable.

If Legend was right, those people were going to throw him into the big hole in some sort of ritual to finally take revenge for what he had done to Kohga. And boy, it looked like they were taking it seriously. After all those years chasing him, even he felt it was unreal that they had managed to capture him in the end.

...but they unfortunately did. And there he was now, with ropes holding his body to a wooden post that was only secured by a few leather straps, which were going to be cut right at the edge of the deep hole in the ground.

Only half of the soles of his boots were touching solid ground at that moment, his hands completely unmoving behind the post, and the bindings on his chest making it hard to breathe. Everything was against him. He would have protested if it weren't for the cloth that they had shoved in his mouth and tied behind his head. 

This is going to be tough, isn't it...?  

People yelled. Everything was extremely loud, and the only words he caught were insults coming from the crowd, which grew worse as seconds passed. He tried to ignore them; he really did, but them penetrating his ears like little needles that slowly accumulated on his heart made it nearly impossible. He hadn't seen those people in his life, and they already had such hatred for him, as if he had ruined their lives. It was just so confusing. 

His head throbbed while he stood there, on the kind of altar placed beneath him, as he tried to look everywhere but the eyes. The inverted Sheikah eyes that were going to haunt him in his nightmares if he managed to get out of this one, which honestly felt barely possible. But it wasn't until he spotted something among all the heads that he stood even stiller than he already was. 

A blond head could be seen among all the red, and his eyes widened with fear at the sight of the veteran standing right there, with a soldier twice his height gripping him tightly by the hair. His hands were also behind his back, but when his violet eyes met his own, they immediately filled with a terror he had never seen on Legend. 

Right after that, Wild saw him trying to escape the man's grasp while he said something he couldn't hear, only to receive a punch to his stomach that surely left him breathless. The champion flinched as if he had been the one receiving it, while his brother just couldn't take his eyes off him, the tension visible between them. 

Please. Don't. Touch. Him. Now he really was nervous. Why did they bring him there? They weren't doing anything to him, were they!? Wild hated so much that his brother had to see how those assassins finished him off, but hated the idea of them doing something to him even more. He uselessly pulled at the tight ropes in frustration.

But then, suddenly, the air tensed so much that it felt solid, and everyone fell abruptly silent. The footsteps of a giant, muscular man who emerged from the hideout resonated throughout the entire canyon; his enormous figure barely fitting through the door, approaching Wild with a deadly stare he still felt through what appeared to be a replica of Kohga's mask. The man's fists were tightly clenched, and everyone moved out of his way as he drew closer, making his way directly to the altar where the champion was being held.

Wild froze completely. That must be their new leader... Well, that man truly imposed more than Kohga did, but maybe it was just the appearance. Hopefully. He had to stay positive. He knew he would get out of this, but he also needed to make the slight shivers in his body less evident.

When the Yiga leader stood beside him, Wild gulped and looked up at him with a defiant glare. Huh, he had faced scarier Lynels. Ignoring the part of him that wanted to immediately distance himself from that man, he reminded himself that he was facing the guy who had caused him so much trouble with the Yiga soldiers over the past year! It was him! He had gotten him and his brother into that situation, and there he was, glaring down at him so smugly!

A frown formed on Wild's face. Why had he felt scared of him for a moment? He had faced Ganon himself, for the love of Hylia! This guy was nothing! He wished he could just spit in his ugly face.

They remained like that for a few seconds, just staring at each other, and then the leader turned to face the crowd. That was when Wild searched again for Legend, who was also glaring at the man, but with a murderous look that could surely give nightmares to anyone.

"Yiga clan!" he started. His voice was even deeper than the soldier's voice Wild had encountered in the dungeons, and it honestly made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. "Today is a very special day. A glorious day, I would say... because today we're gonna make—"

"LET HIM GO, YOU SONS OF A BI—!" All faces turned to Legend, and the soldier grabbing him by the hair was now covering his mouth with his other hand, as Legend squirmed without taking his eyes off the leader. Wild's body abruptly tensed. Stop TOUCHING him!

"Ahem. Today we're gonna make history in all of Hyrule, my loyal soldiers. Today is the day we avenge our Lord Master Kohga!" He raised a fist, and in perfect synchronization, all the noise from before returned with double the strength.

Wild closed his eyes tightly as the tormenting yells hit him, reverberating off the canyon walls and making the whole area tremble slightly. Hylia, he had not experienced so many screams even after returning to Hatelia after defeating Ganon; it caused a truly unpleasant feeling within him.

The leader continued his speech, and Wild drifted off his attention as he kept looking at his brother, desperation clear in his eyes. Legend looked back at him, having been there all the time without taking his eyes off the champion and the leader, now trying to offer a reassuring glance. The only sort of communication they could have at that moment was through their eyes, while the man's horrible voice made the background tremble.

‘Stay calm, champion’, he said.

‘I... I can't…’

‘Yes you can. I know it's hard, but we will get out of this one. I promise.’

‘They're going to kill me, Ledge—’

"And that being said, we can finally start," the man said clearly and loudly, right before looking at someone who was probably behind the post.

The urge to throw up suddenly hit Wild as he heard movement behind him, and he twisted his head as much as he could to see, but it was useless. The only thing he saw when he had been dragged in there were the three straps preventing the post from falling into the hole, but they were—

THUD.

...said post shook for a brief moment, and he heard the cut strap fall to the floor. All the blood left his face.

Oh no.

Oh no no no no no no no no NO NO NO NO NO—

Legend screamed through the soldier's hand, all the apparent calm of before suddenly gone. All that remained in him now was terror, a terror that was passed straight to Wild.

Hylia, you can't be doing this to me right now. Please.

HYLIA, PLEASE.

His skin started to burn as he thrashed against the ropes, but he also tried not to shake the post too much. Panic surged within him. Panic filled him. Panic was the only thing present in him. The ropes didn't even budge, just made his blood circulation difficult, as his teeth tightened on the cloth in his mouth in pure anxiety and terror.

THUD.

The post leaned a few centimeters toward the hole, and Wild just stared into the darkness for a brief moment, trying to keep as much of his boots on solid ground as possible. Sweat covered his forehead, his head pounded in pain, and his body didn't stop shivering. He still tried to break free in vain.

He flinched when a sudden hand landed on his shoulder and began to squeeze painfully. When he looked to his side, it was the leader, who suddenly leaned to his eye level and approached his ear, his heart racing as he got closer.

"Look at them, my little hero. Look at them," he whispered in a voice that froze Wild's blood, leaving him without the little breath he had managed to catch.

And the worst part is that he did. The last thing he saw before the inevitable were all those horrendous eyes staring at him with eager expectation, with the greatest excitement he had ever seen on a person before, and with the sole reason being his dying. The eyes that pierced his heart, that hurt in his very soul, and that were literally defeating him.

Until it happened, and his eyes closed tightly again, his heart skipping a few beats.

“GLORY TO MASTER KOHGA!!!”

THUD.

Chapter Text

Everything was over.

Everything.

Everything he had done, fought for, and sacrificed for everyone in this land... had been crushed by those Ganon followers who hated him so much. Everything had been in vain... because of them.

But... what?

Wait.

Wait a minute.

He slowly opened his eyes, and... Hylia, he was watching the same scene. The hole was still there. He hadn't moved. Why hadn't he moved?

The sound of someone falling to the floor reached Wild's ears, and he abruptly turned his head to see what had happened. He hadn't fallen into the hole; the post was still being held by the last strap, and instead, there was a dead Yiga leader lying on the sand with an arrow stabbed right in his chest.

Confusion struck him in the middle of the tense silence while everyone in the scene processed what had just happened. His heart was still racing at a painful speed. That silence was short, though, because right after that, the yell of a young woman burst in the canyon and shook everything within it, along with several voices that began to make their presence felt. But the least thing the champion expected to see was what he saw when he raised his head.

A very familiar red hair was moving swiftly through all the Yigas, making quick movements as she attacked every red-dressed man that got in her way, and was closely followed by what seemed to be hundreds of Gerudo soldiers. Wild's eyes went impossibly wide.

Riju!?

In less than a second, everything became a greater chaos than what had just taken place moments before, as everyone started to unsheathe their blades while the canyon transformed into an authentic battlefield. Some Yiga were teleporting away now, the cowards, while others were being slashed by the Gerudo women's enormous swords in a brutal manner. He had seen them training sometimes, but never before in such combat, where pure rage was evident on their faces and everything that touched their weapons was quickly blown apart. If it weren't for the tension still coursing through his body, he would have even thought it was cool to see.

But confusion still lingered in his mind, along with the shock of nearly being killed, and besides, he now had hundreds of questions. How did they know he was there? Who told them?

"WILD!"

His heart stopped.

He turned his head to the other side, and the sudden urge to cry hit him heavily as he saw Twilight approaching rapidly, his eyes wide and filled with terror.

"Twilight..." he tried to say through the cloth, which resulted in an unintelligible word.

Once he reached him, his brother gently cupped Wild's face in his hands, examining him for a brief moment. Then he quickly moved to the knot behind his head that prevented him from speaking, undoing it with trembling hands.

"Don't worry, cub, you're safe now. We're getting you out of here in a minute." His voice was tense, and he moved behind him to untie the ropes that covered almost his entire body, making swift movements. The sounds of the war still raged a few meters away.

"I'm— Twilight I'm—" Once the cloth was removed, tears flowed down his scarred face without him commanding it, and his heart began to ache deeply. He thought he would never get to say this to him. "I'm so sorry, Twi—"

"Hey hey hey, it's okay. I've got you, cub." He worked super fast, until at some point the pressure around Wild's body finally loosened. Before he could even move away from the post, Twilight grabbed his arm to pull him away from the edge of the hole and immediately enveloped him in a bear hug.

Wild's entire figure shook with sobs, as he hugged back with all the strength he had left. His brother's hand moved to the back of his head while he squeezed, holding him as close as possible, providing a warmth that Hylia knew he had desperately needed. It felt like heaven. But that didn't diminish the drowning feeling of guilt that had been consuming him all day, now bursting out of him uncontrollably.

"I shouldn't— I shouldn't have come alone— Why did I do it!?" His voice was a mess. "I'm such an idiot— They should've killed me, Twi! For being such a dumbass and leaving you all behind! I can't— I'm so—"

"Shhhhh... Don't say that. It's okay, wild child. It's okay. What matters is that you're safe now, you and Legend." Wild felt his hand moving to stroke his hair, and that somehow gave him a reassuring feeling. "Riju told us to get you two out of here as soon as we had you, so that's what we're doing, before those people try to do anything else. Can you walk?"

With that, Twilight let go of the hug, but his hands were still on both of Wild's shoulders. The champion nodded in response, wiping his face with his sleeve, and not long after that, his brother firmly grabbed his arm, turning to face the battle for a moment. "GUYS, TIME TO GO!"

"COME ON, GO! WE'VE GOT THIS!" That was Riju's voice, and Wild watched as she ducked the blade that was going straight for her neck, while taking advantage of the moment to stab the Yiga right in the stomach. Before moving to the next one, she gestured for them to go, and now.

Twilight started to run toward the entrance of the canyon as fast as he could while dragging his little brother and keeping an eye on everything around them. Wild was almost stumbling along the way, but the rancher's hand was firm on his arm, so he just let himself be pulled across the canyon as they navigated through the intense battle.

***

"Let him go."

On the other side of all the chaos erupting in the area, Sky's voice sounded heavy as he faced the soldier who had Legend in his grasp, a deep frown that was so rare to see on him prominently displayed. Fi was slightly vibrating in anger on his hand as he approached them with a murderous look, ready to attack with the speed of an arrow at the right moment. He had let this happen, so he was the one who needed to get his brother safe now.

"Ha, make me," the man said in his ugly voice behind the mask. But just before Sky could launch himself at him, the Yiga took out a small knife from nowhere and, in a quick movement, pressed it firmly against Legend's throat, the knight's blood running cold. He froze in place.

Okay, plan B. He had to surprise him somehow, but without moving. He glanced at the Gerudo soldier behind them, who was just finishing off two Yigas at the same time, and when he made eye contact with her, he subtly signaled with his gaze at the man holding his brother. She seemed to understand because she slowly started approaching them, her blade firmly in hand.

Sky held his defiant look even with the desperate stare the veteran was giving him, which was really hurting his chest, as little droplets of blood appeared at the edge of the blade. But he had to stay firm. Hold on, Ledge, he tried to say to him with his gaze before speaking.

"You know, I wouldn't be so calm if I had an entire Gerudo army—plus nine heroes—in my backyard killing everything that moves, just so you know."

He could almost feel the man's eyebrow arching, until the assassin stood completely still when the tip of a blade suddenly slashed the back of his neck, letting out a gasp that wasn't even finished. He limply fell to the ground with a solid thud, and Sky immediately ran toward his brother, catching him before he fell too and holding him close to his chest for a moment.

"Vet, are you okay!? Did they hurt you!?" His voice now held an urgent tone, all the rage from a few seconds ago suddenly vanished as his eyes began to examine every single centimeter of his little brother. The knight's expression was now sad.

"I'm okay, don't worry… Thanks, Sky." He quickly moved to cut the ropes in Legend's hands, revealing his sore and almost bleeding wrists that felt like a solid blow. Guilt was slowly rising within him as seconds passed. "Where's Wild?"

"Twilight went to get him; we're leaving now," Sky said, looking toward the post where they had seen Wild when they entered, watching as Twilight now had him and yelled something to them.

"GUYS, TIME TO GO!"

With that, his gaze returned to Legend, who was now rubbing the thin cut on his throat. He firmly grabbed his hand as their eyes met with a very serious look.

"Come on!"

It was a really quiet night, with the almost full moon glowing above the trees and the crickets chanting calmly in the background. The nine heroes were all spread across the camp, doing several tasks before going to bed, and the atmosphere was truly comfortable. They were all exhausted from everything that had happened that day but also immensely relieved that everything ended well. That night, all nine of them were in the camp.

At that moment, Wild was leaning on Legend's shoulder while the veteran read some sort of magic book, a warm blanket covering both of them. The vet hadn't separated from him since they had stopped to make camp, still near Gerudo but no longer in danger. Wild appreciated his brother's presence.

As the others had told them, they had been in the hideout for more than a day, and they had managed to arrive there by getting directions from the nearby stable. Before going, they had also sent a letter to Riju to inform her about the situation, so by the time they got there, she had already brought the entire Gerudo army. That was how they succeeded in rescuing them.

Rulie had already treated all the bruises and small injuries that Legend and Wild had, and luckily no one else was harmed during the battle since it was pretty quick. The next day, they would all go to Gerudo Town to thank Riju and all the soldiers for handling the situation while they escaped with the champion.

And there they were now, relaxing and chatting comfortably as they enjoyed the victory they had achieved. However, the unpleasant memories still lingered, especially those of the exact moment when they entered the canyon. The feeling they all had when they just stood there, mere seconds away from watching one of their brothers die, was something that was likely causing them trouble sleeping that night, but at least everything was over. They were still all together, safe and sound.

Wild moved a little closer to his brother, his head wedged in the curve of Legend's neck as he looked at the campfire's flames a few meters away. He was still processing everything, a blank look on his face. Twilight had already forgiven him, or at least that's how it seemed, but he hadn't had the chance to talk to Legend yet, and he still hadn't told him what he so desperately needed to say.

"Legend, I..." he started. There was guilt in his chest that hadn't fully left, and it was starting to really hurt inside him. "I'm so sorry".

The veteran slightly tensed, his gaze no longer on the book as a subtle, sad expression took hold of his face.

"I'm sorry for everything, I..." Wild continued. "If only I hadn't come alone— everything would've been so much easier. I got myself into danger and dragged you with me too. I'm... I'm really sorry, Legend." He separated from him a little and slowly brought up his knees to hide his face behind them, just like he had done in that cell. But what he didn't expect was Legend's arm suddenly coming from behind his back, gently pushing Wild's head back to lean on his shoulder.

"You don't have to, Wild. You just wanted to keep me safe from the guys you've known for so long, and knowing the things they were capable of, after all." Legend's voice was muffled, as his hand rested on Wild's shoulder. "You probably made the most reckless decision I've ever seen, but still... I know you did it with the best intentions. I really do. And I shouldn't have said all those things I told you."

The memory of that moment abruptly struck Wild's mind. There was a tense pause, and after a few seconds, he spoke again.

"You didn't tell any lies, though..."

"I had no right to say all of that, and even less in that moment, no matter how angry I was. I'm just... I regret so much how I reacted, Wild, but even more for not doing anything during the ritual." A frown formed on his face, filled with frustration. The champion just listened in silence. "I swear I don't know what I would've done if they had managed to kill you while I just stood there... watching it. Without doing anything, and having everything I said as the last words I had spoken to you. I'm sorry too, wild child..."

With that, Wild's heart ached. It wasn't his fault, for the love of Hylia! It was himself, as always— Legend couldn't do anything at that moment. It was him who had all the options to act and had decided to choose the worst ones.

Wild suddenly wrapped his arms around his brother's waist, the veteran flinching for a moment before slowly returning the hug. That was something really rare to see from him, but at that moment, they both needed so much of each other's comfort, after the events they both went through.

***

The chain watched with a sad smile as the pair fell asleep next to each other, finally getting the much-needed and deserved rest, as the moonlight painted everything in a calm atmosphere that allowed them to truly enjoy the presence of each other in the camp.