Chapter Text
“Get out, get out! GET OUT, RUN!”
Wild’s frantic instructions instantly cut through the chaos of the battle, the sound echoing around the cave the group were fighting within. Eight heads snapped to stare at Wild, some with swords aloft or mid swing, eyes immediately widening at the sight that had the champion in a state of panic -
- the lone bokoblin standing on a rocky ledge at the far end of the cave, with a bomb arrow drawn and pointed at the stack of hoarded bomb barrels.
Shit.
The arrow flew.
The next three seconds were a deafening and terrifying blur of explosions, screams - both Hylian and monster - and panicked movement.
At the sound of Wild’s shout, Time abandoned his post as protector over the unconscious Four and Wind, turning to scoop them into his arms in one swift motion before beginning to sprint to the mouth of the cave. Warriors and Twilight, having been fighting back to back against six lizalfos, took advantage of the ensuing chaos to simultaneously shove their way through the lizalfos in front of them to join Time’s sprint to the exit.
Sky turned to follow, Fi in hand while counting the rapidly moving heads in front of him - Time, carrying two, then Wars, Twilight -
But where were Wild and Legend?
Sky’s heart dropped to his stomach, scanning the smoke-filled cave as he ran towards the exit. The explosions from the bomb barrels were causing trembles throughout the cave, adding to the dust, noise, and panic making it difficult to see what was happening.
Where were they?
Sky’s eyes frantically scanned his surroundings as he moved closer to the mouth of the cave, arm covering his mouth as he coughed at the dust billowing around him. The panicked shouts from his teammates told him that the majority had at least made it to the exit, and the clash of steel on steel told him that those still standing were taking out the last of the monsters.
He was a handful of metres away from the exit and the bright sunlight when a flash of orange in his periphery had him spinning around, sword aloft and ready -
“WILD!”
And there was Wild, fists together and holding an orange shield around him and an injured Legend, protecting them both from the boulders bearing down on them. Wild was staring up at the rocks through the shield, teeth gritted and visibly shaking with exertion in his effort to stop them being crushed. Sky could see Legend clutching a bloody arm to his chest, shouting at Wild and making motions towards the opening of the cave.
The shield flickered and Sky’s heart almost stopped.
With a cry of rage and pain, Wild was forced to his knees while the shield bent above him, straining and creaking as the boulders inched ever closer to the two below.
It wasn’t going to last much longer.
Sky’s eyes darted to the mouth of the cave, only a handful of steps away, and to Wild and Legend, who were across the cavern and too far, too far to reach in time -
Sky might not be able to reach them, but just maybe -
Without sparing another second to see how much more Wild could handle, Sky had sheathed his sword and grabbed his clawshot, aiming at the two and steadying his stance.
“Legend! Wild! Drop the shield!”
Legend’s eyes, though pain-filled and terrified, widened in understanding. He immediately knelt, wrapped an arm around Wild, and shouted in the champion’s ear. And in the next instant, Sky’s clawshot was hurtling towards the flickering shield. Wild dropped the barrier just as the clawshot snagged his tunic, and Sky pulled.
It took a mere second for the two to come hurtling out of the dust cloud, yanked out of the way of the falling boulders by the clawshot and sent crashing into Sky. The three were thrown backwards, clearing the mouth of the cave with the momentum and hitting the ground with enough force to knock the breath out of Sky’s lungs.
And not a moment too soon. Sky, Wild, and Legend had barely hit the floor when the mouth of the cave shuddered, vanishing from view as rocks and boulders finally caved in and buried the opening from their sights.
Too close.
Coughing and dazed, Sky took a few seconds to lay on the ground and evaluate what in Hylia’s name had just occurred in the last thirty seconds.
Legend and Wild were safe .
“Din’s tits, Wild, you saved our asses - what was that?”
Ah. Speaking of…
Sky rolled onto his side, wincing at the aches and bruises he could feel forming all over him. Legend was sitting up, not too far from him, still clutching his clearly broken arm as he looked at Wild.
Wild, who was being propped up by Twilight and practically being force fed a magic potion. He was pale and looked to be barely conscious, head lolling on Twilight’s arm and eyes barely open. Thankfully, Sky couldn’t see any physical injuries on him at all.
“That,” Twilight said, slowly tipping the potion into Wild’s open mouth, “was Daruk’s Protection. I have no idea how he held the shield for that long - Daruk’s shield was normally only there to take a hit, so maybe for half a second. I had no idea Wild could do that - cub, drink the potion for Hylia’s sake - and I don’t think he did either. It’s never affected him like this before.”
Legend exhaled, watching as Wild swallowed the potion. Sky followed his gaze, and was relieved to see Wild taking steady sips.
“I’ll have to ask him about that when he’s not passing out on you,” Legend said, brow quirked in obvious curiosity. “You saved us there, champion. And so did you, Sky.”
Sky’s small smile was relieved, and he finally allowed the last of the tension to leave his body. Reaching into his bag, he retrieved a bottle of red potion, handing it to Legend before standing and ruffling his hair.
“Glad I was there to help. Now let’s never go into a cave again.”