Chapter Text
Time heads out the door, shutting it gently, and Purah scribbles names next to items. Then she gets to work.
—
Contrary to popular belief, as reliable as he was, Time should not be trusted on errands alone. Ask his lovely wife, Malon, there is a reason she has to accompany him to Castle Town after all.
The door shuts softly behind him, crackles of the furnace accompanying the occasional sighing breeze. Colorful streaks peek above the distant mountaintops, brightening Time’s figure as he makes his way down to Hateno.
‘Alright, Link. Make this quick, no detours or noticing suspicious soft patches of dirt. Just a cucco egg,’ Time thought, steeling himself against anything mysterious.
The noise of conversation gradually rises as the Hero of Time makes his way closer to the small village. He pauses at the dye shop. Oh, that shade of red would look good with his fireproof tunic and that light green-
No, stay focused.
“Excuse me, ma’am,” Time calls to a nearby villager, “Are there any ranches nearby? I need to gather a few eggs for a friend.”
“Ah! O’ course there are! The closest one is right up there.” Rising onto the balls of her feet, she points over the house roofs and up the hill to a small windmill. “Not only do they have cuccos, but they also have a few sheep and cow products if ya need ‘em as well!”
Time bows slightly in thanks, eyeing the hill he had just descended from, “I appreciate the information.”
Preparing to make the hike again, he shifts in his armor. The breeze ruffles his hairs and leaves twirl in the air when he makes it halfway up. That of course is when his thoughts became a tad bit sidetracked.
“...ink,” came a whisper.
Time’s ear twitches, seems like someone’s looking for Wild. Unfortunate that he’s probably halfway across the continent already.
“Listen, Link!”
His head turns sharply and in a flash, he’s back in the Lost Woods. Green fairies flit to and fro between the tree trunks, giggling amongst themselves. A blue light floats in the shade of the trees, retreating deeper into the thick foliage.
Time feels his heart jump into his throat. “Wait!” He cries, “Slow down! Navi!”
Sharp branches slap against his face, but Time doesn’t feel any of it. The light was growing dimmer and he wasn’t getting any closer. Around him the trunks grew thicker, packing tighter together the further he pushed forward.
And then darkness.
Link- no, Time, frantically looks around, turning in circles to find his friend. “S-she has to be over here somewhere…”
Everything blurs momentarily and he’s back in reality. Except…
A well sits in front of him, its depths beckoning him like a spider in its web. Cautiously, the Hero of Time makes his way towards its stony hem, peering into the abyss. Time feels his ear twitch-
“Watch out!”
Metal meets metal, sparks soar into the noon sky. His mirror-image stares back at him, except it isn’t. Its eye glowed a bloody red and the body a translucent black. Time felt himself falter in shock, allowing the Shadow to retreat back.
“What, stuck in the past?” It cackles tauntingly, swinging its sword in circles. The Shadow lunges at Time, feinting to the right and slicing him across the back of his thigh.
Time screams in rage and pain, stumbling and catching himself on the well when his leg gives up. He wobbles on one leg, glaring at his double. This wasn’t an ideal situation, if he was able to the draw attention of one of the boys-
“Tsk tsk, Hero. No one’s around to help you, I’ve made sure of that,” the Shadow snickers, “Say hello to an old friend for me~.”
Then Time is falling, staring up at the red blot that grows smaller and smaller.
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