#fjj25

Adventure was the pinnacle of thrill for the heroes, yet it wasn’t the only thing that filled their minds with an overdose of dopamine. One thing could only be comparable to it– objects. The excitement surrounding new items was a materialistic obsession, no matter the thing. 

With this information, it made the veteran’s home a perfect target for new discoveries that some of the boys and men had never even heard of. It was like an upscale chest with multiple treasures, and infinite possibilities. However, it was also quite known that Legend wouldn’t even allow one to exhale on his precious artifacts, as if the small puff of carbon dioxide would unleash a deadly curse onto every living being in Hyrule. 

The champion, despite this, lacked the impulse control needed to actively listen to the various warnings that were given on this topic. 

He couldn’t help it– since he woke up, and most likely before he was put to sleep, he exploited anything that could be grabbed. Whether it was a single, rotting tree branch, or a nearly-untouched diamond circlet that cost half of his inventory, he had the urge to hold everything, and anything. Perhaps it was the thrill of owning a new possession, or the texture of the object itself, that habit stuck to him. This habit was probably the cause of current events. 

Once the rouge, velvet box of jewelry was brandished against the homey light, the champion’s fingers twitched. The masses of glistening gold and silver hypnotized his eyes, as if coaxing him to hold the entire chest itself. 

“Don’t bother trying,” The sneer of the veteran startled Wild, his shoulders flinching as he turned to face the adventurer, “I count everything in this room each night. Twice. Nothing gets taken from here without my knowledge.” 

That was intimidating, though the cook was almost certain that it was just an empty threat, made to keep Legend’s brothers away from his belongings. Still, he nodded his head and complied, “Sure.” The word felt thick against his tongue as he said it, his mind already planning a temporary-borrowing of one of these precious pieces of jewelry. The adventurer wouldn’t even notice its absence. 

As if hearing his thoughts, Legend squinted his eyes, staring into the champion’s faux-innocent gaze. “If you steal something, I will find out. And I will choke you with my hat.” 

Wild simply hummed a lazy tune, and stepped out of the room of treasures. Dinner was fine, though he remained quiet. Sneaking into the room past dark would be difficult– especially with creaky floorboards. He’d figure it out though. 

And figuring it out he did. It was the dead of night when he snuck down, three layers of socks providing padding over the freezing kitchen tile. All he had to do was make it to the room, where the box of jewelry was waiting to greet him. His breathing was quick, yet silent. He looked through the small space under the veteran’s door multiple times, reaffirming that the man was asleep, and not awakened by the light, waiting to catch him in the act. 

Wild had to mask a squeal as he tip-toed down the steps. The smooth parquetry was almost slippery under his feet, for his knuckles were whiter than an apparition’s as he gripped the railing. With a shaky exhale, he continued his descent down the stairs. The room’s door was right in front of him now– the white wood staring at him, captivating his eyes. 

The door slid open with a slight click. Wild grinned, his cheeks flushing in excitement. He made a beeline to the jewelry box, which was in the exact same place that the adventurer left it. His hands were almost shaking as he fiddled with the small clasp, opening the box with minimal energy. 

There was gold, silver, and any other precious metal that existed in the land of Hyrule. It glistened despite the minimal lighting, and Wild impatiently reached out his hand, taking out the first thing his fingers grazed. It was an ugly ring, he had to admit. The golden swirls of the band were the pinnacle of beauty, don’t get him wrong, but the bold, sloppily cut, and not to mention flashy ruby in the center left him slightly disappointed. Maybe it would look better in daylight; it would be silly to judge such a rare find in darkness.

Wait– it wasn’t dark anymore. 

Next to his shadow, the champion could spot a flicker of what seemed like candlelight. He shoved the gold ring beneath his sleeve, whipping his head around in surprise. 

“What. Are. You. Doing?” The monotone voice was instantly recognized as the Hero of Legend, and Wild shivered under the tone, “Hand it over.” 

Oh no. “Hand what over?” The champion sing-songed, inhaling a breath with such intensity it made him cough. Legend stood there, glaring at him once he continued, “I have- absolutely nothing.” If he could fool an entire army of Gerudo warriors, he could probably fool his brother. Maybe. Hopefully. 

“I don’t believe you.” His voice lacked benignity, for his patience was drained out from the countless interactions he had with people whose hands were stickier than glue. “Come on, just show me what you took.” The veteran’s eyes looked exhausted, and his entire body radiated somnolence. It was surprising he didn’t collapse then and now; it was clear that he had a sixth sense for theft, and that it forced his body out of REM sleep. 

No way. There was no backing out now; Wild would never surrender to cold feet. Never in a million years. “I don’t know what you’re talking about–” an idea sparked in his mind, “I was going to take something, but then you came in. Honest.” He lifted his hands up in the air, as if proving his innocence. 

Legend yawned, clearly struggling to crease his eyes without closing them, “If I find out you stole something, I’m gonna choke you with my hat.”

Sure, Ledge, sure. 

As the two tip-toed back to their respective sleeping areas, Wild couldn’t help but feel his heart race with excitement. He’d try on the ring first thing in the morning, before anybody woke up. His knowledge on the many powers jewelry could possess wasn’t vague, but it wasn’t specific either. Perhaps he could relay his discoveries to Zelda, so he could benefit others with his… temporary borrowing, and not just himself. 

As twilight faded to dusk, and dusk to dawn, the champion’s eyes opened with such fervor that his eyebrows raised along with it. Releasing the ring from inside his sleeve, he snuck outside to begin his experiment. It slipped on snugly, the metal not pliable enough to wrap itself perfectly around his ring finger. 

Instantly, he felt different. His vision blurred for a second, but once the dizziness cleared he felt a hundred years younger. His mind turned hyper-sensitive to the point where he could hear the faintest rustle of the plants in the distance. His scars weren’t tugging on him, and the puffiness in his face from lack of sleep disappeared. Was this some sort of health ring? It couldn’t be. The design, as far as the champion was aware, didn’t match the classic gold-wrapped heart shape he’d learned to recognize. He moved to a nearby puddle, attempting to piece together what physical attribute caused this exhilarating change. 

It wouldn’t be fair to call the reflection he saw his. His long, blonde locks were cut short and brown, curled in a way his hair would never go. His signature blue turned green, and he instantly recognized the reflection’s face as the traveler’s. He inhaled sharply, jabbing at his face with a mix of surprise and fear. 

The champion practically threw the ring off, only looking toward it after he noticed his reflection fade into its normal state. He dropped to his knees, carding through the grass until he found the mysterious ring. He had to show the traveler. 

Legend’s front door opened with a BANG as he made a beeline to the guest room, eyes locking onto his brother, and previous döppelganger. “Hey! Wake up!” 

It wasn’t too difficult to drag Hyrule out of bed, and out to the yard. Sure, maybe he could have woken him up a little bit later, but this was too important to let patience overrule. Plus, waking up early increases alertness. 

“Have you ever wanted a twin?” The words instantly tumbled out of his lips with intense fervor, as if he was compensating for the traveler’s lack of energy. The rising sun looked dim against the champion, and he was practically bouncing at the balls of his feet, “Because I found something that can do just that.” 

He didn’t even wait for Hyrule to provide a response, only choosing to slip on the ring and grin with that mischievous look that his brothers have known to love and hate. The instant shock of his brother only made him cackle, and he wished he had snapped a picture of it with his slate. 

Hyrule’s eyes never left the ring as he spoke, his voice still trembling with surprise, “Where’d you get this?” Wild pursed his lips and looked away, immediately breaking down into laughter. He tried again, “Wild! Where?” 

Wild’s voice shook as he spoke, and it took every ounce of him to not break down into laughter. “Well, a pink-haired man didn’t lock his door, and–” 

“--No. No you did not.” The traveler slapped his hand against his forehead, sliding it down to pinch the bridge of his nose, “You can’t be serious.” 

“Oh, but I can.” His grin just grew wider, his eyes twinkling with a spark that wasn’t, yet was his at the same time. Noticing his twin turn away, he called him back. “Come on, aren’t you curious about the rest of the rings?” 

Hyrule just shook his head, “Not enough to risk the wrath of the vet, buddy.” He was about to add the words ‘never enough’, but a loud holler interrupted his speech. 

“Champion!” The shriek of the veteran was unmistakable. He was standing right outside the house, his face redder than his tunic, “Explain exactly why you look like Hyrule– oh wait, I already know!” He stormed over, yanking the ring off of the wild hero’s finger, nearly dislocating it. 

“I’m sorry!” Wild groaned, swaying as he got used to his actual body, “I was going to give it back!” He refused to look the veteran in the eye, his eyes darting toward anywhere but him. 

Hyrule just shook his head, murmuring a light “That’s rough, buddy.”

Legend simply sighed, taking his hat off his head, “Come on. I do not deviate from what I say.”