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Legend was having a very normal day, thank you. Nothing insane or abnormally absurd (aside from Wild deciding to try and test the group's spice tolerance for literally no reason this time, what the heck, Champion) happened, no ambushes or anything.
They were literally just walking when a portal--a different one than normal, blue and bright and not quite divine in nature, but powerful--tried to rip open.
Wind and Legend had been at the back, and both had spotted the portal. Legend went for his sword on instinct, but Wind shoved him just as the portal lunged at them.
Someone cried out. The portal was gone as quickly as it had formed and Wind with it.
Legend breathed an islander curse, one taught to him by their now missing hero and one he got scolded for saying by a red haired, bird-loving girl.
"What was that?!" Wild demanded, his voice higher than usual.
"Sailor?" Twilight called. As if that wasn't a portal filled to the brim with pure temporal magic, purer than Nayru's Harp.
Legend, still on the ground from getting shoved, stared at the place Wind had been not seconds ago.
He never thought he'd get angry at the protectiveness Wind displayed over him--it was understandable, he had been younger than him when they first met and even if he was older now by about three years, Wind was still his big brother in a way--but in that moment he felt it. Because of that, Wind had been taken alone. At the very least they'd both would've been taken or just Legend.
"You alright, Kit?" Time asked while Warriors tried to calm Twilight, who grew hysterical.
"Y-Yeah," he forced out, taking the offered hand to stand. "Just--" he cursed again, "I wasn't expecting that."
"To be pushed out of the way, or the... ambush?" Time asked, if Legend wasn't still staring at the spot Wind had been he would've noticed the worried look he was given.
"Both, honestly... he doesn't usually do that."
"Sailor, can you hear me?" Wild shook his slate, holding it to the sky to try and get a signal. "Sailor? Link?"
"LINK!" Four was yelling, Twilight transforming and running into the woods, Four giving chase and calling out.
Sky and Hyrule disappeared another way, Wild following them after only a moment.
Wind hadn't been expecting to see a portal--one he had never seen before--appear behind him and Legend. But some part of him told him that it was after his little (older) brother.
He shoved Legend just before the portal tried to snatch him, taking him instead.
It was disorienting, dizzying, and far worse than any of the other portals he had gone through. He internally apologized for every time he complained about any method of transportation, this was worse than taking tornadoes across the Great Sea.
He slammed into the ground and couldn't help but groan into his teeth, keeping silent as he tried to reorient his mind and get aware of his surroundings.
The ground was cold and hard--stone--and he could hear the chittering of bokoblins. He dazedly looked up, staying low and realizing where he was roughly.
A storage room, the light coming from the door meant it was an outdoor storage room, or one connected to a courtyard. Beside him was an overturned, empty barrel.
He heard footsteps, heavy and imbalanced, monster, approach and he quickly scrambled and pulled the barrel over himself. He needed to get a complete grip of himself before he fought if he wanted a good outcome. He could fight dizzy, hell, he has fought concussed before, but it wasn't his favorite thing to do.
Soon enough, he heard the door shut again and the footsteps fade, still hearing the chittering and snarls of monsters.
"Okay," he breathed. He internally thanked the goddesses or whatever it was that Legend and Twilight usually revered for not letting whatever it was that took him get a second try and drop any of his brothers on him.
He had all his supplies, he had a fairy and a red potion healing wise, and a week's rations for two people in case he was separated from Wild and needed food. He had his weapons, he could handle it, he'd be fine.
He had forged his hero's spirit, he could handle anything the world threw at him and he knew it. Besides, sneaking around in a barrel was familiar enough.
He managed to sneak out of the storage room--the door turned out to be a push/pull door and not needing a knob, lucky him--and just froze whenever he heard a monster nearby.
Then he heard distant battle. He rolled his eyes and after getting his balance standing, he shoved the barrel off.
He heard rapid footsteps and turned quickly.
A woman--scary woman, tall, easily taller than Time--with a huge blade stood there. One look at her and he knew she was dangerous, her eyes promised that, and she readied her blade toward him. She had the same symbol that Wild had on his slate, on her face.
He quickly drew the Phantom Sword and Hero's Shield.
There were monsters all around, but they didn't immediately attack. Wind figured that meant this woman was in charge of them. Wild had mentioned that there were some people who used to be Sheikah who betrayed Hyrule and became servants of Ganondorf (or was it Ganon?), he would guess this woman was one of them.
She attacked him first, and she was fast but extremely powerful. Wind yelped, falling back on his feet and fending off powerful, violent, reverberating blows that made his spinning head infinitely worse.
She dented his shield.
Wind evaded her and fought back, focusing on his evasive attacks and slashing at her whenever he could.
He could see her flagging, but he had a feeling he couldn't win this one.
No. He couldn't risk that. He had to get back to his brothers, he had to make sure--
He slammed into the wall as her blade hit his shield and threw him back. She came at him just as quickly as Warriors could lunge right after an attack. He barely blocked his skull in time, only to get hit in the head with his own shield.
His shield cracked. He rolled on the ground, pain flaring through his bruised body.
He couldn't move, he tried but that hit to his head was awful. He couldn't get to his feet.
Damnit, get up, Link! Get up!
He could hear the screeches of the monsters, bokos he's pretty sure, and the sounds of battle echoed. He got to a knee but swayed and almost collapsed again.
It's okay. Twilight's voice rang in his head. Jus' breathe, Ocean. Head injuries are bad, ya can't always push pass them.
He needed to this time. He was dead if he didn't. Better or worse, he could be captured. He had to push past it!
Black pressed at the edges of his vision.
A weight settled on his shoulder and he froze a whole moment late, seeing the weapon he had been fending off moments before.
"Stand down." The woman's voice sounded underwater.
He grabbed his sword, shaking and he tried to channel his Triforce. Legend said it would help them if they used it.
He could feel its strength flare through him, giving him the briefest moment of clarity and stability.
He slashed at her, throwing himself forward at the same time as she jumped back. She dodged his first slash, but had to block his second.
Be fast, begin your next move while you are doing your current one. Warriors' advice rang through his head, his Triforce flared once more as he cut the woman's side.
She landed one more hit and sent him flying across the stone courtyard.
He was out before he hit the ground.
Quiet chatter, wary sounds, distant grinding and warm laughter.
His body felt heavy, but not hurt. Something scratchy was over him, he felt it on his arms and his hands.
When he pried his eyes open, the soft light of a candlelit lantern greeted him. It took him a moment to adjust and focus, seeing multiple other beds, most of them occupied, and the woman who he fought talking with someone in a white tunic and chain mail armor beneath it. Beside her was...
"Cap'n," he murmured, not even loud enough to travel to them. None of them heard him, clearly, but he did get a better look.
That wasn't Warriors. That was a seventeen year old soldier, it looked like Warriors sure, but distinctly younger, face completely impassive and blank, lacking the scar along his jaw that Wind was familiar with.
Time travel. Wars' quest involved a lot of time travel and people displaced from their times.
He let out a soft breath. If that was where and when he was, he would be fine. He just had to convince them he wasn't against them, and considering the cuff around his left wrist, they didn't know that.
He sat up, noting his head didn't hurt anymore. They healed him, nice.
"You know," he spoke up, keeping his voice light enough that it wouldn't bother the injured soldiers sleeping around the tent, "it's rude to ignore your guests."
The woman who had beat him up turned and glared at him, mini Warriors gave a confused look, and the medic made a surprised noise.
"Who said you were a guest?" The woman asked.
"I did," he replied, grinning at them as he propped his chin on his fist. "Considering someone here snatched me from my time, and considering you attacked me without reason, I'd say that gives me at minimum guest status. How's the war going?"
They stared at him.
"If you truly are displaced in time," the woman said lowly, eyes narrowing. "You would not know of the war."
Wind gave her a wry smirk. "But I do. How about this? My name's Link and I'm the Hero of Winds." He looked at Mini Wars. "I know that my story is still told in this era."
They stared at him.
"Captain," the woman looked at Mini Wars, "bring Lana here, and the kid, he said he could sense your shared spirits?"
Mini Wars nodded and Wind only just noticed the fairy beside him.
"Yes, General," the fairy said and Mini Wars left the tent. The woman approached Wind and he met her eyes unflinchingly.
"You are a skilled fighter," she said. "You fight like a Sheikah."
"I fight like my older brother, who was trained by a Sheikah, the royal army, and someone else he met when he was younger."
He studied her, she was strong, he experienced that firsthand. If she was acknowledging his skill after fighting him concussed, he wondered if he could win in a fair fight. Unlikely, but he'd do better.
"You've experienced time travel before," she stated.
He nodded. "Yeah, and I'll tell you that your portals fucking suck. Even a lizard could do better."
"Excuse me?!" A woman with bright blue hair had just entered the tent. "My portals do not suck!"
"Lady Lana--"
"Yea, they do." Wind argued, noticing a syringe on the table beside him. "Your portals are worse than flying across the ocean on a fucking tornado."
She made an affronted noise, the tent door swished aside as Mini Wars reentered with... a kid.
At first glance, he was reminded of Apple. Second glance, the kid couldn't have looked less like his little brother. Brighter hair, same shade and style's as Time's, a familiar green cap but also a yellow mask on the side of his head... a mask that Time had shown them before. He looked young, younger than Wind even, but his eyes...
He was tired, he had experienced a lot and his confident stance, his dangerous, angry eyes, the way he met Wind's eyes...
"He doesn't have it," the kid declared. "He doesn't have our spirit."
"Of course I don't," he spoke up, gaining their attention again. He didn't look away from the kid's eyes. "You have it. I don't need your special little spirit to be a hero, I forged my own. I made myself the hero when nobody else could."
He was honestly surprised nobody noticed, but he held up his unlocked, picked cuff that no longer clasped around his wrist.
"So, why don’t we talk about how I can help you guys in this war of yours, and you can make sure I get back right to the place and time I left when it's over. I was a bit busy."
"So you are not the famed Hero of Legend?" Lana asked him when they finally sat down to have an actually civil conversation. "The hero who slayed Ganon multiple times?"
"No, but we've met and if you try to drag him into this then we will have a problem," Wind warned her, glaring.
"We are seeking additional support and power," Lana argued.
"And you got me, try and touch my brothers and we'll actually start having problems," Wind retorted, standing from his chair.
Lana glared at him. "Fine." She held her hands up. "You are a renowned hero, I suppose you will suffice... even if you are young."
"I killed Ganondorf by driving my sword through his skull," Wind spat. "I can handle a war."
"If you say so," she sighed. "It has already been ongoing for a year."
Wind hummed. "Good thing I'm a fast learner."
The war apparently picked up soon after Wind arrived. Battles taking place near daily, monsters sieging military camps and towns. Wind found himself fighting beside Link and Mask, who he internally dubbed Mini Wars and Mini Time.
Both were skilled, Mask more than Link, but Link was... He needed help. After a particularly brutal battle not a week after Wind arrived--he hadn't had any time to talk to anyone, he had seen Legend's merchant friend, a familiar wolf who gave him a knowing look--he decided to make Link learn how to fight faster.
He was surprised Impa hadn't taught him it by now, but she seemed busy and everything Link did screamed 'soldier' in a way Wild did on bad days.
"You move too slow," he told Link after they left Mask in the medical wing.
Link flinched, it was hard to notice but Wind could read Legend and Time and compared to them, this kid was as obvious as Aryll.
"You fight like a soldier," Wind corrected before Proxi could yell at him for Link. "You fight like you have people at your side, giving blows when you’re planning your next move."
He frowned.
"Link is a soldier," Proxi said, fluttering in front of Wind scoldingly.
Wind rolled his eyes. "Yes, he is. But the thing is, he's expected to be a hero." He met Link's eyes. "People won't think to fight beside you and cover your mistakes." Sky had said that it was hard to adjust when he began to fight with the other knights. "You have to cover yourself, you have to follow up yourself."
There was a deep rooted sadness, a plea that Wind couldn't decipher in his eyes, and Link nodded.
"How?" Proxi asked.
Wind thought about it and recalled the clearing outside the camp.
"We'll train," he said. He recalled what Warriors had told him once. "You can't fight and expect to think at the same time, especially when you fight alone. You have to always be moving." He headed for the clearing, close enough to camp they weren't missing, but far enough nobody should see them. "My older brother taught me how to fight like a Sheikah," he informed them, "so I'll show you how to do the same, and then we'll see if Impa can help us get better."
"Us?" Proxi asked.
"Eh, I don’t mind learning more."
Between battles, Link--through Proxi--asked Wind to train more, especially after bad battles. Mask started following and throw in in advice, but neither Wind nor Link fought with heavy, two handed weapons like Mask did. So his advice wasn't bad, just didn't go very far.
Wind found himself missing his brothers fast. It was like Hytopia all over again, but this time he had them right there... they just didn't know him yet.
He slipped away from the camp at the end of the second week in this war and ten consecutive battles, and he found a spot to just sit.
He found himself humming, not quite singing but the wind sang with him. Trees rustling to the tune.
He felt someone disturb the breeze and looked over to see Wolfie padding over.
"Hey, Forest," he murmured. Wolfie lowered himself beside him. "Can't change back?"
He boofed.
"Good," he sighed. "I know you hate that... goddesses, when are you? Have you met the captain before?"
Wolfie bobbed his head in a nod.
"Okay, have you finished that quest?"
Wolfie boofed softly.
Wind hummed. "You’re older then... are you even displaced? You live until the Champion's era, right?"
Wolfie gave him a look and Wind wasn't sure how off he was.
"So Midna's displaced. Does she think you’re displaced?"
Wolfie nodded again.
"That must suck ass," Wind laughed, he knew it came out bitter but oh well, he couldn't keep face at the moment. His brother was doomed to live millennia beyond his time, they didn't even know if he'd finally rest after Wild, just that he would be there until him.
They fell silent and he messed with the winds, letting a soft song that he used to hear Wild hum all the time ring through the trees and between the branches and grass.
He buried his face against his knees, just trying to stop thinking. The worst part was that he was hardly anytime into this thing. Warriors said once the war had gone on three years. Time said it was the shortest three years of his life, which both Four and Legend had gotten upset over because how could a stretch of time take longer or shorter than another?
He was two weeks into this, and he was tired. He wanted his brothers back but they were right there.
The wind that brushed over Wolfie suddenly ran into something else. Wind didn't get the chance to look up before he was pulled into strong arms.
"I can't stay like this long, Sailor," Twilight murmured quietly. "They can't know 'bout me."
He wanted to cry. "I want to go back."
"I know, it'll be okay though," Twilight promised. "I'm right here, an' so's the Captain and the Old Man."
Wind laughed. "Ain't much of an old man, isn't he?"
"No, never really has been," Twilight said and Wind was certain there was something deeper to his words. "Alright. Listen to me, Ocean." Wind met his eyes and noticed the blue was much, much sharper than before. "Yer a hero, if you could remake the Triforce you can win a war." He laughed a bit. "You can train our Cap'n into the warrior we meet."
Wind swallowed and nodded.
"I'm gonna to change back now, an' I'm gonna go back to Midna, she ain't gonna be happy I left in the first place, but you come find me if you need me... I think ya'll be fine though."
Wind hugged him one more time before he transformed back into Wolfie.
"Link!" He jumped and saw Mask climbing over a log from the camp. He was glaring at him. "What are you doing out here?"
Wind looked to Twilight, but he was gone, he had disappeared.
"Just..." Wind trailed off. "Thinking."
Mask scoffed. "Right. Well the big Link wants to talk to you about you being here."
He tilted his head. "What do you mean?"
"You’re what, fourteen?"
Wind nodded.
"It's not legal to do anything as a kid here," Mask spat, "anything important at least. He's eighteen, almost nineteen. He had to fucking adopt me when I showed up so I could legally help in this stupid, fucking war that dragged me from my time. I'm guessing that's what he's going to do with you, or if you don’t like him, someone else from here and an adult will need to or you have to go to some orphanage 'til the war's over."
Wind stared, in part of what he said and in part of what he said. "That's--sorry, aren't you too young to be cursing?" That's what Time always told him.
"Fuck off. I'm older than I look," Mask snapped. "Look, three days can very easily become three years, that's all I got to say on that."
Wind blinked, then he shrugged. "Fair enough. But either way, their laws on kids is utter bullshit. I've fought Ganondorf, I killed Ganondorf, I sailed across the entire ocean when I was twelve!"
"And I've killed Ganondorf twice, and I fought the moon," Mask said bluntly, "they don’t care."
He groaned. "Fine. Fine! If it makes things easier, I don't mind the Captain adopting me."
Mask made a face--he must get better at controlling his face in the future--and Wind could tell he didn't like that.
He frowned. "Unless you don’t like that."
"I didn't say I did, fucking--"
"You didn't need to." Wind realized even if he claimed to be older than he looked, he was definitely still a kid. "Do we need to go back now?"
"No..."
"Why don’t you join me then?" Wind gestured to the forest floor beside him. "I was listening to music."
"What music?"
Wind grinned. "Listen."
He twitched his fingers, he didn't need the Wind Waker anymore to control the winds, it was a part of him. Soon, the wind sang around them. A song that Time taught him when he pestered the old man into playing his ocarina--the wooden one, the non-magic one--reverberated around him.
Mask froze, eyes widening as he looked up and listened to the upbeat song. The forest itself seemed to like it. Wind had noticed this particular song did well in forests.
"How..." Mask croaked. "What..."
"My older brother taught me," Wind said and Mask snapped his head toward him. Wind gave him a smile. "He said it's a gate to the past... a past we can't return to, but that doesn't mean it has to be sad, there's a future we can go to instead."
Mask was trembling a bit, his hand rested on his pouch. "Can you make it keep playing?"
Wind smiled and nodded. Mask sat down beside him and just listened.
"Do you know any other songs?" Mask asked, quiet as if he feared disturbing the song that was literally in the airs
Wind orchestrated with his fingers, small, imperceptible movements.
The song changed to the one Tetra taught him, a song she only vaguely remembered as the one her mother sang to her. He learned the whole thing from Legend.
"How... How do you know this one?" Mask asked.
"My best friend taught it to me," he said. "She only knows part of it, her mom sang it to her as a lullaby but she died and now my friend can't remember the whole thing anymore. My little brother knows the whole thing though, he taught me the rest."
"Little brother? How many do you have?"
"Ah, technically I only have a little sister. Blood-wise at least." He smiled up at the sky, thinking of Aryll and teaching her those constellations that shone overhead. "But I've got eight brothers, most older, one of them was younger than me but time travel made him older, he's still my little brother though. I'm not related to them though."
Mask nodded. "So the little brother is who taught you this song?"
"Yeah."
"Is he a prince? Because this song is for the royal family. Ima guess your best friend is your Zelda, we found out both Captain Link and I have a Zelda."
Wind smiled. "Her name is Tetra, actually, but yeah she's my Zelda. As for him... I don't know, if he is, he never told me. He did mention having a sister though."
"Maybe you should've asked," Mask said. "If he is... well, at least I know it's not completely impossible for the goddess to have sons."
Wind had no clue what he meant by that but he left it alone.
The song kept playing through the air, and a moment later, Wind felt Mask fall asleep against his shoulder. He couldn't help but smile softly, brushing curtain bangs aside.
He knew Mask would look like the little kid he clearly was if he just stopped scowling.
He felt someone draw near and he lightened their footsteps to force them to be quieter, and reached for his sword in case it wasn't someone he could trust.
Wolfie entered, ridden by Midna, followed by Link.
"There--"
"Shh," Wind hissed. Midna almost argued but fell quiet when she saw Mask asleep.
Link, who Wind had only seen tense and firm since they... met, lost all tension in his shoulders as he approached.
"He's fine," Wind whisper before Proxi could say a word. "I was playing some tunes and I guess the lullabies were too good."
"Tunes?" Link repeated, smiling softly and Wind startled a bit at hearing his voice. "Odd word. Suits you."
He stared at him for only a moment before smiling. "Thanks... I guess." He glanced at Mask, then at Link. "I think you'll have better luck taking him to bed than I will."
Link hummed. "Thank you, Tune."
Tune. He liked that.
"It's nothing," he promised quietly. "Kid needs his sleep."
Link laughed quietly. He reached over and Tune clapped silently when he managed to pick up Mask without waking the kid. Link rolled his eyes and lightly kicked him.
"Come on," he whispered, "you need sleep too."
Tune grinned at him and bounced up to his feet. He was about to retort when Mask shifted in Link's arms. They froze.
Tune mimed zipping his lips shut and Link nodded. They left the clearing and Tune flicked his fingers to bring the lullaby back to the air, Midna and Wolfie followed them while Proxi settled on Link's head.
Midna floated around Link to coo mockingly at Mask, he gave her a pointed look. Tune smiled softly as Proxi hissed warnings at Midna.
He startled when Wolfie nosed his hand. Then he just smiled and pet his head for a second, not enough to be petting him, but as an acknowledgment.
He wasn't alone. He had his brothers here. Some a bit younger--some a lot younger, and some much, much older, but they were still his brothers.
He wondered how long he'd be gone from the quest... he wondered if he'd ever return.
Warriors glared at the fire after everyone gathered again. They spent the whole day searching on the off chance that Wind had only been displaced in space and not time.
"Maybe we're not going far enough?" Sky tried.
"He should be getting a signal from my slate," Wild sighed. "He could call me all the way from Lurelin when I was in the Akkala Research Lab. Opposite sides of the country."
"I..." Sky sighed, dropping his head into his hands.
"Can I cook?" Legend asked suddenly. Warriors looked over at their veteran, who had hardly said a word since Wind was taken. He was flexing his hands and fidgeting.
Wild handed over his slate and Warriors shifted away from the fire as Legend knelt by it.
"What even happened?" Four wondered aloud. "That portal had a purpose. It wanted one of us, obviously, and Wind was just the one who it got. But why?"
Warriors wondered that too. It had looked a lot like Lana's and Cia's portals, but the war was over, Lana didn't do portals and Cia was gone. Nobody could form those portals anymore, so obviously that wasn't it.
An hour later, they were eating cookies.
Nobody knew how Legend made cookies in a cooking pot, but none of them decided to question it. Though Warriors was a bit concerned when he saw the veteran handing Wild a... a whole pie?
Tune was fifteen and staring at the carnage of their camp.
No, they weren't post battle, but he almost wished they were.
"Why?" He asked, voice strained.
Mask grinned at him. "Because."
"You dyed Impa's hair bright green."
"Yep."
"She's going to kill you."
"She doesn't know it was me."
Tune inhaled carefully. "Look, kid, I--Never mind. Just, next time get that guy who told Link--"
"That all he is is a pretty face?" A hysterical scream echoed through the camp as Mask's grin grew. "I already did."
Tune looked over and lo and behold, a soldier was on fire.
"Good job," he said. Mask grinned brighter and he disappeared to oceans knew where.
Tune didn't know how Link couldn't tell it was Mask responsible for those incidents--Tune called them Mask Incidents--but he didn't and it was the funniest thing ever.
Mask hoped the war wouldn't end some days, the nice days, the ones he could pull tricks on Link and run off with Tune only for Midna and Wolfie to drag them back.
Other days, he almost wished he was back in Termina, at least it never got that bad there.
He never knew where Tune stood on that scale, he knew his big brother fellow hero missed his brothers and his family back home, but Tune never seemed to show that.
He noticed him start drawing, and for the first few months, Tune's scrapped sketches that Mask never got full view of were thrown into a fire. Almost an entire year went by like that until Tune stopped and then would hug his sketchbook to his chest.
Mask never thought Tune could be sad, not truly sad. He'd seen the older kid get mad, usually when someone was hurt, he'd seen him happy and everything else. Never upset or sad.
Not until one late night he woke up to screaming and crying.
Mask shot up. He saw the swish of Link's scarf and then saw the source of the screaming in Tune, who was now just sobbing in his bed.
Mask had felt fear before, but not often for another person. Usually he was the one in danger, this war had changed that to an extent but still.
In that moment, he feared to his core that Tune had been poisoned in the night or something. He scrambled up as Link wrapped Tune up in his scarf.
"Shh--it's okay, you’re okay, it's alright, Link," Link murmured softly into Tune's temple. Tune sobbed and cling to him.
It clicked. A nightmare.
"Please," Tune begged.
"Its okay. We're right here. Mask is with us, I got you, you’re right here. It's okay," Link promised. "You’re okay. It's okay."
"It's not," Tune sobbed. "I want to go back."
Mask frowned. What?
"I know," Link promised, and that just cut Mask deeper. "It'll happen eventually, don't worry, it'll be alright."
Several more minutes of crying and quiet platitudes, Link didn't talk to anyone except for Tune and Mask much and Mask almost worried all the talking would hurt his throat as bad as Tune's sounded.
Then Tune went quiet, his shaking slowly ceased. Link wrapped him tighter in his big scarf and looked over at Mask.
Link frowned. "Sprite? Are you okay?"
"Huh?" Mask blinked, startling as he felt a tear fall. "I-I'm fine!"
"C'mere," he said softly. "We'll have a cuddle pile."
Mask huffed but he climbed onto Tune's bed with them.
"What's on your mind, Sprite?" Link asked quietly.
Mask sighed. "He wants to leave us."
Link squeezed his arm. "It's not that, it's... it's not us, it's them. You know he loves us, he's adopted you just as much as I have at this point." Mask snorted. "It's just... he misses those siblings he talks about all the time."
"But we're right here," Mask insisted, letting Link pull him close and feeling his interrupted sleep tug on him.
"I know, Sprite," Link whispered against his head. "I know, but we only miss what we don't have."
Tune was sixteen and staring at his Sheikah stone. He had tried to call Wild maybe a thousand times since he ended up here.
He was exactly sixteen, actually... it was his birthday. He was officially the same age as Four.
He had spent hours and hours learning how to draw well, and it got him a sketchbook full of pictures of the others. He stared at the group picture he'd drawn, then flicked a few pages, tracing the dark lines of Wild's scars, Four's eyes, Hyrule's ears, Legend's smirk, Twilight's tattoo, Time's nose, Warriors' smile.
He was so engrossed in memories he didn't even notice someone sit beside him until they spoke.
"Is that Captain Link? You messed up, he doesn't have a scar there." Mask pointed at the scar against Warriors' neck.
Tune jerked his sketchbook back against his chest, hiding the drawings from the kid.
Mask gave him a narrowed eyed look. "What? You've shown me your stuff before."
"Not them," he said, clutching his sketchbook tight. "Look, I... It's not our Link, that's my older brother."
Mask stared at him. "He looks a lot like Link."
"I know," Tune let out a strained, bitter laugh. "Oh trust me, I know."
He frowned. "Does... Does that bother you?" His words were careful and very strained. It didn't take a Mask expert to know he was uncomfortable with saying them.
Tune snorted. "Don’t hurt yourself. We both know that comfort ain't your thing."
Mask huffed. "Oh fuck off. I'm trying."
Tune laughed a bit. He trailed off, the dancing and crackling fire almost letting him pretend he was in a very different camp.
"A little bit," he admitted. "Sometimes I'll... Sometimes I look over and I think it's him, I think it's my brother--and yeah, Link is my brother, adoption or not. I wouldn't trade either of you for anything, I just.." he sighed. "I miss them. I miss Aryll and Tetra and my Grandma. Aryll's almost fourteen now."
"How... How old are you?"
Tune looked at the sky. "Sixteen."
"Wait really? As of when?"
He smiled sadly. "Today."
Mask made an affronted noise. "And you didn't say anything?! Okay, no more moping!" He grabbed Tune's arm and dragged him up. "Link!"
They had a whole, thrown together party after the others found out it was Tune's birthday. Between Marin's familiar islander singing and dancing, Ravio's ability to just have everything you need when you need it, and everyone else's just...
It was a good night; a good birthday.
Tune searched the battlefield, the blood and carnage around them, and more particularly, Link's absence.
"Mask!" He barked, turning the corner of the dark palace and spotting the young hero stumbling back after prying his sword free of a ribcage. "Where's the Captain?"
"He chased Cia somewhere," Mask spat, glaring at the bodies. He fixed his Keaton mask on the side of his head. "I couldn't keep up with all the monsters."
With Cia? Tune cursed Link's insistence on keeping Mask out of the loop on what Cia really wanted, even if he wholeheartedly understood and agreed.
"Which way?" He demanded.
Mask gestured down the hall. "That way, don't know from there."
"Keep up," Tune snapped. He pulled the Wind Waker from his pouch, he'd need the--what did Legend call it, a focus?--extra help from the baton. He extended his senses into the wind and blew it outward, running down the hall.
A moblin was blasted out a window and he finally sensed where Link--and Cia--was.
He stopped by a broken window, eyes narrowing. "They're on the top floor. Get there fast, I'm taking a shortcut."
"A shortcut? How--TUNE!"
A tornado flung him out the window and up into the sky.
He spotted the large windows to the top floor, and as they drew closer he could see the glint of Link's sword, the Master Sword, on the ground. He twisted in air and shattered the window as he dove right through it.
Cia snarled as she stepped away from Link, who was on the ground with his back against the wall.
"You little brats--"
"Get the fuck away from him!" Tune lunged at her. She cursed violently, stumbling back and swinging her wand at him. He batted it aside with his shield and tried to slash at her.
Between their anger, neither was quite losing to the other until Tune finally took a hit and wasn't able to get away before Cia grabbed him by the chin.
Link screamed. "No!"
Tune had never heard Link speak outside of safe moments between mostly just the three of them.
Tune froze with the wand pointed at his chest. "You’re... You’re not a hero," she said. "You lack that gorgeous immortal spirit."
"No. No--Stop it Cia!" Link begged, getting to his feet. "Let him go, please!"
Tune snarled. "My spirit is my own. I made it. You can go fuck yourself."
"Please," Link all but whimpered, "please, let him go."
Cia grinned slowly, her eyes slipping to Link.
Tune didn't let her keep her eyes on him long. He kicked her exposed stomach, kneeing the wand in the process. She gasped, falling back and he lunged right at her.
She fell back, but he had the advantage suddenly and she couldn't handle it.
Tune snarled when she used her magic and vanished. But that wasn't what was important.
He turned quickly and ran over to Link, sheathing his sword on his back.
"Link! Are you okay? Are you hurt? Did she touch you?" Tune demanded, Link collapsed back to the ground, shaking.
Link made a strangled noise. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. It's all my fault--"
"No." Tune knelt down in front of him, ignoring the pain flaring through his knee. "No, don't you say that. You didn't ask for this--Link, look at me," he lowered himself to force Link to meet his eyes, "look at me. You didn't ask for this, you didn't ask for any of this. Now talk to me, are you hurt? Did she touch you?"
Link slowly lifted his chin and moved his hand away from his neck. Tune saw the line of blood from the edge of his jaw down to his collarbone.
He pulled out a cloth and a red potion from his pouch, uncorking the potion and letting Link handle drinking it and holding the cloth to the cut.
"Alright, let's go," Tune said softly. "We're going to find Mask and go back to camp, you’re going to clean up and rest, we'll keep watch."
"You need rest too," Link protested weakly.
"I've stayed up longer," Tune promised. "Trust me, I'll rest later. Do you want a hand?"
Link shook his head. Tune nodded and got up, he went and gathered Link's sword and shield as the captain stood unsteadily. He handed the weapons over and led the way out.
Mask was running around the corner just in time.
"You missed it!" Tune teased him. "Too slow I guess."
"You left me!" Mask shoved him. "Brat."
"Older than you."
"I'll kill you."
"And get left behind again?"
Tune kept Mask effectively distracted as they got back to the ended battle and then to camp.
Getting Midna and Wolfie to continue distracting Mask was easy, Tune left with Link and began his vigil for the shaking teenager.
"TUNE!" Mask screamed.
Tune rolled across the rocky battlefield, pain shooting through his head and body.
The battle had been going on for what felt like weeks but was probably only a day or two. It didn't matter either way, Tune had made a mistake that may be costing him his life.
He couldn't get up. He couldn't see. His left arm was broken for sure, he had no chance--
He felt the ground shake as the heavy monster he had been fighting lumbered toward him.
He shouldn't have messed that one up. He could handle big monsters, that was how he handled things. He used his size to his advantage. It shouldn't have caught him but a blade had caught his face right before the thing's mace caught his side.
Now he was laying injured on a battlefield without any support nearby. He was so dead.
An apology went out to the stars, a plea for his families to know he wouldn't come back.
His vision was already dark, but even then it slipped away as unconsciousness took hold.
Link hadn't expected Tune to be the first one down that day, but he heard Mask scream at the same moment he heard the cracking of bones. He saw Tune tumble across the battlefield.
He rushed to get close, but he couldn't manage it.
A burst of power fell over the field, a flicker of Lana's magic too, and Link saw the Fierce Deity unleash its and Mask's fury onto the battlefield.
He ran to get to Tune, slashing through the hordes, but when he reached the area, someone was already there and fending off the horde.
A teenaged girl wielding a cutlass was standing over Tune, Lana's magic around her and her unsteady movements showed she had only just been brought here, Link had thought Lana agreed not to displace more people, but he wouldn't complain when this girl was the only reason he could hope that Tune wasn't dead.
He fought his way to them as Fierce Deity cleared the rest of the field in minutes. The girl turned on him, raising her cutlass.
He halted and held his hands up.
"Who the hell are you and why the fuck is Link hurt?" She demanded.
Proxi flew forward. "We're trying to help him, he's our friend and a dark stalmaster got the drop on him!"
The girl hesitated. "Do you have healing supplies?"
Link nodded.
She moved aside and Link rushed to Tune's side. He called a healing fairy while pouring his water onto a clean cloth and wiping at Tune's blood-covered face.
The girl inhaled sharply. "Great Oceans," she breathed, "Link..."
Link couldn't blame her. Tune's eye was gone. The healing fairy murmured her apologies but she couldn't restore his eye. Otherwise, she healed him, even the broken arm, and he'd wake soon.
Link cleaned the blood from Tune's face. Closing the eye again.
"I... He'll need an eyepatch," the girl said. "To keep things from getting into it."
Link felt the power oppressing the field fade, he looked over and saw the Fierce Deity vanish...
Mask collapsed.
"Mask!" Proxi cried. "Watch him!" She ordered the girl.
Knowing a friend of Tune's was watching him, Link ran to Mask's side.
How had this battle gone so wrong that both his little brothers were hurt? Why was Mask's face covered in blood too?
He skidded across the dirt and pulled Mask into his arms. He shouldn't be injured, Fierce Deity swore to Link once that any harm that comes to Mask is only from the transformation itself, never anything else.
So why was blood gushing from Mask's eye when he hadn't been injured like that before he put on the mask? Why was he passed out?
Link looked over and saw the girl helping Tune to his feet. Tune wobbled a bit, but he was clearly distracted as he just stared at her.
Link shifted his hand to his sword, ready to run to Tune's aid--
Tune tackled her with a cry. "Tetra!"
Tune was a completely different person with Tetra around, Link noticed. Not in a bad or weird way, he just... seemed happier.
Mask was quiet for several days after that battle. His eye was white now, and he had colorful markings on his face. But when Tune was finally allowed to introduce Tetra to the kid, the two teenagers got Mask right back to high spirits.
It felt like ages since the day they both lost an eye, but Tune was glad they were able to make up for each other's blind spots. He was panting, breathing heavily as he and Mask searched for their next opponent yet.
A flash of white came and Mask was lowering his Fierce Deity mask, Tune tensed at seeing the familiar markings on his face and scar over his eye.
"Link!" Tetra jogged over with Midna and Wolfie in tow. "Is it over?"
"Not sure," Tune said. "We should go find the Captain. He'd be at the center of anything if it's not."
They nodded.
Soon enough, they did find Link, and they found Lana holding Cia's unmoving form.
The moment Tune met Lana's eyes, he knew. He grabbed Tetra's hand. She startled and shot him a glare but didn't pull away.
Tune looked over at Mask beside him, at how different he was since they first met. He was a decent bit taller now but not yet even taller than Tune. He was fifteen, Tune knew, the three years of war and three years in Termina put his mental age a year younger than Tune. Physically though, he was only twelve.
He tried to commit the kid he knows to memory. His face, the still red scar over his eye, the lack of sight in that same eye, the markings... the softer look he didn't have when they first met. He wasn't as jaded and exhausted anymore.
"Mask! Tune!" Link ran over to them. "Are you guys okay?"
"We're fine," Mask said dismissively. "What about you?"
"I'm okay," Link promised. Tune was proud of how much he grew since they met, how much more he spoke. "It's--"
"Link," Tune spoke, letting go of Tetra to move forward. "We're leaving."
Mask spun to look at him. "What?!"
Link stared.
Tune nodded to Lana, who was pressing her forehead to Cia's and not looking at them yet, whispering something.
"It's time for us to return," Tune said quietly. "Their magic is growing right now, I can feel it, can't you?"
Mask stared, then tears bubbled in his eyes. "I..."
"Yeah," Tune said. "We're leaving soon." He stepped closer. "I'll see you soon."
"Don’t say that," Link whispered and he pulled Tune into a hug, Mask too.
"Time's a weird thing, Captain," Tune laughed. "Who knows, maybe Mask here will be the oldest of us next time."
"I hope not," Mask grumbled. "I like being the youngest, even if being a kid sucks ass. Being the oldest means responsibility."
Link laughed. "And we all know you hate being responsible," Link teased.
"I... I don’t want to go," Mask admitted.
"I know," Tune sighed. "But hey, isn't there anyone back home you'd like to see again? An old friend, someone who helped you out? What about that horse of yours?"
Mask gave him a more vulnerable, sad look than he'd ever seen on the young hero's face. "But you..."
"Here." Tune suddenly pressed his Wind Waker into Mask's hands. "Keep this safe for me. Give it back next time I see you."
"Wha--but--"
"Nope. No arguments. Maybe you'll have some fun with it and the Song of Storms."
Mask clutched the baton to his chest. Link ruffled Tune's hair.
"You’re a good brother," Link told him. "Be safe, okay, sailor?"
Tune grinned. "Of course."
They could all feel the moment Lana and Cia were righting and returning everyone to their times. Tune quickly hugged Wolfie before he grabbed Tetra's hand.
"Wait!" Mask suddenly ran and shoved something wooden into Tune's chest. Tune startled and he stared in shock at the item he was given. He saw Mask wipe a tear from his face. "So--So you know I won't use it anymore."
"Mask--"
"No. Keep it--we'll trade back next time."
Tune laughed softly. "Alright, fine."
Link pulled them both into another hug, he signed a goodbye to the others as well, and Tune clutched the Fierce Deity mask against his chest.
Everyone waved goodbye, and he waved back as the world vanished around him, Tetra included.
Tune knew he was different from how he was before the war. He was older, for one. Two years older.
He looked more like a pirate, eye patch for his right eye, a scar along his lower arm, he couldn't fit his lobster shirt anymore--it got torn up beyond their ability to repair it, but he kept it in case maybe Legend could--but he still kept blue, though it was a darker shade and more of a jacket than a shirt, he thought he looked more like a pirate... the jacket definitely didn't look like Linebeck's either.
As he found himself standing in a forest, alone, he looked down at the mask in his hands, brushing a finger over the markings it shared with his little brother.
He sighed softly, put it away, swiped the tears from his face, and started to look around for any path or sign of hylian or human life.
It was dark before he spotted anything, and that was a fire.
He wandered toward the fire, moving as lightly as possible and not making a sound as he did so.
He came up to a fire where a familiar--painfully so, his art never did them justice, suddenly his heart hurt at seeing them--group of hylians sat around a fire.
He took a breath, backed up, made certain the closest person was Warriors who would attack but would hesitate when he saw him--he trusted that--and he entered the light of the fire.
The camp was quieter than usual. Legend knew exactly why.
Wind was still missing, a week and one new era later, their youngest was still gone.
Legend didn't ever know he could... bake with a cooking pot, but somehow he could and did. He also didn't know that he stress baked still, but apparently yep, that too.
He wasn't sure how to keep morale up either, not anymore. Wind always helped in that regard.
Suddenly he heard branches cracking and someone stumbled into their camp. He grabbed his sword and was ready to attack.
"I have been looking for years--" the newcomer with extremely familiar magic began, "and I still haven't figured out where you got the gall to pretend you're responsible!"
There was a brief moment of silence before Warriors burst into laughter and Time groaned.
Legend blinked. "SAILOR?!"
Warriors cackled louder, Time held his head in his hands, and the newcomer--messy blond hair, an eyepatch over one eye, a dark blue coat with a lobster sewn onto the chest pocket, a huge, familiar smirk--gave Legend a bright smile in replacement of that smirk.
"Knew you'd recognize me, Apple." Wind laughed. "Honestly, how did you convince everyone you’re actually responsible, Mask? Myself included. You're an absolute menace and I have the scars to prove it."
"I never scarred you."
"Mentally you did!"
"Please. You were just as involved."
"Boys."
Sky made a surprised noise as both Time and Wind shut up at Warriors' voice, but Warriors was grinning like an idiot and Legend was so confused.
"Honestly, not even ten seconds back together and you’re causing problems."
"He's the one who set Impa's tent on fire!"
"You--" Time clicked his jaw shut and glared at Wind. "You're lucky I'm an adult now."
"As if that stopped you before," he retorted. He crossed his arms and redirected his gaze to everyone else. "So, it's been two years for me, I can tell you that war sucks and I'm still younger than my little brothers. Someone wanna remind me what shit is going down again? I have no clue what I've forgotten."
"I give up," Four declared, falling back onto the ground. "I think that makes me the youngest now. Yayyyyy."
"I don't even..." Wild trailed off.
Legend couldn't help but agree with all of them.
Twilight looked genuinely exhausted, Sky confused, Time seemed like he very much wasn't the annoyingly vague and mysterious sage person and instead an annoyed kid who got called out, Warriors looked rather content, Four and Wild seemed done, and Hyrule had visibly checked out at some point. Legend felt like he was some mix of all of the above with the exception of Warriors and Time, since they apparently knew what was going on.
He sighed heavily and scooted a bit closer to Twilight. He pat the open ground beside him. "Sit down, update us and we'll update you."
He knew that was the right move as he felt Wind's magic swell and envelop his like a tornado. Wind did sit beside him and immediately launched into a story about how he ended up in some storage room and got beat up by some "badass Sheikah lady" who was apparently Warriors' Impa, and who helped Wind teach Warriors how to fight like he does... because Warriors was the one to teach Wind how to fight that way.
He also talked about how Time was not responsible and was literally faking it til he made it because they put him on a pedestal, and Wind was certain that every time they turned to him for advice, Time internally panicked and gave some vague response to escape it.
He supposed he'd have to get used to it, Wind was back, Ocean was back... and older now. He wasn't so much younger than Legend anymore...
He also had dirt on Time and Legend was looking forward to how things changed from here.
"Hey, Tune."
Everyone glanced at Time as Wind tilted his head.
"Yeah?"
Time threw something at him and Wind caught it. Legend's eyes widened as he saw Wind holding his Wind Waker and smile softly.
"You actually kept it," he said, holding the baton carefully. He grinned at Time. "Thanks. Want your mask back?"
"Keep it safe for me, just a little longer," Time told him.
Wind nodded firmly, a certain look in his eyes as he glanced at his side where his pouch was, as if warning it to stay put.