Chapter Text
The journey was over, the shadow was gone, and everyone had gone back home. Twilight was sitting at home, outside with Epona, back to being just Link - Ordona that felt weird to say - and he was staring up at the night sky. Grief had settled deep in his being, and he missed his brothers dearly, but one person had him near tears, and he just didn't understand why.
Until it hit him. He had seen, spoke to, bonded with, and made his ancestor proud. It made his heart swell in pride for just a moment, allowing him to forget about the grief. He had seen his mentor, his ancestor, in the flesh, and made him proud. A smile graced his lips, and he spared a glance at a sleeping Epona, then the reason for the tears suddenly punched him hard in the gut.
Time was going to die, unfulfilled and full of regrets.
The pain in the Old Man's eye was very well hidden, but it was there. Things went unsaid, but there was always a lingering feeling that he knew something. Perhaps something he should never have known, but he did anyway. Despite that mask he wore for them, Twilight realised now that he had been slowly shattering beneath it. He thought back to every strained smile, every time his grin never met his eyes, and every laugh that sounded empty.
How had he not realised sooner?
Saying goodbye had felt so... full of grief. Like he was seeing Shade for the very last time again, and yet so happy, like he was returning home to where everything was okay. The hug he had gotten from the older man was warm, like the hug of a father, and cold, like the grave. He had a sinking, and agonising, feeling that when they parted ways for the true and final time, Time had run out of just that; time.
Did Malon ever see him again?
He thought back to the Shade that taught him to fight. Shade knew him. He knew that Twilight would see him again, knew that they'd meet while both alive. He knew what Twilight would become, and even then, he had been proud. It didn't matter what happened, in life and in death, he was proud of Twilight.
Did Time know how long he had left?
Link looked up to the stars, trying his hardest not to cry. He wasn't alone yet, and he needed time - how cruel it was - to process everything. The worst part to him was he didn't even know if it was true, he could only go off feelings. Yet, it hurt all the same. A few of the adults in Ordon were still up, doing their usual nighttime routines, and he didn't need to deal with their questions yet. He'd successfully managed to fend off the kids with fake smiles and laughter, promising to tell them about his "awesome" adventures with the "really cool-looking people" in the morning. But now, he wasn't sure he could cope with it.
Oh, how he hated being left alone with his thoughts. Time always knew how to keep them from getting to him. The village had enough to deal with, they didn't his tears and grief because he just couldn't hold it together like a man.
Time would probably tell him off for thinking like that, huh?
The thought of that happening made him smile a little as he thought of how that would go.
"What have I told you about that?" Time would say, with his signature look of disapproval.
'Even that look would be better than nothing, right now.' He thought to himself, glumly but amused.
A shooting star shot across the night sky, and a sense of grief and peace washed over him. It's golden trail lingered behind as the star disappeared into the darkness of the woods. It felt like a message, with how perfectly timed it was.
Was Time still looking out for him in death? Had the man not done enough?
Anger bubbled within him, and the tears he had tried to hold back fell stubbornly from his eyes. They burned his cheeks, but he couldn't bring himself to wipe them away. He chewed on his lower lip to try stop himself from sobbing, but his lip just twitched. His fangs dug painfully into his chin, but he just couldn't bring himself to care. He couldn't cry, not here, not now. Suddenly, he understood Time's anger towards the gods. How dare they do this to a man who sacrificed everything for the land he lived in!
Was he doomed to wander like his ancestor? Or would he get the immediate peace his ancestor had to work for?
Link had enough of it all. He wouldn't allow his mentor, his friend, his brother-in-arms, his ancestor, to be forgotten like some lowly worm anymore. He didn't know everything, but he didn't need to. He just needed people to know who Time was. He wanted them to know who stopped Hyrule from falling spectacularly before it even had chance to defend itself. He knew enough from the groups conversations, and he knew his own view.
If he had to, he would reveal painful things about himself. It didn't matter what, not anymore. It was worth it for the man he saw as a father to be remembered. The world deserved to know about the man who sacrificed everything for them, who did the hardest part of dealing with Ganon, who walked so he could run. Wild's era knew of Time, but did they really know him? Perhaps his writings would be found by his Cub. Perhaps some of those previously locked doors could be opened once more.
Gentle footsteps caught his attention as the tears continued to stubbornly fall. He didn't look down from the sky, still watching the trail of the shooting star.
"Link?" It was Rusl, and he sounded worried. "What's wrong?"
Link didn't answer, continuing to look at the sky. Rusl moved to sit next to him, immediately wrapping an arm around his adoptive son and pulling him close. He had guessed something was bothering his son, but he didn't think it was quite this bad.
"Hey," He gently shook him. "What's happened? Are you alright?"
Link moved his gaze to the floor, tears dripping onto his tunic, and took a deep, slow, and shaky breath. He was torn between saying he was fine, and being open. But deep down, he knew the biggest betrayal he could cause Time would be staying silent. He would betray the man he loved dearly if he said nothing. He swallowed thickly, and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.
"I met my teacher again in the Chain." His voice was quiet, and wavered under the weight of the confession. "He didn't know, but it's like he did. I... I had to say goodbye again, and..." A sob broke him off.
Rusl didn't quite understand, but he held Link all the same. There were many things he didn't understand, but came to realise Link would speak on it whenever he was ready to.
"I don't think he made it home alive." He whispered.
Rusl froze, stunned at what he heard. He had met the odd group Link had travelled with, so which of them did he mean? He kind of understood the situation, but it was time travel, so he didn't fully grasp it. Nothing since the Twilight Invasion had made sense. All eight of the young boys and men were lovely, helping out whenever needed even if they were tired or injured. They were pleasant to talk to, if a little strange, and minded their business regarding important things. If one of them heard something they weren't meant to, they acted oblivious and never brought it up. Link had smiled freely with them, something no one had seen since the Twilight Invasion. He was afraid to ask, but he wanted to help.
"Which..." Rusl trailed off momentarily, licking his dry lips as he thought. "Which one was it?"
"Time." Link choked out, still avoiding Rusl's eyes.
Rusl felt tears of his own start. Yes, he had been petrified one of the younger ones had passed, but hearing it was the oldest who kept their group together? It hit hard. He didn't think Time was that old, despite the groups constant jokes of him being the "Old Man". At most, he seemed about Rusl's own age, not even forty. It hit close to home, and he couldn't imagine the pain. Time had been the ones to rangle the group, let them loose, and then explain the situation to the concerned villages. He had watched the group, stopped any issues, helped out the village. He treated the kids with kindness even if they asked or said something that clearly triggered a bad memory, he gently explained that he didn't want to talk about it and moved on, making sure they knew they had done nothing wrong. He was always pleasant with the adults.
---
"What the hell?" Twilight knew that voice.
"Uh, hi, Mayor Bo." He greeted awkwardly, the group around him shuffling.
"What did I just see?" The mayor was stunned.
"A portal. It, uh, dropped us off here. Happens a lot." He avoided the man's eyes and chose to ignore the snickering from Legend.
"Well..." Bo trailed off. "That certainly ain't somethin' ya see every day." He snapped himself out of his stupor and walked up to Link. "Come on, lad. Let's get you home for a bit."
Twilight walked with the mayor and gestured for the group to follow. Predictably, the entire village noticed pretty quickly and gathered around them.
It descended into chaos very quickly.
Twilight put his hands over his face and groaned, the kids were talking over each other, the adults were asking questions, the group was goofing around, and Bo was trying to quiet everyone, to no avail. Time rolled his eye, and moved forward. Immediately, the boys stopped, and as a result, the village did too. He looked unimpressed as he addressed them, though the group knew he just had a serious resting bitch face and he wasn't actually upset.
"Please, calm down." He started, voice holding authority. "No one's in danger, it's just a tricky situation. We're not here for any particular reason, the story is long and complicated, if you don't mind, we'd just like to rest a little while and we will move on."
None of them knew what to say at the man's words, until Rusl stepped to stand in front of him.
"What's your name?"
"Time."
"Time?"
"It's a nickname, if you called me by my real name it would get confusing very quickly."
"What's your real name?" Talo jumped into the conversation, ignoring his dad's warning to stay put.
"Link."
"Link? We know a Link!"
"Yes, now you know nine of us." He gestured to the group. Twilight still stood there slightly embarrassed, Hyrule hid behind Legend, who looked even more bored than Time did, Warrior stood tall, Sky stood confused, Four didn't care, Wind stood a little flashy to show off some.
"Nine Links?" Someone at the back said.
"That's why he said his name was Time, Hanch." Twilight spoke up.
"Why are you called Time?" Talo asked another question.
"Because I'm old." Time stated, and Legend snickered.
"Do you have something else we can call you?"
"Old Man!" Legend cackled.
Time rolled his eye and sighed through his nose.
"Yes, Old Man is my other name." He gestured for Twilight to come to him, so he did. "We call your Link by the name Twilight, or Rancher." He moved on to the rest. "Giggly over there is Legend, or Veteran, this is Warrior, or Captain, that's Four, or Smithy, this is Wild, or Champion, that's Hyrule, or Traveler, that's Wind, or Sailor, and finally, this is Sky, or Knight." He responded to Legend's glare with a pointed look that made him huff and turn away. "You can introduce yourselves to each of them if you want, and we'll stay out of your way. You won't be bothered by us," He turned to the group, facing so the villages couldn't see his look of disapproval that made the group look sheepish and duck away. "Will they, boys?"
At the resounding no, Time gestured for Twilight to show the way to his house. The rancher began speedwalking away from the villagers and led the group to his home, Time followed last like a shepherd herding his sheep. The villagers shared a slightly amused look while the kids laughed.
"Never thought I'd see that." Sera cackled. "Link runnin' like that."
An hour later, once lunch was over, the group of nine reappeared. Immediately, they jumped into helping people. Time stood in a place he could clearly see all of them, and watched. At some point, there seemed to be a commotion at the small lake in the village, and Time scowled. Rusl and Bo watched as the man silently moved over to where whoever was doing something they shouldn't, and stood far enough away for his shout to be heard.
"Sailor! Champion! Knock it off, the pair of you!"
Immediately, the commotion stopped, and Time walked away, back to his spot. Rusl and Bo shared a look, then nodded. The two men walked up to where Time was standing, catching his eye.
"Is everything alright?" Bo asked, he was quite nervous to talk to him.
"I think I should be asking you that." The man raised an eyebrow. "Have I frightened you?"
"Wh- no, no! I assure you, I'm okay."
"Mhm." The eyebrow remained raised, clearly this guy didn't believe him.
"What Mayor Bo means," Rusl stepped in. "Is, what happened over there?"
"Wind and Wild were being nuisances. I've resolved it, they were being ridiculous in the water. Throwing it at each other. I made sure they stopped before they caught one of you."
"Thank you, life is usually quite peaceful here."
"I can imagine, so I won't let them ruin it for you."
Silence sat between them for a while, the two of them just watching as the strange man kept watch over the eight other Links (how weird was that?) for a few minutes. They shared a look again, neither of them could tell what this man was thinking, but they did want to know more about what this odd situation was.
"So, this is an odd situation, isn't it?" Bo awkwardly tried to fill the dead air, shrugging when Rusl silently asked what the hell he was doing.
"Indeed," Time turned his attention to the mayor. "To make a long story short, all nine of us are heroes from different eras across time. We're chasing a dangerous shadow being through portals, and we don't get to choose to where we land." He spared a quick glance to the group, making sure they weren't getting up to any more trouble, before returning his attention to the mayor and Rusl. "As I told you, we all have the same name, and it is no coincidence unfortunately."
"You know what this being is?" Rusl couldn't hide his concern, and looked over to his family. He didn't see the way Time's eyes almost betrayed how he was feeling.
"Yes, we do. And we will stop it. You don't need to worry. Your Link will be returned to you safely, not a single one of these boys will die on my watch. You have my word."
Rusl went to say something else, but Time's attention was taken by a fight between the ones they believed were called Legend and Warrior. The older man sighed, and marched over to them.
---
Rusl wiped his eyes at the memory. Even in such a situation, Time's thoughts had been about the boys in his care. He recalled how Time hadn't said "Hero", he had said "Link". He hadn't reduced him to a title that he knew the boy didn't care for, a title that didn't reflect who he was. He referred to him as a person. Then, something stuck out to him, though he was slightly fearful of the answer.
"You said you met your teacher again, and he didn't know. What do you mean?"
"He... taught me how to fight properly. He was already... dead... when he taught me, so this version didn't remember me." Link looked up again at the shooting stars fading trail. "He hadn't met me yet. He was the one to find me on my journey, who initiated the first fight, who knocked me down and said; 'Your current strength is a disgrace to the proud green of the tunic you wear.' And then he taught me the skills he never got to pass on in life, he prepared me for what he wasn't prepared for." Link explained, wiping his eyes and looking down.
"He insulted you?" Rusl couldn't believe it. That man was too kind to-
"I needed it, Pa. You need to understand, that version of him had already met this version of me. I had nothing to show, nothing to prove I was worthy of anything. He told me; 'A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage.' And he taught me to have that courage, Pa. He was unprepared when he saved Hyrule, and he sacrificed a peaceful death just to teach me so I wouldn't be unprepared. Without him, I'd have failed Hyrule. His last words to me were; 'Go, and do not falter, my child!' He called me his child. And now I know why, because he's my ancestor. I met his wife, and the connection was obvious. I'm descended from what all eight of us, including Legend, called the greatest hero of all, and he was proud of me."
Link cried some more, wishing he had something to show he was as good as Time thought he was. He remembered all the times the Old Man saved his sorry hide and still praised him.
"You did the best you could, Pup. Its okay, you don't need to be perfect. Things happen."
Rusl shook him a little bit, getting his attention. He wiped his sons eyes and lifted his head so he was looking in his eyes.
"He had every reason to be proud of you, Link. He saw firsthand just how strong you would become. I could see when he was here just how proud he was of all of you. Honestly, if we didn't know the situation, it looked like you'd found your biological dad and those were your brothers. He didn't treat you like something that had to be perfect, he treated you like a person. He treated all of you like people. He let you act like kids, young men, like brothers, and only stopped behavior he thought was wrong. He always apologised for misbehaviour when he didn't even need to." Rusl smiled a little, looking towards the village with distant eyes. "I couldn't be prouder to have had the honour to raise you, his descendant. To be able to call you my son. He didn't once bat an eye to anything anyone did, minding his business all the time. Colin eventually warmed up to him, you know. Talked his ear off too." He chuckled, looking at Link, who snorted.
---
"...And then Link helped the Gorons on Death Mountain! But he always came down to visit us, even though he was really busy. He couldn't stay for long, because he had to save the world."
"You've got an amazing big brother, don't you?"
Rusl and Uli stopped in the doorway, listening to the conversation. They watched as Time gently rocked Hana and watched Colin re-enact some of Link's moves he'd seen him do. He stumbled slightly and Time caught him.
"Your feet are too close together for that, move them slightly," He guided Colin. "There you go, try again."
The young boy attempted his move again, this time pulling it off flawlessly. Time clapped quietly so he wouldn't wake Hana, and ruffled the boy's hair.
"Now you can show Link what you can do, and one day you might just be better than him."
"I doubt that, he's really good!"
"He is, but that doesn't mean you won't ever be that good."
"I don't know if I wanna be a swordsman though." Colin sat next to Time.
"What do you want to do?"
"Hmm..." He thought for a second. "I wanna be a horse rider."
"That's a great idea, I think you could do that."
"Really?!"
"Why not? My wife rides horses all the time. So do I. I have one back home, though she's too old for all the..." He trailed off and looked at Colin mischievously. "Horsing around, now."
Colin laughed hard and Time couldn't help but laugh as well. It was a stupid joke, but he liked it. Rusl and Uli walked in properly and laughed with the two. They noticed Hana was fast asleep and drooling on Time's shoulder. The older hero carefully stood and gently passed her back to Uli, who took her gracefully.
"Thank you for babysitting for us." She told him.
"It's no problem, I'm happy to do it again if needed."
He smiled sincerely, and moved to get his things. As he did so, Rusl grabbed some rupees, holding them out to Time. The Hero looked very unimpressed and pushed the money away, before returning his attention back to his things.
"Don't you want some money, Mr. Time?" Colin asked.
"I told you, you don't need to call me mister. And no, I don't want money. Keep it." He replied without looking up.
"But you did a job."
"I did a favour, not a job, kid. I don't need money, nor do I want it." He stood up, ready to leave. "I'll take my leave now so you can all get settled for the night." He nodded to the parents, waved at Colin, and left before they could try give him the money again.
---
"He spent a century alone, Pa. A century alone, dead, just waiting for me." Link stifled a sob. "Just so I wouldn't be unprepared against Ganon." He put his hands in his hair. "I can't imagine how lonely that much have felt." He whispered. "He knew me, but I didn't know him. Not yet."
"He was a good man." Rusl whispered, gently pulling Link's fingers from his hair and holding him close. "I'm glad he was the one to help you."
"No one here remembers what he did. I... don't have the full story, he wouldn't speak on everything, but I want to tell the story I do know. He sacrificed so much and never had anything to show for it. He was forgotten, again and again. He did all he could and it still wasn't enough, not for him."
Rusl felt sorrowful and numb at the same time. He didn't know whether or not he could believe what was being said. Except, he could. He'd never known Link to lie, and the boy was distraught. It wasn't like Rusl had never met the man in question, he'd say that Time was a good friend even if they didn't meet all that often. And, Rusl could see similarities between Time and Link. The few times he saw them fight, it was like they were one, sometimes they pulled faces that looked identical (but no one could master the look of disapproval, even Rusl shied away from that), and Link seemed to have inherited the same hands-on-hips sassy attitude Time could be known to have. And yet, despite all the youthful actions and words, the eldest always looked worn down. No one was sure of his exact age, he kept it quiet after all, preferring to let people guess and lead them on, but Rusl was sure Time was younger than him. It didn't stop people thinking he was older, oh no, not with how Link and the other boys joked about their "Old Man". In hindsight, Rusl realised that looking at Time had felt like looking at someone far older than possible, and yet someone far younger at the same time. He always kept up with the rest of them, and he had a wit quicker than anyone he'd ever known, but he was still somehow slower. It was subtle, of course. Time was always one for subtlety, never letting anyone too close. But that didn't stop people noticing the little things.
Maybe it was how Time's smile never reached his eyes, maybe it was how, when he thought no one was looking, he looked empty inside, or maybe it was how his eyes seemed to hold secrets no one would ever see. Rusl wasn't sure, and looking at his adoptive son, he didn't think Link knew either. But in that moment, the pain on his son's face resembled that locked beneath the eldest hero's façade. A façade so easily picked apart only once he was no longer there, only once more was revealed.
And now, Rusl sat there with his son, mourning the death of a man who had helped them in an era long gone and they hadn't even known. They didn't even know if he had gotten home after this journey. How his heart twisted at that. He couldn't imagine going off to do his duty, only to never return and leave his family stuck and alone. Then, a paralysing fear and realisation settled over him. Link, his son, was bound to the same curse as Time. Would he, too, leave home and never come back? Would they be left wondering what happened and where he went? He held Link tighter, tears rolling down his face. His eyes widened in panic, and he realised just how little power they held over this situation. He heard a small, amused huff from Link, and he turned his questioning gaze to him.
"What's so funny?"
"He was a jokester, you know." Link laughed a little. "Took us ages to catch on. He kept pinnin' the blame on others, and he did it so well too."
"Really?" Rusl laughed in disbelief, but he had to know more. "What's the best one he did?"
---
"Alright, shitheads. Which one of you dungbeetles stole my fire rod and put Chuchu jelly in my hat?" Legend crossed his arms, glaring at the group of five before him.
Silence met him, and Wild, Wind, Warrior, Sky, and Hyrule all looked partly guilty.
"Well?" He looked at each of them expectantly, watching for any sign of admission.
"What's wrong?" Time asked, walking up. His face laced with concern.
"Someone stole my fire rod and put Chuchu jelly in my hat, no one will admit to it."
"Chuchu jelly? And your fire rod?" Time hummed, his eyebrows furrowed. He looked thoughtful for a moment. "I'm sure I saw Sailor and Champion mess with Chuchu jelly earlier." He stopped for a moment, not noticing how Legend glared at the duo. "And your fire rod, I think I saw the Captain and Traveler looking at it. Unless I'm mistaken on that one. Hmm." Time walked away, going back the rounds of his walk.
Legend immediately rounded on the group, ignoring their protests and ranting at them for ten minutes. Twilight walked up as the lecture kept going on, and Sky moved away to stand with him. He filled the Rancher in on what happened.
---
Rusl laughed hard at the story, wondering how he missed that playful side of Time. Link wiped his eyes and sat up straight, focusing forward.
"He once tried to help Malon in the kitchen. She nudged him and he broke a jar of jam, she said she won that battle, and he went; 'You're right, let me congratulate you on your victory.' And then held onto her, covering her with the jam!"
The two laughed even harder for a moment. It was a welcome break from the sadness, but Link knew he had to recall the sadness soon. The joy of the memories was quickly replaced when he remembered the fate of his mentor. He bit his bottom lip to try keep himself from crying.
"I miss him." He choked out. "I miss them all, but damn it all, I miss him so much." He sobbed. "I knew his fate, and it still hurts."
"Have you been holding onto this knowledge on your own this whole time?" Rusl pulled Link to him.
"I didn't know who else to tell." He sniffled. "No one else understood, and I couldn't risk Time hearing it. I didn't wanna upset him, I didn't wanna make him guilty, though I bet he knew somethin' anyway. He always did seem to know something was up without 'em bein' said."
"He was an odd man. A good man, but odd."
"I wanna get his story out there. He was a Hero, just like me, but no one knows what he did. No one even knows his title, no one remembers what he did." Link wiped his eyes.
"What was his title?"
"The Hero of Time." He breathed out. "But the great irony was that time is what he could never grasp. It always escaped and went against him."
The two of them were silent for a short while before Link spoke again.
"I need to tell his story. I need to write it down and get it out there, have it recorded somewhere. After all he's done, being remembered is the least he deserves." He looked to the sky again, watching the trail of the star fade away. "I feel that even now he's still looking out for me, even though he should be at peace. He always did hide the toughest things, always sacrificed for others."
Link wiped his face and lowered his head, taking in a shuddering breath. Rusl wiped his own eyes and offered silent comfort.
"He once said; 'The worst scars can't be seen.' How right he was." A few more tears fell. "But, just how many of those scars were breaking him beyond repair, where no one could see?"
"Link," Rusl gently patted the boy's shoulder. "Get some rest. I've got an idea, so we'll need to go to Telma's. I think talking about this with them might help, and I'll send a letter by hawk tonight."