Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Legend took everything back, having a body sucked.

“This is terrible and I hate it,” he hissed, glaring at the sword on the ground like it had personally offended him.

“You’re doing much better!” Sky said brightly, twirling his borrowed sword in one hand like he’d been wielding it all his life.

Legend turned his glare on Sky. “Shut the hell up.”

“You are!” Sky sheathed the sword and came over to pick up Legend’s sword, which he refused to pick up out of principle. “Your fine motor skills have come a long way, and you are getting better at this.”

“I know what to do, Sky,” Legend growled, snatching the sword out his hands and pulsing frustrated irritation through the gossamer bond connecting them. “I - I know how this works, I know both sides of how this works, I just - I can’t do it.”

Sky smiled, his eyes a little pained. “... I’d like to show you something.”

Legend blinked, startled out of his frustration.

Sky pushed up his sleeve, revealing faint, feathery lines - lightning scars. He stretched out his hand, and after a moment, Legend saw the tremor in his fingers.

“... From your adventure,” he guessed quietly.

Sky nodded. “It’s gotten better with time and healing magic, but… it’s never gone away entirely. Some things aren’t as easy as they used to be, my penmanship especially. I can’t write as neatly as I used to, and it’s a very small thing, but… it’s frustrating. My hand just won’t cooperate.”

“... Oh.” Legend looked down at the sword in his hands. Plain, sturdy, meant to last him only until Four could beg, badger, or bribe his way into a place with a proper forge. His grip was right, he knew it was right, he just… didn’t have the muscle memory, anymore.

Quite literally, he realized. These muscles had never done the things he had asked of his original body, though they carried the echoes of those things.

“Do you want to try again?” Sky asked gently, rolling his sleeve down again and getting his own sword back out. There was a gentle flare of reassurance, of support, from the other side of their tiny bond.

Legend took a breath and nodded, sliding into a ready stance. He wanted to get this right.

“You know, it’s kind of funny that you called me a sheepdog for hovering,” Twilight said, turning to Legend suddenly, “because you are definitely just as bad.”

Hyrule, who was sitting nearby (and had been circled slowly over the course of the last hour, as Legend completed various tasks and paced) laughed. “We gave him legs and he uses them for hypocrisy.”

“Shut the fuck up,” Legend hissed, aggressively folding the blanket he was holding. Embarrassment, more than genuine irritation, judging by the soft hum of emotions in the back of Twilight’s head.

“If I could think of a good enough sword and protectiveness joke, I’d be making it right now,” Twilight said, hiding a grin.

“Seems like a personal problem,” Legend told him with a vicious glare, very pointedly folding the blanket again. “With your brain. Get a better one.”

“Not all of us can just get new body parts,” Twilight pointed out. “I kind of need the one I have.”

“Once again: a personal problem.”

Hyrule was laughing again. Four and Wind had wandered over at the sound, looking excitedly for whatever interesting thing was going on.

“Who’s getting made fun of today?” Wind asked. 

Twilight pointed at Legend. Legend pointed right back at Twilight.

Hyrule raised his hands in mock surrender. “No-one would ever make fun of me. I’m perfect and wonderful and above such things.”

“We all know that, Rulie.” Legend turned back to his blanket. “Anyone makes fun of you, I’m breaking their nose.”

Hyrule thought that was funny too, judging by the snort he was trying to muffle. 

“Oh, is it because Legend is circling?” Wind asked. “I could see it from the other side of the camp.”

Legend jerked his head up, and Twilight watched as Wind’s eyes went a little distant, and then he started laughing. “Shut the hell up, sailor.”

“Fine, fine,” Wind laughed, “but the point’s already been made.”

“I think it’s sweet,” Four said with a mischievous grin.

Legend’s eye twitched.

“Many people have remarked on Legend’s sweetness before,” Hyrule mused, “none of them have survived. A pity.”

“I’ve called more prickly people sweet,” Four said, his grin widening. “I’m still alive, somehow. Funny how that works, isn’t it?”

“You have about ten seconds to run, smithy,” Legend hissed.

Four, in a remarkable display of having no self-preservation, asked “Or what?”

“Warriors poked you in the side our second week with the group. You flinched. You’re ticklish.”

“... Ah,” Four said, in the tone of someone who realized they just made a mistake.

Legend grinned viciously, standing and shifting his weight from foot to foot. “Five.”

“We gave him fingers,” Hyrule said, mock-sadly, “and he uses them for evil.”

“Self-preservation,” Legend corrected. “Four.”

“You should probably run. He’s been getting faster,” Wind chipped in.

Four let out a nervous little laugh and took off running.

“Three-two-one!” Legend said in a rush, taking off after him. He was still a little uncoordinated at high speeds, but he had longer legs than Four did.

“This is good practice,” Twilight mused. “Maybe we should make fun of him more often.”

“ I heard that!” Legend called back over his shoulder, twisting to avoid running smack into Time. “Sorry Time - get back here!”

There was a half-terrified giggle, then the sound of an impact. Screeches of laughter and joking yells soon took over the general environment.

Smiling, Twilight went back to sharpening his sword, the warm hum of his brothers having fun keeping him company.

The battlefield was cold. 

Frost clung to the blade of the sword as Hyrule stepped forward, blood turning the dirt under his feet into mud. He looked scared, but determined. He looked like a hero.

The sword felt power gathering in the air around Hyrule, and around his opponent, too. A man towered over the field, a wickedly sharp blade in hand, stalking toward them like a predator. He was here for one thing and one thing only, the sword knew - to kill its wielder. 

“We can do this,” Hyrule whispered, adjusting his grip on the sword.

And then the monster was on them, tusks bared. He gave them no space to breathe, no time to recover from each devastating blow, forcing Hyrule back and back and back. Hyrule fought better than the sword had ever seen him; parrying, dodging, slashing at the Gerudo when he could. He was brave and fierce and it wasn’t enough.

The man landed a kick on Hyrule’s chest and sent him flying, landing with the sound of something cracking, the sword jolted from his hand. Hyrule let out an agonized little sound, reaching out for it.

A boot landed on his wrist. Something crunched , and Hyrule screamed.

“Pathetic,” the man - the thing - the monster snarled, the word nearly vibrating the air around them. “This is Hylia’s chosen? This is Hyrule’s hero?”

Get away from him, the sword wanted to scream, but it couldn’t do anything except watch as the Gerudo dragged Hyrule up by the throat. 

“I will offer you a kindness, little hero,” he said with a laugh that felt like metal scraping against stone, throwing up sparks. “I will kill you quickly.”

And then -

The sword was in his hand.

No no no no nonononononono

The monster flipped it casually, as if it weighed no more than a feather, then stabbed it directly into Hyrule’s heart.

“Legend?” Hyrule choked, small as the day he found it, eyes wide and brimming with tears. It had forgotten how young he had looked.

I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry but it couldn’t reach him. It could only scream to no one as the man ripped it out of Hyrule’s chest and dropped him like he meant nothing at all.

Legend jolted awake with a strangled, agonized noise tearing out of this throat.

He heard a soft, alarmed question, and a small ping in one of the tiny bonds he was establishing, but there was no time for that. He turned, like a compass pointing north, to Hyrule on the bedroll next to him, and his heart sank into his shoes.

Hyrule was shifting restlessly, brow furrowed and eyes squeezed shut. His head twitched occasionally from side to side, and he was clearly deep in a nightmare, but he didn’t make a sound. A habit left over from traveling alone.

“Rulie?” Legend whispered, his voice shaking, reaching out to put a hand on Hyrule’s shoulder, and reaching out mentally as well, not caring how desperate he felt. “Rulie, c’mon.”

Hyrule’s eyes opened and he gasped, desperately shoving himself away from Legend’s hand and bringing his own hand up to clutch at his chest. He blinked a few times, then seemed to register who it was who had been reaching out. “Legend?”

Legend, who had recoiled just as fast as Hyrule had at the touch, nodded slowly. He could feel tears starting to build, and he took a deep, shaky breath to try and keep them at bay.

Hyrule noticed, and reached out, moving back onto the bedroll and opening his arms. “Hey, Legend. What happened? Are you okay?” Legend could feel a shaky press of reassurance around his presence.

Words were too hard. Legend just slumped against Hyrule, holding him tight, listening intently to the heartbeat under his ear. A little fast, but strong. Alive.

Hyrule was brushing a hand through his hair. “It’s okay. Everything’s okay, we’re camped near that stream we passed yesterday. Wild is on watch, you have a body. Everything’s okay.”

He killed you, Legend said with a wave of grief and guilt and fear. And he used me to do it.

Hyrule tensed, still as when he was hunting. Ganon? And he stabbed me through the heart?

Legend pulled away just enough to look at Hyrule’s face, startled. “... Yeah.”

Hyrule bit his lip, and nodded. I think we… we had the same dream, then.  

… Oh.

How? he asked softly, trying to piece together whether that had been Hyrule’s nightmare, his own, or both.

I don’t know, Hyrule thought, somewhat distantly. Maybe… it’s going to just be like this, now.

Legend leaned back against Hyrule’s chest, taking in the sound of his heart beating. He was starting to calm down, maybe, just a little. I sure fucking hope not.

I’d rather it be you, Hyrule said, if it had to be anyone. I’d want it to be you. He paused. To help me. Not because I want you to have nightmares. Sorry, maybe I-

I got it, Rulie.

Okay. Hyrule nodded, then put his chin on top of Legend’s head. We’ll get through it. You’re not a sword anymore, and that couldn’t happen. 

Legend took another breath. It couldn’t happen.

Hyrule shuddered for a second, then pressed closer. Yeah. 

There was a very soft little nudge in the back of Legend’s mind. Now that he had Hyrule’s heartbeat in his ears, he could focus enough to identify it as Wild. He sent back a pulse of we’re okay it’s okay .

“It didn’t really happen,” Legend whispered, the sound muffled in Hyrule’s tunic. “But I’m sorry anyway.”

“Wouldn’t have been your fault. Even though it didn’t happen.” Hyrule was carding a hand through Legend’s hair again.

Legend remembered blood shining on metal and an unfamiliar hand on his hilt and, with a vague feeling of nausea, decided he didn’t want to think about it enough to argue. “... Okay.”

Hyrule leaned to the side, pulling them both back onto the bedroll. Think you can get back to sleep?

… Maybe. This wouldn’t be his first sleepless night, if he couldn’t. And it would definitely be better with Hyrule right next to him, very alive.

Hyrule kept him pressed close, Legend’s head still on his heartbeat. He curled his arms around Legend, one around his side and the other holding the back of his head gently. Let’s try, okay?

Legend nodded, curling a little closer to Hyrule and trying to just… breathe.

They were okay. Hyrule was alive. Legend had a body and a name. The nightmare could never happen.

They were okay.

Wind waved aggressively at Legend from the edge of the camp, signaling that Four and Time were far enough away- off gathering firewood- that they wouldn’t be able to notice anything. 

Legend glanced around, making sure none of the others were paying attention to him, then hurried over to Wind, giving him a conspiratorial grin.

“Okay,” Wind said, “I think they’re wrapped up somewhere in his bag underneath his bedroll? But they also could be in Wild’s slate. In which case, we’re kinda fucked.”

“I can get my hands on the slate,” Legend said with more confidence than he felt, “it would just take a long time and we’d need to get lucky. They’ll probably be in his bag, though, that’s the logical place for them.”

“Okay.” Wind moved to stand in front of Four’s bag, between it and the rest of the group, and leaned on a tree, trying to look casual. “Go for it,” he hissed out of the corner of his mouth.

Legend ducked behind Wind and started rummaging through Four’s bag. Like he’d hoped, the smithy kept it fairly organized, or at least as organized as you could get out on the road, so his target was fairly easy to find. He grinned, quickly shoving the item in question into his own bag and standing back up, pulsing excitement and success at Wind.

Wind turned his head away from the group to give Legend a huge grin, then moved faux-casually back to the spot they’d both put their gear. 

Legend wished their bond was a little more developed so he could actually discuss this with Wind without the others hearing, but it wasn’t, so he waited impatiently until they were settled again before whispering “So when are we gonna go try these out?”

Wind gasped quietly. “I didn’t even think about that! Um, maybe we can volunteer to scout or get water or something?”

“Good idea,” Legend murmured with a nod. “I think I saw a meadow on our way here, that would probably be a good spot for it.”

“Less trees to bonk into,” Wind agreed. 

Legend snorted. “Yeah, Rulie put a lot of work into my face, I don’t want to break it doing something stupid. We’d never hear the end of it.”

Grinning, Wind peeked over his shoulder. “I think they’re coming back! Damn, that was fast- okay, act natural!” 

“ You act natural,” Legend hissed back, trying and mostly failing to stifle his grin.

Wind gave him a small shove, and then stood up, back audibly cracking as he stretched. “Wow, that was a long walk! I’m so glad we’re not walking anymore.”

Subtle as a brick, Legend thought with a fond roll of his eyes.

Time and Four came back into camp, talking quietly, and - thank the goddesses - didn’t seem to notice anything out of the ordinary.

Wind was trying and failing to hide his grin, looking back over at Legend and wiggling his eyebrows in excitement, and to allude to their recent thievery.

You need to calm down, Legend said on instinct, then shook his head to dispel the thought. He couldn’t talk to Wind like that yet, and he needed to be careful, or else Hyrule would hear it and get suspicious. He settled in to work on their bond, instead, just to give himself something to do.

Wind was loudly bothering Wild in the center of camp, looking suspicious but not giving away why. Knowing him, the others could assume it was for one of hundreds of reasons. They had gotten away with it. 

“Hey,” Four said from his side of the clearing, “who moved my tools?” He glanced around at all of them, probably hunting for signs of guilt, then sighed. “You know, you can just ask to use them. Do that next time, please.”

… Had he just - had he looked through his bag and just not noticed that something was missing?

Legend sent a flicker of incredulous glee over to Wind. Holy Hylia they had gotten away with it.

Wind was staring at Four, a huge smile on his face. “Cool! Sounds good, Four. Great idea.”

Four gave him one long, suspicious squint, then reluctantly turned away to start putting everything back the way it was supposed to be.

No-one even blinked when Wind grabbed Legend’s arm later that night and loudly proclaimed that they were going to scout around. Hyrule looked up, but after a nod from Legend, let them go easily.

Legend grumbled a bit as Wind dragged him out of camp, just for show, and he made sure to keep up a steady stream of excitement to Wind to reassure him that he wasn’t actually upset about being pulled around. Once they got out of sight, though, he took the lead, retracing their steps from earlier that day to a large, grassy meadow.

The moon was bright, nearly full, and fireflies winked in the grass and among the trees. Without the cover of the trees, there was enough light that they didn’t really need a lantern, which was good, because Legend was fairly sure they would outpace the light of any item they tried to carry.

“Here?” Wind asked, gesturing to the open space in front of them, “Is that big enough?”

Legend hummed thoughtfully, scrutinizing the size of the meadow. “Should be. It’ll give me enough room to turn, so as long as I’m careful, I should be fine.” He sat down with his bag and started taking his shoes off.

Wind darted over while Legend was pulling out the pegasus boots and snatched Legend’s shoes away. “Hah! Got you!” Sitting down some distance away, he hurriedly took off his own shoes and swapped them for Legend’s.

“I’m gonna want those back, sailor,” Legend called over, but he was a little too focused on lacing up the boots to pay much attention. His hands still remembered how to lace them quickly, somehow, and something about that felt good.

“You’re not gonna care, with your cool new boots!” Wind said, standing up and bouncing a little on his feet to get used to the new footwear. 

Wind made a good point.

Legend tied his laces and stood, shifting his weight and taking a few steps, getting a feel for his own new shoes. “I haven’t worn pegasus boots in so long. ”

“You haven’t had feet!”

Legend did not dignify that with a response. He took a few steps away from the treeline, then - from long-forgotten habit - clicked his heels together.

The magic of the boots surged up his legs, making his muscles hum, and he started to grin. “Time me, Wind!”

Wind started to count. The words were soon left behind, at the speed Legend was traveling.

He ran, the world blurring around him, and his feet felt like they were barely touching the ground. Legend laughed with the sheer joy of running like this, of speed, of freedom.

He was never giving these boots back.

Warriors sat down next to where Legend was lying in his bedroll, holding out the bowl of soup Wild had given him. Legend’s eyes were closed.

He set down the soup with a sigh, and gently placed a hand on Legend’s shoulder, his other arm curled protectively around the soup, just in case Legend reacted like many of the others did when startled.

“It’s soup time,” Warriors offered, wincing a bit at the phrasing, “are you awake?”

Legend’s face scrunched a little, and he blinked hazily up at Warriors, eyes fever-bright. “... No.”

“Sounds like you are,” Warriors teased. “Do you want to sit up? Wild made soup for you.” 

“Don’ need soup,” Legend mumbled, turning to bury his face in his pillow. “G’night.”

“Yes you do,” Warriors said, gently pulling the pillow away. “Come on, sit up. You have to eat, or you’ll just feel worse.”

“Nooooo,” Legend whined, but he seemed a little too exhausted and out of it to really fight Warriors on this.

Warriors helped him sit up, and then held out the soup. “If I give this to you, will you drop it?”

“I don’t have hands,” Legend mumbled, squinting at the bowl like it held the secrets of the universe.

“You very much do have hands,” Warriors sighed. “I promise. You have hands. Now I need to know if they can hold soup.” He let go of Legend’s back for a moment to gently pull one of Legend’s hands up, showing it to him, and then hurriedly reached for Legend’s back as he slumped over again.

Legend blinked slowly at his hand, turning it over, then back. “... Huh. Weird.”

“Hyrule gave them to you,” Warriors informed him, with a small smile. “Do you think you can hold soup.”

“... How would I hold soup,” Legend asked with a serious frown, holding his hands out for the bowl anyway. “‘S all… liquidy.”

“With a bowl,” Warriors told him. “Right here, see? Soup, in a bowl. In your hands. Now put some in your mouth, with the spoon.” He gave Legend the spoon, and waited for possible disaster.

Legend blinked at the spoon, then the soup, then at Warriors. “... Why though.”

With a sigh, Warriors pressed on. “Because it’ll make you feel better.” 

“‘S magic,” Legend said, a dawning realization on his face. “Ohhhhh.”

“Sure,” Warriors smiled. “It only works if you eat it, though.”

With an expression that would be more at home on someone facing a puzzle in a dungeon, Legend took a shaky bite of soup.

“See? It’s good. Have some more.”

He did, then frowned. “Y’ always… always do that.”

Uh-oh. “Always do what?” Warriors asked, trying to keep his voice gentle. He had a feeling that a more put-together Legend might not want him hearing whatever he was about to say, but it was too late now.

“Say that… that people gotta , ” Legend said, frowning at the words. “Gotta do things or go places. ‘Cause you’re a captain.”

Warriors let out a quiet breath. “I am,” he agreed, “or, I was.”

“Don’t like soldiers,” Legend mumbled, staring down into his soup.

“I’m sorry.” Warriors looked down at a fold of the bedroll. It wasn’t an uncommon sentiment. This wasn’t the first time someone had told him that, and it wouldn’t be the last.

Legend curled just a little further into himself. “I was just little. Magic is… it sucks. ”

Warriors pressed his eyes closed. This was definitely not for his ears. “Do you want to have more soup?” he asked carefully, “I can go get Wild, if that’s easier for you.”

“I don’t need to eat,” Legend hummed. “‘S fine.”

Warriors didn’t know whether to press or not. “Are you saying that because you’re full, or for a different reason? Because we have plenty of soup, and you do need to eat. You have a body, and it needs fuel.”

Legend shook his head. “Rulie needs it.”

Taking a careful breath, Warriors put one of his hands on Legend’s, moving the soup closer to him. “Hyrule already had his. He can have more anytime he wants it, but he’s sleeping now. This is your soup.” He tried to push aside everything he was learning, but it stuck to his thoughts.

“Oh.” Legend blinked down at the bowl, then took another bite.

“There we go,” Warriors sighed. “You just have as much of that as you can. Please,” he added carefully.

Legend’s ear twitched at the word, and he looked up at Warriors like he was trying to decipher an even more complicated puzzle than the soup. “Huh.”

“Yeah.” Warriors gave him a sad smile. “Do you want me to leave now?”

“No.”

He was genuinely startled by that. Warriors blinked several times, then managed, “Oh. Okay. I’ll stay until you finish your soup, then. I am on watch, technically, but I can do that from here for now.”

“Mkay,” Legend mumbled around his spoon.

Warriors smiled despite himself. It was small, but it was there. He pulled up the blankets that had slid to the side so they covered Legend’s legs again properly, and settled in to wait.

“So,” Legend said, leaning back on his hands. “You wanted to talk?”

Legend had almost entirely recovered from his sickness, especially with Hyrule’s help, but their healer wanted him to take it easy for the next day or two anyway, and Four wasn’t going to pass up the chance for a private conversation that was becoming increasingly necessary.

“Yeah. I thought it was time to share a few of my own secrets,” Four said lightly. 

Are we three secrets or four secrets? Green wondered.

Technically we would be one secret, Vio corrected him, since the secret is the effect of the Four Sword.

Green sighed. You’re no fun.

Legend raised an eyebrow at him. “Oh?”

“I told you that the reason I remembered to talk to you back when you were a sword was a story for another time,” Four said, looking down at his hands. Red had a habit of picking at his fingernails when he was nervous, and Four echoed the motions. “It’s… Well, it isn’t that long of a story at all, it’s just… a little complicated.”

“Most of the good ones are,” Legend hummed, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. “You’re not going to admit to being a sword too, are you? Or having a talking magical item?”

Four snorted. “No. It’s… related to my sword, though.”

Let’s stop dancing around the point, Blue grumbled. This’ll be done faster if we just say it.

We need to be a little bit careful, Blue, Green scolded him. 

Red hummed. He won’t tell anyone else, though, he knows secrets like this are important.

Still.

“When I first drew the Four Sword,” Four began on Vio’s suggestion, “I didn’t know what it would do. A lot like Hyrule, I guess. I just knew I needed it for my quest. I didn’t realize until too late that it… splits you.”

Legend frowned. “ Splits you? What do you mean?”

“It split me into four people,” Four explained, moving his hands apart to illustrate. “Four copies of myself, but they weren’t exact. It’s… a little hard to explain, really.”

“Was it permanent?” There was an odd note in Legend’s voice.

Four shook his head. “No. We split and merged again a lot during that adventure. That might have made the end result worse, it might not have, we really don’t know. There’s a possibility that we were always going to end up like this, but… well, there’s no point in second guessing now, is there?”

Legend frowned. “When you say we… ”

“We don’t merge back completely, anymore,” Four said quietly, looking down at the ground. None of them wanted to watch Legend’s face. “We’re all just rattling around in here. Four is sort of… well, he’s us, he’s a person, he’s me, but he’s also an amalgamation, sort of. I am me and I am them and we are me and we are us. Like I said, it’s confusing.”

“... Oh,” Legend said softly, “ this is why you haven’t wanted to bond yet.”

“We aren’t sure what it’ll do,” Four admitted, glancing back up, slightly surprised by the curiosity and understanding on Legend’s face. 

Legend shrugged. “I’ve got no idea either. Maybe I’d talk to Four, maybe I’d talk to the rest of you, maybe both. Who knows. We could try it, if you want - I’d probably be able to tell who I’m talking to early enough to break the bond, if you really want me to.”

If we’re going to bond, I want to keep it, Red piped up.

Of course you do, Blue snorted.

Vio hummed in interest. It would be a useful experiment, I’d be very excited to see what happens.

“You and Vio would get along, I think,” Four said on Green’s suggestion.

Legend blinked. “Vio?”

“It’s Blue, Red, Green, and Vio,” Four listed, ticking each Color off on his fingers. “Vio’s the smart one. Red deals with a lot of the emotions, Blue tends to be our fighter, and Green sort of keeps the team together.”

“... Huh. I guess you would need to be a pretty good team to make something like sharing a body work long-term,” Legend mused. “Rulie and I can only manage it when he’s either unconscious or intentionally staying out of my way. Or… we could, I don’t know if we still can. But having to share like that sounds… tiring.”

Four laughed. “Some days, it is! Other days we work together without butting heads all that much. It really depends.”

“Honestly, I’m impressed that you can keep it together enough to keep anyone from noticing,” Legend admitted. “The others figured out Rulie and I were talking pretty quickly, so it’s impressive that they’ve never noticed anything like that with you.”

“Maybe they have,” Four said with a shrug. “No one’s ever mentioned anything to me, but they could have noticed a few things here and there. I know my eyes change sometimes if one of the Colors is being particularly influential, and the mood swings aren’t as subtle as we’d like.”

Legend was frowning thoughtfully at them. “So I’d guess your eyes getting darker is a sign of… Vio, you said his name was?”

Four nodded. “Yeah, he usually has a lot to say when it comes to magic.”

Nerd, Blue said, but there was an edge of fondness to it.

I will take that as a compliment, Vio said primly, fondness tinging his words, too.

“Can you still split?” Legend asked curiously.

Four shrugged. “When we want to. There hasn’t been a lot of time for it recently.”

Legend nodded with a knowing look on his face. “Yeah, I hear that. I look forward to meeting you all, then, if you ever find time.”

“We look forward to meeting you, too,” Four said with a smile. They had known Legend would be understanding, but it was still nice to have that support. Someone knew, and would have their back if it ever came to light in a way they didn’t want it to.

The two of them sat in a comfortable sort of silence for a minute, just taking in the ambient sounds of the forest around them. Then Four happened to glance over to the small pile of gear Legend was starting to accumulate, and he frowned at the boots set carefully next to the bag.

“... Wait a second, are those my pegasus boots?? ”

It was only a matter of time, really, until the monsters found their camp again. Legend was honestly surprised it had taken this long.

He deflected another strike - wrong angle, nearly too slow - and slashed at the lizalfos in front of him - too wide. His sword cut into its shoulder and it screeched in pain. Legend had just a moment to feel proud of himself before the thing’s tail slammed into his chest.

He was sent crashing to the ground, and he only registered how close he was to the fire in the center of camp when his hand made contact with the flames. 

Legend screamed.

The world narrowed to just the pain, just the feeling of fire on Legend’s skin as he curled around the injury, trying to breathe. He couldn’t focus he couldn’t see he couldn’t think there was just fire in his skin.

Legend! Hyrule shouted in panic. Legend, are you okay?

All he could do was pulse back pain pain pain and keep breathing. He needed oxygen, now, he had to breathe.

He heard screeching nearby, and the shouts of his friends, and the worried pulses from all of the bonds he was constructing. He should help, he should pull his own weight, but - but his hand hurt.

Legend had forgotten what hurting felt like.

Are you okay quiet calm hello hello, came a pulse, and Legend could really use some calm right now, so he reached back with a pained hum.

“Legend,” said Time’s voice, very quietly. “May I see your hand?”

Legend opened his eyes, blinking back pained tears to see Time kneeling in front of him. The others were all scattered around the campsite, dealing with the aftermath of battle and trying very hard to look like they weren’t hovering around Legend. The weight of their worry pulled at him.

Time had asked him a question. He nodded, slowly, uncurling his hand from his chest and holding it out.

The burn was fairly small. Just the side of his hand, only an inch or two, really. The rest was just singed. It certainly wasn’t worth Legend’s reaction.

He felt a curl of shame settle in his gut. All of that, for such a small thing?

Time took his hand carefully, turning it gently from side to side, examining the burn. “How are you feeling?”

“... I’m sorry,” Legend said quietly, trying to fight back the stinging in his eyes. It was just from the smoke. Maybe if he told himself that enough times, he would believe it. 

“For what?” Time asked, rummaging in his bag with one hand while cradling Legend’s hand in the other.

Legend shrugged with one shoulder. Hyrule was an anxious livewire in the back of his head, and he was trying so hard to not let any of the guilt and shame that was starting to build filter through any of his bonds. 

Time seemed to accept the nonanswer, because he took out a small container of something that smelled like mint and medicine, and started spreading it carefully over Legend’s burn.

He hissed, instinctively trying to pull his hand away, but he stopped when Time’s grip tightened, ever so slightly. “What’s - what’s that for?”

“Burn salve,” Time explained quietly. “It’s designed to help promote healing and fight infection. It should also provide some relief.”

… His hand did feel just a little cooler. Legend closed his eyes, wincing through the dull, aching flares of pain as Time gently spread the salve over the whole burn, plus some of the surrounding skin, just to be safe. 

“... This is stupid,” Legend mumbled as Time put the salve back in his bag.

“Why do you say that?”

Legend took a deep breath, fighting back another wave of frustrated tears. “I’ve been through so much worse, why is this - why does it hurt so much?”

Time took out a roll of bandages and started to carefully wrap Legend’s hand. “You haven’t been physically hurt for several centuries. It seems perfectly reasonable to me that you would have a more extreme reaction to pain than someone more used to it.”

“But I was used to it!” Like he had been used to fighting, and running, and existing. “I shouldn’t - I just stopped, and I could have gotten myself killed, or one of you killed, and it’s - it’s stupid.”

“It’s easy to not be used to something anymore.” Time tied off the bandage, but he kept his hand on Legend’s. “When we stop at Lon Lon Ranch, I’m always surprised by how early Malon wakes up. I was used to it, before I started traveling again. I’ll get used to it again when this is over.”

Legend stared at the bandage on his hand. “... And I’ll get used to being in pain again.”

“Hopefully, you won’t have to, but… yes.” Time gave his hand a small squeeze, careful to avoid the burn, then let go so he could put the bandages away. “It isn’t a failing on your part. You’re adjusting, that’s all.”

It felt like a failing.

Relax kindness calm breathe, Time projected gently. “Now, are you ready to let the others fuss over you?”

“Like you haven’t just been doing that,” Legend snorted, but there was no bite to the words.

“So I can call Hyrule over?” Time asked with a knowing smile.

Legend winced, but nodded. “Might as well get it over with. Goddesses, he’s gonna be clingy.” Legend was probably going to be clingy for a while, too, but he decided not to mention that.

Time chuckled, then glanced over toward Hyrule. “Hyrule, can you come take a look at Legend’s hand?”

“Wait,” Legend said, frowning, as Hyrule all but sprinted over. “Why bother patching me up if you’re just gonna ask Hyrule to take care of it?”

Time didn’t reply. He just kissed his fingertips, gently tapped them against Legend’s bandaged hand, and backed away to give Hyrule room to fuss.

A memory pinged at Legend, one from a long time ago, back when he was little. His uncle pressing a kiss to Legend’s scraped knee.

“Oh fuck off, old man, you did not just try to KISS IT BETTER - ”

“This is a stupid idea,” Legend said for probably the fifth time.

“There are no stupid ideas,” Wild said cheerfully, also for the fifth time. “Just bad executions of ideas.”

“That is so unbelievably wrong. How have you not gotten yourself blown up yet,” Legend grumbled, inching his way down the steep slope of the hill. Hyrule and Wild were waiting at the bottom, and he legitimately couldn’t tell if they were so much faster than him because he was still working out how to have a body, or because they were both just insane.

Wild shrugged, beaming. “I dunno!”

“I think this is a great idea,” Hyrule said, grinning, “I mean, you did say you wanted more experiences, and this is definitely going to be an experience.”

“Exactly!” Wild agreed. “And come on, it’s just going out to get ingredients for dinner, how bad could it be?”

Legend had been using the small trees growing on the hill to keep himself from falling, and he chanced letting go of one of them to point an accusatory finger at Wild. “ Shut the hell up. Something’s gonna go wrong now, and it’s your fault, because you just jinxed it.”

“I was about to say,” Hyrule added, “you’ve totally cursed us now. I hope whatever it is is fun, at least. Entertaining. No injuries,” he said, glancing over at Legend.

“Oops,” Wild said, not looking sorry at all.

“I’ll show you oops, you maniac -” Legend hissed, stumbling the last few feet to the bottom of the hill.

Hyrule groaned. “Don’t ‘oops’ us, you scared me! I thought something had gone wrong already!”

“That would be a new record,” Wild mused. “We’ve only been gone from camp, what, five minutes?”

“We live to attempt the impossible,” Hyrule muttered. 

Legend sent them both a wave of fond, exasperated irritation. “Can we go already?”

“Sure,” Wild agreed easily. “Pick a direction!”

“... I hate you both so much,” Legend muttered, then pointed more or less forward. “If that way has nothing good, I’m blaming you.”

Hyrule started walking. “It was literally your choice, but okay. There are two of us and one of you, who do you think the group is going to believe?” He flashed a grin over his shoulder.

“The only one who’s ever picked up a map!” Legend snapped, absolutely no heat in his voice, as he hurried after Hyrule.

Wild made a so-so sort of gesture as he started to follow. “I have a map built into my slate, I think that counts.”

“Nope. You never look at it.”

“It hardly ever works!”

“Irrelevant.”

“It’s not the slate’s fault that it didn’t plan for inter-era time travel, come on Legend. Have a little sympathy for a put-upon magic item.” Hyrule said with mock sadness.

Legend rolled his eyes, choosing to ignore the soft pang of the statement in favor of being here, out in the woods with two of his friends, joking around. “If that thing doesn’t have the spirit of a long-dead hero in it, I don’t want to hear it.”

Wild took his slate off of his hip, stared at it for a moment, then shook it next to his ear like a child with a package. “... Nope, don’t hear any ghosts.” 

“I’m not a ghost, idiot,” Legend huffed, giving him a light shove. “Ghosts and souls in vessels are different . ”

Wild shook the slate a little harder. “Mmmm, no souls either, I don’t think.”

“I mean, who knows what you have in that thing,” Hyrule said, with a fake shudder. “I wouldn’t put it past you, if you can store live bugs and milk, I don’t know what could limit you.”

“I’ve got hinox toenails, too,” Wild said far too cheerfully, and there was something bright and mischievous seeping through the bond.

Legend made a mock gagging sound.

“I hate that I actually believe you,” Hyrule sighed.

“Implying that I would lie to you?” Wild gasped, putting a hand to his chest. “To you? One of my friends? Hyrule, I would never!”

“I would,” Hyrule said without hesitation, “if it was funny.”

“So would I,” Legend agreed.

Wild held the mock indignation for another moment, then laughed. “Yeah, I absolutely would. I do have hinox toenails, though.”

Hyrule grimaced. “I don’t see how that’s a win for you.”

“They’re good for elixirs!”

Making a face, Hyrule started walking faster. “If you’re going to try and tell me what you actually put in those things, I’m leaving.”

“Lizards!” Wild told him, speeding up as well. “Lots of lizards. Monster guts, sometimes -”

Legend laughed, despite how gross the mental image was.

“Lizards aren’t that bad,” Hyrule said consideringly. “Sucks that they don’t have more meat, though.”

Wild nodded mournfully. “They’re so small.”

“You know, I think they need me back at camp,” Legend said, doing his best to give them a deadpan look. “Gosh. So sad that I can’t keep going on this stupid outing and discuss eating lizards.”

“You have literally watched me eat lizards for most of my life,” Hyrule said, “You have actively helped me find and hunt lizards to eat.”

“Yeah, but I have taste buds now, Rulie.”

“Tastes like cucco,” Hyrule shrugged.

Wild nodded along. “Some of them do. Different kinds of lizards taste a little different.”

Legend sighed, rolling his eyes again. “Can we circle back to our cook actively adding monster parts to elixirs?”

“What?” Wild asked with a laugh. “They’re necessary ingredients! And I haven’t even tried feeding you guys monster soup yet!”

“ What soup??”

“ Monster soup,” Hyrule told him, grinning, “C’mon, I literally just made your ears, they can’t already be broken.”

Legend sent him a pulse of fond annoyance. “I heard him, I just want him to elaborate . ”

Wild made a considering noise. “... No.”

“What do you mean no???”

“This is funnier,” Wild said with a grin.

“I bet I could make monster soup,” Hyrule said thoughtfully, “Some parts of them will probably kill you if you prepare them wrong, but I have eight test subjects right here to help me figure it out.”

Wild shook his head. “Hyrule, every soup you make is monster soup.”

Hyrule burst out laughing. “You take that back! I’ve been living on those soups for years!”

“And they’re monster soups!” Wild insisted. “You’re not good at cooking, we’ve established this!”

“I’m good at making things last,” Hyrule sniffed, “not my fault the rest of you want flavor, or whatever.”

Legend patted Wild’s shoulder. “I am so glad you’re here now that I actually need food.”

“The others were living on like… boiled potatoes and plain meat and leftovers when I joined up with them,” Wild said with a shudder. “It was awful. No one can cook.”

“I still see no problem with this,” Hyrule said, “food is food. Spiced food is better, sure, but I don’t need it.”

“Food is about joy, Hyrule! Cooking is supposed to make you happy!” Wild insisted.

Hyrule raised his eyebrows. “ Eating makes me happy. Cooking makes me food.”

“None of you have any appreciation for cooking,” Wild sniffed. “I am making food for uncultured animals.”

Legend snorted. “Bold words, champ.”

“ Please tell me you at least understand where I’m coming from?” Wild said, putting an arm around Legend’s shoulders. “Cooking is important, right?”

“I mean, yeah, obviously. Staying alive is important, but. You know. Things that help you want to be alive are also important,” Legend said with a little shrug. “Food’s good for that.”

“ Exactly! ”

“Your little baby tastebuds are weak,” Hyrule informed Legend, “I will outlast you in any survival scenario.”

Legend raised an eyebrow at him. “And whose fault is the state of my tastebuds? I didn’t make them.”

“... shit.” 

Wild and Legend both burst out laughing.

“Wait,” Hyrule countered, raising a hand, “Wait, I gave you the magic and you made the form, based on what you remember of your old body. I didn’t even know what color your hair was supposed to be, I think the tastebuds are on you.”

“To be fair,” Wild put in, “It’s not hard to guess what color his hair is supposed to be.”

“...The pink was a surprise,” Hyrule muttered.

Legend sighed. “The pink was an unfortunate side effect of some magic way back when, and you are not getting the story.”

Hyrule grinned, and teased, “I think it’s cute.” 

“Call me cute one more time and suffer the consequences,” Legend hissed.

“What, you’re gonna chase me on legs you can’t even run on yet?” Hyrule taunted.

Legend narrowed his eyes, shifting his weight just a little toward his toes. “I’ve been practicing. Don’t test me.”

“Whatever makes you feel better,” Hyrule shrugged. 

Wild grinned, letting go of Legend and hurrying forward to take the lead in their little group. “I’m not getting involved here.”

“Coward,” Hyrule said jokingly, “come back here and tease him like a hero.”

“Nah, I know that look,” Wild said, glancing back at Legend, still grinning. “That’s a planning something look. I’m not going to be collateral damage, I know better.”

“I fear no danger,” Hyrule proclaimed, “Not even the second-cutest of Hylia’s heroes.”

Legend was about to snap back, then paused. “... Second cutest?”

Hyrule considered. “...Third, actually.”

“Who’s in front of me??” Legend demanded, feeling almost offended.

“Wind, because he’s just the adorablest little thing ever until you piss him off, and Sky, because he got a literal goddess. I’m sure she has better taste than me, so. First it is for our dear Sky.”

“That doesn’t mean he’s cute, ” Legend protested. 

“He gives off very nice vibes,” Hyrule informed him. “He is probably the sweetest one of us. Again, until you piss him off.”

Wild snorted. “I was about to say, you haven’t seen Sky really angry yet. He’s terrifying. ”

Hyrule nodded. “ The anger of a gentle man , or something.”

“I haven’t seen him angry, but I’ve definitely seen him protective,” Legend said with a shrug, pushing down the memory of golden fire. “I really don’t want to see it again, if I can help it.”

Glancing over at him with a more sober look, Hyrule nodded. “We’ve got that on our side, now.”

“Yeah,” Wild agreed, slowing his pace a little to give Legend a little nudge with his elbow. “You’re safe if Sky’s around. If any of us are around, really.”

“That’s the general idea, for heroes,” Hyrule added. 

Legend nodded, because he did sort of trust that, now. He probably wouldn’t trust it entirely until all that protective rage was pointed at something or someone else, on his behalf, and he saw the shield from the other side. But for now, he could maybe start to accept that if he needed it, it would be there.

Maybe being a hero was about being a sword, really. There to protect and deflect danger, to slay evil and follow the will of something bigger than they were. But he was starting to believe that being a hero also meant being a person, at the core of them, and laughing with their friends and taking care of each other.

He sent a soft little wave of something that might be love down all eight of his bonds.

Several of them sent affection back. Some sent gentle confusion, some amused fondness. All of them appreciated it, even if he would never tell them what it was about.

He had never had brothers, before. It might be nice, after all this time, to try something new.