Divergent Heroes Chapter 5- The Hike to Hateno
Shout out to @clairiko for writing the original comic that inspired this fanfic! You can find the post here!
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The trek from the Wetland Stable to Kakariko Village was surprisingly uneventful. The home of the Sheikah of Wildâs era was a quaint little settlement with tall thatched roofs and roads lined with cherry blossom saplings. Calamity, General, and Scout were more than familiar with the village⌠except for the giant, white stone ring-shaped ruins that had fallen on the East Hill. They all stopped in their tracks, eyes wide as they looked up at massive ruins- part of which simply floated in the air.
Upheaval looked back at them and laughed, setting a hand on his hip. âCome on, be good hosts, show our guests where they can relax,â he said, tone playful as he swept his arm toward the large wooden deck beside the communal cooking pot. âI have to get some butter from the shop. Try not to draw too much attention to yourselves. I donât feel like explaining all this to Impa or Paya,â Upheaval told them, ruffling Scoutâs hair as he walked toward the general store.
Calamity took it upon himself to direct the others. With his âcommanderâ gone, that left authority to him. Clearly General and Scout felt the same way, following what Upheaval and Calamity told them to do closely and quickly. Warriors couldnât help but feel his heart breaking as he watched the different parts of his brother form a hierarchy so naturally. The Chain filed over to the patio that Calamity pointed them toward.
Upheaval returned from the store a few minutes later and set up at the pot to cook them a meal. Calamity kept looking over at Upheaval, clearly thinking about his future. Meanwhile, General kept looking toward Calamity. Warriors noticed how his eyes seemed to be locking onto the scars covering the left side of Calamityâs body. Warriors called Twilight over to where he stood away from the rest of the Chain and asked if he could get Calamity away from the group for a little while, not wanting General to drive himself mad staring at the scars that would one day cover his own body. He couldnât even imagine what it might feel like to see that.
Twilight gave an affirmative nod and loped over to Calamity. Warriors couldnât quite make out what he said, but Calamity brightened up and started leading Twilight away and toward one of the stores, giving Upheaval a heads up that he was taking Twilight somewhere and would be back soon. Upheaval waved his hand in a shooing motion to grant permission as he stirred the pot of whatever he was making for them. Warriors had no idea what it was but it sure did smell good.
Upheaval served them what he called a prime meat curry- rice with a mildly spicy combination of sauce, veggies, and prime meat. Upheaval wasnât sure about the spice tolerance of the group, so he did his best to make it not too spicy. If necessary he had plenty of milk on hand for anyone who might not like the curry. He would also be willing to make them something else if they really didnât like the curry.
Sky and Hyrule ended up needing the milk, and Time simply asked if he could have a bottle. Upheaval slid him one, and when Time grabbed it he got distracted by the Hateno Milk label on it. It was a simple label with the outline of a smiling cow. Upheaval wasnât sure what had distracted him so much, but Time uncorked the label and took a swig before Upheaval could ask what was on his mind.
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After they finished their meal, Upheaval assigned Scout to âprotect the luggageâ again and helped him into the carriage before they headed off. He didnât want Scout to overdo himself, especially if he was already so comfortable just asking Warriors for a stamina potion like he had the day before. Upheaval didnât have a lot of memories from before the Calamity, but he had vague ones of being in the military from a young age. He knew from fragments of memories and journals he had seen and collected from before the Calamity that he was besting adult Hylian men at 4. Generalâs existence also meant he had been in the military by the time he pulled the Master Sword. But learning that Scout, already a soldier, asked for a stamina elixir so easily broke his heart on a whole other level.
One night when Zelda and Upheaval were talking about their lives pre-Calamity, Upheaval had mused aloud how he could have been such a strong child despite his small stature, wondering if it was just the Heroâs Spirit or if there was more to it. It felt like something was stuck in his memory, like a thorn in the part of his brain his memories were stored. Zelda had gone quiet for a moment before she offered her own theory.
It was no secret that elixirs were used heavily by the Hylian Army. Of course they needed healing elixirs, but they also frequently used stamina elixirs. Upheaval had been the youngest in the military by far, so he especially needed stamina elixirs to keep up with the adults around him. He would also sometimes use other elixirs- like attack and defense ones. These elixirs meant that Upheaval wouldnât have to eat as much hearty food to keep going. Zelda suggested he was both lacking in nutrients and overusing elixirs. There was no doubt that would have an effect on the body of such a young boy.
Hearing about his own abuse was difficult. He thanked Zelda for her honesty- because even without looking at her he knew it must not have been easy to tell him something so hard to hear. Zelda had a better memory for what life was like for them before the Calamity, but upon talking about it post-Calamity they agreed that Zelda would keep some things to herself. She would tell him these things when she thought he was ready to hear them.
He hadnât been ready to hear that.
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The walk from Kakariko Village to Hateno Village took a few hours. Upheaval walked alongside his mare, though it wasnât totally necessary. She knew to follow the road, and followed her master diligently. Upheaval had her for years now. She was the first horse he caught after the Upheaval, so despite having a few other horses at the stables, she would always be his favorite. They had a strong bond even the Ranchers could see.
It seemed Upheaval made the right call putting Scout in the carriage. After night fell Scout started looking like he was beginning to doze off. They made sure he didnât overdo himself today, but it was still getting late and he was still just a child. Warriors managed to convince Scout to lean against Warriorsâ bag, knowing it wasnât too lumpy or hard. It was comfortable enough for a soldier used to sleeping on the ground. It wasnât long before Scout had fallen asleep, and Warriors just had to hope he wouldnât freak out about falling asleep âon dutyâ when he woke up. It happened to every soldier at least once, and he was sure Upheaval would know how to handle it if he did. It was more important that the kid actually got some sleep.
Calamity actually broke rank for this leg of the journey, choosing instead to walk behind the cart with Twilight. He let General walk ahead of him, seeming to have put it together that it might be distressing for General to watch him too much. No doubt he wanted to know what happened that messed Calamity up so much, but that wasnât a conversation he was ready to have with his younger self. It didnât seem that Calamity was physically much older than the General, but the younger had no idea there was am additional 100 year gap between their ages.
Four took up the very rear of the group. He had kept to himself and barely spoken a word since Wild woke up.
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Upheaval had gained a spring in his step as they got closer to his home in Hateno Village. He hummed happily, Calamity and General breaking rank to walk closer as they approached- filled with too much anticipation at seeing who in Hyrule they could have married, no doubt. Itâs not like there could have been many options based on what had happened in their lives so far.
The door to their house flung open as Upheaval crossed the last few boards of the bridge to their house.
âLink Bosphoramus Hyrule! Where in the Realms have you been?â shouted the young blonde who came storming out, her short hair braided down the sides into a short half-ponytail.
Upheaval caught her in his arms, spinning her around. âHello to you too, my darling,â he said cheekily, earning him a smack on the arm as he kissed her just below the corner of her eye.
âYouâve had me worried sick! Itâs been days! I was about to march up to Zoraâs Domain and find you myself!â she huffed, though she didnât fight against the arms around her waist.
âZellll, itâs not my fault, I promise! I wouldâve gotten here faster, but I picked up some company,â he said, spinning her around so she could see the other men he had in his company- including Calamity and General at the end of the bridge, and Scout still asleep in the carriage. The former two stood wide-eyed in shock- Calamity with bright pink ears and General looking like he was short circuiting.
That was Princess Zelda. That was the woman he was tasked with protecting with his life. She was royalty. She was above their station! There was no way they were married! They couldnât possibly be married. No, no. General must be seeing things. Maybe he had a concussion? He must have a concussion. Or maybe he was dreaming? He could be dreaming. There was no way he wasnât dreaming. What could have went so wrong that they married Princess Zelda and not Mipha??
Calamityâs brain was also glitching, though for different reasons. He went red from cheeks to ear tips- his ears flattened against his head. Him and Zelda were at an odd place in their relationship- they were comfortable together, and it seemed like they liked each other like that but they hadnât really addressed it yet and now here he was, staring at their future. Their married future!
Zelda looked from Upheaval, to Calamity, to General, her eyes finally landing on Scout as he sat up sleepily in the cart. She sighed, rubbing her forehead, looking exasperated- though she leaned into Upheaval ever so slightly. âOur house isnât big enough for this, Link,â she said, looking up at him.
âTell that to Hylia. Or to uh, that one, I guess?â he said, pointing toward Calamity.
âMe?! Why am I being blamed?â Calamity gasped, crossing his arms as a scowl overtook his expression.
âWell, youâre temporally closest to the singular Link we split from so I think that makes it your fault,â Upheaval said playfully, looping an arm around Zeldaâs waist and pulling her close.
âThat does not make it my fault!â
âMmmmm, if you say so,â he said, his tone teasing as he guided his mare to the stable beside their home and unhooked her towing harness. He went to the carriage and carefully lifted Scout out, trying not to wake him up as he draped the childâs arms over his shoulders carried him toward his home. âIâm going to lay him down in our bed, let him keep sleeping. If we slide the table under the loft we can probably all fit,â he said quietly as he carried the young child inside.
Princess Zelda frowned as she watched him carrying his younger self- a child she recognized- inside. She sighed, rubbing her temple in exasperation at the situations her husband had gotten into. âCome on inside. Leave your shoes at the door and make yourselves at home,â she said, flashing the large group of men a smile before following Upheaval inside.