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Legend didn't consider himself a superb musician. He rarely practiced and when he did, he'd rather not do it in front of an audience. Goodness forbid a chosen hero of the goddess be self-conscious. On days when the world felt slow and deliciously lazy, Legend liked to take a moment to himself, bring out his personal ocarina, and play a few bars.
It was late in the afternoon when the group decided to stop for the night. By now setting up camp became second nature, and it didn't take much time to put up tents and get a fire started. Once done, the others took to their own personal projects. Warriors sat by his own tent, using oil to brush shine his boots. Swords inspected his weapons, sharpening them to a dangerous shine. Wind was busy braiding something fancy for his little sister, Hyrule read a book, and Time wrote in a personal journal he kept on his person at all times. The only ones who had designated jobs were Twilight and Wild.
Twilight had first watch of the evening, and he stood by the edge of camp, keeping an eye out. In another hour he'll switch out with Hyrule.
Wild, as always, had cooking duty. In the beginning the group tried to switch out so Wild wouldn't be stuck cooking all the time, but when Time set a bowl of milk on fire, Wild wrestled the pots and pans away, declaring himself as head chef and forbid anyone else to come near.
Earlier in the day Warriors caught a buck, and Wild was using its meat as the basis for tonight's meal. After he cubed the meat, he tossed it into the pot with some wine and wild herbs. Once the scent began to rise, everyone stopped in their projects to give an appreciative sniff.
"Nice," Legend grinned. With ocarina in hand, he stood to find himself a quiet spot.
"Aw," Twilight said as he passed him. "Why are you denying us your sounds? Music would be nice to help pass time until dinner."
"I'll be back before then," Legend said, not answering the question at all.
By the time Legend pulled the ocarina away from his lips, his mouth was sore and his fingers were trembling. Goddess, he was out of practice. Hard to believe he actually had more time to play during his days as the Hero. He leaned against the tree and closed his eyes, feeling peaceful. Long ago he learned to enjoy these small moments. They didn't come often.
He startled when he heard rustling coming from behind. He put his hand on the hilt of his dagger, ready to pull it, when Twilight came into view.
"Whoa!" he said, holding his hands up. "It's just me."
Legend huffed and relaxed. "You know better than to sneak up on one of us."
"Sorry, it's instinctual. Dinner is almost ready. We should probably get back before everyone eats it."
"I'll be there in a moment. I want to enjoy the setting sun."
That wasn't an invitation, yet Twilight came closer and took a seat next to him.
"Wow, look at that," Twilight murmured. Bright pinks and reds painted the sky, making it look as if it were on fire. "No matter how many times I see it, I'm always in awe."
Legend gave Twilight a side look, his eyes narrowing in thought. He never knew what to make of Twilight. Out of all the heroes, Twilight was the one who kept his secrets close to his heart. He'd disappear for hours on end, always seemed to know when danger was near, and that little amulet he wore around his neck reeked of magic. He rarely talked of his days as the Chosen Hero, and when he did, there were always gaps in his narrative. At least with the others, Legend knew why they earned their titles. Even Wild, as new as he was, didn't try to deflect or outright ignore questions like Twilight did.
And that was another thing: Twilight's strange relationship with Wild. Of course the Heroes had their preferred person to talk to when they traveled. Legend himself reveled in riling up Warriors, just enough to see the man sputter and fume like a cat dunk in water. He also had a particular fondness for Wind, seeing him like a little brother.
But Twilight treated Wild as if he were glass, ready to shatter at the slightest trauma. Legend found it condescending. Wild was a hero chosen by the goddess herself, a master archer, and a survivalist. He was not a fragile kitten.
As the sun finally disappeared over the horizon and the sky went dark with blues and purples, Twilight turned to Legend and said, "Shall we go back?"
"Can I ask a personal question?" Legend said.
Immediately Twilight's hand went up to grasp that little amulet on his chest. "Depends on what it is."
"What makes him so special?"
"What? Who?"
"Wild."
Twilight jerked, giving Legend a bemused look. "Um, he is my reincarnation, you know."
"We are all each other's reincarnations. But if Wild so much as sneezes, you're running over to check he's not dying from the plague."
"Oh, come off it! What is this? Jealousy?"
"Curiosity," said Legend. "I don't see you treat anyone else like that."
Twilight put his face in his hands, groaning. "Oh my god, it is jealousy!"
"I'm serious."
The flat tone in Legend's voice had Twilight staightening up, his half-grin melting off of his face.
He didn't answer right away. First he cocked his head, turning his ear to listen to the world around them. He often did this when he thought enemies were trying to sneak into the camp. When he was satisfied no one was around to eavesdrop on them, he sighed.
"He reminds me of the old man."
Legend snorted. "Are you fucking serious?"
"It's easy to see the comparisons," Twilight said, a little miffed. "Both of them have gone under long sleeps. Both have gone to Gerudo town. Both once held the affections of a Zora princess."
"Coincidence."
"They both failed in their roles as the Chosen Heroes."
Legend startled, his mouth dropping open. "The fuck-? That's not true! Both of them defeated Ganon!"
"Eventually," Twilight said. He held up his hand to taper off Legend's protests. "I'm not shaming them. Please don't think that. But do you see what I'm getting at."
"Not really," Legend grumbled. "But what does failing have to do with anything?"
"When Wild first woke up in that shrine... do you know how long he was alone? Do you know how long it took him to meet another human being?"
"...No."
Twilight held up five fingers.
"What?" Legend said. "Five days? Five weeks?"
"Five months," Twilight said. "I want you to think about that. We've all handled isolation and loneliness... but Wild truly thought he was alone. He thought everyone in Hyrule had been killed. And on top of that, his memory loss...? It's maddening to think about. And Time... when he woke up, half of the people he knew as a child were gone. There were Redeads everywhere, entire towns razed to the ground, and everyone expected him to fix it all-?"
He cut himself off, tampering down his anger. "But unlike Wild, the old man was able to fix it. He got a chance to go back, to live out his youth. But Wild? His failure is burned upon his skin. He's not able to get a second chance."
Twilight stood. He brushed loose bramble off of his clothes. "You say I'm over-protective? Fine. Someone has to be."
From camp, the smell of food had finally reached them. Twilight turned his head towards it and sniffed appreciatively.
"Let's go back," he said. "Before it gets cold."
"You both certainly took your time," Wild said as they walked back into camp. He poured Twilight a bowl of deliciousness and handed it over.
"Just admiring the stars," Twilight said. "This looks amazing, thank you."
Wild filled another bowl. This one he held out for Legend.
Legend reached out to take it, his eyes trained on Wild's burn scars. Did they hurt? Sometimes on hot, summer days, the scar on Legend's forearm burned like it was reliving the battle. Worse, how would Wild even know? This was his reality from the moment he woke up. He wouldn't remember a time when there was no pain.
"Hey," Legend said. "I want you to know, you're my friend."
Wild gave him an odd look. "You don't need to butter me up if you want seconds. I always make enough."
"Yeah." He took the food. The bowl slowly warmed his hands. "I know."