Your entrance into this journey filled with world hopping and a band of men all dubbed strange and woefully bad nicknames was… interesting. Thankfully enough, it wasn’t a truck send off level of isekai but it wasn’t the go to sleep and then wake up somewhere else type either. No, it was deciding to venture out at night for a rather dumb reason, immediately get lost, stumble across a strange portal, proceed to be chased into said portal by a pure black shadow with red eyes, and then stumble around in a forest you very much didn’t recognize. And then, of course, you stumbled across them.

They had dubbed their group The Chain since they were all Link (based on the expressions made when you were informed of this, it was clear who did and didn’t like the idea). After the initial shock based, you were suddenly bombarded with questions about… everything, really. The sheer amount of attention, combined with knowing a lot more than you should (in their eyes but they didn’t need to know that to the full extent), caused you to freeze. Well, internally freeze. As cooly as you could, you tried to answer the many questions thrown your way as truthfully as you deemed necessary.

“What’s your Hyrule like?”

“I don’t have one.”

“You don’t have one? What does that mean? Are you before Hyrule exists or did your Link… fail?” “I just don’t have one. It… never existed. A lot of what exists for you doesn’t for me- not outside of fairy tales, that is. Magic, fairies, multiple civilizations of different species, and more.”

“Why are your ears clipped? Is it a sort of fashion statement or a punishment?”

“Neither. I’m not Hylian, I’m human. Humans are similar to Hylians but we don’t have pointed ears and are usually a little taller than the average Hylian.”

“Why are your clothes so… weird…”

“They’re not weird to me. You guys certainly are, though.”

And the questions continued. After days of asking questions, which quickly broke past barriers and dug deeper than you were comfortable with, The Chain relented a little. It was clear as day that they didn’t trust you, not a bit, but they still “added” you to their little entourage. Dark Link, or Dink as they called him, had still pushed you through that portal like it did for the rest of them. Meaning, somehow, that you were fated to be a part of the Chain even though you were very far from being a Link. In truth, you knew probably half of them believed you might be colluding with the entity and were simply keeping tabs on you. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, as they say.

Thankfully, you weren’t a complete dead weight. You didn’t mind doing chores since you surely couldn’t battle. Despite some of your “exotic” looks (largely your ears, they’re still getting over that), merchants and townsfolk seemed to open up a bit easier to you. Plus, a lot of creatures from the mundane to mystical quite liked you for whatever reason. Were you not in the Champion’s Hyrule, that may not have stuck out as much as it did. On top of that, you knew first-aid better than most of them did. You were no genius in medicine, but you knew enough about the human body (thank you Forensic Files). You also had the “remedies” your Nana often chose over medicine- a lot less helpful in your world, but far more useful in nearly any Hyrule given the more mystical nature of, well, everything.

It took nearly two weeks for the mock friendliness to turn genuine and nearly a month and a half for everyone (including Legend, though he’ll deny it even if he were six feet under) to have a bit of trust in you. It wasn’t like the bonds they had with each other nor the ones you had with your friends back home, but it was something and that something showed. That fact certainly helped you sleep a bit easier during the night.

So now, here you sit around a campfire with the Chain after yet another day of traveling. Despite sitting in a circle, everyone was still a little grouped up and remained chatting in that group. Hyrule, Wild, and Wind were all conversing with each other in semi-hushed tones which made you believe some level of tomfoolery was sure to happen in the coming days. Sky, Four, and Wars were simply chatting about random things. Legend and Twilight were off on patrolling duty at the moment which was a bit of a balm for you given just how… prickly the Vet was in regards towards you at times (you knew it was mostly show, but that didn’t stop it from being aggravating). All of this left Time and you sitting beside each other in silence as one surveyed the camp and its occupants with a well-trained eye and the other lightly zoned out.

Although semi-zoned out, you weren’t entirely oblivious to the world. Your eyes drifted around and loosely observed the scenery although it was regarded as little more than static to your brain. By chance, your eyes drifted downwards and caught eye of a trinket that often sat on the hip of Time- a mask. Not just any mask, though. You hadn’t played Majora’s Mask before but you saw snippets of it and knew what the Fierce Deity mask was. You noticed from day one that Time- rather foreign in your eyes given the design you were used to- partly had the mask’s markings on his face. You had many guesses as to why that was, but you didn’t ask any.

“No- you can’t try it on,” Time speaks up as he quickly notices your stare at the mask. It jolts you a little as you didn’t realize just how long you had been staring at the aforementioned trinket.

“Oh? I wasn’t going to ask to but… well, now I’m curious as to why you don’t want me to. Is it special to you? I’ve never seen anyone else touch it before,” you ask as you stare at the mask in partly feigned curiosity, avoiding Time’s stare. Faking ignorance had grown to be second nature by now.

“Because everyone else knows that it’s good to stay away from it lest you risk tragedy. It’s a magical mask but the power it holds is… potent. Rather, who it holds,” Time cryptically answers with a small grin. It brings a little grin to your face as well that the mask wasn’t too sore a subject for the Old Man, but it was best to tread the waters lightly.

“Who it holds? There’s… a person in there?” You ask.

“Not just a person- a god. It’s called the Fierce Deity Mask as it holds a god of war within it. Put on the mask, and you become something of a vessel for him to use. Naturally, doing so is dangerous- extremely so- so don’t expect to be seeing it in use any time soon,” Time answers with a lit of strictness at the end.

“Can I… at least touch it? Or hold it?” You push, curious about many things in relation to the mask. What did a magical mask feel like in your hands? Could you feel the power of Fierce Deity wanting to be released? Could you maybe even hear him? Would your heart begin to pump loudly, as if trying to sync with a war drum? Time can practically hear your unasked questions, it seems, as he detaches the mask from his belt and hands it to you.

It’s weighty in your hands. Not heavy, but weighty. Its texture is smooth and makes it feel a little bit more like fine pottery than wood. Despite that, you knew you wouldn’t be able to break it by accidentally or purposefully dropping it (could it ever be broken? What would happen if it was?). Despite the chill in the air, the mask was warm. Something that could easily be attributed to being nearly sandwiched between your’s and Time’s body, but you felt like that wasn’t the case. Aside from that, the mask was almost… underwhelming. “What? Expecting something grand to happen?” Time lets out a short and breathy chuckle at the puzzled expression that must be on your face at the moment. “Yeah… I guess so,” You mumble, still holding the mask and looking at it in the eyes- or rather eye sockets. Randomly, you hold the mask up and away from you as if it were someone face to face with you.

“Hello, Fierce Deity, I’m (Name). A… pleasure to meet you? At least, somewhat…”

A beat of silence. And then another. And then another. And th-

“BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! D-Did you seriously just introduce yourself to a mask?!”

Your face burned crimson at Wind’s howling laughter and remark. Many others shared his laughter, including Time himself. Naturally, you looked straight down at your lap and didn’t even resist having Time take the mask back. So caught up in your embarrassing action, you and everyone missed the slight vibration the mask gave off. The second Time put the mask back on his hip was the moment you decided you’d turn in for the night.

Of course, your luck was little and fickle so some of the boys decided to poke at you further come the next day. While you settled beside a stream to wash clothes, it didn’t take long before Hyrule hopped over with a little grin as he propped up the Fierce Deity mask beside you. He made a little comment about how you appeared lonely before practically running off. Unsure of whether to snap at Hyrule or almost pity the god within the mask, you simply chose to go about your chores. You had a gut feeling that a few of the Links were likely lingering close by, so you did your best to stay tight lipped beside the mask. Which was hard since chore time (especially when it allocated some space between you and the boys) was also welcomed alone time. More often than not did you talk to yourself. Safe to say that having such time and space intruded upon left you a little… pent up for the rest of the day.

When the next laundry day came by, the same stunt was pulled (by Wild this time) but you couldn’t keep your silence. Camp was located a little further from the stream than it was at the previous site, so you felt a little more secure.

“I’m sorry,” you mumbled out as you began to wash the pile of clothes beside you. By now, you’ve long grown used to the awful smell of them and you were thankful that, despite having a sculpted nose, the mask didn’t have nostrils. After a few moments of silence, you continued. “I, uhm… I’m sorry for the way that they’re treating you. Perhaps seeing the way I interacted with you that night caused them to grow a little too comfortable around you. I just ask that you forgive or at least tolerate the behavior- it’s an outlet for a handful of them. I know you’ve been with Time for awhile, so I know that you know full well the stress and trauma these boys have. It may seem like little to you given your rank as a deity, but I’m sure you’ve grown to understand mortals a bit better after hanging off the hip of one for years.”

After that, it felt like a dam had broken. Anytime you were off doing your chores, the Fierce Deity mask was there beside you. To the Chain it was a recurring joke that turned into a slight routine (something Legend hated since having something so powerful be near you was always something he despised). To you, it was finally a chance to talk- to vent without being judged. Well, you’re sure that Fierce Deity was judging you but you couldn’t hear him. Honestly, there were parts of your life that you likely sooner shared with the mask than you did with anyone else. It’s not like he can spill your secrets, anyway.

You wondered what he must have thought of you. An annoyance? A break? An interesting or perhaps strange mortal? Or did he just not care at all? Was he curious about your ramblings that described your passions, your home, your world or was it merely buzzing in his ears? You didn’t know and likely never would. At least, so you thought.

And it all started with a simple, and seemingly logical, decision from Time.

“I’m sorry- what? You’re wanting the Outsider to have the mask with them? Time, what the fuck?! We’re your sword brothers and we’ve hardly been allowed to touch the damn thing but now it gets to hang off of that witch’s hip?! What happens if we need to use it? Or what happens if they use it? We’re all screwed!” Legend practically screams as Time tells the Chain of his decision. You want to stand tall and face Legend, but you knew that his comment wasn’t entirely based off of his prickly personality (despite what may come out of his mouth). No, all of the boys were likely fretting over you having the mask given what it did to its wearer. If it could take down even a Hero of Courage, then what could it do to you?

“Enough!” Time snorted as he stared down the pink haired man. “The mask is not some secret weapon, let alone a toy (Wild, Wind, and Hyrule flinch), to be used at your leisure. That’s something this ‘outsider’ realizes better than seemingly all of you. As such, I’m entrusting it into their care to make sure it’s not abused. It is only for the worst case scenarios, do I make myself clear?”

“But the past few monster hordes have gotten stronger! I understand that (Name) acts as a field medic to the best of their ability but they stay away from battle when they can. It’ll be inconvenient and risky to let it be away from us for multiple reasons. What if a battle goes south fast and we can’t get to it in time? What if something tries to steal it from them? What if they have no choice but to use it and potentially lets Fierce Deity go on a rampage? I can guarantee that it’d hurt them,” Wars argues with a much more put together and logical rebuttal than Legend. That still doesn’t save you from the ever present glare the Vet has aimed at you and the mask.

“I’ve thought of all of this but I still believe this for the best. Besides, the hordes feel stronger because we’ve been dealing with smaller and weaker hordes for over a month now. Dink has been trying to soften us up a little and I can see that it’s worked based on our combined performance in the last battle,” Time huffs and deepens his scowl. He gives the Chain a thorough stare down before speaking again. “Anyone else want to pipe up?”

The only thing that spoke for about the next ten seconds was the breeze. After that short but tense “talk” was over with, the Chain was back on the move. Safe to say you were distracted as you and the boys traveled, though not by the gazes you felt on your person and on the mask. Rather… it was due to the mask itself. During the argument, it had been on your waist the entire time. With everyone focusing on whoever was taking their turn arguing with Time, they were all blind to the way the mask was reacting. Due to your close proximity to the mask for some time now, you knew full well that Fierce Deity could hear and see what happened around him from his wooden prison. He couldn’t speak, but he could make the mask buzz. He did it seldom, but seldom was not the word you would use for moments ago. Given how a lot of the boys still regarded him as an object, it must have pissed him off. Or, maybe, he was also a little pissed at how his new carrier was being treated. It was likely the former but you at least hope you’ve rubbed off on Fierce just a little bit by now.

…

‘On… put the mask on…’

Okay, maybe you’ve rubbed off on him a little… too much.

The freaky occurrences began to happen nearly a week after you were appointed as Fierce Deity’s new carrier. You didn’t notice the whispers at first as they were quiet and usually spoken while the boys were speaking. You also didn’t notice how the mask would move just a little bit whenever you set it down. Naturally, you couldn’t ignore it for forever- not as the mask only grew more active in regards to your ignorance.

The calls from the mask were getting closer by the day. It’s whisper- his whisper, grew louder for every night that passed. His voice was low and rumbling like a distant thunder, like an approaching storm. You’d put the mask on the other side of your tent (much to the displeasure of whoever you were sharing the tent with at the time) but it’d still end up only a foot or two away from you when morning came. Your once rather passive regard for the mask and the deity trapped within it was becoming… strained as the days went by. The boys noticed it, to the point you wondered if Time planned to take back the mask, but they (aside from a seething Legend) never commented on it. It should have come to the surprise of no one that the rising tension would eventually snap.

“You did pretty good out there today, Wind. I didn’t expect you to take out those three lizafols so quickly,” Wild complimented the young lad as he joined the group around the campfire.

“Ha, naturally! With my rate of improvement, I may even surpass the Old Man one day!” Wind puffed up his chest and grinned. The sight of his youthful happiness and high esteem caused the other men to either chuckle or feel a touch of nostalgia.

“Careful- we’ve seen what praise like that does to one of us,” Legend tsks as he side eyes Wars. The knight rolls his eyes but doesn’t clap back for once.

“It’s well deserved praise, Legend. Wind is truly improving- there’s no harm in letting him know,” Hyrule claims. The man opens his mouth to add more but is stopped when Twilight springs up from his spot and stands stiff as a board. The aura surrounding the rancher is tense as he eyes the tent farthest from the campfire.

“Uh, Twilight? What’s wr-”

“(Name)?” Twilight called out as he took a few steps towards the tent you were currently sleeping in. Due to his heightened senses, he could hear muffled grunts and whines of pain. Could you be having a nightmare? No, if it was a nightmare why did he feel so… worried? Scared, even? Based on the tense men around the campfire, they were starting to feel that as well.

Twilight walks, almost stalks, towards the tent. The wolf within was howling and snarling in the back of his mind, that something bad was happening. An almost shaky hand grabbed the fabric of the tent and… he stalled. Why? Why was he stalling? Why did it feel like he shouldn’t open the tent when he knew that he should? That he has to? That his friend- their friend- was in trouble? Why-

“Leave, Hero of Twilight. This is a private moment and you are not welcome.”

Twilight nearly flung the tent into the field.

A thrashing body was pulled from the tent and pinned down to the ground. Wild reached for the mask stuck to your face and tried to pry it away from you but it wouldn’t budge. While you weren’t transforming into the Fierce Deity, that didn’t mean you weren't under his influence at the moment. His voice had come out of your mouth, after all.

“Dammit! (Name)!” Time bellowed, kneeling beside the scene with an equal mix of anger and worry. Worry because he knows- Hylia does he know what that mask can do and angry at himself. He should have taken the mask back the second it started to show signs of attachment. He should have never let you have it- never let you even touch it.

Suddenly, you went limp. Grunts stopped on the tip of your tongue as you let out a drawn out breath. As if it wasn’t just stuck to your face like glue, Wild yanked off the mask with ease. Aside from some redness and even blood on the outline of your face due to the struggle, your face was largely unharmed. In fact, it looked eerily… peaceful.

Your arms slowly closed in and you hugged yourself. In gentle motions that appeared strange to the Chain- as if it wasn’t really you moving your appendages- you rubbed your arms. Your face settles into a more so neutral expression as you eyes flutter open for just a moment to reveal almost entirely white eyes.

“Shhh… you’re alright now, I told you that it would only hurt for a moment. Shhh…,” Fierce Deity gently spoke out of your mouth before your eyes returned to normal. With a tiny groan, your head lolled to the side as you blacked out.

Safe to say that it was absolute chaos when you woke back up.

Strained voices were arguing somewhere nearby and it didn’t help soothe your forming headache. With wobbly arms, you tried to push yourself up but failed as strength seemingly refused to return to you.

“(Name)? Thank the goddesses you’re awake!” Four pipped up in what sounded like absolute relief. Such relief was short lived as you watched Four get up and run off. You tried to sit up again in your sleeping bag but the weakness in your body persisted. Why? Why were you so weak? You went to bed early, dammit!

A baritone chuckle rings in your ears.

“I apologize for that, dear one. Your lack of strength is due to my actions last night.”

The voice was a shock to your system. You frantically looked around for its origin but couldn’t find it. Your confused actions caused the voice to nearly coo.

“Be not afraid, dear one. I am here, with you. That is why you can hear me.”

Light flooded the tent as what seemed to be a multitude of Links trying to force their way in. Time, thanks to his bulk and armor, was the one who managed to force himself to your side. His grip on your face was almost harsh as he looked over your face with a scrutinizing eye. His hardened scowl made your heart drop into your stomach. Buried fears of the Chain turning on you started to surface as nearly everyone gave you heated glares.

“What did he do? What did Fierce Deity do?” Time questioned as he still held your face, not letting go.

Fierce Deity- of course, how could you forget? Your panic that night as you rolled over and into an awaiting mask. The fear as he grabbed onto your mind despite his gentle tone.

“The mask… I… I rolled over and then it was on my face,” You answer meekly, unsure of what words to use because Time looked like he was about to blow a fuse. Anxious and a little frightened by the Old Man, you rambled on. “I swear that I put it on the other side of the tent! I promise I would never put on the mask like that! I-I… I… I’m going to ask you to unhand their face, Hero of Time. Scaring them will not grant you answers.”

Time let go of your face like it would burn him. A few of the boys behind him instinctively reached for their swords but paused. Even with the blank, white eyes staring back at them, this was still their friend’s face.

“What have you done? Why have you possessed (Name)? How?!” Wars interrogated Fierce Deity as he stared back at him.

“I have not truly possessed them. I merely created a bridge between our minds. It will not let me control them like this for much longer. I can only do so because it is still… fresh,” Fierce Deity explains, a ghost of a smile present in his voice.

“Really now? I don’t believe that for a second! Why else would you create this mental bridge if not to have them as a vessel?” Wild piped up as he tried to get close to his friend’s body. He failed to do so as Time practically shielded you from him.

“Personal reasons. I needn’t explain them to you, but I will assure you that I will not harm them. No, I would never force these innocent hands to slaughter. Not unless they were without choice,” Fierce Deity claims. As he speaks, he rubs your hands together as if enthralled with how gentle they felt compared to the calloused and aching hands he was used to guiding.

“And what, in your mind, is ‘without choice’?” Time pressed, grabbing your hands with a scowl.

“Conflict follows this group like a pack of starving wolves. There have been many times where death nearly sunk its teeth into their neck. Times I wish they would have donned the mask so that I could protect them and get them to safety. Unfortunately, they still believed in the half-truths you all told them were the full truth,” Fierce Deity rumbles as he stares down at Times grip with a less than pleased expression.

“I am not comfortable with what you’ve done to our friend. I don’t know if any of us may grow used to or comfortable with this, but… we also have no way to remove you from them. That does not mean we will not look or try. Don’t grow comfortable with this… this bond. It. Will. Not. Last,” Time threatens as he doesn’t bother to hide his disgust or displeasure. With a motion, he orders everyone else to leave. The Chain leaves the tent one by one, but not before speaking their mind. Once alone together again, Fierce Deity lets his hold slip. One or more of the heroes would come back, with more questions, and they would do so soon. So he would enjoy this little break while he had it.

“They are gone for now, dear one. No doubt they will return shortly, so let us enjoy this piece of quiet while we can.”

You lay on your side, feeling dizzy from Fierce Deity suddenly grabbing the reigns of your mind. Although he backed off once the Chain left the tent, his presence within was close. It was almost as if he was laying behind you, wanting to wrap his arms around you. Wanting to hold you close and only stopped by his lack of physical form.

“I am glad you do not have a heightened sense of smell. Their worry, rage, and envy- oh their envy- would have burned your nose. Ah, but… let us dwell on that no longer.”

Your hand was puppeteered to reach down to your side. Your were made to unclasp the mask from your belt and bring it up close to your face. Rather than putting it on, Fierce Deity touched his “face” against yours. Forehead to forehead, nose to nose, and almost mouth to mouth.

“Mmm… so soft, as always. If I had need for sleep as you do, then I would not rest unless this is the sight that’s before me. And even then, I may be too enchanted to close my eyes.”

Phantom hands rubbed at your arms, your back, and then your cheek. They weren’t real, but with Fierce’s control of your imagination, they were. And you prayed that is was his influence, and not your own heart, that found it comforting and warm. You wanted to push back and take control but, due to the “fresh” nature of your bond, you would likely be at the mercy of the god for days.

“Rest, dear one. Rest your mind and body, you must still recover from our bonding last night.”

Those phantom hands circled around you and you feel as though you’re caged in an embrace.

“I will deal with the heroes should they come to disturb you. Know that I will not let them part us- not unless they’re looking to stir my rage.”

A kiss. It wasn’t real- it wasn’t, but the rough lips upon your forehead tempted your heart to will that they were.

“And I promise that one day, we will not have to rely on this spiritual bond. No, I will make up for these ethereal affections tenfold when I find out how to return to the material plane. No matter how long it takes. Not that we must worry about that, after all. Our time together… will be eternal.”

---

The next few days were perhaps the most tense you’ve ever experienced. Fierce Deity was a constant presence in your head, even as the bond between the two of you settled. He wasn’t chatty, but just rather curious and inquisitive. When he wasn’t asking questions about you, he was observing. He seemed to derive an almost twisted form of happiness whenever he saw how on edge everyone was around you now . He assured it was out of jealousy of him, not fear or hatred towards you. Were it actually out of new found ill-will… no, you weren’t going to imagine what the god would have in store for them.

True to his word, his hold over your mind lessened the more the bond settled in. No longer would you feel phantom hands wrapping around your own or resting on your shoulder. No longer would it feel like a large body was laying behind your own every night you fell asleep. No longer would it be his voice on your tongue to shoo away the boys should they do wrong in the war god’s eyes. No longer did it feel like he was breathing down your neck every waking moment.

In an attempt to hinder the god’s mysterious motives, you were quickly relieved of the mask he was bound to. It was once again on Time’s hip- now covered and tied up in cloth. Honestly, you were surprised it wasn’t buried into the storage of Wild’s Sheika Slate to create even more distance. Even with what happened, it seemed that Time didn’t have it in him to simply discard the mask. Perhaps he hoped to keep the deity in check, like he had done before you accidentally stirred the entity into action.

And it would seem that that is exactly what Fierce planned on him doing.

It was supposed to be a quiet night. The area was secure, dinner was cooking in the pot, and everyone but Time was idling around the fire. Wind chatted with you about every and anything that came to mind which pushed your focus onto the young man. With your distance from the mask and not thinking about Fierce, you felt nothing from the bond. You felt calm for the first time in awhile and everyone seemed to feel the same.

“Any idea when the Old Man is gonna be back?” Wars asks aloud, looking for nearly anyone to answer him.

“Soon. Dinner’s almost done and he’s not one to miss it. At least when I’m cooking,” Wild hums. It was a simple answer to a simple question, so no one said anything else. Still, it unnerved you. Time sought to set an example, so potentially being late to dinner was unlike him. Curious, you probed on the bond connecting you to Fierce. Even if he’d huff at you checking up on another man before him, you knew you’d get an answer. You always got an answer.

…

“I’ll look for him,” You state as you get up and walk off in the direction of where you last saw Time. Your sudden decision startled the boys and your nervous, almost haunted, expression did nothing to soothe them.

“Then I’m going with you. I don’t want you to getting close to him,” Twilight announces as he catches up to you. His tone left you with no room for an argument but you weren’t going to.

Not when Fierce was being eerily quiet.

You and Twilight took careful steps through the forest as he tried to retrace Time’s path. You both would stop and listen to the ambient sounds of the forest whenever something sounded off. The constant stopping and going only ramped up your nerves further as it kept punctuating Fierce’s refusal to communicate.

“I’m sure we’ll get an explanation when we find him. If you ask me, he might just be getting some alone time. He always does seem to have a lot on his mind,” Twilight piped up as he led you through the woods. The man offered a small smile but the strain on his face wasn’t lost on you. “Any word from him?”

“No. Nothing. It’s like… like there’s no bond at all,” You reply. “Ever since the incident, it’s never been like that. If anything, Fierce always made an effort to feel ‘present’.”

“Maybe… he’s also taking a break?” Twilight suggested, trying to be the optimistic. You shoot him a look and that optimism is quick to falter. Twilight doesn’t give up and faces you with an uneasy smile. He gently places his hands on your shoulders and rubs them a little. You feel that it comforts him more than you. “C’mon, think about it. You’ve said that he’s not as violent as we believe him to be, so m-”

“Remove your hands from them, Hero of Twilight.”

The air is squeezed from your lungs as Twilight suddenly pulls you into a shielding embrace. His fur pelt partly blocks your vision, but you can make out an imposing silhouette between the trees. How did the both of you not notice him?

Fierce Deity was striking. He has to at least be seven feet tall and he was clad in armor similar to Time’s but it was a steely silver, not gold. The armor was lined with white fur with an abundance of it on his collar. Long, flowing locks of white swayed in the night time breeze. Fierce’s silver-gray eyes were framed by strong and downturned brows. His stare was… intense, to say the least. But your eyes weren’t on his. No, you were focused on finding out why there were splatters of blood on him.

“What did you do?!” Twilight growled. “Where’s Time? What did you do to him?!”

“I won’t ask again, Hero of Twilight. Release them,” Fierce commanded as he began to walk towards the both of you. Twilight only seemed to tighten his hold in response. This was going to end up being ugly unless you did something.

“Stop!” You exclaim as you try and fail to wrestle yourself out of Twilight’s hold. Both men head your order but the tense atmosphere doesn’t dissipate. You shoot Twilight a glare but the hero returns it as he shakes his head. True to his word from earlier, he wasn’t about to let you get close to the god of war.

A strangle cough breaks the silence as someone stumbles through the brush. Thanks to the golden armor, you knew exactly who it was.

“Oh god, Time!” You exclaim as the older man leans against a tree for support. His face is banged up and actively dripping blood. His armor was smeared with the red liquid as if he had been trying to wipe off the blood over and over again. Blood bubbled up from Time’s lips as he tried to gurgle out words. The pathetic sight was enough to shock Twilight into action as he let go of you and zipped towards the injured man.

“Ancestor! What happened?! What did he do to you?” Twilight questions as he supports the bloodied man. More gurgles and grunts leave the man’s mouth as he tries to answer the younger man’s questions. It’s clear to all present that Time is in no shape to answer questions despite the desperate need for it.

“Take him back to camp and have him healed up,” You order. The order earns you a stern shake of the head from both Twilight and Time, but you refused to budge. “Now, Twilight! I’ll be fine, I promise.”

“Go take care of him,” Fierce chimes in as he looks back to the two men. “No harm shall befall them. You have my word.”

With a tough choice to make, you can see the exact moment when a hero’s instinct takes over Twilight. He lifts up Time and barrels through the forest back to the camp. In the blink of any eye, you’re suddenly left alone with the very person who had to have harmed Time. You’re so out of your league in the current situation that you probably couldn’t even see the playing field on the horizon, but you weren’t about to back down.

“My dear-”

“What did you do to him?” You confront as you stand up as tall as you can. It’s nothing compared to the towering deity, but you weren’t about to let that stop you. Fierce seems amused by your actions. He leisurely walks towards you with his hands by his sides and a small smile on his face.

“Nothing too rash, my dear. Just a broken nose and some scraps to the face. Head wounds tend to bleed quite a lot, as you know,” Fierce answers vaguely.

“Why did you hurt him?” You continue to question as you start to back up. You wanted to keep distance between the both of you in case you had to turn heel and run. Not that’d you’d get very far, but you could only hope.

“I didn’t mean to hit him hard. He came at me and I punched him, simple as that,” Fierce assured as he continued his approach. “Surely, my dear, you believe me? You know I would not hurt another without reason.”

“The mask- how did you escape the mask?” You press as you do your best to keep your distance.

“That wooden prison was old and ready to crack. I never saught to free myself from its binds as there was little in this world that tempted me forward. Well, little until you came around. Ah, I still recall how gently you held me in your hands that night…” Fierce hummed as he closed in. It didn’t take long for him to corner you against a tree. Frozen against the trunk, you could no longer keep space between the two of you. Fierce leaned down and grabbed your hands with his own. He pressed them against his face and he stares straight into your eyes.

“Hello, (Name), I’m the one they call the Fierce Deity. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Words evaded you, as did action. You didn’t pull away nor did you do anything else than having allowed Fierce guide your actions. The god chuckles at your frozen deer response as he moves his hands under your arms and lifts you up. You cringe as he holds you close and blood seeps into your clothes and the smell of iron assaults your nose. Fierce nuzzles against your cheek and buries his strong nose into your shoulder. In your shock, you can’t tell if he kisses your shoulder or if it’s just your imagination.

“YOU BASTARD!”

A growl reverberates through you as Fierce grits his teeth. His embrace tightens as he turns to face a small group of men. A near foaming at the mouth Legend leads the party of enraged me. Upon seeing you in the grasp of the deity, the rabid man refrains from attacking but it’s clear he’s waiting for his opening. A similarly enraged Sky, Four, and Wars follow behind him and a snarling Wolfie is quick to catch up with the group.

“Quell your tongue, Veteran. They’re already stressed enough,” Fierce huffs as he rubs a hand up and down your back.

“Then let them go! Can’t you see that you’re scaring them even further?” Sky argues as he adjusts his grip on the Master Sword. Unlike Legend, he’s not still on his feet as he begins to move in an attempt to flank Fierce. Wars and Wolfie catch onto his plan while Four stays steady beside Legend.

“They are shocked, Hero of the Sky. Their senses are overwhelmed at the moment from tonights events,” Fierce dismisses the claim. He takes his eyes of the men and looks at you. His voice his low and gentle when he addresses you. “Correct, my dear? You know I’d never want to harm or scare you.”

You shrink away from Fierce and refuse to look him in the eye. The actions draw out a sigh from the god but he doesn’t force a response out of you. Instead, you feel yourself sway with his body as he begins to move. There are shouts and orders from the other men to stay still but Fierce acts as if they were little more than the surrounding scenery.

“Let’s get you back to camp. You must be hungry after all of this excitement. Can you hold a spoon? I’ll feed you if you can’t,” Fierce murmurs to you as he walks. You nod in response and the god sighs again. “Come now, my dear, what has happened to that beautiful voice of yours? Do not tell me you’re so mad at me that you’d cut me off from such sweet melodies?”

“Why do you keep calling me that?”

Fierce slows to a stop. You can practically feel the puzzled expression radiating off of his face.

“My dear? What are you talking about?”

“Why are you calling me ‘my dear’?” You repeat as you pull away from Fierce’s shoulder. You can see his face scrunch up at your remark. You also see the men who confronted him following close behind.

“Because you are dear to me, (Name). You treated me fairly and sweetly, like I was a man- not a mask. You’ve told me more than what you’ve told anyone else. You always seemed happy to be near me for the longest time. Even after my brash actions that night, you still didn’t entirely recess into fear,” Fierce answers with a strong tone. “You may not realize it, but that is very important to me. You are very important to me and by the Golden Three do I intend on making that clear.”

Fierce resumes his large gait back to the camp. When he arrives, the reception is chilly. No one moves for their weapons but nor does anyone stay far away from them. Finally, Fierce sets you down onto the ground. You slump down to the soil below you as you take in deep breaths, unaware of how shallow your breathing had been before.

“Get a bowl of food ready- and don’t be skimpy,” Fierce orders as he stares down Wild. Wild grumbles something you can’t make out but he portions out a bowl for you. Fierce takes the portion from the cook before he can even leave the pot to give it to you. He settles himself by your side before shifting you into his lap. A spoon is brought up to your lips before you can argue. At the very least, Wild’s cooking never disappoints.

“Getting comfortable?” A rough voice breaks through the ambience of the night. A now healed but still beaten up Time stares down Fierce without a shred of fear. You immediately notice that he has both eyes open, and they’re both normal. Not to mention the fact that his face was now free from markings.

“Very,” Fierce curtly replies. He doesn’t bother to face Time as he’s focused on feeding you. The deity coos at you as your mouth is stuffed with food and your cheeks puff up as a result. The actions from the towering entity is… strange and off-putting to all present. The boys are stuck between glaring at the deity or cringing at his out of character actions. Fierce couldn't care less.

The evening passed by without much more incident. Everyone was jumpy and gave you and Fierce space despite the expressed distaste towards the new addition. There would be no knight in shining armor for you tonight, so you only hoped that Fierce would keep his word on treating you kindly.

Based on how he clung to you when it was time to go to bed, he seemed only further convinced he needed to assure you of that promise. He had shed his armor so you didn’t have to have metal pressing into you. He had also wrapped you up into a blanket burrito (something he made clear he learned from you and your ramblings) to limit the amount of skin on skin contact between you. He wasn’t blind to his intensity, so he was doing his best to restrain himself. You could only hope he’d keep up the will to do- for everyone’s sake.

“Sleep tight and sweet dreams, my dear,” Fierce whispered as he fiddled with the blanket covering you and stray strands of your hair. “I will be by your side the entire night, should you need me.”

“Okay…” You mumbled out as you wanted to do nothing more than hide away into your blanket. You closed your eyes but no amount of counting sheep would make falling asleep easy. Not with arms caging you to a man ever hungry for even your attention. Ever hungry for even a sliver of affection. By Hylia, what have you gotten yourself into.

“I love you, my dear,” Fierce mumbles as he believes you’re on the brink of falling asleep. “And remember… my love for your is eternal.”

And by the Goddesses, how do you get yourself out?

A wide and fanged smile cracks against the skin of your neck. A dark and hopefully playful chuckle leaves the god of war’s lips.

“Tickle attack!”

Your sides were barraged by Wild’s hands and you couldn’t stop the squealing laughter that spilled from your lips. You kicked against his chest and pounded your little fists against his own, but your older brother wasn’t phased at all. It didn’t take long for you to be wheezing and gulping for breath. Only then did Wild pull back and give you your space.

“You did good, (Name). Dodging and weaving like that through the trees will make it hard for large monsters to easily chase you in a wooden area. Had you managed to break through the trees, I’m sure that the nearest guard in town would have heard you and come to rescue you,” Wild praised.

“Yeah, but… you still caught me in the end,” You huffed and crossed your arms. “You always catch me in the end.”

“Because I’m good at chasing down rotten little gremlins like you,” Wild chuckles as he pulls at your cheeks. You slap at him again and he pulls away with a snort. “Though, you are definitely one of the faster ones. I think you could out run nearly everyone else.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Even Twilight?”

“Uh, well… maybe not him. Even I can’t out run him.”

“What about the Old Man?”

“(Name), he’s old- of course you could.”

“Uhm… Sky?”

“Do you even have to ask that?”

“Yeah!”

“Well, yes, you could most certainly out run-”

“(NAME)!”

The shout pierces the serenity of the forest as Sky stumbles through the thicket towards you and Wild. He’s red in the face and sounds like a broken dog toy, but it doesn’t stop him from pushing forward. He crumples before you and is suddenly inspecting you all over as if you were a piece of porcelain ready to shatter.

“Are you okay? Are you out of breath? You didn’t hurt yourself while running, did you? Any boo-boos?” Sky frets as he examines every inch of your person. He lets out a strangled whine as he spots as cut across your hand. The area is a bit sore to the touch but you find his overreactions to be funny and instead laugh at the man. He doesn’t find it nearly as humorous.

“Sky, it’s just a scratch. Put a dab of medicine on it, slap on a bandage, and call it a day,” Wild huffs at Sky’s mother hen attitude. The Skyloftian shoots Wild a dirty glare as he picks you up and holds you against his shoulder.

“And? What if it’s already infected by them running through the forest and touching who knows what? What if they nicked themselves on some strange thorn that’s potentially toxic?! Forgive me for not being careless about their health, Wild,” Sky argues as he marches away from the cook. Wild rolls his eyes at the antics but doesn’t take the scoldings to heart.

“Sky, they’re eight. I may not have as much experience with kids as Twilight has, but I’ve seen the situations kids have walked away from without even flinching. Hell, (Name) could fall out of a tree and brush it off while one of us would end up with a broken arm,” Wild remarks as he catches up to the both of you. You stick out your tongue and pull down your lower eye lids at him. Wild returns it by sticking out his tongue and pushing up his nose with his thumb.

“Firstly, language. Second, I’m not taking any risks no matter what you say. The mission we’re on is not one for children whatsoever, so I’m going to do my best to ensure that they’re in top health. If you’re so certain that (Name) doesn’t need to be cared for to such a degree, why don’t you share your opinion with, say, Hyrule? Twilight, even? Oh, and we can’t forget about Time. I’m sure he’d love to hear what you have to say about our youngest member!” Sky stresses. Wild cringes at the names before backing off a little.

“Okay, okay- I get it. No need to have the Old Man and Twi hounding me,” Wild snorts as he looks away from Sky. You pout at the conversation as, quite frankly, being referred to as something so fragile hit a nerve. Sure, you’re young, but so were they when they started their journeys! You knew better than to start that conversation as it was one you never won no matter how well you thought out your words.

Aside from the ambience of nature around the three of you, the walk back to camp was quiet. After your game of running from Wild, combined with the peaceful atmosphere and nearly being rocked Sky’s arms, it was hard to keep your eyes open. If Sky was anything to go by, a little nap wouldn’t hurt. Just a little… itty-bitty nap…

“Oh, no you don’t,” a deep voice chuckles as you’re whisked away from Sky’s arms into arms twice the size of the knight’s. Even without his metal armor on, you don’t have to open your eyes to know that the Old Man now had you in his clutches. Based on the way he bounced you in his hold, Time wasn’t about to let you doze off. When that wasn’t getting you to open your eyes, he had the audacity to blow a raspberry against your cheek. You finally opened your eyes and grimace at Time as you wiped off your face.

“Nnnnnnoooooo…” You grumbled. “Sleepy…”

“Nuh uh uh. No way, you little stinker. Last time I let you take a nap in the afternoon had the whole camp up for nearly half the night with how you were still wanting to bounce around. Don’t think I’m making that mistake twice,” Time tsks.

“But I’m tired…” You groan dramatically as you go slack in Time’s grip. He doesn’t let go and makes sure that his hold doesn’t slip by an inch either.

“Well, hello tired- I’m Dad,” Time chuckles. A cacophony of groans echo throughout the camp site and Time only seems to beam at the reaction. You turn your head away and pout for what feels like the hundredth time.

“Hmph… you’re not my dad…”

You wince as Time’s grip on you becomes a vice. The whole camp seems frozen in place like they’ve turned to stone. Each of the boys seem to be enthralled with their boots or the trees all of a sudden. While you’re not blind to the tension, you don’t fully understand the reason for it. Before any questions can be asked, you’re being lowered to the ground and back onto your own two feet. Your stare is nothing but quizzical as you look up at Time who seems to be looking through you rather than at you.

“Right… you’re right, I’m… not your dad,” Time mumbles before walking away. You cock your head to the side at his sudden mood change but decide that this is not the time to comment on it. Grown ups just tended to be weird like that, after all.

“Hey, (Name)! Why don’t you come check out this new trinket Legend and I are working on!” Four shouts from the other side of the camp. The Vet’s back is turned to you and Four is offer you a shaky smile with even shakier ears. You immediately brighten up and bounce on over to check out whatever it is that the two are making.

“Oh! What is it? What is it?” You pressed as you squeezed between the two boys. Four appeared to be working on fastening buckles to a small backpack. It was a backpack that would have only fit either you, Four, or Wind. Based on the design, you knew exactly who it was for.

“Froggy!”

“Yes, (Name), froggy,” Legend chuckles as he keeps looking back over his shoulder. Camp was now a few members short, but Legend wasn’t about to go off and track anybody down.

“Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” You cheered as you hugged both Four and Legend with all of your might. The boys returned the gesture before Four handed you the completed backpack. It was a frog themed backpack with polished black buttons for eyes and it’s mouth was the opening. The fabric it was made from was thick and soft.

“We thought it was about time for you to get your own pack. And, thanks to Legend’s handiwork, it doubles at a stuffed animal!” Four states with a big grin as he squeezes the backpack.

“It’s the best thing in the world! You guys are the bestest big brothers out there!” You squeal as you hold the frog tight. The sight alone is enough for the two boys to melt. Days of working together in secret to make sure every aspect of the object was perfect was now worth it.

“Like we’d give you anything less than the best,” Legend hums as he ruffles up your hair. You half-heartedly swat away his hand as you continue admiring your new gift. With your attention so laser focused on the backpack, you don’t heart Legend mumble to himself.

“We are your family, after all. And none of us intend to change that for the world.”

---

“Oh, you are just the cutest little thing I ever did see! Look at your chubby little cheeks! And your little ears!” Malon exclaims as she pinches your cheeks and giggles along with you. By a stroke of luck, a portal had brought you and the Chain to Time’s Hyrule. It was your first time visiting Lon Lon Ranch but Malon’s warm and enthused welcome made you feel like it was your tenth time visiting.

“Easy with them, honey. You’ll pinch their face off if you keep that up,” Time chuckles as he observes the interaction. He watches on with a serene expression while the rest of the boys unpack. Seeing you his child interacting with his wife was something he’s wanted to see for awhile. Seeing it in person made him realize how lackluster his imagination was.

“I can’t wait to show you around the ranch! I’ll show you where the cucco pen is, where we grow the crops, where we feed the fairies sugar water, and more! And I have a huge surprise for you as well!” Malon claims as she hoists you up in her arms and walks off with you. Time trusted that Malon would be able to keep you entertained for the rest of the day.

“That’s about the happiest I’ve seen you in awhile,” Wars comments as he approaches Time. The captain was in a jovial mood as well, likely for the same reason Time was. The promise of rest and watching the group’s bundle of joy bounce around was always welcome.

“It’s just… a dream come true. That’s not exactly a common occurrence for us heroes, so of course I’m going to be happy,” Time smiles. He looks up towards the sky and lets out a large sigh of relief. “I’m a married man and have a stable home to return to. Ever since I began this journey with you all, I’ve gotten a whole new family. And now, I’ve got a little one of my own. What more could I ask for after I’ve been through?”

“How about a new lock on the cucco pen? That thing is rusted as all hell and I’m not about to get close if I know those feathered devils can burst through at any moment,” Wars suggests. “I mean, I guess it could also be for the safety of the birds but I don’t think any predator in their right mind would go after something so… evil.”

“Ah, really? Thanks for telling me. You wouldn’t mind installing the new lock, would ya?” Time asks before chortling at the sheer dread that spread across the captain’s face. “I’m joking, I’m joking. Still, I do need to get that fixed here soon. Maybe I could ask Sky to do it? Installing a lock isn’t hard and he always seems to have luck with the birds. All birds, really.”

Wars nods along and falls into a comfortable silence beside the older man. The two observe the rest of the group settling in and also enjoying the ambient atmosphere the farm had in the noon hour. Once done getting Epona into a stall, Twilight walked on over to his ancestor and the captain. Unlike the rest, his expression was less than peaceful. It took only one look at his downturned brow to tell that something was bothering him.

“Rupee for your thoughts, Twi?” Wars spoke up. Twilight didn’t immediately reply and his face only scrunched up further. The rancher was clearly wanting to talk about something but seemed either hesitant to do so or he was thinking over what words to use. Time had an inkling of an idea as to what could be troubling his descendant and it made him straighten up to let Twilight know he had his full attention.

“What… do you plan on doin’ with them?” Twilight eventually asks.

“And who is this ‘them’ you’re referring to?” Time questions.

“(Name)... and their father. Uh, biological father,” Twilight corrects himself. Wars huffs and straightens up to mimic Time’s stance. This was a conversation he had hoped to have pop up later rather than sooner, but there’s no reason to stop it now. (Name) was currently isolated from the group and being entertained by Malon, so they didn’t have to worry about them eavesdropping.

“For (Name), it’s simple- have them live here at Lon Lon Ranch with Malon. With any luck, they’ll end up being moved in during this visit. Malon did write about having their room nearly finished and I received that letter about a week ago,” Time answers simply. “As for their father… I have multiple ways I could go about dealing with him. Some better, some… worse.”

“The whole ‘we’re never going to be able to get you back to your own world’ idea is out the window at this point, I imagine?” Wars asks.

“Correct. Although young and innocent, (Name) isn’t as naive as other children their age. That could partially be due to us teaching them to be more aware of their surroundings and how to better think on their feet. Plus, knowing that monsters can pop up anywhere is likely to make them suspicious of anything,” Time sighs. “In other circumstances I’d be glad for that but… it certainly makes other things harder. Not to mention the distance they always put between us, even if they don’t mean it maliciously.”

“Such as callin’ you Uncle Time or the Old Man and not their Old Man?” Twilight adds. Time nods along with a bitter expression. Twilight offers the best empathetic look he can offer. “I can understand that to a degree. They may call the rest of us their brothers but it just feels so face value at times. Like, in their minds, we’re family but not close family. Like… we’re sooner cousins than siblings.”

“We just have to be patient and wait for the best time to act. When we get it into their mind that we are their family, no one else, is probably when any walls will start to drop. Of course, we have to approach doing so carefully,” Wars comments. “Luckily, we don’t have to worry about whacking down a whole family tree- just a branch.”

“So… the plan is to kill him?” Twilight asks.

“Not necessarily. If we can convince (Name) that their biological father is either dead or no longer waiting for their return, they’ll likely stop keeping barriers between us and them. I don’t want to actually kill him unless he appears and attempts to take (Name) away from us. Either way, it’ll be a rough time for sure, but I’m a patient man and, well, their father. The sooner my child realizes that they’re home and have a loving family, the better,” Time clarifies.

“Well, hey, I don’t mind what we have to do as long as it doesn’t hurt the little one. As long as I can always stop by and visit, I’m on board,” Wars states.

“Speaking of visitin’, how will that work out when this adventure if eventually over with?” Twilight inquires.

“However we can make it work. I don’t believe it’ll be too hard for us to do, honestly. We’ve all got some manner of magic or magical items. Not to mention that all of these portals have to be creating some weak spots in between all of our times. Won’t have been the craziest thing we’ve all done,” Time answers. Twilight and Wars nod along, happy with how the conversation went.

“LINK!”

Everyone snaps to action and reaches for their weapons. Some are left scrambling up from the ground while others assume defensive positions. Time, on the other hand, is already on the move as he barrels toward his house. An upset and nearly crying Malon meets Time half way. Seeing his usually happy wife in such a twist had Time dreading the worse. His stomach only knotted further when he noticed that his child was nowhere to be found.

“Malon! Malon, calm down! Honey, breathe,” Time urges as he holds Malon close. She whimpers against his shoulder as tears begin to wet the fabric of his shirt. After catching her breath for a moment, she pulled away a little and looked at Time with pleading eyes. Eyes that screamed “help me”.

“I-It’s (Name)! Link, I don’t know what I did wrong! They were nothin’ but smiles and laughs while I showed them around! A-And then I- I got to showin’ them their room and they started actin’ different. They kept askin’ questions and I did my best to answer them but that only seemed to make them more and more upset! Then they started cryin’ and hollerin’ and started tryin’ to get away from me! They crawled under their bed and wouldn’t come out no matter what I said! Oh, Link, how could I have upset our baby so?! I’m their mother for Hylia’s sake!” Malon bawls as she quickly becomes a mess of sobs and tears once more. Time is as steady as a rock for her and does what he can to soothe her.

“Shh, honey, shh… it’s okay. You did nothing wrong, okay? Malon, honey, do you hear me? You did nothing wrong,” Time assures as we wipes away the tears from Malon’s cheeks. “(Name)’s just… going through some things, okay? They’re still having to understand some stuff and work through having their life shaken up so suddenly. Don’t take whatever they said to heart- they didn’t mean it.”

While Time consoles his wife, most of the boys had already entered the house. Trained ears could pick up on the muffled sobs coming from one of the upstairs rooms. Based on how upset Malon was, the boys could only imagine how you were. After exchanging some looks and nods, Wind and Twilight ascended the stairs while everyone else hung back. Twilight was quick to shift into Wolfie while Wind took the lead. It wasn’t long until the duo was at the door to your room.

It was everything you’d expect a child’s room to be. Bright, cluttered, and adorable. Shelves were lined with books and dressers were stuffed full of all sorts of clothes. A fluffy bed was pushed off to the far wall, covered by a thick quilt and topped by puffy pillows and a vast array of stuffed animals. Despite the coziness of the room, you had taken to hiding under the bed and muffling your cries with your hands. You were pushed against the wall and didn’t seem to want to leave it any time soon.

“(Name)? Hey… what’s going on?” Wind asked as he got down onto the floor. He contemplated on getting under the bed with you but knew from experience to give you your space. Wolfie whined and joined Wind down on the floor. Even with the wolf whining for you, you still refused to come out. And for you to refuse even Wolfie… the two boys knew that this would be an uphill battle.

A low howl left Wolfie’s mouth after listening to you continuously sob. Slowly, his howl began to change pitch and sway into a song. Wind hadn’t heard the tune before, but it sounded gentle and serene. Sure enough, Wolfie’s melodic howling began to eventually calm you down. Not completely, but at least your crying was getting quieter and you had removed your hands from your face.

“Hey, there’s my little sib! Had me real worried, y’know! Now, tell me, what happened? I ain’t seen you cry like that in a long while!” Wind asked as he gave you a toothy grin. You fiddled with the sleeves to you shirt as you kept wiping your nose on it. You kept looking between Wind and the floor, not exactly wanting to cooperate just yet.

“Mmm… lon… mean… me…” You eventually mumble out. It’s quiet and all jumbled together, but it’s a start.

“Mean? Who’s being mean to you? Who do I have to rough up?” Wind presses with an exaggerated tone. It doesn’t bring a smile to your face but it does seem to finally halt your tears.

“Malon. Malon was,” You reply. Wolfie whines again and Wind finds himself rather stumped. Malon? Malon was mean to you? That just wasn’t adding up to him.

“But she was so ecstatic to have you over! Why would she suddenly flip a switch and be mean to you?” Wind asks.

“She was… she was saying things that didn’t make sense,” You sniffle. “That… that this was my room- like I was going to be living here. That- that she was my mommy and Time was my daddy now because my daddy is dead! But… but that’s wrong! Time’s not my daddy- my daddy’s still alive! He’s still alive and well and waiting for me to come home! Because- because he loves me and said that he’d always love me and that he’d always be there for me!”

The dams break again and the tears return. This time, Wind doesn’t keep his distance as he scoots forward to reach you. You don’t resist him as he pulls you out from under the bed and embraces you. You return the hug and sob against the boy’s shoulder while Wolfie whines and paces beside the two of you. The wolf eventually begins to nudge your cheek with his nose before leaning his head down. You don’t hesitate to bring Wolfie into the hug as well.

Peaking in from the hallway, Time watches the scene with a heavy heart. In a way, he was responsible for this outburst. In his excitement, he didn’t word his letters as carefully as he should have. Not only that, but he should have pulled Malon aside and explained things to her in detail before letting her be alone with you. Had he fully explained the sticky situation he was in at the moment he was sure that this little meltdown would have not happened. Still, the damage is done and now Time has to deal with the fallout. It wasn’t about to be a fun stay at the ranch anymore and you sure as hell weren’t about to stay at the ranch without a fight.

Time had to do something. He knew he’d always have to do something, but he needed to do it now, not later.

No matter how dramatic or messy it got, he had to act.

He wasn’t about to let his family fall apart.

He wasn’t about to let his happily ever after crumble into the ground.

And he wasn’t going to let his baby go.

---

You were going to get into trouble. Big trouble- but you didn’t care. Not when the very thing you’ve been waiting for was within reach. Not when you were so close to going home.

“(Name)! (Name)!” Hyrule eagerly shouted as he ran towards you. He earned a few looks from the townsfolk and from who you were currently with, but that didn’t seem to dampen the traveler’s spirit in the slightest. He nearly slid to a stop before you and dropped down to your level with the widest grin you’ve seen in a long time.

“What’s gotten you so wound up, Hyrule?” Sky asks as he shoots the brunette a confused look. Hyrule seemed to completely disregard Sky’s comment as he grabbed your hands and held them close. Even if you didn’t understand what had him so happy, you couldn’t stop yourself from slowly sharing his grin.

“Yeah? What’s going on?” You pipe up.

“I found him! (Name), I swear- no, I know I found him,” Hyrule claims. Him? Who’s him? Unless… no, he couldn’t be talking about him… could he?

“(Name), I found your father!”

“DADDY?!” You scream. Hyrule and Sky wince and their ears nearly curl, but Hyrule’s smile still doesn’t fade. You now brandish your own full blown grin as you look up at Sky. He looks confused but quickly matches the happy expression on your face.

“That’s awesome! Do you remember where you last saw him, Hyrule? What he was doing? What he was wearing?” Sky questions as he picks you up and holds you. Hyrule is quick to start leading the two of your back to whence he came.

“I overheard him talking to the innkeeper just a bit ago. He was asking about a missing child and kept describing (Name). He even mentioned (Name)’s name, so I knew he had to be either their father or someone looking for them. I was so shocked that I didn’t notice he had left until the bell on the front door rang! I immediately got up to go look for him but he seemed to just vanish into the crowd!” Hyrule tells as he weaves between people and stalls in the busy town. “He was wearing an old red tunic with some roughed up brown pants. His hair was also rather messy and he seemed to be dirty. No doubt that he’s been a mess looking for you, (Name).”

Your heart both hurt and fluttered at the news. It sounded like your dad was going through the wringer to try and find you, but he was finally here! He had ended up in Hyrule and now you could be reunited with him! Your mind raced with all of the things you would do once you had him back. Regardless of how you chose to celebrate, you were just happy.

For hours, the three of you searched what felt like every corner of the town. No matter where you looked, your father was no where to be found. It disheartened you but you weren’t about to give up looking for him.

“Ah… I think I saw the fellow you’re a looking for. He just left town not too long ago- went thataway. Probably didn’t get far, though. Don’t have a mount or wagon- just traveling on his own two feet,” a random merchant tells the three of you.

“He… he left town?” You mumble, heart shattering at the news. “But I’m here…”

“I’m sure he didn’t know, (Name). If he’s as loving as you say he is, he would’ve turned this town upside down had he known you were here,” Sky assures as he wipes away a tear threatening to spill from your eye.

“I agree with Sky. Why don’t we return to camp and tell everyone else? We can all go to bed early tonight so we can get up early tomorrow and catch up to him!” Hyrule suggests. You shake your head at him and cross your arms.

“No! We need to go now! That merchant guy said he wasn’t going to get far on foot by himself. Not to mention that Dad doesn’t seem to have a weapon either!” You stress but Sky and Hyrule don’t seem to listen.

“(Name), we need to stay together. You’ll get lost and easily hurt if you go by yourself. Plus, I’m sure your dad is a smart man. He likely has a way of keeping himself safe from nature and monsters,” Hyrule states. “I promise that we’ll catch up to him later, okay?”

“Mmm… fine.”

“Promise?”

“...”

“(Name)-”

“Fine, fine… promise…”

In your defense, it wasn’t a pinky promise.

Your joy easily overshadowed any guilt or hesitance you had as you snuck your way out of camp. Getting past the watchful eye of Wars was no easy feat, but you knew how to sneak around in even the most cluttered areas by now. Plus, his focus was sooner on things in the woods- not in the camp. When he had gotten up to go check out something rustling in the brush, you made your escape.

With your custom backpack stuffed full of supplies, you marched through the woods like a trooper. You made a b-line in the direction your father was last seen walking in. At the moment, he should be sleeping, so you’re only getting closer and closer with every step you take! That thought alone was enough to keep you awake.

“I wonder what he thinks of Hyrule. Or, well, maybe Hyrules. Has he been wandering for as long as I’ve been with the group? Did he just get here? I hope he’s okay. If he’s not… well, I don’t need to worry! I have healing potions and fairies with me!” You mumble to yourself in your excitement. You do your best to keep your voice low but you can’t help the joy spilling out from your very person at the moment. “I wonder what he thinks of everything? I hope he finds it all cool- like I do. From the different races like the Zora and Rito to all of the magic! Oh, I wonder if he’s seen a fairy yet? Or if he’s maybe been to Wild’s Hyrule and seen all the cool dragons! I can’t wait to tell him about my adventure!”

As if Hylia herself is trying to help, the clouds above you begin to part. The forest is soon bathed in a wash of dappled moonlight. It makes navigating around a whole lot easier, that’s for sure. You keep your eyes peeled for even the smallest detail that would point you a step closer to your father. From foot prints to disturbed plant life to markings and to… and to… to…

“Blood?” You gasp as you see a splatter of red on a nearby trunk. It was dry and browning around the edges, but it was certainly blood. That’s… that’s okay. No, that’s fine. It’s not his blood- surely it’s not! There are so many animals that live out in this forest- it must be from one of them! Yes, that’s it- that’s where that blood came from. Just… just from a predator getting a meal…

When you begin moving again, there’s no more pep in your step. You’re suddenly aware as to how open you really are out in the woods, even with all of the trees surrounding you. You don’t know what could be lying in wait or hiding behind a tree. Heck, there could even be something above you right now and you’d be none the wiser if you didn’t look up. Naturally, that train of thought made you look up but there was nothing there but large branches and the night sky. The looming feeling closing in still didn’t go away.

With a thick and viscous squelch, your foot landed in a spot of mud. You groan and grimace at your misfortune before shaking off the wet earth. As you do so, you notice the reddish brown streaks it leaves behind on your shoe. Normal mud did not to that, so you crouched down to examine the mud further. Being closer to it made you realize it had an additional scent to it other than the earthiness. It was metallic and bitter to your nose- not to mention slightly rotten. Based on what you just saw, there was no doubt in your mind that this was blood. But… what could bleed that much and not have a body nearby? There weren’t any drag marks, so whatever is bleeding is- or at least was- still moving.

“Dad? Daddy? Hello?” You call out. Your voice echoes and bounces around the trees, easily alerting everything nearby. Despite this, nothing responded to you but chirping crickets or hunting owls. Slowly, you followed the direction the blood seemed to be going in. Your gut twisted and churned but you had to see what was at the end of the trail. You had to know.

Whatever had happened was brutal. Whatever or whoever was attacked had been mortally injured if the blood was anything to go off of. Still, they put up a fight to stay alive and run away. How far they got and if they managed to shake off their attackers would be answered the second you found the end of the blood.

When you got to a small drop off, you attempted to look over the edge. The dirt was too loose and too wet to support you, so you found yourself tumbling over the edge before you could back up. You landed harshly on your side and in something. Your left arm ached from the fall but it wasn’t broken. You gripped onto something slippery and soft and pulled yourself up. Your fingers dug and squished into something. You pulled your hand back and looked at it to see it coated in blood. You held your breath as you waited… and waited… and waited…

Then the clouds cleared again.

And a mangled face was staring back up at you.

Screams and cries died in the back of your throat as you scrambled away from the pile of gore you had been sitting on. Bile rose up in your throat before spilling out all over the ground. The smell now clinging to you was horrid. It was vile, rotten, absolutely putrid. Despite the mortifying scene before you, you couldn’t look away.

Whoever this person once was had messed with the wrong crowd of people. The corpse before you was practically butchered and broken. Bones had been snapped and were poking out in random spots. The legs of the corpse were basically gone- hacked and pulverized to mush. Interwoven with the gore was scraps and threads of brown fabric. A torn up red tunic clung tightly to the rotting torso and you could see some clumps of (h/c) hair still attached to the head. This… this was no dead body…

“...d…daddy?”

This was your father.

You scrambled to open your backpack and pull out anything and everything that could help him. You uncorked a bottle on a fairy so she could get to work while you worked on opening a bottle of a red potion. Your quivering hands repeatedly slipped on the cork of the red potion. It eventually slips from your grip entirely and falls onto the group. In your frazzled state of terror, you give up on uncorking the potion and break the neck of the bottle against a nearby rock. You splash the potion against the body before you and wait for it to take affect. It was impossible to tell where the red potion had splashed against your father’s body as everything was already doused in red.

“C’mon… work! Do your job! Heal him! For the love of- WHY AREN’T YOU DOING ANYTHING?!” You screeched at the fairy uselessly hovering beside you. She flutters away from you by some distance, obviously put off by the hysteria taking over you. After having screamed at her, the screams no longer stopped. Nor did the tears streaming down your face or the bitter bile once again rising in your throat. You puke all down your shirt and shiver. You collapse to the ground fully and reach for your father’s hand. It’s mangled, stiff, cold, wet, and dead.

Your father is dead.

You barely register the fairy fluttering around you. She makes all sorts of noises and even bumps up against your face, but you don’t react. Even when she flies into your hair and starts tugging on it will all of her might you still don’t react. Even when your tears dry up and your sobs grow silent, you refuse to leave your father’s side. He was your family- the person you were supposed to return to after this adventure was over with. He was your home. And now he was gone.

A loud and strangled wail echoed throughout the forest. Cries, screams, sobs, and shouts sound out in a horrible symphony. The voices sound like they’re so close yet so distant at the same time. The voices were so warped by emotion you couldn’t tell who, let alone what, was screaming. Vaguely, you could make out your name being shouted out over and over and over again. You can’t help but keep staring at the corpse of your father.

People did not do this to him. People do not butcher or maim like this.

But monsters do.

Your training finally kicked in as you sprung up and ran. Ran and ran and ran for your life. The wails and cries for you didn’t stop and only seemed to increase. Whether or not the monsters were aware of you now was something you didn’t care about. You just had to keep running and hope. Hope that you’d lose them. Hope that you’d get to somewhere they couldn’t reach. Hope that you’d stumble across the camp or travelers or even a town. Hope that you’d just make it.

Heavy and hard footsteps ran right behind you. You pushed yourself further as the monster was now hot on your heels, swiping at you in an attempt to pull you right into its awaiting claws or maw. You didn’t want to look back, not even for a second, because you had to keep pushing forward. If you hesitated, stumbled, or even stuttered for a moment- you’d be dead. If you could out maneuver just enough for just a bit further, the monster should lose steam and stop pursuing you. You had to keep going. You had to win.

Something hooks into the the fabric of your backpack and you were suddenly being pulled backwards. You slammed into a hard chest and immediately had your mouth covered by a rough hand. You bit into the skin of the monster as hard as you could but it refused to let go. Even with the hand covering your mouth, you cried and screamed as loud as you could for anyone to hear you. You scratch and kick as hard as you can but the monster still doesn’t relent. This was it. You had lost. And now you had to pay the price.

“Da-a-addy… I want my daddy…” You whimpered as you tried to curl up on yourself.

“Shh, shh… I’m here, baby, I’m here. Daddy’s here,” Time hushes as he cradles you close to his chest. He rocks you back and forth as you break down in his arms. He himself is on the verge of breaking down because he’s never seen you so upset before. Even with your breakdown back at Lon Lon Ranch, it wasn’t like this. Time didn’t know what to do or say that could make this better- he just couldn’t. So he continued to hold you and hold back his own tears.

Everyone else eventually caught up to him and you but he refused to let you be taken from him. He folded over on himself and completely covered you with his body. He wouldn’t let anyone even touch you without snapping at them to stay back. He had to be the one to comfort you because he is your father. He is responsible for your hysteria. He never meant for things to play out this way but it did and now he has to do his damnedest to make it better. He had to.

He had to.

He had to, he had to , he had to! He had to do it, he had to! He couldn’t lose you! Not you, not his baby! It was just some random man and a necessary evil- nothing more or less. Surely you’d understand? You had to understand, you had to! He was desperate and he had to do something! Please, please stop crying. Please don’t push him away. Please, he loves you! You’re his baby and he’d never stop loving you so please don’t hate him! Please doN’T LEAVE HIM! DON”T LEAVE! DON”T GO! STAY AND BE HAPPY WITH HIM AND MALON AND EVERYONE ELSE PLEASE! Please… please…

…

“Please…”

---

“How are they?” Time asked as he watched Malon close the door to your room as you had finally just fallen asleep. Malon looked upset and crestfallen, but she was pushing through her emotions to stay strong for you.

“Quiet. They hardly speak and refuse to be left alone. And when they cry they just… cry. No noise, no words, nothin’,” Malon sighs as she leans against the wall. She gives Time a hard look and crosses her arms. “I’m still waitin’ for you to explain to me what happened. You just dropped them off and barely said a word.”

“I’m sorry, it’s just… what happened hurt me more than I expected it to. Their tears and screams and pleas… I was responsible for all of it. I felt like they just wanted to be away from me and the boys so I… let them,” Time murmurs as he rubs a hand through his hair. He did his best to block out the events of that night but they stuck like glue. If he had to guess, he probably had as many nightmares about that night as you did.

“Did you mean to scare them like you did?” Malon presses. Time shakes his head. “Then what did you intend to do?”

“We were just supposed to stumble across the body. They weren’t supposed to see it- even for a moment. We’d tell them that it was their father and that he was dead. Then we’d comfort them and do what we could while they grieved. And, of course, they’d end up staying here the next time we stopped by,” Time explained. Malon groaned and pinched her nose. She wanted to get angry with Time at his rather callous method- and she was- but scolding wouldn’t do any good.

“This is goin’ to be a rough time for them. What they witnessed… that’s goin’ to stick with them throughout their entire life. Trauma like that isn’t goin’ to go away,” Malon hissed.

“I know…” Time whispers as he hangs his head low. He refused to look at anything but the floor by now. Even if Malon were to try and look him in the eyes, he’d likely just cover his face with his hands.

“Just… be here, will ya? I know you said it seemed like they wanted space from you but I don’t believe that. They are an eight year old havin’ to work through one of the hardest things in life. They shouldn’t be grievin’ at their age but they are. And as their father you have to be there for them. I can’t do this alone,” Malon stresses.

Crreeeeaaaaaaak….

Malon’s and Time’s heads snapped to the door of your room as it inched open. You slowly came out of the room with red rimmed eyes and a death grip on a new and fluffy stuffed animal. You made no attempt to dry your cheeks or say anything to the two adults before you. At your silence, Time slowly got to his knees and wiped your eyes.

“Hey there… mommy’s been telling me what’s wrong. You’ve been having nightmares?” Time asks in as gentle a tone he can muster. You faintly nod your head but give no other reply than that. Time pulls you into a tender embrace and lays your head against his shoulder. He rubs circles onto your back as he holds you and sways you into his arms. Malon is right beside him and is whispering gentle words to you as she kisses away any new tears.

“Do you want some warm milk, sweetie?” Malon asks as she cards her fingers through your hair. You shake your head in response. Your eyes were heavy and it was clear you were still tired, so no sleep aid would be needed to make you fall asleep. Staying asleep would be the problem.

“Do you want to sleep with daddy in his and mommy’s bed?” Time offers. You don’t nod or shake your head at Time but he feels you hold onto him closer. He takes that action as a nonverbal “yes” and he carries you to his bedroom. He shuffled you under the covers before settling in himself. You keep yourself pressed against his chest, not wanting even an inch of space to separate you. Time sees Malon looking in from the hallways before slowly closing the door.

“... daddy?”

Time nearly jumps in his skin but stays still. He looks down at you but you still haven’t looked up at him. Still, you were finally talking and that was a step forward. And you were addressing him as your dad.

“Yeah?” Time asks with a tone barely above a whisper.

“You won’t… die… right? You won’t… leave?” You mumble out.

“No… no, not at all. I love you, (Name), and I won’t ever leave you. Your mommy and all of your big brothers love you too. Once this adventure is over, we’ll all be one big, happy family. Okay? I promise,” Time assures as he kisses your forehead. Slowly, he watches as you raise a hand and curl all but one finger into a fist.

“Pinky promise?” You ask. You finally raise your head as well and look Time right in the eyes. There was a glint in your tired eyes. A sign that you, even if it were for just a moment, was reaching through your grief. Time hooked his pinky finger with yours.

“Pinky promise,” Time assures. You nod and snuggle your head against his chest once again. You don’t pull your hand away from Time’s and he doesn’t pull his away from yours. He lays there, holding you and staring down at you with nothing but love and happiness in his eyes. Even when you fall asleep, Time doesn’t get up to leave you alone.

Sky is, without a doubt, a hopeless romantic when he’s in love. We’ve seen him swoon and sigh dreamily when thinking about his loved one, he’s THAT kind of lover boy. Naturally, when adding a layer of insanity tinged love sickness to that adoration, he’s prone to becoming very affectionate.

Unless you are as dense as a rock, it will be no secret that the Hero of the Skies is head over heels in love with you. He basically has heart shaped pupils whenever he looks at you, cartoon heart bubbles magically appear around his head when in your vicinity and his face turns so red you’d think he had a high fever.

Sky is a devout yandere, obsessive in every way, shape and form, and protective to a fault. Even when not around you, you occupy his thoughts and daydreams to the point where it seems like he’s never not thinking about you.

He’s got a masters degree in yearning from Pining University.

And while he hasn’t lost that many people like some of the other mentally unstable chosen ones in the Chain(namely Wild and Legend), the fear of losing them is very real to him. He’s known the blood chilling terror of being a few steps too slow and a few minutes too late with the only thought in his head being “what did I do wrong?”

Following the conclusion of his first and only journey, Sky has come to accept that he made his mistakes and that he must move on in order to grow, but that doesn’t stop him from taking those lessons to heart when falling in love with you.

We’ve seen multiple times throughout the various installments that one of Sky’s favorite hobbies is playing his lyre. It’s a simple pleasure he indulges in whenever they have a moment of peace and the sound never fails to remind him of his home. But he’s found another reason to love it and that is the attention you end up giving him whenever he plays a song.

He isn’t the best musician in the group, but there’s no denying that the simple melodies he strings together are pleasing to the ears, so it’s no wonder you’d take the time to sit down, listen, and compliment him.

Sky doesn’t see it like that, though.

In his deluded, love hazy mind, all that registers is that you’re there giving him your attention and your praise; two things worth more than gold in his eyes. He’s like a drug addict who just got hit with another dosage. If he had a tail he’d be wagging it so hard it would thump against the log he’s sitting on, so he better consider himself lucky that Twilight is the dog of the group.

Though, if would please you, he’d willingly let you collar and leash him. Tell him to sit and roll over, he’ll do it on command without any shame whatsoever. He’ll even walk around on all fours if you want!-

Anyways-

THIS! 👏 MF! 👏 STEALS! 👏 FROM! 👏 YOU! 👏

I mean, technically it isn’t for long, he won’t permanently take something that belongs to you without ever giving it back(in secret so you never find out it was him), but he WILL swipe something of yours from time to time. Most commonly he’ll take a tunic or shirt from you, something you won’t immediately notice is gone.

When he has a moment of privacy, he’ll take out his little treasure and press it against his face, taking in a deeeeeep breath, and sighing lovingly. He’s got it bad for you and he knows it. If he could he’d use your tunic as a pillowcase whenever he went to sleep, but there’s no way he wouldn’t get caught.

Despite all this sugary sweetness, Sky isn’t solely a soft and gentle boy. If he is provoked, or if you’re being bothered, Sky doesn’t hesitate to step up and glare down the nuisance, all the while keeping a calm smile stretched across his face. This is where his surprisingly deep voice comes in handy, people aren’t expecting a voice like his to come from such a soft face.

Out of all the members of the Chain, I actually think that Sky would be one of the most patient when it comes to people trying to mess with them or you respectively; he’s dealt with Groose’s bullying for a few years, I think he’s a natural at letting nasty comment slide right off him like water off a duck’s back.

However, even then his patience is dangerously thin regarding people. If provoked he won’t hesitate to begin plotting the fool’s demise, whether it be a swift cut to the jugular or a slow, agonizing demise is up to the person in question.

And finally, just a hint, do not try to run from him, it won’t work.

If Fi’s ability to dowse objects and seek them out is based on Sky’s own desire to find them, then if you were to try and run away, he’d be able to track you right down to the exact spot you’re standing in. Because there is nothing and no one alive that Sky wants and needs more than you.

don’tpassoutdon’tpassoutdon’tpassoutDON’TPASSOUT

[name] if you pass out here then none of the links will be able to help you, you cannot pass out. Just - just ask him to get rid of it, but he looked so proud of it. 

“Ple- please can you just… I don’t need that, can you… just - please get rid of it.”

He seemed dejected when I said that but he -thankfully- didn’t question it. Just left without another word with a defeated look on his face now leaving me all alone to settle myself enough to try get some sleep. Just - just have to get the image of that out of my head,  else I might never be able to sleep till I do. Maybe the others wouldn’t mind me going to share a room with one of them for the night but there’s always the chance they won’t let me live this down they have gone through worse than I have after all. No, it’s not worth the chance of embarrassing yourself infront of them like that, you’re fine in here on your own all you need to do is get changed and get into bed it’s easy; what chance will you have to get in a normal bed again anyway?

Going through the familiar motions of getting changed is grounding, calming even, throwing myself onto the bed and wrapping myself up in the plush blanket just helps even more. Falling asleep really won’t be hard. 

Mhpm why am I up? It’s not that much darker so I can’t have been asleep for much more than half an hour or so and I’ve never been a light sleeper like this. Who’s in the bed with me?

There’s a hand around you - look at that and then panic. Why is it cove-

“...First?”

“My deity? I thought you were sleeping?”

“And I - I - you… I - didn’t you say - didn’t I ask you to get rid of the blood?”

Oh fuck. Why is he holding me tighter now and… he’s sobbing. My back’s getting wet but it's not blood I hope, he’s just using me as a - a pillow. What did hylia do to him to mess him up this badly? From what he said before…she had to have something to do with why he’s like this. He can’t even breathe through his tears right now…

“Firs- link. Can we talk about - you know - all of this?”

Just more tears and half-hearted breaths. Is he forcing himself to be like this? Maybe if I can hold him it’ll help comfort him somehow. He- he has surprisingly strong arms considering, you shouldn’t be surprised, he probably beat that man to death with his bare hands, the fact that he was tortured and starved in a dungeon for who knows how long. 

“If not now… In the morning at least? Please?” 

A pout and a wet sniffle while he wipes his eyes to calm himself. 

“You know acting like this - it isn’t healthy. I - you can’t go around gifting me peoples hearts - that - that is not normal.”

“... if you say I must my deity.”

I’ll take it.