#albw

The story is simple, and follows the aftermath of when Lorule has been restored. The difference is, Hilda restored it on her own terms, and Yuga lived at the end, instead of dying with the beast. Hilda then sentenced Yuga to prison, burning off whatever bits of beauty he possessed as a torture method.

He now wears the skin of the watchdog borzoi to hide his burns.

The first rays of daylight shone through the trees. 

Wind was out of ear shot of Kakariko, so he did not know if the cuccos had trumpeted the new day yet. He decided to let out a “cocka-doodle-doo!” to announce it, if only to himself.

Returning to his previous position, he blinked as the sunlight reflected off the Master Sword and into his eyes. 

“Can’t spare an old man his vision?” he joked to Fi. She, of course, did not respond. The only sounds were the chirping of the birds and the scuttering of animals deeper in the Lost Woods. He wasn’t in too deep. Just past the Fortune Teller’s house–a place he was avoiding like a typhoon.

He slowly practiced his forms, getting used to the weight and size of the sword. It was honestly easier than he expected with this old body. In hindsight, being able to spring up and grab Gulley’s ball probably should have been a giveaway that the Ring did not impede his physical ability. In fact, he felt a little bit stronger. Not to say he wasn’t already incredibly fit, he had years of experience as a Hero and, more importantly, as a sailor. You didn’t get out of the latter without a few muscles, or you risked getting kicked off the ship, literally. 

Wind gently set the sword down and did a few pushups. Then handstands. And then, one-fingered handstands. Yup. Definitely strength enhancing. But only slightly, he thought. There was one thing he would not be telling the others. 

As he continued training with Fi, he wondered how the others were doing. He knew some of them were okay, or would be, or however you said it with the time travel. It might be a leap, but he hoped that by the time he met up with them again, the missing three would have been found as well. Part of him also liked to think he wasn’t the only one who got mixed up in a prolonged hijink.  He did not want to be left out of the adventure.

But, Wind had a job to do, and he had to focus on that. He grabbed a few logs and set them up like he sometimes saw Sky do. Stab, slash, spin attack.

Once he thoroughly destroyed the logs, he decided to call it quits. The sun was a few fingers over the horizon already. The stupid trees blocked his view, but he would say it was about eight o’clock.

He packed up his stuff, and found the path back to the village. He had to try very hard not to laugh at himself for using the walking cane just after finishing sword drills.

His restraint was rewarded when he heard the distinct sound of a human trying to sneak through the woods behind him. For the heck of it, he turned around.

“Oh, woe is me!” he bemoaned. “I seem to have lost my squirrel!” He pretended to study the bushes. “Now where could she be?” 

The bushes began to quiver. 

Wind reached a hand in and dragged out his tag-along. 

“Ahhhhh!” the Rumor Guy screeched.

“Egats! This isn’t my squirrel!” Wind shook the guy around and plopped him on the ground. “Rumor Guy! You fiend! What have you done with my friend!?” He poked the stalker with his cane.

“Ow! I don’t know what you are talking about!” the man pleaded.

Wind stopped poking him. “Oh, okay.”

The Rumor Guy wheezed.

Wind leaned forward, his giant red nose right in front of his victim’s eyes. “What are you doing here, then?”

The Rumor Guy scrambled to his feet. Still quivering despite being taller than Wind’s hunched over form. “I-I heard you cucco-calling and wanted to talk to you! I collect stories, and you strike me as quite the interesting one!” Wind thought his voice sounded like the one that might belong to the fake squirrel.

“Weren’t you eavesdropping on me in the Milk Bar?” Wind asked. “You already know my story.”

“They say that’s true! But that doesn’t explain why you are in the woods!”

“That’s fair,” Wind said. He leaned in closer. “Wanna know a secret?”

The Rumor Guy nodded vigorously, near salivating. 

“There is no squirrel.”

The Rumor Guy fell over on his face. Wind cackled.

“Okay, okay,” he said through his laughs. “You have three questions. Go.”

The Rumor Guy picked himself up, looking dead inside. He looked at Wind wearily. “Okay. Why were you travelling with eight people with your name?”

“The same rat-bastard messed with all of us, and the enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

The man paused, carefully considering his next question. “Why were you training in the woods?”

“It’s important to keep in shape! That’s the key to a long life—the monsters won’t be able to get ya.”

The Rumor Guy squinted at him. “How old are you?”

“Uh,” Wind scratched his beard. He never said he would answer the questions honestly. “80-something.”

The man stared at him for a second. “Uh—okay. Why—“

“Nope!” Wind interrupted. “You got your three questions. Now go home. Shoo, shoo.” With his cane, he batted the Rumor Guy off like a misbehaving piglet.

The man scurried away.

Wind watched him go, then took out his notebook.

...............................................................................................................................

He sat underneath the tree in the field west of Kakariko. He was pretty sure this was Street Pass Meadow and thought it would be appropriate to do some magic research here. That morning, he picked out a book that seemed to have the beginner’s guide to working with Shadow Links. All the notes were in his Hylian, so it wasn’t like he had to worry about others spying on him.

Less than 10 pages in, and he wanted to kill Legend specifically, along with every other hooty-tooty mage in existence. Why were there so many elemental systems? Exactly how many sage groupings were there? Aren’t the sages supposed to be elements-based, too? Who decided that only some of them should be geographic? Why were none of the sage systems mentioned the one Wind was familiar with?

He skimmed over the next few pages, steadfastly ignoring Legend’s rants about some century old magic scholars whose arbitrary terms ruined the scholarship for generations to come. Legend managed to fill multiple pages with his complaints before the Champion took over.

Now, I hate this too, but for different reasons than the Collector. I think this magic theory stuff is bullshit. Give me Sheikah Technology any day of the week. 

Wind will never escape this, will he?

Okay, the Traveller is threatening to steal my magic rods if I don’t hurry up. He is also looking over my shoulder to make sure whatever I write has the correct “vibes”.

I’ll try to summarize this quickly. You’ll essentially need to delineate certain parts of the environment and an origin point–Little Vet, in this case– as sources. You’ll shove some of their magic essence together into customizable form(s) that is still connected to the origin point. This is so it can dissipate afterwards. Then, you encode it with instructions. The Vet and the Traveller agree that you should probably use the Wind Waker or some other powerful artifact for this, preferably an instrument. (We thought about sending you the Rancher’s crystal, but the Traveller and the Captain said it was too risky.) The Collector thinks you should be able to use a song and has started writing a few to get started. Some of the other notes have breakdowns on how different music things correlate to the types of magic needed. 

Okay, Wind wasn’t the most confident about his abilities when it came to shadow magic, but music? Music magic was his jam (hah!).

He looked over a few of the songs Legend had started composing in that notebook. They were serviceable. He got the feeling that the Vet, while a master of all sorts of instruments, did not have too much experience with writing music. Too bad Time wasn’t with them.

Still, Wind could work with this. He’d take a look at Legend’s other notes that night to hopefully fill in the gaps in his knowledge to write something out of this world.

A little note at the bottom of the page caught his eye.

Before you get too excited, try to get a basic understanding of the composition of magic in the region. This will make things more predictable and allow you a lot more control. —The Traveller

Well, damn. Way to drop him in the most unfamiliar environment possible for this. Maybe he could try to find someone who could help him.

Not the Rumor Guy.

...............................................................................................................................

Wind ended up running into a little girl named Mimi and her Papa, who were kind enough to give him instructions to the nearby Sanctuary.

“If you have a magic theoretical, and don’t want to try your luck at the palace, they or Elder Sahasrahla are your best bets,” Papa said (Wind never got his real name). 

“And Mister Sashashala is sick right now,” Mimi added.

To the Sanctuary it was. 

The small building was directly in between Hyrule Castle’s moat and Death Mountain. It had pristine white walls and sloping navy tiles. Gold and blue trimming along the edges came together to form a little bird-looking statue on top. A short fence and some trees surrounded the structure. Further up the road was a grave yard that Wind suspected was connected to the Sanctuary. 

He could sort of see how someone with magic know-how would be here. 

Figuring that a Sanctuary would probably be open to the public, he walked right on in, only to be met with stifled crying. 

The room had rows of benches, all facing a pulpit in the front. There were flower pots along the walls. Most of the ones with large flowers were on a platform beside the pulpit. A few people sat in the benches, praying or meditating. Old Man Wind tip-toed past, cane lifted slightly off the ground, trying to not interrupt.

He attracted a few side-eyes despite his efforts. Dangit.

No one yelled at him, at least, as he reached the pulpit. There were two men standing a little bit behind it. One wore robes, so Wind guessed he was the Priest here. The other was a soldier, and he was obviously the source of the sniffles. 

The Priest rested his hand on the Soldier’s shoulder. Both their faces were downcast.

The older man turned to Wind as he approached. 

“Hello, sir, and welcome to the Sanctuary. May I help you?”

Wind realized that he looked around the same age as the Priest. He might actually seem older. This was never going to stop being weird.

As for the question itself, Wind hesitated. The urge to solve all the problems bubbled within him.

“Uhh,” he said. “I was hoping to learn more about the area, specifically the local magic.” Trying to come up with a reason why this wasn’t suspicious, he rambled, “One of my friends sent me a letter suggesting something to do, and I’ve been so bored, and… uh…”

The Soldier sniffed again. Now that Wind was closer, he could actually see that he was of rank. There was a symbol on his shoulder similar to one on some of the Captain’s official things. Seems being the Hero meant you got out of the bright red uniform. 

The Priest sighed. “Yes. I apologize, but I cannot help you at the moment. My daughter, Seres, is ill. My time has been split between taking care of her and trying to maintain the Sanctuary’s operations. This young man here,” he nodded at the Soldier, “is a friend of ours who has been of great help. Even so, I am afraid I do not have the time for any non-essential requests.”

Huh. That Sahasrahla guy was sick, too. That was quite the coincidence. 

Wind felt his blood starting to pump, and he did a double somersault into his base instincts.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” he asked.

The Priest’s eyebrows rose, and the Soldier stared at him intensely. Wind thought the latter might be glaring at him just a little.

“Well,” the Priest said. “There is a very special type of tea that always makes Seres feel better. I have all the ingredients except for the honey. There is a beekeeper in Kakariko Village who provides the best in this part of Hyrule. Unfortunately, the Captain and I have been too busy to grab any. Would you go down and get some? I will compensate you afterwards.”

“Of course,” Wind replied. He bade the two men farewell before heading south.

As he passed the Blacksmith’s house, he saw a pantsless teenager in a green tunic conversing with the married couple. Gulley seemed to be strangling him with all the excitement a small child could muster.

Wind laughed a little bit and left them to their reunion. 

He found the house immediately. It used straw to make it resemble a beehive. He noticed it earlier, but he didn’t have a reason to go up and knock. Though, he remembered seeing a giant bee sign on the roof that was no longer there.

“Come in!” A morose voice came from inside. Wind opened the door to find a man slumped over on a table in a dark corner. The rest of the room was brightly lit, with the green carpet and golden bee decorations creating a warm atmosphere. The house’s owner seemed to be inhabiting the one grey area in an otherwise cloudless sky.

“Hello–” Wind had to cut himself off before he said ‘mister.’

“Wasp up?” The man turned his head to look at Wind, so his cheek still rested on the table.

Wind blinked at the pun. 

One problem at a time. 

“I’m here on behalf of the Priest from the Sanctuary up north. His daughter is ill, and he was hoping you might spare some honey to help her feel better,” Wind explained. “I’m willing to pay.” Always a good distinction to make when one was a pirate.

The man threw himself back, spreading his arms. “I’m sorry! I would bee buzzing to help, buzz I have no honey!”

Wind’s jaw dropped. 

The man stood up and curled into himself. “My bee friends all flew away! With their honey! All bee-cause that blasted thief stole my bee sign!”

Wind picked his jaw back up. There was a thought… that he could not allow himself to put into words… oh Oshus it was happening again. 

“So, if I get your sign back,” he said slowly, feeling the age in this form’s voice like a lump in his mouth, “the bees will come back and you’ll get me some honey?”

“Yes! Bee-lieve me!”

That confirms it. Here we go.

“Did you see the thief?” Wind asked.

“Mhm,” the Bee Man nodded. “He was a real Shady Guy. He had a brown vest, leather gloves, red shorts, and blonde hair that covered one eye.”

Wind nodded and committed the description to memory. “Where did he go?”

“He carried my beloved bee out past the south entrance of the village.”

“Got it.” Wind waved goodbye as he left. “I’ll bee back!”

...............................................................................................................................

Wind spent the rest of the day asking villagers if the description of the Shady Guy rang a bell. A few of them admitted to seeing him around before but not knowing anything about the man. 

After exhausting all the sources in town, he tried the Blacksmith’s house. Turns out Gulley and River had caught whatever sickness was going around. Nothing there.

He was still avoiding the Rumor Guy and Fortune Teller. 

Even after exhausting his options, he did not give up. Wind was a treasure hunter. Right now, his treasure was that bee sign. 

Around sunset, he went back to the Sanctuary to explain the situation to the Priest, who apologized for the trouble. He even tried to compensate Wind for trying! The nerve! Wind was not taking a consolation reward here. He was going to get that honey. And then whatever it was he was originally after.  ...............................................................................................................................

The next morning, Wind once again awoke before the sunrise. He ate his breakfast in the Milk Bar while studying the map of Hyrule he stole from Legend’s house. Now, if he had stolen a giant bee sign, where would he hide it? 

The Bee Man made it seem like the guy was working alone. Carrying a bulky sign by yourself probably meant that you weren’t getting very far. You would also want a place to put it that was out of the way.

Wind trailed his finger along the map, stopping at the Haunted Grove just south of Kakariko. Sort of out of the way, not a long distance for a person to drag a sign by themself. If the bees followed him, no one would pay attention to more buzzing from the woods. There was a starting place if there ever was one. 

Finishing up his meal, he tipped the Bar Owner. 

The Haunted Grove was in sight before the sun was fully up. Someone else was already there.

Wind had to stop himself from vibrating. Anticipation and excitement filled his bloodstream, bubbling like soda. 

Deciding to have a bit of fun, he let out a “Cocka-doodle-doo!” to announce both himself and the dawn.

Link spun around, one hand on his sword. His skin was a shade darker than Legend’s, as if he just spent a long while in the summer sun. He was wearing the same green outfit he was yesterday. It was a bit strange to not see him in Legend’s violent red and pale blue. He also wasn’t wearing that much jewellery. Someone might actually be able to mistake him for a regular, boring person if not for the bright streak of pink in the midst of all that blonde. (Wind still didn’t understand the Vet’s magic hair.)

“Hello,” Link said, somewhat wary. “You must be Gramps.”

“Correct-o!” Wind replied exuberantly. “You must be Link.”

He nodded. “The Bee Man mentioned that you were looking for his sign, old man. Since I’m here, I can take care of it. You can go back to whatever you were doing.” His tone was polite, but his gaze vivisected Wind. He really hoped Link couldn’t recognize magic disguise rings just by staring at them. 

“Nah,” Wind said. Leaving open holes in his story would not work here, Legend would sniff them out in an instant. How to play this… try not to lie at all, he decided. “I was a treasure hunter in my youth, and I’ve missed being on a good hunt!” Cool it.

“In your youth, huh. I bet its been, what, at least 10 or 20 years since your last hunt? Can your old bones even keep up?”

Wow. How rude. His grandma could probably give this kid a run for his money. 

Now, what would be the easiest way to convince Link to let him help out…

“If you want proof of my brittle bones, why don’t we spar?” Wind replaced his cane with the Phantom Sword. Best to not show his hand too early.

“You crazy old man! Are you senile?!” Link glared at him.

“C’mon!”

Link cursed him out some more, and reluctantly drew his own blade. 

Wind charged, and steel clashed.

As they exchanged blows, Wind’s eyes were drawn to his opponent’s sword.

It was plain and a little dull. No scratches and no decoration. The metal was discolored in several areas. Link was capable enough that the lack of balance was not obvious, but Wind could sense the discomfort that came from wielding it. No magic, and its durability left a lot to be desired. The blade was not worthy of the hand that wielded it.

Wind backed off  and continued the spar with the low quality of the blade in mind.

On the third parry, it shattered.

“Are you fucking kidding me?!” Link yelled. He scowled at the pieces of the sword in his hand. Wind stared at him, shocked at how poorly the weapon held up. 

He quickly put the Phantom Sword away, grabbing the cane once again. “My apologies. I did not realize that the sword was trash.”

Link threw the hilt at him, shouting, “You bastard!”

Wind easily dodged and doubled down. “If you didn’t want it to break, you should have bought a better one!”

“I made this sword! Do you think I would be using it if I had a choice!?”Link waved his arms around, manic. “The Master Sword sank to the bottom of the ocean, and Gulley and River got sick before I could properly make a new one!”

“What?!” Wind exclaimed. That makes no sense!

“Not that Master Sword. It’s another sword that’s called that.” Link rolled his eyes.

Wind should really stop asking questions, shouldn’t he?

Link squatted down to pick at the fragments. 

“I am really sorry for that.”

“Whatever,” Link spat. 

There was probably a better strategy to go with than the one Wind just thought of, but he had already started digging this hole. 

“I can try to make it up to you. To start, how ‘bout I help you find that sign thief?”

Link glared up at him. He pursed his lips and looked back down at the shattered blade. “Fine, you crazy geezer.”

Wind cringed. He was gonna have to find a nice apology gift for both versions of Legend.

He almost pulled out his map, but stopped before he could give Link another reason to be pissed.

“If not the grove, where do you think the thief would have gone?” he asked.

Link had his hands crossed over his chest. He nodded to the path on the left, the green hat bouncing along to the movement. “I was going to check the swamp down south.”

The two of them travelled in a tense silence. Wind ran ahead to kill a monster twice, and that was the extent of the excitement. Link just walked on with a grumpy expression.

About an hour in, Wind’s stomach grumbled. He reached into his bag for an apple. “Are you hungry?” he asked his companion. 

Link waved him off. “No thanks,” he replied tersely.

“I didn’t ask if you wanted it, I asked if you were hungry.”

Link glared at him. Wind held out an apple. He grabbed it and took a large bite.

“Thanks,” Link said quietly. To spite Wind, he added, “It’s not as good as my grandparents’.”

Laughing, Wind replied, “That’s fair. I have no idea where these were picked.” He found the comment about the grandparents interesting, but he had already decided to not ask questions.

“Where are you from?” Link asked, expression neutral. He stared at the apple in his hands.

Try not to lie, Wind reminded himself. He didn’t know many gods of this time, but if he did, he would be praying to all of them to help him pull this off.

“Outset Island is where I was born,” he said. He stroked his beard, projecting nostalgia and wistfulness, “I left on my twelfth birthday and have been travelling since then.”

Link paused halfway through biting the apple. He quickly finished chewing and swallowing. His gaze was distant.

“Why did you leave?” he asked.

This was not a direction Wind thought this conversation would take. “My sister got kidnapped by a giant bird and I had to team up with some pirates to save her. I ended up joining their crew.”

Link stared ahead. “Do you ever go back?” His voice practically a whisper.

“Sometimes. But my destiny has always been beyond the horizon.” Catching a glimpse of the pained look on Link’s face, Wind tried to think of something to say. A memory washed into his mind’s eye. Gathering his courage, he added on, "It's always a risk.  When my sister got kidnapped and I went after her, our grandmother got really sick because of how worried she was. I was able to help her feel better at the time, but I don’t think it’s ever gone away completely. I hate that me leaving caused that.”

“You could have stayed. Come back with your sister,” Link said quietly. He sounded like he was trying to convince himself. Something in Wind’s head pinged. Link was processing, and Wind was on the right track.

“No, I couldn’t,” he said. “Or, yes, I could have. It just would have made me miserable, which would have made everyone I cared about miserable. Not to mention that the new friends I made–my crew–would have sailed off into their future without me.” Wind echoed an old friend’s words: “The future is ours. Leaving it out to drown would have been a disservice to everyone who entrusted it to us, ourselves, and anyone who we may pass it on to.”

Link sniffed and straightened his posture. Picking out a few seeds from his apple, he pocketed them.

“You talk strangely,” he said. 

“What do you mean?” 

“Your tense. You speak as if you only left home a short while ago.” The perceptive bastard side-eyed Wind. Dammit.

Wind forced a laugh. “Well, sometimes I get a little confused in my old age! Don’t mistake it for a weakness, young man.”

Link gave him a scathing look and rolled his eyes. The gall. 

“We’re here.”

The swamp Link mentioned turned out to be a very grassy area with a ton of puddles. There weren’t many trees, but there were some large stone ruins set up in grids. A strange structure stood in the southwest area, while some larger ponds were in the more northern spaces. The entire swamp was enclosed by cliffs.

Wind and Link searched the ruins and the cliff walls. Or, Link looked around while Wind kept an eye out for monsters and runners. Link made sure to complain the whole time and rag on him for destroying his weapon.

The two of them discovered a caved-in tunnel in a corner behind the pond. There were a metric ton of bees at the entrance. Link and Wind made eye contact.

Link forged ahead and waved away the bees, receiving a few stings for his trouble. Wind passed him a potion when they were gone. Then, he grabbed a bomb. Rocks and pebbles crashed to the ground as the entrance opened.

It was pretty dark inside, but Wind could see a man quivering in the corner. He was using the bee sign as a barricade. His swollen face and hands explained why. Regardless, he matched the description of the “Shady Guy”.

“Leave me alone!” The Shady Guy covered his face. “Bee-gone!”

“Hello,” Wind greeted politely. “Would you happen to be the man who stole the Bee Man’s sign?”

A deadpan look came over Link’s face. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” the Shady Guy cried, ignoring the fact that he was cowering behind the sign in question.

Link bent down and tapped on it. “You sure about that?” he said sardonically. “If you’re trying to hide from the bees, doing it from behind the thing attracting them is one of the worst ideas you could’ve had.”

The man groaned. “Okay, fine! I stole the sign.” Obviously. “I tried some of that honey, and it was heavenly! The food of gods! I couldn’t get it out of my head.” He slumped. “So I stole this so the bees might give me some.”

“Well, it was a stupid move,” Link said. “Give us the sign, and the bees won’t be an issue anymore.”

The man’s expression did something strange. It was difficult to parse due to all the swelling, but it looked painful. Wind took mercy and offered him a potion.

The Shady Guy drank it greedily. Wind grabbed the bottle when he was done, not willing to risk losing something so valuable.

The expression was clear now. Pure fear and sheer crazy.

“How do I know they won’t come after me anyways? Will they just attack whoever has the sign?”

“No.” Link visibly lost a night of sleep by talking to this guy for too long.

The Shady Guy ignored him. “Maybe I should just,” he grabbed a small rock and held it up. 

“NO!” the two Links yelled in unison. Wind grabbed his arm while Link wrestled the rock out of his grip.

“Look,” Wind said once the threat had been neutralized. “Is there any way we could convince you to give us the sign?”

The Shady Guy considered the question. “I’ll give it to you if you know a way I could outrun the bees.”

Well, darn. Wind glanced at Link to see if he had anything. The young Hero looked like he had eaten a lemon. 

“Fine,” he sighed. “I know someone with Pegasus Boots.” He held out a finger. “We will only give them to you if he agrees to give them up.”

“Pegasus Boots?” the Shady Guy said. “That’s perfect!”

Wind cringed. This was at least seventeen leagues from ideal. 

He and Link left the man with a promise that he would not harm the sign in any way. Link threatened his manhood. Wind followed that up with a promise to find all his family members, dead and alive, and tell them what an irresponsible young fool they raised. Really laying the Gramps energy on thick.

The Shady Guy weakly promised to stay where he was. 

The two Heroes left to go back to Kakariko Village. Wind’s head would be spinning by the end of the day with all these circles.

Link was just plain pissed. Wind stopped using his cane so he could keep up with his determined pace. 

Once Sahasrahla’s house was in view, Link calmed down. In fact, he dusted himself off! And made Wind do the same! Who was this guy?!

“Why…?” 

“He’s a sage descendant and an elder of the village! Just because you are old as dirt doesn’t mean you shouldn’t treat him with respect.” Link crossed his arms. The “old as dirt” was clearly sarcastic. Wind didn’t dare point it out.

Okay, why not. Because it was his friend, Wind let Link knock on the door.

For the nth time since the last portal, no one answered. Maybe I just need to stop bothering to knock on doors, Wind thought.

Link gritted his teeth. He made Wind turn around. A second later, there was a click.

The two ran into the house. There was some food left on the table that caught Wind’s attention. Link sprinted up the stairs. The other Hero followed a second later. When he got to the bedroom upstairs, he found Link gently laying his hand on an elderly man’s forehead. He seemed to relax a little bit. When he tried to talk to the elder, Sahasrahla did not respond. 

“Is he okay?” Wind whispered.

“I don’t know.” Link bit his lip. “It is just a small fever. I don’t think he should be laid up like this. There might be something else going on here…”

Wind looked around the room. There were chests, small tables, and the bed, of course. Paintings and trinkets decorated the room on every conceivable surface.

One particular wall hanging caught Wind’s attention. It was that creepy mask that Wild had. The red, purple, and greenish one with the weird eyes and spikes around its heart-shaped frame.

Wind walked closer to investigate it. 

Link appeared beside him. “What are you doing?” he asked.

Pointing at the mask, Wind asked, “Do you know what this is?”

Link opened his mouth, but closed it as he looked more closely at the strange choice in decor. “No…”

An uneasy feeling churned in Wind’s gut. “This is just a hunch, but do you have any truth-revealing artifacts?”

Link let out a frustrated stuff. “I don’t even have a sword. All my stuff is at my grandparents’ place.”

Right. Weird. 

Wind hummed. He started digging through his bag. “I’m not sure if this will work, but I might as well try…” He pulled out his Hero’s Charm and held it over his eyes. It had to look extremely silly on his old man face.

A bar appeared over the mask, showing its health. It was completely depleted and greyed out. Wind explained to Legend what he saw.

“So it’s already dead,” Link confirmed. He gently touched its eye. Wind resisted the urge to pull his arm back. 

“Does that mean that it’s something else?” Wind glanced back over to Sahasrahla.

“I didn’t say that.” Link turned around, eyes flying through the room. His gaze passed through the back wall.  He sighed. “Stay here. I might have something that could help.” He made the ‘I’m watching you gesture’ as he left. His trust in Wind was touching.

The fake old man spent the next few minutes dithering through the room and trying to make sure the real old man was comfortable.

Link came back holding a massive green hardcover with gold script. That was all Wind needed to see to know it was probably a good time to step back.

The Hero of Legend walked straight up to the mask and opened the book to a marked chapter. He squinted at it and back towards the mask. Mumbling, he poked the mask in several places before taking it off the wall and shoving it into his bag.

“Uhhh…” Wind said.

“Some sort of magical remnant or echo,” Link explained. “Whatever was once in here was definitely nasty. I think it somehow caused Sahasrahla’s illness. At the very least it’s probably not a great thing to have in your house.”

“So what are you gonna do with it?” Wind asked, dreading the answer.

“I’m gonna call in a favor from Seres or Zelda to help seal it.”

That wasn’t so bad.

“And I’ll keep an eye on it to make sure there aren’t any more issues.”

Of course. 

Something else occurred to Wind. “Y’know Seres is actually sick too, and didn’t you say Gulley and River had fallen ill? This might just be something going around.”

“Maybe.” Link’s face clearly didn’t believe him. “Gulley and River getting sick may be a coincidence, but I’m not willing to ignore two sage descendants falling ill at the same time.”

“Two?”

“Seres is one as well. She’s been targeted for her bloodline before. I wouldn’t be surprised if something malevolent latched on to whatever thin lines of fate tie them together. Can’t say if something similar occurred to Gulley and River or if it is all just a coincidence.”

Wind mulled this over. “What now, then?”

Link held up the mask. “I’ll take this somewhere else. You help out Sahasrahla and explain the situation if he wakes up. Don’t leave anything out. Then, ask for the boots.”

He left before Wind could get another word in.  ...............................................................................................................................

The wait lasted for hours. Watching the sun’s journey through the window was the most entertaining thing Wind could come up with. That, and complaining.

“Sorry for not explaining the mask thing in the notes, Sailor, I just wanted some revenge for you destroying my bargain bin sword, which I also didn’t warn you about,” he said, imitating Legend. Seriously, there were so many notebooks. Why couldn’t Wind have found instructions for the trading sequence? It would have saved so much time.

A little chuckle came from the bed. Wind whirled around to find Sahasrahla coming to.

“How much of that did you hear?” Wind cringed.

“It’s all nonsense to me,” the man said. “I’m sure you can explain it to me later.”

Could Wind tell him? As long as Link didn’t know specifics, it was probably fine.

“Later, maybe,” Wind replied. “First—wait.” He pointed his cane at the man playfully. “Are you not concerned by me being in here? I don’t know you.”

“You do not. But you feel like someone who does.” Ah, magic bullshit. This is why Wild doesn’t like the theory, isn’t it?

“Right. Well, I need your help with something.”

Wind explained the predicament with Seres falling ill, the theft of the Bee Sign, and his and Link’s attempts to remedy the situation.

“The mask…” Sahasrahla said when Wind mentioned it. “I got it from a strange traveller who came here for advice not too long ago. I have not seen them before nor since.”

“Huh. Creepy.” Link was right, probably for the best to get that out of the house. “Hopefully, you and the others will be feeling better soon, even if it wasn’t responsible.”

“Quite right. Though I suspect you still want to get that sign back?”

Wind nodded.

Sahasrahla pointed to the hallway and gave instructions on how to find the boots. “You really did not need my permission; I gave those boots to Link years ago with no expectation of them being returned. Yet, he was insistent. Hopefully the man you mentioned will use them just as nobly.”

The Collector put something back?!

Wind’s shock must have shown on his face because Sahasrahla started laughing at him. There goes the hope of losing the tells in this form.

Sahasrahla gave Wind the shoes, and after making sure he would be okay, Wind left.

He put on the boots and sprinted in the direction of the swamp. The bees had apparently returned to menace the Shady Guy in his and Link’s absence.

Wind managed to weave and only get two (2) stings. The Shady Man nearly sobbed once he saw him.

“My hero!” he cried.

Wind snorted. “Not quite.” He handed over the boots, and the Shady Man let the sign-barricade fall to the ground as he put them on. The Shady Man sprinted into the distance as Wind picked up the sign. The bees buzzed around him in warning but made no efforts to stop him. 

What did the Shady Guy do to upset them? Wind wondered. Unlikely to get an answer, he made his way out of the swamp. 

Summoning all his courage and strength, the Hero of Winds escorted the Bee Man’s sign (and accompanying bees) to the house. Part way through the delivery, Link caught up with him and offered to carry it.

As Wind handed it over, he asked, “What did you do with the mask?”

“Don’t worry about it; it’s no longer a concern.”

Wind sighed. He tried to use the disappointed-in-you card, but it didn’t work as well as when his Grandma did it.

Once Link got there, moving the sign became much easier. They returned it to the Bee Man’s house in no time. 

Link stopped outside the door, looking to the roof. 

Wind didn’t think he had anything that could return it easily. Link seemed to have the same issue. Though, the frustration was probably worse for him since he was missing most of his items.

They didn’t dilly-dally for long. The bees buzzed and danced in excitement as soon as they got near the house. A few flew over to Link, who froze as the rest of the hive surrounded him.

“Link!” Wind called.

The bees drifted upwards, working together to lift the sign back on the roof.

The door slammed open. 

“My friends!” The Bee Man cried. Some of the insects came down to greet them. Others flew inside or to the yard.

“Oh, thank you thank you thank you,” he cried to Wind and Link. “I don’t know what I would have done if I had never seen them again.”

Wind gave his most charming smile. “Of course.”

Link nodded with a neutral expression.

“Now!” The Bee Man clapped. “You two said you needed some honey!”

It took about an hour to gather the honey. The Bee Man got them loaded up with a few jars each.

Link ran off to help Sahasrahla and the Blacksmith Family while Wind set off towards the Sanctuary.

The Soldier wasn’t there, presumably so he could go off and do soldier things. The Priest looked absolutely shocked that he had followed through. Wind made sure to point out that he had help from Link.

“Of course,” the Priest laughed gently. “A week has not even passed and that boy is already running around.”

“Well two members of the Blacksmith family and Sahasrahla got sick as well, so I’d say it’s warranted.”

The Priest looked somewhat surprised. He gestured for Wind to follow him. “Now, we have all the ingredients, so I can make that tea.”

Wind sat down as the Priest brewed the lovely concoction. Wind regaled him of the whole story to his greatest ability—which was quite great—holding his cane between his thighs so he could sweep his arms around. The Priest was a pretty quiet audience, but that was okay.

The tea smelled fabulous. There was no doubt in Wind’s mind that it would make Seres feel better in a jiffy. The Priest poured three cups and offered one to Wind, who took it gratefully. The older man put the other two on a tray, making a playful comment as to his daughter’s insatiable thirst for the tea once she caught the slightest whiff of it.

After he finished his drink, Wind meandered into the main portion of the Sanctuary. He sat down on one of the benches and ended up making some whispered small talk with the person next to him. That person left eventually, passing Link as he came through the door.

The Hero of Legend sat next to his counterpart. “Is everything here good?” he whispered.

“Peachy,” Wind replied. “The Priest has delivered the tea.”

Link nodded. The two of them sat there quietly as the oranges, pinks, and purples of the sunset shone brilliantly through the windows.

...............................................................................................................................

The next morning, Wind strolled over to the Sanctuary with note-taking materials. He finally remembered why he visited the Sanctuary in the first place: magic advice.

Opening the door to the temple, he was met with the sight of a woman slightly older than Legend humming and softly smiling as she messed with some flowers. She wore a light blue dress, and a dark blue cape with gold detail hung across her shoulders. Her white cap and gold headpiece made her seem really important.

Wind walked up to her and lightly cleared his throat. 

Her gaze snapped to him. “Oh, hello,” she said softly.

“Good morning,” Wind greeted. “You must be Seres.”

She smiled. “Yes. I suppose you are the man who helped Link retrieve the honey yesterday.”

“Yours truly,” Wind gave a little bow. Seres put a hand over her mouth as she giggled. 

She lowered her hand to her heart. “I must thank you for all your help, both for my sake and others.” 

“It was no trouble,” Wind assured.

Seres squinted at him. Leaning forwards, she gave him a long once-over, tongue slightly sticking out in her focus. Wind straightened, not expecting that reaction.

Seres held up a finger. “A moment, please.” She rushed into the back room.

Wind stood there, dazed. 

Seres returned a minute later.

“Hold out your hand,” she requested. Wind did as instructed, and she dropped two seeds into it. Wind got a sudden sense of deja-vu. 

He studied the seeds. They were not as large as the Gasha Seed, but still pretty big. 

“What–?” he asked. He looked up at Seres, imploring her to understand the question.

She received the message, and responded by placing her hand over his.

“These are apple seeds from a region south of Hyrule.” She released his hand to gesture to the waving branches outside the window. “The winds guide you, and you shift their course in turn. What better gift for one of Farore’s than life?”

Wind smiled, understanding maybe half of that statement, but appreciating the sentiment nonetheless.

“Thank you.” He pocketed the seeds. “If you are not busy, there is something else I would like your help with.”

“Of course,” Seres agreed.

He explained how he was waiting in Kakariko for the rest of his party of Links, and he added a new aspect to the cover story.

“Since I might be here for a while, I thought of setting up a small challenge for anyone who wishes to test themselves.” As he explained the concept of Street-Pass, Seres’s expression remained serene, despite the insanity of the premise. “My research suggested trying to understand the magic of the area when setting things up.”

“Oh, yes! This sounds quite fun. I would be glad to help!” She gave him a basic run-down of the magical foundations of Hyrule, and gave him some suggestions on sources if he needed further research. 

Ask little Collector how old he is

Find a place to stay. And some food

Figure out the Shadow Link stuff

Practice with the Master Sword

Gossip with the locals: Ongoing. 

Leave notes for the others.

Break into the palace to leave the magic stuff in the library

Mess with the little Vet: Accidentally broke his sword

Drive the Rumor Guy insane.

Hang out with the Blacksmith family

Some of the Smithy’s little minish friends scurried over the patch of plotted earth as Wind and Legend looked down at it. Wind wondered if they helped out with the magic, or if this was just one of those weird things that happened sometimes.

“So these are Gotcha Seeds?” Wind held up his loot from the last dungeon. He had been disappointed when he first pulled it from a chest. Hyrule was still winning the competition for who could collect the most rupees. Wind hoped to find a nice orange, maybe even a silver, but he got a stupid seed instead.

Legend, much to everyone’s surprise, started seething with jealousy the instant he saw it.

Apparently, Wind had found a Gotcha Seed. If he planted it in a certain plot, it would grow a tree, which would grow a Gotcha Nut. Which would probably burst open to reveal a tiny Tingle that shouted “Gotcha!” at you as he stole your rupees. That was Wind’s theory, since the Vet had failed to tell him anything useful so far.

“Gasha Seeds,” Legend informed him. 

“Got it. Gotchya Seeds.”

Legend sighed, as if he was disappointed in Wind’s parents for having the sheer gall to give him vocal cords. He took out a shovel and dislodged some dirt. Wind dropped the seed in the hole.

“What can I do with the nut?” Wind asked. The others used seeds as slingshot ammo, but Legend had a reputation for hoarding the weirdest stuff. Like Pegasus Seeds. The Collector had the boots, why did he need the seeds?

“I don’t know.” Legend answered.

“What!?” Wind exclaimed. “How?”

Legend rolled his eyes. “The nuts grow things inside them. Fairies, Rupees, potions, and”--here his voice took on a reverent tone–“Magic Rings.”

Wind almost made fun of him for being a Hoarder when he thought better of it. He peered back over the plot of land his seed now rested in.

“So I could get one of those weird rings? What kind?”

“Yes. No way of knowing what it will be capable of–lots of  unpredictable factors.” Legend bent down and carved something into the little sign on the plot’s border. “There. They say it’s bad luck to take someone else’s nut. If we come back to this Labrynna, or one slightly in the future, you should be able to grab it.” 

Wind squinted. “And if we don’t come back here?”

“Well, I didn’t write ‘Sailor’ on the sign,” Legend smirked.

...............................................................................................................................

“CYCLOS!” Wind cursed as he tumbled ass-backwards out of the portal. He wiped his bleeding nose on his sleeve, and his bag smacked against his back as he turned around. Readying himself, he scanned the area for monsters.

A few minutes passed, and nothing happened. Wind plopped on a fallen log, huffing.

The Chain was separated five days ago. The group walked through a black arch together, and never met back up on the other side. The Shadow sent him another portal two days later. Another two days after that, Wind got stuck fighting a small group of black-blooded monsters. 

He took care of them because he is awesome. Don’t let Tetra, Aryll, or his own bloody face convince you otherwise.

Wind snacked on some nuts, dried fruit, and one half of a sickly-sweet potion saved in his pack. Growing bored with the tree trunks, he started walking eastward, eventually finding a path to follow. Normally he would be all for exploring, but if any of the others were here, finding a town was a good bet.

A few hours later, he saw gold.

Legend’s house! 

Wind whooped running up to the door, he suddenly remembered that Ravio guy. The merchant house sitting for Legend. Welp.

He knocked on the door and waited patiently. No one answered. 

His grandma raised a polite Hero, so he waited. There was no movement. Wind knocked again.

“Uh-Mister Ravio!” he called. “Vet?”

No one answered. The sun was starting to set, and the windows were dark.

Well. Grandma may have raised him to be polite, but she had also proudly raised a pirate. And a Hero, which at this point seemed to involve even more criminal activity.

The door was locked, so that was a no-go. Walking around the building, he saw that there was a slightly ajar window on the upper story, as if someone was letting in the wind while they slept. 

Sorry, Vet, he apologized, insincerely. 

Wind grappled onto a metal hook next to the window, and hauled himself in. Being considerate of the security of his friend’s house, he closed the window once he was inside. 

“Achoo!” he sneezed, sounding remarkably like a kitten.

The setting sun illuminated the room in a deep orange light. The place was tidy as could be. Clothes were folded and in their drawers, the bed was made, and the writing desk was as perfectly organized as a neat-freak like Legend could make it. Despite the cleanliness, he would probably be frothing at the mouth if he saw the state of the room. 

Everything was extremely dusty. The candle on the desk was unused and clearly new, yet even it wore a thin coat of age. Wind, spooked, left it alone.

He searched through the building, trying not to disturb anything for the fear that it would turn him into a bokoblin or summon the Collector himself from the darkness and dust to tell him off for messing with his stuff.

He eventually found an old candle in the kitchen that didn’t set off his spooky-sense too badly. The little light casting shadows was better than wandering through the pitch dark house in the dead silence of the night.

There was not as much to touch as normal, anyways, Wind thought. Some basic dungeon items, tools, and decorations littered the house, but they were all sensibly stored or hung. The only exceptions were five boxes lined up along the living room wall.

It was all wrong. Legend had so much stuff that the only one who could understand his meticulous inventory was himself. Even then, anything that attempted to contain the proof of his life was bursting at the seams with color, songs, and magic. This old home felt like a carefully ransacked mausoleum. Or a stone vault yet to be discovered.

“Time travel,” Wind grumbled. “No wonder the rest of ‘em hate it.”

Not wanting to touch the boxes, he descended into the basement. There were plenty of crates down there, along with some photos and old wine barrels. 

One painting in the corner stuck out to him. He moved closer to see it, only to be met with the Old Man’s face.

“What in all the seas…” he whispered. He leaned forwards and held the candle up. In the warm light, he realized the man had a few distinct features that were noticeably different from Time’s. For one, he was younger. Wind knew the Old Man had been young at some point, but still. His face, while similar to Time’s, was a bit more square, his skin a few shades darker, and his bright green eyes were very different from the Old Man’s blue ones. The picture showed him on horseback and decked out in extremely cool armor and gear. 

Wind had plenty of experience staring at artistic representations of his predecessor, so even if it was a painting showing a younger person, he was pretty sure this was a different guy. Still, it was weird.

There was a small plaque underneath the painting, and another one next to it. Wind couldn’t read the languages from Legend’s time, and he didn’t have the cheat sheet that other members of their group carried around. There was one word he knew in everyone’s scripts, and that was their name. The plaque next to the painting definitely mentioned a “Link”.

Cursing the evolution of languages over time, he backed up. Tapping his foot, he stared at the painting and the writing a second longer.

He squinted. 

He studied.

He scrunched his face up in the way that always made his sister point and laugh at him.

Nope. Nothing. Uhhhgggg.

If it weren’t for the candle, he would droop forwards in disappointment. He managed to hang his head.

His eyes caught on the shiny brass plate on the chest beneath the painting. There was an engraving on it, written in his Hylian.

For the Wind Waker. 

A series of dots were engraved above and beneath the words.

Wind scrambled to put the candle down, and pulled out his baton. Taking a guess, he played the notes in a 6/4 signature.

Click.

“Bingo,” he whispered to himself. It echoed through the dark cellar.

Opening the crate he found books, books, a few boxes, and more books. He picked up the first tome in the pile, and an envelope fell out. He nearly sobbed in relief when he saw the address.

Hey, Sailor! –Rancher

What’s up, sailor? –Traveller

If it isn’t our favorite pirate! –Captain

Ahoy! –Cook

Sailor, you godsdamned sea-rat,  –Veteran

I hope this finds you well –Sir Raven

Wind backed up until he hit the wine barrels on the wall. He slid down to the floor, placing the candle next to him. For a moment, he just smiled in relief at the ceiling, before opening the envelope. 

Hey, Sailor, it’s the Captain. 

The Rancher, Traveller, Champion, Veteran and I are fine. We slowly met up one-by-one, though the exact timing was different for everyone, and we are still trying to find the Old Man, the Smithy, and Sky. Before meeting up with us, the Champion found some notebooks in an era shortly before the Traveller’s time from you that explained where you were.

Congratulations, Sailor! You’ve stumbled into a time loop!--the Champion.

Yeah. It seems you managed to land right in between the end of the Collector’s quests abroad–the first round, at least–and the start of his next big adventure. He apparently got shipwrecked and took a while to get home, so you have a few days before you need to leave the house.

The main issue is: you are a small part of his next quest. According to the Vet, you run a minigame in a place called Street Pass Meadow. It is a little field in western Kakariko. You set up bounty signs for Shadow Links that the Vet could fight for accomplishments and to receive the money. I don’t think this counts as a minigame.

Wind thought it sounded awesome.

If he defeated the Shadow Links, which of course he did, you paid him their bounty from your own pocket. 

He squawked. Never mind, this was terrible.

When he defeated every single Shadow Link, you challenged him to a fight, transporting you both to an arena. He says you were harder to beat than Yuga-Ganon: the villain in this quest. His reward for winning was five rupees.

What was that warm fuzzy feeling spreading through his bones?

The whole quest took about six months. You were there for the whole thing, unfortunately. The Collector says you could probably find an inn or an attic in Kakariko to stay once little him gets back. Things should kick off in about a month. Really, it is no wonder you only gave him pocket change.

Wind saw a lot of pot-smashing and grass cutting in his future and sighed. Part of him was tempted to “coincidently run into” Legend during the quest to mess with him a little in pre-emptive revenge.

Wait, if Wind was around for Legend’s entire quest, how come the Vet never mentioned it?

At this point, you are probably wondering why he never mentioned this.

He’s not giving you the point in a time loop, Captain.

The Vet didn’t realize it was you until now. He landed in the Labrynna you left that Gasha Tree in and was able to grab the nut. There was a Magic Ring inside that transformed the wearer. You use it as a disguise. I’ll let you discover the transformation on your own. We left it in the chest along with some notes and books on the magic you will need to run StreetPass. The Vet’s sword is also at the bottom of the chest. It is apparently his version of the Master Sword, which you need to fight him with to preserve the space-time continuum. He expects her to be returned in pristine condition the second you meet back up with us.

Wind ran back over to the chest, and started pulling things out. Stacks of books were tucked in there. Their covers were all dark brown, but there were colored marks along the spines designating what was what. Green ones had notes based on Legend’s memories. Purple had notes about the magic needed to make this work. Red ones were diaries from a guy named Raven, probably the same one who signed the letter. Wind would leave those alone.

At the bottom of the chest, he found what he was looking for. The hilt of Legend’s sword shimmered in the faint candle light. Wind reached in and grabbed her. Now that he was holding it, this sword could not more obviously be the Blade of Evil’s Bane. Any damage or fading of power over time did nothing to make that not true.

“Hey, hope you don’t mind the arrangement,” Wind said. He unsheathed it, considering its balance. “You’re bigger than mine was, so we may have to practice some. Don’t worry, I’ll get you back to the Vet in no time.” He paused, realizing something important. “And, uh, I know you burned Sky whenever he tried sparring with us, but I kinda need you to fight the Collector. He said so. Pretty please don’t do that.”

The sword was not a great conversation partner, so Wind could only hope that worked. He wrapped the sheath around his back, next to his bag.

Reaching into the chest, he pulled out the last thing. An intricately designed blue box, large enough to hold a few rings. The name “Link” was engraved on it in the Great Sea’s script. Opening it revealed a plain-looking ring wedged between some cushions. Wind put the box in his bag.

Mesmerized by the shiny ring, he just held it for a second. Slowly, he put it on.

The sensation was extremely strange. It felt like water being dunked on him that slid and hung off his form in gravity-defying ways. It settled over his hair like layers of sweat that dried in strange shapes and stuck. He wondered if this is what Tetra felt like when she was forced into the Zelda form.

The feeling didn’t fade, but it became easier to move and breathe as he got used to it. Looking down revealed wrinkled hands. He grabbed the candle and ran upstairs to find a mirror. Skidding to a stop, his eyes widened.

He was an old man! A Grandpa! 

A puffy white beard hung from his chin, while his head was smooth and bald. A great red ball stuck out from his face just above the beard. He was wearing a yellow scarf, pointy brown boots, and a long-sleeved green shirt. To complete the look, he grabbed a walking stick from a basket in the living room. 

Heading back downstairs, he picked up where he left off.

I swear the Collector’s things are so weird. 

True.

He has a ring that makes him look like me!--The Traveller.

Wait, seriously? How was this the first time Wind was hearing of it?

Also, if you have the time, could you smuggle the books about the Shadow Magic into the palace library after you are done with them.--The Traveller, again.

I don’t know if he is serious about that. I’m scared of the answer. Get a good night’s sleep, kiddo. And be careful with what you find around the house.

–The Captain

On the very bottom of the page was another little note.

Do not poke my past self too hard. Not at the beginning, at least. Let him reorient himself. If you need an outlet for your mischief, go for Ravio or Osfala. The bunny will set up shop in my house before too long. Also, I am going to gut you. Good luck.--The Vet

Ha! He’d like to see the bastard try. It was going to be a hell of a trip seeing a younger version of him wandering around. How old was he, anyways? 

Wind found one of the magic notebooks with some blank pages and started writing down his to-do list.

Ask little Collector how old he is

Find a place to stay. And some food

Figure out the Shadow Link stuff

Practice with the Master Sword

Gossip with the locals

Leave notes for the others.

Break into the palace to leave the magic stuff in the library

Annoy the Collector