It had been years since either of you had seen each other, with Hylia herself tearing First away from you despite your desperate cries and his struggle to free himself in order to bring you back to him. He didn't want you to be hurt by the goddess's jealousy, but you were caught in a crossfire while trying to bring peace to Hyrule as you journeyed with him. The whole ordeal had caused you to be chained and imprisoned, bound in bright ethereal shackles that felt as if they were burned into your flesh from how tight they had been wrapped around you, while First was sealed away in the darkness by Hylia's command. Through some sort of blessing or curse, he couldn't be certain, but he could still hear your sweet voice in his mind, lifting his spirits and giving him hope through the dark times that lay ahead.

During the time he was trapped and kept from your warm embrace, he desperately prayed and wished to be freed from his confinements so he could only see that beautiful smile of yours once again, only being able to hear your voice being tantalizing for him. He was driven by the urge to be with you, wanting nothing more than to see you just one more time, even if he had to destroy anyone who got in his way or kill Hylia herself. All he knew was that he needed you more than life itself, and he would stop at nothing to make sure you were in his grasp once again. Despite the pain and everything the two of you had been through, the fact he could still hear you as you comforted him through night terrors and kept him company was the only thing keeping him from spiraling into the depths of his mind and keeping him from going insane. One day, though, your sweet voice seemed to disappear completely, leaving him to face the darkness alone as he lay in the prison he had been stuck in all while being trapped in his mind.

After what seemed to be an eternity, it felt as if his prayers had been answered as he felt the box he was sealed in tumble from somewhere high and break open, freeing him from his confines despite how weak and malnourished he had been due to being trapped for so long. He lay there for a moment, his eyes adjusting to the sudden light, before realizing he had been set free, though what used to be a temple he was locked in was now in ruins. As he lay there on the ground in an attempt to regain his bearings, the loud crashing that was caused by his prison breaking open seemed to alert someone or something nearby. The sound of multiple heavy footsteps was rapidly approaching as he made an attempt to get up and hide or fight back, his legs unfortunately giving out on him and leaving him on the ground to face whatever was coming towards him.

What he wasn't expecting to see, though, was a group of at least a dozen Hylians running around the corner, all of whom seemed eerily similar to him in some way. Although what caught his eye amongst the group of men was the only female in the group, she just happened to look exactly like his long lost guide, who had been painfully ripped away from him all those years ago but still stayed within his mind nonetheless. As he watched the group approach with urgency upon seeing his injured state, he couldn't shake the feeling of familiarity that washed over him. As she drew closer, her eyes met his with a look of recognition and understanding that left him breathless as he realized it had to have been her, the sound of her voice being exactly like that of his guide.

"Oh dear, are you okay there? Here, let me help you. I don't want you to strain yourself anymore than you already have."

Her gentle words and caring touch instantly calmed his racing heart. He couldn't believe it was really her after all these years. As she helped him to his feet, he felt a sense of gratitude wash over him. She had always been there for him, even when he didn't realize it. And now, in his moment of need, she was by his side once again.

As he looked at her caring gaze, he couldn't wrap his head around how she was free and how she was here with him in the flesh now. In that instance, he could feel his eyes well up with tears of joy before he practically threw himself at her in a tight and possessive grip, never wanting to let her go again. She seemed surprised at first, a slight gasp escaping her before she gently wrapped her arms around him, holding him as if he were made of porcelain and any wrong move could break him as he sobbed into her shoulder. He didn't care at the moment about the other Hylian men that had stood back cautiously as he cried in her arms; he was only focused on the overwhelming happiness he was feeling as he was once again in her arms.

"Thank you… Thank you for coming back. I've missed you so much. I thought I'd never see you again after she took you from me."

He whispered into her neck, tears streaming down his face and soaking into her shirt. The other men watched in silence, not sure of or completely understanding the depth of their bond but still feeling a sense of relief that they had found solace in each other's arms. As the sun began to set, casting a warm glow over the two reunited friends, they knew that no matter what challenges they faced, they would always find their way back to each other, even if it meant freeing themselves from their chains. He promised himself he would never lose her again, even if it meant destroying all of the goddesses himself.

With all the places you've gone and all the time you've spent with the Chain, you were bound to face trouble at almost every turn. So it comes as no surprise that you've all found yourself in yet another predicament and yet another era of Hyrule; however, this one is much more serious and deadly than the ones that you had traveled through before. The stakes are higher, the enemies more formidable, and the challenges more daunting, which seems to make you and the Chain's abilities as a team and your ability to navigate this perilous new era of Hyrule as well as your patience and sanity to tolerate the group of Links truly a troublesome test.

You all agreed it would be more beneficial to separate into small groups as you explored the Depths of Sage's Hyrule in order to cover more ground. Despite most of the boy's complaining and whining over the situation, they eventually agreed with you, which led you to be stuck with Legend and Koridai as you wandered around what appeared to be a large coliseum. You, along with the two boys you were unfortunately partnered with for this adventure, explored the area around the coliseum, collecting resources easily due to Sage happily fusing a brightbloom seed to a large stick for you, efficiently making a sort of staff to see the area better with before he had given it to you as a source of light.

Even with all the open space, Koridai and Legend were practically glued to your side, keeping a keen eye on the surrounding area as if something would jump out of nowhere and steal you away from them, which in this Hyrule was more likely than any other era due to the mix of the terrifying gloom hands that would randomly appear out of nowhere, the Yiga that just caused as many problems as possible if they saw even one of the Links, and the shadow you've come to call Dink lurking somewhere nearby as if waiting and watching for the perfect opportunity to strike. There were all sorts of beasts that could be in this Hyrule, ready to take down you and the Chain when you were all separated, but you weren't too worried about it seeing how everyone, including yourself, could handle themselves in battle.

You learned after the first few weeks of being with the Chain that you were much different compared to Hylians besides the fact you had round rather than pointed ears like them, one of the main things being that you were much stronger and had more endurance than even the heroes themselves. You also learned that potions and magic didn't affect you as much as they did Hylians. It was also discovered that you were more resistant to hot and cold climates as well as attacks, as evidenced by the fact that a guardian blast in Wild's Hyrule didn't even burn you, despite the fact that it nearly gave the poor boy a panic attack. Since you had to rescue them from battle on multiple occasions, it was safe to say that having you with the Chain was a true blessing for them. However, this only served to drive them further into their own possessive and obsessive thoughts and desires.

As you and the two Links you were paired with ventured around the coliseum entrance, Koridai spotted a chest oddly placed at the center of it with what seemed like large, intricately designed metal walls within it. Koridai called out to get you and Legend's attention, making the two of you aware of the possible treasure within the coliseum. “Hey, look! There's a chest in there. Maybe we should check it out; it could have something useful in it!”

Your eyes narrowed in observance, while Legend seemed highly skeptical as the two of you walked closer into the coliseum, his gaze clearly interested in the chest yet weary of the oddly large and open space. “Are you sure it would be smart to go in there? It seems… off…”

Koridai spoke up as he kept walking ahead and examined the space, his voice full of his usual wonder as you and Legend followed behind. “I'm sure it'll be fine! Golly, this place sure is huge! Right, cutie?”

You simply nodded and hummed in response, Legend letting out an exaggerated and annoyed groan at Koridai's flirty nature as you all walked further into the coliseum with both of them by your side. The closer you got to the chest in the center of the large structure, the more you could see an ominous red mist that was akin to that of Ganon's gloom that had been tormenting and invading this Hyrule. A sense of unease and adrenaline started to wash over you slowly but surely as all of you kept walking forward, almost the same exact feeling you felt when you came face to face with Ganon in Courage's era.

As the three of you reached the center of the structure, a loud noise could be heard, and you spun around quickly, only to see that the entrance you had previously walked through was now shut off by a large metal gate. You turn back around again, only to see what you thought was just a nicely designed wall rise upwards, revealing a red gloom covered Lynel standing behind it. The Lynel let out a menacing roar, causing your heart to race with fear. You knew that this battle would be even more challenging than some you had faced before, seeing as this beast that was already a pain to deal with was now covered in menacing gloom.

"Ah shit," was all you managed to get out before it charged with its sword in hand, the three of you instinctively drawing your swords as you ran back a bit and yelled out to Legend and Koridai, "Boys, split up! It'll make it more difficult to target us if we're in different places!" Legend and Koridai nodded in understanding, quickly breaking off in opposite directions as you braced yourself for the impending clash...

As you and the Chain had been traveling together, you could sense that it was going to rain soon due to the humidity lingering in the air. You alerted the rest of the group to the oncoming storm as the drowsiness began to set in, which led to all of you taking shelter and setting up camp in a large cave. Everyone began settling in, starting a fire for warmth, and preparing their bed rolls as you stood near the entrance of the cave. You stared at the now cloudy sky, your mind starting to drift off, and an overwhelming urge to nap was washing over you.

You could feel yourself drifting and swaying side to side as you began to doze off until Warriors placed his hand on your shoulder, causing you to jump slightly and look over at him with wide eyes.

"Are you alright, my dear? You seemed to be dozing off a little," Warriors said in a soft and warm tone as he took notice of your startled appearance.

"Yeah, I'm alright, Wars... Just a bit tired, I suppose,", you replied. The way you spoke was not entirely like how you normally speak. It was clear to see in your eyes how tired you truly were, which only resulted in the boys becoming more worried over you. They continuously questioned you about whether you were really okay and if you were feeling sick.

Eventually, you began to explain how, in your time, the weather can sometimes affect people's behaviors and how rainy weather usually makes people more sleepy than normal. They all seemed to understand your statements before Sky spoke out in a gentle and soothing tone.

"Well, you can take a nap with me. Only if you'd like to, of course."

You honestly weren't expecting him to make such an offer, yet you somewhat did, knowing how much he liked naps. After a moment of thinking it over and not noticing the few glares Sky was being given, you made a decision to take him up on his offer.

"Sure, that actually sounds quite nice now that I think about it."

Sky's smile widened with pure joy as you replied. He moved over to his bed roll and sat down, waiting for you to come over and lay down with him as his heart began to soar. You made your way over to him and laid next to him as he laid back and opened his arms in order to hold you. You slid under the soft, warm blanket and wrapped your arms around his waist, letting out a content sigh as he wrapped his arms around you and pulled you to his chest.

You began to quickly drift off into the land of sleep, and Sky followed shortly after as he listened to your relaxed breathing and steady heartbeat. Laying with him was so warm and comforting that you couldn't help it. You both embraced one another tightly as you slept, unaware of the other Links, who looked on with jealousy.

Sure, it was nice to finally feel truly cared for after so long and all, but they seemed to underestimate you quite a bit. You wanted to help them in battle. However, either Hyrule or Twilight would pull you away. Even when you tried to help with carrying things, Time or Wild would come along and carry them for you. It was frustrating to constantly feel underestimated and sidelined by the Chain. Despite their caring nature, you longed for the opportunity to prove your capabilities in battle and contribute more actively.

It was nice being around them and being able to spend time with them, but when some of your weapons and items started to disappear, it got quite irritating. You had suspected that either Legend or Four was stealing them, and your suspicions were confirmed when you discovered a certain little Link rummaging through your bag. You had been helping a little with everyone before you came back to grab something out of your bag, only to find Four going through it and holding your favorite and most precious knife that you were gifted.

"Four... What are you doing with my knife?"

"O-oh! I was just... checking it to see how sharp it was?..." You raised an eyebrow, unconvinced by Four's explanation. The knife held sentimental value for you, and you couldn't help but feel a surge of anger at the thought of it being mishandled.

To be completely honest, you found it quite irritating how he was not only snooping through your stuff but was also lying about taking one of your most prized possessions. You could feel your eye twitch as you stayed silent, waiting patiently for him to speak the truth as you glared at him. After a moment, he sighed, finally giving up a losing battle and speaking the truth to you.

"All right... Me, along with... Others believe it would be better if we handled the fighting. We don't want to take a chance with you getting hurt." You couldn't help but feel a mix of relief and frustration at his admission. It was true that you were no stranger to danger, but his overprotectiveness was starting to suffocate you.

Okay, now you were starting to get a bit pissed off. You were getting sick and tired of being treated as a weak and precious item. You had a lot of fight and fire in you that they didn't seem to even notice, and you didn't want to just stand by and let them get hurt. You stood still before taking a deep breath, exhaling, and pinching the bridge of your covered nose as you tried to calm your nerves to the best of your ability before you calmly walked over to where Four was with your bag and grabbed your knife from him. You readjusted the mask that covered the lower half of your face as you swiftly crouched down and placed it back in your bag before abruptly closing it and putting it back on the ground where it was.

"... Ya know, where I'm from, it's quite rude and disrespectful to go looking through people's stuff, and even more so to take their belongings without permission. I'm gonna go for a walk. I'll be back in a little..." You stated this firmly, making it clear that you were not pleased with Four's actions. As you walked away, you couldn't help but feel a mix of anger and disappointment. Taking a deep breath, you reminded yourself to stay composed and find a way to address the situation later on.

You let out a huff of annoyance as you moved through the trees and along a narrow path that you could see, only for your annoyance to increase at the sound of rapid footsteps approaching you from behind. You take a glance back to see Four sprinting in your direction, his voice calling out to you as you keep walking away from him. You let out a slight snarl as he caught up to you, not afraid to show your irritated state and how you needed some alone time.

"Hey! Slow down! Where are you even going? You know how dangerous it is out here." Four's concerned voice echoed in your ears, but you remained determined to distance yourself from him. Ignoring his warning, you quickened your pace, craving the solace of the secluded woods ahead.

"I need some time alone so I don't end up snapping, alright! I just need to clear my head so we can actually talk about the issue and sort this out, but right now it's just best to leave me be." You knew that Four cared about your well-being, but you also understood the importance of taking care of your own mental state. As you disappeared into the depths of the woods, you hoped that this time alone would bring clarity and peace to both your mind and the situation at hand.

You snatched a large stick from the ground and let out a mighty war cry, or what you would call a war cry. Using the force of your swing, you knocked out the closest monster by swinging the branch as hard as you could at it like a baseball bat. You and Four fought swiftly side by side until a single monster was left. A lone Lizalfos was the only beast left as it charged at Four while his back was turned, knocking him off his feet and causing him to drop his sword while leaving a small gash on his head from the blow.

Your eyes widened as you watched the situation unfold before mindlessly running towards him and sweeping his sword off the ground. He let out a yell you could barely hear as you raised the sword in the air and charged at the Lizalfos, only for your vision to be exposed to a blinding light.

Four looked on as you grabbed his sword and charged at the monster, making an attempt to call out to you and warn you not to do so, only for you to be surrounded in a bright light for a brief moment. Once you were visible once again, there wasn't just one of you, but four different versions of you. Each one was dressed in a different color as they each held a sword and glanced around confusedly. One of them was dressed in a deep, crimson color; another one was dressed in cyan; the third was dressed in a dark gray; and the final one was dressed in a bright, almost neon orange.

Each of them glanced at each other in confusion, clearly confused and startled by the whole situation that had just occurred. The version of you dawning the color cyan frantically glanced at the Lizalfos the second it moved and seemed to grow more panicked. The other colors immediately took notice of Cyan's fearful expression before the one in orange spoke up in a soft yet powerful voice while pointing at the crimson and gray ones with their sword.

"You two. Go distract and weaken the monster. Cy, come help me with Four." Crimson and Gray nodded in agreement, their expressions determined as they turned to face the Lizalfos. Cyan hesitated for a moment, torn between fear and loyalty, before finally mustering up the courage to join Orange.

Orange returned Four's gaze before swiftly walking over to him, Cyan close behind and crouching in front of him, their gaze piercing through his soul while also providing him with comfort. Orange wrapped their arm around his back and gently raised him up, carefully supporting him while leading him away from the battle to safer ground. Orange and Cyan examined him after Orange carefully placed him down beside a tree on the ground in front of them.

It was simple to distinguish between the various forms of you, especially Orange and Cyan, since Cyan appeared anxious and stood slouched, but Orange stood confident and upright in a reassuring, protective, and even parental manner. Four noticed connections between the Crimson and Gray versions of you as he returned his eyes to the battle. Crimson appeared to be the more aggressive of the two, standing in a dominant and powerful stance before charging at the Lizalfos with their sword raised high, whereas Gray appeared to be slouching and nearly unstable, cackling maniacally to themselves with a trace of insanity in their voice.

Each version of you wore a mask similar to the one you normally wear, but each one differed depending on the color they were wearing. Crimson wore a mask with aggressive, lightning-marked markings that reflected their violent mentality. Gray, on the other hand, wore a mask with swirled, complicated patterns that seemed to reflect their unstable personality. Regardless of these distinctions, both versions emitted a distinct aura of force and determination on the battlefield. Cyan wore a mask with a pattern similar to bandages covering their mouth, reflecting their quiet and stressed personality, whereas Orange wore your normal mask design, reflecting their protective and assertive nature. These various masks showed the distinct personalities and characteristics of each color, adding to the complete aesthetic.

Orange crouched down in front of him so they could see eye-to-eye as they swiftly pulled a red potion that Hyrule had given them for emergencies. Cyan cautiously returned their gaze to the combat raging between the Lizalfos and the other versions of you, who were viciously and brutally striking the monster. Orange instantly handed the potion to Four and placed it in his hands without hesitation.

"Drink this. It'll take care of that wound for now while we deal with this little issue we have. Cy, keep an eye on him so I can go finish the monster off. Four, stay put and don't even think about getting up and trying to help, got it." Orange's voice was firm and protective, leaving no room for argument. Four simply nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation and far too enamored with you to argue. With a determined look, Orange sprinted back into the chaotic battle, ready to face the Lizalfos head-on and protect their alternate versions as well as Four from any further harm.